voice spoke again, calm, soothing. Yet distressed.
Ciara closed her eyes, willing herself to have the courage to face the fate that was before her. She was a vet; there was no way she could simply walk away. If saving the horse in the barn meant meeting her destiny, then that was what she would do. Right now.
Rummaging in her bag, she took out a facemask. It would cover the lower part of her face, and maybe she could get away without him seeing what she was, who she was. If there was time, she would have run back to the car to fetch a cap to pull down over her eyes. Yet she knew she was out of time. The message had said it was an emergency, and she had to do her duty.
“Hello,” she called quietly, the sound muffled through the mask.
“Hi. In here.” Footsteps came her way; the barn door swung open, and he stood there in front of her. Six foot four inches of hard-toned muscle, with a handsome face to finish off the gorgeous effect. Much too good for her. She shielded her face.
“I’ve come to look at your horse,” she said, looking at his boots, which shuffled anxiously. Did he know already that she was his mate?
“Are you OK?” he asked. “I asked for a horse vet. Is that you? I’m Ryan, the person who called.”
“Yes, I’m the vet; want to show me where your horse is?” Ciara let her hair fall over her eyes, covering her face as she moved towards the open barn door. She did not want to introduce herself if she could possibly avoid it.
“This way,” he said, leading her back into the dim barn. She could feel his eyes on her, trying to figure out what lunatic was about to look at his horse.
“What seems to be the problem?” she asked, wanting to reassure him that she knew a lot about horses. A whole lot. In fact, there was probably no one in the area more qualified to examine his horse.
“She’s in foal; it’s not due for another couple of days, by my reckoning. But the mare’s not right.”
The mare : another man who just looked at horses as just a beast of burden. Typical that he would be like that, this man who held her future in his big, broad hands.
Don’t look at his hands , she told herself. Don’t imagine them on your body. Too late.
Her breath caught in her throat, and she felt faint. No matter how much she thought she could fight the mating bond between them, it wasn’t going to happen. Not when he was so close.
“Are you OK?” he asked, concerned.
“Perfectly,” she said, although her voice sounded strained.
“Do you want some water? You sound a little … peculiar.”
“No. No, I’m fine. Let me look at your mare.”
He went ahead of her, opening one of the stall doors to reveal a beautiful grey mare. She had dapples all over her, and her belly was swollen by the foal inside her. As he approached, she nickered to him, and he stroked her muzzle, crooning to her, telling her it would all be OK.
Ciara’s stomach fluttered. She would love him to stroke her skin like that, for him to say sweet things to her, make her feel as though she were safe in this world.
“Do you want to hold her while I examine her?” Ciara asked, stroking the mare’s neck.
“Sure, she likes being tickled under her neck too. Don’t you, Sapphire?” He stood talking to her, stroking her neck, while Ciara opened her bag and took out her stethoscope. Putting it to her ears, she listened to the mare’s breathing and heartbeat. Everything seemed perfectly normal, so she turned to examining the sounds in the mare’s belly.
“Everything sounds OK,” Ciara said, going to the back of the mare and taking her temperature. “Normal.”
She only wished her own temperature was normal, and she knew that if a doctor listened to her heart through a stethoscope, he would probably tell her she was having a heart attack. Still trying not to meet his eyes, she put her stethoscope and thermometer down and put her hands on Sapphire’s swollen belly. The foal moved against her hand, but she couldn’t
Ciara closed her eyes, willing herself to have the courage to face the fate that was before her. She was a vet; there was no way she could simply walk away. If saving the horse in the barn meant meeting her destiny, then that was what she would do. Right now.
Rummaging in her bag, she took out a facemask. It would cover the lower part of her face, and maybe she could get away without him seeing what she was, who she was. If there was time, she would have run back to the car to fetch a cap to pull down over her eyes. Yet she knew she was out of time. The message had said it was an emergency, and she had to do her duty.
“Hello,” she called quietly, the sound muffled through the mask.
“Hi. In here.” Footsteps came her way; the barn door swung open, and he stood there in front of her. Six foot four inches of hard-toned muscle, with a handsome face to finish off the gorgeous effect. Much too good for her. She shielded her face.
“I’ve come to look at your horse,” she said, looking at his boots, which shuffled anxiously. Did he know already that she was his mate?
“Are you OK?” he asked. “I asked for a horse vet. Is that you? I’m Ryan, the person who called.”
“Yes, I’m the vet; want to show me where your horse is?” Ciara let her hair fall over her eyes, covering her face as she moved towards the open barn door. She did not want to introduce herself if she could possibly avoid it.
“This way,” he said, leading her back into the dim barn. She could feel his eyes on her, trying to figure out what lunatic was about to look at his horse.
“What seems to be the problem?” she asked, wanting to reassure him that she knew a lot about horses. A whole lot. In fact, there was probably no one in the area more qualified to examine his horse.
“She’s in foal; it’s not due for another couple of days, by my reckoning. But the mare’s not right.”
The mare : another man who just looked at horses as just a beast of burden. Typical that he would be like that, this man who held her future in his big, broad hands.
Don’t look at his hands , she told herself. Don’t imagine them on your body. Too late.
Her breath caught in her throat, and she felt faint. No matter how much she thought she could fight the mating bond between them, it wasn’t going to happen. Not when he was so close.
“Are you OK?” he asked, concerned.
“Perfectly,” she said, although her voice sounded strained.
“Do you want some water? You sound a little … peculiar.”
“No. No, I’m fine. Let me look at your mare.”
He went ahead of her, opening one of the stall doors to reveal a beautiful grey mare. She had dapples all over her, and her belly was swollen by the foal inside her. As he approached, she nickered to him, and he stroked her muzzle, crooning to her, telling her it would all be OK.
Ciara’s stomach fluttered. She would love him to stroke her skin like that, for him to say sweet things to her, make her feel as though she were safe in this world.
“Do you want to hold her while I examine her?” Ciara asked, stroking the mare’s neck.
“Sure, she likes being tickled under her neck too. Don’t you, Sapphire?” He stood talking to her, stroking her neck, while Ciara opened her bag and took out her stethoscope. Putting it to her ears, she listened to the mare’s breathing and heartbeat. Everything seemed perfectly normal, so she turned to examining the sounds in the mare’s belly.
“Everything sounds OK,” Ciara said, going to the back of the mare and taking her temperature. “Normal.”
She only wished her own temperature was normal, and she knew that if a doctor listened to her heart through a stethoscope, he would probably tell her she was having a heart attack. Still trying not to meet his eyes, she put her stethoscope and thermometer down and put her hands on Sapphire’s swollen belly. The foal moved against her hand, but she couldn’t
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