old.”
“She’s really pretty. She looks a lot younger.”
“She’s not all that. The only reason Nick’s probably with her is because he thinks it makes him look like a stud to say he fucked an older woman.”
Rylee stood in the evening shadows and listened to the three young women talk about her.
“Don’t pay them any attention,” Noah whispered in her ear, his hand resting on her shoulder. “They’re jealous — especially Ashley.” He nodded to the pretty brunette. “She’s Nick’s ex.”
“Ahh…I see. Well, I guess that explains the vicious comments, cutting looks, and overall shitty attitude I’ve been getting from her all evening.”
“Yeah, Ashley’s a real bitch. Nick was never serious about her, and he finally ended it a couple of years ago. But she just can’t seem to get over it and move on.” He chuckled softly.
“I think of all the girls Nick ever dated, Mom hated Ashley the most.”
“I can see why,” Rylee muttered as she glanced at the group once more.
“Come on.” He led her in the opposite direction. “Let me give you a tour of the place.” They walked toward the kennel and were greeted by excited barks when they entered the large building lined with cages filled with various breeds of dogs.
“So, how long have you and Nick been breeding and training dogs?” Rylee watched Noah walk through the room. He took a moment to pet each dog through the metal openings before he moved on to the next cage.
In spite of her efforts not to, Rylee couldn’t help but admire Noah’s muscled form as he bent down in front of one of the cages. It still amazed her how much he and Nick resembled each other, and she wondered if their similarities ended with their physical appearances.
He glanced over his shoulder at her and smiled. “Oh, man, we’ve been doing this for as long as I can remember. My parents started this business shortly after Nick was born. When Dad died a few years ago, and Mom retired, Nick and I just continued the business.”
Noah stood up and walked toward her, and she saw a moment of sadness flicker in his gaze. Then he smiled again, and the sadness vanished as quickly as it came.
“Luckily, Nick and I really enjoy what we do, and we work well together. Leslie and José work with us, too, so it’s all good.”
As Noah talked, Rylee’s gaze was focused on his lips. Full, firm, and sensuous, they reminded her so much of Nick’s, and she suddenly wondered if they felt like Nick’s as well.
It took her a moment to realize that Noah had stopped talking and stood looking at her with a knowing expression on his face.
Rylee felt her face heat, and she was sure that she’d turned about ten shades of red when she realized that he’d caught her staring at him.
She quickly looked away, turning her back to him, and focused on a beautiful
Doberman in one of the cages that was whimpering at her for attention.
“It’s cool, Rylee.” Noah spoke softly, his words destroying any hopes she’d had that he hadn’t noticed her practically drooling over him. Rylee squeezed her eyes shut, far too embarrassed to turn around and face him. “Nick and I know how much we look alike. Trust me” — he chuckled — “we’re used to being stared at by each other’s girlfriends.”
Yeah, that was it. Wasn’t it? Rylee desperately wanted to believe that was all it was, because the alternative was something that she just wasn’t prepared to deal with at the moment.
“There is one thing that I’m dying to know, Rylee.” She jumped at the sound of Noah’s voice directly behind her and spun around to face him. He stood so close to her, they practically touched.
“What?” Her voice was tissue-thin, barely strong enough to be considered a whisper as she stared back at him.
When Noah reached out toward her, she stood immobile, her emotions an unstable mixture of apprehension and anticipation as she waited for what would happen next. His fingers wrapped around a lock of
“She’s really pretty. She looks a lot younger.”
“She’s not all that. The only reason Nick’s probably with her is because he thinks it makes him look like a stud to say he fucked an older woman.”
Rylee stood in the evening shadows and listened to the three young women talk about her.
“Don’t pay them any attention,” Noah whispered in her ear, his hand resting on her shoulder. “They’re jealous — especially Ashley.” He nodded to the pretty brunette. “She’s Nick’s ex.”
“Ahh…I see. Well, I guess that explains the vicious comments, cutting looks, and overall shitty attitude I’ve been getting from her all evening.”
“Yeah, Ashley’s a real bitch. Nick was never serious about her, and he finally ended it a couple of years ago. But she just can’t seem to get over it and move on.” He chuckled softly.
“I think of all the girls Nick ever dated, Mom hated Ashley the most.”
“I can see why,” Rylee muttered as she glanced at the group once more.
“Come on.” He led her in the opposite direction. “Let me give you a tour of the place.” They walked toward the kennel and were greeted by excited barks when they entered the large building lined with cages filled with various breeds of dogs.
“So, how long have you and Nick been breeding and training dogs?” Rylee watched Noah walk through the room. He took a moment to pet each dog through the metal openings before he moved on to the next cage.
In spite of her efforts not to, Rylee couldn’t help but admire Noah’s muscled form as he bent down in front of one of the cages. It still amazed her how much he and Nick resembled each other, and she wondered if their similarities ended with their physical appearances.
He glanced over his shoulder at her and smiled. “Oh, man, we’ve been doing this for as long as I can remember. My parents started this business shortly after Nick was born. When Dad died a few years ago, and Mom retired, Nick and I just continued the business.”
Noah stood up and walked toward her, and she saw a moment of sadness flicker in his gaze. Then he smiled again, and the sadness vanished as quickly as it came.
“Luckily, Nick and I really enjoy what we do, and we work well together. Leslie and José work with us, too, so it’s all good.”
As Noah talked, Rylee’s gaze was focused on his lips. Full, firm, and sensuous, they reminded her so much of Nick’s, and she suddenly wondered if they felt like Nick’s as well.
It took her a moment to realize that Noah had stopped talking and stood looking at her with a knowing expression on his face.
Rylee felt her face heat, and she was sure that she’d turned about ten shades of red when she realized that he’d caught her staring at him.
She quickly looked away, turning her back to him, and focused on a beautiful
Doberman in one of the cages that was whimpering at her for attention.
“It’s cool, Rylee.” Noah spoke softly, his words destroying any hopes she’d had that he hadn’t noticed her practically drooling over him. Rylee squeezed her eyes shut, far too embarrassed to turn around and face him. “Nick and I know how much we look alike. Trust me” — he chuckled — “we’re used to being stared at by each other’s girlfriends.”
Yeah, that was it. Wasn’t it? Rylee desperately wanted to believe that was all it was, because the alternative was something that she just wasn’t prepared to deal with at the moment.
“There is one thing that I’m dying to know, Rylee.” She jumped at the sound of Noah’s voice directly behind her and spun around to face him. He stood so close to her, they practically touched.
“What?” Her voice was tissue-thin, barely strong enough to be considered a whisper as she stared back at him.
When Noah reached out toward her, she stood immobile, her emotions an unstable mixture of apprehension and anticipation as she waited for what would happen next. His fingers wrapped around a lock of
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