Page 27 of Hogging the Hunk
“Alright. Otherwise, I was going to say you can stop by the RV tomorrow. I’ll be there all day.”
The idea of taking off my shirt a second time in front of Beckett intimidated me. I didn’t want to gray the line between us any more than it already was. I mumbled my appreciation, and let her finish her service in silence.
“Alright. Done.” She wadded up the trash, pulling out a new t-shirt before using the sack as a garbage bag. “It was touch and go for a bit, but I think you’ll make a full recovery. Here’s a new shirt for you. It’s nothing fancy.”
Gratefully, I took the plain white t-shirt from her, bunching it to fit over my head. “Thanks.”
“Don’t put it on yet.”
“Why?” I cocked an eyebrow, wondering her motivation for stopping me. “Enjoying the view?”
At the same time I turned beet-red from humiliation, Beckett’s cheeks flushed crimson. My question sounded desperately flirtatious, and deep down, I knew it was probably spurred by my primal instincts. Beckett was a gorgeous, witty, hardworking woman any man would be lucky to call his own. Including me. The higher-level, logical man understood Beckett’s heart had recently been fractured. Even if she was inexplicably still in love with a loser like Greg, I couldn’t go barging in on the very day they might have ended their relationship.
Never mind that Ellie would hang me out to dry should I break my pinkie promise not to entertain the idea of falling for anyone who might take up the position of evil stepmother.
Beckett found her voice again and laughed loudly. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she inadvertently exposed the soft white skin of her neck. I gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles felt like they were going to dislocate. I needed to get out of here.
“Beg your pardon. That came out all wrong.”
“All I was going to say is you should let the liquid bandage dry first.”
“Makes sense.” Wadding the shirt in my lap, I kept my back away from the seat as I drove out of the parking lot. Maybe if I drove fast enough, I could leave behind the embarrassment, too.
“Mind if I stop at the clinic to pick up something?”
Beckett flicked her wrist at my question. “I’m not in any hurry to go anywhere.”
Idling my truck in my usual spot, I put my shirt on before going inside the clinic. It was a quick stop. Scratching Aspen on her snowy white head as she meowed from her perch on the counter, I restocked my supply of iodine, and retrieved a butterscotch tabby kitten who, despite being at the vet’s office, purred audibly.
Pressing open the door with my arms loaded with supplies and a kitten, I appreciated Beckett crawling over the seat to open my door. Dumping everything except Marmalade in the back seat, I stopped short when I saw Greg’s cheesy smirk over the hood of my car.
“Whoa.” The sight was enough to stop me in my tracks. “Is that Greg?”
Beckett didn’t turn to look. “He’ll be smiling down on us for who knows how long. Did you know that’s what he was so excited to show me? No, of course you didn’t. Ugh, it was so tacky, you know?” Folding her arms, Beckett withdrew into her shell and scowled. Not at me. At the memory of Greg’s disappointment. “Forget it. I don’t want to talk about Greg.”
Since I couldn’t be a listening ear for a woman who didn’t want to talk, I offered her another solution. I held out the kitten to Beckett.“Can you hold Marmalade?”
She didn’t immediately reach for the purring cat. “That’s not one of the cats you helped rescue, is it?”
“No. Why?”
“I don’t know… maybe it’s payback for me hurting you while I mummified your back in Bandaids.”
I laughed, shutting out the chilled wind as I shut the door. “No, those cats are calming down at Remi’s house until I can find a morning to fix them all. This sweet little lady is going out to Mrs. Norris’ house. I probably shouldn’t try to hold her while I’m driving. Besides, I think after a day like yours, you could benefit from snuggling a happy kitten for a while.”
Beckett needed no further coaxing. She took Marmalade and hugged her close to her chest, nuzzling her face into Marmalade’s velvety fur. Buckling my seatbelt, I headed for Mrs. Norris’ house to make my delivery.
“How does Mrs. Norris afford all these cats?” Beckett giggled when Marmalade’s whiskers tickled her neck. “She has to have a dozen of them.”
“Fourteen.” I smiled when Beckett’s mouth unhinged. “She’s a lifelong cat lover, and it’s only increased with age.”
“Isn’t she on a fixed income? Pets aren’t cheap.”
A mass of gray clouds was blowing in from the west, and it looked like we’d have the rain promised by forecasters. Perfect snuggling weather. With a sideways glance at Beckett, I swallowed. It’d been a long time since I’d curled up with a woman laying against my chest.
Beckett’s off-limits, Milo.
I tried imagining Ellie was the one chastising me. It helped some, though the pull I felt to Beckett was as unflinching and strong. The gravity of the planets to the sun could no easier be denied than the draw I had to Beckett.