Clashing with the CEO - Page 136

“I would have brought my own change of clothes if you had warned me to, you know.”

“I thought that would have been common sense.”

I huffed, then sighed, my shoulders slackening. “Well, thank you. I don’t know what I would have done without them.”

I tucked my still-damp hair behind my ears self-consciously as Neil’s gaze drifted over me. Something unreadable flickered in his eyes before he seemed to catch himself staring and looked away. “Of course,” he said. “I’m glad I could help.”

He busied himself adding milk to the mugs of tea, though he couldn’t seem to suppress a faint grin. Seeing me dressed in his clothes always seemed to rattle him. I wondered if he found it attractive. Now there was an interesting thought…

My face grew warm, exacerbated by the recent exchange with Jade and my little girlfriend-and-boyfriend fantasy.

“Here. This will warm you up,” Neil said, nudging one of the mugs towards me.

“Thanks.”

I wrapped my cold hands around the hot surface, absorbing its warmth. The heat spread through me with each sip of sweet, milky tea.

“I’m glad you’ve recovered,” Neil said. “That was quite a fall you took back there.”

I shot him a glare for bringing it up again. “Don’t pretend like you weren’t two seconds from falling in the mud yourself with those dogs dragging you every which way.”

Neil laughed. “Fair point.”

His hearty laugh made my insides turn to mush. I grinned stupidly back at him, feeling like falling in the mud had been worth it just to hear that laugh. Neil’s eyes locked with mine. He bit his lip. I almost forgot to breathe.

Caught in the moment, I didn’t notice Jade poke her head into the room. She cleared her throat. “Am I interrupting something?”

I broke eye contact with Neil.

“Not at all,” Neil said smoothly.

“Just wanted to let you know the kennels are ready to be cleaned whenever you’re done with your tea.” Jade looked between us, an impish grin on her face. “But take your time!”

She disappeared from the doorway with a wink. I avoided Neil’s eyes, suddenly very interested in my mug of tea.

The pungent smell of ammonia stung my nostrils when we returned to the kennels. Jade demonstrated the cleaning process, spraying down the concrete floors and scrubbing them, then replacing the bedding with fresh blankets.

Armed with buckets, hoses, and sponges, Neil and I got to work. I took my time, ensuring every speck of grime was erased. Meanwhile, Neil rushed through the task with broad strokes, finishing each kennel in half the time it took me. We didn’t talk much, except when we took a moment to inspect each other’s work.

“You missed a spot,” I teased.

“Done is better than perfect,” Neil retorted.

When Jade came by to survey our efforts, she nodded in satisfaction at my spotless kennel floors but shook her head at the corners Neil had neglected. “Next time, be a bit more thorough.”

“My mistake,” Neil said. “I’ll try harder.”

I shot him a triumphant look, and he eyed me back like, “Don’t push it.”

We took a break to eat lunch, then returned to clean more kennels. I was exhausted by the end of it, but I wasn’t about to let Neil know it.

“You two have worked so hard today,” Jade said. “But I hope you’ll stay and play with the dogs a while before you leave.”

“Of course we will,” I said, without consulting with Neil. Even though I was tired, this was the part I had most been looking forward to, so I wasn’t going to pass it up.

Jade beamed, pumping her fist. “All right. It’s play time!”

With her arms full of toys and treats, she led us to a wide open area with indoor and outdoor sections, where several dogs were relaxing, including some we had walked earlier. The rain had stopped, and sunbeams extended from gaps between the clouds.