He followed her out of the hotel room and waited while she locked her door. Taking a firm grip on Jerry’s lead she held out her free hand. Without thought he tucked it into his elbow, leading her to his car.
“So you share a practice with Max?”
He ignored the sudden surge of jealousy at the affection in her voice. “Yes, Max came home and partnered with me a little over three months ago.”
She smiled, her head tilted to the side again. “Simon and Becky took me to dinner a few days ago. I liked her. She suits him.”
Adrian shuddered. “Yes, I know.”
Sheri grinned up at him. “Why the shudder?”
“Becky’s…well, Simon once told me that he thought of her as ‘noisy, spiky and opinionated.’”
“She seems to have him well in hand.”
Adrian ignored the thread of humor running through her voice and chose to focus on her words. “Yes, she does.”
Her brows rose in surprise as he reached his black Mustang. “You have a problem with that?”
He opened the rear door and Jerry hopped right in. “It’s more a bachelor thing than a Becky thing.” He helped her in and shut her door, then moved to the driver’s side. He climbed in and started the car.
“Becky and Emma are both great women, and Simon and Max love them, but that whole ‘hop because I said so’ just doesn’t appeal.”
“So I gather you aren’t looking for a mate?”
Nope. Already found her. Once again that annoying little voice refused to stay silent. “Not really,” he hedged.
“Good,” she replied firmly. “Neither am I.”
His Puma screamed its protest. Adrian did his best to ignore it, but it wasn’t easy. The world changed color on him in that subtle way that let him know his eyes had changed. Damn. He forced them back to brown as he pulled onto the road and headed towards Max and Emma’s. “Rumor has it Becky and Emma offered you a job?”
She nodded. “Part-time, but right now I’ll take what I can get until I can get a place and get my other business up and running.”
“What do you do?” he asked as he took the turn to Max’s house.
“I’m a technical writer. I write documentation, specializing in voice recognition software for the blind.”
He slowly grinned. “Really?”
“Don’t sound so surprised. Technology has made things so much easier for those of us who have handicaps.”
“I never said it didn’t. I just think it’s awesome.” He paused, wondering if she’d be offended if he asked.
“How bad is your vision?”
She tilted her head down and off to one side again; he knew enough about her condition to know that she was making the best of her limited vision. “I’m twenty/two hundred.”
To see what one person could see from two hundred feet away, she had to be within twenty feet. That was the definition of legally blind. It explained why she didn’t drive. Most states would grant a limited license only if the person’s visual range was twenty/seventy with correction.
He did his best to ignore her stare as he parked in the street. Max’s driveway was full up; they were almost the last ones to arrive. He got out of the car and walked around to her side, letting her out first before he opened the door for Jerry. He stared at the dog, who stared back. “By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.” He took her arm again and began walking.
“What?”
“Sheri and Jerry?”
“Shaddup.” She grinned, totally relaxed with him. That small sign of trust warmed him down to his toes despite the chill November air. “Dork.”
Chapter Two
Thank God for her dark glasses. She’d been told that with most Pumas their eyes flashed gold when upset ( or aroused, her inner kitty purred). Hers flashed red. These poor people would think she was some sort of demon if they saw that. They’d flashed red when she caught Adrian’s scent outside her motel room door. When she’d heard his voice for the first time her claws had damn near extended.
She’d managed to wrestle her Puma into submission, but every time the delicious Dr. Giordano spoke she could feel her inner kitty purring as if he’d petted her.
Oh, pet me, Dr. Adrian!
The mine her Puma had snarled hadn’t helped. Her declaration that she wasn’t looking for a mate sounded fake even to herself.
Although technically speaking, it was true. It seemed she’d found her mate, whether she wanted to or not.
She was going to have to figure out a way to keep him safe from Rudy; somehow she doubted that would be as easy as it sounded.
The front door to Max’s house opened. “Hi, Sheri!”
She braced herself as Simon’s enthusiastic mate embraced her like a long lost friend. “Hi, Becky.” She could see the Beta female’s ultra-curly hair and the paleness of her face. Becky’s features were clear because she was so close, the bright jade green of Becky’s eyes twinkling merrily. “Where’s Emma?”
Sheri was dying to meet the Curana. She’d spoken to her on the phone and Becky had heaped praise upon the woman’s head, but it didn’t change the fact that she had to meet the Curana face to face and get her approval before the other members of the Pride would accept her.
“Right here,” a husky female voice replied. Becky was pulled away and Sheri braced herself again. A small woman moved into her field of vision, and she tilted her head to see her better. She saw long dark hair and dark eyes in a golden-skinned face, but unless she came closer her features would remain a blur.
“Max,” that husky voice drawled.
“Yes?” Max’s familiar voice drawled back.
“Are you sure you never slept with her?”
“Emma.” Max laughed as he moved up behind the small woman. His familiar scent wafted over her.
“Blonde, gorgeous…explain to me how you didn’t sleep with her. Hell, I’m straight and I’d do her.”
“Emma!”
“We didn’t want to,” Sheri replied, somewhat startled by her welcome.
She could feel Emma’s attention swirl back to her. Damn, the Curana is strong.
“Oh?”
“Being chased by a rabid boyfriend out to force me into a mating meant men weren’t high on my priority list. Or women.” She grinned, relieved when the Curana chuckled. She felt Adrian’s arm stiffen under her hand. “Besides, Max was dating-”
“Emma, why don’t you let them through the door? It’s cold out there,” Max interrupted.
She could almost feel Emma’s amusement as the Curana stepped back. “Sure, Sheri, come on in.” The Curana leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Remind me that we need to talk later, okay?”
“Emma, come on.” Max laughed again. “Do you really want to know who I slept with in college?”
“Not really.” Sheri could hear the grin in Emma’s voice. “I just like making you squirm.”
There was the sound of a soft kiss. “I’ll make you squirm later,” Max purred softly in Emma’s ear. It was obvious he thought no one else would hear him, but her hearing was even more acute than a normal Puma’s.
She could feel her cheeks redden at the banked heat in his voice. Emma’s soft “Oh, boy” sounded too much like how she felt as Adrian slid an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. His hand landed possessively on her hip as they walked into the room.
“What was that about a rabid boyfriend?” Adrian asked. His voice sounded strained.
Strained or not, she loved listening to it. It was warm and rich like melted chocolate, running over her skin in a sexy slide that raised goose bumps on her arms. Her eyes flashed red behind their glasses. Darn it .