Sarim's Scent by Juliette Springs

hands—“Money’s not a problem for me. Let me help you.” He paused. “You don’t have anyone else you can depend on right now. You know me. It’s the perfect setup. Plus,” he said with a smile, “I’ve missed you. Give me a chance to catch up with an old friend.”
    She turned her gaze directly to his. She was shocked at their blazing intensity. “That’s really generous of you, Ivan, but I don’t want to be a charity case.” Especially not your charity case . She wanted Ivan wanted to invite her here as a woman. She pursed her lips. “What about the woman or women in your life. Will they mind?”
    He silenced her with a wave of his hand. “Right now I’m single and any of my friends,” he said with a wink, “will have to understand you come first. You let me worry about handling them, and you worry about whatever top secret mystery project you’ve got going on.”
    “Okay.” Victoria agreed, relief flooding her. She didn’t want to leave Ivan in a few hours. The conversation couldn’t have gone any better. She didn’t know if she was happier that he wasn’t romantically linked with anyone right now or that he said he’d missed her and seemed sincere in wanting her to stay with him.
    “So go ahead and unpack your bags and get comfortable. Mi casa is your casa.” Ivan relaxed and sat back in the recliner, his expression relaxed and happy. “Now tell me what you want to do today.”
    The tension she’d felt all morning suddenly vanished. She felt relaxed and no longer weary, lonely, or overwhelmed. How could Ivan’s offering to allow her to stay have such an effect on her psyche? Was this a good thing? It wasn’t something she usually allowed to happen. She had always despised weak-willed women whose happiness depended on whether they had a man in their lives or if their man was happy. But seeing Ivan relaxed and pleased made her feel giddy and peaceful. She suddenly became aware of Ivan studying her with a strange expression on his face. When he noticed she was watching him, his expression shifted back to playful.
    “I need to go to the bookstore and buy some books,” she said, feeling the need for a little fresh air.
    “All of the stores are a couple of blocks away. It’s a nice day. I’ll walk you and go take care of some errands while you take your time at the bookstore.”
    They both rose at the same time.
    “Let me get a jacket.”
    “Okay.” Ivan drew a deep breath and released it when Victoria went into her room.
    “Can you give me a few minutes to freshen up?” She stuck her head out the room door and called out to him.
    “Sure.” Ivan sat back down in the sofa. It was becoming increasingly difficult to continue to be “regular” around Victoria. She had almost caught him twice trying to analyze her moods since he could no longer read her mind without permission according to Mate’s Laws. He was aware he was staring at her a little too intensely. He couldn’t help it. He wanted to know what “project” she was working on. For some reason, the thought of it made him uneasy. Even though she wasn’t aware of it, she could pick up on his mood and attitude and feel them as if they were her own. He was going to have to guard his emotions and monitor his expressions and thoughts when she was near him.
    This had to work! It was imperative that their living arrangement ran smoothly. At least until he had a chance to tell her the truth about everything. Looking up at the ceiling, he whispered a small prayer of gratitude thanking the Darvan Gods that she had agreed to stay with him. Convincing her to stay with him had gone easier than he thought. Almost too easy. He hated to think of what he would have to do if she had told him no. He was prepared to break a few rules and Mate’s Laws-but only if he’d had absolutely no choice. Luckily for both of them it hadn’t come to that.
    “I’m ready,” she called out.
    He watched as Victoria walked back into the living room. He