Free The Marriage Contract by Lisa Mondello Page A

the
gym where they'd met.  She'd only gone to that gym when the owner asked her to
remodel the lounge and had given her a temporary membership to get the feel of
the place.   She’d quit going to the gym soon after the remodeling project was
complete.  
    Devin stood by
the edge of the tide with his hands propped on his hips, looking out at the
ocean.  A strange feeling arose in her, pulling her to him.  His dark hair was
slick with perspiration as was his muscled arms and thighs.  His tank top clung
to him, leaving nothing for the imagination.  She wondered what it would feel
like to run her flat palms over the ridges of his back, and press her cheek
against his rock hard chest.
    She shook her
head to break the thought, wondering where it had come from.     
    Dragging in a
deep breath of salted sea air, she walked toward the water's edge as if she
were pulled by some invisible magnet.  Devin turned to look at her as she drew closer.
    “Beautiful,
isn't it?” she said. 
    “I've forgotten
just how much,” he said, almost in a whisper. 
    Devin turned
his sights back to the incoming tide.  “How's he doing?”
    “Roger's not
much on endurance.”
    “You sound like
you're talking from experience.  Is everything okay?  You know, with the-”
    She stuck out
her chin, making sure to keep her voice low as she spoke.  “I know exactly what
you're referring to and you know that's not how I meant it.”
    He raised his
eyebrows.  “Everything okay?”
    “It's...”
    “Fine?”
    “Yes,
it's...oh, never mind.”
    A low rumbling
chuckle escaped him.  “I'd shoot myself if a woman ever said it like that about
me.”
    “I doubt anyone
ever has.”  Cara thought she said it under her breath, but when he turned to
her and gave her a slow smile, one that almost caused her to lose her
equilibrium, she knew she'd been caught.  She touched her neck, feeling the
heat of a blush spread up her cheeks.
     A dog barked
in the distance--it was more of a whine--and Devin snapped his head up.  She
turned and looked behind them to find a dog on the edge of the beach.  She’d
seen the dog before on several occasions and approached him, only to have him
run away frightened.  It was clear by the way the dog was hobbling that he was
injured.
    Roger pulled
himself up from the sand and they all headed toward the dog.  As they
approached, the dog crouched down and peered up at them.  He was panting
heavily, favoring his back paw.  The poor thing looked as if he were put
through the ringer and hung out to bake in the hot sun.
    As they eased
themselves closer, the dog cowered away.  But he was clearly in no condition to
run like he had before.  Devin crouched down on the ground and held out his
hand, coaxing the animal toward him.  “Come here, boy,” he whispered.  The deep
timbre of his voice was lulling as he continued to inch his way forward. 
Eventually, he was able to win the animal’s trust.
    Cara edged
closer, but Roger caught her arms and held her back.  “What are you doing?” she
asked.
    “Stay away from
it.  For God's sake, it might be rabid.”  Roger's expression was one of
disgust.
    She pulled her
arm out of his grasp.  “He's not acting crazy.  He's hurt.”
    “He is a little
mangy and his fur is matted on the side.”  Devin's voice was low and soothing
as touched the dog’s fur.  In turn, the dog seemed to know he had nothing to
fear with Devin.  “It looks like there might be dried blood on his coat.”
    Cara's heart
dropped.  “Do you think he was hit by a car?”
    Devin took his
attention away from the dog for the first time and looked back at her. 
“Maybe.”
    “I thought most
towns had leash laws,” Roger commented, looking around as if he were looking
for a possible owner.
    “He might be a
stray.”  Devin gently applied pressure to the dog’s back and worked his way
down to the back paws. When he reached the injured leg, the animal yelped. 
Cara saw him flinch as