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FREE READS By Lizzie T. Leaf CHAPTER EIGHT “Looks like our boy scored last night.” Rand glared at the big cat that appeared to have been waiting for his return. “Shut up Simma. I’m not in the mood for any smart assed comments.” “My, my, aren’t we testy?” Simma’s tail twitched back and forth as it always did when he was irritated. “Just because you were out tomcatting around last night doesn’t give you cause to bless the rest of us with your grumpy-glow. I thought sex put humans in a good mood.” Rand fumbled in the cabinet for coffee filters, in desperate need of caffeine. “Sex does, but exhaustion doesn’t.” Damn, where did the twins put the coffee? It should have been on the shelf with the filters. “So, she was a real animal in bed?” Simma chuckled, finding his question amusing. “Be gone cat. Get out of my head with the mind talk stuff and leave me alone.” The huge cat sniffed. “Very well. Have it your way.” A black streak raced across the kitchen floor and into the living room. Rand sighed. From the pissy tone of Simma’s parting words, he knew would pay for his grumpiness at some point. Right now, he didn’t care. He wanted coffee, sleep and a shower, in that order. He should take a shower before getting into bed, but that would wash the scent of Amanda off and he wasn’t ready to do that. Last night was everything he dreamed it would be. The most fantastic sex he’d ever experienced, but it went beyond that. No doubt about it, he was in love with Amanda. Totally, hopelessly in love and he only had a few more days to get her to fall in love with him before he disappeared. Then what? His gut told him even if she did come to feel the same way he did, once he vanished for several weeks without contact it would take more than “I’m sorry” to get back in her good graces. Depressed, Rand headed up the stairs still searching for a way to stop his reverting back into a dog. Happy her appointment filled day finally ended, Amanda sat down to tackle the stack of paperwork on her desk. Anything to avoid thinking about last night. How could she have been such an idiot? Give her a little wine and she fell into bed with a hot guy at the blink of an eye. Be honest with yourself, fool. You didn’t fall into bed with him, you jumped his bones. Truth be known, if he hadn’t started things rolling with the first kiss, you would have. Yep, she’d had a case of sex on the brain during dinner. Of course, the fact it was the best sex of her life didn’t help matters any. One night wasn’t enough. The taste she received of Rand McAllister last night only whetted her appetite. She could spend the rest of her life feasting on him. Her fingers toyed with the four messages he’d left through out the day. T he receptionist didn’t lie when she said Amanda was with a patient. He just had bad timing, because every time he called she was in the middle of something she couldn’t walk away from. Once it had been splinting a broken leg on a Doberman, then he called when she was in the middle of delivering a litter of kittens. Maybe it was just as well. She would have sounded like a silly schoolgirl since her stomach turned to jello just thinking about him. Okay, she was a coward and avoiding the man because he made her feel out of control. “Enough of this crap.” She picked up the phone and punched in the numbers on the paper in her hand. No man would ever turn her into a sniveling female, again. Great, he wasn’t in. Drumming her fingers on the desk, Amanda ran through a list of reasons she should be glad. The more she talked to or saw this man, the more trouble she was in. The last thing she wanted was for him to realize how strong her attraction to him had become. That decided how she would handle the situation going forward. If he asked her to go out this evening, she would say no. Let him pant after her for a change. Then again, who said his interest went beyond a couple of dates. Damn. Why did her love life have to be so complicated? Maybe she should become a nun and forget about men. So, why did she jot down the address from Simma’s file? In the trauma of two nights before and the heat of last night, she forgot to check on her patient. She was a veterinarian after all and the cat had a strange growth. Probably should make sure it wasn’t getting worse. She could swing by on her way home and check on the poor thing. It wasn’t too out of her way, only about twenty or thirty minutes. Liar. Try to convince yourself otherwise, but the real truth is you want to see Rand. Amanda pulled into the driveway and admired the house. She loved old Victorian homes and this one was a classic with the gables and gingerbread trim. Rand’s car wasn’t in the driveway. With any luck, he wasn’t home and she’d do exactly what she told herself this trip was about. See how her patient’s doing and leave before the man who turned her upside down emotionally made an appearance. “Mandy!” Rand’s smile of delight when he opened the door sent her heart into overdrive. “What a surprise. Come in.” He stepped aside and motioned her into the entry way. Casting a quick glance around the part of the house she could see, Amanda arrived at the conclusion Rand’s mother was a woman of good taste when it came to decorating. Elegant, yet comfortable best described the living room with its antiques and overstuffed seating. The touch of Rand’s hand on her elbow made her knees weak. She could use one of those chairs right now. “I was in the neighborhood and decided to stop and see how Simma’s doing.” Did that sound as lame to his ears as it did to hers? “He’s fine. Come out to the kitchen and you can see for yourself.” Rand’s hand slid down her arm, capturing hers in his large one and leading her toward the back of the house. “We’re in the process of preparing dinner. Why don’t you stay and eat with us?” The tantalizing smells coming from the kitchen caused her to remember her last meal today had been a granola bar for lunch that she washed down with yet another cup of coffee. “Are you sure? I don’t want to impose.” Please, please, tell me I’m not imposing. “We’d love to have you. When the Demon Duo cooks, there’s enough to feed an army.” Amanda laughed at Rand’s name for his twin sisters. He’d shared with her over dinner what a challenge the two could be at times, but she heard the love in his voice for the girls that drove him crazy some days. “But, the question is, how is their cooking. Quantity doesn’t always equate quality.” “True, though in this case it does. Hey, look who is here.” “Amanda.” Mel grinned a welcome from her position at the stove. “Great to see you.” Riz greeted her with a bone crushing squeeze. “Or should we say, Dr. Livingston, I presume.” “Smart ass.” Rand tweaked a strand of his sister’s hair. “What would you like to drink? I’m having red wine. Goes good with pot roast.” Amanda’s heart slammed against her ribs in response to the lopsided smile Rand gave her. “Red wine is good.” Her voice came out in a husky whisper and she caught the looked exchanged between the twins. They knew she liked their brother. Like hell, the more she watched him, the more she knew the ‘L’ word working its way into her mind was a lot stronger one than ‘like.’ Mel glared at her brother. “Pot roast. You call beef burgundy, pot roast. Next time, Big Brother you cook.” She dipped a spoon into the sauce, tasted and pulled a spice bottle from the rack beside the stove. Adding a dash, she stirred and tasted again, then gave a nod of satisfaction. Rand winked at Amanda as he set a glass of merlot in front of her. “Okay, lady. To eat in this fine establishment, you have to earn your dinner.” He handed her a stack of plates. “Table setting falls to you.” Listening to the laughter and bickering as she set the table for the four of them brought a longing to her that Amanda thought she was past. Her parents’ death in an auto accident when she was in her early twenties still left a void. They were her only family and she knew now, their loss was one of the reasons she’d moved into a relationship with Jess so quickly…to fill the void left with them gone. A streak of black jumping onto the window seat caught her eye and she remembered the reason she stopped by, or at least the excuse for stopping. “Simma, let me see your nose.” The cat’s unblinking stare made her a little uncomfortable. In some ways, he reminded her of Alistair. Maybe the coloring or more the way he seemed to read her mind. Stroking the large cat’s head, she studied the nose. Relief and disbelief came into play. The large growth that caused Rand and the girls to bring him to her a few days before was gone with no evidence of its existence. “Is the table ready?” Mel asked as she juggled three bowls before setting them on the table and Riz directed Amanda to a chair beside Rand. As the meal progressed, the teasing and laughter increased and Amanda wondered ‘what if’ she became part of this family. How would her life change? Chastising herself for being silly, she pushed the thought away. No way could she be in love with this man in such a short time. Besides, look at what love got you in the past…a broken heart. Do you really want to open the door for that again? |