Can't Touch This (Can't Touch This #1)

“You do have food, right?” Ryder asked softly, his gaze flicking from where I held him and back to my eyes. Once again, lust swirled like ribbons, tying us tighter and tighter together.

Swallowing, I shook my head. “Unfortunately, no.”

“Nothing?”

“Nope.”

He frowned. “You’re a vet; you know the importance of eating right.”

“Wrong, I’m a small business owner who has way too much on her plate to think about cooking three square meals every day.” Even though I didn’t want to, I let his wrist go. “Seriously, just go home. I’ve got it from here.”

Go, before I do something embarrassing like dry hump your leg for being so perfect.

Somehow, he’d erased all his rude comments and impatient quips over the past few months, and replaced it with this caring, sexy individual.

Or was that the flu?

Was I in danger of losing brain cells just by admitting I had a crush on this man?

A crush?

Please…it’d mushroomed into obsession.

“I’m not leaving you to starve.” He scowled as decisions came and went. “Can I use your car?”

“You’ve already stolen my keys and driven it once. Now you’re asking for permission?”

He smiled. “Looks that way.”

I cocked my head. “Why? Why do you want to use it?”

He strode to the couch and tickled the Chiweenies before heading toward the front door. “Food, of course. If I’m gonna play nursemaid, I need some sustenance.”

Before I could tell him to shove his nursemaid routine, take his dogs, and leave me alone before he made my ovaries explode, the door slammed behind him and I was alone.

CHAPTER EIGHT

———————

Ryder

“CASH OR CREDIT?”

“Cash.” I handed over a wad that I normally divided between the workmen on a Friday night, so they had some beer money at the pub as a bonus for working hard. Guess today they’d have to go without, seeing as I hadn’t been back home since early this morning.

Those poor Chiweenies and that shitty human being who’d hurt them.

The clerk handed me my change and receipt, and I wheeled the cart from the small grocery store five minutes from Vesper’s house to her beaten up, crappy car. The girl really needed to invest in her life as well as her business.

She didn’t live in the best part of town, she drove a rusty bucket, and had no food in her fridge.

No wonder she was sick.

But she’s not your responsibility.

That was true, and the moment she was over the worst, I’d leave her to fend for herself.

I wanted to get her into bed. I wanted to find out where the connection between us could go. But I also didn’t want to push my luck and seem like an arrogant jackass.