"You still play the guitar?" she asked.
"Hell, yes. I jam by myself usually, but Rick hooked me up with three other guys who like to play. We meet once a week."
"I'm glad. There was something about you when you played guitar."
"I looked cool, right? You wanted me?"
Cara laughed. "I always wanted you, Rem. No, it was this sense of freedom. Pure joy in your face. I could watch you for hours."
He tilted his head and studied her. "The last few women I dated rolled their eyes and called me a Peter Pan. They didn't get it."
"They didn't get you."
The jolt of connection sizzled. He pulled his gaze away, and took a long pull of his beer. "Tell me about your teaching. Rafe's girlfriend teaches at Lakeside Elementary."
"Great school. I actually work for a private institution. Sommerset Park. The classes are small, and I have a lot of support. I feel like I can do my job well. Get to know the kids on a personal basis."
"Do you still volunteer at animal shelters? Take in strays?"
"I do. I spend Saturdays helping out, and fostering senior dogs when I can."
"Remember those feral cats you were determined to help? They scared the hell out of me. Yet, they came to you like you were their mother."
Her eyes glowed from the memory. "They were born under the front porch. The poor mother was so scared. It took me forever to get her to trust me."
"She used to hiss and snarl when I came to visit you."
Cara giggled. "Such a big, bad, Dom. You used to wait in the car and call me out because you were afraid to come in."
He glowered. "I've heard of mother cats killing men before to protect their young."
"At least I got them all homes eventually."
"You always did want to save the world," he murmured.
Cara gave a long sigh. "I learned I can't. But if I take it one by one, I can make a small difference."
"You made a difference to me."
She reached out and took his hand. His strong fingers closed around hers. "Sometimes, when we're like this, it feels like yesterday. Doesn't it?"
He nodded and squeezed her hand. "Yes. But it's not."
"That's better," she said. "I wouldn't want what we had before."
"Was it that bad?"
She flinched and glared. "Of course not! But we're not the same people, and we owe ourselves something bigger and better."
"Cara--"
"But I just want to be friends."
"So you said. How does this friendship thing work?"
She gave a cheeky grin, knowing she had a shot at this. Rem wanted an excuse to see her, so she'd give it to him. "No sex, of course. We hang out and do some fun stuff together. No pressure."
His brows snapped in a frown. Cara giggled as frustration simmered around him. Obviously, he hated not being in control of this relationship, but it was the only way to get his guard down and allow him to really see her. "I don't know."
"Will you give it a try?" she asked seriously. "Please?"
He considered. Cara knew Rem took his time with problems. His sharp intellect allowed him to look at the issue from different angles before making a decision. She figured she'd have to wait it out, but suddenly, he gave her the answer.
"Okay. I'll try."
She beamed at him. "Thanks."
His slow smile warmed her heart and gave her hope.
There was still a chance.
Chapter Nine
"FUCK! HE PEED ON MY LEG!"
"Oh, he didn't mean it. Harry just smelled the other dogs on you. He gets confused."
Rem stared at the mottled mutt staring adoringly up at Cara. And then he saw it. She scratched his ears, turned, and Harry shot him a disgusted, snotty look. The dog practically sneered before flicking his attention away from Rem like he was beneath regard and no competition.
Son-of-a-bitch.
Harry wanted Cara to himself.
"Cara!"
She turned back, juggling three leashes. "What?"
Rem pointed to the mutt. "He did that on purpose! He's mad because you gave him to me. He wants you for himself."
She gave him a pitying look. "Sure, Rem. I'm positive Harry has this big master plan to make your life torturous just because he wants to own me himself."
Oh, shit.
He sounded ridiculous. Still, one more glance at the mutt told Rem all he needed to know. The dog had a plan, alright, and Rem needed to keep an eye on him. "Come on, Harry," he said nicely. He'd try. For Cara's sake. After all, the dog didn't have a forever home. "Let's take a nice walk in the woods."
The dog looped his way around Rem's legs a few times, then tried to yank him off his feet.
Rem stumbled, tripped, and managed to avoid the tangle to keep the leash in his hold. Harry opened his mouth in an evident doggy sneer.
"Okay, Harry. I've had enough of you. This trip is gonna be a one way ticket into the woods like Hansel and Gretel."
"Rem!"
Ah, shit.
Cara's eyes widened with horror. Harry saw his opportunity and went into a crouch, whining pitifully like he'd been abused. "Here." She thrust the white French poodle's leash into his hand and grabbed Harry's. "Maybe you're not a good fit for him. He's had a hard life and needs a gentle hand."
Harry gave a nice doggy sigh.
Yeah. This friends thing was a real blast.
Somehow, she'd convinced him to help her out at the local pet shelter for the annual dog walk. Though he pointed out walking a bunch of dogs in a hundred degree heat wasn't a fun, friendly thing to do, her dedication and passion for rescues won out over his grumpiness. Rem had forgotten how enthusiastic and positive she was with lost causes. It was another thing that had made him easily fall in love with her.
As Cara led him and a few others down the trail for the official rescue walk, Rem admitted the past few weeks had been nice. When Cara first approached him about being friends, he'd been leery. How did he switch from hot, dirty sex to a hands-off relationship? How could he be friends with a woman he'd once loved and felt betrayed by? But one look at her eager face made him want to try.
After all, he'd originally believed their one night together would cure him forever. Rem figured he'd put the past behind and finally move on.
Instead, their one night had the opposite effect. Her touch and taste was permanently imprinted on his mind and body. Her offer of friendship could be the answer. Maybe he could end up getting the best parts from her, and let go of the others. They'd always been so close in other ways besides the physical. If Rem opened himself up to the possibility, maybe friendship would be the best thing for both of them.
So far, things were going well. They went to the movies and munched out on popcorn, Raisinets, Slurpees, and then got sick. Sometimes after work, she stopped by and they strolled the mall together, sipping Starbucks and getting lost in the bookstore. Last night, they ate at a dive bar with a great local metal band, and ended up rocking out till dawn. Today, he'd met her at ten am and she put him right to work.
Rem was impressed. The other volunteers looked to her as a leader, and she took on the role with grace and warmth, from how she spoke to the public, treated the dogs, and kept everyone moving and on task.
She was Cara, but better. She didn't hesitate or question herself endlessly anymore. She didn't look to him for answers, or guidance. This woman knew what had to be done and owned herself -- every part. How many times had her body issues broken his heart? He'd try to tell her how beautiful she was but she never truly believed it.
Those years away, she'd found herself. Claimed her beauty. Owned her soul.
It was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen in his life.
Rem figured he wouldn't like not being in charge all the time. He was so focused on having a full-time sub who would take his lead on all issues, he never thought about being in a relationship with a woman who only submitted in the bedroom. With Cara, it was nice to have a partner. She held her own, on every
level, and Rem didn't have to be on all the time. It was kind of nice.
Not that it mattered, of course.
They were just friends.
Damn. He really wished he didn't want to fuck his new friend so bad.
The French poodle -- Lacey? -- walked nicely on the leash and didn't give him any back talk. Rem followed the trail, enjoying the view of Cara's tight jeans and full ass swinging back and forth. The volunteers chattered, laughed, and hid beneath the sting of the sun by heading into a nest of trees and letting the dogs go crazy with a variety of scents. Cara kept up a steady dialogue of what the DogCrazy animal shelter did, how many rescues it took care of, and what fostering entailed. He enjoyed listening to her voice, the dancing lilt and infused warmth that was part of who she was.
Lacey tried to hook up with a variety of studs, but unfortunately they seemed more interested in the excitement of the walk. Rem held back a laugh. Trying to get some action and getting rejected must be tough for a canine.
Poor little bitch.
"Uh, oh. I don't even want to know what thought you just had."
Cara stared at him with pure suspicion. Somehow, he'd been daydreaming and didn't catch her dropping back to match his stride. "You probably don't want to know."
"Try me."
"Umm, dog sex."