Page 9 of Sawyer

Maybe someone else had adopted Benny and given him to this guy. Or what if this man stole Benny from whoever adopted him? Either way, did that mean this man hadn’t been background checked?

Even though he was attractive, I couldn’t shake the thought that looks could be deceiving.

I narrowed my eyes. He didn’t exactly match the picture that Lisa—well, Chris—had painted, but he didn’t seem dangerous either.

Still, it was hard not to wonder if a guy this good-looking would really need a dog as a conversation starter.

I chuckled inwardly, shaking my head at my own paranoia.

Flirting with a stranger who may or may not have stolen a dachshund? Yeah, that was totally normal.

Chapter 3

Sawyer

Just who was this human? I couldn’t keep my eyes off him.

From his warm, chocolate-brown eyes to his dark curls that looked irresistibly soft, and that smile—it was a smile that lit up his entire face, genuine and welcoming.

He even smelled good, like coffee and cedarwood.

So good I wanted to walk up to him, put my nose to the side of his neck, and commit his scent to memory.

Benny barked in my arms, pulling me back to the present. I felt slightly guilty for forgetting about him after bumping into this cute human.

Then I remembered Benny had run right into him, as if he knew him.

"I'm Sawyer, by the way," I introduced myself. "Benny here seems familiar with you."

“I’m Casey. I volunteer at the shelter sometimes. Benny’s my favorite,” he said, giving Benny an affectionate pat. “To behonest, I was getting a little worried no one was going to adopt him.”

There was something about the way Casey watched me—almost like he was sizing me up. His eyes seemed to flicker with a hint of hesitation, and I wondered if he was being polite or if there was something else going on.

For a moment, I felt a spike of uncertainty, like maybe I wasn’t making the best impression after all.

“Well, my brother Miles and his mate Cooper got him for my birthday. Miles moved out of our place recently and thought I could use some company,” I said.

Crap. Was I babbling? When had that ever happened?

In the flirting department, I always had it easy. Before my accident, hook-ups and one-night stands were the norm for me.

But my inner wolf told me that Casey wasn’t like those guys whose names I never bothered remembering. Casey could be someone special.

“It’s sweet that your brother thought of you like that. And Benny’s a lucky dog to have you,” Casey said, his expression softening.

The cautious look in his eyes finally seemed to melt away.

Did my rambling actually helped break the ice? Whatever the reason, I felt the tension slip away, and I mirrored his relaxed smile.

“Well, he seems to think the same about you,” I said, scratching Benny’s ears. “He ran straight to you like you were his long-lost buddy.”

“Maybe he just has good taste,” Casey replied. “Besides, anyone who adopts Benny has to be a decent person.”

“You’re giving me a lot to live up to,” I joked, feeling a spark of excitement. “So, you said you volunteer at the shelter. What got you into that?”

“I just love animals,” Casey said with a shrug. “And moving to a new town, I figured it was a good way to meet people and make a difference. Plus, I get to hang out with great dogs like Benny.”

“That’s really cool. I'm still getting used to having Benny around. I think Miles and Cooper thought Benny would help with my healing,” I said.