Puppy Love for the Veterinarian

by Amy Woods

  She moved her hands from his neck, over his shoulders and down his muscular arms, grasping his hands in hers. She moved them to her breasts and he responded by softly massaging the mounds over her sweater, her nipples rising to meet his touch.

  She groaned in protest when he moved away.

  “June,” he said on a heavy breath. “Are you sure you want this? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely, definitely do, but I don’t want to pressure you. I know we’re both just out of bad relationships and I don’t want to...”

  She held up a finger to quiet him. “Shh. Don’t think so much, Ethan. Just go with it.”

  He smiled, lips parting to reveal perfect teeth, and she grinned in response. “I can do that,” he said.

  “Good. That’s what I hoped you’d say.”

  He kissed her again and ran his hands down her sides, pausing at the hem of her sweater. When she nodded briefly, he lifted it slightly, tucking his hands under the fabric. His hot fingers against her skin, still cool from being outdoors only moments before, caused a slight intake of breath, and then she relaxed into his touch as his hands slid up her back. They slowly, expertly glided along her spine, then back down, circling around to the front where he smoothed them over her abdomen. When they trailed upward to her chest, his fingers toying with her nipples until they perked up to meet him, she closed her eyes and relished the sensation.

  When she opened them again, she met Ethan’s dark irises, his pupils dilated with arousal, letting her know he’d like some attention, as well.

  So she moved until her back rested against the arm of her couch, pulling him until his torso rested against her. She was glad that a certain part of him was far away from her hands, though she could feel him growing when his groin came in contact with her thigh, the knowledge that she’d turned him on so thoroughly setting off her own response.

  She ran her hands up his back, stopping here and there to admire the muscles before running them back down to his abs, and then to the waistband of his jeans. His mouth covered her own as he grabbed her hand and guided it to the front.

  June didn’t hesitate in removing his belt and unzipping his fly.

  But that was as far as she got before her nerves settled in. Ethan seemed to understand that she needed to slow down a bit, and he lifted his upper body away from her, pulling her over until she rested against his chest, his arms wrapped around her. She looked up and saw that dark stubble she loved so much beginning to show along his jawline. He smiled down at her, his eyes full of desire but warm and patient. She rested her face against his chest and attempted to slow her breathing.

  Was she really ready for this? Had she truly healed enough from the last person she’d been with, the person who’d so completely shattered her heart, to be able to give herself to someone new?

  Even if they’d agreed that this wouldn’t turn into a relationship, she still owed Ethan that much, that he would be the only man on her mind without her dwelling on the past if they went through with this; she forced herself to use the actual words—if they made love. She wanted to give him her whole self, not a broken collection of parts. He deserved that, just as she did from him.

  When she looked into his eyes again, she found confirmation that she was the only woman on his mind; he wasn’t far off somewhere, recalling the last time he’d held someone like that. The way he gazed at her, making her feel like she was the most beautiful, most amazing woman in the world, told her she had all of him.

  And, for that night, that’s all she wanted. It was enough. It had to be enough.

  With renewed confidence, she placed a hand on his shoulder and pulled her body up, straddling his waist with her legs.

  “God, you’re gorgeous,” he said, as breathless as she felt. His arousal was there between them, causing June to long for more from him. She kissed him again and again, until hunger mounted on both sides and they couldn’t stand it there any longer.

  In one quick motion, Ethan rose from the couch, lifting her as if she weighed nothing.

  For once, she was more than satisfied with the size of her apartment, as it was so small and uncomplicated she didn’t have to point out where the bedroom was.

  Ethan smiled at her as he carried her there, laying her down gently on her lavender bedspread, shoving aside the clothing she’d discarded earlier.

  He lifted her legs one at a time to pull off the socks she’d worn inside her boots, stopping to kiss the ticklish parts of the soles of her feet, making her giggle.

  She was thankful for his lightening the mood, as intensity had begun to build and she knew they were both close to breaking. He seemed to know instinctively when she needed a softer moment before he started in again, sending desire spiraling through her.

  He pulled off her pants and tossed them aside, then she leaned up until her head was at the level of his torso. His jeans were still undone, so she made quick work of removing them completely, her pulse rocketing up as she ran her hands along his firm behind, covered only by black boxer briefs.

  She looked up at him and he nodded, his eyes black as night in the dark bedroom. With her eyes locked on to his, she pulled off the underwear, running her hand along his hard length until he shut his eyes and his legs slackened.

  “June, I can’t survive this much longer,” he said, grabbing hold of her hand. “I want you.”

  She smiled and pulled him down onto the bed, where he relieved her of her own underwear, leaving only her bra and top. His hands worked fast but gently, pulling her sweater over her head and unhooking her very last piece of clothing.

  When all of the garments were gone, they stared at each other for several seconds. June loved the contrasting colors of their skin, her lighter tone against his darker one, and she couldn’t wait to blend them together into one.

  Ethan softly pressed her shoulders back until her head lay on a pillow. His hands slid up her thighs until they reached her center, and he spread her legs, then bent forward to kiss her, plunging his tongue into her mouth as he caressed her heat, slipping a finger inside. When she was very wet, she grabbed a condom from a drawer of her bedside table, allowing him to slip it on before he dove deep inside her.

  Everything faded away until all that was left was his pulsing, faster and faster until her core buzzed with desperate need. At his final plunge, they burst open to each other until there was nothing left to give. And when Ethan slid from her body, he lay down behind her, pulling her against his warm form.

  Both of them wordless from exhausted pleasure, he ran his fingers through her hair and along her arm, until she drifted off into the deepest sleep she’d enjoyed in as long as she could remember.

  * * *

  A terrible noise ripped Ethan from sleep, and it took almost a full minute for him to realize where he was, and that the god-awful sound was an alarm tone coming from June’s phone on her bedside table.

  He almost laughed when he looked down to find her still in his arms, her eyes slammed shut, completely oblivious to the ripping sound.

  “June,” he said, chuckling. “June, wake up before I throw that damn thing across the room.”

  One eyelid rose revealing a pretty green iris, but fell again almost immediately and it took several more tries before Ethan was able to fully wake her.

  “Good Lord, woman,” he said. “You sleep like the dead.”

  She stretched out her arms and tossed a sleepy smile in his direction. He crossed his arms over his chest and watched her, just enjoying the view. The sun wasn’t up yet, but when she flicked on her bedside lamp, soft light flooded over her ivory skin and all that luscious red hair fell over her shoulders, rendering June so ethereal and beautiful that she resembled a wood nymph.

  Her beauty was unique and warm, and he wanted to wrap himself in it like a blanket. As fresh thirst began to build, he reached for her, ready to quench
it with her body.

  But as June picked up her phone, her eyes widened and she launched out of the bed before he could catch her.

  “Oh, my God, I am going to be so late for work.” She ran to her dresser and grabbed clean underwear, mumbling to herself. “So late, so late, so late!”

  Ethan had to get to the clinic himself to relieve the night vet tech, but he wanted to enjoy the show for a few more minutes—June’s naked curves moving quickly around the room as she gathered clothing. He didn’t know when he would next get the chance to see her like this, and he wasn’t about to miss relishing that moment; it would be worth arriving a half hour late to work. It would also be the first time, so he was confident his father’s vet tech would forgive him.

  He leaned back and rested his torso against the headboard. “June,” he said, but she didn’t register him calling her. “June!”

  This time, she looked up as if from a trance, and her eyes softened as they landed on him.

  “Yeah?”

  He curved a finger. “Come here for a second.”

  If he was honest, he enjoyed the battle raging in her eyes, clearly weighing the cost of missing work with another hour of lovemaking with him. It had been the best of his life with June, without contest. For the time being, coming off a night of it, he’d be willing to give up everything to spend another day wrapped up with her in those lavender sheets.

  As it were, he would never get her out of his mind, and he could already tell that the day at work would be the longest of his life. Finally, the battle was over, and he was disappointed to realize that she’d made the mature, adult decision.

  Dammit.

  “I can’t, Ethan. I’ve got to get to work.”

  But at least she walked over, her berry lips curved upward, and his eyes latched on to her creamy breasts as they hovered above his chest when she leaned in for a kiss.

  “I really do have to go,” she said, the very same moment he took her forearm and pulled her down on top of him. His heart buzzed at the giggle she gave in response.

  “Ethan,” she said, trying her best to be serious. “I’m going to be late for work, and it’ll be pretty hard to come up with a legit-sounding excuse when Margaret’s already given me a full week off.”

  “But I’m not finished with you yet,” he argued, attempting to strengthen his case by nibbling at her neck and dotting tiny kisses along her shoulders. “There are so many spots I haven’t yet kissed.”

  She indulged him a little, but finally pulled away. June put her hands on either side of his face.

  “Last night was...amazing. It was beyond amazing,” she said, echoing his thoughts, “but it can’t last forever.” She ran her thumb along his lip, sending vibrations all throughout his body.

  “Do you know what you do to me, June?” He grabbed her hands and held them to his chest. “Do you have any idea?”

  She closed her eyes as he felt his heart beat against her fingers. “I have some idea,” she answered, eyes wide and full of desire, “if it’s half of what you do to me.”

  He grinned at that and leaned in to kiss her. She kissed him back with the same hunger that tore at his insides. Everything in his body burned to take her again, to be inside her, where he felt better than he ever had before in his life.

  It was even possible that he...

  “But I really do need to get out of here.” She took her hands back from him and touched his face once more before rising from the bed. As she stood before him, hands at her sides, doing nothing to hide her form, he let his eyes wander from her lovely, fiery mane, past her spectacular breasts, all the way down to her purple-painted toes.

  “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on, June.” He’d thought the words might come out cheesy, and that June might rightfully laugh at him, but his voice was strong and as he spoke them he realized that no truer words had ever escaped his lips.

  And then it hit him.

  What the hell had he done? What had he allowed himself to get into here?

  He hadn’t meant for things to go this far. Obviously, he’d wanted her physically more than he ever had anyone else, but he’d sort of convinced himself that, once they’d slept together and the novelty wore off, the mystery was gone, that things would calm down between them.

  He’d mistakenly believed that he could get the woman out of his system.

  On the contrary, she was more present in him, had more of a grip on him, than he’d thought possible.

  Instead of getting her out of his system, he’d invited her in, all the way.

  And he knew now that nothing he could do or say would get her out.

  He swallowed, bringing a hand to his forehead to brush off the beads of perspiration that had sprung up there.

  She was right to get away from him now, and he would let her go.

  He dropped his hands to his sides.

  “Right,” he said. “Right, you should get ready for work and I’ll do the same or we’ll both be seriously late.”

  Something in her features let him know she’d registered the sudden change in his demeanor, but she didn’t have time to question it.

  He offered a small smile, hoping she wouldn’t ask about his abrupt decision to come around to her way of thinking.

  Thankfully, she turned and left the room.

  If she’d stayed, she would have seen the way he buried his face in her pillow for what he somehow knew would be the last time, inhaling her sweet jasmine scent. If she’d stayed, she might have heard him groan as he realized what a mess he’d turned their casual non-relationship into. And worst of all, if she’d stayed, she might have seen the first bud begin to grow as love—yes, love—blossomed in a heart he’d thought dead.

  Chapter Eleven

  On Saturday morning just a week after she and Ethan first made love, June’s hands shook as she pulled into the drive at his parents’ home. She turned off the ignition and forced herself to take ten deep breaths.

  She couldn’t put her finger on why she felt so nervous all of a sudden. She and Ethan had been seeing each other off and on the whole week, Ethan taking the puppies to work each day with him and bringing them to June’s to spend the night. Just the puppies, though, not Ethan himself.

  Maybe that was the problem.

  Something had changed after they’d slept together, but it wasn’t the type of thing she expected. Sure, now and then a guy spent the night with one of her friends and never called again, and it had happened to June once a long time ago, but this was something entirely different.

  Ethan still called, he still visited, and if anything the two had gotten closer...but they just hadn’t been to bed together again.

  And it was making her insane.

  This was exactly why they had agreed to keep things casual, and yet he’d gone and taken it to the next level.

  She stopped herself, recalling that perfect night a week before.

  Her assessment wasn’t fair; she had been the one to take that first step, and she’d been more than happy when he went along with her. Without a doubt, it had been the best night of her life. Ethan had been wonderful—attentive, but not demanding, letting her take the reins, but giving as good as he got—and, oh, he was an amazing lover.

  The problem was that he was also more than that. She’d seen a change in him that next morning when she’d been running late for work. He’d been so tender, so...well...loving. He’d been in no hurry to leave and had even packed her a lunch while she’d showered, and then had driven her to work and kissed her when he dropped her off, promising to call that afternoon—a promise he then kept.

  She knew what the problem was; it was all too good to be true.

  At least now she had her own car back, complete with a big-ass bill for a new battery and the cost of a tow.

>   She rested her head on the steering wheel for a moment before opening the door and lifting the puppies out of the backseat in their crate, along with a tote full of baking supplies.

  She slammed her car door shut with a foot, careful not to jostle the puppies too much, and then she looked up just in time to see Ethan jogging in their direction. Her heart swelled the second she met his gaze, further proof that something wasn’t right.

  Over the past few days, she’d had plenty of time to realize that she had been kidding herself when she’d agreed to keep this thing with Ethan casual. It would be easy to blame it on the way their physical relationship had changed, but in her heart of hearts, June knew it was so much more.

  As she watched him approach, she was reminded once again just how much she genuinely liked this man, how incredibly, purely happy she was in his company. No one had ever made her come alive the way he did, and she had him to thank for bringing her natural optimism back. She’d even gotten the urge to bake again and to risk hoping that she might still someday see her dreams come true.

  He was special, no doubt, and he’d gotten a hold of her in a way that no man ever had. Not her horrible ex—not anybody.

  She recognized the feeling for what it was, but still she resisted naming it. Doing so would solidify it, somehow, and she wasn’t ready to do that just yet. Because she knew that, the second she did, it would all be lost. If Ethan found out what was going on in her heart and in her mind, he’d back off and possibly out of her life. And she didn’t want to, but she needed him now. Though he was still as wonderful as ever with the puppies, it also had nothing to do with them anymore.

  “Hey there,” he said, drawing up in front of her, reaching for the tote bag and dog carrier. “Let me take those from you.”

  He leaned forward and kissed her cheek before leading her to the door.

  Though they had seen each other since that night they spent together—doing the puppy exchange and going out to dinner a few times—this was the first time they’d be in a house together. She prayed she could keep her hands off him, keep from making a fool of herself by wanting him to sleep with her again when he’d made no motion to take her to bed over the past week.