Harmless? Please. Dangerously smooth, maybe. Effortlessly charming, yes. A walking orgasm… without a doubt.

But harmless? Hell no, and at just the thought, Jade snorted.

“Ignore her, too,” Dell said to the kitten. “She’s the smartest one here, but she never learned how to chill. In fact, she’s a lot like you, all tough and wary and grumpy, but I’m betting you’re both just big softies deep down inside.”

“I can hear you, you know,” Jade said.

“Way deep deep inside…”

Jade worked at ignoring his alluringly boyish smile-which she didn’t buy for a second because there was nothing boyish about him-and went back to loading the schedule for tomorrow’s patients.

You want him…

She worked at avoiding that little voice as well. Lots of things to avoid. But she was leaving, going back home to Chicago at month’s end. Plans had been made, notice had been given. It was as good as done.

The kitten went back to being pissed off at the world.

And Dell laughed softly. “So now I’ve got two women completely ignoring me. I’m going to get a complex.”

As if. Dr. Dell Connelly knew the meaning of the word. He was sure and confident, always. Steady as a rock. Never second-guessed himself.

It was really annoying.

“Come on, kitty,” Dell said. “Trust me.”

Jade could have told her not to bother resisting, that she’d cave eventually. They always did. It was because Dell was the genuine deal, and animals could see that. Animals meant everything to him. While women flocked to him like bees to honey, she’d never seen him put his personal life ahead of his work. It was really a fascinating paradox. The gorgeous man could have anyone he wanted, and yet he didn’t seem to want much more than what he had. A successful animal center, a few close friends, and speed-dial to the pizza joint.

Jade knew that she tended to shut people out and keep them at a distance. Dell did, too, but he went about it differently, making himself available to everything and everyone… while keeping it all shallow.