The CEO, the Puppy and Me

The words hung in the air between them like some ominous cloud. The potential for it to be true bothered Gia. Her cousin should not be so dashingly good-looking. The memory of his tanned, toned abs came to mind. She definitely shouldn’t notice his good looks. But it was impossible not to.

Without another word, he made his way to her hotel. When he pulled up in front, he turned to her. “I don’t have time to care for an injured puppy. And you can’t take him into the hotel, so it looks like we’re going to have to work together. Do you think we can do that, you know, for the good of the dog?”

“I don’t see why not.” Her gaze met his. Every time he stared into her eyes, like he was doing now, her heart raced. She swallowed hard, trying to maintain her composure. “I don’t mind doing my part, but you should know I can’t take care of an injured dog full-time. I’m only here for a brief amount of time. And I have things to do.”

He looked as though he was going to say something, but he paused as though rethinking what he’d been about to say. “Understood.”

Using the utmost care, she handed him the puppy. And then she got out. She headed into the hotel to see if they would make an exception to their no pets policy and, as expected, they refused. And so she checked out early. She wasn’t sure where she was going to stay that night, but she couldn’t just abandon the puppy, and Ric didn’t seem comfortable caring for him.

As she made her way to her room to gather her things, she couldn’t stop thinking about Ric. She’d recognized him right away in the garden. Someone would have to live under a rock not to recognize the man after all the media coverage he’d garnered for his part in that movie—this year’s smash hit.

The funny thing was that he didn’t have an actual part—at least not a speaking part. It was more like he came walking out of the ocean with waves breaking behind him as rivulets of water raced down from his short dark hair to his broad shoulders to his muscled chest, and then there were those six-pack abs. She could now testify that those close-ups were most assuredly real and not airbrushed.

But the fact there was a possibility he was her cousin utterly blew up all of those totally inappropriate thoughts. She’d been eager to learn about her other family, but she hadn’t thought she’d end up with Ric Moretti for a cousin.

* * *

This day had started so promising.

And with each passing hour, his optimism had faded away.

A frown pulled at Ric’s mouth. The fact Gia could be his cousin shouldn’t bother him. After all, it wasn’t like he would be upset about losing the inheritance. To be honest, he’d amassed his own fortune with his innovations. And now he wanted to pay it forward—to leave this world a little better than he’d found it.

The dog whined, drawing Ric from his thoughts. He adjusted his hold. His thumb stroked the pup’s fur, feeling its little ribs in the process. This little guy had been on his own for a while now. Ric knew how that felt, but it didn’t make it better. In fact, it made it worse.

“Don’t worry fella. We’ll make sure you end up in a good home where you’ll always have plenty to eat, a warm bed and you’ll never get hurt again.”

The puppy turned its head and rested it on Ric’s forearm. He seemed quite content on his lap. And though Ric would not admit it to anyone, he was content holding the little guy. He could see why people had pets. Although he wasn’t changing his mind about walking through this life alone. No matter how cute the puppy was or how appealing it would be to share life’s burdens, he knew relying on someone—trusting someone—came with risks. And he’d already paid dearly. It was a lesson he’d never repeat.

So while the puppy closed its eyes, seemingly content to fall asleep, Ric used his free hand to start searching for a hotel in the city that accepted pets. His first three tries failed.

But the more he thought about it, the more he realized the answer was right under his nose. Or in this case, the answer was right under his roof. His apartment had a spare room that had never been used. And he didn’t mind having the dog there—on a temporary basis.

And it would help to have Gia under the same roof until he unraveled the real story about her. Was she really his cousin? Or was she scheming for the inheritance?

He didn’t want her to disappear until he knew the absolute truth. And so the decision was made. He would offer her a place to stay.

The car door opened. Gia leaned inside. “I think we have a problem.”

He smothered a sigh. “What is it?”

“It’s my luggage. It’s not going to fit in your car.”

Why hadn’t he thought of that?

The puppy sat up. He lifted his head and licked Ric’s cheek. That was why he hadn’t been thinking clearly. This dog had upended his entire day.

“Leave your luggage with the valet. I’ll send a car to pick it up.”

She hesitated, not moving. The look on her face said she wasn’t sure about this arrangement.

“It’ll be fine,” he said. “Just give them my name.”

“Okay.”

A few minutes later, she returned to the car. “You were right. Once I mentioned your name, there was no problem. You must have a lot of pull in this town.”

“I don’t know about a lot, but enough.” He went to hand over the puppy, but its little paws went into overdrive as it fought to stay on Ric’s lap.