Page 7 of Someday You Learn

“It’s okay, I just really need my hands for work.”

Her grip loosens slightly. “What do you do?”

“I’m a vet,” I say proudly as the force of the plane sends us back into our seats. My ex wasn’t as proud of that title, opting to tell people I was a doctor instead—because saving animals wasn’t as impressive as saving humans in her book.

Fuck, now’s not the time to think about Sasha, Parker.

“That’s a pretty demanding job,” Cashlynn says shakily as the plane continues to soar.

“It can be, but I live in a small town, so it has busy days and slow ones.”

“Where do you live?”

“Carrington Cove. Ever heard of it?”

Her eyes widen slightly before falling to her lap, and I wonder if I said or did something wrong. “I, uh…haven’t.”

She’s quiet for a moment before she clears her throat and asks, “Why are you flying to Philadelphia, then?”

“For a dental hygiene conference.”

She snorts, the tension in her shoulders easing just a little. “Sounds like a party.”

“Hey, I’ll have you know that veterinarians are fun people when we want to be,” I say a little too defensively.

“I’ll take your word for it.” Her lips twitch up with a hint of a smile.

As the plane starts to level out, Cashlynn’s grip on my hand finally loosens. “How are you doing?” I ask.

“Can you do me a favor and shut the window thing?” She flicks her head in the direction of the window behind her.

“Of course.” Keeping her hand in mine, I reach around her, pressing our bodies even closer together, which doesn’t help the tent formingin my pants. Once I’ve closed the shade, I slide back into my seat. “Window thing is closed.”

She leans back and looks up at me. “Thank you.”

Our eyes dart back and forth between one another, and neither one of us speaks.

Fuck, her eyes are mesmerizing. They’re like warm honey swirled with chocolate, dotted with flecks of gold around her irises. And those lips. Jesus, I’m seriously cursing the man upstairs for putting me in this situation.

My brothers would have a field day if they could see me right now. They’d read me like a book and pressure me to make a move.

But do I want that?

It has been a while since I’ve flirted with a woman, hoping it might actually lead somewhere. It’s not something I actively seek out anymore. After the way my engagement ended, it just doesn’t seem worth the risk. I’ve been in no hurry to put myself in that position again, not that I expect anything to happen with Cashlynn. But there’s something here, and I can’t help but wonder if I should play my chances and see how things pan out.

Shit. I’ve been staring way too long.

“Anytime.” My voice comes out rough, betraying my wayward thoughts.

Cashlynn looks down at our intertwined fingers. “Do you need your hand back?”

“That’s up to you. Like I said earlier, I am fully prepared to spend this entire flight with only one functional hand.”

She smiles softly, amusement flickering in her eyes. “I know your hand won’t save me if we plummet to our deaths, but…it’s nice not to feel alone.”

Damn. She has no idea just how hard that hits home.

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