by Kyla Riley
And then he smiled. His poor split lip had bled into his mouth, as well as his bloodied nose where he’d hit the asphalt. The dentist in her practically high-fived him as she got a glimpse of his teeth. Except for the blood, his teeth were beautiful. Large, bright white incisors, canines, bicuspids, and his wide smile allowed her to see the edge of his premolars. She saw no silver, no discoloration and no staining. The man obviously didn’t smoke, drink or had an amazing dentist on staff that bleached his teeth whenever he wanted. It seemed like a shame to have one of those beauties end up chipped, discolored or loose.
And she’d commented on it.
Crossing the finish line, Holly hit the stop button on her watch to keep herself from slapping her forehead. She obediently ducked her head and received her finisher’s medal. Everyone who crossed the line got one and she had a rack at her condo to display them. Closing her eyes, she thought of that beautiful man’s smile for a moment as she walked, shaking off the lactic acid buildup in the muscles of her legs.
Can you put the dentist away for a bit and let the woman come out and play, she mused, feeling like a huge idiot. Only a dentist could be happy at looking in a person’s mouth…and this man’s grin gave her body all sorts of jollies. She wondered if he flossed or used a Waterpik. Yes, yes and even more yes’s was glaringly obvious – as well as the fact that she was obsessed with oral cleanliness. In fact, that had kept her from dating for several years now. Mouths were just…. gross.
Achoo! she sneezed.
“Bless you!” Holly heard behind her as she was walking over to the tables laden with all sorts of health foods. Bagels, pitas, apples, bananas, snack bars and peanut butter serving-size cups were piled up heavily, as well as large tubs of chocolate milk bottles, protein drinks and bottled water. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that her handsome fellow had somehow managed to not only finish the race, but had actually caught up to her.
“Great job finishing.”
“You are right, the medals are nice this year.”
“You’ve run this before?”
“Every chance I get. I’m Niall Cael,” he said politely, extending his hand. “May I buy you a drink? Ladies choice,” he teased with a grin. Holly gave a little snort and laughed indelicately as she was embarrassed by the attention and delighted by his humor. She saw his smile curl up at the edges and she quickly covered her mouth to keep herself from snorting again like a piggy.
“Sorry, I tend to giggle weird when I am nervous. Holly Baines.”
“I don’t want to make you nervous.”
“Well, you do, Mr. Cael.”
“I was serious. I appreciated you saving my phone and want to return the offer. Chocolate milk, or are you a banana-protein-drink-kinda-gal?”
“Those things are awful.”
“Chocolate it is then. Perfect, a girl after my own heart. Tell me you like a little apple with your milk?”
“And a peanut butter cup.”
“Oh man, the ideal woman!” he exclaimed happily, picking up two of each for them off the table. Holly watched him load up his arms as they walked down the line to where people were taking their seats and recovering. Several were taking photos, patting themselves on the back and calling their friends.
“They are gonna hurt later,” he whispered leaning down to her. Holly nodded knowingly as she saw several women sitting on the curb.
“I did that once and could barely straighten my legs.”
“Want to go for a little stroll and work off the lactic acid?”
“I don’t know if it will dissipate like that,” she teased and looked up shyly. “But since you’ve got all the snacks in your arms and I’m a hungry girl, I guess the answer is yes.”
“Good thing there is no rusty old van out here with a sign on the side that says candy- or I might have competition.”
“Does that mean you are a threat?”
“Never to you, but I am pretty sweet,” he winked flirtatiously, causing Holly to giggle again nervously. She’d never had such easy banter with such a good-looking man, much less had him focus solely on her.
“Let’s stay in this general area in case you really are the bad guy.”
“The big bad wolf goes after little red riding hood?”
“Pink is a pale shade of red,” she countered, and realized how true her words were. There was something about the man that attracted her, yet made her slightly uneasy.
“Touché, sweet Holly,” he said with a grin, tapping his bottle of chocolate milk against hers in a silent toast.
3
Holly wasn’t stupid or naïve.
Men didn’t flock to her unless they wanted one thing: sex – and that wasn’t happening anytime soon. When she let the real side of her personality out, they tended to run faster than she ever could. She didn’t play around, nor did she waste her time. Life was too short and frankly, she had enough confidence to refuse to settle for something less. She was perfectly happy filling her time with things that satisfied her – and most men she’d met couldn’t handle that. Time to test the waters, she thought sadly as she looked at Niall.
Niall Cael on first glance was everything she would want as a piece of eye-candy on her arm. He was tall, fit, breathtakingly beautiful in a haunting way, and looked at her like he knew what she looked like under all her clothes – and she had on plenty.
Holly ran her races in layers- her leggings, tank top, sports bra (because my goodness – the boobs got in the way!) and a loose insulated running jacket. It was her favorite jacket with zippered pockets and the sleeves were extra-long with thumbholes to keep her hands warm but allow her to flip songs on her iPhone if she needed to. Yep, those warm brown eyes had streaks of what looked to be red in them, giving them a rusty shade. His eyes looked like they could pierce anything…and Holly did a double take.
“Did you just sniff me?” she barked out in shock, stepping back from him and very nearly spitting out the large sip of chocolate milk she’d taken. The man had the nerve to look chagrinned, confirming her suspicions. Why on earth would he have done that?
“Ya’ know, cupcake” Holly smarted off, “We both ran thirteen miles and neither of us smells particularly good right about now. In fact, you smell like a wet mutt,” she blurted and realized that it was true. She did smell a wet dog nearby. “Ahhhhhchoo,” she sneezed loudly and grabbed a napkin from his hand.
“Do you have pets or something? I’m highly allergic to animals, especially dogs.”
Niall’s mouth dropped open and he actually paled visibly.
Meh- too bad, she thought. He must be one of those animal lovers that would pick his dog over her any day. That was okay, she’d once had a cat she loved but when her kitty passed, Holly didn’t get another one, and happily gave up her allergy shots.
“You are allergic to dogs?” he said painfully with a tight, forced smile. “No, I have no pets. Must be something in the air or someone nearby, I guess? I adore dogs, don’t you?”
“Frankly, no. I’m not a pet person anymore. I used to like them but now I can’t think of one without imagining the smell from a litter box, chewed up shoes or some torn up furniture.”
“What about the happiness that a loving… dog… could bring? You know?” he said encouragingly. His voice was taking on a strangled tone, like he was really having a hard time with her words. “A playmate, someone to go on runs with you or cuddle with on the couch?”
“Look,” she laughed nervously. “Not everyone is an animal lover and its okay. I mean, don’t take this the wrong way – but we just met. You like dogs, that’s great for you. I don’t because I break out in hives and sneeze. In fact, I appreciate the milk and the company but that sneeze was my cue. Maybe I’ll see you again at another race, Mr. Cael, but if there is a dog in the area that is setting off my allergies- I need to go. It’s only a matter of time before the hives flare up and I’ve no desire to be drugged on Benadryl or stick myself with a needle tonight.”
“I understand,” h
e nodded and his rust-colored eyes looked crushed, lonely. She didn’t want to get into something where the fella was clingy or possessive and even though he was decidedly yummy looking with a nice set of chompers, her warning bells were going off in her mind. “Do you want to have dinner sometime?”
“I think maybe I will pass but thank you again for the chocolate milk and the offer. Goodbye Niall and good job on the race. You ran a great pace,” she said smoothly, backing away and taking two of the silver thermal blankets a woman nearby was handing out. She handed Niall one and shook out hers, throwing it around her shoulders in a protective manner. Glancing back over her shoulder as she turned, she saw him watching her and felt a guttural wrenching in her heart.
God, he was beautiful and she was a hard-headed idiot.
Holly Baines was allergic to dogs.
Lightning could strike him down at any time now because the irony was not lost on him. He knew that Cairene, his step-mother, had won yet again. How could the only woman he’d shown true interest in turn out to be allergic to dogs? Sure, he’d fooled around over the years but no one – no one had ever set off the instincts in him like Holly did.
He’d actually sniffed the air around her and gotten caught. Her scent was everywhere, wrapping around him and clenching at his heart. She smelled of sweat, musk and something else he couldn’t pinpoint, but it made his randy body ready for anything. He’d been having a difficult time in focusing on her words until his whole world slammed into a brick wall at her statement.
“Dogs made her sneeze and break out in hives.”
Oh. my. God. He thought, horrified. He wouldn’t have to worry about revealing he was a vampire because he’d never be able to get close enough without her itching or sneezing. Werewolves qualified as a type of dog. He’d discovered that back in the 1300’s when he’d developed a bad case of fleas and couldn’t shake them.
Now he could shampoo himself, according to his family. They loved teasing him but he was very self-conscious about it. When Holly claimed he smelled like a wet-dog, he’d felt his cheeks flush in embarrassment. He didn’t know what to say or do.
Wolves, he found, would come into heat early in the year. A male alpha wolf would mate with a female alpha of the pack – and they mated for life. It wasn’t so back a century or two ago when he could scratch the itch at a brothel, but now it involved chit-chatting or dating, something he wasn’t good at… until today.
Today it had been easy to engage Holly in a conversation, and she looked like she was starting to respond for a moment until she sneezed. Her guard went up and she backed away immediately, breaking the connection between them on her end. There was no distancing himself on his end…he was entranced. Niall knew deep in his soul that he’d met his alpha today and she was allergic to him.
Watching Holly walk off into the crowd of runners was one of the hardest things he’d ever done. The loyal hound in him itched to run over to her side, yet the man knew that his female would need space. If she was frightened of him, she’d bolt or fight back. He wanted her to respond to him, to want him, with the ferocity that he desired her with just a single look.
4
Something wasn’t right and Holly knew it deep down inside. As she walked away from where she’d left Niall Cael standing, she felt a sense of despair and foreboding. Was he some weirdo or stalker? She glanced over her shoulder and saw the painful look, nearly stopping in her tracks. Instead, she put one-foot right in front of the other and carried on towards her car that was parked several blocks away. The crowd was dissipating and if he was some freak, she would need to get away as fast as possible. In her mind, she saw his warm expression as he looked at her but that feeling – she just couldn’t shake it.
Looking around, Holly grimaced. Her legs were aching and her car was nowhere to be seen. She’d done this before at a race, and she recognized the panicked feeling. She’d misplaced her car again. Putting both hands over her face, she covered it in horror and fatigue. She was tired, wanted a hot bath and some sleepy-time to recover. She did not want to walk all over town like last time hunting for her car. Last time it had taken her two hours to finally find her car and she swore she would never, ever do something so stupid again. Yet here she was.
Find the firehouse, she thought. Her car was parked directly facing a firehouse. There had to be one nearby and she just had to find it. She could have dropped a pin on the map on her phone but… “Ohhhh no, I will remember and don’t need technology,” she muttered under her breath angrily. Stupid car, stupid race, stupid Holly she grimaced.
“Is something wrong?” she heard from behind her and let out a horrified yelp of fear. Niall had walked up behind her at the crosswalk. She saw his curious, hurt eyes watching her and couldn’t get past the freakiness in her mind that he was following her. She’d shank him with her key if she had to get away! she thought mentally, and carefully pulled her keys out of her fanny-pack clipped around her stomach. She put the key down between her pointer and middle finger, ready for anything.
“You don’t quit, do you?” Holly asked, backing away from him. Niall quickly reached out and grabbed her arm, yanking her away from the curb- tossing her to the side against the building like she weighed nothing. She caught her balance easily. Holly panicked and stabbed at his arm once with her key, drawing blood. He looked at her and stepped back, putting his forearm up to his mouth.
“I get it, you’re afraid,” he said softly. Holly stared at him and the busy street. He’d pulled her back from traffic when she’d tried to back away from him. She would have fallen off the curb and been struck, but he’d stopped her and she’d attacked him irrationally. “I would like a chance to get to know you.”
“Miss, do you need help?” a police officer on horseback that patrolled the streets was riding up nearby. He must have seen the whole debacle just now and thought she was in danger. Was she? She mused silently and shook her head no.
“Where’s the fire station?” she blurted out to the policeman, staring at Niall and not moving her eyes away from him as he moved his arm away from his mouth. She could see the slight hint of red on his lips and wondered if it was from where he’d fallen or where she’d broken the skin with her key. Either way, it needed doctoring or a bandage.
“Holly, its two blocks up the road in that direction. I can wait here if you want or walk you. I’m parked there.”
“Miss, I repeat – do you need help? Is this guy bothering you?” the officer said firmly and Holly couldn’t move. She didn’t know what to do. What if her car wasn’t up that way and he was trying to lead her away to some dark alley? Who was she kidding- it was barely one in the afternoon.
“Is the fire station that way?” she asked the policeman, finally tearing her eyes away from Niall’s hard ones. She wanted to confirm what he was saying and part of her hoped it was actually true. Maybe in her next race she’d get a can of mace instead if Niall was lying.
“Yes, two blocks up and on the right. You can’t miss it. Do you want me to accompany you?” the officer offered and she looked back at Niall where he was standing. People were walking around them and crossing at the crosswalk, yet the two of them were frozen like statues, unmoving. She felt awful thinking that she’d hurt the man that was trying to help her.
“No, thank you. I will be fine,” Holly admitted firmly and saw Niall give a slight nod in silent confirmation. As the horse walked off and the light changed color indicating that they would have to wait a few minutes for the next signal, Holly pointed at his arm. “Are you okay? I panicked.”
“I understand but I couldn’t let you fall.”
“Thank you.”
“I meant what I said- I’d like to get to know you,” He said quietly as a few people joined them at the light. “Will you let me walk you to your car? I’ll tell you anything you want to know about me and then you can decide if dinner would be such a bad idea.”
“No sniffing me,” she countered.
“You do smell awesome,” he
whispered with a grin.
“Whack-job statements like that will get you in trouble. Why do you think I said no to dinner?”
“Fine, you stink,” he laughed softly and then held out his hand, indicating she should cross the street first. “After you…?”
“Do you always try to pick up girls at races?” she asked suddenly, looking over at him as they crossed the street.
“No. I’ve never wanted to before.”
“And you do now? Why?”
“Just do,” he said with a shrug and a secretive smile that had her wary again.
“Achooo!” she sneezed and looked at him harshly. “Seriously, do you have a dog?”
“Holly, I am a dog,” he said with a wicked grin that crinkled his eyes as he looked at her. She glared at him and rolled her eyes.
“All men are dogs,” she retorted, seeing him grin.
“Not all of us, but I definitely am.”
“Probably a big ‘ol horn-dog. You’re one weird man, sniffing at girls and picking up women you barely know,” she muttered for his ears alone and heard him chuckle. Holly glanced up as they crossed the street again and saw her words didn’t bother him. Most guys were immediately dissuaded if she put up any front or told them her opinions. They wanted a soft, sweet, insipid woman that would simply say ‘yes dear’ or ‘of course’.
Stepping into the gravel parking lot, she saw that several cars had already left and her maroon Mazda was off by itself. That was not her and Niall wasn’t intimidated in the slightest; if anything, his eyes were blazing with desire as she met his gaze.
