by Kyla Riley
“Meet me for coffee or dinner, please?” he asked softly as they got closer to her car.
“You don’t quit, do you?”
“You have no idea how persistent I can be and how much I am holding back because I don’t want to scare you,” he said sadly and the heat in his eyes confirmed it. Holly felt a bolt of desire course through her, causing her to close her eyes and shiver slightly.
“Don’t do that, you are driving me nuts,” he said.
“Do what?”
“Your breath catches and that incredible smell from before just turned even sweeter,” he whispered, lifting her braid off her shoulder. He leaned in ever so slightly and smiled shyly. “You smell like heaven to a lonely man.”
“And on that note? It’s time to go…”she quipped nervously, staring at his smile, fascinated. “I gotta…gotta… AHHHCHHOOO!” she sneezed and stared at him horrified. “Maybe I am allergic to you?”
“Give me a chance… Give us a chance,” he amended. He leaned in and gently kissed her cheek, just by her ear. Holly heard his breath quiver and when he pulled back, he ran his hand down his face nervously, rubbing his cheek as he looked at her shyly. “I don’t have any business cards on me and spandex makes it a bit difficult to carry – but look me up and call me. Please?”
Opening her car door, she saw Niall backed away to give her room. She got in, quickly shut the door and locked it as if to keep the boogeyman at bay. Starting up her car, she turned on the heated seats to allow her thigh muscles to relax a bit after the run. Watching out the window as she pulled forward, she saw Niall get into a vintage car off in the distance. As she’d seen his rugged appearance, she figured he’d get into a truck or flashy BMW. Instead he got into a restored muscle car – a Ford Torino.
Smiling, she gave a slight wave and shook her head. Niall Cael was not at all what she expected nor did he fit any mold. The man was different. Good looking, a complete gentleman, and with a flair for vintage things apparently. Perhaps he worked on cars for a living or hung onto it from his father, a nostalgic item? Perhaps she was just a bit curious and would google the man…
Maybe.
5
Niall sat back at his desk, aggravated. It had been two weeks since he’d seen the lovely woman and the scent of her still filled his mind. All she had to do was look him up and she’d see he was well-off. He was actually filthy rich from smart decisions made over the years. He’d kept his name boldly and tacked on a Roman Numeral at the end afterwards to throw anyone off the track, said it was a familial name that was passed on through the generations. Just like his home, business and bank account.
Presently he was claiming to be the thirteenth in the family, or at least since records were written down and transcribed easily. Newspaper and books had changed his lifestyle, just like internet would as well. It was only a matter of time before he would be forced to address the fact that he wasn’t aging. He very rarely worked in his high-rise offices, preferring to work from his home office, but something in him hoped that she would look him up, call or email him.
Hearing his cell phone, he punched the button in aggravation and saw it was a FaceTime from his brother. There was something about Brion that gave him a ‘feeling’ about something. They used to call it the Sight or Devil’s magic. He knew when something was wrong or if one of them needed a pick-me-up.
“What are you pouting about now?”
“Thanks. Gee, I’m glad you called to interrupt my day.”
“You haven’t worked…actually worked…in over two hundred years, ya old fart.”
“I’m going to let you get away with that since I am technically older than you by five years and in all actuality? You are an old fart too.”
“True…true…,” he said glibly, smiling at the screen. “So really, what’s up?”
“Nothing.”
“Don’t lie to me,” he reminded with a wink. “I’m the human lie detector. So really- what gives?” Niall looked at his brother and for the first time saw the fatigue on his face and lines under his eyes.
“Are you eating enough?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“You look like shit for a vamp. Did you get someone with a disease or anemia?”
“Look I’m just not resting well.”
“Something wrong?”
“Nightmares,” Brion admitted and glanced away from the camera. “I keep hearing someone crying and a few nights ago- she was screaming. I can’t seem to shake it and it’s the same dream over and over again until last night.”
“What happened?”
“I didn’t dream at all and I’m really freaked out about it,” he admitted and Niall saw the devastation in his brothers’ eyes that he was trying to hide. “But enough about me. What about you? Time for another flea collar?”
“Har-di-har-har. The last seven you sent me are still in the package. I promise you, the joke never gets old,” Niall said sarcastically. “And besides, you wouldn’t understand.”
“Again?” Brion said sarcastically. “Jeezy-peets you think with your dick, don’t you?”
“Look- just because I don’t have a horrible receding hairline like the rest of you doesn’t mean you have to be hateful. Maybe if you got laid more often you’d realize what you are missing when you have something warm under you.” Niall knew the joke hit home when his brother slapped a baseball cap on his head. He didn’t have a receding hairline, but the fact that he was self-conscious about it was ammunition enough.
“I know I’m going to regret this but inquiring minds want to know… doggy style? Wait! Don’t answer ‘cause I will just want to scratch my eyes out. Are you in heat again, buddy?”
“Male wolves don’t go into heat. It’s called mating season and yes but this time it’s different.”
“You’re gay?”
“What? No. I swear I could kick your… Brion, I think I met HER.”
“Cairene?” he yelped nervously.
“No, my mate. I think I met a mate for me,” he whispered quietly, putting his hands behind his head and staring up at the ceiling. “She was beautiful and so graceful when she moved. There was something about her and when she got close – I could smell her and it did something to me. I can’t explain it, I just know and I think she felt it too.”
“You are so screwed,” his brother blurted out, laughing hysterically.
“Were you just listening to me? That’s the problem- I’m not. Holly is fighting the attraction and quite literally stabbed me in the arm with her key to get away. She’s scared of me and I don’t know how to get past that.”
“You need to reach her on her level and let her be in control. Use your doggy instincts and go to her belly up,” he snickered, trying to keep a straight face. Niall stuck up his middle finger at the phone.
“You aren’t funny.”
“No, I’m actually thinking I’m brilliant. I mean, if she’s your mate- that would make her compatible with you. Don’t male dogs let the females become the aggressor during mating season?”
“I don’t know ‘cause I have never mated or bonded with anyone in over a thousand years. This is emotional, not just physical, so I’m kinda lost.”
“Don’t look at me, mutt. I’m in the dark too,” Brion shrugged and then looked away from the camera again. Niall could see the sadness in his brother’s face and knew there was more to the dreams. “I’m glad you are somewhat okay though and I hope it works out for you so you aren’t alone anymore. Do a little research on your girl and wolves. See if there is anything that can help you and then try applying a bit of it to yourself.”
“Oh, there’s another problem,” Niall said quickly.
“What’s that?”
“She’s allergic to dogs,” he muttered angrily under his breath. Brion’s hysterical laughter echoed in the office and he’d heard enough. “I gotta go. Bye,” Niall snapped angrily and hung up on his brother.
It wasn’t funny in the slightest.
* * *
&
nbsp; It took Niall several hours of searching to finally find information on Holly Baines and two weeks to get up the nerve to pursue the information he’d discovered. Apparently her name was of Scottish ancestry and spelled differently from how it sounded. When he realized her name was Scottish, he practically howled in delight, barely restraining the urge to let loose a yell. He’d become desperate at trying to find her as his whole world had begun to center around finding Holly. He’d stopped and started to wonder if she’d lied about her name until he misspelled it in the search bar of Google.
He was cantankerous, short tempered and avoiding everyone – everything was about finding out more about Holly. He’d searched her online and found old posts on a blog. She was an avid and prolific writer in her profession putting out several papers about oral cleanliness and dental hygiene. He thought it was comical that she was a well-known dentist in the area and the thought of showing her his canines gave the vampire in him a hard-on immediately. He had to do something because he couldn’t think, he couldn’t sleep, and he couldn’t feed. He missed her smell and the presence she had in that brief time he’d known her.
Niall had it bad for his pink princess.
But today that would hopefully come to an end. He hadn’t put two-and-two together from the race until he saw she was a dentist. Her words came back to him and he found himself smiling. Holly thought he had a pretty smile and had mentioned getting his teeth checked when he’d tripped, splitting his lip. That would be all the excuse that he would need to get seen by the lovely little dentist that had him completely fascinated.
His cleaning was at 4 PM today.
Pulling into the parking lot, he glanced up at the office and smiled. His little Holly seemed to be very well-off and proud of her office. Clean, contemporary lines with soft under-lighting made the office feel immaculate but welcoming. There were several photos on the wall of before and after bleached teeth, invisible teeth aligners and the variety of results it produced. He grinned as he thought of what his picture would look like. Perhaps he’d ask her to put it up at Halloween as a joke.
“Mr. Cael, we’ll need you to fill out these forms – front and back. I need your driver’s license and proof of insurance card as well. Dr. Baines has another patient but we have a hygienist that is available to clean your…”
“No, I’ll wait for Dr. Baines,” Niall said smoothly. “I’m in no rush. She can take as long as she needs.” He nearly laughed as his hearing picked up a soft curse word from the back of the office. She knew he was there and avoiding him. He listened intently and heard some whispers from the back, garnering some strange looks from the ladies at the front desk. He just smiled widely at them. He finished filling out the forms and walked up to the counter. As he handed the clipboard to the receptionist, he smiled ever so sweetly and slid a box to her on the counter.
“Could you give this to Dr. Baines for me and let her know that I’ll be waiting for when she is ready.”
“Of course,” she replied confused. She picked up the box of Benadryl and walked it around the corner only to hear a loud, feminine laugh that made his body surge with happiness. His girl got the joke. He was glad he thought of the icebreaker and hoped it helped alleviate some of the tension that the appointment might have caused her. When last he saw her, she thought she was saying goodbye. Not in the slightest; she’d only peaked his interest.
“Mr. Cael?” Niall sprang to his feet immediately and resisted the urge to smile. Gosh she looked phenomenal. She had on a pretty pink blouse with the collar jutted out over her white lab coat. His Holly liked the color pink and it looked terrific on her. He filed that away in his mind to send her some pink roses. Holly held open the door politely that led back to the dental offices.
“What are you doing here?” she whispered silently.
“I need my teeth checked. I have it on good authority that I need a professional opinion after a fall I had… plus it’s time for a cleaning.”
“Who did your last cleaning?”
“It’s been a while,” he shrugged. Like about forty years, he thought. The last cleaning he’d had resulted in him nicking the dentist and an incisor reacted. Yeah, that was not a good day in the slightest. Turns out the doctor was taking prescription pain pills and he was able to convince him that it was a hallucination. Niall had tasted the strange chemical taste within that single droplet and glad the man hadn’t continued with trying to do anything to him.
Niall took a seat in the large chair and looked at Holly expectantly. She stared at him blankly and shook her head, causing him to smile knowingly.
“Are you having any problems?”
“Not with my teeth,” he said honestly.
“Let’s get a few X-rays and then we’ll start.”
“Sounds good.”
He heard the whine of the machine once she’d placed the cartridge in his mouth. He opened his mouth again complacently and bit down as she instructed on the other side for the other X-ray. Moments later, she clicked on a file on the desktop and turned her head quizzically glancing at him.
“Smile for me,” she ordered clinically. Niall grinned knowing exactly what she was looking at. His large incisors. He glanced at the photos on the screen and sure enough, each incisor was elongated up into his jaw, making them slightly longer than each tooth beside it.
“Is something wrong?” he asked innocently.
“Not at all,” she quickly brushed him off. “Let’s lie you back and see what everything looks like. By the way, thank you for the Benadryl.”
Niall felt his heart hammer happily as she leaned him back in the chair, putting him down by her lap where she sat on the roll around stool.
“Do you want some glasses to put on your eyes as I turn the lamp on?”
“Yes please,” he said politely. The light didn’t bother him like the movies portrayed, but the glasses would give him ample opportunity to study her. She placed them on his head and flipped on the light. Grabbing a small mirror, she instructed him to say ‘ah’. Holly peered in his mouth and ran her finger lightly on the outside of his gums, causing him to moan with delight. She jerked her hands away from his mouth immediately.
“Did I hurt you?”
“No. I’m sorry, please go ahead.”
“You made a… noise,” she stammered, blushing and looking away. Niall grinned at her reaction and almost groaned again in happiness.
“It’s been a while since my last cleaning and I forgot how much I enjoyed having clean teeth,” he said innocently. Holly let out her breath and nodded in agreement.
“That is what got me into the dental field. There is nothing better than the way your teeth feel then after you’ve flossed. Now, lie quietly and let me do my inspection.” Niall opened his mouth again and closed his eyes behind the dark glasses. He’d wanted to look at Holly and watch her as she worked, but instead he lay there savoring the sweet sensation of her finger on his gums and lips. He pretended she was caressing him and breathed in deep her sweet perfume. This time he did sigh happily and didn’t bother to try and hide it. Her chuckle of laughter under her breath surprised him and gave him goosebumps.
“Are you cold?”
“No.”
“I think everything looks okay and solid. I don’t see any loose teeth or discolorations. Your gums look excellent and no cavities. Do you want cinnamon, orange, cherry or peppermint?”
“Excuse me?”
“What flavor fluoride do you want me to use?”
“Oh… uh, cherry.”
“That is my favorite too. Cherry fluoride and cinnamon rope floss are my go-to’s. I tell all my clients to try to avoid the wax floss because it doesn’t clean as deeply and can cut the gums. Do you use a Waterpik?”
“A what?”
“Your teeth are gorgeous,” she admitted with a smile. “Do you use a Waterpik and if so, what brand?”
“No, should I?”
“They are nice but I don’t think you’re having any problems flossing so I’d
skip the expense of one.” She grabbed the small cup of fluoride and pulled back the lid. Smearing some on the head of the polisher, she smiled. “Ready?”
Niall nodded, captivated. She was in her element and approachable, something that made him want to reach out. He jerked back for a moment just as she was fixing to polish his teeth. Holly backed away quizzically, holding up the polisher.
“Do you want a different flavor after all?” she asked, confused. Niall reached with his foot to slide the door almost closed and could see the warning look in her eyes. “What are you doing, Mr. Cael?”
“I wanted to ask you a question and didn’t want the whole office listening,” he began softly, laying there looking up at Holly. The wolf was bearing his stomach to his woman, his mate. “Was there something wrong or something I did that made you refuse to go to dinner with me?” he whispered, trying to keep his voice down.
“We barely know each other.”
“How else will I ever get to know you if I can’t talk with you or see you?”
“Is this why you made the appointment?”
“That and it was long overdue,” he admitted plainly.
“How’d you know I was a dentist?”
“Why didn’t you look me up when I mentioned it?”
“I did,” she whispered after several moments and glanced away, her pulse a feather at the base of her throat beckoning him.
“Holly, I didn’t mean to alarm you or scare you,” he began and swallowed his pride. “I really like you and am really attracted to you. If not dinner, then a movie or something else – just please, give me a chance.”
Niall found himself sitting up on his elbows earnestly as he looked at her. He could see her eyes darting around and her mind working as she looked at him and then at the door. There was intense desire in her expression that made his body respond and he was fighting the urge to yank her into the chair tooth and nail. He could smell the responsive scent of her body and see the soft flush to her cheeks. She was irresistible and his willpower was fading quickly.