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Morning arrived too quick,interrupting a beautiful dream starring my red-haired vet.
Out of bed before the sun came up like always, I made my way to the kitchen and grabbed my first cup of coffee. Mrs. Roberts turned the corner with a whisk and a pot in her hand.
“Whatever it was, I didn’t do it.” I held my hands up, making her laugh.
“It’s for Alex. She mentioned yesterday she’s used to her espresso drinks in the morning. I looked up how to make something without those fancy machines. I was going to give it a shot.” A sweet smile stretched across Mrs. Roberts’ face. She had always wanted Dec and me to settle down so she would have a woman to tend to. We were her family, and she had always wanted a daughter. She adored Jessie, but it would be entirely different for her to care for our woman.
I smiled to myself, liking that she was already doting on Alex.“Why don’t you try it out on me first? We don’t want to kill the vet while she’s here.”
“Very funny, Thomas.” Mrs. Roberts smacked me playfully with the whisk.
The older woman whipped up a decent imitation of a latte using some of the espresso beans Jessie gave her. Not long after, Alex entered the kitchen and was handed a fresh cup.
My cock jerked when she moaned.
“Helen, you outdid yourself. Thank you so much.” Alex went over and hugged the woman. Mrs. Roberts squeezed her back, then released her to put together breakfast.
I walked with Alex to her office.
When she paused at her door and turned, I froze. She looked so right standing there. Like she belonged in our house, in this office, working a day at home instead of going into the clinic. My heart clenched. I wanted this to be real, and only time would tell if she wanted it, too—time we didn’t really have.
I lifted her hand to press a soft kiss to the back of it. Her breath hitched, and my already hardening cock pushed against my zipper.
Down, boy.
I left her at the door and traveled down the hall to mine.
I made it only a few hours after lunch before I gave in to the urge to check on Alex. I had kept my distance the day before, but today, I didn’t want to. The need to be near her was growing the more I spent time with her.
When I looked in, I was surprised to not see her behind the desk. I’d brought her lunch earlier, and she mentioned having enough work to keep herself busy all day.
The sound of fabric shifting filtered over to me, catching my attention. When I turned to face the opposite side of the room, I noticed Alex curled up on one of the reading chairs. Her body relaxed, her eyes glued to her tablet, looking very much at home.
My heart tugged, and a goofy smile stretched across my face. Moments like this proved to me Alex belonged right here, with us. Not wanting to interrupt her, I headed to my office, stopping by Declan’s to briefly check in.
He was on the phone, deep in conversation. Glancing from his screen, he shook his head and waved me off. I’d come back later.
The team had all checked in with me this morning. Everyone was doing well, and the horses were taken care of. I wanted to see how Sapphire was doing, as well as my new Belgian Warmblood addition, Cody. He was the stallion I purchased for our new breeding program. Stardust was the first mare to be bred by him, and I worried about him. He’d taken more to me than anyone else on the ranch.
Matt, one of our stable hands, checked in and told me both horses were fine and not to bother coming out. I trusted him and knew he was looking after our team and treated our barn like it was his own. A restlessness itched along my arms and legs. I paced back and forth in my office, trying to figure out what to do next.I wasn’t used to being cooped up.
I ran a hand through my hair. With a sigh, I glanced at my laptop, knowing I should work on any final arrangements for the charity ball Declan and I were hosting for our family’s organization to fight cancer in two weeks. Instead, I couldn’t stop thinking about Alex a few rooms over. When I should have been putting my mind to finalizing the menu or arranging the order of speakers, I wondered if Alex would accompany us to the party. Already I could picture her in a deep green evening gown, a brilliant contrast against her gorgeous red hair. Or maybe something in black. She could make anything sexy.
My thoughts strayed to what she’d wear under those dresses, and flashes of creamy skin and sexy lingerie dominated my attention. My dick strained against the front of my sweatpants. Since I was going to be stuck at the house, I’d opted for comfort, but that might have been a bad idea. I adjusted myself as I sat behind my desk to hide my growing erection.
I needed to distract myself.Pulling up the options my mother’s assistant had sent me, I scrolled through the final list. After reading over it three times, I was nowhere near to making a single decision.Thoughts of Alex continued to divert my attention.
A light tap on the door pulled my attention from the computer screen.
Alex smiled from the doorway. “Hi.”
“Hi, Alex. Is there anything I can help you with?” My voice grew rough from the remnants of lust running through me. My dick had gone down to half-mast until I saw her, and it was back at full attention.
“I was wondering if you’ve heard any updates on the weather or the conditions of the roads?” She clasped her hands tight in front of her.
“The weather report showed it should be over this afternoon, but I don’t have an update on the roads. I expect we should probably hear something tomorrow about how soon it’ll be clear. Duke will call the station in the morning.”
