The Billionaire's Matchmaker(64)

They walked in silence for several feet. If Jenny thought Bonaparte imposing while sitting behind a desk, he was downright huge walking next to her. Her head barely cleared his shoulder. Through her years as a teacher, Jenny had encountered a lot of students larger than her; size usually didn’t intimidate her. But with him, she felt… Intimidation wasn’t the right word. Intimidation implied fear. Being next to Nicholas Bonaparte made her feel…delicate, female. Very, very female. She hadn’t felt this way in five years. It made her stomach flutter.

“So let me get this straight,” she said, needing to break the silence. “You won’t pay my vet bills until you have proof Charlie sired Lulu’s puppies, but you let me drive off with your purebred dog. Isn’t that a little odd, logic wise?”

“Your total vet bills will end up larger than Charlie’s assessed values. Plus, if you remember, I didn’t plan on giving you Charlie. You ran off with him.”

“You suggested I was trying to rip you off.”

“To which you retaliated by kidnapping my dog. You have an interesting way of proving your honesty.” Something about the way his low voice pronounced interesting made her insides turn soft.

“My friend Marney made the same point.” Much to her chagrin. “Although,” she added, “I’d like to remind you that you let me take Charlie, meaning I didn’t steal anything. I can’t kidnap my own dog.”

“No you cannot.” She heard him chuckle. Walking in the dark the way they were, the throaty sound had a bedroom-like quality. It was the laugh she always imaged a lover to have, intimate and sexy. The flutter in her stomach moved lower. She squeezed her fist before the awareness could take hold.

“Thank you,” she managed to say.

“Of course, that also means you’re responsible for medical expenses he might incur,” he added.

Or had caused. Son of a gun! He’d outmaneuvered her. “You think giving me Charlie gets you off the hook, don’t you?”

Another chuckle. This time she was prepared and steeled herself against the reaction. Sort of. She managed to press her fist tight against the fluttering.

“Well, he is your dog now,” he replied.

Jenny looked over at Charlie who, despite the leash she held, was walking in step with his former owner. “I wouldn’t be so sure.”

Before Nick could retort, she tossed the leash at him and jogged a few feet ahead. Lulu picked up her pace as well, which caused Charlie to run after them. Bonaparte had no choice but to pick up the leash dragging behind.

“I’d say he’s your dog now. Again.” She felt only a tiny kernel of guilt, mostly at leaving Charlie behind. “You know what they say. Possession is nine tenths of the law.”

God, but she wished she could see his expression. Especially after his teeth flashed white in the darkness. “Well played. Is this how you keep your students in line? By tricking them?”

Jenny stumbled at the question. “How did you I was a teacher?”

“Wasn’t too difficult to learn. After you walked out, I made a few calls.”

“Really?” The warm feeling began to fade. What else had his investigation turned up? She’d worked damn hard for her reputation. If he thought he could throw her past in her face… She geared for a fight.

Her tension was unwarranted. “You’re very well respected in town,” he said. “I was impressed. Clearly Ms. Wilson made a good choice when she left Charlie in your care.”

When he didn’t say any more, Jenny’s nerves relaxed. “Does that mean you no longer think I’m trying to con you?”

“I’m willing to concede the point.”

“Thank you. And the vet bills?”

“The check is already on my desk.”

“It is?” She didn’t quite get it. “You said—”

“I know what I said. You have backbone, Miss Travolini. I noticed soon as you marched your way into my office. I like that.”

“Jenny,” she corrected. She ignored the way his compliment caused her stomach to flutter.

“Jenny,” he repeated. The word came out a rough whisper. “Call me Nick.”

At that moment, the atmosphere shifted. Jenny couldn’t pinpoint an exact change. Only that suddenly the afternoon’s adversarial encounter seemed very far away.

“There’s something I meant to ask you this afternoon,” Nick said once they’d resumed walking. “How exactly did you end up with Charlie anyway? I know you said Ms. Wilson got married, but that was months ago. Her husband’s done some work for my company,” he added before she could ask.

“Long story. It started when Gabby decided to take a road trip with T.J.” She relayed the entire story, from when Gabby and T.J. fell in love, through Marney needing a guard dog, to their friend Mia marrying Charlie’s vet. “Three weddings later, here I am dog sitting while they bask in newlywed bliss.”

“Aren’t you the good friend.”

“More like the single one. By choice,” she added, in case he thought her bitter about her friends’ good fortune. “Marriage isn’t really on my radar.”

“Why is that?”

“Little personal, don’t you think?”

“You’re the one who made the statement.”