Page 49 of Puppy Christmas

Considering how much she wanted to kiss Ford again, it was a lot silly.

“He’s a bit ofd-i-c-k, to be honest,” she confessed. “He always was. The problem is, he’s only just realized it.”

A shout of laughter started to escape Ford’s lips, but he clamped it down before it got too far. Emily and Jeeves had just settled down for a nap, and he didn’t want to wake them. Emily had taken to clutching the puppy next to her like a teddy bear while she slept, and Jeeves, with only a slight sigh for the trials that beset him, let her.

“Why do men do that?” Lila asked. “Take forever to admit they’re wrong, and then, when they finally do, fall into ano-r-g-yof apologizing that only serves to make everyone feel worse?”

Ford’s lips twitched. “If Dr. Yarmouth’so-r-g-i-e-smake you feel bad, I don’t think he’s doing them right.”

She eyed him with misgiving. “Is this where you tell me that you had your firsto-r-g-yin the back of a school bus at age fourteen? Spare me the details, please. I’ve had enough of your depravity to last me a lifetime.”

“I don’t think I could ever have enough ofyourdepravity” was his glib response. “And for your information, no, I didn’t holds-e-xparties in the back of school buses. I did feel up Greta Lawrence once, though.”

This conversation was one Lila knew she should stop in its tracks. Not only did she suspect Ford was making up the bulk of his youthful escapades in an attempt to shock her, but so far, his youthful escapades had a tendency to lead to adult ones.

She opened her mouth anyway. “You seem to have met an awful lot of obliging young women during your formative years.”

“I know, right?” He flashed her a devastating grin. “There’s something about me that brings out the wanton in even the most well-bred girls.Youknow how it is. Is it my devilish charm, do you think?”

Yes, she did. It was his devilish charm and his easy smile and the way he had of making everything seem like a game. To a woman who wasn’t used to playing anything—except the occasional bout of Scrabble—it was a heady experience. “I already apologized for kissing you under the bleachers,” she said stiffly.

“True, but I haven’t apologized yet for not kissing you back. In my defense, you caught me off guard. I’ll do better next time, I promise.” He tilted his head in a considering way. “I can, you know.”

She didn’t bother responding. There was little doubt in her mind that Ford Ford could perform any number of tasks that would make her forget who—and what and where—she was.

The real question was, could she?

According to her mother’s impeccably kept photo album, the answer was a resounding yes. Once upon a time, she’d been the kind of person who was daring and fearless andbold. Someone who did what she wanted, took what was offered, and flew on the edge. Lila couldn’t remember that girl, but she felt a profound urge to make her acquaintance.

Hello, Lila. I took care of us the best way I knew how, but I don’t think it’s working anymore. Please, will you take over for a while?

“Hey,” Ford said, his voice softer than she could remember it being before. “I know I talk a big game, but if you want me to forget it ever happened, I will. Word of a gentleman. It was never my intention to make you uncomfortable.”

Lila paused, too absorbed in her own thoughts to pick up on his meaning right away. By the time she realized he was giving her an opportunity to return to the Lila she’d always been—the Lila she’d always known—she’d already reached a decision.

“Will you go out with me?” she asked. The words rushed out in a tumble of breath and embarrassment, but she didn’t regret them.

Ford didn’t help matters any when his only response was to blink and say, somewhat blankly, “Out? As in…to your car?”

“No. Out as in a date. Dinner, movies, making out in the back seat of your sweet minivan…” She flushed as she repeated the exact conversation they’d had the day of the tea party. “I know you said you don’t do that sort of thing anymore, but we really should put up some kind of professional boundaries while we’re working. I was hoping that by meeting outside of puppy training—”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t finish.”

“H-e-l-lyes.”

“Please don’t feel like you have to agree.”

“F-u-c-kyes.”

She bit down on a giggle. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d actually giggled, but she liked the way it felt, like champagne tickling her nose. “I was thinking next weekend might work, but is it difficult for you to find a sitter for Emily? Especially considering how she feels about strangers?”

Ford rubbed his hand along his jaw, his ink-stained fingers leaving a smear like a question mark. “I could always ask Helen, but she’s going to want to know what we’re doing. It might shock her to hear my intentions toward you.”

Lila ignored this, assuming it was designed merely to get a reaction out of her. “I’m going to make a suggestion, but I want you to know that you’re in no way honor bound to take me up on it,” she said.

“Is it a lewd suggestion? Because if so, I’m in.”