“Come on Duke,” he called out.
Claire’s heart nearly stopped when she heard the massive dog’s name being called. Mitch’s deep voice called Duke again, obviously when the beast didn’t instantly obey.
Claire wanted to run, but there wasn’t any place to go. She started to turn, intending to try and move toward the front of the house since Mitch seemed to be heading towards the back where the kitchen was located.
She was turning slowly, praying her feet wouldn’t make any noise when she stopped, her stomach dropping out of her body and her breath catching in her lungs. There he was, Duke himself, sitting not three feet away. The huge dog didn’t move. He didn’t sniff or in any way give away her location. He simply sat there, calmly watching as Claire realized his presence.
She didn’t move a muscle, frantically trying to remember what she was supposed to do with a threatening dog, one who could viciously tear out her throat without a second’s pause. Get lower, she thought. Dog’s want to be in charge, want to be the alpha male. But her knees wouldn’t move. Her body wouldn’t move. She realized she couldn’t even call out for help because she was so completely terrorized by this enormous beast as it waited for her next move.
Just as she was telling her knees to bend, praying her mind would start to work and comply with her only knowledge of how to tame an animal, a whistle came from the back of the house. “Duke, heel.”
Instantly, the dog’s attention was diverted, his head snapping around to stare away from where she was standing and into the portion of the house where there was light.
On seemingly silent feet, the animal stood and walked away as if there was nothing wrong with a stranger being in his master’s home.
It took several more moments before Claire’s heart slowed enough for her blood to start pumping once again. Another few more moments until her brain functioned. Finally, her feet moved and she was able to start her forward momentum to exit the house as quickly as she could, not sure what Mitch’s reaction would be to finding her here in his house.
She made her way as silently as possible towards the front door, thinking if she could just make it to the door, she could sprint out and make a run for it. Mitch would know someone had been there, but maybe if she were fast enough, he wouldn’t know who it was.
At the door to the first darkened room, she peered around the corner to make sure the coast was clear. Mitch wasn’t anywhere in sight. Letting out a deep breath, she was just about to step towards the front door when she dropped her gaze. There he was again – standing between her and the front door. Between her and freedom. Duke’s large brown and black head with the intelligent black eyes simply watched her, as if he were laughing at her attempt to escape from his house without his knowledge and permission.
She considered trying to walk around him, but when she took a step, Duke stood up, his head completely focused on her.
“Go away,” she said, shooing the animal with her hands. When that produced absolutely no reaction, she started to go around him. Apparently, Duke was having none of that. He simply turned so he was still facing her. Not threatening, but still watching, still amused by her efforts.
Claire sighed and reached up to scratch her head, wishing the silly woolen cap to purgatory. She was definitely in a pickle and the wool was itchy. Tearing it off, she fluffed her curls and looked around, wondering if there was another way out of this monstrously large house. One that wouldn’t set off the alarms as she fell into the shrubbery, preferably. The windows were all sealed with special locks which she had no clue how to open even from the inside. The back of the house contained the one man she was trying desperately to avoid and the front door was guarded by the beast. Surely there was a side door? Weren’t there patio doors in the back? Maybe one she could sneak out of?
“He’s not going to let you past, you know,” Mitch’s deep voice said from the hallway to her left.
Claire swung around, her hands hiding the wool cap behind her head and bracing herself against the door frame. “What?”
“Duke. He’s not going to let you out that front door.” He pushed away from the door and lifted one hand. “Wine?” he asked.
Claire looked down at his long, masculine fingers and finally noticed the two glasses that dangled from them. His other hand was holding an opened bottle of what she suspected was red wine.
“Wine?”
“Yes. Wine,” he replied, amused by the confusion and fear on her face. “Most people drink it. Usually eat a little something with it if the wine is especially good.” He glanced down at the label and nodded. “I think this one is decent. Care to try a glass?”
Claire’s tongue couldn’t form the word, so she silently nodded her head.
He moved forward, pouring the rich red liquid into one of the glasses, his walk silent even on the hard wood floors.
She took the glass he offered, still very confused. “How did you know I was here?”
His response was a simple raising of one eyebrow, as if to say, “Are you kidding?”
“Okay, what did I do wrong?” she asked, her shoulders slumping as the knowledge of her failure became complete.
Mitch turned and walked towards the back of the house, obviously assuming she would follow. Claire glanced at Duke who was still watching her, then to the man’s retreating back. Accepting defeat with dignity was probably her best course of action, she thought, and took a sip of wine as she followed behind him, admiring the way his shoulders stretched the immaculate fabric of his tailored dress shirt, now open at the neck, his tie discarded somewhere unknown.
“I’m guessing you didn’t bother to get something to eat before you started on tonight’s adventure, did you?”
Claire’s stomach rumbled as she smelled the delicious food that was simmering on the stove top. “No. That didn’t really occur to me,” she replied, sliding onto one of the bar stools pulled up to the counter by the stove. “Are you going to tell me how you knew I was here?”
He chuckled. “I don’t think so.”
She thought about that for a moment, then sighed once again. “I’ll just have to keep trying then.”
“Be careful of your actions. Breaking into my house might have consequences.”
She considered him for a long moment. “You could simply teach me how to do it correctly so I won’t get caught.”