Page 27 of Rescued Love
“It’s one of the things I love about animals,” I admit. “But the thing is, they give that love without being able to considerthe consequences until it’s too late.” My heart aches because sometimes an animal can’t find a new home because of the way they’ve been treated in the past. “If their fear of how they’ve been treated teaches them not to trust, it makes my life so much harder. Sometimes, impossible,” I whisper.
Nathan’s arm wraps around my shoulders and tucks me, gently, into his side. When his lips press against my temple, I freeze.
Not because I don’t like it. No. Because I like it too much.
And that might just be a problem.
CHAPTER 9
NATHAN
This woman. My woman.
She has a big heart, and I could kick myself because I didn’t see it at first. Maybe I just didn’t want to see it because I was too deep in my own feelings and guilt over not being the kind of person she is. I’ve turned my back on the type of person I wanted to be a long time ago and never looked back.
The way she’s frozen as my lips linger on her temple is like a foghorn warning me that I’ve overstepped. I should care. A good man would care.
I can’t seem to muster up that feeling inside of me. While I don’t like the thought that she’s uncomfortable, I’m just selfish enough to want to soak up this moment for a second longer.
My movements are slow as I pull away from her and let her go. When she doesn’t immediately step back and lingers for a moment, I can’t help the spark of hope that grows in my chest.
Sure, she accepted my apology, which was the only reason I came here today, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she believes me and is willing to let me earn her trust. That’ll be the only way we can build something, the only way I’ll ever be able to make her mine, and I know it.
I’m not entirely sure when I realized that this woman, who loves animals with a fierceness that inspires awe in me the likes of which I’ve never felt before, is meant to be mine, but I know it now. The truth of it rings through me and is reinforced with every beat of my heart and breath in my lungs.
Maybe it was when she didn’t immediately screech and tell me to get out, even though I startled her during her one-sided kitten conversation. She had every right to do so, and it wouldn’t have surprised me.
I’m pretty sure she only tolerated me the other night at the bar because she didn’t want to make a scene. Or it just could have been her manners overriding the bad taste left from our first interaction.
I don’t know and I don’t care.
“I wanted to apologize the other night at The Goose,” I tell her softly. “I just wasn’t sure how to get you alone to have the conversation and I was embarrassed about how I had jumped on you.”
Her eyes widen slightly, and my eyebrows pull together for a moment in confusion. As I replay my words in my head, my face heats slightly and I cough while shaking my head.
Kimball giggles softly, “I understand.”
“You didn’t tell anyone about the day we met,” I find myself asking even though I’m pretty sure I know the answer, “did you?”
“I told Hailey.” I feel my eyes widen in surprise. She wasn’t mean to me the other night, even though she could have been. “She’s my best friend. We don’t really keep secrets and she kind if forced it out of me,” she admits and smiles to soften the blow.I wince and embarrassment has me looking down. “I’m kind of surprised she even noticed something was bothering me because she’s been so busy with Wesley and the school year starting. I asked her to let it go and she’s not the kind of person to treat anyone badly. Now, if you had been rude to me at The Goose, in front of her, it would have been another story,” there’s a teasing lilt to her voice.
I chuckle softly before shooting her a worried look. “And Ansel?” It was obvious that they’re pretty good friends the other night. I had to grit my teeth most of the night while taking a little bit of solace in the fact that she wasn’t pulling away from me and how our legs were touching. Their ease together made me jealous as fuck. “It’s obvious that you two are good friends,” there’s a growl in my voice I can’t even begin to hide.
Kimball’s eyes sparkle with mirth as she looks up at me. “We are good friends, but it’s not like we talk every day or get together to braid each other’s hair or anything. Sure, he would have my back if I needed it, but I wasn’t going to do anything that would risk Mr. Jacobson getting the help he needs out at the sanctuary. Ansel would have tried to raise a stink when it was the last thing I wanted to happen.”
“Heart of gold,” I mutter as my eyes roam over her face.
Fuck.
She’s gorgeous. I studied her as much as I could the other night, but the lighting was softer, and I didn’t want to look like a creep. It would have raised questions if I spent the entire time staring at her. And probably made her uncomfortable.
Now with us alone, and with the brighter light in the room, I find I can’t look away. There are a couple of freckles the run over the bridge of her nose. They’re fucking adorable. A dimple popsout on one side of her mouth when her lips kick up in a smile. Her hair looks so fucking soft; it makes me want to bury my fingers in it.
As she shifts on her feet a little and looks down, a blush covers her cheeks and works its way down her neck. I almost groan at the sight, wondering if she’d let me kiss her everywhere she blushes.
“Come on, Midnight,” she coos before plucking the kitten from my hands, “time to go back in your kennel.”
The kitten does not look happy about the situation, but only lets out a pitiful little sound of protest. Midnight even looks at me as if I might go against my woman and keep holding her. When I don’t, she looks almost resigned and flops down on the blanket in the kennel while letting out an annoyed huff.