An EGO To Match (Unlikely Matches Book 2)

by Gabrielle Snow

  “Mamá, if he hasn’t moved all day, he needs to see a doctor,” I explained. “Looks like he’s in pain.”

  “Ay.” Furrowing her eyebrows, she put her finger through the carrier holes. “Tyson, you old dog. Pobrecito.”

  “Okay.” I decidedly lifted the carrier and straightened up. “C’mon, we gotta go before they close up.”

  “You’re not going to eat?” Mamá widened her eyes.

  “Vet’s gonna leave soon. Vamos, Addie.” I insisted.

  Hurriedly, we left the house with me clutching the carrier handle in one grip and my backpack in the other. As I tossed the bag backward, hanging the strap on my shoulder, I felt a slight ache and restrained my wince.

  Stress made any pain worse, that was common knowledge. What was not, however, was the fact that our usual clinic had already closed down by the time we arrived at the door.

  “No, no, no!” Addie began to panic, looking around in a frenzy.

  “Shush, we’ll find another one.” I quickly pulled out my phone from my pocket and launched an internet search for nearby vets. My eyes impatiently watched the screen as the page loaded. “Ah, see? There’s one a block away.” I exhaled in relief. “Vamos! We don’t have all night.”

  A few minutes later, we were standing in front of the veterinarian clinic to which the map had guided us. Without hesitation, I pushed the door open and stepped inside, slightly lifting up the crate as I addressed the woman behind the reception counter.

  “Hi. Please tell me you’re open,” I implored. “Our dog is old and we think he might be sick.”

  “Well, you’re in luck.” She smiled and nodded, standing up as she made her way around the desk. “We don’t close for another forty-five minutes.”

  Chapter 2

  CONNOR.

  ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE the official end of my shift, I was at my office, settled behind the desk with the phone in my hand.

  I was done with all of the day’s appointments and thought it would be a good idea to text my friends on the group chat, asking if they would like to come over for a night of gaming.

  Ever since our college days, videogames were the thread that got us along and the glue that held us together. It was also my favorite social activity since it combined the mental stimulus and casual chats with old friends.

  I can be home in time for hotdogs and beers, I typed.

  Man, all you do is work and clutch that joystick, Adam responded. It’s about time you got yourself another hobby.

  Not that we don’t love game night, but I have to agree, Marc joined in. Your muscles are about to atrophy. How about you try and exercise for a change?

  Hey, wanna join me for a jog at the park tomorrow morning? suggested our fourth, Benjamin.

  Nah, I’m not much of a runner, I replied. But I’ll think about it.

  My friends were right.

  As much as I loved my precious routine, to the outsider’s eye, my life had hit a plateau.

  Everything was stagnant since my schedule solely revolved around my job and game nights with the guys. Except for the occasional birthday party or wedding, I couldn’t remember the last time I went out, let alone worked out.

  Tossing the phone on the desk, I got up and began to sanitize the shiny aluminum surfaces. My right hand grabbed the disinfectant spray bottle, while I held the cleaning cloth in my left.

  As I began to mindlessly wipe down the exam table, I mentally encouraged myself to count my blessings. I had the job I had always wanted since I was a child, and that alone should have made me happy.

  My mind went back to childhood summers when I used to go to Ireland with my family to help out on my grandparents’ farm. That was where I fell in love with animals and decided that I was going to become a veterinarian.

  Ever since, I had devoted most of my time to studying then work, leaving no room for romantic entanglements. Sure, I had a social life. It just wasn’t as rich as most people would have aimed for.

  Trouble was... almost all my friends were now in committed relationships. Some of them were married, some engaged, and one was on his way toward that as he had been with the same woman for the past three years.

  I had to face it.

  We were in our thirties and life had to take a different form. Over time, game nights grew less and less frequent, and we could only manage to meet on weekends now.

  Wondering what life was like in a long-term relationship, I recalled my last serious encounter of the sort.

  Scoffing to myself, I traveled back to the past in my head, examining how young and naïve I was... and so was she, with her innocent blue eyes and blonde angelic hair that flirted with cute, blushing cheeks.

  Oh, how the times had changed.

  Thirty-three was not exactly old, now, was it?

  But wouldn’t it be nice to have someone to share all of this with? My career was going in the direction I had wanted—better, even. I was getting paid more than most of my peers, thanks to my extreme focus on the job and dedication to hours nobody else would take.

  What could I say?

  I had nothing better to do and I absolutely loved what I did.

  Now, not everyone could say that. My good luck wasn’t something I could deny.

  Wiping down the side counter, I smiled to myself on the matter of luck as I thought about my family. My mother, Maggie, and my father, Owen, were the best parents anyone could wish for. My younger brother, Liam, was a younger version of me, only more outgoing.

  And my little sister, well, she was no longer little since her twenty-fifth birthday was right around the corner. She was a whole other story. Ciara lived life to the fullest, and always thought I was too uptight to be her brother.

  The running joke between us was that the universe took all of the fun out of me and poured it into her.

  We utterly adored each other. But was she right?

  Was I incapable of enjoying life?

  The bell above the main entrance rang through the air and into my ears, pulling me back to the current time and place. I heard Sarah’s voice in the waiting room telling someone that Dr. Kelly was available.

  Right.

  In preparation for the incoming patient, I took a deep breath to clear my head and placed the cleaning tools down on a shelf before making my way over to the sink to wash my hands.

  I heard a slight knock on the door before it cracked open.

  When I turned around with a small towel in my hand, my eyes landed on the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

  Her naturally tan body was reminiscent of sculptures of ancient Greek Goddesses... if holy deities went to war with their bare hands.

  She was wearing a black pair of yoga pants and a matching hoodie, fitted enough to accentuate her narrow waist and her...

  Dog.

  Mentally urging myself to focus on the patient at hand, I forced my eyes away from Miss Warrior and inspected the old pit-bull in the crate she carefully carried.

  “Hello,” I smiled, “what seems to be the problem?”

  “He’s refusing to move.” The grimness in her voice revealed how little she knew about old dogs. Her serious expression confirmed it.

  “That can be a number of things,” I said, trying to make my tone comforting. “Let’s have a look.”

  Gently receiving the carrier, I placed it down on the examination table and opened the door. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw who I could only assume was the younger sister fidget and wince with every move I made.

  “You don’t need to worry.” I gave her a quick glance before expertly luring him out. “What’s his name?”

  “Tyson,” she responded.

  “C’mon, Tyson,” I addressed the poor thing who was clearly in pain. “We can’t be friends if you don’t shake my hand.”

  The sister tittered.

  Miss Warrior, however, was not exactly amused.

  Either way, I was doing my job.

  Feeling their eyes on me, I conducted the thorough examination to
the best of my knowledge. It was a no-brainer, good old Tyson had been struck by bad old arthritis, a common condition among his breed.

  “Arthritis?” Miss Warrior exclaimed. “Is it curable?”

  “It gets better with treatment,” I reassured her as I grabbed my prescription pad and pen. “It doesn’t have to hinder his life, not if you follow the instructions I’ll give you.”

  As I settled behind the desk, my hand reached for the bill pad and I heard the ladies’ language shift.

  “Medicamento? Que haremos?” the younger one whispered.

  “Nosotras veremos, vale?” Miss Warrior’s frustration poured through her teeth as she lowered her gaze.

  “Y la factura también,” she nagged.

  “No te preocupes...” Exasperated, she discreetly showed her the credit card before concealing it in her folded hand. “Encontrare una manera.”

  Right.

  Keeping my eyes on the pads in front of me, I racked my brain for the Spanish I had learned as a second language in high school. While I couldn’t decipher the full extent of their hushed exchange, I could make out a few words that made me understand that they were not exactly well off.

  The younger one was wondering how they were going to afford this, while Miss Warrior reassured her that she was going to handle it somehow.

  Silently excluding my examination fee, I only billed them the clinic’s share which was a small percentage.

  Upon handing her the bill, I stood up and made my way over to the medication cabinet. I pulled out a number of pharmaceutical samples and handed them to the younger sister with a professional smile on my face.

  “These are the meds he’ll need for the week.”

  Walking back to my desk, I tore out the prescription which had the exact doses and exercises to ease his pain. “Follow these, please.”

  As I gave her the piece of paper, my eyes moved to glance at Miss Warrior who had a skeptical look all over her face while her eyes watched me like a hawk.

  She pressed her lips into a thin line when I caught her. “Thank you, Doctor.” She forced a slight smile.

  “You’re welcome. I, uh—” I scratched the back of my head, “I will need to see him for another checkup next week. Please call Sarah to schedule an appointment.”

  “Alright.” Lowering her gaze, she regarded Tyson with the most tender look.

  While the younger one held the crate door open, Miss Warrior unexpectedly leaned over the exam table and gave Tyson a big hug.

  My heart melted.

  As I watched them take their dog and leave, I was already wondering if I was going to see Miss Warrior again.

  I HOPE YOU ENJOYED this preview. You can continue reading KNOCKOUT from here.

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  About the Author

  GABRIELLE SNOW WRITES intriguing and sexy contemporary romance novels (often featuring alpha billionaires) - also her personal favorites to read.

  Gabrielle loves all things romantic and steamy - she is, for the lack of a better word, a hopeless romantic with a little bit of spice added to the mix. Sometimes real life doesn't deliver enough of it, so books and films are her favorite pastime.

  You could say that Gabrielle finds opposites attractive: she enjoys sunny weather but finds more inspiration for her novels during rainy days. One of her favorite ways to spend a rainy day is indoors, writing a romance novel with a glass of wine in hand (red, without a doubt).

  More books from Gabrielle Snow

  SECRET SERIES

  SECRET LIES (BOOK 1)

  Secret Deal (Book 2)

  Secret Affair (Book 3)

  SECRET OBSESSION (BOOK 4)

  Secret Ways (Book 5)

  MY BILLIONAIRE BOSS SERIES

  Forbidden Attraction (Book 1)

  Forbidden Promises (Book 2)

  Forbidden Acts (Book 3)

  FROM LOSS TO LOVE SERIES

  Enticingly His: A Single Dad & Nanny Romance (Book 1)

  Ambiguously Hers: A Single Dad & Nanny Romance (Book 2)

  Indubitably Yours: A Single Dad & Nanny Romance (Book 3)

  TEMPTED SERIES

  PRETTY LITTLE TEMPTATION (Book 1)

  Reckless Little Affair (Book 2)

  Dark Little Lies (Book 3)

  Sweet Little Love (Book 4)