Can't Touch This (Can't Touch This #1)

She nodded slowly. “Yessss….”

“Would a freshwater bath be acceptable?”

“I don’t know. What exactly does that entail?”

I smirked. “Me, you, naked.”

One second of hesitation showed; she probably thought about returning home for fresh underwear and a bikini—but then she threw all caution out the kennel window and laughed. “Sounds perfect.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

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Vesper

HOW DID I NEVER KNOW this existed?

I’d been born and raised a few counties over and had swum in Thorn River where it was publicly sign posted, but I’d never snuck onto private property where the river meandered into paradise.

“Wow, Ryder.” I couldn’t pull my jaw from the permanent position of amazement. “This is stunning.”

The colours of green and turquoise over saturated my eyes with weeping willows, pockets of deeper still water, and babbling shallow brooks. Rocks stuck out of the velveteen water, slick with algae while reeds played in the depths like mermaid hair.

Sunshine speared around green leaves and brown bark, dappling the embankment.

I never wanted to leave.

“You’re the only one who’s seen this.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s my sanctuary. I’m rather possessive of it. Haven’t even shown it to my brother yet.”

I swivelled to face him. “Wait, you have a brother?”

He nodded. “Yep, two years older. Wildly successful.” He narrowed his eyes. “Why? Already planning on trading me in for a better model?”

I laughed. “No way. I’m very content with the one I’ve currently got on loan.”

“The loan could be made into a more permanent arrangement if you wanted.”

My lips parted. “Meaning?”

“This…” He motioned between the two of us. “It started off as a trial but I’m ready to cash in my thirty day right of return and keep you.”

My heart fluttered. “You say the most romantic things.”

His teeth flashed in the sunshine. “I try.”

A thunder of doggy paws interrupted our conversation. “Oh, help, they’ve found us.” Ryder chuckled.

I braced myself as a cloud of brown dogs, white dogs, spotty dogs, and patchy dogs hurtled around the huge oak tree protecting this amazing river grotto and berserk chaos found us.

When Ryder had grabbed my hand back at the kennel and unlocked the gate where a lot of the dogs were lolling in the grass or playing with one another, he’d assured me he’d done this before.

As the pack of mutts took off into the distance, Ryder guided me back to the house, entered a rickety temporary work shed, turfed out two bags of concrete that were taking up prime real estate in a wheelbarrow and wheeled it around to the front porch.

I’d known instantly what he was about to do.

And I couldn’t stand it.

Why was this guy so damn perfect? He had to have a flaw. He had to be a closet serial killer or bank robber or…something.