“Sorry, sweetie.” I put Milo in her cage, giving her one last pat on the head before I lock it up. All of the dogs are cuddled up on their beds with full bellies, perfectly content to be in for the night. Not one of them lifts a head to bid me farewell… Well, no one except Milo. She’s still yapping away, wondering where her new sidekick is going. I felt guilty putting her away earlier so I carted her around with me the entire day.

I shut off the light on my way out of the kennel, hoping she’ll get the hint and go to bed like the rest of the animals—like I want to do. Today was exhausting. I don’t know how Mo does this day in and day out. She’s in tip-top shape, that’s for sure. Me? I ache in places I didn’t know a woman could ache, and I scratched my arm on a nail in the barn. Damn thing bled for almost an hour. I should probably get it checked out, but I don’t do hospitals, so that’s a big no-go. I’d rather end up with a scar than chance a silly doctor trying to stitch it up.

By the time I do one final walk-through, the sun is setting, my stomach is growling, and Trevor is walking out of the barn.

“Heading home for the night?” he asks, pulling his gloves off. He tosses them in the back of his truck before walking toward me.

“Yup. You?”

“Nah. I’m going to grab a bite from Dirty Dicks and then come back out here and do a few more things before calling it a night.”

“Mmmm,” I moan, letting my eyes drift shut. “A juicy burger from Dirty Dicks sounds amazing.”

“Careful, Claire.”

Trevor’s gravelly warning wraps around me, and I go perfectly still. Slowly, I open my eyes. He’s taken a few steps back, his body drawn tight as though he’s physically holding himself back from something.

But from what? Me?

Next thing I know, he’s barreling toward me, his eyes clouded with determination.

He grabs my arms and oh God, this is it. He’s going to kiss me.

“You’re bleeding.” He twists my arm to get a better look, but the touch of his hand causes a zap of energy to race up my arm, and I pull away.

“Huh?” I say, looking at my arm to see if his touch burned me. But there’s nothing but a dusting of goose bumps.

“You have a cut on your arm,” he says, nodding toward the blood.

“Oh. Uh…” I look at my arm again, trying to collect my thoughts.

How foolish of me to believe Trevor would kiss me out of nowhere. I’ve known him for years, and not once has he tried to put the moves on me, why on Earth would he do it now?

I shake my head. “It’s nothing. Scratched it in the barn earlier.”

“It doesn’t look like nothing.” He reaches for my arm again. “That’s deep. You might need stitches. And a tetanus shot.”

“No and no.”

“What do you mean no?”

“I don’t do needles.” I try to pull my arm away again, but this time he has a firm grip.

“Let me clean it up, get a better look at it, and I’ll be able to tell.”

“It’s fine. I’ll clean it up when I get home.”

“Quit being difficult and let me help you.” Grabbing my hand, Trevor leaves no room for argument. With my fingers wrapped in his so I can’t get away, he unlocks Animal Haven and leads me to the bathroom.

Standing beside the sink, I watch carefully as Trevor pours peroxide on a cotton ball and brings it to my arm.

“Shit,” I hiss, flinching away from him.

“Sorry. There’s a lot of blood, some of it dried, so this might take a minute or two.”

I grimace. “Just make it quick. I don’t have a high pain tolerance.”

Trevor grins and looks up. “You never have. Remember that time Rhett, Coop, Beau, and I took you, Mo, and Charlene hiking, and you twisted your ankle? You cried like you lost a damn limb—”

“Yes, Trevor, I remember,” I admonish. “No need to remind me.”

“I didn’t mind carrying you down the hill that day.”

What? “You didn’t carry me down the hill, Beau did.”

“Nope. Pretty sure I remember that day because it was the first time I ever got to touch you, and I was on cloud nine. Walked as slow as I could just so I’d get to hold you a little longer.”

My jaw drops open. I don’t even know how to respond to that as I work my brain, trying to remember the details of that afternoon.

“Don’t think about it too hard, sweetheart.” He laughs when I roll my eyes. “Where’s Milo? I thought for sure you’d end up taking her home.”

“No. I don’t really do animals.”

“What are you talking about? You love animals.”

“I never said I don’t love them; I just don’t own them. Never have.”

Trevor’s stops dabbing at my cut. “You’ve never had a pet? How did I not know that?”

I shrug. “Nope. My parents said we didn’t have time for one.”

“It’s never too late. You could get one now.”

“I know, but I’m not sure I’m ready. They’re a lot of work. I couldn’t imagine doing this sort of thing day in and day out.”

“You’re ready.” He says, wiping away more dried blood. “And you’ve got to remember, you’d only have one, not the twenty or thirty you take care of out here.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Maybe I’ll think about it. Sometimes it gets lonely coming home to an empty house.”

“What about all the guys Mo has set you up with? They could come keep you company. Maybe next time Joseph wouldn’t bring his mother.”

I slap Trevor’s shoulder, and he laughs.

“You are not allowed to make fun of my love life, Trevor Allen.”

There’s a pregnant pause. I watch Trevor’s smile transform into something wistful. “For what it’s worth, Joseph doesn’t deserve you, and it’s his loss. Any man would be lucky to have you, Claire. Don’t ever think differently.”

My heart swells at his kind words. Trevor and I have known each other for ages, but we aren’t alone together often, and I don’t think we’ve ever just sat down and talked. But I like it.

A little too much.

“That’s worth a lot,” I tell him. “Thank you.”

He nods. “I also think you’re ready for that dog and you’ll make a great pet owner.”

I smile to myself. “I’ll think about it.”

Neither of us says a word as he finishes cleaning my wound. After he’s applied the triple antibiotic ointment and Band-Aid, he looks at me. “It’s not as deep as it looked. I don’t think you need stitches.”

“Good,” I sigh. “That’s good. Because that would not have been pretty.”

“But you will need a tetanus shot.”

“I’ll add it to my list of things to do.”

“I’m serious, Claire.” He gives me a firm look. “Soon. You need to have the vaccine within twenty-four hours of the injury.”

My eyes drop to where Trevor’s hand is wrapped around my arm. His thumb makes slow, circular movements just above my elbow, and I wonder what it would feel like to have his hands touching other places on my body.

I draw in a shaky breath and look up. “Okay. I’ll go after work tomorrow.”

“Good.”

His smile is so potent that I have to suck in a shaky breath. His lips are ruddy and full and look so damn soft—and screw his hands, I wonder what is mouth would feel like trailing across my skin, latching onto my breast, traveling down my stomach. And is it just me or did he move closer?

“Promise me.” His warm breath fans the side of my face, sending a shiver down my spine.

Even after a long day of work, he smells amazing. I want to yank him in, bury my face in his neck, and smell him some more, maybe take a little taste. Instead, I stand motionless, afraid that if I move he’ll move, and I definitely don’t want that. But I do have to squeeze my thighs together to suppress the growing ache. It doesn’t do any good.

“I promise,” I whisper.

I force my eyes to his. Tension thickens, heat creeping between us, and as if he’s reading my thoughts, Trevor’s eyes dip to my mouth. I’d give anything to know what he’s thinking, but judging by his erection, which is pressing against my hip, I think I have a pretty good idea.

“Good. That’s good.” His hand slides down my arm, and his head drops. He watches his fingers slip off my hand and land on my hip. When he looks up, his eyes are hooded, and I silently urge him to do it—just do it already.

Kiss me.

He takes a breath.

Sweet baby Jesus, this is it.

“Claire?”

“Hmmm?”

“Tell me not to kiss you.”

I should. You know it, I know it, but… “I can’t.”

Trevor leans in close. My lips part, and I close my eyes.

“Last chance,” he warns.

Curling his fingers around my hip, he tugs me forward until my body is flush against his. My heart beats rapidly, and there isn’t a doubt in my mind he can feel it against his chest.

There’s a pause, and then his hand is gone from my body. A second later he’s cupping my jaw as though my face were made of porcelain. I hold my breath, waiting to feel whether his lips are as soft as they look.

“Breathe, Claire.”

I do, and on my next breath, Trevor’s lips brush mine. It’s gentle and sweet, and I try to tell myself it’s no different than any other first kiss I’ve had with a man. But I’m lying. It’s different because with this kiss, I melt. With this kiss, my heart thunders inside my chest, and my toes curl in my boots, and I dig my fingers into his shirt as I hold him to me because I can’t get enough.

This kiss is everything I’ve hoped for and everything I’ve told myself I didn’t want or need. But I want it, and I want it with Trevor. Far too soon, the kiss ends, and I open my eyes.

Trevor’s blue eyes are wide, pupils dilated, and all of the desire coursing through me reflects in his gaze.

“What are we doing?” he asks, rubbing absently at his bottom lip.

“No clue. But I want to do it again.” I push up on my toes, sealing my mouth over his, and when he groans, I push my tongue inside his mouth. His tongue brushes against mine, exploring my mouth while I do the same, and you’d never guess that this was our first dance because Trevor kisses me like it’s something he’s been doing for years.

Wrapping an arm around my waist, he hoists me onto the sink. He uses his knee to push mine apart and I pull him to me. Trevor threads his fingers into my hair.

No kiss has ever felt this good, this right. I get lost in his touch, in his scent, in him, knowing I’ll never be the same. With one kiss, Trevor Allen has ruined me for all other men.

Like all good things, this kiss comes to an end, and Trevor rests his forehead against mine. It takes a couple of seconds for me to catch my breath, but when I do, I smile.

“I have no idea what just happened there,” he says.

“It’s called a kiss,” I quip.

He pinches my side, and I giggle, my knee jerking up.

“Ooomph.” Trevor winces and doubles over.