Anna plunged the hypodermic syringe into the dog's thigh muscle and slowly released the vaccine into the animal. The large shepherd turned his head and glared at her over his shoulder, but made no move to avoid her ministrations.
That's what she liked about this dog. He was old, and while he didn't like getting his annual shots, he certainly didn't put up a fuss.
"Duke looks in great shape for his age, Mrs. Kelfy." She stood from her cramped position on the floor and picked up her pen to sign the rabies certification. A tap on the door drew her attention, and she turned toward it.
"Dr. Calloway, can I have a word with you?"
Jamie, her newly of-age assistant, stood in the doorway, an odd expression on her face.
"In a minute, Jamie. I'm almost finished here." It was unusual for her assistants to interrupt her with a patient, so it must be important.
"Here you are, Mrs. Kelfy. Give one pill twice per day for ten days and bring him back in a week so we can check on that cut to make sure it's healed up ok." Poor Duke had argued with a barbed wire fence and lost. A little unusual for the big guy, who was already thirteen years old. He was long past the days of dangerous curiosity that plagued young dogs.
"Poor Duke," the woman said.
"He'll be fine. Duke's strong, and even though he's getting older, he's still healthy. Just give him the antibiotics, and he'll heal up beautifully."
The dog's owner nodded and thanked her, then left to pay the bill. Anna headed to the back rooms to talk to her assistant.
"What's up, Jamie?"
Jamie bit her lip. "There's this guy, in room three...."
"Ok, where's the records?" Jamie's smelled sharp, edgy. Confused. "What's the problem?"
"That's just it, Doc. There's no problem. He didn't even bring a pet with him. He said it was for a consultation on his wolf, and he booked the entire afternoon."
"He did what?" The word wolf sent up red flags everywhere. Her assistant went on.
"He booked the entire afternoon appointment block."
Kieran. Who else would be so blatant? If he thought he was getting away cheap, he had another thing coming. "Thanks, Jamie. I'll take care of it."
She stormed to the room and opened the door.
He stood at the aluminum exam table, a magazine open in front of him, his weight propped on his hands as though engrossed in his reading. Though worn and faded, his jeans appeared in good repair. The seams in the shoulders of his black t-shirt stretched to accommodate his powerful chest and biceps. Then her gaze traveled to his face and the dark, hungry, blue eyes that watched her. She swallowed, trying to ease the sudden case of dryness in her throat.
She caught a glimpse of black, square-toed boots on his feet. She'd bet there was a motorcycle out in the parking lot. His scent wafted toward her, spicy and wild. Anna bit her lip. It wouldn't do to let him know just how sexy she found him.
Folding her arms in front of her, she glared at him. "What are you doing here?"
His gaze held hers, a slight quirk to his mouth.
"I'm here for a consultation. Didn't your assistant tell you?"
"Yes, she told me."
"Good. But before we get down to work, let's have some lunch."
She glanced at her watch. Lunch was normally at one o'clock, and it was now twelve thirty. "You can't just blaze in here and take over my appointments, Kieran. I have patients, and they need me."
"Not today, you don't. I bought all your time, so you have nothing to worry about." He spoke over her attempted interruption. "And if you have any emergencies, your very efficient staff can call you."
Her eyes rolled, and she groaned in frustration. He'd left her alone for three days. Three long days to absorb everything he'd told her. Sometimes she still wondered if it was all a dream and she'd really been drugged after all. Yet the instant she saw him it all tumbled back. Every memory. The wolf, the fight, but most of all, every touch. That brief kiss still burned in her blood.
Realistically, there was no reason to fight it. Except he wasn't human. For the first time in her life, she was truly attracted to someone. And why shouldn't I enjoy it? Besides, the scientist was fascinated almost as much as the woman.
He waited while she debated in her head, his eyes filled with humor. There it was again, the strange feeling that he could read her thoughts. She certainly hoped not.
"Fine, let me just close up here."
He nodded, and she headed into the back rooms of the clinic.
"Jamie," she called, but the girl popped around the corner, a huge smile on her face.
"Right here."
Anna raised a brow. "Eavesdropping again?"
Her assistant laughed. "What can I say? It's my best talent."
Anna chuckled. "Then I guess I don't have to tell you I'm done for the day, thanks to Kieran. Call me if there are any emergencies."
She took off her white doctor's coat and hung it on the rack. Whoever'd chosen white for doctors had a vindictive streak. She went through lab coats faster than she went through dog treats. She snatched a roller with tape on it and cleared any dog hair from her slacks before heading back to Kieran. If she was going to investigate these feelings, she might as well look good.
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