Page 22 of The Rescue

“Do you get to see them often?” I ask, pushing her a little more to open up to me.

“Not really, they still live in the small town I’m from in Tennessee. I don’t really go back to visit that much, only for the holidays. And my brothers would never venture further than the town we grew up in. They are as country as they come.”

“What about your parents? They must be sad they don’t get to see you often?”

Her head snaps up from her plate, and the look on her face is a mix between pain and confusion.

“My dad, he’s an angel. But he’s a busy man running the ranch they live on, and I can’t really speak for my mama,” she scoffs.

She stretches and yawns, and I have a feeling this conversation is coming to an end before I can ask her about her mum. She stands and grabs our plates and walks over to the sink to wash them.

“Dinny fash about the plates, I can do them.”

“You’ve been beyond kind to me by letting me stay here, the least I can do is help keep the place tidy.”

I watch her as she washes the dishes, she’s taken her boots off, and I notice she’s wearing the thickest white fluffy socks as she stands on her tippy toes to reach the sink. It’s the cutest fucking thing I’ve ever seen. When I moved in, I raised the kitchen counter tops in the flat and in the cafe kitchen. I’m 6”3 and my back would ache from bending over the low counter tops. I’m startled from my stupor when Edie jumps on my lap and starts purring and pawing at me.

“There’s my wee little girl.” I scratch the sweet spot behind her ear, and she closes her eyes.

“Aww, that’s the spot, my wee precious,” I coo at her.

Crystal turns around with her eyebrows raised, and I realise I was talking to Edie in a baby voice. A wave of embarrassment rushes over me, and I cough to clear my throat to make myself sound more manly. Crystal smirks at me, and eyes Edie with caution. Edie blinks up at her, and I can tell she likes Crystal, usually Edie claws at people or their things when they visit. I take this as a good sign.

“I didn’t know a cat could be so loved.”

“Aye, Edie is my world. She’s been my companion since I moved in here, she’s a wee old lady. She listens to my problems and will never tell a soul.” I smile down at her as she nudges her head in the crease of my elbow.

“People can listen too.”

“People can also hurt you. Edie would never hurt me, apart from the occasional scratch.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Crystal yawns softly again.

“It’s way past my bedtime, and by the looks of it yours too.” I stand, and place Edie on the floor. She scoots off to find a comfy spot to sleep. Crystal and I both head down the hallway towards the bedrooms, we hover outside of our bedroom doors.

There’s that tension between us again, it’s not awkward, but it’s electric, it crackles. It’s filled with anticipation, like you’re balancing on a tightrope, filled with nerves, waiting to fall off into the unknown.

Her feline shaped eyes are blinking up at me, and it feels like aeons have gone by without either one of us saying anything. I break the spell, and step back.

“Night, roomie.” I turn the handle of my bedroom door and step into my room before she can say anything. I lean back against my door and run my hand down my face, mortified with how I just acted.

“Goodnight,” I hear her say through the door.

Usually as soon as my head hits the pillow I’m out like a light, especially when I get up at the crack of dawn to make fresh batches of scones, but tonight I toss and turn. My head filled with thoughts of the cute redhead sleeping across the hall from me. I picture her naked in my bed, with her nestled in close to my chest after we’ve just had mind-blowing sex. I try to control myself, but I can feel myself getting hard by the thought of her. I didn’t take into account that I’m the one who’ll be losing sleep now. I go through the memorised recipes in my head, step by step, until I doze off.

9

Crystal

It took me a while to fall asleep last night,but I slept like a baby.Rabbie’s spare room is cosy, I could hear the waves lapping against the shore in the distance. It’s a nice change from hearing my best friend’s orgasms. It’s been a while since I had one of those, and sleeping across the hall from an outrageously good-looking man isn’t helping my pent-up frustration.

I wake just before sunrise and change into my Lululemon leggings and hoodie, and slip on my running shoes. I’m meant to be meeting Dylan for a run later, but we don’t really run per se, it’s more like lightly jogging and catching up. I need to get a proper run in first and get the image of Rabbie naked out of my head.

I sneak out of my bedroom door, the flat is quiet. I don’t want to be loud in case Rabbie is still asleep. I gently close the door behind me to keep that damn hairball out of my room, and when I turn around, I collide with a soaking wet Rabbie. I step back inshock, partly because he scared me to death and because I can get a better look at him.

“Oh my god, you scared the shit out of me. I thought you’d still be asleep.” I clutch my chest.

He’s got a towel wrapped around his waist, and I get a full view of his long, muscular body. A deep V shape cuts into his hips, and a small trail of hair that starts from his belly button and disappears down under the towel.

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