“What about that big fellow?”
“Like you said. He’ll do anything to keep her safe. He’s got skills, too. Good fighter and I think some untapped potential. Possibly some resistance to syphoning. I’d like to work with him, see how far he can go.”
Michael’s face twitched and Anne smiled. “You’re intimidated by him.”
“Who? The Highlander? What are you talking about?”
“I was thinking you seem a little taller than usual today. Did you give yourself an inch because he’s so large?”
Michael scoffed. “You’re ridiculous.”
She laughed. “You’re no different than Con. Same animal. You just clean up well.”
Michael leaned down and kissed her on the mouth. “That’s the most insulting thing you’ve ever said to me.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Fiona looked up as Tall, Dark and Edible walked into the bedroom where Jeffrey had asked her to wait. She’d hopped in the shower and positioned herself on the edge of the bed, wrapped in a towel, to await him. The side of her wrapped towel had been artfully arranged to expose a fair amount of side-boob. She was delighted to see the doctor enter alone. Sure, she had plans to take over the world, and she could have her pick of young studs then, but just in case, a rich doctor who looked like he’d walked out of a high-end cologne commercial would be a great backup.
“Fiona, I’m Michael—” He’d started speaking before the door was opened, and now blanched and looked away. “I’m sorry, Jeffrey didn’t warn me you were changing.”
“Oh!” she said, pretending to have been caught off guard. “I’m sorry. I’ve been held captive for three days. I had to get a shower. You’re the doctor?”
Michael’s brow knit. “Doctor?”
“Anne said you were here to check me out?”
“Oh. Not a doctor.” He paused. “Did you want to put something on?”
She looked around the room, helpless. “I don’t really have anything...”
She’d already checked. The room was obviously Anne’s and her closet had plenty of clothes in it. Mostly casual, but high-end, too. She liked Anne more and more.
“I can ask Anne to get you something—” Michael turned his head as if he were about to call for her.
“No, I’m fine. I have my towel. Does what you’re about to do involve a lot of activity?” She dropped a little pause between a lot of and activity. Just enough to put active-while-naked ideas in his mind, but not enough to sound like a tramp. She could tell he liked his women classy.
Good thing I’m an actress.
She giggled to herself.
Michael released the breath he’d sucked in to call for Anne. “Alright. This won’t take long.”
Pity.
He entered and left the door open.
“Would you mind closing that?”
He blinked at her.
She pointed to the door and affected a shiver. “It’s drafty.”
“Oh.” He closed the door.
Alone at last.
“So...” Michael took a step towards her and clasped his hands together. “Let’s see...”
She stood, slithering up his body without touching him.
“Do you need me to stand?”
Michael took a step back. “No. Um, sit. I think sitting would work better.”
She sat back down.
“Let me ask you, do you feel different after spending time with Rune?”
“Different, how?”
“In any way. Did he, uh, do anything to you? Touch you?”
“He’s my father.”
“No, I understand that. I don’t mean—” Michael grimaced. “I’m trying to find a polite way to ask you if you feel like he infected you. If you feel sick in any way.”
“Infected me?” Fiona laughed. “I assure you, I am disease-free.”
“Maybe I should take this from the top. We believe your people have contracted a disease called Perfidia. Over time, it makes you mad. Makes you act against your nature.”
“Who are my people and what is our nature?”
“You’re Kairos. And you’re here to help people.”
Oh yeah. That sounds like me all over.
“So you are a doctor. How do we contract this disease?”
“Not a doctor. And I don’t know, exactly. That’s what makes it difficult for me to define a course of interrogation.”
“Is that what you’re doing?” Fiona tilted her head forward and looked up at him. “Interrogating me?”
“In a manner of speaking.”
Feeling he’d failed to glean her intent, Fiona sat back and thought about her time with Rune.
“You said this thing makes us crazy?”
Michael nodded.
That explains a lot.
“Dad did seem out of it. He’s been a little nuts for a long time.”
“Okay. Good. So, have you noticed any of that same madness in yourself?”
“No.”
Michael nodded. “The problem is, I don’t know if you would recognize it in yourself. And if you were infected, it would, of course, behoove you to lie about it.”
“Why?”
“Because if you were infected we’d have to fix you.”
She smiled. “Now, you’re going to fix me?”
“Not unless I have to.”
“But do you want to?”
“I wouldn’t be the one. It would be Anne and Catriona.”
“Ugh.” Fiona looked away.
This guy is not getting it.
Maybe it’s time to be a little more direct.
“Are you single, Doctor Mike?”
She saw his jaw grit and had to squelch a grin. She’d called him ‘doctor’ again on purpose.
“I am not a doctor,” he said in a measured tone. “But I would, with your permission, like to lay my hands on you for a moment.”
Um, yes please.
“Permission granted,” she purred.
Michael stepped forward and put his hands on each of her shoulders.
He closed his eyes. “I’m going to syphon a tiny bit of energy from you. It won’t hurt.”
“I don’t mind. Sometimes a little pain... Ooh!”
Fiona gasped as a blast of pure pleasure ran through her body.
A second later, he’d released her and stepped back.
“What was that?” she asked.
“I syphoned some of your energy to see
