He caught the keys. “What? No...what am I supposed to do with her?”

“Just set her down on the couch. I’ll get blankets and a pillow when I get back,” Cassie called as she disappeared down the street.

“Great,” he muttered.

“Oh come on. Don’t act like you’re not enjoying this macho act of heroism.” Erika struggled with the pronunciation. “You were always the protector type.” She touched his chest and her eyes raked him in. She was looking at him the same way she’d gazed longingly at the chocolate Santa moments before.

He wasn’t sure which unsettled him most, the look in her eyes, the fact that she remembered something personal about him or the hardening in his pants at her touch.

He unlocked the door and nudged it open with her body. Then he promptly discarded her on the couch as instructed.

Done. She was there safely. Just leave.

Hearing them enter, Diva, his sister’s Siberian husky pup, came running to greet them. She saw him, but noticing their new guest, went straight for Erika instead with a welcoming yelp.

Erika sobered in record time, bringing her legs up to her chin on the couch and making herself as small as possible. “What is that?”

“Cassie’s dog. Erika, meet Diva.” Obviously, his sister had forgotten to mention her pet to her houseguest. Though how Erika could miss the daily dozen pictures of the dog his sister posted on social media, he didn’t know. Diva in her Halloween costume dressed as a banana, Diva in her new snowsuit, Diva in the bathtub... If his sister ever had kids, he was blocking her on Facebook.

“That thing is huge.”

He laughed. “She’s still a puppy.” And she was super cute.

The dog jumped onto the couch and continued to yelp, pawing Erika’s shoulder.

“Can you get it away?” she asked, her eyes closed, hands clutched in front of her.

“You allergic?” he asked, approaching and lifting the dog into his arms.

“No. Terrified.”

“Don’t worry. Diva doesn’t eat city folk.” He brought the dog to the kitchen and set her down by her food dish.

Erika glared as she removed her coat and scarf. “It’s not like we have a certain smell or anything.” She kicked off her boots and leaned back against the cushions.

He shrugged as he reached for a blanket from the back of the couch. “I don’t know about that,” he said. He bent toward her and paused near her ear to sniff. The action was meant as a jerk move to annoy her, but damn, it backfired. The tantalizing sweet scent of honey on her neck was subtle and provocative. He hadn’t been close enough to be tempted by it when she’d been in his arms, but now it clouded his senses.

Luckily, she shoved him away before he could do something moronic like lick her.

He tossed the blanket over her quickly and stood. “Okay, so you’re all good?”

She nodded, but her gaze was on his midsection. And her unblinking stare was full of unconcealed attraction. The same way she’d checked out his biceps in the bar.