He let out a groan and cut her off, putting his hand gently over her mouth. “Yeah, I remember.
Payne gave his palm a lick. “You will do that to me again. Tonight.”
“I should be so lucky.”
“You shall be. And so shall I.”
He laughed a little. “You know what? I’m going to need to put one of my coats on.”
Manuel reopened his door and leaned into the car. When he reemerged, he drew on a pressed white jacket that had his name in cursive by the lapel. And she knew by the way he closed the two halves that he was trying to cover up his body’s response to her.
Pity. She liked to see him in that condition, all proud and hard.
“Come on—let’s go inside,” he said, taking her hand. And then under his breath, he seemed to add, “Before I come inside . . .”
As he didn’t finish the sentence, Payne left her smile right where it was, front and center on her face.
Upon closer examination, the facility seemed to be fortified for a siege, with discreet bars on its windows and a tall fencing stretching far down into the distance. The doors they approached were also barred, and Manuel didn’t test their handles.
Logical to secure the building, she thought. Given what the greater part of town had looked like.
Manuel pushed a button and immediately a tinny little voice said, “Tricounty Equine Hospital.”
“Dr. Manuel Manello.” He turned his head toward a camera. “I’m here to see—”
“Hey, Doc. Come right in.”
There was a buzz and then Manuel held the door open for her. “After you,
The interior they walked into was sparse and very clean, with a smooth stone floor and rows of seating, as if people spent much time tarrying in this front room. On the walls, pictures of horses and cattle were framed, many of the animals with ribbons of red and blue hanging from their halters. Over across the way, there was a glass panel with the word RECEPTION embossed upon it in formal gold letters, and there were doors . . . so many doors. Those with a male symbol and a female symbol . . . those with signs such as VETERINARY DIRECTOR . . . and FINANCE . . . and STAFF MANAGER.
“Whatever is this place?” she asked.
“A lifesaver. Come on—we go this way.”
He pushed their way through a pair of double doors and went over to a uniformed human male who was seated behind a desk.
“Hey, Dr. Manello.” The man put down a newspaper that had
“This is a colleague of mine, Pa—Pamela. We’re just going to see my girl.”
The human man focused on Payne’s face. And then seemed to shake himself. “Ah . . . she’s where you left her. Doc spent a lot of time with her today.”
“Yeah. He called.” Manuel knocked the desktop with his knuckles. “See you in a few.”
“Sure thing, Doc. Nice to meet you . . . Pamela.”
Payne inclined her head. “It is lovely to meet with you as well.”
There was an awkward silence as she straightened. The human man was absolutely struck by her, his mouth slightly parted, his eyes wide . . . and very appreciative.
“Easy there, big guy,” Manuel said darkly. “You can resume blinking at any time . . . like, as in, now. Really. Truly.”
Manuel put himself in between the two of them, and took her hand at the same time, both blocking the view and establishing dominion over her. And that wasn’t all: Dark spices wafted up from him, the scent a warning to the other man that the female being admired was available only over Manuel’s cold, dead body.
And didn’t that make her feel like there was a blazing sun in the center of her chest.
“Come on, Pay—Pamela.” As Manuel tugged at her and the pair of them started walking, he added in a mutter, “Before John-boy’s jaw drops off his face and lands on the sports section.”
Payne skipped once. And then did it again.
Manuel looked over. “That poor guard back there almost has a near-death experience with his badge being shoved down his throat and you’re happy?”
Payne kissed Manuel’s cheek quickly, seeing behind the faux grim on his handsome face. “You like me.”
Manuel rolled his eyes and pulled her over by the neck, returning the kiss. “Duh.”
“Duh,” she mimicked—
Someone tripped over someone’s foot, hard to say who it was, and Manuel was the one who caught them from falling.
“We’d better pay attention,” her male said. “Before we’re the ones who need resuscitating.”
She elbowed him. “A wise extrapolation.”
“Are you smacking my ass.”
Payne glanced over his shoulder. And then slapped his butt—hard. As he yelped, she winked at him. “Indeed. Verily. I am.” Dropping her lids and her voice, she hammed, “Would you like me to do it again, Manuel. Perhaps . . . on the other side?”
As she joggled her eyebrows at him, the sound of his laughter broke out and filled the empty hallway, ringing far and wide. And when they bumped into each other again, he pulled her to a stop.
“Wait, we need to do this better.” He tucked her under his arm, kissed her forehead, and lined himself up with her. “On three, lead with the right. Ready? One . . . two . . . three.”
On cue, they both stretched out their long right legs, and then it was left . . . and right . . . and left . . .
Perfectly in step.
Side by side.
They went down the corridor. Together.
It had never dawned on Manny that his sexy vampire might have a sense of humor. And didn’t that round out her package perfectly.
Ah, hell, it wasn’t just that. It was her wonder and her joy and the sense that she was up for anything. She was absolutely nothing like those fragile, brittle socialites or the pretzel-thin models he’d dated.
“Payne?”
“Yes?”
“If I told you I wanted to climb a mountain tonight—”
“Oh! I would love to! I should love to see a long view from . . .”
Bingo. Although, God, he had to wonder at the cruelty of finally finding his perfect match . . . in someone so fundamentally incompatible.
When they came up to the second set of double doors that led into the clinical part of the horse-pital, he pushed one half wide, and without missing a beat, they turned sideways and shuffled through . . . and that was when it happened.
That was when he fell completely in love with her.
It was her happy chatter, and the bounce in her step, and the icy eyes that shone like crystal. It was the backstory she’d shared and the dignity she showed and the fact that she’d been judged against a standard he’d used to date—and now wouldn’t be able to bear sitting across a dinner table from. It was the power in her body and the sharpness of her mind and—
Christ . . . he hadn’t even thought about the sex.
Ironic. She’d given him the orgasms of his life and they hadn’t even made the top of his I Love You Because list.
He guessed she was just that kind of spectacular.
“Whatever are you smiling for, Manuel,” Payne said. “Perhaps anticipating some future instance of my hand upon your derriere?”
“Yup. That’s exactly it.”
He pulled her in for another kiss—and tried to ignore the pain in his chest: No need to spoil the time they had
