Page 66 of Hold Me Instead
Hearing his voice in the early morning, somehow deeper through the phone, was a new favorite way to start her day.
“Something wrong, Harris?”
Oh. Her mouth was actually hanging open. She jolted to close it and her teeth clamped loudly, her brain and motions nowhere near in sync. Here she was, gaping at the man, newly aware that strong, lean hands were a major turn-on, and they should be all over her. Preferably while feeding her snickerdoodles.
A small laugh bubbled out as she replied, “No.”God,Charlie, that was almost a whimper!She cleared her throat. “No. Everything is good. All good. Great, even.”
He nodded slowly. “Sure.”
“Maple reminds me of Dale the Dog.”Ah,yes. Common ground, bringing up the sweet dog.Nope,just another way to show how long you’ve known each other,Charlie.This isn’t safe territory at all!
Someday, she’d address why she scolded herself in the third person.
His smile was soft. “Thought the same thing when I saw her picture on the rescue’s website. Couldn’t imagine her not having a family during her golden years.”
“How long have you had her?”
“About three years. Waited a little after Dale passed. Anna was so pissed.”
“That you adopted again?”
“That I adopted asenior. She’d wanted a puppy, something about it being better for her ‘brand,’” he mumbled, then crouched to give Maple a belly rub. “She didn’t even really care for Dale when he was around.”
“That’s impossible! He was a natural heart stealer.”
“I guess you’d have to have a heart for him to steal in the first place.”
“Woah.”Her delivery was soft, with the impact of a punchline.
A laugh shot out of Zachary, but there was pain in his eyes when he glanced back at her. “It’s the truth. She wasn’t always that way.” He looked back at Maple. “I don’t think.”
“Well, she’s missing out.” She watched Zachary dote on Maple, and found herself gazing at him with the same adoration as the old girl. Before Zachary caught her staring awkwardlyagain, in the span of minutes, she quickly added, “Maple’s a very lucky girl.”
Adding the sentiment had seemed like a way to soften Anna “missing out,” but now the whole conversation felt more affectionate. Why did she keep revealing she was fond of him?God,‘fond’? Own up!
Zachary stood, walked over to her. She tipped her head back, sucking in a breath filled with the scent of warm, crisp woods. She swallowed, an attempt to capture it while not being obvious she’d just inhaled the man—except she swallowed too much air and choked.
Turning away, she squinted tearing eyes at the window. The red and gold leaves of the park blurred like a watercolor blend. His warm hand patted her shoulder a few times.
“You okay?” Zachary asked.
She swallowed carefully and looked at him. He appeared to have no trouble withhisbreathing and, instead, dared to looksexy and cool in his jacket.
“Cool” was something she was not. “All good.”
A slow smile spread across his face. “Did you choke on air?”
“It happens sometimes!”
His laugh filled the room, its deep rumble zinging between her legs.Oh my.So far, he’d only given her small chuckles, a tease.She’d forgotten how full-bodied his laugh was. It lit her up inside until she felt like shecould power every marquee of Broadway. She wanted to wrap her arms around him, feel it roll from his body to hers.
“Dr. Harris?”
Charlie peered around him, feeling privileged he was so close. She felt his gaze on her.
Jasmine stood in the doorway. “Room three is ready.”
“Great, thanks.” She cleared her hoarse voice.
