He had to turn away because he was getting agonizingly hard just thinking about her in those heels.
The bag to his left began to shake. And bark.
Well, now he could guess who Gigi was. He unzipped the travel bag and a puffball leapt out.
“What the f**k is that?” Riley asked, frowning down at the little thing. Kinley had tied a pink bow in its fur, and there was a rhinestone-studded collar around its tiny throat.
“I think it’s supposed to be a dog.” It started to yip, a deeply annoying sound. The little thing started to bark and run in circles as though trying to communicate.
“It looks more like a rat. Why would she put bows on a rat?” Riley leaned down and held out a hand. “Here, girl. Let’s get you back in the bag. That’s your home, right? Don’t you want to go back home and stop that infernal sound you’re making? I can’t call it a bark. Real dogs bark.”
But the little rat thing proved it could bite. The minute Riley reached for it, it nipped him.
Riley popped back up, shaking his hand, then staring at it. “Damn it. I’m going to go wash my hand and hope that thing doesn’t have rabies.”
He stalked back toward the bathroom.
Riley didn’t seem to understand that all creatures needed to know their place in the pecking order, whether person or dog or weirdly dressed rat thing. Dominic knew who was in charge—him.
He picked up Gigi by the scruff of her neck, lifting her high in the air, and bringing her up to meet his eyes. Gigi made an odd sound in the back of her throat that Dominic thought might pass for a snarl in rat-dog world.
Dominic spoke in a language the animal could understand. He gave her a real snarl.
Gigi whimpered and tried to rear back into a protective ball.
Now, they understood each other. He set the dog thing back down. It immediately ran to hide in Kinley’s skirts, apparently not caring that its mistress was unconscious.
Dominic sighed and sat back in his chair.
Riley plopped down beside him. “It didn’t break the skin. Maybe its teeth aren’t sharp enough. Have you thought about the fact that Butch is going to eat that thing?”
His bulldog was already in Alaska. River Run and the compound there had become their base of operations for this particular mission. One of their largest clients, Black Oak Oil, had offered to let them use the large house they kept outside their center in Alaska. When Dominic had asked about it, Gavin James had simply handed over the keys and the security codes, insisting that he didn’t want to know a damn thing else.
Gavin knew him fairly well, but their connections in public were almost purely professional. If Kinley’s kidnapping got tied back to him, it would be a while before the feds got around to questioning Gavin. “Butch will be a perfect gentleman.”
He hoped. Kinley probably wouldn’t be too helpful if his dog swallowed hers whole and burped up those pink bows.
With great effort, she lifted her head and sighed. “Find Gigi…”
The words were slurred like she was totally trashed. It was a reasonable reaction to the sedatives, though they should have just knocked her out for at least eight to ten hours. She was certainly stronger physically than he’d imagined.
“Gigi is hiding in your skirts,” he explained in a soft voice.
She smiled, and his heart actually skipped a beat. What the hell was that about? Those plump lips curled up, and she flushed a little. He could imagine that exact expression on her face when he pressed his c**k deep and found that perfect place deep inside her.
Had Jansen ever given her a screaming orgasm? The thought of his sister’s killer f**king Kinley deflated his dick in a second. He wasn’t going to have sex with Jansen’s leftovers. No f**king way. No matter how much he wanted her.
She lurched up on wobbly feet and immediately stumbled, landing right in his lap.
“Go to sleep, Kinley.” He tried making it an order. Maybe Kinley was a little like her rat-dog thing and just needed a firm hand.
“Kay,” she slurred and nuzzled her face in the crook of his neck where he could feel her breath on his skin.
Yeah, his c**k was hard again. She settled her ass against it, and Dominic thought he might come in his slacks. Damn it. “In your own seat, Kinley.”
“Kay.” But she just snuggled closer and sighed as though she’d found right where she wanted to be.
“She seems very affectionate when she’s incapacitated.” Riley had the faintest smile on his face. “You probably shouldn’t move her. She might sleep better like that.”
“Then get Law out here to hold her.” He couldn’t just sit here with her all pressed up against him for hours. Even as he thought it, the plane hit an air pocket. With the momentary turbulence, his arm wound around her waist, tugging her more firmly into his lap. She would fall if he didn’t, and he couldn’t have her injured at this junction. That was the only reason he did it.
“Unfortunately, Law is flying the plane,” Riley pointed out, then turned quiet for a moment. “She seems sweet actually. She’s not totally what I thought she was.”
Fuck. Riley drank her in with that same glazed, lustful expression Law did. This could spell trouble.
Kinley’s breathing evened out as she went utterly limp. Knowing he was stuck with her indefinitely, Dominic held in a curse. “Pull your head out of your pants. She’s exactly what we thought. She’s just better at manipulating men than I gave her credit for. She even does it in her damn sleep.”