If She Dares (Contemporary Romance) by Tanya Michaels Page B

laughed. “Afraid not. I left Mags with my parents for the moment.”
    “So the previously unnamed pup is Mags now?”
    “For Magnolia Street. Where I found her.”
    “Mags,” he repeated, considering. “I like it. Probably not what I would have chosen, but—”
    “I couldn’t call her fuzz-bucket forever. It lacks dignity.”
    “No, that was just a nickname. For a formal name, I’d probably go bigger, something that would instill the confidence to take on the world, no matter how small and cute she is. Like Colossus. Or Chewbacca.”
    Riley was grateful for the harmless teasing. It kept her from dwelling on the memory of him kissing her while thrusting slowly into her.
Dreams aren’t memories
. Still, heat suffused her body. They were close together in the small enclosure, and he smelled incredible—a warm, woodsy sensory detail her dreams didn’t include. Was that cologne, or expensive soap? She fought the urge to close her eyes and inhale deeply.
    “Riley?” Curiosity laced his voice, but in her mind, she heard the echo of a deeper tone, coarse with desire.
Tell me what you like
.
    “I, uh...” Hoping to recover her composure, she sidestepped him to unlock her mailbox. By the time she’d riffled through the assorted envelopes and tossed two Dear Occupant letters into the trash, her breathing was back to normal. “Are you just getting in for the day?” she asked. She imagined people who worked with the police pulled all kinds of long hours.
    “Yeah, but if no emergencies come up, I should be able to sleep in tomorrow. The first thing on my schedule is to— You probably don’t want to hear this.”
    He sounded genuinely shy, which was unlike him. “Hear what?”
    “I’m going to the morgue.” He shot her a sidelong glance, as if checking her reaction. “There’s an unidentified body that was badly burned, and I’m helping approximate facial reconstruction. I’ve dated more than one woman who was freaked out by that aspect of my job.”
    It sounded noble to Riley. “If you help identify this person, someone out there might get a concrete answer to what happened to a loved one. As awful as it must be to lose someone, I imagine knowing for sure is better than horrible, nagging uncertainty. But who cares what I think? You and I aren’t dating.”
    “True.” They left the mail alcove, headed by unspoken accord toward the stairs. “All the same, I...do care about your opinion.”
    His admission left her a little giddy, and she had to fight to keep herself from grinning like an idiot.
    Before she could respond, he added, “And I’m not the only one who holds you in high regard. Juliet texted earlier. She really likes you.”
    “The feeling’s mutual. Once I figure out how to keep Mags—”
    “I knew you would.” His voice was playfully smug as he opened the door to the stairwell for her. “Totally called that one.”
    She ignored the gloating. “I plan to make Dr. Burke our regular vet.”
    “You won’t be sorry. Hey, do you have plans tomorrow night?”
    The question was so abrupt, she almost missed a step. Gripping the polished wood banister, she thanked God her reflexes had kicked in before she face-planted in the stairwell. Her mother would never forgive her if she showed up for a blind date tomorrow with a swollen nose and black eye.
    Apparently, Jack hadn’t noticed her close call with mortification. “A bunch of us, including Juliet and her husband, are going to dinner at this place with indoor bumper cars and high-tech, virtual-reality video games. We’re a
very
sophisticated group,” he deadpanned. “And if you’re not busy...”
    Thanks a lot, Mom
. After chiding for months that her oldest daughter needed to get out more, Sheryl Kendrick had sabotaged the one invitation Riley actually wanted to accept. Disappointment curdled inside her. “Sounds like fun, and I wish I could go. Unfortunately, negotiating with my parents to indefinitely board my dog required my