Chapter 119
JUSTINE WAS RUNNING with Rocky, her five-year-old rescue who was part dachshund, part beagle, part comedian, and all-around best pooch in the world.
Rocky was giving her the happy-dog grin, letting her know that he had been waiting forever for this run, and that he wasn’t going to forget a minute of it, and that he really loved the guy who was running with them.
The best-looking guy in the world was also enjoying their run on the wide grassy divider between the lanes of traffic on Burton Way. All three of them had been running for a half hour at a nice even pace, although it was becoming harder for Justine to keep up because she was laughing so much.
“Pick it up, Justine,” he said. “Try this. It’s good for your calves.”
And then he did sideways leaps over Rocky as the dog ran on the leash ahead of them, unaware or uncaring that he’d become exercise equipment.
“Now you try it.”
“No, sir, no way,” Justine shouted. “Look,” she called out. “I think we should go out for dinner.”
“You’re crazy,” he said. “I’ve already marinated the fish. You saw me, Justine. I made my special marinade.”
“We can freeze the marinade,” she said.
“Really? Not where I come from. Listen to me. You’ll chop a few vegetables, throw them in a bowl, make a salad. After that, all you have to do is open the wine and pour me a glass. Sound okay? Still with me?”
“Yes, I’m with you.”
She was. She was so with him, it was ridiculous.
They passed Il Cielo, a place she loved that wouldn’t require her to make a salad or wash dishes. Instead, she could put on this really lovely dress she’d just bought, black, gauzy, deeeep neckline, short very flirty skirt.
There would be air-conditioning in the restaurant, no sweat, and after dinner, they could go back to her house and sip wine out by the pool and listen to music. For a little while.
“I’m gonna grill the fish that I’ve been marinating, thank you, and it’s going to be the very best snapper you’ve ever tasted. And then, Justine, I’m going to clean the grill. How long has it been since that grill got a good shine?”
“I don’t know. Never?”
“That’s what I thought. So, after dinner, after I clean the grill, I’m going to show you a couple of moves you’ve never seen before.”
Justine laughed loud and long. He was making a good case for staying home, that’s for sure.
“Here’s a preview of one of them,” he said.
He stopped running and she pulled up short, put her hands on his chest. He looked right into her eyes. Then he got a grip on her waist and brought her close.
Justine’s insides fired up and heat flashed through her body, making her want to get naked, right then and right there, with the cars honking at them—she was that damp and hot and hungry for him.
She looped her arms around his neck and pressed up against him, and he kissed her, softly at first, then got into it really good as the dog ran around their legs, corralling them, tying them together with his leash.
“Good one,” she said when they broke from the kiss.
“I’ve got a few more of those I’ve been saving up for you,” he said with a grin. He kept his eyes on her, looked as messed up as she was, his mouth still soft from their kiss.
He said, “But you’re going to have to wait. Until after I clean the grill.”