CHAPTER THIRTEEN
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Vesper
I HAD NO IDEA WHERE my sex-kitten confidence came from yesterday but Ryder took me literally.
This morning, I’d awoken to a text.
Ryder: Tonight is the night. Wear sneakers and all black clothing. I’ll pick you up at seven.
What the hell was he planning? A high-stakes robbery?
All day at work I was distracted by the thought of what he would make us do. By the time I was back home and freaking out about what would happen, I wished desperately I’d ordered another battery-operated friend.
I could really have used an orgasm or ten to relax my nervous energy.
Plus, his wardrobe rules curtailed what I could wear, making me even more on edge. In the end, I settled for black skinny jeans, a black tank top with an off the shoulder black sweater with light grey cat whiskers on the front and straightened my blonde curls as a one off.
He deserved to see me when I put an effort into my appearance.
Most days, I washed my hair and let it air dry into the curly chaos he knew. I hated wasting time on bathroom primping but I didn’t want Ryder to think I was a total slob. Hell, he’d already been in my apartment while it was a bomb site. This was my last chance to impress him.
At six forty, I fed Visa and looked longingly at the pink fluffy bed I’d brought home from our small gift shop at the surgery, ready for Barb (the Chinese Crested) when she’d healed enough to move in with me.
She was being monitored by our vet students for the next few days to ensure her blood work was okay and her healing muzzle had no complications.
I couldn’t believe I was taking on yet another animal but she was too special not to.
And she deserves a better name than Barb.
What should I call her?
What was considered a good name for a Chinese Crested? Something Chinese? Back in my past, I had a childhood friend called Aiko. It meant love, but that was Japanese.
At six fifty-five, my doorbell rang.
Holy crap, he’s early.
Was he always punctual or was this his chance to wow me like I was trying to wow him?
Visa took off into the bedroom to guard my pillows while I strode toward the door with my sneakers dangling from my fingers. I hadn’t worn these in a very long time. I used to jog most mornings while studying at university but that was before life got hectic and I opened my own business.
Now, my exercise came from standing all day and chasing after sick pets.
Opening the door, I couldn’t fight my smile. “Hey.”
“Hey.”
His grin was sinful but sweet, matching his all-black wardrobe of jeans and t-shirt. We complimented each other in a cutesy gag-worthy way.
I frowned. “Can you tell me exactly what’s on the agenda tonight? I don’t feel like being arrested for breaking and entering. ”
He laughed. “So now is a bad time to tell you I have two balaclavas in the back seat and a sledgehammer?”
I took a step back, unsure if he was joking. Perhaps he was a caring dog superhero by day and a masked robber vigilante by night?
Oh, that just ruins everything .
He held up his hands, laughing at my expense. “Relax, VV, it’s not illegal.”
I froze. “What did you just call me?”
He paused. “Shit, I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”
“Say what?”
“In my mind, I call you Vet Vesper. But it’s a bit of a mouthful, so I’ve shortened it to VV.” He looked away. “It’s stupid, I know. Don’t worry, I won’t use it. I know how women are about pet names.”
“That’s true, about words like Baby and Doll Face—they’re too generic. But I kind of like VV.”
He brightened. “Okay, great. I might use it occasionally when you least expect it.” Stepping back from my doorway, he bowed like a gentleman. “Well, now you’re assured I have no criminal intentions, are you ready to go?”
Grabbing my credit card and shoving it into my back pocket (screw carrying a heavy purse tonight), I nodded. “Yep, let’s get this date over with.”
“Oh, you wound me.”
I smirked. “If you think that hurts, you don’t know me very well. I have unlimited access to scalpels and needles. So be careful what you say.”
He backed away with a chuckle. “We’ve escalated to threats already? Christ, you move fast. Lucky for you, I love a woman with claws.”