His father scowled. “No. They aren’t trained doctors. I paid for Caleb to go to medical school when he showed interest in that field so we’d have a doctor if one was needed.”
“Be that as it may, this illness could be beyond Caleb. You have to admit that. He may be a skilled doctor, but he’s not one who does research into finding cures.”
“I’ll still allow Caleb to try the new medication one more time.”
“And that’s it. If you’re settled again, I’m going to leave you.”
“Are Aspen’s parents still here?”
“Yes, and they happen to be very nice people.”
“I suppose they are, but I still find it hard to accept humans being aware of what we are.”
“You need to learn to relax about that.
There’s nothing you can do about Taylor’s mate being human. Personally, I’m glad Aspen turned out to be his. It’s allowed me to date someone not of our kind.”
His dad narrowed his eyes. “You would date a human? Even though there’s a chance she could end up being your mate?”
Blaise smiled. “As of today, I am dating one.”
He didn’t wait for his father to say anything about that comment. Blaise left the master bedroom knowing full well he’d ticked his dad off, but he didn’t care much for that particular tradition. It was time to get over his kind’s stuck-
up ways when it came to humans.
Chapter Four
Blaise hurried to the front door and opened it after the doorbell rang. He’d been in the kitchen looking through the wine fridge to see what kinds were already chilled. Seeing Harley standing on the other side, he yanked her over the threshold and into his arms, claiming her lips as he walked them backward. He kicked the door shut behind them.
He lifted his head and smiled. “Hello again.”
“Hello yourself,” Harley said. “Did you miss me or something?”
“You could say that. Do you feel like having something to drink? We have wine and beer. And we have harder stuff as well. Your choice.”
“I’m not much of a beer drinker. I could go for a glass of white wine if you have some.”
“All right. You can come and pick a bottle for us to have. We have more than one.”
Blaise captured Harley’s hand and walked her through the house to the kitchen. He stopped at the wine fridge and pulled the door open.
“Take your pick,” he said.
Harley looked around the room and whistled in appreciation. “This would be a chef’s dream kitchen.” She turned her gaze to the wine fridge, which was the same size as the regular one and full of bottles. “And that is a lot of wine.”
“My parents are something of wine connoisseurs. They like to have a large variety on hand. As for the rest, we have a personal chef who cooks all our meals. Mom isn’t exactly handy in the kitchen.”
“Must be nice. I’d love to have one. I can cook, but I hate doing it, especially when it’s just me who has to eat the food when I’m done.”
“Then I’ll have the chef whip us up something nice for breakfast tomorrow.” Blaise noticed the backpack Harley had slung over one shoulder.
“And I see you brought a change of clothes, which means you haven’t changed your mind about staying overnight.”
She brushed a kiss across his lips. “No, I haven’t.” Harley looked inside the fridge and took out a bottle of white wine. “Let’s have this one. It’s about the only one I’ve tried before and know I like.”
Blaise took the bottle from her. “I’ll grab some wineglasses and a corkscrew, then we can go up to my room.”
He tucked the bottle under his arm, took out the glasses from the cupboard and the corkscrew from a drawer before he guided Harley up the stairs to his bedroom. He put what he carried on one of his bedside tables, then closed and locked the door.
Harley had placed her backpack on the floor near his dresser and stood looking around. “You weren’t kidding when you said your bedroom was more like an apartment. This is almost as big as mine. You even have a small sitting room.” She walked over to the en suite and peered in. “Yup, your bathroom is the same size as my bedroom.”
She then went to stand in front of him.
While Harley had been checking out his room, Blaise had poured each of them a glass of wine.
He held one out to her. “We do like our space around here.”
Harley took the glass and sipped from it.
“This is as good as I remembered.”
Blaise had some as well. It wasn’t too sweet and not too dry. Just the way he liked his wine.
He waited until Harley had another drink before he took her glass from her, and with his, placed them on the bedside table next to the bottle.
He turned back to her and ran the pad of his thumb along her plump bottom lip. She opened her mouth and took the tip of it inside, giving it a suck. The sexual tension between them flared to life in an instant. Blaise’s cock hardened as he imagined her sucking on it instead of his thumb.
He pulled his thumb away and bent to claim her mouth in a kiss that was all lips and tongue.
She pressed closer, her hands dropping to his waist. Blaise pushed Harley’s jacket off and dropped it to the floor. With it no longer between them, her taut nipples brushed against him through the thin layers of their shirts.
Harley moaned into his mouth and shoved her hands up the front of his t-shirt. Her fingers skimmed along his sides to his chest, then she caressed in the opposite direction to his stomach.
He couldn’t hold back a cat’s purr as she continued lower and cupped his erection through his jeans. It jerked under her touch.
“Mmm, I have a hold of something I’ve been dying to get up close and personal with,” Harley said against his mouth.
“I can say it’s wanted that too.”
“Then I’d better not disappoint it.”
Blaise held perfectly still as Harley’s lips left his mouth and she nipped his chin before dragging his shirt up and over his head. She tossed it aside, her gaze landing on his bared upper body.
“Normally I don’t like necklaces on a guy, but your cougar head pendant suits you,” she said, trailing a finger down the middle of his abs.
“I’m glad you like it,” he answered, his voice husky as his arousal increased.
Harley’s nimble fingers set to work on opening his jeans. With no difficulty she opened the button and tugged down the zipper. She parted the material and shoved a hand inside, wrapping around his hard cock.
She looked down and moaned. “Still commando I see. I had thought to suggest you put that thong on, but now that I have what I’m craving in my hand, I think that can wait for another time.”
He couldn’t agree more. With her fingers stroking his shaft, there was no way he wanted her to stop so he could change into a thong.
“Yes, I can definitely wear it some other time.”
Harley pressed a kiss to the center of his chest before she tugged his pants down low enough to spring his cock. She flicked the tip of her tongue over each of his nipples, stroking his length as she did so. Blaise sucked in a breath. He’d thought he’d be the seducer in this first encounter, but it would seem Harley had taken on that role.
Her roving mouth left his chest and headed in a downward path, her lips skimming across his stomach muscles, which he couldn’t help but tighten as her tongue flicked out to taste his skin.
Another loud purr pushed out of him.
Blaise looked down and watched Harley slowly sink to her knees in front of him. She thrust her free hand into the back of his jeans and gripped his ass. She fisted his cock at the base and lapped the very tip with her tongue. He locked his knees to keep himself upright.