Bad Boy Romance: Nick (Romantic Suspense Alpha Male Romance) (New Adult Rock Star Contemporary Short Stories) (Hard Rock Star Series Book 2)

by Jade Allen

  “Well, loss of appetite, disorientation, and sensitivity to touch…that’s about it. It came on so suddenly; I have no idea what else I may have missed.”

  Vanessa spoke softly to the mare as she gently approached its shoulder. The mare trembled under her touch, which sent a strange ripple down the horse’s side and flank. She took the stethoscope and wiggled the eartips into her ears, holding the cool metal disc against the horse’s ribs. After several long moments of silent counting, she moved the stethoscope over a vein, counted again, and then finally walked down the length of the horse to hear its digestive tract.

  Taking off the instrument, she examined the mare’s gums and teeth, as well as her nostrils and eyes before checking her temperature. Murmuring gently to the horse, she swept her hands over the animal to check for bites and stings. Taking a final sweep of the mare’s glossy neck, her fingers picked up a thickened ridge. “Hey Gabe, take a look at this.” He slipped into the stall and sidled up behind her, his radiant heat burning her back and neck. She guided his hand over the neck, focusing on a hard nub of flesh. “You feel that?” she kept her voice low.

  “Yeah,” he whispered as his fingers circled the mound. Vanessa moved her hand off of his and waved him back.

  “I need to get on my laptop and see what I can find. Her temperature is normal and her stomach is making the usual noises for a hungry girl, but her breathing and heart rate are languishing. It’s too soon to say what I’m looking for. Do you mind if I take a look at the food and medicinal supplies?”

  Gabe clenched his jaw, “Why? What are you suggesting?”

  Vanessa nibbled her lip, “Nothing yet, but I need to eliminate some question marks. I can’t diagnose until I know for sure.”

  He nodded, his composure falling under the realization that this was a much more serious illness than he'd first suspected “Fair enough. I just want to get this figured out as soon as we can. These horses mean the world to me.”

  Vanessa wasn’t sure what to think, but it was getting a little hot being so close to a man like Gabe, and she needed a breather. His presence alone was distracting. His solid gaze was making her face flush; she hoped he didn’t notice. The last thing she wanted was a romance; she didn’t move to Ridge Creek to meet a man, but to work—only. Gabe led her to the feed room, grabbing a set of keys that opened the medicine cabinet from under a fake brick.

  “Who else knows about the keys?”

  “Jimmy and me, I—” he paused, the color draining from his face, “you don’t suppose that someone…” He rushed to the cupboard, unlocked it and flung the doors open.

  Vanessa could see the usual set of ointments, drops, pastes, supplements and washes that a person with livestock would need. A pile of syringes and their packaged needles were sitting neatly on a higher shelf.

  “I can’t see anything here that a horse would happily ingest and cause the same symptoms we're seeing, and I don’t see any injectable items. You missing anything?”

  Gabe shook his head, and after several more minutes of reviewing the contents, they closed the cabinet and locked the door.

  “Let me have a look around. It shouldn’t take me more than 10 to 15 minutes.” Vanessa began rummaging through the feed bins and checking empty sacks. Gabe’s cell phone started to ring; he walked down to the stables to take the call.

  The barn was pristine, and everything had its place. The bins filled with chaff and feed were dry and free from mold, and the bales of hay were off the floor on pallets. She was bending over a pile of buckets trying to smell any tell-tale signs of rot when Gabe’s voice brought her spiraling back.

  “You see anything interesting?”

  “Actually, I’m not sure,” she responded, although she knew well enough that Gabe was reviewing her assets.

  Vanessa had spotted a paper strip scrunched up in the corner; she grabbed it, but couldn’t read it properly—it was torn and water-damaged. She tucked it into her pocket to examine later.

  “No, don’t think so,” she said as she stood up, fixing her clothes.

  Gabe was reclining against a wall, his thick muscular arms crossed lightly over his chest. Vanessa walked straight past him to gather some composure.

  Looking over her shoulder she said, “I think I’m gonna go back to the office for a bit to do some research and grab some extra sample tubes. I’ll come back tonight to do a blood test on all the horses.”

  He followed behind her and smirked as if he could sense her discomfort. He was too tall, too muscular, too big—too everything. Vanessa felt like she could suffocate in his maleness, and damn, he knew how to fill out a pair of tight blue jeans. She stopped at the barn door, letting Gabe open it. She was so absorbed watching his body flex and twist under his clothes that she licked her lips; Gabe caught the movement and his eyes tracked the ridge of her mouth. In that moment, she knew the chemistry was real; passion was bubbling hot to the surface. Her stomach flipped on itself, and Vanessa wasn’t sure whether she could run away or ride it out.

  Gabe was mesmerized by the fluid motions of his new, shapely vet; she was a tiny little thing, but had some wicked curves. Unfortunately, she was obviously a city girl; he had learned to steer clear of them. But now, watching Vanessa’s face flush and her eyes widen when she looked at him made him restlessly hot. It was almost too much when she licked her pouty bottom lip; it had him thinking he might have to make an exception for his new vet.

  “I’ll walk you to your car,” he said. He was a gentleman, after all.

  She shook her head. “It’s okay, I can find my way back.”

  “I insist.”

  Her shoulders slumped as if she knew he wasn’t giving in and she nodded. He walked beside her, carrying her laptop bag in one hand, his other hand on her lower back; he couldn’t resist touching her. He could feel the sway of her hips and wondered what it would be like to have her underneath him. It was then that he realized he was overstepping even his personal fantasy, so he dropped his hand. If he wanted to win her over, it would take more than a few looks. Normally he didn’t have to try hard; women would fling themselves at him, but he had a feeling Vanessa was going to make him work.

  He kept his stride slow to stay near her and he drew a mental blank. He wanted to talk to her, to get to know her; but for the first time in a long time, Gabe found himself at a loss for words, his charm evaporated. “So, where did you move from?”

  She glanced up at him, “Los Angeles.”

  “Ah, so this is a big change for you then.”

  “Yep, but I really like it so far. I haven’t been here long, so I’m really hoping to make a good impression.”

  “I’m sure everyone is going to love you—eventually. But I’ll be honest, small towns are hard to fit into. When you first arrive, everyone seems real helpful—almost too helpful. They have their own ideas about city folk, so I would suggest you play that card low for a while. The townsfolk can be fickle.”

  “Sounds like you’ve went through this...initiation before.”

  “Yep, about six years ago, but I’ve never looked back. It was a walk in the park compared to the rubbish I dealt with before I came here.”

  Vanessa relaxed at their easy conversation and stopped by her car. “Where are you from originally? I would have thought you were born and raised here.”

  “Originally from Philly. Believe it or not, I worked in a high-rise downtown, overseeing a huge investment firm. I just couldn’t deal with the hustle of it all anymore, so I got out of the business. My investments allowed me to build this ranch; this is home now.”

  She graced him with a small smile. “Maybe one day I’ll feel that way about Ridge Creek, too.” She opened her door and slid her bag and laptop onto the passenger seat before climbing into the driver’s side. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours. Hopefully I’ll have something for you by then. Can I go straight to the stables, or do you want me to let you know I’m here first?”

  “I’ll be in the stables grooming the horses, so
come around back when you get here.”

  She nodded and started her car. With a small wave, she made her way around his circular driveway and he watched her go. She may have been a city girl, but he could see she was made for the country life. He decided the best way to get to know her was to show her the ropes. She would make an excellent contribution to the community—and his bed. She was stunning, intelligent and held her own; a frightening mix that excited him like no other woman had before. He was completely and utterly under her charm.

  ****

  Vanessa drove away, doing her best to avoid watching Gabe from her rearview mirror. She understood him a little better now; he was a city boy gone country, and that was exactly what she hoped to do. Her whole life was spent in the city, always doing something or going somewhere. Until recently, she thought she’d enjoyed the fast life; finding out that her ex had been sleeping with a good friend of hers was enough to make her stop and reevaluate her circumstances.

  There were more than a few pitiful days spent crying and binge-watching cheesy romance movies. When she wasn’t spluttering with tears, she was stuffing her face with chocolate and potato chips. Eventually, the prospect of downing several pounds of chocolate no longer held its desire, and she returned to work, hell-bent on making her life more meaningful.

  “My ex made a huge friggin’ mistake,” she snickered to herself, making a left turn out of Gabe’s driveway. Vanessa was moving on to bigger and better things—namely, Gabe. She thought back to the incredible feeling of her hand on his bicep; the way his ass filled out those damn jeans; the way his eyes traced her voluptuous curves. “If that mighty man wants to take a ride on the Vanessa train, then so be it!” she thumped the wheel and squealed, a bright smile spreading across her face.

  As she drove back to the clinic, she thought she could handle a brief fling with him, but nothing more. She was in no way ready for a relationship; it had to be completely casual.

  The veterinary office was full, and after helping a few of the other attendants with their cases, Vanessa hunkered down in an office and pulled the scrap of paper she found at the stables from her pocket. She had piled several medical books on the desk in front of her and was trying to decipher the text on the paper. It was most likely a label from a vial similar to the ones a vet would use. It had a similar width, font, and although it was incomplete, the spacing of the words indicated that it should wrap the girth of a small vial. All she could read was “-rine,” which narrowed that down to a mere three complete textbooks of pharmaceuticals. The medical books also pointed to her greatest suspicion, poisoning, but she couldn’t understand where it could be coming from. Plus, Gabe was devoted to the horses; it wouldn’t make sense. She had to run blood tests; it would be the only way to tell for sure. She could draw the samples and book a courier to take the vials to the lab for testing the next day. She packed the extra supplies she needed and gathered a spare change of clothes; she didn’t want to walk around in blood-soaked clothes if Jezzy or another horse took unkindly to the needle.

  ****

  Parking in front of Gabe’s house, she became nervous about her proposition. How’s he going to react when I offer him a few nights of hot, unbridled sex? she thought. Three nights seemed long enough to get over the awkwardness, but not long enough for him to notice the dimples on her thighs. She got out of the car, pulling the heavy tray of medical equipment and her medical bag from the trunk, and started to walk carefully towards the stables. Within a few steps, she knew she had overdone it—she was going to drop it all.

  Suddenly, Gabe jogged towards her chuckling, “Need some help?”

  She blushed. “If you could, that would be great. I didn’t really think this through.”

  He picked up the whole tray easily in his arms, “Anything else?”

  “No, thanks for your help. I’m afraid I don’t have any new leads, so I’ll be taking blood tests from all your stock—even the well ones.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Just ticking boxes and eliminating possible issues.”

  He nodded and led her back to the stables. She hoped she was wrong; she couldn’t understand why anyone would systematically poison such beautiful creatures.

  Inside, she set her things down and starting setting up. Gabe wandered back down to the barn and called out to Vanessa urgently, “Vanessa, come quick! I think there’s something wrong with Jezzy.”

  Vanessa put down the packs of fresh IV needles and sped to her stall. Jezzy’s breathing was labored and whistling, her great sides trembling as she tried to take in breaths. The horse shook itself roughly; after a few more coughs, the horse’s breathing returned to normal, albeit Jezzy was swaying slightly in her stance.

  “I didn’t think it would come to this, but Gabe, I have to be honest. I don’t know if there’s anything I can do for her. I can’t give her anything in case it reacts with whatever’s in her system.”

  Gabe was shocked. “It’s that serious?”

  She nodded and let her hand rest on Gabe’s arm. “That doesn’t mean we can’t help the others. There’s always a chance that Jezzy’s been accidentally overexposed. I need to get started on the blood tests now, but I need your help. After all, I’m the mean one coming at them with a needle.”

  She went back to setting up her small station and asked him the names of the other horses so she could label everything properly. Gabe smiled as he saw her write diligently on the tube labels.

  “What?” she looked up at him.

  “You’re very thorough.”

  “Of course, that’s what you get with a city vet,” she smirked.

  He stepped closer and his eyes softened. “You know, you are something else. Already you’re fitting in like you belong. Only a small town vet would care so much.” Vanessa stood up, and Gabe continued to step into her space, forcing her to slightly tip her head back to look up at him. He was so much bigger than her.

  “It’s what any vet would do. I want to save these horses, and I want to find the cause so it doesn’t continue to happen,” she tried to talk as though she hadn’t noticed Gabe leaning down. At the last possible moment, she let go and licked her lips.

  His mouth came down on hers, soft at first, as if testing to see if she would allow it. When she opened for him, he groaned and gripped her waist toward him, lifting her off the ground. Pulled against Gabe’s body, Vanessa’s feet hung in the air; she felt consumed by his need. His tongue slipped into her mouth and he deepened the kiss. She felt his hardness against her belly and flung her arms around his shoulders, wrapping her legs around him as she pulled herself up onto his waist, gasping as his erection rubbed against her. Gabe strode to the nearest wall and pressed Vanessa against it, using the structure to prop her up as he slid his hands up her shirt. His hands were rough, dry and warm--a welcome sensation against her prickling skin.

  Taking a cue from her equally insatiable kissing, Gabe lifted her shirt to reveal her heaving breasts. His head lunged forward, taking the silky fabric of her bra into his mouth. He sucked, pulling her nipple into a tight point. She gasped and rubbed against him; he was so hard everywhere. As much as she wanted him, she needed to take care of her patients first. Breaking away from the kiss and feeling a little bit dazed, she said, “Horses first, then this.” Reluctantly, Gabe let her go, but he couldn’t wipe the wry smile from his face.

  She was the flame to his fuse. When he kissed her, he half expected Vanessa to slap him; Gabe couldn’t have been more shocked when she ended up wrapping her body around him. She tasted amazing, and when she rubbed up against him, he nearly came right then and there.

  He was glad Vanessa had pulled back; the horses needed them. Now that they were both clear about their obvious attraction, Gabe looked at Vanessa in a new light. His wildest dream had come true. He wanted Vanessa for more than just her body; her passion and intellect were equally as drawing as her lusty physical features were. As he dwelt on his emotions, Gabe wasn’t sure if he liked where his feelings were le
ading; it wasn’t a place he was ready to venture to yet.

  “I’m so sorry,” Vanessa whispered.

  Her face was flushed—with embarrassment or arousal, he wasn’t sure—but he couldn’t let her feel so badly about something he started.

  He shook his head. “No, that was my fault. I lost myself there for a minute. I apologize.”

  She nodded and seemed to relax some. “Let’s get that blood sample.” She licked her lips and averted her eyes. “I’d like to continue our—conversation—later, that is, if you’d like to.”

  Gabe’s eyebrow rose, “Uh…sure…I, um, better get Jezzy’s headcollar.”

  ****

  The barn’s side door banged, and Gabe ducked his head out. “Jimmy, what are you doing here? It’s your day off.”

  “Heya, boss. I figured I’d put in a few hours today.” Jimmy was a wiry guy in his early 20s with thin blonde hair and wind-burnt skin; a man who looked like he spent a lot of time outside.

  “There isn’t much for you to do, at least not with the horses all down.”

  “Yeah, but I figured you’d have your hands full with that new vet and all. And the other horses might need some attention.” He was right, of course.

  “Sure, that works. I’ll stay with the vet and you can collect the others for testing.”

  Jimmy shifted. “Oh, what’s he testing for?”

  “She is testing for everything.”

  Vanessa stepped out from behind Gabe and held out her hand to Jimmy. “I’m Vanessa Burke, the vet.”

  Jimmy gave a limp handshake and stepped away from her, making Gabe’s hackles rise.

  “Yeah, well, it’s nice to meet you. I’d better go take care of those horses now,” he said as he spun on his heel and left the barn.