Lethal Attraction Read online

  “I know it’s a lot to take in.” Jeremy snorted then grimaced when healing ribs protested being jarred. “I’ve been a wolf for a decade, and I still think sometimes that it must be a dream. That maybe I’m really just a human doctor with weird delusions. Then the full moon comes, and I can’t live in denial.”

  “What happens at the full moon?”

  “We spend the night as wolves, running the forest.”

  “So… you have to be a wolf during the full moon?”

  “Yes, and no.” He shook his head. “The moon pulls the wolf to the surface, but we can fight it to some degree. It hurts to fight the moon’s command, according to those who’ve done it. I’ve never had reason to do so.”

  “Do you… hunt during the full moon?”

  “Usually.”

  She paled. “What do you hunt?”

  “Mostly rabbits and squirrels. Occasionally deer or elk.”

  “Oh.” Relief flashed across her face.

  He chuckled. “Were you afraid I was going to confess to hunting stray hikers and backpackers?”

  A sheepish smile curved her mouth, and she shrugged.

  “No humans. In fact, we avoid running anywhere we might even see one, much less have call to interact with them.”

  The bathroom door opened, and a fully dressed Ian emerged. “Max, Graham, and Donna retrieved your cars. They’re in the driveway.” He pinned Annie with a faintly challenging look. “You can leave whenever you’d like.”

  She met his gaze for a brief moment then looked back at Jeremy. “I’d like to stay, if you don’t mind.”

  Relief coursed through Jeremy so strongly, he feared he might melt into the bed. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like.”

  Ian locked gazes with Jeremy and half-grinned. “Wise choice, pup.” His attention shifted to Annie. “He’ll need to eat quite a bit today to help him heal. Do you think you can take care of that, or do you need me to stay?”

  “I can do it.” She smiled.

  “Good.” He nodded with a satisfied smirk. “Max will be back in a while, but you two are on your own for a while. Jeremy, rest and eat everything Annie gives you.”

  “Yes, sir.” Now that the stress of the past few minutes had let up, weariness closed in, reminding Jeremy that he still had serious injuries healing. He closed his eyes.

  Annie was quiet until the front door closed and Ian’s SUV drove away. “He’s not so bad.”

  Jeremy smiled.

  “I’m going to raid your fridge. Get some rest. I’ll wake you when food is ready.”

  “Don’t overcook the meat.”

  “You like it raw, don’t you?” Dread filled her voice.

  He chuckled without opening his eyes. “Mostly, yeah.”

  “Shoulda guessed.” The gentle sweep of her footsteps left the room.

  Chapter 7

  Sunday, June 4, 2017

  It was still dark when Jeremy rolled slowly out of bed. Thankfully, such care was unwarranted. There was no pain. No aches or tenderness remained. He got to his feet and tested both legs. Ian and Max had done a good job resetting various broken bones. Everything felt strong and secure. All the food Annie had plied him with throughout Saturday had helped his body heal well.

  First order of business, a shower. Must have. Ian and Max had stripped off his bloody clothes, but they hadn’t washed the blood away very well.

  He retrieved clothes from his dresser and closet and retreated to the bathroom to shower and dress, lingering in the shower until the water started to cool.

  A few minutes later, he wandered out of the bedroom. He stepped into the living room and instantly halted.

  Annie was sound asleep on the couch, the quilt covering her.

  He’d thought she’d gone home the night before. Leaving her to rest, he padded into the kitchen to put on coffee. Though he no longer got a jolt from caffeine, thanks to the wolf’s metabolism, he still enjoyed the taste, and he’d noticed that Annie drank a cup at the office every morning.

  While the coffee maker did its thing, Jeremy opened the refrigerator to peruse the contents. Annie had pretty well emptied it the day before. The freezer, too. A run to the grocery store was in order.

  Ugh. I hate those places. Fresh foods weren’t a problem, though the meat section often made his stomach grumble, but his sensitive nose got clogged with the chemical fragrances of household cleaners, personal hygiene products, and a host of other things throughout the store. Then there was the overwhelming scents from people with all manner of illness his nose was sensitive to—worse than dealing with patients one at a time in the office with simple colds, flus, and allergies.

  If Annie hadn’t already gone above and beyond the call of duty, he’d plead with her to do the grocery shopping, but that’d be flat wrong. He’d have to tough it out.

  A soft noise behind him brought a smile.

  “You hungry again?”

  “Yeah. Aren’t you?”

  “Not really. Just give me coffee.” She retrieved a mug from the cabinet without having to search for it and stared at the still-dripping coffee maker. “We’ll discuss food after I’ve got caffeine.”

  He chuckled. “You’re one of those, huh?”

  “What?”

  “A non-morning person.”

  Annie ruined a grin with a yawn then ran a hand through her hair. “You got it. If you know what’s good for you, you won’t pull any pranks or anything on me until I’m awake. I might bite before I realize you’re joking.”

  Jeremy held up a hand in front of him. “No need for that. I’ll behave. I promise.”

  “Good.” She nodded with a smirk of satisfaction and returned to staring at the coffee pot.

  He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. “Thanks for yesterday. I know it was a lot to wrap your head around, and then we asked you to work all day like a slave to keep me fed. Hardly seems fair.”

  “Tell you what.” She poured coffee into her mug. “After I’ve had my coffee, I’ll go home, take a shower, and change clothes, and you can take me to breakfast to make up for it.”

  “Sounds like a great bargain from my side.” He chuckled. “Not sure it’s that fair to you though.” He cocked his head. “Truth be told, I thought you’d have gone home last night.”

  “I wanted to stay in case you needed anything during the night.”

  “I appreciate that.” He held out both arms and jumped up and down a couple of times. “But as you can see, I’m good as new. No more babysitter needed.”

  Annie studied him then shook her head. “I still can’t believe how fast you healed. I was so sure you’d die Friday night.”

  “If I’d been human, I would have.” He leaned a hip against the counter. “Thanks for not calling 9-1-1.”

  She shrugged. “You asked me to trust you.”

  “Thank you for that, too. I know my request ran contrary to everything you knew and every shred of common sense and reason.”

  “Yeah, well, I guess I’ve gotten used to God doing that to me, so it wasn’t too big a stretch to let you have your way.”

  Jeremy laughed. “He does that to you, too, huh?”

  Annie nodded. “More often than I’d like, to be quite honest.”

  “I know what you mean.”

  Less than half an hour later, Annie headed home with the promise to return soon.

  Jeremy watched through the living room window as she left. Maybe things would work out after all.

  Chapter 8

  Gentle Care Medical Clinic

  Thursday, June 8, 2017

  Jeremy glanced at his watch as he finalized paperwork to give the file back to the reception clerk. Nearly six. Anticipation wound through him, quickening his pulse. He and Annie had dinner plans, since the full moon would rise Friday night. She’d worked in the other office all week, so they hadn’t seen much of each other since Sunday.

  He smiled as he thought back to the weekend. They’d gone to the grocer
y store together Sunday after a long, leisurely breakfast. First time in a decade he’d found such a venture fun.

  “Well, don’t you look like the cat that got into the cream?”

  He glanced into Callie’s grinning face. Heat rushed to his neck, and he chuckled before lowering his head under the guise of finishing with the patient chart.

  “That wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with a certain nurse who’ll be returning to this office Monday, would it?”

  “Maybe.” He shrugged, refusing to admit more than that. He’d probably get himself into trouble.

  Callie leaned on the counter and bumped him gently with her shoulder. “I think it’s great. You deserve some happiness outside this place. You’re a great guy, and Annie’s perfect for you.”

  “You think so?” He raised a brow and glanced at her out of corner of his eye.

  “Absolutely. She knows how to have fun, and you’re far too serious most of the time. You complement each other.”

  “I hadn’t thought of it that way.” He frowned. “Do I really come across as so serious?” Good grief. Was he doing the stern, sober routine he remembered from some of his mentors in med school?

  “If it weren’t for that ready, kind smile of yours, you’d be downright intimidating and unapproachable.”

  “I didn’t realize that.”

  “Don’t let it bother you. Being serious makes patients feel safe in your hands, while you also put them at ease by being personable.”

  “Oh.” Okay. If she said so. He finished the notations and laid the chart on the desk on the other side of the counter. “Well, I gotta get out of here, or I’ll be late.”

  “Date night?”

  She was shameless. Jeremy chuckled. “Something like that.”

  After he dropped his lab coat off in his office, he trotted out of the office to wait for Annie at the prearranged rendezvous. He grinned as he considered those words. It sounded so secret and borderline scandalous. It was almost too bad everything wasn’t quite innocent.

  I know I shouldn’t think that way, Lord, but I can’t help it. This woman turns my blood to fire, and I’m not afraid to admit it. Help me hold the line, though. I don’t want to hurt her. She only deserves the best from me, and that includes me exercising self-control.

  * * *

  The evening couldn’t have gone better. Jeremy handed his debit card to the cashier to pay the bill for dinner.

  “So, you’ll spend tomorrow evening at Ian’s?”

  He appreciated Annie’s discretion in keeping the question as generic as possible. “Yeah. He’s expecting me about seven-thirty.”

  “We could grab a quick dinner after work.”

  “If we can both get out of the office right at six, probably. It takes about a half hour to get to his place, assuming traffic isn’t snarled, but I generally give myself forty-five minutes to be on the safe side.” Too bad she couldn’t go with him. That would definitely be overstepping though.

  Ian may like her, but even David and O’Neil’s human wives weren’t usually permitted at the Preserve during the full moon. Ian wasn’t willing to take the chance that the more fragile humans could be injured if there was a fight between wolves. Though rare, they did occur if someone, or more than one someone, had had a bad week. The full moon tended to exacerbate anger.

  As he signed the slip, a scent drifted by with a group of people leaving behind him. He froze and flared his nostrils to catch it better. Something familiar—

  “Is something wrong?” Annie’s voice shattered his thoughts.

  “Uh… no.” He finished signing the piece of paper, grabbed his card and shoved it back in his wallet, and turned to follow the group out the door.

  Some of them stopped in the lobby to chat, blocking the flow of traffic.

  The scent wrapped around him, filling his lungs. Wolf. Female. Familiar. And more….

  He caught his breath and scanned the faces. Not a single one jogged memory. So why was that scent familiar?

  “Jeremy?” Annie stepped forward far enough to look into his face. Her eyes widened, and her gaze shot around them. She grabbed his arm and pulled him into the hallway that led to restrooms.

  A door at the end of the hall marked “Employees only” opened to a storage room.

  She pulled him inside and closed the door, leaning against it, to keep others out, he presumed. “Your eyes have gone amber. What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” He snorted, trying to clear the smell from his senses. It clung and refused to be excised. Heat climbed through his whole body.

  “Something.”

  “No. It’s just… there was a wolf out there.”

  “Part of your pack?”

  Jeremy shook his head. “No, but… familiar… somehow. Female, and she’s in heat.” He locked his gaze on hers. Desire grew.

  “Oh. So… you want her,” she mumbled.

  “No.” He closed the distance between them, set his hands flat against the surface of the door just above her shoulders to keep from grabbing her, and leaned down to nuzzle the side of her head. “I don’t want her. It’s you I want.” He inhaled deeply.

  Annie gently framed his face with both hands and pushed him away far enough to look into his eyes. “Are you sure?”

  “I’ve been trying to control it, but the wolf wants out. Instinct doesn’t understand the need for self-control. The scent pulled him to the surface, but you’re definitely the one I want. Not her.”

  “I see.” The soft smile that curved her mouth tugged at him even more.

  Before he could stop to think about his actions, he leaned down and captured her mouth.

  She kissed him back.

  The wolf rejoiced.

  Jeremy pulled her into his arms. Tension wound through every muscle in his body, and he molded her to him. She fit so perfectly. Like she’d been made for him.

  Acknowledging that fact made him groan. He had to stop. Before things went too far. They were in a storage room for pity’s sake. Annie definitely deserved better than a quickie in the storeroom of some restaurant.

  He groaned again, this time forcing himself to ease away from her.

  Dazed eyes opened and looked up at him. Annie panted as hard as he did. Then she smiled.

  Oh, God, help me. Jeremy let go of her and willed himself to back away. Distance. More than anything at that moment, he needed distance.

  He leaned against the shelf behind him and shoved his hands into his pockets to keep from reaching for her again. The combined scent of her arousal and his made him breathe shallow. He needed to get outside, but that meant getting the wolf pushed back down. I shouldn’t have left my sunglasses in the car. Even if walking out of the restaurant into the night with them looked weird, at least no one would see his eyes.

  “I need fresh air.” The words came out soft and gravelly. He cleared his throat.

  “Would you trust me to lead you?” She cocked her head.

  He nodded and resisted the urge to take a deep breath to clear his lungs. Not yet. Not yet.

  “Keep your head down. I won’t let you bump into anything.” She opened the door and left the room, waiting in the hall for him.

  He pulled the door closed behind him.

  Annie wound her arm through one of his and headed for the front door.

  He lowered his head, going so far as to close his eyes as they left the hall. When fresh air finally hit his face, he listened to make sure they were alone before he opened his eyes. Then he marched away from the door, lifted his head, and took deep breaths.

  “Better?”

  Jeremy nodded then grimaced. “I’m sorry. I practically assaulted you in a lousy storeroom.”

  “No complaints from me.” The grin that danced across her lips made him groan.

  “Please don’t tempt me right now.” He forced his gaze away and wandered in the direction of their cars, which were parked side-by-side.

  “Sorry. I couldn’t help it.”

  “You bet
ter head home before I forget my good intentions.” The wolf remained too close to the surface for comfort.

  “Are you sure?”

  He nodded. “I’m going home, too.”

  “Are you sure you should drive right now?”

  Jeremy chuckled. “I’m not going to eat another driver, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  “Promise?”

  “Promise.” He grinned. “I’ve never developed a taste for humans, though I’ve heard they taste like beef.”

  “Ew.” Annie chuckled. “Okay, if you’re sure.”

  He nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Keys rattled as she unlocked her car door. She pulled the door open then glanced over her shoulder. “I had fun tonight.”

  He groaned. “You’re evil, woman.”

  “I mean before the storeroom. Dinner was fun.”

  “Oh. Yeah, it definitely was.”

  “Goodnight, Jeremy.”

  “Goodnight, Annie.” He stepped back to make sure he didn’t reach for her. No more kissing. Not while the wolf was so close. He watched her taillights fade into the night.

  Chapter 9

  “I’ve searched for you for months.”

  Jeremy whipped around to face the woman behind him. Dark, almost black eyes met his gaze with unflinching boldness. The wind carried her scent away. He narrowed his eyes. She didn’t look familiar. The sly smile on her face made him uneasy. “I’m sorry. You must have me confused with someone else. I’ve never seen you before in my life.”

  “Oh, you know me, Dr. Jeremy Richardson. Intimately.” The smile grew into a grin that sent a shiver up his spine. She closed the distance between them. When she was within arm’s reach, his nose caught her scent. Wolf. In heat.

  “You’re the one who walked past me inside.” He pointed to the restaurant.