by Kyla Riley
“I wish it was that simple,” Niall muttered as his brother continued chuckling before calming himself.
“Sorry, please go ahead. I’m done,” Conn said politely and grinned. “Is she kinky and wear a flea collar for you?”
“I’d like you to meet her,” Niall retorted. “You can see for yourself.”
“Oh, this I have got to see!”
“Be nice to her,” he warned.
“I’m always nice to the ladies,” Conn said graciously.
“Not THAT nice. This is my lady we are talking about here.”
“I’ll be extra nice to her…”
“Conn…?” Niall said warningly. His eyebrows shot together to glare at his brother’s smiling face. He’d always been good-looking, and combined it with the charisma he oozed towards the fairer sex… he’d never lacked for attention. Conn could charm the ladies. The problem was that he never stuck around long enough – literally. He’d mistakenly killed a woman after he had reappeared from his spectral form and it had nearly destroyed him mentally. Now, he’d play with the women and enjoy himself, but the moment it was time? He’d use that to end the relationship…every single time… and distance himself as much as possible to prevent the horrific guilt that came with reappearing.
“Fine. She’s off limits, I get it.”
“Good. Now, I want you to get your teeth cleaned.”
“Excuse me?”
“She’s a dentist – just go, okay?”
“You do realize the humor in that, right?”
“The whole thing is comical beyond belief,” Niall muttered under his breath and looked away from the phone.
“Why do you say that?”
“She’s allergic to dogs,” Niall began and Conn’s laughter sounded almost exactly like his other brother, as he heard the laughter once again echoing in his ears. Temperament and patience had never been Niall’s strong suit- combine that with the strong urge that Holly had left racing through his body?
Yeah, he had an attitude.
“Just go see her and tell her I’m a great guy. Call me when you’ve finished. Bye,” Niall snapped angrily and hung up on his other brother, just like he’d hung up on Brion weeks ago. Holly having an allergic reaction to him when he got close would never, ever, be funny.
Holly heard her office staff whispering among themselves instead of working. She broke up the group, but not long afterwards the phone rang repeatedly from the receptionist desk. Getting up to check, she did a double-take at the sight ahead of her. Sure enough, the four girls were all hovering around a man sitting in the small waiting room and offering him water, a TV remote and laughing with him.
The man was beautiful in sort of a polished GQ-esque style. He was dressed in a starched dress shirt, as well as khaki pants and what looked to be argyle socks. He should have been at the country club or anywhere else but her office. Just when she was rushing the girls back to their workstations, she glanced over her shoulder and saw him wave his fingers playfully in a silent greeting.
Okay.
Not cool.
It wasn’t professional, but Holly couldn’t help rolling her eyes in dismay as she shut the door separating the waiting area and the procedure rooms. His sharp bark of laughter echoed against the plain walls, making her realize what she’d done. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Pulling the patient’s chart, she groaned in frustration. No wonder the man had looked a bit familiar.
Connall Cael – Niall’s relative. They had the same dark hair and intense eyes, but this man didn’t have the same appearance. He seemed softer, which sounded odd to her, but he lacked the wildness that lingered in Niall. This man was polished – he could step into any boardroom in a suit and fit right in.
“Mr. Cael?” Holly said flatly, opening the door once again, and had to fight the urge to shake her receptionist as she sighed happily and watched the man get to his feet. The woman was obviously infatuated and Holly felt a twinge of pity for her. This man never even noticed her. “What can I help you with today?”
“Dentist, huh?” he chuckled, muttering in a low voice that had her simmering as he walked past her. She could smell his cologne and noticed that he didn’t have the same rugged earthy scent Niall did. He was also almost as tall as Niall. Holly shook her head at the comparisons and put her game face on.
“Yes, I’m a dentist. Isn’t that why you scheduled an appointment, Mr. Cael?” she countered politely. There was an air of tension in the small room she entered as she walked in first and indicated he should have a seat. Instead, he stood there for several moments watching her, making her skin crawl.
“It says here you need a cleaning?” she asked, flipping through the chart. “How long has it been? Any issues?”
“It’s been a while and yeah… I could use a good cleaning. I’m a dirty, dirty boy. Call me Conn, please.” He took a seat and smiled at her, patting the roll around stool beside the chair. Holly backed away from him and stared at him hard.
“Do I need to ask you to leave?” She said bluntly, arching an eyebrow at the stupid pickup line he was tossing out. The man was good-looking and obviously got his way whenever he wanted, but he wouldn’t be successful today. As if by magic, she saw his face split with a smile as he relaxed, sitting back in the chair. He went from stalker-mode to church-boy in two seconds flat, leaving her stunned.
“Good,” Conn said plainly, lacing his fingers on his chest. “I’m Niall’s brother and you must be the lovely Miss Holly that he’s so hung up on. It’s nice to meet you and sorry about the intro.”
“What is going on? Did he send you here to… to… hit on me?” she said aghast, her temper rising. “You can just take your hormones and douchebag-ways outta here. I’m not interested in the slightest, Mr. Cael! Get out, now!”
Instead of him leaving or being insulted, he got to his feet, straddling the large chair designed to lay back the patient, and gave a slight bow. “I’m sorry but I had to meet you. You’re the very first person Niall’s been crazy about in… well… forever,” Conn said with a knowing, sardonic grin that lifted the side of his sculpted lip. Any other woman would be fascinated, but not her. There was something missing to Conn – he didn’t ring her bell or push her buttons, unless it was her temper.
“How do you… are you…?” she breathed in shock as she realized that if Niall was what he said- then so was Conn. Both were… different. “Are you a threat to me? Am I in danger?” she asked, her hand fluttering to the scarf around her throat. The pinprick holes were still there, but had faded significantly. His eyes softened perceptibly and he shook his head.
“No, if anything you are the safest creature in the world. My brother would do anything to protect you, trust me,” Conn admitted, taking a seat once again. “It has been a long time though between cleanings and he recommended I see you.”
Holly slowly walked to the chair and put it backwards quickly. It would take him a moment to sit up and make a move, hopefully giving her enough time to put space between herself and him- if he was lying. She draped a cloth around his neck and instructed him to relax in a flat voice.
“Aren’t you curious at why my brother recommended I come in?”
“No,” she snapped and quickly apologized. “Right now, I feel like a buffet plate for you people.” Conn laughed in shock and surprise at her words.
“You’re a quick one, aren’t you? Good, you’ll keep him on his toes,” he admitted and opened his mouth dutifully at her wry, deadpan look. Holly inspected his teeth and noticed that neither Niall nor Conn had fangs evident. As if Conn read her mind, she watched in shock as one canine elongated ever so slightly, causing her to gasp and jerk back her hands in alarm.
“Watch it, buddy!” she whispered hotly, slapping him on the shoulder. She knew the staff was close by and probably sniffing around outside of the door. “You bite me, don’t think I won’t stab you with something!”
“I thought you’d think it was cool or something,” he said sheepishly. “You m
ean Niall hasn’t shown you how they work?”
“We haven’t really talked about that,” she admitted. “I just found out and well… it’s personal.”
“You were scared?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“My brother is my business and he definitely admires you.”
“I like him too, but he’s just… intense,” she breathed quietly. “I shouldn’t even be telling you this but it’s like I’m talking to my mom or something.”
“Ouch, that really hurts a guy’s ego,” he winced.
“Do that tooth thing again, this time slowly and I want to watch slowly- from a distance,” she ordered bluntly, and picked up her stainless-steel scale remover. It was a sharp instrument with a vicious curved hook at the bottom. “Go ahead. I’m ready.”
“I’m not,” he said cautiously, looking at the tool she was holding. “I’ll show you – but you don’t have to threaten me.”
“It’s not a threat, I’m protecting myself.”
“From me?”
“Are you like… are you another vampire that is a wolf? How come I’m not sneezing around you?”
“I heard you were allergic to dogs,” Conn admitted with a knowing smile. “I’m sorry, but that is beyond hysterical. That would be like someone being scared of… well, never mind the metaphor, ‘cause Fiacha is afraid of the stuff,” he said quickly.
“Put up, or shut up, Conn” Holly said lightly. “I have another patient coming in and if I knew this was an interview I would have booked more time.” Surprisingly enough, she watched as Conn obligingly opened his mouth and a long canine tooth descended.
“Stay there! Just like that!” she ordered and began to inspect it. To the dentist in her, it was fascinating. The tooth was beautiful in its supreme simplicity. It never sharpened or got massively pointy like in the movies, and there were tiny ridges on the underside that she’d not seen before that almost looked serrated. No wonder it was able to pierce the skin. She was surprised that he didn’t have issues cutting his tongue on the tooth. Just as she was running a mirror along the underside, it began to retract.
“Wait! I’m not done yet,” Holly blurted out and felt her face flush.
“Someone’s coming,” Conn admitted. “I can hear them just around the corner.” Looking up, Holly saw that indeed Bridget, her receptionist had filled her empty cup with hot tea and was standing at the door with an endearing smile on her face. Nodding, she pointed at the small desk in the corner and fought a smile as there was no response from Conn. Bridget turned and left quickly, hanging her head.
“You didn’t need a cleaning, did you?” Holly asked softly, her eyes staring at him. She was trying to get a read on him, but Conn looked like he was enjoying the simple fact that he knew something she didn’t. He looked smug and a bit sheepish at being caught.
“No, but Niall really wants to talk to you again- to answer any questions you have and explain things to you.”
“What if I don’t want to know?”
“That’s up to you,” Conn said with a shrug. There was something in his eyes that struck her. He looked sad, like he had a secret or knew something he hadn’t shared.
“Is Niall okay?”
“Yes, he is- but I just know what it’s like to lose someone or have them be afraid of what could be. I don’t want to see my brother have to go through what I am dealing with now. It hurts in a way I’d never imagined.”
“Did you lose someone? Can you talk to her about it?” Holly asked, suddenly sympathetic for the man. His laughing eyes and smiling face were suddenly barren, hiding a raw pain that made him seem vulnerable.
“Give Niall a chance,” Conn said softly, glancing up at her. “He’s a good man that has gotten a raw deal. Ask him your questions, talk to him. I’m pretty sure he would tell you anything you wanted to know – I know I would tell Daphne… if I could get close to her again… but she’s gone and I am lost without her.”
“I’m so sorry Conn,” she breathed, feeling the pain emanating from him. He’d lost someone very close to him and she couldn’t imagine how it must feel.
“Don’t be, just take happiness where you can and the rest will fall into place.”
10
Holly stared at her phone and Niall’s car outside of her office. It was late in the afternoon and the girls had left- well, all but Bridget. She was balancing the books for the day and finishing filling claims. The woman was meticulous and kept everything so organized.
Meeting Conn had been much more than she expected. He was nice, polite, and cared for his brother a lot. He wouldn’t answer questions she had- recommending she talk with Niall about it. Sometimes when he smiled, she could see the resemblance to Niall. He was suave, yet something was missing, and while she understood the attraction women had to him and Bridget’s fascination… she was not interested in the least. Conn had given her Niall’s phone number and urged her to reach out, promising that she wouldn’t regret anything except the unknown. His words haunted her as she heard them in her mind, over and over again.
“Regret is a horrible thing to live with and something that takes forever to shake,” Conn said ruefully. “Sometimes I crave an ordinary world, a regular life, but then I wouldn’t have the memories I do cherish.” She could understand that and the truth of his words really hit home for her. She would never know until she reached out and gave Niall a chance – regardless of how things ended up.
Sighing heavily, she finally texted Niall. A text wouldn’t make her sneeze or break out in hives and perhaps they could talk with a little distance between them. He had a tendency to be ultra-close to her, immediately sending up a mental perimeter warning as he invaded her personal space. She could breathe his scent and while it was incredibly sexy that he seemed to want to be so close, it also flared her up. Hearing a ding, she saw Niall had already replied and felt her lips turn up in a smile.
Forgive me for making you break out?
It wasn’t deliberate.
Never will be either.
No, but it does happen when you are around, she texted. Holly felt a pang of regret as several minutes passed and Niall didn’t respond. She found herself staring at the screen, hoping for those dots to appear to show he was texting and there was nothing.
“Dr. Baines?” Bridget’s voice startled Holly, causing her to glance up in surprise. “I’m almost finished and I forgot to tell you- you had a delivery today and I put it on your desk.”
“You did?”
“Yes, ma’am. I knew you were busy and then that really cute guy came in. I lost my train of thought and meant to tell you when I brought you your tea,” Bridget said sheepishly. “I hope you weren’t upset, but he was really something, wasn’t he?”
“He was nice but I think he is hung up on someone,” Holly said absently, and saw the tiny blond receptionist’s face fall like someone had kicked her puppy. “But Bridget, maybe if the timing is right you’ll see him again and be the one to pick him back up? It’s funny how things end up working out, isn’t it?”
“It is!” she said happily. “Goodnight Dr. Baines, see you tomorrow.”
“See you then,” Holly said with a smile and followed Bridget to the front door of the office, unlocked it, and let her out for the evening. Holly locked it up behind her and sighed. Niall still hadn’t texted back a response and she didn’t want to be the first one to reach out. In her mind, it showed weakness and she didn’t want to ever be perceived as a weak woman who had to have a man. Walking down the hallway of small rooms, she came to her office and opened the door. Flipping on the light, she did a double-take.
A massive bouquet of soft pink roses was sitting on the middle of her desk in a crystal vase. There had to be two dozen present because it was full of buds as well as full blooms. The heady sweet scent made her smile as she walked over to pluck the card from the plastic pik. Opening it, she felt something in her give just a bit.
Dinner tonight my pink princess? I’ll bring the
Benadryl- Niall
The man just didn’t give up, and part of her was extremely glad for it. Instead of apologizing for what she had said, Holly took a photo of the flowers and sent it. He immediately responded and while it irritated her that she’d been waiting for him to say something, she also understood that he didn’t want to budge either. Perhaps they were more alike than she realized.
I hope you like them?
7 PM – pick me up at the office.
Holly grinned as she watched those three dots appear, disappear, then reappear several times. She wondered what he was doing or thinking- was he glad or as excited as she felt? He answered simply a confirmation and glanced up at the clock.
She didn’t have long to wait since it was almost five o’clock now. She had time to finish her notes, change into a different blouse and freshen up. That was the nice thing about having her own office, she could mold it around what she needed. Holly kept a spare blouse, running shorts, sneakers and some toiletries in a cabinet so she could go for a run whenever she felt like it. She had about two hours to do this, come up with questions she had, and gather up her courage.
Looking up from her notecard, Holly heard the knock on the glass door and fought the urge to run and answer it. Instead, she slowly got to her feet and tried her best to look composed. This was her first date in a long time… and with a bloodsucking dog.
She had no idea what to call him other than odd, extraordinary and sexy, she thought as she saw him standing there in slacks and a dress shirt. His brother, Conn, had been wearing a very similar outfit, but this made her want to peel it off of him like a banana. She didn’t think the wanton feelings and desire would be so strong but it felt almost like a sucker punch, getting stronger and stronger each time she saw him. She felt like she was being drawn in like a magnet slowly creeping across a surface towards another magnet. Is this how Niall felt? Did he feel the same?
