Page 112 of The Fixer

She worshipped him with her mouth while her fingers stroked, losing herself in the sensations cascading down her spine. Just as she had him on the brink, he rose up and flipped her on her back, nearly knocking the wind from her lungs.

He flashed her a wicked smile. “Trust me, princess. You’rereallygood at this. So fucking good, I need to stop.”

And they did, despite the flames firing up … because Luna proceeded to throw up beside the bed.

Hours later, as shedrummed her fingers on the reception counter in Neve’s clinic, Joy told herself fate was keeping her in Fall River so she could be helpful. The blond on the other side of said counter seemed uninterested in whatever justifications flitted through Joy’s brain. She had glanced up when Joy and Luna had entered but now tippy-tapped away on her keyboard, head down. No earbuds were visible, so Joy could only deduce Lauren was choosing to ignore her.

“Excuse me,” she repeated for the second time. When the woman still didn’t acknowledge her, she gave the counter a firm slap with her palm. Lauren’s head snapped up. She glared at Joy and immediately went back to her typing. “Does your employer know you’re neglecting her clients?”

Lauren lifted her head and narrowed her eyes.

Joy flashed a humorless smile. “I have an appointment.”

“You’re not in my schedule.”

How do you know if you didn’t bother to ask me my name? Oh, right. Small town. Youdoknow my name.

“Let me rephrase.Lunahas an appointment. Charlie Hunnicutt called this morning to set it up. I know because I was there and heard him myself.” Okay, that was mean, but this girl was pissing Joy off. And honestly, Joy was showing great restraint. She could have said they were in bed togethernakedwhen he placed the call and that she’d coaxed him there after he’d already showered and dressed—and that very little coaxing had been necessary.

She smiled as she recalled the scene. If Lauren noticed, she probably thought the smile was directed at her. Ha!

Lord, Joy had it bad!

“I slept with him first,” Lauren blurted.

Well, I slept with him last, you little—

“Hi, Joy!” Joy glanced over to see Neve waving at her from the hallway. “Charlie texted me, so I’m ready for Luna.”

Neve shot a glower at the back of Lauren’s head. Joy sent her one from the front and sashayed toward the exam room, wriggling as she went in a vain attempt to unstick her damp panties.

“No fever, and no other indications that it’s more than something she got into that upset her tummy,” Neve said fifteen minutes later as they stood in the private exam room. “Keep an eye on her today, and if she gets worse, call me on my cell.”

“Thank you. Charlie will be so relieved to hear it.”

Neve held up her phone. “He’s already texted me. Do you want to tell him, or shall I?”

“Um, if I could?” How weird was it that she stood here in a vet’s office with a dog that didn’t belong to her but that she’d been falling for as steadily as she had its owner.

“Of course.” Neve leaned against the exam table and crossed her arms. “Forgive me for being frank, but I’ve known Charlie since we were kids.” Joy braced herself. A little grin curved Neve’s mouth. “I just want you to know I love that you two are together.”

“Oh, but we’re not … I mean, uh …” Joy stammered.

“Well, whatever you want to label it, you two are super cute. Charlie outgrew the women around here a long time ago.” She lifted her chin toward the door, apparently indicating Lauren. “I think you balance each other nicely. I also think you fit in around here really well. That’s not always easy to do.”

“I, um, thank you. That’s nice of you to say.”

Neve rolled her eyes. “I know. Keep my big nose and mouth out of it.”

“But it’s Fall River. You can’t possibly,” Joy heard herself say. They both cracked up. Seriously, though, what did the other townspeople—besides Lauren and Germaine—think of Joy with their most delectable bachelor? Why did shecarewhat they thought? She’d ponder that question later.

As soon as she loaded Luna into the back seat of the Beamer—yes, sacrilege, but so what?—she called Charlie to deliver the good news. On her way back to his house, she let her thoughts cavort around her current lack of motivation for her job.

A part of herself she didn’t recognize had dug in its heels, slammed the door, and wasn’t letting her inside its secret vault to discover where that commitment had gotten off to and how to get it back.

Okay, so she wasn’t clueless. She knew what—or who—was messing with her drive.

When her thoughts turned to Charlie, as they seemed to do at least twice a minute, she pondered how her entire being came alive and glowed whenever he laid eyes on her, whether it was that lustful expression that promised he was about to rock her world to something far simpler andsweet. A golden retriever smile, a private joke, or the serious set to his brows when he was hyper-focused on his carpentry or a remodeling plan.

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