Immortal Ever After (Argeneau #18)

Anders nearly pushed them both over the edge with his mouth; certainly, they were both teetering on that edge when Valerie suddenly cried his name and tugged at his ears almost painfully. He immediately recalled what had started all this. Her feeling that it had been unfair that he’d pleasured her earlier without, she thought, gaining any pleasure himself.

Cursing, Anders stood at once, caught her legs in both hands again and thrust into her. He froze then, hardly aware of the long groan both he and Valerie issued together. All he was aware of for a moment was how damned good it felt to be buried in her, to have her warm, wet heat closing around him like a glove, squeezing and pulsing around him. Nothing in his life had ever felt this good and for a moment, he couldn’t move, didn’t want to. But then Valerie shifted, wrapping her legs behind his butt and arching against him.

Anders began to move then, withdrawing and thrusting in again. But as far along as they were, it was only a few thrusts before they were both crying out and then sinking into the dark well of pleasure.

Chapter Twelve

Valerie opened her eyes and found herself staring at Roxy’s furry face. She smiled wryly at the sight of her pitiful eyes, and then Roxy shifted and twisted a bit so that she could scratch her ear with her back paw.

“Damn,” Valerie breathed.

“What is it?”

Glancing around at Anders’s question, Valerie smiled shyly when she saw that she was lying on her back with her head on his arm while he lay on his side, peering at her sleepily. The last thing she remembered was being splayed across the bed sideways with him between her legs. She supposed he’d moved her again after she’d—“I fainted again.”

Anders smiled slowly. “Would that be due to my superior skill as a lover?”

Valerie chuckled at the smug look on his face, but said, “I guess it must be . . . that and my wound. Maybe I haven’t built my blood back up yet.”

“Maybe,” he said mildly.

A whine from Roxy drew her attention again and Valerie began to shift the sheets and blankets aside with a sigh, but paused when she recalled that she was naked.

“Shy?” Anders teased lightly as he got up, completely, gloriously, and unabashedly nude.

“A little,” Valerie admitted, her eyes roaming over his body. Damn, the man was beautiful. He was like a Greek god, muscles rippling under unblemished mocha skin. How did she dare show her own less-than-perfect body to him?

“Here.”

Valerie managed to drag her eyes up to his face, but paused along the way as she noted the clothes he was holding out.

“You go ahead and dress. I need to use the bathroom,” he said.

Valerie watched him cross the room, her eyes fused to his tight tush as he walked. Damn. This just wasn’t fair. The man had a nicer behind than she did. And those legs? Wow. When the bathroom door closed, cutting off her view, Valerie gave her head a small shake and turned her attention to dressing as quickly as she could. She had no idea how long he’d be in the bathroom.

Anders took long enough that Valerie had dressed, brushed her hair and was hooking Roxy’s leash to her when he came out of the bathroom. Much to her amazement, he too was dressed. He must have taken his clothes into the bathroom with him earlier. How had she missed that? She didn’t have to wonder hard about it. She’d been so busy ogling his butt, he could have been wearing a moose head and she wouldn’t have noticed, Valerie acknowledged wryly.

“I imagine Roxy has to go out,” Anders commented as he approached.

“Yes. Unfortunately, so do I,” Valerie said as he paused in front of her.

“I can take her out while you use the bathroom,” he offered, taking the lead from her.

“Thank you,” she said with sincere gratitude. She really had to go. “I’ll be down in just a minute.”

“No hurry,” he assured her, heading for the door with Roxy trotting dutifully behind him. “Take a shower if you want.”

Valerie didn’t wait to see him leave, but immediately headed for the bathroom. She hadn’t originally intended to shower, but after taking care of other matters, she noted the still dripping showerhead, realized Anders must have had a quick shower before dressing, and decided maybe she wanted one after all. But a quick one.

With her long hair to shampoo and rinse and the need to shave, Valerie wasn’t as quick as Anders, but she was still pretty quick. When she got out, she brushed out her hair, put it back in a ponytail and then went out into her bedroom to find fresh clothes. A glance out her window showed another hot and sunny day, so rather than the jeans she’d worn that morning when it was cooler, Valerie donned a pair of red shorts and a white T-shirt.

Anders and Roxy were still outside when she got downstairs, so she headed out to join them, frowning and muttering another, “Damn,” when Roxy sat down to scratch herself.

“What’s wrong?” Anders asked, moving toward her.

“Roxy should have had her flea pill three days ago,” Valerie answered.

Anders paused and glanced back to a still scratching Roxy. Frowning, he said, “Well, surely fleas couldn’t have infested her already?”

Valerie smiled. “No. She’s probably just scratching because of dry skin or something, but if I don’t get her her pill, she could get fleas.”

“I suppose her pills are in Cambridge?” he asked with a grimace.

“Yes,” she admitted, but quickly added, “The nearest vet should be able to supply them, though. There’s no need to drive all the way to Cambridge.”

“Good,” Anders said, obviously relieved. He glanced to the house, then to Roxy and finally to Valerie and said, “Well, we could pick them up now. Maybe grab some breakfast out.”

“Or brunch,” Valerie said wryly with a glance at her watch. It was after 11 now. They’d been up for hours. Well, not really up, she supposed. More like up and down, she thought and then said, “I guess we’ll have to take Roxy with us. I wouldn’t want to leave her here alone. She might get up to mischief.”

“You can leave her with me,” Leigh announced, drawing their attention to her presence in the open French doors.

“Good morning,” Valerie said, offering a smile and wondering why she was suddenly blushing. It wasn’t like the woman knew what had happened between she and Anders while Leigh and her husband were sleeping just up the hall. They hadn’t been that loud. Had they?

“Good morning,” Leigh responded, reaching out to squeeze her hand. “You two go ahead and get the pills. I’m happy to look after Roxy while you’re gone.”

“Are you sure?” Valerie asked.

“Positive,” Leigh assured her. “Roxy’s a sweetheart, and she’ll keep me company until Lucian wakes up.”

“Thank you,” Anders said. “Is there anything you need while we’re out?”

Leigh hesitated, and then asked, “Would you mind making a stop at the grocery store on the way back?”

“Not at all,” he assured her. “What do you need?”

She glanced back toward the house, and then said, “I know we need bread and milk, but there may be a couple more things. I’ll check and text you a list if that’s all right?”

“Of course,” Anders said with amusement and then took Valerie’s arm to urge her into the house. As he walked her through the living room and up the hall he said, “Go grab your shoes and purse. I’ll pull the car out of the garage and around to the door.”

“Okay,” Valerie agreed and started to turn for the stairs, only to have Anders swing her back and claim her lips. She hesitated under the caress, but then slid her arms around his neck and kissed him back when he deepened it. Damn, one kiss and she was ready to drag him up to her room again.

She’d barely had the thought when Anders broke the kiss and smiled at her. “Go, or we’ll end up back in your bed and Roxy and Leigh will have to do without.”

A bit dazed still from the kiss, Valerie nodded silently and turned to the stairs, flushing bright red when she glanced up the hall and spotted a grinning Leigh watching them from the kitchen.

Shaking her head, Valerie hurried quickly upstairs, trying to remember what she was going there for. It was damned embarrassing, but just one kiss from Anders left her a blithering idiot.

“Geez, there isn’t a single parking spot,” Anders muttered, scanning the crammed parking lot of the veterinary clinic. “I’ll have to look for a spot on the street.”

“Or you could just double-park here and I could run in,” Valerie suggested. When he frowned at the suggestion, she rolled her eyes. “You can see everyone coming and going from here and I should only be a minute. I’ll be fine.”

He pursed his lips, then let his breath out on a sigh and nodded, “Okay, but scream my name if you need me. I’ll hear you.”

“Sure you will,” Valerie said with amusement, and then leaned forward to kiss him, but caught herself at the last minute. It was just too risky. His kisses sent her up in flames. Besides, she wasn’t sure she had the right. Valerie wasn’t really sure what was happening between them yet. They’d had sex, sure, really hot, mind-blowing sex, but that didn’t mean she had the right to kiss him when she wanted to, or to treat him like a boyfriend. Heck, they hadn’t even been on a date yet, and she had no idea if they would, or if he wanted to. Maybe she was just a fling to him.

Sighing at the situation she’d managed to get herself into, Valerie forced a smile and slid quickly out of the car, saying, “I’ll be right back.”

The clinic was as busy inside as the parking lot suggested. Every seat in the place was taken and the floor was littered with dogs, cat carriers, and cages with smaller animals. There were also three people in line, waiting to register their animals.

Valerie took her place at the end of the line and glanced around as she waited. There was a Doberman pinscher with an injured paw, a sheltie lying down and looking miserable, a Lab who appeared to be losing its hair, a cat who was meowing nonstop . . . She mentally noted each animal, doing a quick assessment, and working out what treatment was required. It was a mental exercise to pass the time, but made her miss her own clinic quite a bit. Valerie loved being a vet, always had. You didn’t go to school all that time for a career you didn’t love and Valerie loved animals. Taking care of them was her dream job.

“Ma’am?”

Valerie glanced forward, surprised to see that it was her turn at the counter. Either the two women running the desk here were particularly efficient, or she’d spent more time analyzing the animals than she’d realized.

Smiling, she stepped up to the counter and explained the situation. It turned out to be a little more involved than she’d expected. This clinic was pretty strict and made her fill out a patient form for Roxy, listing her birthday, full name, date of last shots, etc. Valerie shifted along the counter to make way for the next person while she quickly filled out the pertinent information. She was half listening to the pet owners who stepped up to the counter after her, and had just finished filling out the form when a woman’s voice caught her ear.

Pausing, Valerie lifted her head and glanced over, peering curiously at the petit, short-haired blond chatting easily with the receptionist. Her voice was familiar. She sounded an awfully lot like one of the women who had been caged in the house of horror with her, Cindy—

“Sorry, Miss MacVicar,” a man in a doctor’s coat, one of the vets she supposed, said, appearing on the other side of the counter. “I had to write up the file.”

Valerie froze, her eyes running over the woman again. It was her: Cindy MacVicar. Her eyes slid to the cat carrier the woman carried. Cindy had told them she had a cat named Mittens.

“That’s all right, Doc,” the blond said with a smile. “Mittens and I are in no hurry.”

Nodding, the man turned to the receptionist and began to give instructions and Valerie immediately stepped closer along the counter, saying, “Cindy?”

“Yes?” The blond turned, a small scar by the corner of her mouth puckering as she smiled at her uncertainly. Tilting her head as she peered at Valerie, she frowned. “I’m sorry. Do I know you?”

“Yes,” she said at once, and then admitted, “Well, not by sight. I’m sorry, it’s me, Valerie Moyer,” she explained and when the woman’s expression remained blank, she added, “From the house?”

Cindy shook her head with bewilderment. “What house?”

The question made Valerie frown, but she explained, “The house with Igor and his boss?”

“Igor?” Cindy echoed with amusement, but shook her head again. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”