Can't Touch This (7 page)

“Wow.” I licked my lips. “If you aren’t one already, you should become a lawyer. Your persuasive skills are impeccable.”

He grinned. “I’ll keep that in mind if I fancy a career change.”

“What exactly do you do?” I peered at his paint-decorated jeans and navy t-shirt. “Tradesman?”

“I’m currently renovating the house I bought just out of town.” He winked. “Perhaps, if you agree to giving me a dose of the recommended sex-drug, I’ll show you sometime.”

“So much for no more blatant innuendo invitations.” Rubbing my face, I moved around the table and forced myself to think about the two tiny dogs and not about what would happen if I ever turned up at his house. “I don’t know about any sex-drug, but how about we restart at the basics?”

“Basics?”

I stuck my hand out. “I’m Vesper. And you can call me Vesper. Drop the Ms. Fairfax business.”

He chuckled, looping his fingers with mine and making my body betray me a thousand times over. “Okay…Vesper. In return, please drop the Carson and call me Ryder.”

Our grip lasted a second too long, giving me yet more goosebumps from the sudden urge to kiss him and the freak out of finally admitting how much I was attracted to this man.

I’m in so much trouble.

Pulling my hand away, I reached for the dogs. Instantly, they scurried forward, their little bodies wriggling as they wagged emaciated tails. “Oh, poor poppets, what happened?”

Ryder’s hands fisted as I scooped one up, rubbing the tiny warm head with the tip of my stuffed-up nose. I couldn’t smell a thing, which was probably good judging by the dried faeces on their fur and conjunctivitis around their eyes.

It was times like this that made me so disappointed in the human race. I hated that people could mistreat an innocent animal so callously.

“I don’t know. All I know is the council called me to pick them up and when I got there, the fuckwit who’d done this had been arrested.”

“Because of cruelty to animals?”

Ryder’s face darkened. “No, because of illegally selling marijuana. They couldn’t give a shit about these two pups.”

“That’s not true.” I shook my head. “I can’t believe that. I’m sure they’ll take evidence and add the charge to his record.”

He snorted. “You have a much better view of the law system when it comes to preventing animal cruelty than me.”

I wiggled my nose with the back of my hand as the stuffiness grew worse. Blinking back dizziness, I tucked the little body under my arm and headed toward the cabinet drawers that held syringes, gauze, and a camera for instances such as these. We were required by law to record any injury that looked human caused and report it. Regardless if the owner seemed concerned when bringing in the pet.

Once I’d grabbed the camera, I turned to grab a fresh towel.

But Ryder had already pre-empted me.

He’d spread an additional wash-faded orange one and already plonked a little tan, black, and white critter onto it, ready to hold him firm for close-ups.

I swallowed my thanks and positioned the matching fluff ball to inspect them side by side. I squinted, trying to decide what breed they were. They were tiny—a miniature breed—but their markings were that of a Dachshund.

“They’re apparently called a Chiweenie.” His voice was rather disgusted.

I smiled, smug that he didn’t like the breeds name and not yet sick enough to ignore a prime opportunity to rib him. “Something about that you don’t like, Mr. Car—I mean, Ryder?”

I just called him Ryder and my stomach flipped.

God, I needed help.

“I think it’s insulting to the dog. Chiweenie.” He pulled a face. “What sort of name is that?”

I shrugged. “Same sort of name like the made up mess of Yorkipoo or Bogle.”

“What the hell is a Bogle?”

I ran my hands over the spine of one of the Chiweenies. “I believe it’s a Boxer crossed with a Beagle.”

Ryder rolled his eyes. “Well, I think they deserve better titles.”

“What like Butch and Bite Me?”

“No, like Perfect Handful or Pocket Best Friend.”

And there he went again; infiltrating my heart and making it betray me.

I didn’t let him see my heavy sigh or the stupid girlish swooning inside. Such simple and sweet names—highly unpractical and made no sense whatsoever—but things didn’t need to make sense when chemistry and flirtation was this strong.

Hell, Ryder could tell me he was homeless and killed a person or two and my heart would still skip like a giddy idiot.

What’s become of me?

I hate myself.

But I didn’t really. I rather liked being pursued and told he had to strangle his snake once a day because he wanted me.

There was power in that.

Pity that power didn’t have the skills to take away my flu so I could think clearly.

The urge to zing him again was too strong to ignore, especially now my inhibitions were stuffed up with phlegm. “So, it’s nothing to do with the fact that it has the word ‘weenie’ in the title and you’re afraid your own weenie is wee like these dudes are? And by wee, I mean…tiny. If you didn’t get my drift.”

“Oh, I get your drift.” He gritted his teeth, fighting a laugh. “Believe me, it’s not wee. And here we were having a civilised conversation before you once again brought it back to my cock.”

“Your cock seems so big it just naturally gravitates all topics around it.”

He chuckled. “You can see it if you want? Make up your own mind?”

“Wow, first you offer me to touch it and now you’re giving me permission to
look
at it?” I gasped loudly. “Whatever will be next? The generous opportunity to suck it?”

He shuddered, groaning low. “Careful what you say, Vesper. I’ll hold you to it.”

My entire body jerked with white hot desire as my name fell from his lips. It took all my control to remain coy and light-hearted rather than get on my knees right there—stuffed-up nose or not. “You’d actually force me to suck your cock?”

His eyes blackened. “Only if you get off on that. I’m not into forcing anyone to do anything. But if it’s another game between us…then, I’m open.”

Holy crap, did he just hint at role-play?

How had this escalated so quickly?

And how the hell do I slow it down?

I kept my hands busy, massaging the Chiweenie so I didn’t do anything else stupid.

He laughed low and so damn sexy, I think I blacked out for a second. “This chat really veered into R18 territory.”

“When do we
not
take a detour down that route?”

“Oh, I dunno. Whenever we’re not talking about my cock or you’re face planting into it.”

My cheeks flared pink. “One time.
One time
and never bring it up again.”

He smiled triumphantly, highlighting his insanely gorgeous cheekbones and god-chiselled features. “I plan on bringing it up again and again—in fact, every time I come in here—which you know is a lot—I’m going to remind you of the sexual harassment suit I could use to make you go out with me.”

I waved him away, sneezing as the flu attacked me fiercely. “Whatever. It was an accident. And that threat doesn’t work anymore. You already took that back—about the same time as you begged me to sleep with you.”

“I didn’t beg.”

“Oh?” I snatched a tissue from the box by the scales and blew. “I seem to recall the word beg in there somewhere.”

“Would it change your mind if I did it again?”

“Maybe.”

Probably.

Ryder smirked, moving around the table. “Okay. Vesper, I’m hard and never been this attracted to anyone before.
Please
will you consider allowing me the pleasure of sticking my cock in—”

I sneezed again.

Not just a quaint
achoo
but a full on fog horn.

The room swam as tears streamed from my eyes.

“Holy shit, are you okay?”

I held up my hand as Ryder tried to grab me. “Yes, I’m fine. Just…I’m not feeling all that well.” Blowing my nose again and wiping away the irritating tears, I said, “As much as I’m enjoying the flirting, can we just focus on the Chiweenies? I really need to get home.”

I clamped a hand over my mouth as a sudden rush of nausea and hot flashes attacked me.

“You really aren’t looking so hot.” Ryder ignored my need for him to stand back and took my elbow, keeping his body blocking the convenient jumping exit just in case the Chiweenies got any ideas.

Not that they were moving. They’d snuggled up into one fur pretzel with their snouts burrowed into soft tummies.

Poor things really needed tending to but I could barely stand now the shakes had started.

“Here, sit down.” Ryder guided me away from my patients, but I fought him.

“No, let me go. I’m fine.”

Reluctantly, he did as I asked but hovered annoyingly close.

“Don’t talk to me. Don’t touch me. Don’t do anything but stand there. Let me get this over with, make sure they’re okay, and then we’ll finish the flirting another day when I’m not swimming in mucus.”

“You say the hottest things.” He laughed quietly but did as he was told, fading into the background.

I shut everything off apart from the stored medical education in my head and grabbed a few syringes to flush out the Chiweenie’s eyes before assessing what medical drops to administer for their conjunctivitis.

I also pulled out a small infant bathtub that I’d bought from Bouncing Beautiful Babies (could they pick a more cheesy business name?) and turned on the tap for warm water. The sound of splashing caused two terrified pairs of black eyes to lock on me.

One Chiweenie whined in fear.

I hated when this happened. When caring and making them better caused them horror.

I swallowed back the terrible scratch in my throat, ready to console them. “It’s okay, poppets. It’s not going to hurt you.” I sneezed again, sounding more and more like a wicked witch than a soothing vet.

Ryder bent over and placed his forearms on either side of them, caging them in but giving them a safe haven to huddle under. His murmur was as delicate as velvet. “It’s all right, Corn. You’ll be fine, Chip. Just a little bath to make you feel better. Trust me, okay?”

He tickled under the chin of the closest one who’d pressed against this arm, seeking salvation. “Remember the long drive together? I didn’t let anything happen to you, did I? I even shared my lunch with you.”

While I poured antiseptic shampoo into the warm water and did my best to stop my teeth chattering as more chills made me break out in a cold sweat, I said, “Please tell me you didn’t call them Corn and Chip because you gave them pieces of corn chips.”

He gasped in fake horror. “However did you get that conclusion?”

“You know human food is bad for dogs.”

“Correction. I know chocolate is bad. Everything else, they’re omnivores—just like us. Besides, they’ve just been through hell. I think cutting them some slack and letting them eat a few nacho corn chips isn’t gonna kill them.”

“Famous last words,” I muttered as small suds formed in the bath. “I’ll report you if I smell cheese on their breath.”

He ducked conspiratorially over the Chiweenies. “Don’t tell her our secret, guys. Otherwise, she’ll take you away from me.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” I plucked the smaller of the two from his embrace. “Don’t be so dramatic.”

I sneezed again.

The poor dog yelped.

Ryder quickly stole him from me and pushed me away a little. “How about you just rest up, sicky? Let me give this pooch a bath.”

“But you don’t know what you’re doing.”

“It’s not rocket science. I’ve washed a dog before, you know.”

My head pounded and every reserve I had left evaporated. “Fine. You do that one and I’ll do this one.” Picking up the last trembling nugget of dog, we both lowered them slowly into the water, murmuring nothingness as they yelped before finally relaxing enough for us to scrub the filth from their fur and make sure there were no open sores.

Ryder and I didn’t talk, focusing entirely on helping Corn and Chip.

The water turned brown, and we placed the drenched pups back onto the towel to change the water. Once fresh warmth was supplied, we rinsed them off, then rubbed them down as best we could.

I didn’t want them to get a chill.

Apart from a few cuts on one of the Chiweenies legs and the gunky eyes, they weren’t too bad. I applied topical disinfectant to the wounds, administered eye drops which would start the course of three times a day, and finally took a deep breath as my heart laboured to keep me standing while fever and flu ravaged my insides.

I need to go home.

Stat.

“Okay then.” I coughed. “They should be all right for now. Give them a few days to get over the shock and then bring them in again and we’ll gather some blood and check their dental and claws.”