Scooting closer, I find her lips. Somehow, she’s even softer than last night, her mouth moving against mine with an urgency that belies the early hour. Need roils from my belly and up through my body. Putting my coffee mug on the tray, I cup her face and?—
My phone pings loudly, breaking the moment.
“Sorry.” I cringe.
“It’s okay. You better check it.” She goes back to eating breakfast.
I pick up my phone, only to find it’s not a message but a reminder about making a phone call today. Usually, I don’t set reminders—a morning check of my calendar is more than enough—but this phone call is really important.
“Is everything okay?”
I tear my gaze from the phone. “Yeah. It is. I’m just thinking about the phone call I have to make later. I found a piece of land that should work for my animal sanctuary. Now, I just need to convince the owner to sell it to me.”
She cocks her head, studying me. “Tell me more about that.”
“The land or the sanctuary?”
“Both. What motivated you to start the sanctuary?”
I blow out a long breath. “What didn’t?”
She laughs at that, a real laugh this time. “That’s right. Animals have always been a part of your life. Why am I even asking?”
“No, I’m glad you did.” I scoot closer, enjoying the heat of her body. “Growing up, you know, my parents had the petting zoo. Most of the animals they took in were rescues. That was the whole intention of the petting zoo. It was to bring in money so that they could take on more animals—help more animals.”
“Your parents sound like good, kind people.”
“Yeah, they are.”
“And so, you wanted to do something similar?” She trails her fingers down my chest. Even with my shirt between us, the touch creates an electric charge.
“Exactly. I know I’m helping animals with my practice and shifts at the emergency clinic, but I want to do more. Help the forgotten animals, the ones who slip through the cracks. Having a sanctuary would be the best way to do that.”
“And you’d run it yourself?”
“Well...” I shift on the mattress, getting more comfortable. “I’d have volunteers to help, of course. And as many employees as I could swing. But yes, I’ll be running it.”
“Wow. And I thought I was busy.” She shakes her head. “A veterinary practice, an emergency clinic, and an animal sanctuary? You sound unbelievably busy.”
I stroke her hand. “I’ll never be too busy for you.”
She blinks, and something flashes in her eyes. Hesitation? Fear? Her fingers twitch under mine like she wants to pull away.
My stomach turns into a hard rock. Was that too much? Have I revealed my feelings too soon? Does Flick see things between us differently?
“Sebastian...” Flick turns her hand over, interlacing her fingers with mine.
I hold my breath, bracing for what she’s about to say. Maybe I’ve misread the whole situation.
“I feel the same way,” she says. “I know my schedule can get pretty crazy, but I’ll never be too busy for you either.” She pauses, then adds quietly, “At least, I’ll try not to be. I’m not... I’m not always good at letting people in. At accepting help. But with you, I want to try.”
Her words—honest and vulnerable—make me freeze. “You... Wow.”
Her lips twist in that amused way they have a tendency of doing. “Yeah.”
“That’s good to hear.” With my next exhale, all my stress and worry leave my body. I don’t care about the long to-do list, and suddenly, I’m not worried about this new piece of land falling through.
I have Flick in my life, complicated and guarded as she might be.
