Sawyer (Alluring Indulgence #7)(92)
Author: Nicole Edwards

“I was waiting for you.”

“Yeah? Somethin’ on your mind?”

“You,” she admitted far faster than she had intended.

“Well, that makes two of us,” he said softly, scooting even closer until he was pressed completely up against her, his chest to her back, his knees pressed against the back of hers.

“You’re thinking about you, too?” she asked, lightheartedly.

“If by ‘you,’ you mean me and you, then yes.”

Kennedy’s heart tripped right over itself as Sawyer said those words, his deep baritone reverberating against her ear.

“What are you thinkin’?”

Sawyer pressed his lips to her neck ever so gently. “The truth?”

“Yes,” she said.

“I was thinkin’ how I wanted to hear you say what you said earlier. But, you know, not because I brought you dinner.”

Kennedy’s breath lodged in her throat, her heart skipped a beat, and her stomach did a full somersault. Swallowing hard and closing her eyes, she said, “I think I love you. And in case there was any doubt earlier, I didn’t say it then because of food, either.”

“I think I love you, too,” he responded, his lips moving against her skin. “I think I’ve loved you for a long damn time.”

“How long?” she asked.

“Since the day I saw you in the grocery store. Since the minute I got lost in your eyes. Since the second I got tangled up in you.”

“That’s a long time,” she said, smiling.

“It is,” he admitted as he lifted his leg and placed it over hers and eased her onto her back once again.

Kennedy looked up at him and she saw it. Right there in all its incredible glory was Sawyer Walker’s heart in his eyes, and she inhaled sharply, so caught up in him, she feared she might cry. But she didn’t want to. She wanted to dance. She wanted to laugh. She wanted to . . .

Touching his face with her hands, she smiled. “Okay, I lied,” she whispered. When his eyes narrowed on hers, she continued, “I don’t think I love you. I know I do.”

“That makes two of us,” he said.

chapter TWENTY-THREE

“Good morning, Sylvia.” Kennedy smiled at the well-dressed woman standing in the exam room—her fourth appointment for the day and it was only nine o’clock—and then reached for the chart in the plastic bin on the wall. She had to fight back a yawn, and she suddenly wished she’d had a chance for a second cup of coffee. Unfortunately, her morning had been hectic, which was pretty much the way yesterday had been, too.

After the incident with Tim on Thursday, Kennedy had spent the better part of Friday engrossed in her patients, doing her best not to think about everything that had happened between her and Sawyer that night. Then, a late-afternoon emergency arose just in time to have both Kennedy and Olivia working late. Unfortunately, after attempting to save a dog that had been hit by a car, her day had ended on a sad note.

And this morning wasn’t looking any better.

Kennedy glanced down at the two black kittens and immediately knew they weren’t doing well.

“Good morning, Kennedy,” Sylvia said sweetly. “I’m hoping you can help us out. Looks like these two aren’t doing so well.”

Kennedy glanced at the chart and then placed the manila folder on the countertop before moving closer to get a better look at the furry little things huddled together on a blanket. The first thing Kennedy noticed was how scrawny the two of them were. “Do you know how old they are?” Kennedy asked. She assumed they couldn’t be much more than three weeks, maybe four, although they were certainly small even for that young.

“Right at three weeks. Momma cat ran off, leaving them to fend for themselves. My daughter, Sharon, has been doing everything she can to care for them, but I told her we needed to bring them in. I think they’re sick.”

Yeah, they were sick all right. Their little eyes were so caked, they could hardly open them and Kennedy could hear them trying to breathe, the wheezing noise worrying her some.

“You were right to bring them in,” Kennedy told her as she began her exam. “Are there any more in the litter?”

Sylvia took a seat in the small plastic chair. “Three more. They’re all healthy and thriving.”

Kennedy picked up the smaller one, earning a couple of pained meows for her efforts. She cuddled the shivering kitten to her chest and listened carefully.

Focused entirely on examining the kittens, Kennedy was taken completely by surprise by the comment that popped right out of Sylvia’s mouth.

“So, I heard a rumor about you and Sawyer Walker the other day,” Sylvia said easily, obviously trying to make conversation, but sounding as though she was digging for information.