The low murmur at Vanessa Craig's back left her nape tingling, as if her skin had been brushed by an intimate kiss. Drawn from stacking the last of the special diet dog food, she curled some hair behind her ear, then slowly edged around. She tried—but failed—to keep her eyes in her head.

Of course, the attractive man standing nearby hadn't spoken to her. Heck, he didn't know she existed, even if Vanessa was acutely aware of every sensitised cell in her body suddenly glowing with life.

Powerhouse height, pitch-black hair, a strong shadowed jaw and eyes bluer than any Vanessa had seen. The precise cut of his trousers, the immaculate polish of his shoes—everything about this man didn't simply say he settled for the best.

He was the best.

When the man-god shifted his weight, the ledge of his magnificent shoulders went back. His attention drifted from the small tank, which contained a single goldfish, and landed on her.

'Afternoon.' His mouth curved up at one side as he quarter-turned to face her. 'You work here?'

Vanessa swallowed the knot of hot desire tugging in her throat. 'I'm the manager.'

'Great. I'm interested in that fish.'

Vanessa studied the goldfish, who was busy studying the man. She smiled over. 'Not half as interested as he seems to be in you.'

While she spoke, the light changed in her customer's ocean-blue eyes, as though something in her face or her voice, made him wonder if they'd met before. Not on this side of her dreams.

As his sexy smile returned, he tilted his head at the tank. 'I'm wondering… can you tell his gender?'

Although Vanessa had answered that question regarding fish many times in the past two years, the