by Evelyn Glass
“Anyone in particular you plan to do this with?” she asked softly, refusing to look away from his gaze.
“I have my eye on someone, yes,” he replied quietly as he continued to look at her.
Shayna felt squirmy under his intense gaze. It was as if he was looking right through her and into her soul. “Does she have any say in what happens?”
“Of course. But I would warn her that once I settle on a plan, I’m not easily deterred.”
She couldn’t hold his gaze any longer and looked away, feeling hot and flustered. After last night she didn’t worry about him forcing himself on her, but knowing that he intended to have her again excited her. It was like last night against the door all over again. He hadn’t forced her, but the power of his will could make her resistance disappear like smoke in a wind.
She looked up, meeting his eyes again. “What if she likes your plan?”
“Even better. She issued a challenge last night, and tonight I intend to meet it.”
Shayna felt her stomach roll over, remembering him taking her against the door, how she could barely stand afterwards and how he’d made her cry out softly from the intensity of her orgasm. She’d never done that before, and she wanted to do it again.
She felt flushed, itchy, and ready to fuck. What’s he doing to me? He makes me a quivering blob of jelly one night, and then all I can think about is jumping his bones again? What’s wrong with me? Screw it! I don’t care! For as long as it lasts, I’m going to go with it.
“I hope you can,” she said, unable to hide her smile.
He watched as her color rose, her pale skin turning a slight red around her neck and face, her smile calling to him. She was so damn sexy, but, more than that, she was comfortable with herself. She didn’t flaunt her appearance and her casual sexiness spoke to him. She wasn’t throwing herself at him or playing hard to get, she wasn’t playing any games at all that he could tell, and that appealed to him more than anything.
He’d had more than his share of beautiful and sexy women, but none of them were any more than playthings. Most were one and done, and the few he had returned to, it was because of what they did to him in bed. But with Shayna, it wasn’t as much how she made him feel in the bedroom as much as how she made him feel outside the bedroom. She suddenly looked away, blushing furiously, and he smiled. I wonder what she’s thinking about?
***
“This the place?” Beast asked as the bike vibrated between Shayna’s legs. They had the entire afternoon to kill, and over brunch he’d asked to see where she’d be working.
“This is it.”
He juiced the bike and pulled to a stop in front of the door. “Show me around?”
“Sure, I guess.” The clinic hours posted on the door said they closed at one on Saturday, which would give them thirty minutes. He killed the bike and they stepped off, parking their helmets on the review mirrors.
“Dr. Shephard?” Darcy asked as they entered. “What are you doing here?”
“This is Conor, a friend of mine. He wanted to see where I was going to work, and we were out, so I thought I would bring him by. I hope that’s okay.”
“Sure. No problem. Pete is with a patient. Do you want me tell him you’re here?”
“No, no, that’s okay. Do you think he’d mind if I showed Conor around?”
“I don’t think so, but we’re closing in thirty minutes.”
“I know. We won’t be long. Thanks, Darcy.”
Shayna started down the hall, stepping into one of the rooms. “This is one of the exam rooms. There are three of these.” There wasn’t much to see, so she continued through the back door into the working area of the clinic. “Down here is the surgical suite.”
She paused as he stuck his head in and looked around. With the exception that the room was lager, one wall was lined with a cabinet full of medical supplies, there was a large window into the hall, and the table was in the center of the room with a large light over it instead of mounted on the wall, it looked much like the room they’d just stepped out of.
“Okay. You realize I have no idea what I’m looking at.”
Shayna giggled. “Nothing much to see, actually.” She continued on to the bullpen. “This is where we house convalescing animals.”
“Hello, Shayna,” Pete said from behind her. “Who’s this?”
“Hi Dr…I mean Pete. This is Conor. When I told him that I was starting to work here in a couple of weeks he wanted to see. I hope you don’t mind me showing him around.”
“Peter Lowerence,” Pete said extending his hand.
“Conor Boyd. Nice to meet you, Dr. Lowerence.”
“Same. Shayna, Mandy is out with the dogs at the moment, giving them a run before we box them up for the day, so there isn’t much to see at the moment.”
“Do you need some help?” she asked. Since she was here and being disruptive she figured she could at least offer to help.
“No, we’ve got it. We have a routine down for this.”
Shayna noticed Beast looking at the pup still cowering in his cage. “Sad little thing, isn’t he?”
“What’s wrong with him?”
“The biggest problem is he won’t eat. That and he bites anytime anybody gets near him,” Pete said.
Beast crouched down a little so he could look more fully into the cage. “You don’t look so tough to me,” he said to the dog. He opened the cage. “You want to come see me?”
“Conor, that’s not a good idea. Close the cage please and don’t mess with him. I don’t want you to get bitten,” Peter ordered.
“You’re not going to bite are you, buddy?” Beast said, ignoring Pete. “Why don’t you come see me?”
The dog began to back up, trying to shrink farther back into the cage. Beast stood and looked around. “Can he have one of those?” he asked looking at the big container of dog treats.
“Yes, but he won’t take it,” Shayna said. “Conor, let him be. Let’s go before he bites you.”
“He’s not going to bite me,” he said taking the container and removing two treats. “You’re not going to bite me are you, buddy?” He didn’t reach into the cage and held the treat just inside the door. He took a nibble from the second treat. “Mmm…you’re missing out.”
Shayna and Pete watched as Beast talked to the dog in his normal voice, speaking to the animal as if he were another person. The dog licked his lips, obviously wanting the treat but refused to leave the back of the kennel.
Beast took another nibble, saying nothing. The pup licked its lips again and inched forward then pulled back. Beast took another nibble from the cookie. It was dry and tasted like sawdust soaked in hamburger grease, but he took another nibble from the treat. “You don’t know what you’re missing,” he said, keeping his eyes on the dog.
Shayna felt a chill pass through her as the dog crept to Beast, inching along on his belly. It stopped several times, whining in terror, but then crept forward a little more. The door to the run in the back opened. Pete held his hand up firmly, palm at the door, then pointed back outside. Mandy paused then softly closed the door.
Beast pulled the treat back and extended the one he’d been nibbling on to the dog. The pup strained for it, couldn’t reach, inched forward a bit more and took the treat at the very end. Beast held it as the pup pulled at it. “If you want it, you’re going to have to come get it.”
Shayna started to say something, thinking Beast was making a mistake and he should give the pup the treat, but then changed her mind. He’d gotten this far without her help.
The pup inched forward a bit more and got a better grip on the treat and pulled. Beast let it go and the pup quickly retreated to the back of the cage, chewing greedily on the treat. The moment he finished, Beast produced the other treat. “Want another?”
The pup inched closer, still obviously afraid, but bolder than before. Beast held the treat out of the cage so the pup had to come all the way to the opening to get it. The pup eyed Shayna a
nd Pete warily.
“Don’t worry about them,” Beast said, still holding the treat. “They’re okay.” The dog watched them, but when they didn’t move, he turned his attention back to Beast. “Come on out and say hi,” Beast encouraged. The pup reached for the cookie, but couldn’t reach it. His tongue traveled the outside of his mouth, obviously wanting the treat in Beast’s hand, whining in frustration and fear that he couldn’t reach it.
“Need a little help?” Beast asked, extending the cookie to the dog as he slowly reached around his middle. As the dog took the treat, Beast picked him up. The dog dropped the cookie and began to whine and struggle, but Beast held him tight, holding his head to his chest. “It’s okay, buddy, nobody’s going to hurt you. Shhh…it’s okay,” he said holding the dog tight until it stopped struggling, his head tucked inside his jacket.
The dog’s sides were heaving as he panted, his painfully thin body quivering in fear, but Beast continue to speak softly, slowly stroking the animal until the dog gradually relaxed.
Shayna whimpered quietly, her face twisting as she struggled to not cry, a single tear leaking out of her eye and running down her cheek. She was afraid to say anything for fear of breaking the bond between Beast and dog. As the dog continued to relax, Pete moved to the door and explained to Mandy what was going on, then returned with an open can of wet dog food.
“Here, see if you can get him to eat this,” Pete said extending the can to Beast.
Beast dipped his fingers into the can and pulled out a glob of the gruel. “You still hungry? I bet you are. Your ribs are sticking out,” he said as he pulled the dog’s head out of his jacket. “I haven’t tried it, but his stuff has to be better than that cookie you just ate.”
The dog licked the meat off Beasts fingers. The moment they were clean Beast reached into the can and dug out another portion. “No biting!” he commanded as he softly rapped the pup on the nose with a finger. “I know you’re hungry, but you bite me again and we’re going to rumble.” Beast had to remind the pup twice more to be gentle, but the dog ate the entire can plus a bit out of a second before he was full.
“See, you’re not so tough,” he murmured as the pup’s eyes began to close. He stuck his head inside Beast’s jacket again and became still.
“That’s the damned thing I’ve ever seen,” Pete murmured as Beast continued to hold the dog. “I was going to put him down Monday if he was still not eating.”
Beast gently placed the dog back in the kennel and closed the door softly. He stepped to the sink and washed his hands, inspecting his fingers where the dog had bitten.
“You okay?” Shayna asked.
“Yeah. No blood.” He paused then smiled. “You bite harder than that,” he whispered so only she could hear.
“Conor, do me a favor,” Pete said as he stepped up, holding out a small towel. “Take this and rub it under your arms. Do you have an old unwashed shirt you don’t want anymore? Or can I buy one of your shirts after you wear it for a day. I want to put in the cage with our little friend here.”
“Sure doc. Want me to drop it off tomorrow?” Beast asked as he scrubbed his armpits with the cloth.
“I’ll get Shayna a key and the code for the alarm.”
After leaving Lowerence Veterinary Clinic, they stopped at Lorenzi Park. It was an unusually cool May day, perfect for walking. With temps in the low eighties, they spent a couple of hours wandering along the walking trails and feeding the ducks at the two ponds.
Shayna believed dogs were good judges of character and watching the pup come to Beast, eat from his hand, and fall asleep in his arms had reinforced what she was already feeling. As they walked she’d first taken his hand and then later began to lean in close. She smiled to herself. She was seriously smitten with Mr. Conor Boyd, and she couldn’t remember feeling like this in a long time. Panty-dampening handsome, a devastatingly good lover, not a creep, and good with dogs, too? What more was there to want? It didn’t hurt that she noticed several women looking at her and Beast as they walked. Normally it was the men staring when she was on a date, and it felt good having her date coveted for once.
“How about an ice cream?” he asked as they strolled, hand in hand.
“Sure, I guess.”
He pulled her to a stop at the kiosk. “What flavor?”
She looked over the selection. “Praline Pecan.”
“Two scoops, one Praline Pecan, one Buttered Pecan,” he ordered, removing off a few bills from his clip.
“One cone?”
“Why? Do you mind sharing?”
“No. I’m just surprised, that’s all.”
He took the cone and offered her the first lick as they strolled away. “Why? Considering where our mouths were last night, I didn’t think you’d mind sharing an ice cream.”
She giggled. “No, I guess not.” There was nobody around, so she smiled wickedly and pulled his hand to her mouth after he had a taste and made a big production of licking the cone as she moaned softly.
He watched as she attacked the cone, holding his hand still as her tongue danced over the treat, caressing the cold dessert with her tongue and lips. “On the other hand, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, after all,” he said when she stopped and smiled at him.
She laughed, delighted at his reaction, his eyes still focused on her mouth as she cleaned up the ice cream on her lips with her tongue. “Wait until you see what I can do when I don’t have to worry about brain freeze,” she purred before rising up on toes to give him a quick kiss.
He nodded, smiling in return. He was already well aware of what she could do. “I’ll never look at ice cream the same way again,” he said quietly as they turned to start walking again, her trilling giggle like music in his ears.
***
“Hey, Mom!” Shayna called as she bounded into the house, her suit in a wad under her arm.
“You’re back. How was your date?”
“Fantastic! I need to change then we’re going out to dinner.”
“Will you be home tonight?”
Shayna flushed. She was twenty-six years old, and her parents knew she was sexually active, but she was still embarrassed to talk about it in front of them. “No, probably not.”
“Just be careful, okay?”
“I will, promise,” she said as she scurried out of the kitchen. Beast was going to pick up her up in an hour and she had to hurry. Fifty minutes later she’d showered and donned a pale mint summer dress with an open back and a scoop neck that showed off just enough cleavage to keep a man interested.
“A dress? When are we going to get to meet Mr. He’s-worth-wearing-a-dress-for?” her mother teased.
Shayna blushed. “It’s just dinner.”
“Uh-huh. That’s why you won’t be home.” Leigh saw her daughter look at her feet. “Don’t worry. It’s okay. I’m not so old that I can’t remember what it’s like to be twenty-six. You’re a good girl and I know you’ll be careful.”
Shayna relaxed a little. “Thanks, Mom.”
“What’s his name?”
“Conor. Conor Boyd,” she replied as her phone trilled. “That’s him. I have to go. Love you, Mom!”
Leigh accepted the quick kiss from Shayna then watched as her daughter bounded out the door. She saw her slide into a white Benz before a handsome man in a sport coat slid in beside, smiling to herself as the car pulled away. Oh to be twenty-six again. But if we don’t have to worry about her coming home tonight…Leigh checked the time. Bob should be home in about an hour. She may not be twenty-six anymore, but that didn’t mean she didn’t enjoy a good hard romp now and then. With a grin, she started to the bedroom, unbuttoning her blouse as she went. Mr. Robert Shephard was going to get a nice surprise when he got home from the gun show.
***
The car glided to a stop at Café Mayakovosky, yet another place she’d heard of but never visited. Beast explained that DR Security had to handle a wide range of customers, so he had a line on all the best places for fo
od and entertainment. Beast was incredibly handsome in his slacks and sport coat, and Shayna decided he could make anything look good.
They sat close and she could barely keep her hands to herself. They ate light and didn’t linger over dinner, knowing what was coming later. Neither wanted to feel stuffed and after they slid into the back of the Mercedes, he put his hand on her leg and caressed it softly.
“How’s Russian food?” Rip asked from the front.
“Pretty good, actually,” Beast said as his hand slid a little farther up her thigh. “Did you like it?” he asked Shayna.
“I didn’t know what to expect, but yeah it was pretty good,” she replied.
