by Chloe Maddox
Naturally, we all tried to get her to adapt to the big city, but there were moments like this when she slipped.
“Maybe he is.” I shrugged as I threw my head back and stood up straight, adopting my best professional look.
“You can do it, Dr. Lewis,” Julie murmured encouragingly as she gave me a thumb up. She handed me the clipboard, her gaze never wavering from the imposing man.
I quickly checked the name as I walked up to him. “Mr. Ames?”
His head snapped up, a relieved look crossing his features as he looked over at me. When I held out my hand for him to shake, he stood up and took my hand in his.
Holy hell.
This man was huge.
I wasn’t short by any standards, but I was an elf compared to him. I hadn’t noticed when he was sitting down, but he towered over me, so that I had to crane my neck to look at him. My head barely touched his shoulders, and he had to duck his head to speak to me.
“I’m Dr. Lewis. I’ll be attending to your pet today,” I introduced myself as my small hands were engulfed in his. I tried not to react to the warmth seeping through as I focused on getting through the task at hand.
Now was not the time to develop an attraction towards one of the owners.
Especially not when I had a boyfriend at home.
A soon to be ex-boyfriend a voice whispered in the back of my head. I told that voice to stuff it as I extracted my hands and bent down to examine the dog. She was a beagle who was barely two years old, and she had the most expressive brown eyes I’d ever seen.
Her mouth curved slightly when she saw me, but other than that, she remained inert, her face contorted in silent pain.
I signaled for Mr. Ames to follow me, and he scooped the beagle up in his arms and did as he was told. This big man who was built like a lumberjack trailed after me quietly, not saying anything in the process.
I entered the room and flipped on the lights. Once the room was illuminated, I gestured towards the table where he could place her. Ever so gently, he placed the dog down and stood next to her, keeping a hand protectively atop her head.
“What happened, Mr. Ames?” I asked, my voice clinically professional.
“Well, first of all, she isn’t my dog,” he began, and I was surprised by how deep his voice was. It had a rich velvety texture that I could listen to all day.
Oh, boy.
“Okay, so where did you find her?”
“I ran over her,” he admitted as he raked his hands through his hair, causing it to stand out in tufts across his head.
I peered at him over the clipboard. “Excuse me?”
“Not on purpose,” he hastened to add. “I was backing up with my bike, and she was behind me. I didn’t see her.”
I pressed my mouth into a thin line as I placed the clipboard on the desk and bent over to examine her. “I see.”
I began to scratch her ears to relax her as I silently ascertained the damage. Her leg was slightly sprained, but beyond that, she was actually in remarkably good health for a street dog.
I stood up and straightened my coat. “The good news is, she’s going to be just fine. I’m just going to wrap her leg up, and she should take it easy for a few days. I can call a shelter to see if they could take her in.”
“But don’t they have a lot of dogs at the shelters?” he asked as he darted a glance in her direction. Guilt playing out across her features.
“Yes,” I hesitated. “But unless you know someone who can take care of her while she recovers, I have no choice but to call it in.”
“What if I take care of her?” he interrupted.
“Have you ever taken care of a dog before?” My eyebrow climbed to my hairline. I was surprised by his generosity.
“I had a dog when I was little. I think I remember most of the basics.”
“Alright,” I conceded. “But you’ll need to tell me when she can longer stay with you, so I can find her a home. In the meantime, let’s make her a passport. I can bandage up her leg, and we can give her the regular shots.”
I rummaged around for a passport, and my pen was poised as I looked at him. “Name?”
He cleared his throat. “Sean Ames.”
“Address?”
He rattled off the address as he patted her head distractedly. I filled in her breed, and likely age as I examined her.
“Would you like to give her a name?” I asked.
He pondered this for a moment. “Leia.”
“Leia as in Leia Organa?” My voice was laced with surprise.
“You’re a Star Wars fan?” His voice reflected his incredulity.
“I find your lack of faith disturbing,” I quoted in my best Darth Vader impression. Sean studied me for a moment before he threw his head back and laughed.
“I can’t tell what’s better, that you know Star Wars, or that you have a killer Vader impression.”
Chapter 2
“Not a lot of people like my Darth Vader impression,” I admitted as I tucked my hair behind my ear, suddenly self-conscious because of the way he was looking at me.
Sure, it had been a while since David had looked at me like that, but I recognized the telltale signs.
Sean was attracted to me too.
That made this a hell of a lot harder.
How were we supposed to keep our attraction under wraps and keep it professional?
We’d just have to find a way I suppose because we weren’t animals.
“It’s hands down one of the best I’ve ever seen,” he complimented as he stroked Leia’s fur. For her part, she looked much better once I treated her leg, and the way she was gazing at Sean adoringly was heartwarming.
That was one of the reasons why I loved dogs.
They loved us so selflessly that it was bound to put us to shame.
I cleared my throat as I put the pen back in my front pocket. “Well, it’s a lovely name in any case. A nice strong name. I’m not sure about her age, but I’d say she’s a little over a year old, and in remarkably good health for a street dog.”
Sean beamed at her. “Did you hear that girl?”
Leia responded by wagging her tail at him.
“Are you sure she’s not yours?” I asked, skeptically. I began to examine her teeth and shining my flashlight in her eyes to see if she had any health issues I didn’t see the first time around.
“I’m positive. I would know if I had a sweetheart like this.”
“She’s taken to you quite well.” I pulled up my chair and set it down in front of Leia as I took an up close and personal look at her. Beyond turning her head in my direction, she offered me no other form of acknowledgement.
Her eyes just stayed trained on Sean. Not that I could blame her.
You and me both girl.
It was hard to notice anything else when he was around.
And I hated to buy into the stereotype, but he was by far the nicest biker I’d ever come across. A little gruff, and rough around the edges, but the way he was caring for this dog told me more about him than anything else.
“What are you doing?” he asked, curiously.
“I’m checking to make sure everything is in order. Now I have to check her vitals too, so er, this might be a bit awkward,” I explained as I stood up and picked up a thermometer. “Can you hold her steady please?”
I measured her temperature which was normal then I proceeded to give her a rabies shot. I gave her a quick scratch behind her ears once she was done, and I smiled in satisfaction.
“Well, everything seems to be in order here,” I announced. “Now, do you have any questions about her?”
He frowned as he plopped into the chair in front of the desk and faced me. “Is she going to be taking any kind of medication?”
I shook my head. “No, it’s a mild sprain, so I don’t think she’ll need it. However, if you feel like anything’s wrong, just call me—I mean call the clinic and set up an appointment.”
“Are they open twenty-four hours
?”
“No, but they can page me,” I clarified. “If it’s an emergency, I’ll come in.”
He looked visibly relieved at that. “Okay, that’s good.”
We lapsed into silence, and I could feel him staring at me. Suddenly, his whole demeanor seemed to shift, and he leaned back in his chair and smirked.
“So, can I get your number?”
I blinked. “I beg your pardon.”
“Your number,” he said, again as he gave me a panty melting grin.
“The clinic already has my number in case of emergencies, as I explained earlier,” I responded, deliberately misunderstanding him.
What just happened?
Here I was thinking that he was an incredibly nice guy, and now he turned all douche on me.
“I don’t want it in case of emergencies,” Sean said as he leaned forward placing his hands on either side of my desk. “I’d like to take you out for drinks.”
I raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think I’m interested?”
“The fact that you haven’t said no right away,” Sean pointed out. “Call me crazy, but that’s a pretty good sign, and you’re leaning forward right now.”
I paused as I purposefully made myself lean backwards. “That doesn’t indicate anything.”
“It gives away more than you think,” Sean said matter-of-factly.
“I have a boyfriend,” I said as I lifted my chin up and gazed at him squarely.
“I’m not going to make a move on another man’s girl.” Sean raised his hand up in a sign of peace and leaned back, disappointment flashing across his features. “But if you were mine, there would be no doubt about it.”
My eyebrows drew together. “What do you mean?”
“I mean your boyfriend is clearly not doing a very good job at making you happy,” Sean revealed as he studied me carefully.
“Excuse me? You have no right to say that. You don’t know him, and you don’t even know me.”
His shoulders rose then fell. “You’re right, I don’t, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out how unhappy you are. It’s right there, and if I had the chance I’d show you.”
I harrumphed as I narrowed my eyes at him. “I hardly think this is an appropriate conversation, Mr. Ames. If it isn’t about Leia, then we won’t discuss it.”
Sean’s lips twitched in amusement. “I think you’re afraid.”
“What would I be afraid of?”
“Of admitting that you are intrigued by my offer.” Sean stood up and headed over to Leia. He whispered something in her ear then he gathered her in his arms. Her head was cradled against his strong and firm chest, and she was enjoying every minute of it.
Shit.
I was jealous of a freaking dog now?
Damn it, Isabel get it together.
This guy had an arrogant streak, and that was one of my major turn offs.
“Why would that scare me?” I leapt to my feet and did the buttons on my coat.
“Because it would be different with me,” he said, differently.
I straightened my back and held the door open. “Thank you for coming, Mr. Ames. I hope you enjoyed your visit.”
As he walked past, I caught a whiff of his cologne before he leaned down to whisper in my ear. “I haven’t come yet, but trust me, when I do, you’ll feel it, and you will come too.”
My breath hitched in my throat at his words, and he threw his head back and walked out, a slight smirk playing on the edge of his lips.
I was left staring after him, absolutely gobsmacked. I was sure my jaw was somewhere on the floor by now as I hastily blinked and looked around to make sure no one saw that. Luckily everyone was too busy doing other things to notice the little exchange.
It was good otherwise they would’ve noticed how my traitorous body had leaned in, how my hands clenched themselves into fists, and how my breathing turned shallow when he was near me.
All dead giveaways.
I rubbed my hand over my eyes and strode across the clinic to my office where I shut the door and leaned against it.
I didn’t care how nice Sean was to the dog, or how he seemed to exude a quietly masculine aura that oozed sex appeal. How it had escaped my notice in the first place was beyond me, but that was probably because we were both fixated on Leia.
Once she was in the clear, he was free to turn on the charm so to speak.
To be honest, even if I was single, I wasn’t sure I’d go out with him. I knew Sean’s type, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to go down that road with him.
***
“Seriously?” Jessica yelled to be heard over the music as we grabbed our drinks and made our way to a table in the corner. It was quieter over here as we slid into the booth. “That’s hot.”
I was recounting the story of how Sean and I met, and Jessica was enjoying every minute of it. She snickered through some parts which made me stop until she begged me to continue.
“I don’t know, Jess. Seems more arrogant than hot.”
Jessica sipped on her drink. “Nope. It’s definitely hot. He knows what he wants. Plus, you’ve got to give him points for backing off when you said you had a boyfriend.”
“He didn’t back off all the way though. He still hit on me.” I took a sip of my own drink, and a contented sigh escaped my lips as it burned down my throat.
“Well, I mean, the man knows what he wants. That isn’t a bad thing,” Jessica reasoned. “Come on, I don’t believe that you wouldn’t go out with him if you were single.”
“I wouldn’t,” I countered. “Why would I? He’s a guy who can flip the switch just like that. I don’t want a guy like that.”
“Maybe it’s exactly what you need after David. You said before that David is so closed off, and so afraid of intimacy that you’re left feeling frustrated and restless. I think you wouldn’t have that problem with Sean.”
I threw my hands up in the air. “Why am I even discussing this with you? Sean isn’t in the equation whereas David is.”
“But you wish it were otherwise. Come on, don’t deny it,” Jessica pressed. “You can tell me. It’s not like I’m going to tell him or anything.”
I laughed. “Alright, well, I guess you’re right. He’s insanely attractive, Jess, and his voice…damn…it’s like butter sliding across your skin.”
Jessica smirked. “I knew you had the hots for him.”
“No, I’m attracted to him which doesn’t matter,” I corrected. “I am still committed to David, and I won’t cheat on him.”
Jessica flagged down a waiter and placed our usual order. “I get what you mean, but hey, if you happen to be free…”
I blew my hair out of my face. “Then who knows? I’d definitely be in trouble because I’d let him rock my world.”
Jessica giggled. “I knew it.”
Two drinks later, I was buzzed and slightly disoriented as I made my way to the bathroom. I splashed some water on my face, fluffed out my hair and applied a fresh coat of lipstick. I ran my fingers over my tight black dress and marveled at Jessica’s ability to choose outfits.
The girl was good, what can I say?
I stumbled out of the bathroom, a smile on my face which fell as soon as I spotted Sean leaning against the door. He did a double take when he saw me, a sexy grin immediately gracing his features.
Crap.
I couldn’t be near him right now.
Not when I’d had this much vodka.
I trusted my sober self to resist, but buzzed me wasn’t such a safe bet especially not when we were just talking about him, and the things we were saying made me flush.
“Hey,” he said once he stood in front of me.
I cupped my hands over my mouth to be heard. “Hi.”
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I’m with my friend. What, a vet can’t party?” I teased as I ran my fingers through my hair.
“Oh, I never said that. You didn’t strike me as a taco girl, that’s all.”
“I bet you would. Well, I’d eat anything too,” he flirted as he placed one arm on the wall behind me, so that I was boxed in.
“Oh?” I blinked rapidly. “That’s nice.”
“I certainly hope it’s more than nice,” he shouted as he leaned in closer, so he could hear me. I gave him a tight smile, my body frozen in place as his scent washed over me.
It was clear he’d had a drink or two as well, but unlike me, he could obviously hold his liquor. He smelled like spices, and something else I couldn’t identify. Rum maybe.
Whatever it was, it was working for him, and it was muddling my senses.
This can’t be happening.
I needed to get out of here fast, but for some reason, my feet were glued to the ground, and whatever commands I was giving my brain were falling on deaf ears because instead of leaning away, I seemed to be moving in.
“So, you mentioned you were here with a friend?” he inquired as he kept his eyes on me.
I nodded. “Yes, my best friend Jessica. It’s this thing we do at least once a month.”
Sean smiled. “That’s a cool tradition. What about the boyfriend?”
“David?” I frowned. “He’s not here, actually.”
We’d tried to get him to join us many times, but he always turned us down. Sure, it was mine and Jessica’s thing, but it didn’t mean nobody else was welcome, and I always thought that David would enjoy it if he actually made the effort, but he never seemed interested.
It used to hurt at first. His lack of interest in my life and my hobbies when I did my best to understand everything he liked, but I got used to it after a while.
Jessica said it wasn’t normal, that I should be desensitized to that sort of thing, but I couldn’t help it. What else was I supposed to do?
“I’m starting to think you made this boyfriend of yours up,” Sean teased as he shifted closer, so that we were practically chest to chest.
“Why would I make him up?” I yelled next to his ear, so he could hear me.
Sean turned his face, so that I was looking directly into his eyes. “Maybe you just didn’t know how to turn me down.”
I snorted. “Trust me, if I wanted to turn you down, I could do it without a boyfriend.”