awareness skittered along her skin. It was the exact same reaction she’d had the night of the after party, as if all of her senses had just suddenly come alive with his nearness.
“Would you like to put her on the exam table, or would you prefer to hold her?”
“I will hold her, if you do not mind.”
“Whatever makes you more comfortable,” Ana answered with a little smile, but inwardly, her heart was pounding a mile a minute. His deep voice resonated along her auditory nerves and to examine the cat, she’d have to get close to him, too.
Of course, that was probably exactly what he’d intended.
“She’s beautiful,” Ana commented. The cat looked at her and blinked, acknowledging the statement as nothing less than truth. “Is she having a problem, or is this just a check-up?” Ana asked.
“I was hoping you could tell me,” Vlane said smoothly. “Bast has been rather unsettled as of late.”
It figured his cat would have the name of an ancient Egyptian goddess. “Unsettled?”
Vlane nodded, his shining obsidian eyes boring into her as she stepped between his knees to examine the feline. The cat let out a loud purr when Ana stroked her back.
“You have quite a way with animals, Dr. McKinnon,” Vlane said, a bit of surprise lacing his tone. “Bast does not tolerate strangers well — especially females.”
Ana wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Was it a compliment? Or a warning?
“Have you noticed any changes in her behavior? Her eating habits?”
“She eats, but she is not satisfied. She rests, yet she cannot find peace.” The words wrapped around her like a lovely, haunting melody. So familiar. So...appropriate. Ana could definitely relate.
She pressed the stethoscope gently to the cat, hoping he didn’t see her hands shaking or hear her heart pounding like a jackhammer against the walls of her chest. She took her time, focusing as much attention as she could on the animal while fighting the urge to touch him .
“She seems fine now.”
“That is because she is where she belongs. With me. In my arms. It is where she finds that which she truly needs.”
That voice, it slipped inside her, caressed the most feminine parts of her until she felt the urge to purr, too. Finding it hard to breathe, she took a step back. When had it gotten so hot?
“Well,” she said, drawing away with some effort. “She seems to be in perfect health, Mr., uh...” She paused, wondering if it would be wise to reveal she knew his name. He hadn’t openly recognized her, either.
“Masterson,” he said. “Vlane Masterson. I believe you attended an event at my estate several weeks ago.”
“Ah, yes, of course,” she said, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks.
“And declined my subsequent request for dinner.” He smiled patiently while Bast looked at her with undisguised curiosity, as if she couldn’t figure out for the life of her why Ana would refuse such an invitation. “Would you, perhaps, reconsider?”
Ana turned her back to him to wash her hands at the sink — a rather foolish act, she realized. Wasn’t that how all this started in the first place? With him at her back? The memory of his body crowding hers, the feel of his cool breath just before the glorious penetration of his fangs, had the area between her thighs warming and growing increasingly moist.
“I don’t think so, Mr. Masterson.”
The clock ticked off several seconds of silence. Could he sense her fear? Her arousal? Did he know refusing him was one of the hardest things she’d ever done? And was that his doing — some kind of vampire-mojo mind-body control thing — or hers?
Finally, he spoke. “May I inquire as to why not?”
She hesitated, clutching the small paper towel like a lifeline. She didn’t want to answer him. It would reveal too much.
“Why does it matter, Mr. Masterson?” she asked quietly. “Of what interest am I to you?”
He regarded her for so long, she wasn’t quite sure he would answer. Those
“Would you like to put her on the exam table, or would you prefer to hold her?”
“I will hold her, if you do not mind.”
“Whatever makes you more comfortable,” Ana answered with a little smile, but inwardly, her heart was pounding a mile a minute. His deep voice resonated along her auditory nerves and to examine the cat, she’d have to get close to him, too.
Of course, that was probably exactly what he’d intended.
“She’s beautiful,” Ana commented. The cat looked at her and blinked, acknowledging the statement as nothing less than truth. “Is she having a problem, or is this just a check-up?” Ana asked.
“I was hoping you could tell me,” Vlane said smoothly. “Bast has been rather unsettled as of late.”
It figured his cat would have the name of an ancient Egyptian goddess. “Unsettled?”
Vlane nodded, his shining obsidian eyes boring into her as she stepped between his knees to examine the feline. The cat let out a loud purr when Ana stroked her back.
“You have quite a way with animals, Dr. McKinnon,” Vlane said, a bit of surprise lacing his tone. “Bast does not tolerate strangers well — especially females.”
Ana wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Was it a compliment? Or a warning?
“Have you noticed any changes in her behavior? Her eating habits?”
“She eats, but she is not satisfied. She rests, yet she cannot find peace.” The words wrapped around her like a lovely, haunting melody. So familiar. So...appropriate. Ana could definitely relate.
She pressed the stethoscope gently to the cat, hoping he didn’t see her hands shaking or hear her heart pounding like a jackhammer against the walls of her chest. She took her time, focusing as much attention as she could on the animal while fighting the urge to touch him .
“She seems fine now.”
“That is because she is where she belongs. With me. In my arms. It is where she finds that which she truly needs.”
That voice, it slipped inside her, caressed the most feminine parts of her until she felt the urge to purr, too. Finding it hard to breathe, she took a step back. When had it gotten so hot?
“Well,” she said, drawing away with some effort. “She seems to be in perfect health, Mr., uh...” She paused, wondering if it would be wise to reveal she knew his name. He hadn’t openly recognized her, either.
“Masterson,” he said. “Vlane Masterson. I believe you attended an event at my estate several weeks ago.”
“Ah, yes, of course,” she said, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks.
“And declined my subsequent request for dinner.” He smiled patiently while Bast looked at her with undisguised curiosity, as if she couldn’t figure out for the life of her why Ana would refuse such an invitation. “Would you, perhaps, reconsider?”
Ana turned her back to him to wash her hands at the sink — a rather foolish act, she realized. Wasn’t that how all this started in the first place? With him at her back? The memory of his body crowding hers, the feel of his cool breath just before the glorious penetration of his fangs, had the area between her thighs warming and growing increasingly moist.
“I don’t think so, Mr. Masterson.”
The clock ticked off several seconds of silence. Could he sense her fear? Her arousal? Did he know refusing him was one of the hardest things she’d ever done? And was that his doing — some kind of vampire-mojo mind-body control thing — or hers?
Finally, he spoke. “May I inquire as to why not?”
She hesitated, clutching the small paper towel like a lifeline. She didn’t want to answer him. It would reveal too much.
“Why does it matter, Mr. Masterson?” she asked quietly. “Of what interest am I to you?”
He regarded her for so long, she wasn’t quite sure he would answer. Those
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