Page 26 of The Quirky Vet

My heart starts beating a little faster. "Uh-huh. Right."

"Apparently everyone can see it, too."

"They can? And who's everyone?"

He sighs again, a little louder this time. "Everyone. Gramps. One of the gay dudes at the club. Maisey."

"Maisey?"

He nods, his brow tightening. "That's why she said no. She reckons I've got…feelings for someone else."

I poke my chest. "Me?"

He nods, then quickly averts his gaze.

I promised him I wouldn't freak out, so I ignore the pressure building in my chest and keep my voice as steady as I can. "What gay dude at what club?"

"On our bender. We went to a gay bar, remember?"

"Vaguely."

"You went off dancing, and the others all followed you except for one guy. He asked me about my feelings for you."

"Did you say something to him?"

"No. He could just tell."

"How?"

Muir shrugs. "No idea." He runs a hand through his hair. "I spoke to Gramps about it when I got back."

"And?"

"He was really good about it. Remind me to tell you about his Vietnam adventures another time. But he did say something that's pertinent to this situation."

I lean in a little closer. "I know I said I wouldn't freak out, but you using the wordpertinentjust gave me chills."

He gives a small grin, finally relaxing just a touch. "Shut up because it's quite a story, and you're going to have to pay attention."

I listen as he explains his grandfather's plan to leave the house to him when he dies, and his mother's threat to derail that, and try my best to keep my expression neutral when he gets to the part about needing to be married to ensure a better shot at winning when his mother contests his grandfather's will.

"Obviously, I don't think that's realistic, and I have zero expectations of us staying married for that long. Gramps isn't going anywhere any time soon." He's starting to speak a little faster and is getting flustered. "And my feelings about you have nothing to do with my inheritance. They're two completely separate issues. I just wanted to give you the whole story so you know why I've been acting the way I have lately."

"I'm glad you did." I reach over and, without thinking, take his hand in mine. His gaze drops, and his lips part.

Shit. Should I not be touching him?

But I want to touch him. I want to assure him that everything is okay. That nothing he's said was bad or wrong or whatever else he's been worrying himself it might be.

I go to pull my hand away, but he stops me, curling his fingers around mine. He slowly lifts his head. Our eyes meet. We stare at each other in silence, our fingers entwined.

My stomach flutters, and a tingling sensation spreads throughout my entire body.

"Still not freaking out?" he asks, staring intently into my eyes.

"Still not freaking out," I reply, even though my mouth has gone dry, and I'm hyper-aware of every sensation in my body.

His body slants towards me, and I mirror the movement, leaning in closer to him. He raises his free hand and brings it to my face, gently scraping my jaw with the edge of his fingers. Then he angles his face in a tell-tale way that a kiss is coming, and I do the same. His warm breath fans across me, and we're a breath apart when––