Passing the Torch (Devil's Knights 2nd Generation 1)

“Who the hell names their dog Barbara?” he scoffed.

“Uh, well, they always request she gets a cut that looks like Barbara Walters’ hair.” I cleared my throat. “It’s really uncanny how much she looks like her when I’m done with her.”

The guy busted out laughing.

Yeah, it was true. Barbara’s owners were a bit on the kooky side and didn’t care how crazy it seemed to not only call their dog Barbara, but to also give her a haircut that mimicked her namesake.

“Now that is something I’d like to see.” He shifted the dog in his arms, and Barbara sighed.

Yeah, girl. I’d be sighing too if I was lucky enough to be cuddled up to this guy.

“So, you need help taking her?”

I blinked. “Uh, who?”

“The dog.”

Oh, right. Barbara. I pulled out a leash from my back pocket. “Uh, I should be okay.” I reached out and hooked the end of the leash on her collar. “You can put her down.”

He bent over and set her paws on the ground. Barbara leapt up and about knocked the guy over trying to get back in his arms.

“I think you’ve got an admirer in Barbara.”

He pushed her down and petted her head. “She’s a good girl, aren’t you, Barbara?” he cooed to her.

I watched him fawn over the dog and smiled. Who would have thought the suave looking biker would be an animal whisperer? “Uh, well, we better get back to the shop, Barbara.” I tugged on her leash, but she didn’t budge.

Her tongue lolled out the side of her mouth, and she stared lovingly up at the guy. Totally smitten. Same, girl. Same. Three minutes with this guy and I was jealous of the dog he was petting.

He crouched down in front of her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Time for you to go get your haircut, pretty girl.”

Ugh. Majorly swoon worthy.

Barbara whined and scooted closer to him. I was never going to her away from him at this rate.

“Come on, Barb. You can have a couple of cookies.”

She didn’t even glance at me. Normally, the word cookies sent Barbara into a tizzy, and she would do anything to get one.

Not today.

The guy stood and turned to me. He held out his hand and smiled. “I’m Hero, and I think you might be needing a little help here.”

I clumsily shook his hand. “Uh, I’m Reva.” I held onto his warm palm and kept yanking it up and down like it was a damn water pump. Up, down, up, down. I tried to wrap my head around his name. If his mother had named him that, it was one hell of a moniker to live up to.

Hero laughed and set his other hand on top of mine. “I think that’s good, Sunshine.”

I laughed nervously and extracted my hand from his. “Uh, sorry about that.” Apparently, touching the tanned, tattooed hottie turned me into an idiot. Lovely.

He grabbed the leash from my other hand. “I can walk her back over, if you want. I think that might work better.”

Barbara stared up adoringly at Hero. “She seems to have taken a liking to you.”

Hero shrugged and headed toward the gate he had left open. I followed behind sheepishly.

A laugh escaped my lips at the hilarity of Hero walking Barbara.