Burn Out by Cheryl Douglas Read Free Book Online Page B

daughter was happy to carry on
the tradition. Any day other than today.
    Her head was
pounding from a hangover, Jeff was breathing down her neck about what happened
last night, and she couldn’t get Evan off her mind. What a mess.
    As if she’d
conjured him up, Evan appeared. He slipped through the crowd and leaned against
the wall beside a filing cabinet, watching her greet a terrified terrier mix.
It was difficult to breathe, much less focus on the task at hand, with him
staring at her.
    “Oh wow,”
whispered the new vet technician. “Would you look at that guy?”
    Erika had enjoyed
working with the young woman. Until now. “Can we stay focused, Lynn?” she
asked, clenching her teeth. She was used to women hitting on Evan. It hadn’t
bothered her when he was her boyfriend because she trusted he would never cheat
on her, but now that they were apart, she knew he was fair game and it bothered
her more than she was willing to admit.
    “Do you know him?”
she whispered, turning her back to Evan. “The way he’s looking at you, it’s
like he wants to…”
    Erika shot her a
warning glare and smiled sweetly at the little old lady stroking her pet’s head
and whispering words of encouragement in his ear. She knew Mrs. Morrison was
hard of hearing, but she wasn’t willing to risk it. “Why don’t you go over there
and help Dr. Birch? I’m going to take a quick break when I finish with Finn.”
    “Sure, Doc,” she
said, peeling her latex gloves off as she sauntered up to Jeff to offer her
services.
    “The girl’s right,
you know,” Mrs. Morrison said, glancing at Evan over her shoulder. “Your young
man is very handsome.”
    “He’s not my-” She
wanted to protest further, but the way he was devouring her with his eyes left
little doubt in anyone’s mind that they were lovers. “There we go,” she said,
offering the dog a small biscuit. “We’re all set, Finn. You were such a good
boy,” she said, stroking the dog’s head.
    Mrs. Morrison
smiled. “I was so worried when I heard your father was retiring, but you have
his gift with animals.” She touched Erika’s hand. “It’s a beautiful thing.”
    “Thank you,
ma’am,” Erika said, smiling as she tried to ignore the heat of Evan’s gaze
traveling over her body. “That’s sweet of you to say.”
    “My my,” the old
woman said, fanning herself. “Is it getting hot in here or is it just me?”
    Erika felt the
blush creep up her neck as she tried to pretend she didn’t know what she was
talking about. “Can I get you a glass of water?”
    “No, I’ll be on my
way,” she said, nudging Erika’s elbow. “It looks like your young man is anxious
to get you alone.”
    Erika crooked a finger
at the man in question, giving him little choice but to follow her down the
narrow hallway to her small private office. “What’re you doing here-”
    Before she could
finish the sentence, he pinned her up against the door, kissing her breathless.
Her conscience screamed at her to stop him, but the arms circling his neck
pulled him closer.
    He chuckled when
he was the one to break the kiss first. “Now that’s what I wanted when I woke
up this mornin’.” He dropped kisses along her cheek and jaw as he worked his
way to her ear.
    “Stop,” she said,
trying to infuse some conviction in to her protest. It wasn’t fair. He
shouldn’t be able to reduce her to a quivering, witless mass with little more
than his mouth. “We can’t do this. You shouldn’t even be here. I’m busy. I have
a waiting room full of people and I’m already exhausted.” She glanced at the
wall clock over his shoulder. “Lord help me. It’s not even noon.”
    “You have to eat
something. Why don’t I grab your favorite roast beef sandwich from the deli
down the street?”
    “No, it’s okay,”
she said, even though her mouth watered at the thought. “I don’t have time to
eat anyways.”
    He grinned as he
slid a finger under her chin. “I see nothin’ has