Chapter 12

12

She closed the latch on the last of the temporary homes for Chantal’s precious fluff-balls and turned to the man in charge of filling their water bowls. “We’ll have to brush them in a few days, if Chan’s not back yet.”

“She puts a lot of time into these things.” Chad held a buff-colored Angora rabbit in his hands now. It made her smile.

Genny liked to watch him hold small things. He was very gentle. She had noticed that many times before, especially in the emergency department.

She remembered him with an abandoned litter of kittens she had found in the barn once. Chad had helped her examine each one.

She’d been fourteen, he’d been around twenty-three or so. They’d shared those few quiet moments together. It had always stood out in her mind—back then, most of her interactions with her brothers’ best friend had been snarky and rude.

On both their parts. He had always just seemed like such an arrogant jerk to her back then. He’d mellowed a little, but he was still a jerk. Just in different ways now.

Their paths didn’t cross that much anymore. Except occasionally at the hospital. Life wasn’t like it had been when they were kids. She missed it sometimes.

She’d like to think she’d grown up since then, though. “She loves them. And the tapestries she creates are beyond amazing. I love watching her work.” Chantal would spin and dye the wool, from her Angora rabbits, and from her mother’s Angora goats. The goats made the most beautiful mohair Genny had ever seen. At least after Chantal got ahold of it. And she would work the mohair and the Angora wool into the most beautiful tapestries somehow.

It was breathtaking, the sheer amount of talent Chantal had. Talent only those who purchased her work online seemed to be aware of.

“She lets you in?”

Chantal had a policy of barring people from her studio at times. But never Genny. “As long as I sit there quietly. Why? You not allowed in the inner sanctum?”

“Not even for a moment. I think I’ve only seen one or two of her pieces. I didn’t realize it was such a big deal for her.”

Genny just gawked. Chantal’s work would end up in galleries somewhere eventually. Museums. “She’s the best I’ve ever seen. It makes her vulnerable, I think. She gets so consumed. She doesn’t want anyone watching her because it’s when she’s at her most real, I think. She’ll let Aub and me and Gia in sometimes, though. Last month we helped her dye some mohair. Aubrey had purple fingers for three days. Mine were dark blue. Explaining that around here was fun.”

“I can understand that.” He washed his hands in the nearby sink, then turned to her. “I’m glad she has you.”

“I’m the lucky one. Chan and Aubrey are my best friends. They get me in a way others don’t. That matters.” In ways she would never share. Aubrey and Chantal had been there at her absolute worst six months ago. Picking her up when she’d needed it most.

“Yes, it does.” He caught her by the sink after she washed her own hands. Before she could escape.

Genny found herself caught right up against that ridiculously perfect chest. “Um, what are you doing?”

“Seeing if your hair is as soft as I remember. In Chantal’s hospital room, I remember thinking how soft your hair was compared to these little bunnies. Now, it’s time to confirm that.”

Then Genny got herself scooped right up into those ridiculously strong arms.

This was Chad . Things like this didn’t happen between her and Chad. That was just crazy. His hand sank into her hair. His fingers cupped the back of her head.

“And if your hair is this soft, I can only imagine what your mouth will be like… and the… rest… of you. Just kiss me, Genny. I want to kiss you more than anything right now. I know you know how … ”

Then his lips were on hers, and he was just devouring her.

Kissing her. Sucking her soul out of her right through her lips.

Okay, so maybe she did kiss him back. For a moment. For curiosity’s sake, that was all. All the nurses said how good he was at it.

Wow.

They had lied.

He was phenomenal at it. That could be a problem.

Genny pulled back, finally, when she needed to breathe. Definitely not as quickly as she should have, either. “You just stop right there, pal. We are not doing this. Not going to happen. You—you are the kind of guy who wants only one thing from a girl like me. I’ve dealt with your kind before, and got burned. And until a few days ago, you didn’t even like me. So what are you up to?”

He lifted her right off her feet, until they were practically nose to nose. “I am up to getting you , Genesis Hiller. You’d better get ready. Because I’m hunting you now. And you are not getting away.”

And then he just kissed her again. Before she could stop him.

But not that she really tried all that hard.

She was only human.

And the man kissed like a god, after all.