If You Were Mine by Bella Andre Read Free Book Online Page B

Zach’s living room.
    The puppy had not only ripped open every pilow on his
    couch, she had also gone to town on what Heather guessed was
    a realy expensive rug. There were scratch marks up and down
    one side of the kitchen island and a half-dozen dark stain spots
    on the exposed parts of the hardwood floor.
    Even Atlas looked alarmed by the state of the apartment,
    as he stood beside her at the front door like a statue of a Great
    Dane.
    “Where is she?” Heather asked in the hushed voice Zach
    had wanted her to use earlier.
    He pointed to a pile of feathers beside the couch. Heather
    had to look closely to see Cuddles curled up in the center of it,
    sleeping the sleep of the truly exhausted.
    “I’m going to kil my brother,” he said in a low voice that
    told her he meant every single word.
    She didn’t blame him for feeling that way. He was a
    bachelor who’d had a rambunctious puppy dumped on him. In

    truth, none of this was Zach’s fault. He was just doing the best
    he could. Unfortunately, it seemed he was way out of his element
    with this particular puppy.
    Heather had worked with hundreds of dogs over the years,
    and she’d been able to tel right away that this one was a handful.
    The smart, playful ones always were.
    “What happened?”
    “She wouldn’t stop crying last night when I put her to bed
    behind her gate.”
    Heather roled her eyes. “What did I tel you yesterday
    about sticking to the rules?”
    “Neither one of us was going to get any sleep unless I let
    her come into the bed.” He gave her a rueful look. “She fel right
    to sleep as soon as I put her on one of my pilows and I figured
    we were good to go until morning.” He ran his hand over his
    face. “I know, I’m an idiot, but I didn’t think three pounds of
    fluff could do this kind of damage. I can’t believe I forgot about
    the teeth. And the bladder. And the nails.”
    “How long do you think she was up by herself?”
    “I don’t know. I thought she had burrowed under a pilow
    and assumed she was stil in the bed when I got up to shave and
    get in the shower.” He grimaced. “That was when I heard the
    crash. A lamp shattered, fortunately not on her. She knocked
    over another one right after I caled you. Swear to God, I look
    away for three seconds and she’s like the freaking Tasmanian
    Devil.”
    Heather gave Atlas the signal to stay by the door before

    Heather gave Atlas the signal to stay by the door before
    she moved toward the pile of feathers and puppy. “Is she hurt?”
    “She’s fine. I checked her over before I let her sack out.”
    The truth was that by this point, most people would have
    been angry enough to at least give the puppy a smack on its
    rump. Funny, wasn’t it, that she could so easily imagine Zach’s
    large hands moving gently over Cuddles’s legs and soft bely as
    he made sure the puppy was okay.
    Taking pity on him, she said, “I’l help you clean up. Go
    ahead and finish your shower.”
    He looked patheticaly grateful as he showed her where the
    garbage bags were.
    “Thank you, Heather.”
    Oh boy. She hadn’t prepared for a smile like that, one
    completely devoid of seduction or wicked intent. It was one
    thing to guard her heart against a Lothario with no moral fiber...it
    was another entirely to remain cold and distant with a flesh-and-
    blood man whom she was afraid might be just as human as the
    rest of them.
    He was halfway across the living room when he turned and
    said, “If it weren’t for the puppy of mass destruction over there,
    I’d invite you to join me.”
    Ah, there was the man she could so much more easily fight
    her attraction to.
    “If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be here.”
    She turned her back on him as she stuffed feathers and
    ceramic shards into the trash. When she heard Zach turn the
    shower on, she let out the breath she’d been holding. Rocking

    shower on, she let out the breath she’d been holding. Rocking
    back on her heels, she looked over