Free Dalton, Tymber - Doggy Tales [Doggy Tales] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Tymber Dalton

chest.
    His tail swished even faster.
    Her heart racing, she dared pet his chest a little more firmly, and he whined.
    “Okay, boy. I need to get upstairs to work,” she managed in a trembling voice. Where the fuck was Lindsey?
    He whined again and slowly rolled over, keeping his head bowed, and he backed up.
    Backed up!
    Damned if it wasn’t like he was trying to reassure her.
    His tail wagged nonstop until his furry, dense rump butted against the counter. Genna slowly walked to the elevator bank and repeatedly punched the button until a door slid open. She stepped backward into the car, anxiously punching the “close door” button until it did. With a relieved sigh she hit the button for the fourth floor and managed to make it to her desk before her legs gave out.
    Ivan, the hunky two-legged one, walked into the office twenty minutes later. Fortunately by then, she’d had time to compose herself.
    “Is Jeremy in?”
    His grey eyes didn’t melt her the way Bruin’s did, but something about him…
    Genna shook her head. “No, sorry. Would you like to leave a note?”
    He smiled, only this time it looked warm and friendly, kind, inviting. “Mind if I sit out here and wait?”
    “Sure, no problem. But I don’t know what time he’ll be in.”
    He shrugged. Damn, maybe he was related to Bruin. They were both built in a similar rock-hard fashion.
    “I have time. I won’t be bothering you, will I?”
    “Not at all.”
    He made small talk with her then finally asked a question she suspected he’d been curious about. “How did you come to work here?”
    Well, that wouldn’t be divulging company secrets. “Honestly?”
    “Of course.”
    Genna studied her hands. “Mr. Bruin noticed me at my ex-boyfriend’s trial. He was convicted of murder and sent to prison.”
    Ivan didn’t seem surprised, but said, “Wow.”
    “Yeah. I made a sucky choice there, that’s for sure.” She looked up and felt comfortable opening up to someone, anyone. Especially him, even though she didn’t know why. “I was scared of him,” she admitted. “My ex. He…I didn’t know who or what he was until I’d been with him a couple of years. Then I was too scared to leave. I mean…” She swallowed, hard. “He would have killed me, I think,” she whispered.
    There. It was finally out.
    Ivan leaned forward. “Was that the Corcoran trial?”
    She nodded. “Supposedly some of his ‘associates’ were going to take care of me. He made it sound like they’d support me, but honestly, I don’t know.”
    Ivan clasped his hands and looked grim. “Do you fear for your safety now?”
    That was something she didn’t want to think about. “I hope I’m safe. I have a feeling if I did run they would find me if they really wanted to hurt me. If they were going to kill me, they probably would have done it before now.”
    Bruin appeared then, startled to see Ivan sitting there. “Good morning.” Dark glasses and Starbucks were his morning de rigueur, apparently. “I didn’t know we had a meeting scheduled, Ivan.”
    Ivan stood, his face suddenly a hard mask. “We do now. I need to talk to you.” They disappeared into Bruin’s office, and from the release of tension in the air, Genna suspected that, for some reason, Ivan had words for Bruin.

    * * * *

    Dream Bruin returned that night. He climbed into bed with her. He grabbed her chin and made her look at him.
    “Genna,” he murmured, “do you enjoy these dreams?”
    She nodded, something subtly shifting inside her. This was different. He wasn’t acting aloof the way he had in the other dreams. “I told you, I love you.”
    His eyes studied her face. “Why?”
    “Why what?”
    “Why do you enjoy these dreams so much? Why do you love me?”
    “They’re just dreams.” She licked her lips. “It’s not like I could ever have someone as great as you in real life, so I shouldn’t complain, right? I’ve always had really vivid dreams.” She reached up and stroked his cheek.