Rhys’ thumb passes gently over my skin, making my eyes involuntarily flutter closed from the contact, my breath hitching in an audible hiss. It’s so soft, so tender, just a gentle swipe back and forth like he’s trying to memorize the feel of my hand.
Jesus Christ, what is happening right now?
“Room’s all ready, Dr. Owens!” Brittany cheers as she trots down the hallway. I yank my hand away from Rhys, bringing it to my center and wringing my fingers in the oppositehand. I can feel the heat of his stare, and when I dare look back at him, his head is cocked to the side in quiet observation, eyes trained on my hands as I twist and massage them in front of me.
Clearing my throat, I drop my hands to my sides and take a deep inhale. “Rhys . . . would you mind bringing the crate into the room, please?”
He regards me for a moment, eyes bouncing back and forth between mine. “Anything for you,Bristol,” he replies, carding his thick, tattooed fingers through the hair at the top of his head. I nearly melt into a puddle on the spot, a moan on the edge of my lips. My name should not sound that good coming from another man’s mouth. Nodding, I walk down the hallway, trying my damndest to pull myself together to actually work with my heart beating at a truly unhealthy rate, and my body flushed with warmth.
I’m fucking engaged, for fuck’s sake. Not that Rhys knows that. I don’t ever wear my engagement ring to work because it’s three massive ridiculous monster carats and much too large to allow me to function properly with animals and staff all day.
Rhys is hot on my heels as I enter the room, and if I don’t get space from this man soon, I may combust. Who am I right now? This has never happened to me before, and my brain hasn’t caught up with the rest of my body. Surely, it’s just lust, the effects of being in front of a truly drop-dead gorgeous male specimen, and lack of touch at home. That’s all this is. But even as I try to convince myself of it, it feels cheap.
Sweet puppy whines and yips can be heard from the crate, and suddenly, my attention is only focused on one thing. Well, six things, if the chart is correct. Kneeling down to the travel crate,I peer inside, meeting a set of big, beautiful brown eyes as her puppies climb haphazardly over her.
“Would you both mind stepping out, please? I’d like to minimize her stress levels, and I’m sure she’s feeling a lot of it right now with the transport and all the changes. And dim the lights on your way? We’ll leave her in here for a bit for some calm and quiet before I do my examination,” I tell the two of them, who are already moving. The door closes softly with an audible click, and then I’m left alone.
Opening the crate door, I hold it wide and speak softly to her. “Hi, sweet momma, it’s okay. I’m gonna take such good care of you all.” She gives a little huff of breath and then looks at her sweet babies before looking back at me, giving me a face that I swear says, ‘what do you want me to do when they’re hanging all over me?’
Eventually, she leaves the crate, and I offer my hand for a gentle touch. She’s mid-sized, with a beautiful brown coat with a white patch on the center of her upper chest. She’s desperate for a bath and grooming, but otherwise seems to look good. Surprisingly, she nuzzles into my palm, and I coo at her, offering her some, probably needed, love and comfort.
I can relate.
“You’re in good hands, girl, I promise. Settle in with your pups. I’ll be back,” I tell her, standing and making my way to the door. I watch for a moment as she looks around the small room, sniffing and timidly looking for a safe spot to move them. A dog bed set up in the corner with donated blankets, food, and water is available, and I give her a lingering smile before I leave her to find amoment’s peace.
As I leave the room and pull the door closed behind me, my body bounces off a gigantic stone wall. “Ooph!” I yelp as I stumble backward, my feet tripping me up. Strong hands grip my biceps, helping to right my body and keep me on two feet. Electricity sparks at the touch, and my eyes snap up to find Rhys looking down at me, his bottom lip pulled between his teeth, doing his best to hold back a smile again. I quickly right myself, adjusting my scrub top and then toying with my hands in front of my body as he drops his to his side. “So sorry about that, I wasn’t looking where I was going.”
“Nothing to be sorry for. I’ve had worse things happen than this.”
“Oh?” I say, like an absolute idiot. Have I spoken to the opposite sex before? Jesus Christ, Bristol, pull your shit together. Rhys lets out a breathy chuckle as his hand moves up to rub the beard at his jaw. It’s obvious he’s amused as I fumble around the hallway like a teenager who is fangirling over a male pop star. Or more like a Viking king.
“I’ve got to get going but it seems like she’s in good hands,” he says, his voice so deep and smooth I swear I feel it in my core.
“Ye-yes. I’ll stay as late as I have to until I know they’re settled and healthy. Thank you for bringing them in.”
“It was my pleasure.” And I swear to all things holy, the way that man says the wordpleasureshould be considered a sin.
Together, we walk to the front of the building, where I busy myself at the counter, not sure what I’m doing because I don’t even work here. Could this be any more awkward? Heavy footsteps retreat for a moment and then get closer and closer until I’m forced to look up to meet those dazzling green eyes.
Rhys drops a white bag with the Daily Rise logo onto the counter with a soft thud. “For later,” he says with a wink before turning and walking out the door like he didn’t just send me into another dimension.
Chapter Five
RHYS
Walking away from Bristol is pure torture. And I’ve actually been physically tortured. I’ve spent the last two days traveling down to Oregon and back up again to transport the animals that needed to be moved up to our location. It was easy enough and something I’ve done a few times in the past. I love being on the open road, and traveling in my truck means I can go solo without club protection. I had no idea that taking this task would lead me to the most unexpected gift of my life. I still can’t believe that someone like her exists at all.
I’m unsure who this woman is outside of her name and the fact that she’s a veterinarian, but I know without a shred of doubt that I was put on this earth for her.
My heart? It belongs to her.
My body? Hers.
I just need to find out who she is and how to see her again. I climb into my old truck, starting her up and scratching at mybeard. When I heard her sweet voice place her order at Daily Rise, I couldn’t help but offer a suggestion. Everyone knows the Morning Fog Latte pairs perfectly with the Sunrise Brioche bun; it’s my go-to order, and I’m not the only one.
But when she turned around, it felt like the wind was knocked out of my lungs. Gorgeous, silky black hair pulled back off her face, so soft looking, as if it would slip through my fingers like the finest silk. I love that her hair was pulled back, giving me the perfect image of her face to remember in my dreams, allowing me an unobstructed view to gaze into the prettiest hazel eyes. Soft edges, full cheeks, and a gentle bump on the bridge of her nose.
She has the sexiest body I’ve ever seen, large breasts pressed tight against her navy-blue top, and hips that flare out, leading down to a pair of long, thick legs that are perfect for me to grip onto and worship. I almost begged to do just that. There’s something so youthful and pure about her; she’s all soft curves, with zero sharp edges. Michelangelo himself couldn’t carve out her beauty.
