Brought Together by a Pup, page 9
Willow’s hands were finding parts of him that hadn’t been touched in a long time, winding him tighter by the minute until he thought he’d explode with need. ‘Stop,’ he growled against her stomach.
She increased the pace.
Taking her hands, he held them above her head and continued lighting her fire.
‘Carter, slow down. I want to take in every moment, every sensation, everything.’
With his free hand, he undid the zip on her pants and tugged them down enough to give him access to her sex. His fingers touched, seeking her heat, her moistness.
‘Fine.’ She writhed up against him, pulled her hands free and reached for him, sliding those hot palms up and down his length. Her breaths were short and sharp. Her hips pushed up against him, inviting him to join her.
How could he not? He was tight, hot and fizzing. He had to have her, to share this with her, to know her completely. Lifting himself over her, he slid inside the heat, and gasped. Pulling back, he pressed deeper, again and again, until Willow was crying out her release and shuddering all around him.
Carter fell into the wonder of Willow and knew no more.
When he next opened his eyes, she was lying on her side next to him, her head in her hand as she watched over him. A large smile split her face, and there was a sparkle in her eyes he’d never seen before.
‘Hi,’ she whispered.
‘That was something else.’
‘It sure was.’
‘I think we’ve been heading towards this since the moment I opened the clinic door to you holding the pup in your arms.’
Her smile got even wider. ‘I can’t argue with that.’
So they were on the same page. That made it all so much easier. ‘Come here.’ He reached for her, wound his body around hers, and held tight. Willow was coming to mean so much and he couldn’t imagine letting go of her. But that day would come. She’d been up front about not staying for ever. In the meantime he’d make the most of whatever they had together. ‘Want to stay the rest of the night?’
‘Can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be.’ Then she shot upright. ‘Axel’s still in the ute.’ She hadn’t thought about him once.
‘Relax. He’ll be fine. I’ll go and bring him inside. There’s a spare bed he can use.’
Lying back on the pillows, she laughed. Wow. Making love had flipped her world upside down and all around. It was the best thing to happen in a long time.
CHAPTER FIVE
WILLOW PUT THE phone in her pocket and returned to the staff room where everyone was gearing up for the day by downing coffee. ‘That was Miriam Burnside. Her daughter arrived from London yesterday to spend a month with her and will be in to collect Axel later today.’ She was going to miss the little guy. He’d snuck in under her radar when she wasn’t looking. Much like another male she was getting to know too well.
Carter was watching her as she sat down across the table from him, sympathy in his gaze. She didn’t like how well he read her sometimes. Then again, it was a novelty and there was a lot of positive good about it. He understood her. He said, ‘I suppose that’s best.’ His gaze was telling her he knew she wasn’t going to like handing Axel over.
‘We’ll have to find another pup for Willow to mother,’ Joe said. ‘You’re good at it,’ he told her.
‘It would only be upset when the time came for me to leave.’ Something that was looking harder by the day. Getting intimate with Carter had brought down more barriers around her heart. But not so many that she could risk staying put. That need to remain footloose and fancy free was non-negotiable. It kept her sane.
No one was talking.
Willow looked around and found everyone watching her. ‘What?’
Kathy broke the silence. ‘There’s a possibility that Abbie won’t be returning at the end of her leave. You’d be the first person we’d offer a permanent position to.’
A chill settled over her. Crunch time. When she and Carter were having a great time she had to make a decision about them and their future. It’s a wake-up call. A reminder that whatever was going on with them, she still wouldn’t be here for ever. Not that she’d forgotten, but over the days since the weekend it had been too easy to pretend she was in a different world. ‘I’d have to say no.’
Carter flinched.
Sorry, but you knew that.
Hopefully he hadn’t decided she’d change her mind if they got seriously involved. The point was, that wasn’t going to happen no matter how close they became.
‘Let’s wait until nearer the time when we do know what Abbie’s decided,’ Seamus said quietly. ‘It’s still a while away.’
‘Good idea,’ Joe added.
No, it wasn’t. She wouldn’t change her mind. Even if she wanted to. Her fingers clenched, unclenched. She did not want to stop moving. Life would catch up. It might have already. In the shape of one tall, hunky male sitting opposite her, watching her. Did he honestly expect her to change her way of life so soon? It wasn’t possible. She might have the hots for him, but she was not falling in love.
Carter remained quiet. Was he regretting everything?
Under the table Willow crossed her fingers in the hope that over the coming weeks he’d still want to spend time with her outside here. It was unfair, but they were having fun. By being himself and accepting her for herself, he was showing she could have a life similar to what had once been her norm. But, and here was the big problem, she still didn’t believe she was ready to hand over her heart completely. Because it would have to be all or nothing, and she was opting for nothing. To be able to never worry about losing him if she loved him would be impossible. She was no longer blind to reality. Her reality, probably, but it was still very true and unnerving.
Carter stood up. ‘Right, let’s get the show on the road.’
‘Before we do, I was going to ask if you could swap weekends with me, Carter,’ Seamus asked. ‘I’ve got a family shindig happening and it works out to be the same weekend I’m on call.’
Here we go. Seamus was talking about the weekend of the wedding. Willow’s lungs were on hold as everyone waited for Carter’s answer. Will he? Won’t he?
He glanced at her, a bemused look on his handsome face.
‘It’s okay, I can change with you if Carter isn’t available,’ Joe said.
Will he? Won’t he?
Finally he smiled at her, and turned to Seamus. ‘Sorry, mate, but I’m going to a wedding.’
Willow sank back into her chair. They were still on. Not that she’d really thought he’d change his mind once he’d committed to going. Still her day had just got brighter, and it had already been beaming until a few minutes ago. She flicked Carter a lopsided smile.
Got one in return.
The doorbell buzzed.
‘There goes the peace and quiet.’ Joe stood.
‘What’s first up for us?’ Willow asked Carter when they were in the operating room. Despite that blip in the tearoom, looking at him sent spears of lust throughout her body, reminding her of their lovemaking on Sunday night. There hadn’t been a chance for a repeat performance since then as Carter had various things on and she’d spent an evening with Pip and her friends again celebrating the upcoming nuptials.
The door closed with a small click. ‘This.’ He took her in his arms and lowered his mouth to cover hers. ‘You talk too much.’ Then he proceeded to kiss her senseless.
When they finally came up for air, she started to laugh. This was so freeing. Carter literally took the air out of her lungs. ‘I need a cold shower before we begin operating.’
‘You think?’ He laughed, and moved away to bring up the computer screen with the notes about the Labrador with a cancerous growth on its lung.
Another morning, another line up of animals needing their help. More hours working with Carter. She’d be in here with Seamus in the afternoon, but right now this was perfect.
You’re already ignoring the warnings that lit up when it was suggested you might like to sign up permanently.
The steel bowl slipped from her fingers, clattered onto the floor. It was too easy to forget her own rules while in Carter’s company. Her smile faltered.
‘Willow? You all right?’ He was at her side, reaching down for the bowl.
Was she? When her stomach was melting and her head spinning just from looking at him? ‘I think so.’
‘I think so, too,’ he said softly. ‘Now let’s get on with why we’re here.’
Would that help solve her dilemma? They were having a fling. Nothing more. Unless she called a halt now, she might as well make the most of it and enjoy every moment she got to spend with Carter. He was sublime in bed—and out of it. She lov... Liked him very, very much.
* * *
‘Willow, Mrs Burnside’s daughter, Avril, is here.’ Kathy appeared in the doorway. ‘Do you want to take Axel out to her?’
Not really. She’d rather hide and pretend she never knew a loving pup named Axel. But she wasn’t a coward. ‘Be there in a minute.’ She couldn’t leave the operating room until Carter had finished suturing the incision he’d made to remove a bone fragment on the Alsatian’s hip.
Carter paused with one suture to go. ‘Want me to do it?’
Yes. ‘No, thanks. It wouldn’t be fair on Axel not to give him a goodbye hug, would it?’
‘You’re going to miss him.’
‘Unfortunately, yes.’ More than she’d have believed. The young fella had sneaked in under her radar and most mornings when she’d got up to take him for a walk before they came into the clinic she’d had a sense of fulfilling one of her dreams. The time looking after him had turned her soft about having a pet. Time to be strong.
Carter made another neat suture, cut the thread. ‘But you can’t say you’re sorry you took him in.’
‘True.’ She stared at the dog he was finishing up on. ‘I’ve really enjoyed taking him out and about, having him sit on the deck nearby when I’m relaxing at the end of the day.’
‘One of the things you’ll do when you settle in one place, then, is get a dog.’
‘Possibly.’ Unlikely if the ache already starting in her heart was anything to go by. She put the bowl in the sink to wash and drew a breath. She’d better go and hand Axel over.
Carter carefully lifted his patient and took him through to place in a cage Willow had prepared earlier.
She followed and picked up a lead before heading over to Axel, who immediately stood up, his tail wagging furiously. ‘Sorry, fella. We’re not going for a walk. But better news. You’re going home and your mum will join you in a couple of days. How’s that?’
She rubbed his familiar head and swallowed hard. Damn it but she’d gone soft over this pup in such a short time. She turned her head away and sniffed as quietly as possible. It wasn’t a good look if anyone else noticed, especially Carter. He’d think she was softening. She wasn’t. She couldn’t afford to. It was too risky.
First a dog, then what? A man? Carter? Because he was slipping in under her defences. Not even slowly. He’d caught her attention from the moment he opened the clinic’s door the night she brought Axel here. Carter and Axel kind of went hand in paw when it came to her and her feelings. She was pretending Carter meant nothing more than amazing kisses and crazy hot sex, when really it was his kindness, understanding and a whole heap of more good things that were dragging her out of her deep place and waking her up. Which meant it was time to stand tall, strong, and alone.
* * *
Carter walked out to the waiting room behind Willow and Axel. She was hurting. Denying it with every determined step and in the way her chin was high, but there was no doubt she was not enjoying this moment.
‘Avril?’ She approached the only woman in the room.
‘Hi. Are you Willow? Mum said you found her pup and had been taking care of him ever since. She’s so grateful, believe me. It was really kind of you. Thank you so much.’
When Willow didn’t reply immediately, Carter stepped up. ‘Yes, this is Willow, and she has been looking after Axel. He’s doing very well. I’m Carter, the vet who treated him. I need to fill you in on the details if you’ve got a moment.’
‘Of course.’
While he filled the woman in, he kept an eye on Willow, who kept touching the pup, her face determinedly emotionless. Not so her eyes. They were filled with longing. ‘Basically Axel’s good for anything in moderation.’
‘I’ll fix up any expenses incurred now.’ Avril bent down to pat Axel and got a wary stare for her trouble. ‘Hey, Axel, it’s all right. I’m taking you home. No more sitting in a cage at the vet’s.’
Axel pressed into Willow’s knee. The pup had long ago worked out to sit or stand on her left side, away from the prosthesis.
Willow’s hand found his head and rubbed softly. ‘There you go. Avril’s going to look after you, fella. You’ll be fine.’ Her voice wobbled.
Carter held back from reaching to hug her. Wrong place, wrong time.
When Avril crossed to the desk and handed Kathy her credit card, Willow reached lower and patted the pup along his back. ‘You’re a great pup. You be good for Avril, okay?’ Then she stood up, handed Carter the lead and headed out to the back of the building.
He ached to follow but he was stuck until Avril took Axel, and she was talking to Kathy, seeming as if she had all day. Time to step up and get things rolling. Apart from wanting to be with Willow, he knew there more animals awaiting his attention out the back. Might be the way to go, keep on operating and letting Willow settle into the routine. Helping other animals would relax her some.
She was well ahead of him with that idea, having got the table cleaned and ready for Moxy, a Persian cat needing to be spayed as she was in early pregnancy and the owner didn’t want more kittens. She hadn’t even wanted the cat to ever fall pregnant but had been putting off this operation until it was too late.
Willow had the cage open and was lifting the cat out. ‘Here we go.’
The cat had been given a drug to quieten her. Now he had to administer something stronger to be able to intubate her and keep her asleep throughout the operation. Carter scrubbed his hands, pulled on gloves, and joined Willow, who was too busy monitoring the cat. She hadn’t stopped feeling sad.
That urge to hug her returned. He pushed it away. ‘Ready.’
She handed him the anaesthetic drug. ‘This is one cute cat.’
‘Apparently some male cat thought so too,’ he replied, trying for light and cheery, and was rewarded with a light chuckle and a small smile.
‘Most likely a stray. Though there might be a frustrated pedigree living in the neighbourhood that thought Moxy was the best thing out.’
‘The fun of romance, eh?’ he quipped, then held his breath. Hopefully Willow didn’t read anything about their relationship into that.
‘Can’t say I’ve thought about cats having romantic liaisons,’ she murmured as she handed him the tube to slide down the cat’s throat.
With the tube in place, Carter watched Willow shave the cat’s abdominal area. As always, she was confident and fast. As her hand slid the razor over the skin the slump in her shoulders disappeared and the tension in her face relaxed. She was moving past watching Axel walk out of her life. For now at least.
What would it take for her to settle down? Maybe have a pet or two? Start a long-term relationship? Have a home that she could call hers? His heart felt heavy for what she was missing out on because of that accident. Surely she wouldn’t keep moving on every time she started to feel comfortable for the rest of her life? That would be a waste of opportunities for love and a family. Wasn’t he doing much the same? He might be settled here but he wasn’t exactly opening up to love and a family.
His gaze followed those hands now wiping an antiseptic cloth over the cat’s skin. Hands he could all too easily recall on his skin, making him hot with anticipation. Opening him up to a longing for so much more. With Willow? Or because of Willow? Either, or.
Didn’t matter. He was not getting serious about her. It might be too late. Then he’d have to back away, take a few breaths, and get back on track. Falling in love again was not an option if he wanted to feel safe. Falling in love with Willow was definitely off the menu because there was only one way she was going and that was out of town come the end of March. There’d be no stopping her. She’d never said otherwise.
His incision into the cat’s abdomen was quick and precise, exposing only what he required for the procedure. Fixing animals physically was what he was good at. Giving them back to their owners in better condition than they’d arrived. Making them well again. Or euthanising them when nothing else could save them. That was the downside to the job, even when justified. The heartbreak in owners’ faces always tightened his chest. But he loved vet work because he loved animals. They were strong and adoring, just as he tried to be with the humans in his life. He glanced over at Willow. He could be strong for her, share the load she carried on those slight shoulders. Make her happier, love her.
No, not love. He might feel he was getting closer to being ready for that, but close wasn’t enough. He had to be all in or not within sight. So he’d stick with their fling and hope that he’d get over these new—admit it—exhilarating emotions filling him with wonder every day since he’d met Willow.
Concentrating on the operation, Carter soon forgot what he’d been thinking about, and removed the uterus and its unwanted litter. He had tried to persuade the owner to let Moxy have the kittens before he did this, but the woman wasn’t having a bar of that. Nothing he could but go ahead with the op. Did Moxy understand she was pregnant? Would she feel any sense of loss when she came to? Questions he often asked himself as he did the job and had yet to find answers to. No harder than some of the questions about himself.
