“I should get her to the vet,” I consider out loud. “I don’t even know if she’s had all her shots.”
“Probably a good idea.”
Jay starts packing his tools in the bin he pulled out of the back of his truck, providing me a nice view of his backside.
“Yeah. Unfortunately, the vet I have for Beau is only open during the week. I’ll have to find one who works weekends or nights.”
I’m rattling to hide the fact I’m blatantly checking him out. When he straightens up I almost groan at the loss of my view.
“I have a vet for the horses, who also looks after small animals. He’s visited the farm on weekends. I can check for you. In fact, it’s probably about time for another checkup of my animals anyway.”
Before I can stop him, he’s dialing and I listen as he is able to schedule a visit for tomorrow at his ranch. Maybe he’s just being nice, but I get the distinct impression there may be more to it.
“I’m going to have to figure out how to transport her in my car. I don’t have a crate.”
“I’ll drive, you can hold her on your lap.”
“No. I’ll figure it out. Doesn’t make sense for you to drive all the way from the ranch to pick me up,” I point out.
One side of his mouth pulls up as he lifts a foot on the deck and leans forward, his arms resting on his knee.
“It wouldn’t if I planned to leave before tomorrow morning.”
Oh.
Jay
I’m feeling pretty pleased with myself as I head out for pizza.
I’ve never been one for flirting or blatant come-ons, but I’m starting to see the appeal. Rendering Meredith speechless when I let her know I intended to stay the night was worth it. I’m pretty sure those wide eyes, slack mouth, and deep flush meant she likes the idea. Knowing Meredith, she wouldn’t have hesitated a second to let me know if she didn’t.
Good thing I already promised her pizza or I don’t know how long I’d have been able to keep my hands off her.
It’s funny, as much as she still awes me a bit professionally, on a personal level I’m more at ease with her than I can recall being with anyone. Knowing I have as much of an effect on her as she does on me makes me feel like a fucking champ.
Shit, I’m so far gone for this woman, I’m willing to forego my standard meat lovers and try artichoke hearts and goat cheese on my pizza. I just hope I can gag the stuff down.
Turns out it’s not so bad. Between us we decimate the large pie, aided by a few more beers. When Meredith heads inside, carrying the dishes, I follow right behind with the empties. I set them down on the counter and step in right behind her while she rinses the plates in the sink.
She stills when she feels my lips brush the sliver of exposed neck and I slid my arms around her waist.
“You can tell me to go home,” I whisper against her skin.
She turns off the faucet and reaches for a towel. Thinking she’s about to do just that I let go of her, but faster than I can step back, she swivels around, hooking her arms around my neck.
“What if I don’t want to?”
I take a deep breath in, relieved as fuck she’s not sending me packing.
“Then I guess I’m staying.”
“Good,” she responds, instantly rising up on her toes as she pulls my head down.
Our mouths fuse like strong magnets pulled together with a force neither of us seems willing to resist. The kiss goes from zero to sixty in a fraction of a second, with teeth nipping and tongues exploring. In seconds I have her lifted up on the counter, her hand jammed down the back of my jeans, squeezing my ass, and mine sliding up under her shirt.
“Whoa.” Her breath brushes my face as she pulls away.
“Too fast?”
I immediately remove my hand from her shirt and brace it on the counter beside her. I’ve been holding out for this moment for a long time, I’m not about to blow it because I’m too eager.
“No…yes…I’m not sure,” she rambles, shaking her head. “Intense. For the kitchen counter.”
An involuntary chuckle escapes me before I rest my forehead against hers.
“We could slow it down,” I suggest, although I’m not so sure I’ll be able to once I get my mouth and hands on her again.
“We could…” She looks at me from under her eyelashes. “Or we can take it upstairs where I have a nice queen-sized bed. I can handle intense, but I’m not a young pup anymore, I could do with the support of a good mattress.”
I press a hard kiss on her mouth and then lift her off the counter, taking her hand in mine once I’m sure she’s steady on her feet.
“Lead the way.”
She doesn’t let go of my hand until we’re in her room. There she moves to the bed and sits down on the edge of the mattress. I reach back and grab a handful of my shirt, pulling it over my head, when I notice she hasn’t moved. She’s checking me out and making no apologies for it, but then her eyes lift to my face.
“How old are you?”
The question throws me off a bit. Age never came up, I assumed it matters as little to her as it does to me. This seems like a strange time to ask.
“How old? Forty-two.”
She nods once. “Right,” she says resolutely and gets to her feet. Her hands start undoing the buttons on her shirt and I have a hell of a time keeping my eyes on her face. “You should know I’m forty-five, most of what I eat is healthy, but I have a serious sweet tooth, I like my beer, and I hate exercise.”
Her hands drop down and her shirt falls open, revealing a plain white sports bra that manages to look sexy as all get out on her. She appears to be waiting for me so I close the distance, sliding my hands inside her shirt and around her waist, her soft skin hot under my touch. In turn she runs her palms up from my stomach to my chest and I have to remind myself to breathe.
“Why are you telling me this?”
She tilts her head back and looks a little dazed at my question.
“Can’t remember,” she mumbles.
“Good.”
Next, my mouth is on hers and in seconds we’re at full speed again. Teeth and tongues clashing, impatient hands pulling at clothes that fly left and right. Then suddenly I feel the weight of her breasts in my hands. Soft, pliant, and so tempting I tear my mouth from hers, bend lower, and pull a pert nipple between my lips.
“Oh my God, Jay…”
I start backing her up to the bed, eager to explore all of her, when I start stumbling, my jeans still wrapped around my ankles. She teeters and I lose hold of her body as she falls back on the bed. I’m not so lucky and land hard on my knees.
“Fuck.”
Smooth, VanDyken.
I scramble to untangle my feet, cursing under my breath, when I hear sniffling from the bed. Sitting up I look over to see Meredith’s back. She’s rolled on her side, shoulders shaking. Christ, I’m an animal, it was just last night the poor woman got knocked out and tied up.
“Shit, did I hurt you?” Impatiently I finally manage to kick my jeans off and pull myself up on the side of the bed. “Are you okay?”
I reach for her hip and carefully roll her over.
“I’m fine,” she mumbles from behind the hands she has covering her face. When I peel them away I see she’s laughing. “I’m sorry! I can’t help it.”