Leashed (Going to the Dogs) by Zoe Dawson Read Free Book Online

She felt her resolve slipping. She tried to imagine Brooke’s stern face, but her vision was full of Owen and his seductive, bad boy mojo, a face that could wreck any woman’s resolve, and a hard, muscled body that begged her hands to smooth over its hard planes.
    He looked away, presumably to focus on the contents of the toolbox. His body tensed and his eyes shuttered. “I grew up on the streets until my great aunt found me and took me in. It was a hard-knock, learn or die type of existence, and didn’t include any expansive lawns, drowsing puppies, or pretty hanging baskets full of delicate flowers. It was gritty and dirty and terrifying.”
    For a moment, the harshness of his statement shocked her. But when she recovered, her heart tilted, and his blunt confession gave her a glimmer of why he was a man who pursued many women but never settled on one. She didn’t want that insight, because it made it just that much more difficult to resist him.
    She wasn’t sure he was telling her this to shock her, create distance, or gain sympathy. Little did he know that she was a sap for all things orphaned or in need. Not that he was either of those things, but still, she couldn’t imagine a life without the strength and wisdom of her parents. She had a haven to return to, and support every day, even when she wasn’t present. It was a comfortable safeness that permeated her life. Maybe that was why she sought out these kinds of men, the ones on the edge, to experience a bit of that thrill, some of that danger.
    “I don’t know why I said all that. Maybe I feel too comfortable around you. You’re so open and caring.”
    “You say that like it’s a bad thing. It’s not.”
    “I’ve experienced the caring from my great aunt, but I’ve never trusted it.”
    “Never?”
    He shook his head, his eyes caressing her face as he stood close to her in the swath of sunlight from the window.
    “I’m sorry for you, then.”
    “Don’t be. I might be cynical when it comes to relationships, but I’ve done just fine. What about you?”
    “What about me?”
    “Relationships. You believe in happily-ever-after and saying I do—”
    “I never said that.”
    “But you believe it.”
    She looked at his mouth, tried to focus on the conversation. His mouth looked firm and soft at the same time. “My parents have had a long, happy marriage, so I’ve had wonderful role models.”
    “No broken hearts?”
    She shook her head. “I’ve had my share, but I was young and susceptible.”
    “To men like me?”
    “If I’m being honest, yes.”
    “By all means, be honest. It makes it easier.”
    “Easier for what.”
    “To know the ground rules.”
    “Oh, Owen. I know your ground rules.”
    “Do you?”
    “Yes. No commitment, a fun time while it lasts. Everything free of messy entanglements.”
    “You do know the ground rules. And yet you still get hurt.”
    She lifted a shoulder. “Can’t help how I feel. Controlling emotions is pretty much an illusion. Managing them is closer to the truth.”
    “But ultimately you want what your parents have.”
    “Yes, I want what my parents have. Who wouldn’t? The bond, the support and commitment they give to each other is priceless. They are each other’s best friends. And I guess I wouldn’t settle for less than that, either.”
    “So you just trifle with men like me while waiting for Mr. Right?”
    “I don’t trifle with anyone, Owen.”
    His face grew serious. “I can see that you don’t. That was the wrong word choice. I apologize.”
    “Apology accepted. I assume you can say the same thing.”
    “I don’t trifle with women, Callie. I make sure they are all aware of my limits going in. There are no surprises.”
    “Right. We wouldn’t want that. Well, I’m not that naïve young girl anymore.”
    He took another step closer, and her breath suddenly felt trapped inside her chest. So much for being brazen.
    “Still, you’re not my type.”
    She didn’t back down, and his