“That’s what you want, beautiful.”I stroked my hand down to her waist and went in for another kiss.She moaned and craned toward me.
Her hands were on my belt.
I had no choice but to stop her.I wanted to continue.I just didn’t want to do this here with forty people on the other side of this wall.I also refused to start anything when she was set to walk away.My busted-up heart didn’t have that kind of mileage left.
I opened my mouth to try to stop, but seeing her face drugged on my kisses was too much.I kissed her again.I wasn’t going to be able to say no.
We had to stop.
I didn’t want to.I might never get a chance to kiss her again.
“Admit whatever this is—you’ve never had it with anyone else.”That came out wrong.I meant to say that this was how I felt about her.Damn it, I didn’t want to see that flash of pain twist into anger in her eyes.
She accused, “Was this some kind of challenge?You didn’t want me to forget how good you are at this?”
“We’re both pretty great at?—”
“Or,” she cut in, shoving me away, “was it you saving your friend from me?”
“Saving—”
“No.”Her voice sharpened.“This was about your annoying need to beat me.Like always.”
“What the hell, Erika?You’re the one who blew back into town as the high-and-mighty big-city vet, dripping attitude about me and this clinic.”Internally, I cringed.How had things gone this sour so fast?
“At least I got where I am on my own.”She straightened and moved out of my embrace.“My daddy didn’t buy my way into college or plan on handing me a business so he could keep me on a leash.”
“He didn’t buy me jack shit,” I snarled.“And you?Sounds like you’re not doing so great up there alone.”She’d hit the daddy-pays-for-everything button—the one that always sent me off the deep end.
“My life is hard work and dedication,” she said coldly.“I’m a rockstar at what I do.You’re just middle-of-nowhere mediocre.This was a mistake.My mistake.”
“I don’t practice mediocre medicine.Thiswasa mistake.Agreed.And you ruined it.Go ahead and leave.Good luck changing the world all by yourself.”
She clenched her fists until her knuckles went white.“Iamchanging the world on my own terms.What about you?How long are you going to roll over when your brother whistles for you to obey?”
I saw red but jammed my hands into my pockets to keep control.“You don’t know shit about me or my life.Maybe I’m entitled, but at least I’m not selfish and blind to everyone around me like you.”
Her cheeks flamed.“Selfish is one thing.Spoiled brat is another.You ruined this—you can be such an asshole.”
“That’s right,” I said, voice flat and burning.“I’m the asshole.”I yanked the door open.“Get out.Go fuck yourself.”
She brushed past me.“I already do it better than you ever could.”
ChapterSeventeen
JOSH
I’d stormedout of the back of the clinic and drove the work truck home.Two hours of stewing later, and here I was pressing the accelerator hard on the narrow highway to the Sawyer farm.I took the tight turn into Drew’s driveway so fast that I skidded out on the gravel and almost hit the pitiful light post in front of Drew’s trailer.
I was pissed.Partly because I couldn’t remember what the hell I’d yelled at Erika before she left, although I was pretty sure I told her to fuck off.And the other part of me was angry she might’ve turned to Drew to burn off the match she lit between us in the office.
Pounding on his door got me no answer.Drew’s truck was in the driveway, which meant he was home.I banged on the metal door again.“I know you’re in there.”
She better not be here.I’d lose my mind.I probably already had.
Drew answered wearing a tattered white t-shirt and blue boxer shorts with little red hearts.“What the hell’s wrong with you?”He leaned through the door to glance around as if I wasn’t alone.“Did you park on my grass?”
“What grass?”I eyed my car and the decorative weeds around his trailer.I shoved past him as the rickety metal door slammed shut.The smell of freshly cooked ramen punched me in the face—an aroma that instantly transported me to broke, exhausted vet-school nights.
