Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
“K-9 handler Vernt and his partner Nikko, a Belgian Malinos.”
“I thought they didn’t come until later.”
She shrugged. “Guess we kissed longer than we’d thought.” It was true, she didn’t think that much time had passed but they’d been kissing for twenty minutes. In her mind it hadn’t been more than two.
“Guess we need to finish that kiss.” He turned her in his arms then backed her up to the counter so she couldn’t get out of his arms. “And see where it leads us.”
“Pretty sure I know where that’s going to be.”
His gray eyes sparkled. “Only pretty sure?”
“Confident.”
“Always.”
“I meant I was confident where it was going to be.”
“That too.”
She rolled her eyes. “I have to go meet him.”
John narrowed his eyes before dipping his head to kiss her once more. “You know you’re mine, right?”
Flicking her tongue over his lips, she smiled before ducking and walking away. “I’d stay out of sight until they’re gone tonight.” She grabbed her coat. “Argo, heir.” Dog at her side, she strode out into the fading light of day. The wind whipped around her, and she tucked her chin and struck out for the training facility.
Vernt hopped out of his truck as she neared it. “Leena,” he said with a smile.
“Officer.”
“All this time and you won’t call me by my name?”
“I’ve always been better with dogs’ names than people. How’s Nikko doing tonight?”
“Anxious to get some work done.”
“Good to hear.” She waited while he opened the back door and took the dog from the crate set up in the back. “You can run him if you’d like. All the others are put up, I’ll take Argo inside and turn the heat up. We still have about ten minutes before five.”
“Thanks, I’m sure he’ll appreciate that.” He waited with a hand on Nikko’s collar as she took Argo to the door and put him inside the training center. Then she got to say hi to the canine. Once she finished, Nikko bolted off in the deep snow, running and playing. “See you two inside.”
She adjusted the heat and turned on the outside light. Last minute decision had her stepping back out into the cold. “I’ll be right back, I’d like to work Pax a bit as well. Going to go grab him.”
Vernt looked at her before nodding. She jogged to the house and opened the door. “Pax, heir.” He arrived moments later. Slipping his fur saver on, she clipped a leather leash to a link and backed out, ignoring the male—human this time—standing there watching her.
Her first client waited for her at the door. “Wasn’t sure if Argo was loose or not.”
“He is, sorry. Let’s go in.” She went in first and dropped him with a word. “I’d say Nikko is loosened up. Take him through, I have a course set up.” This time they were on the other half of the training center, not the agility side. This was a course for the police dogs, had a few extras in it that her regular agility didn’t have.
While he took his partner there, she got her dogs situated on their beds and put in down stays. Argo immediately put his head down and closed his eyes. Pax however, wanted to be part and watched intently.
She joined Vernt and worked with him.
Ten o’clock she’d said goodnight to her final client. A new K-9 pair. Morgan, a relatively young member of the unit had gotten a new bitch and they’d not connected yet. She’d given them some things to work on, to help mold them to a better team. Thankfully the handler was an eager man to make their new team work out. After they’d departed, she’d gone to the kennel for one final check on her boarders.
She rubbed the back of her neck as she made her way across the dark yard. The snow had begun to fall once more, and she was grateful she wouldn’t be out traveling when it picked up. As it was now, the fat heavy flakes more than quadrupled in speed by the time she reached her front door. Erma was with her and she brought the bitch in then shut the door behind them both.
Her other dogs met her, and she shrugged out of her coat after greeting them. Then she removed her heavy boots, leaving her in a pair of wool socks.
“That was a long night.”
Even though she knew he was here in her house, the sound of his voice caught her off guard and she jumped. Angling her head, she spied him approaching her. He wore nothing more than the low hung pair of jeans she’d picked up for him. The warm light from a faraway lamp added a golden hue to his tanned skin. She could still pick out the welts and burn marks on his skin but none of it detracted from the allure he exuded.