Always Only You by Chloe Liese (z-lib.org).epub

Frankie eases out of it, followed by her dog. “Pazza, sit,” Frankie says.
Pazza drops to her haunches, tail wagging.
“Good girl. Ben fatto. Brava,” Frankie croons and scratches her ear. Her
voice is low and cadent, like when she says Zenzero. It’s ridiculously hot.
Glancing up at me, she frowns, her eyes tightening with concern as she
searches my face. “Everything okay?” she asks.
“Yep. Everything’s okay.” It’s so not okay. “You, uh, speak some Italian?”
“Oh. Pretty much fluent. My dad came over with my grandmother when he
was five. So, I grew up speaking it with them. And I’m a bit of a polyglot. I love
learning new languages.”
Great. Just great. The woman who’s about to be a guest in my house and for
whom I harbor unrequited, inappropriately love-like feelings, also speaks a sexy
Romance language.
The unbidden image of Frankie whispering Italian in my ear while her touch
wanders my body practically blinds me as it soars across my mind, a fantasy
with as little chance of a future as the dying star that bolts through the sky
overhead.
I blink, shaking myself out of those thoughts. “That’s…impressive.”
“‘Pazza’ is Italian too,” Frankie says cheerily, bending to kiss the dog’s
snout. “Well, her name is. Means crazy. Because she was absolutely nuts as a
puppy—I’m talking psychotic. She was like the Energizer Bunny…” Frankie’s
eyes dance my way, and she frowns. “You sure you’re okay, Ren? I guess this is
a bit more than you bargained for when you offered me a ride home, huh?”
“Frankie, I’m glad to be able to have you here. Well, I mean I’m not glad
your house was burgled.” I sigh and scrub my face.
A smile tips her mouth. “I know what you mean,” she says quietly.
“Right. Let’s get inside.” I take a step toward her, reaching for the heavy
messenger bag weighing down her shoulder, but Frankie throws up her hands.
“Wait, Ren! Pazza’s territorial…” Her voice dies off as the dog approaches me,
sniffs my hand, and drags her tongue right along my knuckles.
I stand still, watching Pazza nuzzle me, before she makes a soft whining
noise. She glances up and holds my eyes, cocking her head to the side.
“She likes you,” Frankie says quietly.
I break my gaze from Pazza and look over at Frankie. “Seems like a friendly
dog. Doesn’t she like everybody? Besides the delivery guy.”
“Nope. She’s cautious around everyone except Lo and Annie. She’s okay
with Tim, warming up to Mia.”
“Well, then I’m honored.” I scratch Pazza’s other ear and smile at her.
“That’s a nice club to be a part of.”