Wild - Jaci Burton Page 0,1

jokes all the time, making her laugh so hard she’d end up doubled over against the counter with tears streaming down her face.

“Your internship is almost finished, Abby,” Mike said, capturing her attention.

“I know.” She felt a momentary sense of loss. She loved this place, would miss it when she was gone.

“And we’ve decided that we should celebrate,” Seth said. “After all, we’re your last stop before graduation, aren’t we?”

“Yes. Last stop. Uh, celebrate?”

“Yeah. You know. Like a party?” Seth cocked a brow.

“Oh, that’s not necessary. You’ve both been wonderful enough as it is.” Heat rose up her neck and headed toward her face as they both stared at her, then back at each other.

“Of course it’s necessary. We thought we’d do it at the club this weekend,” Mike said, looking at Seth.

Seth nodded. “Great idea.”

“Huh?” What were they talking about? “What club?”

“Silverwood Country Club, of course,” Seth said. “We’ll throw a big party for your impending graduation. Invite the entire office staff. You can bring along a few of your friends.”

Abby shook her head, horrified at the thought of any attention, especially by these two men. “I don’t think so, but thanks.” Blair and Callie would have a field day with this one. They’d never let her live it down. Partying with two of Silverwood’s most eligible bachelors? Oh, God, the mere thought of it—

“Don’t be ridiculous. We insist. We’ve been wanting to, ah, take you out, anyway,” Mike said.

Abby’s gaze shot to his, certain she hadn’t heard his last sentence correctly. “Take me out?”

“That was subtle, dumb ass,” Seth said, glaring at Mike. “Abby, let me explain. Mike and I are both . . . interested in you.”

“Interested.” She knew she sounded like an echo, but honestly, she wasn’t really grasping what they were trying to say. Okay, she was grasping, but she wasn’t believing it. Not for one damn second.

“And you said I wasn’t subtle?” Mike rolled his eyes at Seth.

“Well, it’s not the easiest damn subject, is it?” Seth replied.

Abby had entered an alternate universe. That had to be it, because her reality was never like this.

Mike skirted his desk and squatted in front of her, picking up her hand and cradling it between his. Only this time there were no instruments, vaccination vials, or file folders between them. Just skin. Warm skin. Her fingers rested on his wrist, his pulse beating rhythmically. Normal. Which was more than she could say for her own, which rushed along at breakneck speed every time she took in a breath. His body was like a heat blanket. She inhaled again—really, she couldn’t help herself, because he smelled like he’d just stepped out of the shower. Clean, fresh, God, what kind of soap did the man use? Some kind of aphrodisiac for sure. Eau de Torture of Women.

You are in such bad shape, Abby. So she hadn’t had sex in like four hundred years. So what? Okay, maybe two years. Two years. Two goddamn years. She was thirty-three years old. In her prime, sexually, and she should be having the best sex of her life right now. Instead, she was knee-deep in finishing up her internship in veterinary school and the only release she was getting came from the self-induced variety with her vibrator.

Pathetic.

“Abby, I’m sure you’ve noticed Seth and I both have an interest in you.”

Okay, she was definitely having some kind of weird daydream. “Uh, no.”

Mike cocked a brow. “You didn’t?”

And now she was embarrassed at being so clueless. They were interested in her? Holy hell in a handbasket. Where had she been the past year? Oh sure, they teased her and joked with her and were personable and friendly and gorgeous and smelled good and she’d like to unzip their pants and grab their cocks and . . . oh, God. Where was she going with this thought process, anyway?

The way Mike looked at her now, his eyes darkening, she realized he had been paying a lot of attention to her the past several months. She turned her gaze to Seth and saw the same probing look in his warm eyes. Only it wasn’t a hands-off, professional look. It was heat. Desire. Much more than just Hey, you work here, and we think you’ll make a great veterinarian. It was more like a Hey, baby, we’d like to get you naked.

Shit. She was way out of her league here.

“I’m sorry, Abby. We’re making you uncomfortable,” Mike said. He stood and backed away, giving her space.

“No, you’re not.