“Mental brain wash,” she sighed.
She threw her head back and washed her hair, shaved her legs, and then stepped out of the shower. She heard a distinctive sound. Her pants were buzzing inside her bedroom where she’d dumped them when she’d disrobed. Trisha wrapped a towel around her middle to dash from the bathroom. She bent down, fought with her slacks, and yanked the black cell phone out.
“Dr. Norbit here.”
“Trisha, it’s Paul. We have a situation. Can you come back?”
“I’m on my way.” She hung up and ran for the bed. She dropped the cell phone on it and spun. She took a step toward her closet before slamming right into a wide, solid body.
Trisha gasped. Two large hands gripped her bare shoulders as her head jerked up.
She gaped at Slade’s amused expression. Her body was pressed against his, he held her firmly by her shoulders, and his lips curved into a smile.
“You weren’t answering your phone. They need you down at medical.”
“You are inside my house,” she gasped.
21
Laurann Dohner
“I have pass keys to all the homes. I’m security. You should answer your phone if you don’t want someone to check on you. Your nurse has been calling for five minutes and finally called us.”
“I was taking a shower!”
His focus lowered. “I see. You look good in pink, Doc. You’d look better though if that towel were on the floor at your feet.” His body shivered a little against hers as his attention drifted to her shoulders. “It’s tempting to lick off all those drops of water.”
Her heart hammered from surprise and probably a little excitement at the concept of him doing just that. The look on his face made her swallow hard. He suddenly released her though and backed away.
“I’ll be waiting for you in the living room. Get a move on, Doc. Someone is hurt and we need to get you back to medical right away.”
Trisha watched the tall New Species leave her bedroom, pulling the door closed behind him. It took her long seconds to pull herself together from the shock of finding Slade inside her bedroom and from him touching her. He’d let himself into her house and he’d seen her almost nude. She looked down at the small towel that barely covered the tops of her breasts and fell to mid-thigh. She forced her legs to move to the closet to pull on clothes quickly.
He waited for her by the front door. Trisha’s hair dripped water but she didn’t care.
She didn’t have time to dry it. She walked outside and turned as the large man closed the door, watching her.
“Up for a jog, Doc?”
Trisha nodded as she headed down her porch steps. She turned toward the medical center, preparing to run but instead gasped suddenly when Slade swept her up into his arms. He had the audacity to flash his sharp teeth as he gave her a big grin and winked.
“Hold onto me, Doc.”
He started jogging down the street. Shocked, Trisha threw her arms around his neck to hang on. She couldn’t believe he carried her as if she couldn’t reach the clinic on her own steam.
“Put me down.”
“Almost there, Doc. Shut up and enjoy the ride.” He wasn’t even out of breath when they reached the building. He slowed to a stop and carefully eased her onto her feet next to the door. He winked at her again before turning away. “I’ll see you when you’re done,” he called over his shoulder.
Trisha still reeled from the shock of his actions when she walked inside. There was a waiting room area that had been separated by a long counter. She saw Paul leaning over someone lying on a bed in the open area. Trisha shoved away thoughts of Slade and what had just happened. She moved quickly.
“What do we have?”
Paul turned. “Severe laceration. He’s going to need stitches, Trisha.”
22
Slade
The next half hour remained busy for Trisha. One of the human male secretaries of Homeland’s director had accidentally sliced open his palm with a kitchen knife while attempting to make dinner. Trisha cleaned the wound, gave him ten stitches, and bandaged the injury. She gave him pain medication and a tetanus shot. The medical center had its own fully stocked drug cabinet and she just dispensed what medicines he needed. She watched him leave.
Paul finished cleaning up. “You do nice work, Trisha. I doubt he’ll have much of a scar.”
“Thanks.”
“I’ve got this. You go on home. I’ll do the paperwork. You’re off.”
“Sorry I didn’t answer my phone. I was taking a shower.”
Paul grinned. “I see. You need to comb your hair. It’s kind of in clumpy, damp curls.”
“Good night,” she sighed, walking outside.
Relief hit her when she didn’t see Slade anywhere. She walked about ten feet before she sensed him. She stopped and turned to watch him stride down the sidewalk, moving right for her. He smiled as their gazes met.
“Ready for me to escort you?”
“I can find my own way, thanks. I’m thirty years old. I have mastered getting home.”
“You can’t be too careful these days, Doc. You never know what kind of animals are wandering around.”
She shot him a look. Like you? She didn’t say it out loud but was tempted to. She kept walking. He stayed beside her this time. She had to move quickly to keep up with his longer legs.
They reached her yard and Trisha turned to study the man who peered down at her. She unlocked her front door and opened it only wide enough for her body to fit through. She turned, faced Slade, and backed into the safety of her home.
“Don’t ever walk into my house again. What would you have done if I’d still been in the shower?”
He grinned. “Walked in there to tell you they needed you at the center and handed you a smaller towel than you had on. Maybe a hand towel.” His gaze roamed her body slowly and he smiled wider. “Or a washcloth.”
She tensed. “You enjoy needling me, don’t you?”
He just shrugged, still smiling.
“Is there any particular reason or am I just special?”
His smile faded. “Maybe I’m interested to see how our two species breed too.”
“Well, find someone else to harass.”
23
Laurann Dohner
He shrugged. “Fine by me. If you aren’t interested, you just aren’t. I was just looking for a sex partner but I won’t bother you again. You should have taken me up on it, Doc.” His eyes narrowed. “I just wanted a few hours to answers all those questions you have. You’re pretty enough that I thought it might be worth my time. Night, Doc.”
He turned away and started to leave the porch. He was halfway to her sidewalk when she opened her mouth.
“Only a few hours, huh? And pretty? Last time you kept calling me a beauty.”
Trisha allowed her anger to flow. “Last time you offered to have sex with me for days, 215. Should I feel insulted?”
He spun around. She knew shock when she saw it and it etched his handsome features. That answered her question. He really didn’t remember her. She glared at him.
“I think I liked you better when you were recovering in my hospital. You were more appealing half dead than you are fully healthy. That’s really sad.”
She slammed the door closed the second he took a step toward her. She twisted the locks, slamming the bolt into place.
“Doc? Open up the door.” He growled the words from the other side of the door.
“Good night, Mr. Slade.”
He twisted the doorknob but the lock held. She heard keys jingle. He would try to unlock her door? She bit her lip.
“I’m calling security,” she threatened. “Remember them? They were good at stopping you before even though you said no one would come to save me last time.”
He uttered a soft curse. “You’re the Doc from the hospital, aren’t you?”
“Oh, so you do remember me.” She leaned against the door.