Chapter 15
CHAPTER 15
C ole
I know I’m pacing nervously, but what if last night wasn’t real, what if I never feel like that again. If I don’t, what have I done to Johan? He’s a good friend. No, more than a friend. Even now, thinking of him is making my stomach fluttery. Is that a bad thing or a good thing? I don’t know. I wish I had more experience in these matters, but no-one has ever made me feel like this before. No-one but Johan.
I heard what he said this morning. But he was half asleep so I’m not sure he even knew what he said. I pretended I hadn’t heard and I really did need a shower. Dealing with animals, I’ve been covered in ick plenty of times before, but have never slept all night with my own cum still in my clothes. I know it’s better to get cleaned up first. I saw Johan had wanted to say something once I got out of the shower, but I panicked and told him to take a shower too. I was going to anyway, but I wanted to buy myself sometime. I’m sure he’s going to take back the word he said this morning, but do I want him to? I don’t know; it’s all so much.
I’m still pacing, no closer to being able to form any coherent thoughts, when he walks back into the room.
“Cole, what is it?”
I whirl to face him, unsure of myself, but the concerned expression on his face has me striding across the room to stand in front of him. I don’t want him to look like that, like he’s done something wrong. Damn, working with animals is easier than this. My mouth has gone dry and my stomach flips. I try to swallow so I can speak. Then I say the first thing that comes into my head.
“Can I kiss you?”
He blinks, and a startled expression flickers across his face. I guess he wasn’t expecting that. I wasn’t even expecting that and I was the one to say it! Then he smiles, his expression is a little puzzled, but it’s friendly.
“Yes, of course.”
Okay, now what? I haven’t done much kissing before. Family pecks, yes, but not the type I see lovers do. Not since Melanie Parker when I was fourteen and she cornered me behind the science block at school. But that didn’t go anywhere, she soon worked out I wasn’t interested in her. He must sense my hesitation as he gently cups his hands around my face and brushes his lips against mine.
Whoosh. Maybe I would have been more interested in Melanie Parker if I had felt like this. But I don’t think my fourteen year old self could have coped; my thirty year old self can barely cope. Johan runs his tongue along my bottom lip as if he’s tasting it and I’m taken back to how his tongue felt on my nipples last night. I’m left in no doubt that I could feel that way again, and an urge to feel more, have more, takes over. I smash my lips against his, instinctively opening for his tongue as soon as I feel it against my teeth. I love how it feels exploring my mouth, just like it had on my chest last night. The thought of his tongue everywhere on my body makes me moan and he pulls me closer, this time with a hand to my neck and the other round my waist. He withdraws his tongue but I’m not done and I follow his back to his mouth and taste him. As I sweep in I hear a low hum. Did I make him make that noise? Because I want to make him do it again, over and over again. I push my body against his, as hard as I was last night, and I can feel he is too. He hums again and grabs my arse, pushing his hardness against mine. I feel it is going to be a repeat of last night.
Beep Beepity Beep
Fuck! My phone is ringing. I risk a quick glance at the wall clock. Shit is it five past eight? How did it get so late? I go on duty at eight, at which point the surgery phone transfers over to my mobile. Reluctantly, I place my hands on Johan’s shoulders and pull myself away. Panting from the kiss, I mouth a “sorry” and reach for my phone, deliberately looking away so I can’t see how hurt he looks. But he doesn’t release me, so once I have my phone, I have to turn back.
I check and it’s not family or a friend—if it was, I would have tossed the phone back down. Instead I answer the call.
“Hello? Cole Walker, how can I help?”
“Oh, hi Cole. Sorry to call you early, but Sundance got a kick in the field overnight. It doesn’t look too bad, but it’s going to need a stitch or two.” It’s Lauren, who owns a stud farm in the next town. I know Sundance. I helped deliver a colt foal to her that spring.
“Okay Lauren, I’m on my way.”
“Are you okay?” she asks quickly. I’m still panting slightly from kissing.
“I was kissing someone.” That elicits a pinch from Johan whose arms are still round me. I hang up and throw my phone on the counter and turn back to him.
He raises an eyebrow. “I know, you’ve got to go.”
“Mmm, I do.” I lean in and kiss him. He still hasn’t released me, like he’s loath to do it, as much as I am reluctant to leave his arms.
As he kisses me back, he says, “You really ought to leave.” But shows no signs of stopping. It’s another realisation of my tardiness that stops me, and this time I do draw back.
“Damn, I haven’t fed the animals yet.” It’s one thing to steal a kiss, but forgetting my animals is bad.
“Don’t worry, I’ll do it. You go do what you’ve got to do.” He is the best.
“Are you sure? Tom might be able to help.”
“Of course, I’ll manage fine.” Instead of kissing me he draws me in for a hug. “About what I said this morning.”
Oh no, not now! My head is buried in his shoulder. “Please don’t take it back.”
He squeezes tighter and says, “I was going to say, I meant it.”
I leave but not without giving Johan another kiss, which leaves him smiling. I like that, and I know I’m smiling too. I can’t remember smiling so much in my life. I head up to Lauren’s place and park up. She greets me as I climb out of the car, and shows me to the stable where Sundance and her colt foal have been put for me to treat her. The foal skitters out of the way when I enter and Sundance swings round to block him, ever the protective mum. But I need her to be calm if I’m going to stitch her wound, which means allowing the foal to meet me. I stand for a few minutes reacquainting myself with Sundance, allowing her to sniff me. I give her neck a stroke and she relaxes. Before long her curious foal is reaching round her to say hello. The first couple of times she snakes her head at him to send him away, stopping him getting too close, but after a few minutes, when she sees that I’m not going to move, she allows him to approach. I love the curiosity of foals, and he is no exception. As he gets bolder, he comes up to snuffle my hand and I let him. After a few more minutes he lets me gently rub his neck. I’m grateful for Lauren. I have known her for years, and she’s aware of my training methods, even adopting some herself. She knows I don’t want Sundance tied up and doesn’t even offer it. If she is tied up and her foal, who is too young to be tied up just yet, moves out of her reach, she’ll be unsettled trying to reach him. I’ll need her still if I have to put in stitches but I think Lauren can handle that.
After a few more minutes I think Sundance will allow me to work round her baby and I head to her hindleg. It’s a nasty gash, but no arteries were cut, so it’s not bleeding too badly; it just needs cleaning and stitching. I won’t need Sam’s help for this. Lauren is experienced enough to help me. It’s better if I don’t have to call Sam out unless necessary; just because I’m on call, I’d rather they didn’t have to give up their weekend too.
I fetch what I need from my truck and ask Lauren for some clean water. As predicted, Sundance is calm and steady as I stitch her up and it doesn’t take too long. I dress it and bandage it, giving Lauren some supplies to re-bandage it, and tell her I’ll be back on Monday to check up on her, but to call if she’s worried before then.
As I’m loading the stuff back in the car she asks, “So then, aren’t you going to tell me who you were kissing this morning? Who left you so breathless you could hardly speak?”
I jerk my head to look at her and she’s laughing, the kind of laugh my sister-in-law has when she’s about to tease me. But I don’t know how to deal with that except to answer.
“Johan Andersson.” Saying his name brings back the memory of last night, and I feel my insides heating up a little.
“Johan Andersson!” she blurts. “You don’t do anything by halves do you? He’s the most gorgeous man that’s arrived in Larchdown in a long time. You lucky sod.”
“He’s nice.” I shrug, because well, he is. She looks like she’s about to say something else but my phone rings. It’s another call, this time not one of my own clients, but one of a neighbouring practice’s and quite a drive away, so I head out there straightaway. There are a few more calls and it takes me all day to get through them. By the time I turn my truck for home, it’s dark and I’m tired and hungry. I’d left so suddenly this morning that I hadn’t had time to ask Johan if he would come back tonight. I thought I might have made it home earlier, and I could have asked him, but now it’s getting late. But I don’t like the thought that I won’t see him. I know I would have Vin and Roffe, but the thought of coming home to a dark apartment doesn’t seem very appealing. I haven’t really thought of it before, as that was all I knew, but I’m getting used to Johan taking up space in my apartment, and it now feels a bit empty when he isn’t there.