Animal Instinct

by Kate Davidson

  “Fine, that seems fair,” Jackie agreed. He’d done her a favor. She might as well return the gesture. “Does that cover everything?”

  “If anything else comes up I’m sure we’ll be able to work our way around it.” When he stood and let his eyes rove over her, she knew he was thinking about sex. He couldn’t have been more obvious if he’d pressed a button and a bed had unfolded from one of the walls.

  “Do we shake hands or something?” she asked, deliberately avoiding the heat in his gaze.

  “Usually I’d take blood. I’d rather not drink from you again until you’ve had more time to recover,” Liam told her. She frowned thoughtfully then she was digging in her pocket for something.

  “I think I have… Aha! Brilliant.” Jackie took out a safety pin and, without hesitating, jabbed it into her finger. He stared at her blankly for a moment before he scented the blood. She swallowed hard when his pupils expanded until his eyes were entirely black. “Uh, I just wanted this settled. No loopholes or anything.” O’Connor didn’t respond. He took her hand, his eyes flicking up to meet her own. When his mouth enveloped her finger she nearly came out of her seat.

  Liam could taste a hint of lemon on her skin, probably from some kind of hand wipe. Then that sweet drop of blood fell onto his tongue and his grip tightened on her arm. She tasted just as good as before, endorphins moving through her body while he touched her. He watched her eyes darken as he worked his tongue over her finger. She wanted him. Good.

  He moved so fast that she lost track of him. One minute he was sitting across from her. The next minute he had her in his arms and pressed against the desk. Jackie could feel every inch of his body hidden beneath that designer suit hard against hers. She very nearly leaned forward and kissed him.

  “Mr. O’Connor, Amy’s here to see you,” Grace’s voice said over the intercom. Donors. He had lots of them, each one wanting to be exactly where she was. Each one probably already had been and each one was purchased at exactly the same price. Jackie moved while he was distracted and headed straight for the door.

  “We aren’t finished, Jacquelyn,” he told her softly.

  She glanced back at him. His eyes were still inhuman but Jackie was beginning to associate that with pleasure. In fact, disturbingly, it attracted her. She needed professional help. “Be careful, Mr. O’Connor,” she warned him, hand resting on the doorknob. “Or I’ll start thinking you’re looking for room in my life after all.”

  Chapter Eight

  SOFIE FINISHED APPLYING HER lipstick then studied her reflection in the hall mirror. It was Saturday night and she had a date with a cute English teacher she’d run into at Trader Joes. This would be their third date. So far, so good. The hem of her dark blue skirt swished against the tops of her knees as she walked down the hall and knocked on the bathroom door.

  “Macbeth didn’t turn up for dinner,” she said. A sigh issued forth that suggested resignation and annoyance.

  “Yeah, I know. He’s in here with me. Once I get done with my shower I’ll make sure he eats.” Jackie cracked open the door. “You look beautiful, Sofie. I don’t even mind that you stole my blue poncho.” Sofie gave her roommate an innocent smile.

  “You said you never wore it.”

  “I’ve never had a reason to so far,” Jackie admitted, smiling back. “Have a good time with Max.”

  “He won’t be here for another twenty minutes or so. You can wish me luck once you’re out of the shower.” Sofie left Jackie to the comforts of their bathroom and heard the water turn on a few seconds later. It had been a pretty normal week. They’d trained and they’d cleaned and done all the usual routines. Nothing out of the ordinary. The only reason Sofie could find for Jackie’s unusual tension during the past few days was the visitor she was expecting tonight.

  It was funny how a certain man could wind a woman up so tight she couldn’t see straight. Sofie hadn’t met Liam O’Connor yet but she knew she’d like him. According to Izzy he was handsome, smart and ridiculously wealthy. Jackie said he didn’t break any mirrors and was a smartass. Sofie loved her roommate but she understood there had to be more to life than a passion for animals. If Mr. O’Connor gave her that much-needed element then she would soon become his number one fan. Plus he was a vampire. How much better could it get?

  Said vampire was currently studying the outside of Jacquelyn’s house. A cottage hadn’t been what he was expecting. The clean white walls offset by blue shutters around every square window created a decidedly feminine look. Oddly something about the modest size of the place and the way the stark white was somehow warmed by the life around it reminded him of the homes in Ireland. It seemed a bit too quaint for her style. Ignoring the momentary tug on his ancestral roots, he scented the air - horses, dogs, the crisp smell of grass and women. Two women. Liam frowned slightly. No one had mentioned the fact that Jacquelyn had a roommate aside from dogs. He made his way through the gate and towards the front door. Any second now her dogs would smell him as he braced himself for the imminent chaos and rang the bell.

  Sofie answered the door. Oh, wow, talk about a good-looking guy! This had to be Liam O’Connor. He was taller than her by two inches and she was wearing heels. Broad-shouldered and firm as a rock if Sofie was any judge. He was wearing a dark green shirt, most likely silk, with a black jacket over it that matched his flawlessly pressed slacks. “Hi,” she said once she managed to stop staring at him. “I’m Sofie, Jackie’s roommate. You have to be Liam.” His lips curved upward in a deliciously slow smile and Sofie didn’t blame Jackie for sleeping with him even the tiniest bit.

  “Has she been talking about me?”

  “She’s mentioned you as seldom as possible but I wouldn’t take that to be a bad sign,” Sofie told him, stepping back to allow him entrance. Liam stepped inside and she grinned. “So you don’t have to be invited. One myth down.” He arched a brow in question, distracted from his surprise that the kitchen was two feet to his left and nearly on top of the front door.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Oh, you know, that ‘vampires have to be invited in’ myth.” Jacquelyn hadn’t been talking much about him but she sure had mentioned one hell of a detail. Well, Sofie was her roommate and it would more than likely have been difficult to keep that kind of secret if Jacquelyn kept turning up with bite marks. He decided he could accept that.

  The first dog came to meet him as they were talking and Liam filed away his decision to speak with Jackie about secrecy. He wasn’t a particularly attractive dog. His face was wrinkly, his body awkwardly large and covered with gray fur. Liam smelled fear on him. “This is Caliban,” Sofie told him, walking to the dog standing nervously in the kitchen and rubbing behind his ears. The fear nearly vanished as Caliban panted happily.

  “Jacquelyn mentioned him,” Liam said, deciding he might as well get the bonding time with her animals over with quickly. He stepped forward and crouched down beside the dog. Caliban whimpered, putting his tail between his legs. However, as long as Sofie loved on him he didn’t want to move. Jacquelyn had been right. Caliban was not a smart pup. Most animals would have bolted by now.

  “I don’t think he’ll bite you.” Sofie couldn’t be sure, though. She remembered what Izzy had said about vampires and animals. So far Caliban was frightened but willing to stay still. Liam touched the soft fur beneath Caliban’s chin and rubbed gently. The whimpering abruptly stopped. He even ducked his head and licked Liam’s fingers. Too bad all of Jacquelyn’s pets wouldn’t be that easy. The vampire studied the innocent dog, struggling to remember the last time he’d touched an animal. “There you go. Friends for life,” Sofie declared warmly.

  “He doesn’t discriminate much, does he?” Liam asked. Sofie opened her mouth to answer but the sound of an angry, territorial dog interrupted her. The enraged barks were coming from the bathroom. She winced.

  “That’s Macbeth.”

  “I guessed as much,” he said lightly. One alpha male could always sense
another. That might have been why he’d never owned a dog. Liam heard the shower going off and a moment later Jacquelyn had opened the door, wrapped in a green terrycloth robe.

  “Sofie, is there anything-” she cut herself off when she saw Liam in the hall. Macbeth whipped around her legs with every intention of launching himself into battle. “Shit!” Jackie ran after him but there was no way she could keep up with Macbeth’s pace. Caliban had run off and Sofie backed out of range. She liked Liam but not enough to stand in the path of an angry wolf. It turned out that he really didn’t need defending. Once Macbeth leaped upward, Liam moved to the side and let the dog fly past him.

  “I assume you don’t want me to kill him,” he said casually, glancing at Jacquelyn who immediately paled.

  “Of course not!”

  “Shame.” If he couldn’t kill him then he was going to have to set some ground rules. Macbeth came at him again and Liam pinned him to the floor by his neck. The wolf-dog hybrid twisted beneath his grip but couldn’t shake free. The vampire leaned closer, baring his fangs.

  “Jackie, don’t,” Sofie said, catching her arm before she could interfere. “He’s got to be dominant to Macbeth or this just won’t work.” Jackie scowled. She didn’t want Liam to be dominant to Macbeth. Macbeth was the only pack leader her house needed.

  It took a while for Macbeth to finally give it up. He hated the smell of this new male crouched above him. The scent of decay made him want to tear the creature to pieces. Unfortunately, Macbeth wasn’t strong enough to shake the grip the monster had on the back of his neck. This male was faster and stronger. Macbeth unwillingly submitted, relaxing beneath the creature’s grip.

  “Finally,” Liam muttered, straightening up and brushing off his sleeves. Macbeth immediately jumped to his feet then darted out of the room with his tail almost between his legs. The beginnings of Liam’s annoyance with the situation faded once he got a good look at Jacquelyn. She appeared surprisingly delicate in her oversized bathrobe. Her hair was soaking wet and plastered to her face. She smelled fresh. And her lips were still reddened from the hot water. She noticed where his eyes had focused and took a step back. Liam smiled, his eyes predatory.

  “I’d… I’d better go dry off,” Jackie said. She was horrified by the way her pulse had begun to race. He could sense it, for God’s sake. She needed better control over her body.

  “Wow,” Sofie murmured as she watched her friend make a very obvious retreat to the bathroom. “No wonder she doesn’t want to like you.” Liam turned his eyes on her.

  “How so?”

  “You unnerve her. She doesn’t like being unnerved. You probably noticed being in charge is kind of her thing.” A honk came from outside and she jumped. “He’s early.” Sofie peeked outside, waving quickly. “It’s been nice meeting you, Liam,” she said, holding out her hand to him.

  “It’s been an experience,” he agreed, gripping her hand briefly. It was soft but her palms were just as calloused as Jacquelyn’s. So they worked together. That made a certain amount of sense, too.

  “Don’t be a stranger,” she told him before hurrying out the door and beginning her date. Liam slid his hands deep into his pockets with a predatory smile. He was alone with Jacquelyn. All sorts of interesting things could happen.

  “At least he doesn’t have x-ray vision,” Jackie consoled herself as she pulled on blue plaid lounge pants with one hand and toweled her hair off with the other. She hated that he’d seen her fresh out of the shower. The way he looked at her had made her feel irritatingly vulnerable. Like she was some kind of treat he wanted to gobble up. She wrapped her hair up in the towel, freeing her hands to pull on her pants. Well, technically, he had come here to nibble on her. “If you’re not going to help then you might as well shut up,” she told the unhelpful voice in her head.

  “Do you always talk to yourself when you’re nervous?”

  “Fuck! Jesus Christ!” Jackie pressed a hand to her pounding heart as she stared at Liam standing casually a few feet away. With a glance at her bedroom door she realized it was slightly open. She could have sworn it had been closed. “Could you try making noise when you enter a room?” Jackie snapped, hitting him with her best glare. He didn’t seem affected. No, his gaze was fixed on something lower than her eyes. Jackie glanced down and realized her robe was open and she wasn’t wearing a shirt. She pulled her robe close around her body, tying the belt as tight as she possibly could. “A gentleman would have looked away.” Liam raised a brow and the corner of his mouth quirked up.

  “Are you under the impression that I’m a gentleman?”

  “Huh. Good point,” she conceded, turning away from him and going through her drawer. What she wanted was a large shirt that did nothing for her figure – something, anything - that would keep Liam’s hands off her.

  “Your neck healed well,” he noted, moving closer to her side. She shrugged.

  “I generally heal fast.” Jackie found the shirt she wanted, a big gray one, but Liam slid a hand around the back of her neck and she momentarily forgot what she was doing. “Um, O’Connor, I need to get dressed.”

  “I think it’s more convenient all around if you don’t,” he said. Jackie was distressed to find that she couldn’t move when he put an arm around her waist and pulled her back against his body.

  “Why?” Liam turned her around, tilting her head back with light pressure from his hand.

  “I won’t have to waste time undressing you.” His mouth closed over hers. The slightest glide of his tongue made Jackie part her lips to taste him. She didn’t understand how he could do this to her so easily. There was a very good reason for not sleeping with Liam. She was not the only woman in his life and she was not the type who cared for sharing, much less sharing while being paid. She knew that, had drilled it into her head. Why was she kissing him?

  His clever hands undid the knot in her belt then slid his hands beneath her robe. Her fresh, clean skin felt soft and almost giving. Liam cupped her breast, working his thumb over her nipple as he backed her up against the dresser. She arched and a soft moan was lost in the heat of his mouth.

  Jackie was quickly approaching the place where she wouldn’t give a damn about her very good reason for not sleeping with him. His lips glided down her throat and she gasped for air, trying to organize her thoughts.

  “I can’t… I can’t… O’Connor, I need to – Oh!” Liam sank his fangs into her neck, drinking the hot, delicious wine that belonged only to Jacquelyn. He felt her nails digging into his shoulders as she clung to him. “Liam,” she whimpered. He pulled back, licking the few drops of blood that threatened to travel down her skin.

  “So you’ll only call me Liam when I’m taking blood. I’ll have to remember that.” The rapid beating of her heart began to slow. Common sense followed soon after. Jackie bit back a frustrated groan. Dammit, she was letting O’Connor get under her skin. A tiny voice told her that if she weren’t careful he would slide so deep beneath her skin that she wouldn’t feel alive unless he was touching her. That simply wouldn’t do.

  “You need to meet Shylock,” she mumbled. There was a task she could focus on. Jackie needed to grasp something in the real world and her dog was the perfect thing.

  He made a thoughtful noise. “The one who’s had a rough life. I probably should meet him just so I’m familiar with the entire household.” Jackie pulled away from him and staggered. In an instant he put an arm around her waist, taking her weight on himself. She pushed against him but his grip was a lot firmer than she’d anticipated and there was no getting free of it. “Where to?”

  “He should be in the living room, probably curled up behind the couch,” she told him. It was stupidly feminine to feel light and fragile when he practically carried her with one arm through the hall and into the living room. Just as she’d suspected, Shylock was hiding behind the overstuffed creamy yellow couch. “Oh, baby,” Jackie murmured, pulling away from Liam and kneeling beside her dog. She did
n’t need to touch him to know he was shaking.

  “Don’t mind me.” He kneeled behind her and Jackie realized he hadn’t been talking to her. It had been directed at Shylock.

  “Come on, sweetheart. I’ve got you.” Jackie wrapped her arms around the big bloodhound and gently hauled him out from behind the couch. Shylock pressed his face against her stomach, hiding as best he could from what he felt was the threat. Liam watched over her shoulder as she stroked his coat and whispered endearments as if he were a small child afraid of the dark. “Liam, your hand,” she said, holding out her own. He lifted a brow but put his hand in hers. “He likes having his tummy rubbed,” Jackie explained, pressing his hand against Shylock’s soft underbelly and setting it in the proper rhythm. “Keep doing that.” The bloodhound was still shaky but her voice and the petting seemed to help. “Talk to him,” she instructed.

  Taken aback, he stared at her. “What?” Women had asked a lot of things from him during his lifetime. Money, sex, power, things of that nature. Liam honestly couldn’t remember a woman ever asking him to talk to her dog.

  “He needs to hear your voice. Just talk to him. It doesn’t have to be the Gettysburg Address, for God’s sake,” she muttered, seeing his hesitancy.

  “Your owner has a smart mouth on her,” Liam whispered conspiratorially. Jackie glared but Shylock’s tail wagged. It figured. Boys always teamed up. The dog turned his head toward Liam, meeting his eyes.

  “See? That wasn’t so bad,” she said, patting his back. “No need to worry about the big, obnoxious vampire.”

  “Big, is it?” Liam asked, lifting his eyebrows suggestively. She rolled her eyes, trying for nonchalance although she was suddenly very aware that her shoulder was pressed against his.