Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 1

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    I have no idea what he was going for, but it didn't matter. My dog was safe and looked more or less no worse for wear.
    I put my hand out to let Drag sniff me and checked out the vet. I wasn't ready to date but I wasn't dead either. The guy had a nice ass. Firm and just right for grabbing. Heat pooled in my belly. Wonder what his ass would feel like in my hands as we fucked? Wow. I needed to get laid and soon. I was having freaking naughty thoughts about a man's ass.
    The vet turned around and smiled. "You must be Carson Welles. It's nice to see you."
    I clamped my teeth together to keep from drooling. Eyes the color of the ocean, just enough scruff on his cheeks to cause a light burn during a kiss and those lips. Good thing I had the dog to shield me. I had to get myself under control or he'd call the cops for indecency.
    He stuck out his hand. "I assume you can talk."
    I shook my head. "No—I mean, yes I can talk." My skin crawled. The last man who got to me was my ex, Leon. Fuck. This guy had me forgetting the very manners Mama took years to instill in me.
    "I'm glad we got Dragon, when we did. He's malnourished and needs a dental cleaning." Dr. Niemi hiked one side of Drag's jowls up. "He's been chewing on things he shouldn't have. I'd like him to come back in for a cleaning and to make sure he's up to date on his shots. Can you tell me why he was loose?"
    I stared at the vet, deciphering his words. I knew he'd spoken English, but I felt so out of sorts. Cleaning...shots... why was he loose? Oh hell. "My ex took him when we split. Leon wasn't much for closing doors or gates. My guess is Drag saw an open door and made a break for it. He doesn't mind being confined as long as he's got something to eat or a chew toy to attack."
    "I see." The vet scrawled something on Dragon's chart. "It's tough on animals when their people split. I bet he was heartbroken."
    "Leon wasn't Drag's person." I wasn't sure why I'd divulged so much information. The more I looked at the vet, the more he looked familiar. I scoffed. It wasn't like I spent tons of time in social circles. I hadn't been to a club in more than a year. The only times I went out were for meetings with my agent and gallery openings.
    "You still paint?"
    "Yeah." I wiped my free hand over my shirt. He opened the can of worms by saying still. I could swear I went to school with a guy named Alec who looked an awful lot like him. I might as well ask. If he wasn't the guy I assumed, then I wasn't out much. "Did you go to Kenwood and graduate in the class of '97?"
    "I wondered if you'd notice." He folded his arms and grinned. "Alec Niemi. Class dork—voted the most likely to disappear after college."
    Memories hit me hard over the head. Sure, back in school he'd looked a little different—shaggy hair, thick glasses and a mouth full of braces. He personified nerd without the chic. Then again, in 1997, a lot of people looked like they came from 1997. Back in the day I had a Mohawk and an earring for Christ sake. Still had the earring, but the hairstyle evolved with the times. I hadn't spoken much to Alec back then because we ran in totally opposite social circles. If I'd have known then he'd turn out the way he looked now, I wouldn't have ignored him.
    It occurred to me back then that he wasn't like the other guys. He was a guy, but he was more emotional in a quiet way. I'd wondered if he was gay, but that wasn't the kind of thing you said to someone. Still isn't really. I didn't want to assume and have my ass kicked. But the way he'd look at me...I did wonder.
    "I'm sorry we acted like jerks." I stroked the dog's head. Jesus. If I didn't shut up, I'd say something really dumb. "The guys I hung out with were jock assholes."
    "They weren't all jerks, just misunderstood. We all were." He snorted. "Do you see many of the kids from our class?"
    "Nah." I squatted down to look Drag in the eye. "Once I got out, I kept to myself. Most of our class jumped ship and headed for California or New York. There isn't really anything going on in Ohio. You? Why'd you come back?"
    "I came back for a lot of reasons, mostly because Uncle Luke thought I needed direction. I got his practice instead." He leaned on the examination table. The man looked like a damned advertisement for one of those high end men's fashion designers, all sleek lines and perfectly manicured with just enough salt and pepper to his hair to be gorgeous. "I think this is the most casual meeting with a patient's