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

Pikachu wriggled in my arms as Vesper Fairfax blasted through the door separating the surgery to reception as if she’d been pushed from behind.

If this practice didn’t have the best veterinary equipment in Thorn River (a tiny town located in Brisbane, Australia), and wasn’t so close to my house, I wouldn’t put up with the dilly-dallying of its resident vets.

“Ms. Fairfax, did you come via Canada? Is that your reason for the delay?”

Her cheeks heated with a mixture of embarrassment and rage.

I didn’t care that I annoyed her. She’d annoyed me by being tardy. I had a dog in pain. Didn’t that mean anything?

She glared. “I assure you that despite your unplanned arrival and urgent demands for care; I will do my best for your pet.”

I huffed. “Your website says pop-ins welcome and critical care takes paramount. Are you saying those terms aren’t correct?”

Her chin lifted, revealing the length of her milky throat and the sexy sharp angles of her cheekbones. Out of all the women I’d met, dated, and dealt with, she was the prettiest.

Which pissed me off.

I would’ve been much happier if she wasn’t—then perhaps, I could focus on the reason (the only reason) I was in a vet’s office.

The current poor beast in pain.

However, her blonde curls, slightly upturned nose, and damn pixie features meant my cock wanted to visit just as much as doing the right thing by the dogs I cared for.

The first time I’d seen her came back to haunt me as she glowered with ice blue eyes.

What did I do for my first impression?

I tripped.

Literally, tripped over my fucking shadow the moment I saw her.

Not because she was drop-dead gorgeous in a nerdy librarian kinda way, but because she’d smiled so big and kind, she’d somehow removed the fear about my charge’s agony and assured me it was okay to worry but she would hold that weight for a while.

Even though she’d just hung the closed sign, and clicked the lock for the night, she welcomed me in, booted up the computer, and assessed little Heineken (a rescue wiener from a family who deliberately fed him rat poison) and somehow managed to stop the diarrhoea and vomiting he endured.

The way she soothed both me and the dog caused memories of being cared for by my mum rise up and grab me around the throat. How long had it been since I’d been petted just for the sake of comfort? How many years had passed since I’d cared for another in the same way?

Too fucking long and I didn’t know how to let my guard down anymore. I didn’t know how to reciprocate simple kindness that didn’t come with conditions or awful memories of death.

“Those terms are correct.” The friendly sympathy she’d given me that first night had slowly vanished the more I was an asshole. “But it doesn’t mean I’m yours to snap your fingers at and make me magically appear.”

The more we met and stood shoulder to shoulder while discussing the symptoms of a sick poodle or spaniel, the more a wall went up between us.

It was my fault, even if I didn’t mean to do it. And now, I needed a bulldozer to break it.

Not that I wanted to break it.

We had a professional relationship.

That was it.

That’s all I want…I think.

“Oh no? I thought that’s what money did these days.”

Well, if I wanted to add another layer of cement for her hatred toward me, I just achieved it.

Great work, Ry.