His Purrfect Mate by Aliyah Burke Read Free Book Online

thinking of
leaving tomorrow?” he asked, using a piece of his bread to scoop up
some of the meat sauce and eating it.
    “ No set time. I usually
leave early but if you want to sleep in, I don’t mind going a bit
later.”
    Sleep in? Only if you are
in my arms, Aida. Dane couldn’t recall the
last time he’d woken up with a woman.
    “ I don’t want to alter
your schedule. Early is fine by me.”
    She smiled, and he shifted on the seat as
his jeans grew tight. For the rest of dinner, Dane asked questions
which were kind of neutral in tone, not wanting to pry too much. He
learned her expressions, the different qualities her voice had, and
he was introduced to her passion for helping others.
    He cleared the table while she went outside
then, once she came back in to do dishes, he headed back out to the
shop to check on the board. He grinned when he saw the cans of
protective coating she’d set on the table. Deciding on the
polyurethane, Dane applied a coat. After it was on and he had
cleaned out the brush, he heard her laughter. His skin prickled,
and he cocked his head.
    “ Kamau, stop it. Stop.
Stand still now, come on.”
    Dane immediately headed off in the direction
of her voice. Coming around the front of the house, he stopped in
his tracks. Aida stood soaking wet with suds all over her and the
dog beside her. Scanning, he spotted Ruger nearby, the powerful
male lay there appearing almost bored with the entire thing. His
gaze went back to Aida, and his breathing was suddenly a struggle.
Beautiful. Taking a deep breath, he began towards her.
    “ Who’s bathing who?” he
asked teasingly.
    Aida looked at him and narrowed her gaze.
She wiped off her forehead before bending over and scrubbing Kamau
some more. “You’re so full of sass, why don’t you give Ruger a
bath?”
    His beast hissed with
indignation at the suggestion. Dane stared beyond her wet
body-hugging tank top to where Ruger lay watching him. Bathe a dog? “Do you
really think he’d let me?”
    “ You stay, Kamau,” she
muttered before grabbing another bucket and walking in his
direction. Thrusting the soapy brush at him, Aida set the bucket
down on the ground. “Ruger. Bath time.” Ruger appeared by her side
and continued to stare at Dane. “ He’s not my problem child. Be a good
boy, Ruger.” Then, she headed back to where Kamau
waited.
    Dane looked between his hand and the dog.
Ruger held the gaze, his dark eyes unflinching but wary.
    “ Okay, Ruger, here we
go.”
    Dipping his hand into the pail, Dane reached
toward the dog. Ruger never moved, he stood stock-still and
continued to stare back at Dane while he washed. When Dane walked
around to the other side, the massive head followed his motion. He
could feel the scars under his touch. Along with a body packed full
of muscle.
    “ How do I rinse him?” he
asked looking over at her.
    “ There’s a hose over here
by me, he’ll come with you,” she said as Kamau shook all over her
and pushed her to the ground. “Damn you, Kamau.”
    Dane chuckled and looked at his stoic
companion. “I really like your owner, Ruger,” he muttered. In a
louder voice, he said, “Come on, boy. Let’s get rinsed off.”
    Aida was right. Ruger followed him and stood
for rinsing. When both dogs were clean, Aida sent them off to dry
in the warm evening air.
    “ What are Ridgebacks bred
to do?” he asked, desperately trying to keep his mind off her wet,
succulent body. A task not at all easy to do especially with the
way the clothes she wore conformed to her curves.
    “ Hunt lions.”
    Shit! Well, that explains
so much. “I see.”
    “ Thanks for bathing Ruger;
I need some dry clothes.”
    Those words pumped lust into his blood and
heated it to near boiling. “I’ll be out here.”
    He watched her go inside. When she’d
disappeared, Dane grabbed the hose and drenched his head, needing
to be cooled off.
    Claim her!
    No! Dane refused.
    Perhaps it had been a mistake
coming with her. He’d just gone