“He’s been one of the best things that’s ever happened to me. I adopted him right before the Fae trilogy started and would bring him to set with me, and he and Magnus became the best of friends. So whenever I’m in the same city as Noah, I tend to drop in unannounced so they can have a doggy playdate. And speaking of Noah, Magnus managed to get outside again and he’s trying to coax him back in. He’s quite the escape artist. Noah asked me to entertain you until he returns.”

“Should we go help?” I asked.

“There’s no one quite so capable as Noah. He’ll wrangle him back in. He always does. It helps that the man is enormous and strong and could probably drag a polar bear inside if he had to. So how long have you known Noah?”

“We met last week. We only spoke for a few minutes.”

Lily’s eyes sparkled at me. “Really? How fun.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s the kind of man who will exchange pleasantries with you and then two minutes later he’ll ask about your relationship with your father. He loves to go deep and ferret out your emotional baggage and uncover your deepest secrets.”

My heart lurched to one side. That wasn’t good. I couldn’t let that happen. I would remember that this was strictly business.

I was going to be strong when I saw him again. I wouldn’t think of him as a gorgeous, delicious beast of a man. He was just a dog owner and he had hired me, nothing more. I would not melt like an icicle in the desert. I wouldn’t.

Her phone buzzed, and she picked it up. If her smile was infectious before, it was downright dazzling now. “That’s Todd, my husband. He’s wondering if I’ve left already. I should get going. Will you be all right?”

She was just going to leave me here? “Of course.”

“Great. I’m in and out of LA, and if you don’t mind, I’d love to use your services in the future. I could always use a good dog groomer that I can rely on. And if Noah’s letting you come to his home, well, it says a lot about your trustworthiness.”

It did? “I’d love that.”

“Brilliant.”

It was then that I remembered the business cards Shelby had put in my back pocket. She was like some kind of seer. “I have a card, if you like.”