Silver Mine

by Vivian Arend

  She moved faster, rushing through the steps, trying to keep her focus on what she needed to do, which was not leaning over to lick him.

  Not even once.

  A strong grip wrapped around her wrist, trapping her in place.

  “Shelley. Slow down. We should talk about this.”

  “Talk about what?”

  “This.”

  He tugged her between his legs and lifted her chin as his lips covered hers.

  It was oh, so wrong and oh, so right. Shelley let the stethoscope fall from her fingers and gave into the urge to press her fingers against his pelt and run her hands up his chest. He’d wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and controlled her, kissing her softly but insistently. His tongue stroking hers, lips teasing and demanding a response. They weren’t diminishing, they weren’t going away, the urges inside her.

  But they also weren’t uncontrollable. It was lust, pure and simple, not a frantic mating urge, and that made her feel a little better. Maybe she’d kick her own ass in a few minutes, but for the next sixty seconds she was going to take this in and enjoy every second.

  Hmm, she’d set the examination tables at the right height for her to check dogs, cats and other pets without having to stoop or lift up. That put his groin and hers nicely in line and as he kissed her—no, as she now kissed him, heat transferred between them in the most delightful way. He stroked her hair, his other hand slipping behind her back and pressing her against him. Her T-shirt could have evaporated for all the barrier it provided. Her nipples tightened, her sex ached for a touch. The only part of her body truly happy was her mouth because he tasted so. Damn. Good.

  Shelley wiggled forward, just a teeny bit, and it wasn’t enough. She was ready to ignite, and he was the flame she’d been waiting for. He nibbled his way along her jaw, and she dug her fingernails into his shoulders.

  His sudden gasp froze her in position. There was something sticky under her hand, and she realized she’d manhandled his injury.

  “Oh Lordy, why didn’t you stop me?” Guilt jerked her into action as she spun from his grasp and basically threw herself behind him to see what damage she’d caused.

  There were no words. More correctly, the words she wanted to say disappeared as she pulled her professionalism back into place, ready to accept his well-deserved rebuke. Four jagged lines tore down his back. Starting near his neck, they splayed toward his side, red, swollen and hot, and where she’d broken the scab, weeping.

  “I’m so sorry.” She moved to grab antiseptic and cleaned the cuts as best she could. Chase didn’t say a word, but she was saying enough inside for the two of them.

  Idiot. Not only had she crossed the line between a patient/doctor relationship, she’d been totally distracted in the first place. His medical history could have waited—she should have looked at his injury at the start.

  Of course, this was the weird part of being a shifter who was a vet. It was assumed her human first-aid training in conjunction with the vet specialization made her a better person to visit than a mere human-only doctor/vet.

  Not many vets could handle having their patients shift on them, so there was that.

  Chase spoke over his shoulder. “If you’re done beating yourself up, let me shift. I’ve cleaned that cut a dozen times. You’re just wasting your supplies.”

  Shelley slowed. Forced herself to move to where she could look him in the eye. “That was inexcusable of me. I’m sorry.”

  A lazy, relaxed grin broke free. “It was inexcusable. Don’t you ever run away again when we’re in the middle of a scorching-hot kiss.”

  Shelley pulled her jaw off the floor, stepping back as Chase slid off the table and stalked her.

  “I shouldn’t have kissed you.”

  “But you didn’t. I kissed you.” Chase stroked her again, his touch so gentle on her cheek she wanted to lean her head against his fingers and stay that way.

  He would have had her crowded against the wall if she hadn’t slammed up a hand between them. “Chase. Stop. This…thing…between us. Can we ignore it for a few minutes and let me see your other form? Please.”

  His dark eyes sparkled and he caught her fingers in his hand. Lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles before setting her free. “But we are going to talk about this. Tonight.”

  She nodded. At this point she’d agree to anything to get a little space between them. She needed time to allow the buzz of sexual urgency racing through her body to slow.

  He dropped his hands to his waist and popped open the top button on his jeans.

  Oh no. Oh no, no, no. Professionalism vanished as he dragged down his zipper. “Let me know when you’ve shifted…”

  She fled.

  Chapter Five

  There was a big ol’ grin on his face, he was sure of it. The cuts on his back stung like the blazes, but there was no way he’d give up a second of the sweet kiss she’d bestowed on him. It was a lovely start to what he hoped would be a fabulous final evening in the big city.

  He stripped off his jeans, tossing them over the back of a nearby chair. A short stretch, to settle his muscles, and he shifted, the transition flowing with less ease than normal. For a moment his switch from one sort of being to another almost paused, and the usual pleasant buzz of endorphins was sorely lacking. He snarled his displeasure.

  The feel-good sensation of shifting was typically one of the high points of his day.

  At least his cougar arrived as he’d expected. Shelley briefly snuck her head around the corner before she stepped into the room.

  “Holy moly, you are a big son of a gun.”

  Chase took his time as he lay out to his maximum length. He’d told her he wouldn’t fit in her office.

  She rolled her eyes. “Yes, you’re a typical cat. Gloating because you were right. Fine. Now that you’re comfortable, let me see if I can spot any differences in your wound in this form.”

  She moved around him, scraping a little, taking a blood sample. She talked under her breath as she worked.

  It wasn’t as if he could answer back, but it was a trifle disconcerting to hear her muttering references to her veterinary textbooks under her breath.

  He gave a mental shrug. A cat was a cat was a cat, he guessed.

  Something soft and warm rubbed along his hind leg. He twitched lightly, attempting not to disturb Shelley where she was currently working near his left forepaw. She had the cutest little frown on her face, tongue sticking out as if she were concentrating.

  A tiny set of needles jabbed him in what would have been his ankle if he were human, and he snarled.

  “Oh, stop being such a baby. Enigma isn’t hurting you.” She pressed a pad against his wounds. He snorted. She’d changed mannerisms completely—it was easy to tell which of his forms she felt most comfortable around.

  Something light but with really sharp claws crawled its way up his hindquarters. Teeny tiny pinpricks changed to the whisper-light tread of a feline. The beastie’s scent was familiar, and Chase realized it was the cat he’d smelt on Shelley the other night.

  She was all wolf. With a cat hanging around her veterinary offices.

  “I need to pop this under the microscope and take some pictures. Don’t move for a minute.” Shelley patted his side then stood, her hips swaying nicely as she paced toward the door and out of the room.

  In his animal form, he couldn’t appreciate her quite the same way as in his human. The brain patterns were slightly different. He was still himself, but the beast nature was more interested in basics like food and fucking. He liked to think his human side had a little more depth, but after that kiss, there were a few animalistic-based things his human side would also like to explore a whole lot more.

  Ice picks fastened on his ear, and he reached with his right paw to bat the offending creature off. A blob of black fell to one side, weight tugging at him as the tiny beast kept its teeth locked in a death grip. Chase lowered his head carefully until the black ball of fuzz rested on the ground.
Finally the pinchers released, and a little pink tongue slipped out to touch his muzzle.

  Oh boy.

  Chase lay trapped by the tiny creature as it moved full force into caring for him. The teeny paw resting on Chase’s sensitive nose made sure he stayed in place as the cat—Enigma—groomed him.

  So much for being the biggest, baddest dude in the room. He knew his place in this hierarchy, and it appeared the fur ball outranked all of them. At least for the moment.

  A soft laugh alerted him to Shelley’s return a moment before she scooped up the cat. “Oh you. Stop bossing everyone around. Sorry about that, Chase. He’s not afraid of anything. Okay, I’ve got a shot to give you that will boost your healing during your next shift. I’ll need to examine you again in your human form to check your reaction. Do you have an issue with needles? And don’t be brave and fake it if you do, because I’d prefer to know now than when I’ve got three hundred pounds of cat passed out on top of my foot or something.”

  Chase scooted upward until he rested comfortably on his front paws and was able to stare into her eyes again. He shook his head. Needles were fine.

  It was the getting-back-to-human bit he was most interested in.

  She seemed to know where his thoughts had gone, and her face flushed. His anticipation rose higher. No matter what she’d said at the park, she wasn’t unaware of him as a man. If he wasn’t completely incapable of a little old-fashioned seduction, this could be an interesting evening.

  The slide of the needle into his flesh barely registered. She was good. And she smelt amazing, which might have helped to distract him.

  She pressed the injection spot with a bit of cotton. “It’s a trifle strange to treat a shifter. I’m fairly confident you’re not about to bite me or pounce on me like a wild animal might, but there’s always that edge of uncertainty. Thanks for being so calm about this.”

  Chase lowered his head.

  “I’ll let you—”

  He shifted, standing as he completed the transformation. No way was he giving her time to leave the room while he changed. “You’re very gentle with your instruments. Thank you. Now what did you need to see on this form?”

  She was standing only inches away. Shelley’s gaze dropped almost involuntarily to his groin, and she twisted her head away rapidly as his cock rose to full attention.

  “I want to make sure the shot bolstered your shifter cells enough that the cuts have begun to heal.” She gestured to the examining table. “If you could sit again. Turn your back to me.”

  She spoke to the wall the entire time.

  He’d never seen such a shy shifter before. It was kinda cute.

  The steel of the tabletop was cold under his naked butt. Her fingers on his back were light, delicate, and so hot he swore he might catch on fire.

  “Does it look any better?” he asked.

  “Not like I had hoped. You say it’s been seven days?”

  He calculated back to double-check. “Eight at the most.”

  “And you’ve never had any trouble healing before?”

  “Never.” He pivoted until his legs touched her side. She was so intent on examining his back she barely seemed to notice his slow approach. “I’m a healthy man. Don’t do anything to excess, take care of myself.”

  That brought another furtive peek at his body. Chase grinned.

  Shelley walked away, tapping her fingers against her lips. “I’ve only seen a case like this mentioned a couple times. I need to do some research. Need to check your white-blood-cell count. I should probably contact my mentor—because this is way beyond what I expected for my first solo case.” She spun to face him. “You have to stay in town for a couple of days until I get the results.”

  Oh hell, no. “Don’t think I can do that.”

  She plopped her fists on her hips, looking damn adorable as she did so. “Look, Chase. You came here looking for medical attention. That makes me responsible for you.”

  “I have responsibilities as well.” He shrugged. “Gotta get back north before the boys think I’m gone for good.”

  “It’s only a couple more days, not a month.”

  “You could convince me to stay…” He stroked her arm again. Such soft skin. He couldn’t get enough of touching her.

  Her jaw hung open as she gaped at him. “Convince you to stay? How about I use a shot of knockout gas and let you sleep for a while? Maybe that’s what your body needs to finish healing.”

  She might be protesting, but she wasn’t moving out of his reach. “I doubt you want to drug me up. Why you getting so prickly? I like you. You like me. I’m not going to hurt you.”

  If she’d really been saying no like she had the other night at the park he’d have dropped this. Certainly wouldn’t have sat in the buff and dragged in breath after breath of her intoxicating aroma.

  But she was saying yes with everything but her words.

  Shelley sighed and shook her head. She grabbed a bandage and turned him away to patch him up. “Old habits die hard. I’m a bit of a loner. Not used to someone being nice to be nice.”

  “Oh, I’m not nice…” Chase caught her against his side and squeezed her. She smacked him on the top of his head and he let go in a hurry. “Ouch.”

  “Behave. I’m trying to explain something. Just because my body reacts to yours doesn’t mean I have to respond.”

  She tugged again, and he stood and rotated as instructed. “I’m not asking to move in with you.”

  “I know, it’s just…” Shelley growled with frustration. Slapped on a final bit of tape more forcefully than the rest. “Sex is complicated.”

  “Now I know you’re not a typical shifter. Sex is one of the simplest things in our world.”

  This time she crowded him and his pulse sped up. Oh yeah, a power play from her side of the equation would be fine. There he was, pinned against the wall, or at least as pinned as a six-foot-plus male could be by a five-foot-something female. Shelley stared up at him. “I will get them to rush the tests. I want you to stay for one more night.”

  He caught hold of her hips and tugged her against his body. “I can see my way to cooperating with that request.”

  Warm, willing hands cupped his face and brought his head toward hers. Their mouths close, her heated breath fanning over his cheek. His cock was rigid against her body, trapped between them, and the faint pressure was the merest promise of what he really needed. One more inch, a little farther. He slid his hands up her torso to meld them together in anticipation of her kiss.

  She turned her head aside at the last moment and whispered in his ear, “You stay, but I’m not having sex with you. I have professional and personal limits, and I will not cross them again.”

  Suddenly he was holding air, the warmth of her body evaporating as she grabbed his clothes from the floor and tossed them at him. Instinctively he caught them.

  Instinct was the only thing still working.

  “Well, damn.”

  Shelley paused in the doorway. “Trust me, I’m not happy either. But at the same time, this is what I have to do.”

  “You have to frustrate me? I didn’t see that on the patient/doctor forms.”

  She snorted as Chase reluctantly dragged on his jeans. “I’ll add that in as one of the options to check off next time. I…can’t.”

  She was still staring as he finished zipping. “I have nowhere to stay. Just saying.”

  “But you—”

  “Had a place. Gave it up, since I figured I was heading home. You got a couch for me to bunk on?”

  “You could stay at the pack house…” There was dead silence for all of ten seconds. They both laughed uncomfortably at the same time as the truth of that suggestion hit. “No, I guess you couldn’t at that.”

  “I’m just a poor man with an injury my doctor wants to treat tomorrow. I won’t be any trouble.”

  Shelley bit her lip.

  “Not unless you want me to be trouble, that is.” Chase pulled his shirt over the
bandages. It still ached like the blazes, but other portions of his anatomy felt worse.

  “Fine. You can stay with me. But we’re not sleeping together.”

  “You’re the one in charge.” At least until he convinced her otherwise. “I can give you a hand with the flooring if you have medical stuff to do.”

  “Seriously? You know how to tile?”

  Chase nodded. “And I can fix the doorbell. Unless you enjoy waking up your patients before they enter the office.”

  Her face brightened, the sexual tension between them fading slightly. “I would appreciate your help very much.”

  She showed him what she’d been doing, and he set to work, the task mindless as he cut and placed the tiles in pattern. Off in the other room, she moved though the lab with an easy competence. It was companionable and relaxed.

  Chase turned back to the pile of work. He’d save the seduction for tonight.

  Chapter Six

  She’d discovered a new form of torture. First, having given in to kissing the sexy shifter, her body assumed that was the all-clear signal for more than just a wildly inappropriate moment. Her work in the lab had helped distract her for a while, as did drafting up a message to her mentor back in Calgary, but her constant awareness of him was, well, constant.

  He’d managed to lay out over ninety-percent of the tiles she’d been struggling with, so now she was astonished at his work ethic as well as wanting to slurp him up like an ice-cream cone.

  And then she’d brought him home. Her apartment overlooking the Yukon River seemed a lot smaller with him in it. He wasn’t loud. Or big, he was just right freaking there, and she really wanted a piece of him.

  Her wolf was nowhere to be found. The elusive creature wasn’t the one making her drool at the moment. No, after kick-starting her libido the beast had retreated as much as possible, so there was no way to excuse this as one of those freaky other things.

  She had the hots for the man. Period. And what she was going to do about it was absolutely nothing.

  Maybe.

  She turned up the enthusiasm to hide her need to jump him. “Pizza?”