&nb
sp; “With the nicer weather, pets are more vulnerable. They are outside more, get off their leads, or indoor pets sneak out and get lost. Dogs and cats that have never been out of their yard, get hit by cars or wander away,” he stated sadly. “I’ve seen too many cases of that. Or too many incidents of owners forgetting to make sure their pets are hydrated or have a cool place to get shade.” He shook his head. “Some days are harder than others.”
He had shown up at my door last night, looking tired and upset. Once I got him something to drink, he told me about losing a dog because the owner had “forgotten” to let him in during the heat of the day, and neglected to fill his water bowl.
“I did all I could,” he told me with tears in his eyes. “I couldn’t save him.”
I held him tight, allowing him to let go of the pain. He worked tirelessly for all his clients, but I knew some pet owners were better than others when it came to their care. For someone like Daniel, it was a mystery. To him, if you loved your pet, you took care of it. Unfortunately, that wasn’t always the case. He took it very hard when an animal died, although he was strong at the clinic. I had already seen the more vulnerable side of him, and I was glad he felt comfortable enough with me to allow me to care for him when it was too much to handle.
He still seemed upset and tired when he woke this morning. He held me close all night, but I knew he didn’t sleep much. Every time I woke up, his fingers were running over my skin, drawing abstract patterns across my flesh. When I looked up at him, he pressed a kiss to my forehead or mouth, then cradled my head back to his chest.
“Sleep, Sprite.”
“But you—”
“As long as you’re here, I’m fine. Just let me hold you.”
I studied him as he pulled on his clothes in the dim light of the morning. “Do you want me to cancel tonight?”
He rested his arm on the bed, cupping the back of my neck as he bent close. “No. I’m fine. I’m looking forward to a night out with my girl and meeting her friends. Don’t change our plans.” He kissed me gently. “Are you still planning on driving to my place tonight and we’ll come in together?”
It was the most logical thing to do. Then my car was at his place for the weekend and I could drive myself in on Monday morning. “Yes.”
He studied me for a moment. “You know, if you just moved in we wouldn’t have to have this discussion every weekend.” He sighed. “We’d be together every night.”
I tried not to sigh. It was getting harder to say no to him every time he asked. “Daniel . . .”
A frown marred his features. “Too soon, I know. I’m going to keep asking, though.”
“I know.”
“Think about the kitchen. You love the kitchen.”
I pushed him away, unable to stop my smile. “Yes, I love the kitchen. You love what comes out of the kitchen.”
He bent forward, his face so close, I could feel his breath wash over my skin. “I love having you in my kitchen. In my house. I want to make it our house. Our home.”
“I need a little more time.”
“The offer is open-ended, and there is a generous early signing bonus.”
“Oh?”
He yanked me to his chest, kissing me hard. “Me.” He promised. “Any time, anyway, anything you want.”
“Even the shower?”
His eyes darkened, sadness fading. We’d used the bench he had put in the shower a few times already. “Especially the shower.”
“I’ll think it over.”
“Think hard.”
Spreading my hand wide, I cupped his erection. “I think you’ve got hard covered.”
He yanked his shirt over his head. “Let’s see about covering you.”
I shivered thinking about the way his body had covered mine and filled me. He was certainly persuasive.