The Puppy Proposal
Veterinary technician Jillian Everett has met plenty of canines – and some men who deserve ‘dog’ tags. But, when gorgeous millionaire Nic Caruso strides into Paradise Animal Clinic, a border collie muddying his designer suit, Jillian has to sit up and take notice. Nic doesn’t expect to fall for a dog in need – or his beautiful caretaker! The big-city bachelor is here to wreak havoc on the town Jillian loves so much. For the first time, Nic realises there’s more to life than work... and love might be worth a shot. But can Jillian tame this stray for good?
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âSee this? His paws are raw.
âHeâs worn the pads right off. The hot, rough asphalt acts like sandpaper on them. Poor thing ⦠that has to really hurt.â Big blue eyes the color of a cloudless sky looked away from the dog and up at him. Eyes filled with sympathy and determination. âIâm going to call Dr Marshall. Murphy will need some pain medication, and maybe some antibiotics.â
As he listened to her make arrangements, he let himself look his fill. The concern on her face did nothing to detract from her beauty. Pale blue eyes were a stark contrast to the mass of ebony curls attempting to escape the clip sheâd secured it with. Her skin was fair, her cheekbones prominent, and then there was that mouth, those perfectly pink lips that she pursed when she was concentrating. A man would have to be blind not to want to kiss those lips.
That doctor had better show up soon; if he was alone with the sexy vet tech much longer, he might end up panting as badly as the dog in front of him.
* * *
Paradise Animal Clinic: Let the loveâand fur-ever familiesâfly!
KATIE MEYER is a Florida native with a firm belief in happy endings. A former veterinary technician and dog trainer, she now spends her days homeschooling her children, writing and snuggling with her pets. Her guilty pleasures include good chocolate, Downton Abbey and cheap champagne. Preferably all at once. She looks to her parentsâ whirlwind romance and her own happy marriage for her romantic inspiration.
Dedicated to:
My parents for giving me a love of books, and my husband for telling me to write my own already.
All the friends that supported me, especially Jilda, Rebecca, Elizabeth, the ladies of The Well Trained Mind and the incredible women of Hearts on Paper.
All the wonderful veterinary professionals Iâve worked with, especially Mary C. Fondren, DVM, who supported me in countless ways over the years.
And of course, my agent Jill and the wonderful editorial team at Mills & Boon Special Edition, who took a chance on me.
Contents
Heâd almost missed it. Had the setting sun been just a bit lower, the light a bit dimmer, he would have missed it, it being the most pathetic-looking animal he had ever seen. The dogâif that was the right word for the wet, filth-encrusted beast limping along the side of the roadâwas obviously in trouble. There wasnât much traffic right now on this stretch of highway, but the Paradise Isle Bridge was just ahead, or so said the tinny voice of his rental carâs GPS. Crossing a highway bridge on foot, or paw for that matter, seemed a dangerous proposition. Besides, it was limping.
But limping or not, it wasnât his dog. Wasnât his problem. He was in a suit. In a rental car. On vacationâwell, sort of a vacation. A working vacation. So this grimy creature was definitely not his problem.
Surely it knew the way home or would be picked up by someone that actually lived around here. Not that he was exactly sure where here was, GPS or no. He hadnât passed a single town in over an hour, and the only brief glimpse of humanity had been a roadside stand selling gator jerky and boiled peanuts twenty miles back.
Nic Caruso tightened his grip on the steering wheel as he approached and then passed, telling himself the dog would be fine. But his gaze kept returning to the rearview mirror, where he watched the muddy stray as it slowly hobbled east. Then saw it flinch as a wave of dirty water thrown by a speeding car drenched it yet again.
âDamn it!â
Nic swung the small SUV to the shoulder, slammed to a stop and quickly located the emergency flashers on the unfamiliar dash. It might not be his problem or his responsibility, but he couldnât bring himself to just leave the dog there. Resigned, he undid his already loosened tie, carefully laying it on the suit jacket occupying the passengerâs seat.
âHere, boy! Come here now.â He used his most authoritative voice, the one that he relied on in boardrooms across the globe.
Nothing.
The darned dog just kept going. So much for doing this the easy way. Nic opened the passengerâs door again and retrieved his tie. A quick slipknot and he had an impromptu leash. Great. Somehow, he didnât think Hermès would approve.
âEasy, boy. Thatâs it. Eaaasy...â Nic inched his way across the muddy roadside toward the now cowering dog, careful not to spook him any closer to the highway.
A furry ear cocked in interest. The softer approach seemed to be working.
âGood boy. Come on, thatâs a good boy. How about I give you a ride wherever youâre going, okay?â
A small tail wag was quickly followed by a cautious step forward. Hoping to appear less threatening, Nic crouched down, putting himself at eye level with the cautious canine. Brown eyes watched him warily, but the dog did keep moving in the right direction.
