Going in Deep (Billionaire Bad Boys 4)

She petted his head, bending down beside Julian. Steve put his head on her knee.

“I know. You’re a good boy,” she crooned to him.

He let out a small whine.

Julian studied her with the dog, his gaze steady and too damned perceptive. She had a feeling he could see her heart and how much she adored this particular pup.

“You recommend him?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she said over the lump in her throat. “He’s two years old, full size, seems good with the other dogs, and he has an easygoing personality.”

“Sounds like my dog,” Julian said in a gruff but happy voice.

She rose to her feet, leaning against the chain enclosure. “I’ll leave you two alone for a little while. Make sure you have time with him. You know, so you’re certain he’s the one you want.”

Julian settled on the kennel floor, not at all worried about dirt. Steve immediately nuzzled up to his chest, and Kendall withheld a soft sigh.

“There’s no need for you to leave. I’m sure,” Julian said, chuckling, his big hand stroking the dog’s flat fur.

She blew out a long breath, shaken that the dog she’d considered her boy would be going home with Julian, of all people. Well, she’d prayed Steve would get a home, and now he had one.

“Okay, well, you can leave the adoption fee, which is refundable if things don’t work out. We’ll need to check your references, and you can take the time to stock up on everything you’ll need for owning a pet. We have a list we’ll give you. Assuming everything checks out, you can come back for him tomorrow.”

“Hear that, Steve? Only one more night in this place.”

Steve seemed to understand, licking Julian’s face with his big tongue.

It took awhile for Julian to leave the pen. Like Kendall, he’d already bonded with Steve. Finally, he stepped out, and Kendall locked the run once more, then led Julian back out front.

For the next few minutes, he filled out the rest of the paperwork, left his references, and paid the adoption fee.

It wasn’t until after he left that Kendall realized he hadn’t offered up the apology or tried to talk to her about anything other than pet adoption, leaving her feeling strangely off-balance. And uncertain about what his intentions would be when he saw her again.

* * *

Julian wasn’t playing games. He wasn’t adopting a dog in order to get close to Kendall. With the responsibility he was taking on, that would be sheer insanity. At a local pet store, he purchased a leash and collar, a crate, food bowls, and other things he’d need for his new friend, Steve.

What kind of name was Steve for a dog? He felt like he was bringing home a real roommate with that name. But he’d felt the pull toward the dog from the minute he looked into the pup’s soulful eyes.

Julian worked long hours in his apartment, and a dog would force him out of the house to take breaks and walks, and provide him with much-needed company. So the dog was a real want in his life, even if seeing Kendall at her job had given him the push he needed to make it happen.

And he wasn’t withholding his apology to Kendall on purpose. It’s just that when he’d walked into the back room with Kendall, he’d been struck hard by how different she seemed now from the woman he’d known. This Kendall Parker was low-key, diligent about her job, serious about the dogs and, it seemed, about life.

When he’d seen her last, she’d been ebullient, bubbly, and on a normal day, she was bouncing up and down while she talked. She’d been, during the time they were together, on a constant high. She talked fast, and often he had trouble keeping up, but she was so happy it was impossible for her good mood not to rub off on him.

She’d suggested a late-night ride to the top of the Empire State Building, no fear of heights or reason given.

As a result, he’d suggest impulsive trips just to keep up. Blowing off work for a drive upstate, accompanying her on excessive shopping trips. She hadn’t needed much sleep, and on the nights he was with her, he’d learned to function on less.

He’d also discovered she loved sex. Risky sex. A lot of sex. And he’d been too blinded and wrapped up in Kendall to see through to her problems. All he had to do was think back and remember, and his entire body came alive. There was something about Kendall that got to him, and it wasn’t just because she was a sex kitten.

For a little while, she’d been his kitten. He placed a hand over his hard cock, adjusting himself as he stared out the window of his apartment, unable to focus on work. This new and, he had to believe, improved Kendall intrigued him. She was a woman of substance, something that had been there all along, but she’d buried the seriousness beneath a manic episode. He just wished he’d known.

Why? Because he’d been such a decent guy? He’d have gotten her help? He shook his head, pushing away the self-loathing that resulted when he acknowledged the answer was no. He would not have.

Julian had changed when he’d discovered he’d used and hurt someone who hadn’t been in full control of their own actions. While he’d like to believe if he’d known, he’d have stepped up for her, the sad truth was, he probably would not have. Just knowing about her disorder wouldn’t have altered his behavior. It was hurting her that had accomplished that feat.

He’d had to hit his own r