He groaned.A glance up revealed his blissed-out face.
I freed him and took the tip of him into my mouth.Then I released.“So… You want me to stop?Of course, we wouldn’t want me to get hurt trying to prove anything.”
“Fuck, no,” he wheezed out.
I took him into my mouth as deep as I could.He groaned long and hard.Then, I pulled back once more.“You still didn’t say who’s prettier.”
“Erika…”
I moved slowly, deliberately, my touch meant to anchor us both.“That’s not an answer,” I murmured, looking up at him, refusing to break eye contact.
His breath shuddered.“What were you asking about?Jesus, Erika?—”
“I want to know if you’re going to go into work and be attracted to some old flame you had.Are you going to be flirting with her?”
“I don’t want her.I never did.I might’ve slept with her out of loneliness, but I’ve only ever wanted you.”The raw sincerity in his tone soothed me.
A tear slipped down my cheek before I could stop it.“Good answer,” I whispered.
After a few long tugs, taking him deep, his body bowed with the force of release, a choked sound breaking from his throat as he braced a hand against the door to stay upright.His eyes were dazed, unfocused with the intensity of it, chest heaving like he’d run miles.
I rose slowly, cupping his jaw, brushing a few strands of hair away from his forehead with trembling fingers.I smiled softly, victorious but aching.
He swallowed hard, eyes searching mine, still breathless.“I’ll never try to make you jealous,” he said, voice rough, almost desperate.“That’s all in the past.This is just business.”
“I’m most definitely going in today to see appointments.Maybe, after work we can send everyone home and you can finally have your way with me on that desk.”
“How about you let me take you on an official date?We kind of skipped that part in this whole renewed thing between us, but I think it’s important.”He pulled me against him, arms wrapping around my back like he was afraid I might disappear if he let go.Yet, he was careful not to touch where my ribs had been hurt.His voice brushed against my ear, low and rough with emotion.“You’ve got no need to be insecure over any woman who might’ve been in my life before.None of them matter.Youmatter.You’re the only one I want here from now on.”His voice cracked.“You were the only one I wanted back then.But I couldn’t have you.”
His heartbeat pounded against my cheek.I swallowed around the lump in my throat.
“You know what?”I whispered.
He leaned back just enough to see my face, searching my eyes like he was bracing for something terrible.“What?”
I lifted my chin, meeting his gaze head-on, heart slamming so hard I felt dizzy.“You’re going to marry me, Joshua Hurst.”
For a breath, he froze.Then his expression broke open into something fierce and unguarded and so full of love.
“I am,” he said hoarsely.“But you’re going to give me time to work out the logistics of the asking.Thisis one thing you don’t get to control.”He cupped my face in both hands, eyes burning.“I get to ask.I get to do it right.”His thumb brushed my cheek.“You’re not taking this moment from me.”
And for once, I didn’t want to.I just pressed my forehead to his and breathed.
ChapterThirty-Eight
JOSH
Twenty-two dates later…
I shoved the hard hat emblazoned with the logo of the construction company building our new hospital complex off the passenger seat and reached for my bat bag in the back seat.Once we’d broken ground four months ago, the project had exploded forward.Every week brought something new, something bigger.Jim Tadlock and his group of wealthy horse owners had both donated and loaned us enough money to build the complex.The monster loan part lurked in the back of my mind, but I somehow kept myself from jumping off the cliff into full-blown panic.
We’d signed on Ken Haegan and Erika’s friend, Victoria, as the founding equine vets to run the equine hospital, and even managed to lure another large-animal vet from Tennessee.We were still hunting for small-animal and emergency doctors, but Sarah from Erika’s old practice planned to move down soon and take on a managerial role supervising the techs and veterinarian team.
So much.So fast.Sometimes my head spun just trying to keep up.
Today was the championship game for my adult league, and after clawing through a season full of highs and lows, we’d finally earned our spot by winning yesterday’s semifinals.I should’ve been thinking strategy.I should’ve been warming up.
Instead, I found myself squinting across the parking lot, searching for any sign of Erika’s car or Vinny’s bouncing energy.She’d promised they’d make it before the first pitch, but she’d done a house call to check on a patient she’d performed surgery on two days ago.
