Page 201 of Hell Hath No Fury
Letting out a long breath, Carlos resigned himself to the fact that Big House Beach was never going to be the same. Actually, nothing was ever going to be the same. Not without Ashby.
She’d blown into his life, turning it upside down, making him feel things he didn’t realize were possible. Especially after what happened with Leona. Ashby had made all that hurt disappear, replacing it with something even stronger. He’d considered telling her last night just how he felt—those three little words right on the tip of his tongue. But he couldn’t do that. It wasn’t fair to her. And he wasn’t going to stand in her way. That’s not what you did to someone you love.
Mickey dropped the slobbery tennis ball at Carlos’s feet, nudging his hands with his damp head. Carlos scratched behind the pup’s ears, thankful he still had his new companion to help fill the gap Ashby left.
“Someday it’ll be our turn, dude. Someday.”
WOOF!
“I’m glad you agree,” Carlos laughed, the dog’s timing impeccable.
Mickey let out another loud bark, his attention on something behind Carlos. Turning to see what was going on, he was stunned to see Ashby walking toward them in a blue-and-white sundress, looking like she stepped off a page in a magazine. His heart leaped at the sight of her, even as his head tried to make sense of it.
“Hi,” she greeted him.
“What are you doing here?”
The question was out of his mouth before he could stop it. But he needed to know. He just also needed to kiss her, feel her curves in his hands, and about a million other things. But those were going to have to wait, since he’d spoken prior to thinking.
“Aren’t you happy to see me?” she asked, her smile falling from her face.
WOOF!
“We both are,” Carlos answered, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. Her heat engulfed him, her soft curves welcoming him. “But I thought you were supposed to be on a plane right now.”
“I am. I was. I just…last night when you asked me about staying, did you mean it?”
He could hear the concern in her voice. Like at any moment he was going to burst into laughter and tell her this was all a cruel joke. There was only one way to fix that. Leaning down, he kissed her, softly at first, then deepening it as she kissed him back.
“Of course I meant it. How could you think I didn’t?”
“We haven’t known each other that long, and so I wasn’t sure if maybe it was just something you said—”
He cut her off with another kiss, tightening his arms around her until he felt her relax into him.
“Ash, I don’t care how long it’s been, or hasn’t been. When you know, you know. And I know. I love you.”
Ashby’s mouth fell open, her eyes widening and turning glassy, tears forming in the corners. Audibly sucking in a breath, she giggled, the sound going straight to his groin.
“I love you too. As crazy as it sounds.”
“Doesn’t sound crazy to me.”
“So, what if I stayed?”
Stayed? She couldn’t be serious. He wanted her to be—desperately. But she had a career, one that took her all over the place. He couldn’t ask her to give that up.
“You’d have one happy maintenance man on your hands,” he replied, just before Mickey barked again. “And a happy puppy too. But I can't ask you to give everything up for me. Loving you means wanting what’s best for you, and as much as I want it to be, is that really a life here?”
“I think so.”
Come again?
Carlos blinked rapidly, her words still echoing in his head.
“You’re serious. But your job…Paw It in Neutral?”
“Dr. Metcalf is looking to retire and offered me his practice. I could still work with Paw It in Neutral, just only do one or two trips a year. We’ve been talking with the city of San Juan for years about helping spay and neuter all the stray cats over there, and it would be a lot easier with a vet who is semi-local. Staying and taking on the practice is a big risk. But one that’s a lot easier to tackle if I know I have another reason to stay.”
