Page 38 of Dreamboat

“We’ll never find out, will we?” I laugh as I round the counter and head back toward her office.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Donovan

I exit one of our exam rooms with Matilda Wolf on my heel. She’s an exemplary employee. Her commitment to doing her job as a vet assistant to the best of her ability is admirable and I’ve rewarded her handsomely for it with regular pay increases and added benefits.

I prefer working with her over the other assistants I’ve hired because she understands what I need when I need it. She proved that just now as I carried out an annual health check up on an adorable Corgi named Feline.

Feline’s owner couldn’t help but giggle when she introduced her dog to me even though we’d met twice before. The first time was mere weeks after Feline was adopted from the local shelter I volunteer with. The second time was the day of Feline’s surgery to be neutered.

Feline’s owner, Vienna Geibart, was inconsolable that day. I explained more than once that it was a routine procedure and Feline would be his normal self in no time flat.

Still, Vienna wept all over the front of my lab coat as she clung to me, looking up into my eyes.

Matt hasn’t let me forget that scene since he witnessed it in the main corridor of the clinic.

He swears she was trying to coax a kiss out of me. I know for a fact that she was more interested in what’s in my pants because the way she pressed up against me was all the proof I needed.

She didn’t score anything that day since I kept my lips to myself and my cock remained as calm as it could be.

“Add her to the list of women crushing all over you,” Matilda comments as we enter my office. “You do get that she likes you, right?”

“Who?” I ask as if I’m truly clueless.

“Oh, I don’t know.” She flings her hands into the air in mock frustration. “The woman who comes to water the plants once a week.”

“She likes me?” I perk a brow. “Seriously? I have a potted lily at home that could use some tender loving care.”

“You know I’m talking about Vienna.” She sighs heavily. “She’s single and ready to do a lot more than mingle.”

“And I’m not interested,” I shut down the conversation with those four words.

“Why not?” Matilda picks it right back up. “She’s pretty, Donovan. You can at least admit that.”

Weeks ago I may have seen it, but that was before I spent days on end with Delia Hawthorne. Those memories have been playing in my mind on repeat.

“I can admit that we have a lot of patients to see today.”

“I’ll second that,” Delia’s brother wanders into my office. “I’ll trade you an angry hamster for the sad tabby you’re supposed to see next.”

“Hard pass.” I toss him an exaggerated smile.

“Some boss you are,” he says with a muted chuckle. “I thought your time away from the clinic would soften you.”

I haven’t told Matthew that I was actually on a cruise with his sister. No one at this clinic knows where I took off to other than the other veterinarian on staff. Carolyn Gallo is my second in command and a hell of a great secret keeper so I clued her in and she assured me that she’d keep this ship running smoothly while I sailed away on a real ship for a few days.

“It hardened me,” I say, enjoying the pun that I have to keep to myself.

“Are you ever going to tell us where you went?” Matilda asks. “You’re still as tanned as you normally are, so I’m guessing it was a destination that kept you indoors.”

“Or maybe someone kept him out of the sun.” Matt tosses me a sly grin. “That’s it, right?”

Since I was in bed with his younger sister for most of my time away from the clinic, I plead the Fifth in my own way. “No comment.”

“That’s a yes,” Matilda decides that on her own. “Does she live in New York?”

“You know what pleading the Fifth is, Matilda,” I point out. “You did it when I asked why you couldn’t stay late to help me clean the puppy vomit off the exam table and floor last month.”

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