Page 123 of Tell Me Something True

“I’d rather you stay with him,” he added gruffly. “He likes you. He trusts you.”

Except the way he said it, the way he was looking at her, made it seem like it wasn’t just his dog who liked and trusted her.

But he did, too.

***

When Verity finally walked out of the clinic, Reed—sitting on the tailgate of his truck—gently removed Titus’s head from where it’d been resting on his lap and got to his feet.

Waiting for her was a mistake. One he had no doubt would somehow cost him.

But seeing her walk across the parking lot, her head down as she looked at her phone, he was willing to pay whatever price he had to.

Each time he saw her, she got prettier.

What the fuck was up with that? He’d known her since kindergarten. Had seen her hundreds of times throughout his life, maybe even thousands. In class at elementary school. Passing her in the halls in Middle and High school. Around town.

But when he’d caught sight of her standing across the waiting room in a pair of boxy white scrubs with black and red cartoon dogs and cats all over them, her hair pulled back in two fancy braids, it was like his breath had disappeared.

Like she’d stolen it.

He was still waiting for it to come back.

That was what she did to him. Each time he was around her, she took a little bit more from him. Stealing his breath every time her eyes meet his.

Burning his patience to ash with her snotty tone.

Whittling away his self-control with her kindness and compassion and intelligence.

She was almost to her car when she finally looked up and saw him. Her eyes widened, her mouth dropped. He’d taken off the top half of his coveralls, tying the sleeves at his waist, and her gaze scanned his upper body, clad in a sleeveless, gray t-shirt. Tracked over the tattoos on his arms. Lingered on his biceps. He tensed, flexing for her as subtly as possible and she blinked twice, a pink flush staining her cheeks.

Then she dropped her gaze, and he could see her getting control of herself. Having some sort of internal debate or, more than likely, lecturing herself as thoroughly as she lectured him and everyone else when they failed to live up to her high standards.

When she raised her eyes again, it was to glare at him.

It was a warning for assholes like him to keep their distance.

It was also about as intimidating as a frowny baby bunny.

But add in that mouth of hers?

Together they got the job done.

Don’t fuck with smart girls. They’ll tear you to shreds.

With a slight, confused frown, she walked toward him. Her shoulders were back, her chin lifted, but her teeth were worrying her lower lip in a way that had him thinking about her scraping them along the length of his cock before he slid his dick between those pretty, pink lips.

His cock twitched, all for that idea.

And had a few more ideas of its own. Ones that involved her hands, those lush breasts and curvy ass.

Dropping his gaze, he angled his body slightly away from her. Petted Titus’s head while mentally going through the steps needed to rebuild a carburetor.

The last thing he needed was to get a hard-on right now.

If Verity noticed, she’d try and make him being attracted to her into something it wasn’t.

Something bigger. More important.

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