Arching back against him, she allowed him to set the pace while she stroked the thickly muscled ridge of his thigh and any other part of him she could reach. She should’ve hated being this out of control, but how could she when his breathing was rough and his rhythm lost?

Danny was in no more control than her—and it was glorious.

21

DANNY GOES TO THE DOGS (THE DOG THERAPISTS, THAT IS)

“Four times,” Danny muttered to Spot and Domino the next afternoon as the dogs sniffed at the leaves around the path. “We did the horizontal tango four times between the time we got home and when I left at five in the afternoon. That’s ridiculous. Even more ridiculous is that I was pumped for my evening training session with the bros—you’d think I’d be wiped, but no, I was buzzed.”

Spot woofed, looked over to check on where Esme and Emmaline were playing on the swings, then went back to his sniffing. Domino just sighed. She was chocolate brown, Spot black and white, both rescues of indeterminate breed and both with affectionate natures when it came to their favorite small people.

Danny, who was walking the two dogs around the large park while keeping an eye on the girls as they used the playground equipment, said, “Some friends you are.” And therein lay the problem.

Usually he could talk about woman stuff with Jake, who was closest to him in age. He could talk with Sailor and Gabe too, but that tended to be about more serious things. Then there were his buds. Danny had never disrespected a woman by airing anything that went on in the bedroom, but he could usually talk in generalities if he wanted advice.

Neither was an option when it came to Catie.

Firstly, thanks to their social media posts, everyone would know he was talking about her. Secondly—and most importantly—Danny didn’t want to share any of this with anyone. He felt protective of her. Strange, because of all the women he’d ever dated, Catie was probably the toughest and most independent.

He hated the idea of making her vulnerable in any way. No, what was going on between them was their business. As a result, Spot and Domino were going to be his only confidants. Just as well Esme and Emmaline didn’t mind him stealing their dogs now and then while they were at school.

Today he’d been stressed about the meeting with his coach, but it had gone surprisingly well; they’d discussed Danny’s form, talked about how he could improve, and made a plan of attack.