“Learned behavior,” she told herself. “You can break this pattern. ”
She wandered into the kitchen to stand by Rodie and stare out at the ocean. The repetitive roll of waves layered her stress with a blanket of relief. Consistent. Ever present. Powerful. Protective. The ocean seemed to wrap her in a certainty of forever, helping with her jumpy nerves.
She glanced down at Rodie for the hundredth t
ime today. His eyes were open, scanning every movement on the beach. She crouched beside him and stroked him, head to tail. “How are you doing, baby?”
He lifted his head, wagged his tail, and licked her face. But then immediately resumed his sad position. This just wasn’t like him. He was an impossibly happy dog. Maybe she should call the vet. Then she thought of Wes and his experience with animals.
RUBI: I’m worried he might be sick. Do you know how to tell?
WES: I’m already halfway to your place, coming to check up on you. I’ll take a look at him.
Her heart tripped at the news that he was close. An immediate bite of irritation followed. She didn’t want these unsettling feelings. These little unexpected zings of electricity every time she thought of him were beyond annoying.
She smoothed her hand over Rodie’s head. “Wes is coming to see you, baby. ”
At Wes’s name, Rodie’s head came off the floor. He pushed into a sitting position and his ears tilted forward. His eyes sparked with an alertness Rubi hadn’t seen all day.
“Rubi, how’s it going on your end?” The voice in her ear redirected her attention.
She pressed her Mute button and replied to the woman overseeing the project. “Great,” she lied. She’d been skimming time from the NSA project to program the apps for Renegades—because the apps were fun and the NSA project was mind-numbingly boring. After forgoing them both to work on Wes’s project, she was going to be sleeping very little over the next week. “Everything’s on target. ”
Rodie pushed to his feet, tail wagging fiercely, ears perked. His whines picked up volume and pitch. Frowning, Rubi peered out the door. A figure jogged their direction. She narrowed her eyes on her dog—the animal who loved no one but Rubi. The animal that growled and threatened everyone who came within half a mile of the house.
She crossed her arms and glared down at Rodie. He was acting completely normal. His lighthearted, happy self. Rubi shook her head and muttered, “You little traitor. ”
His paws were up against the glass before Wes was within half a mile, wearing nothing but swim trunks.
She rubbed the back of her neck and slid open the door, then the screen. Rodie let out a bark and took off toward Wes, ignoring a pair of Labradors walking with a man the other direction.
“Hey there, buddy,” Wes called to Rodie as the dog approached, then dropped to his knees in the sand. Rodie jumped on him, paws on Wes’s shoulders, licking his face. Wes’s head tilted back, and laughter rolled from his throat, the deep, rich sound tingling through Rubi’s body. “Seems like you’re feeling pretty good. ”
Rubi shook her head and touched the Mute button to sign off the call with the others. She was pulling the earpiece off when he looked up and spotted her standing in the doorway. Even several yards away now, she could see the joy in his smile.
Her stomach took a tumble, then squeezed, spurting adrenaline through her upper body. And this time when she tuned in to the emotions, there were far more what-ifs? than “no ways. ”
He stood, flung the Frisbee toward Rubi’s house, and Rodie took off after it. Wes followed. Rubi left the door open for him and returned to the living room to check on the program. Rodie trotted into the house first, a red Frisbee clutched in his mouth, his deep brown eyes sparkling and a bounce in his step.
Wes appeared a moment later, his swim trunks covered in big red Hawaiian flowers on a white background contrasting with his tanned skin—all that tanned skin wrapping his muscles.
He crouched in front of Rodie again, taking his face in both hands. “He looks good. Is he eating okay? Drinking water?”
“Yes,” she said, shooting him a lightly disgusted look. “Little faker perked right up when your name was mentioned. ”
The concern vanished from his expression, replaced by a wide grin and a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “Told you he’d love me. ”
Rubi returned her gaze to the screen with a smirk.
He rounded the sofa to stand behind her and pressed his hands to her shoulders. With her upper body clad in only a bikini top, his palms were hot and slightly rough. The sensation flashed her back in time, to the feel of his fingers inside her. God, he’d known just where, just how to touch her. Warmth spread low in her body.
His fingers flared over the back of her neck, exposed with her hair in a loose, messy twist. She closed her eyes and let out a long breath of relief.
“Baby, you’re all knotted up. ” His voice registered guilt. “Have you been working on this all day?”
“Had to. We need time to test it. And, honestly, Wes, this is a total experiment. I don’t know if it’s such a great idea to use it on someone who just had surgery. ”
“Everything in the world starts as an experiment. ” He rubbed her shoulders. “The physical therapist knows all about the rig, and she’s consulted with Wyatt’s surgeon. But I didn’t realize it was going to be so time-consuming for you. I know when someone needs a break, and someone recently taught me all about getting rid of this tension. ”