Jackson Lewis must have that effect on a lot of people. God knew he was making her skin feel all tingly.
Autumn had told her he was a player. Not that it bothered her. She liked games, too. Especially when they involved a guy as good looking as him.
“Are you planning on doing any work?” he asked her, his eyes meeting hers again.
“I might do a little,” she admitted. “I have to video conference with some clients who are honeymooning in June, and I need to finalize the itinerary for my trip to Barcelona next week.”
“I guess I’m not the only workaholic around here,” he murmured.
“Hopefully Skyler doesn’t take after either of us.”
He glanced at her again. She was getting used to the way he made her heart skip. “If she takes after either of us, I hope that it’s you.”
She wasn’t sure what to say in response. Instead she looked over her shoulder, at Freddie the Teddy who was in the backseat of Jackson’s car, a seat belt holding him in. “You hear that, Freddie?” she asked. “He wants Skyler to be like me.”
Freddie stared back at her impassively.
Ten minutes later, Jackson was pulling off the highway, onto the winding road leading toward the shore and Angel Sands itself. She could see the glittering ocean through the windshield, as they drove past brush and fields, toward the distant houses.
That’s when she saw it. Another bundle of fur. Not quite Freddie’s size, but big enough.
“Stop!” she shouted out, craning her head to look over her shoulder. Was that what she thought it was?
“What?” Jackson frowned.
“You have to stop. Right now! Go back,” she urged. “About a hundred yards. Please hurry.”
He gave her a weird look, but did as instructed, bringing his Prius to a halt before making a U turn and slowly driving back up the hill.
“Here!” she shouted when she saw the ball of fur again, behind a rock twenty yards into the brush. “Stop right here.”
“What’s going on?” Jackson called out, as she opened the door and ran out of the car, leaving a dust cloud behind her as her sneakers pounded against the dry earth.
“A dog,” she shouted back, her voice breathless. “I saw a dog.”
He waited for her sudden bolt out of the car to lessen the attraction he felt toward her, because right now he’d take anything. But instead it made him want to pull open his own door and follow her across the road toward wherever she was running.
So he did just that, climbing out of the Prius, and thanking god the road to Angel Sands was quiet at this time of day. Lydia was already ten yards into the brush, her bare legs a blur as she ran.
A moment later, she came to a complete stop, and crouched down, reminding him of how he’d found her at the airport, on her knees in front of a stuffed toy.
But now she was leaning over something else, her voice low as she whispered. Damn, he hoped it really was a dog and not a wolf or a coyote.
Hearing him approach, Lydia turned, her eyes wide. “Don’t scare him,” she whispered. “He seems jittery.”
She held her hand out to the dog. It looked fully grown, and of no particular breed that he could make out. If Jackson had to guess, there was some German Shepherd in him somewhere, but that had to be a generation or two back. “Is he hurt?” he asked, leaning over her to get a closer look.
“I don’t think so. Just scared. He has no collar or tags.” She reached out to stroke him, and the dog gave a throaty growl. “Hey, sweetie,” she whispered. “It’s okay. We’ll find your mom and dad.”
“Not out here we won’t,” Jackson said, looking around. There was nobody in sight. Wherever the dog came from, it hadn’t escaped from any walkers around here.
“You’re right. We should take him home.”
“In my car?” Jackson blinked.
“Got any better ideas?”
He opened his mouth to tell her that any idea was better than taking some unknown dog in his car, but thought better of it. She was looking up at him, her brows arched, her hands firmly on her hips.