to pet an indeterminate breed dog who was wagging her tail like crazy. Walker was waiting for me by the door to the recovery room at the back. Not that I spent much time here, but with Lucas working here as well as Valentina, I knew my way around. I’d even helped Valentina with feedings at the rescue program one week when Shay and Jackson were out of town.
The recovery room here, as explained to me by Valentina, was for those animals who needed a little extra care and time to recover, but didn’t need to be monitored around the clock at the vet clinic. Jackson had a daybed in one of the offices for when he needed to monitor any patients overnight.
“Ready?” Walker asked when I stopped beside him.
“Let’s go.”
I reached for the door handle, and he curled one of his hands over mine before I turned it. “Don’t forget we’re not supposed to pet him.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but his lips curled in a smile, understanding held in his eyes. “Injured animals are going to get to your heart. They do mine, so that warning was for both of us,” he explained.
I smiled sheepishly. “I know.”
We walked into the room with the door swinging shut softly behind us.
The unnamed opossum was in a small raised enclosure. The area was, of course, clean and sterile. There were blankets in a rounded pile in one corner. He appeared to be sleeping as we approached, but opened his eyes and lifted his face.
“Oh, he’s so cute!” I exclaimed as I reached reflexively for Walker’s hand and squeezed it.
The opossum had a bright blue cast on his rear leg. I could see where Jackson shaved off some hair with some stitching toward the top of the hip joint. I leaned against the railing surrounding his enclosure. “Hey, little guy. I really want to pet him,” I said when the opossum limped over curiously.
Walker glanced down as I looked up. “I know, and Jackson said we can’t,” he reminded me. “He made it through surgery and it looks like he’s going to make a full recovery. That’s the best we can hope for. What should we name him?”
I stared down at him for a moment, answering with the first name that came to mind because it felt right. “Everett.”
Walker’s slow smile sent my belly into a flip. “Perfect.” He watched the cute opossum. “Hey, Everett. Hope you’re comfy here.”
Walker stepped back, while I lingered, watching as the opossum nudged the water bowl nearby before leaning in to drink from it. Turning, I slipped my hands into the pockets of my jeans. Walker was leaning against the door.
Sweet hell. That man was too good-looking. The universe had been ridiculously generous with him. My eyes trailed up his muscled thighs encased in denim, snagging for a moment on the strip of tanned skin, revealed from where his thumb was hooked over a belt loop and slightly pulling the waistband of his jeans below his T-shirt. My mouth practically watered at the sight of the defined V that I knew led to incredible things.
Flustered, I yanked my eyes upward only to find his right there waiting for me, flashing silver and going dark and stormy.
“Can I see you tonight?” he asked.
His question startled me. Not that I could’ve guessed what I expected him to say, but definitely not that. I was tingling all over and felt as if little sparks were bouncing around inside me. I tried to take a steadying breath, but it wasn’t much help. Breathing when Walker was anywhere in my vicinity didn’t exactly work for me. I settled for a few sips of air and ignored the heat rising on my face.
“Sure.” My reply startled me more than Walker’s question because my thoughts hadn’t formed. The word of assent just slipped out.
His slow, naughty smile made me bite my lip as I struggled to get a hold of my runaway pulse.
“Come ’ere,” he murmured, his voice husky.
Because apparently I did whatever Walker said, I didn’t even think before I crossed the room. When I was standing in front of him, he released his thumb from his belt loop and put two fingers in one of mine, tugging me close.
“Seems I can’t get enough of you, Jade,” he murmured as I felt the heat of his arousal pressing in the cradle of my hips.
The ache at the apex of my thighs throbbed. When I looked into Walker’s eyes, the intensity there