Page 57 of Watch Me Burn
Cold seeps through my jacket the instant we step outside. Snow packs beneath our boots as Maren and I head toward the truck. Two men in coats and coveralls lean together over a clipboard, their breath misting in the frigid air.
“Excuse me. Can I help you?”
The older of the two men approaches us, his cheeks red from the cold. “You Luna Foster?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“We’ve got a delivery for you. Lithotripter, model XL-5000. Where do you want us to set it up?”
My mouth falls open. “I’m sorry, there must be some mistake. I didn’t order a lithotripter.”
The man checks his clipboard again. “Says here it was ordered yesterday for Sage & Summit Wildlife Sanctuary. Paid in full by the Wolfe Foundation, including installation and setup.”
The ground shifts under my feet.
“Holy shit, Lu.” Maren lets out a low whistle. “Your pussy must taste like pure gold.”
“Maren!” My face burns despite the cold air.
But she’s grinning like the Cheshire Cat. “I mean, damn, girl. Most guys buy flowers or jewelry. Your man buys you a half-million-dollar piece of medical equipment. That’s some next-level courting right there.”
The deliveryman clears his throat. “So, where do you want us to put it?”
I’m still reeling, my mind struggling to process what’s happening. Damien was only supposed to make a call to see if CSU would let me use their machine for free. Instead, he bought me one. An actual lithotripter that I can use whenever I need it, for any animal that needs treatment.
“The main building.” I point toward the sanctuary.
The men begin unloading their equipment.
“Where are we going to put that behemoth?” Maren asks as we watch them.
“I don’t know.”
I pull out my phone with shaking hands. I need to call Damien. I need to understand why he would do something so generous and overwhelming.
“You know what this means, right?” Maren bumps my shoulder with hers.
“That I’m going to be paying him back for the rest of my life?”
“That man is crazy about you. And after that kiss on Monday and your Saturday night escapades—holy shit, Lu, you’re just as far gone as he is.”
My heart clenches because she’s right. I am falling for Damien fast and hard, and in ways that terrify me.
But how can I give my heart to him when it belongs to someone else?
Chapter fifteen
Damien
My phone buzzes, and Luna’s name appears on the screen. I lean back in my chair and press the button to close the shades because she thinks I’m in Tokyo, and it’s just past ten in the evening there. Thank fuck, I decorated my Denver office in a minimalist Asian style.
The lithotripter must have arrived. I brace myself for either reaction she may have, fury or appreciation.
I accept the call, and even through my phone’s small screen, she’s breathtaking. She’s standing on her front porch. Her blonde hair is blowing gently around her face, cheeks flushed pink from the cold, and those incredible doe eyes are wide with something between gratitude and disbelief.
“Hello, beautiful.”
“Damien.” Her voice is breathless. “I just… the lithotripter arrived.”
