Strange Neighbors (40 page)

Authors: Ashlyn Chase

BOOK: Strange Neighbors

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His mate. He'd found her! At last. Telepathic communication didn't just happen. He had only heard of it in mated couples. Even then, not every couple was lucky enough to experience it.

His canine accidentally scraped her tongue. Her blood must have triggered the telepathy. Now he was burning to find out if they were compatible in bed. But if he rushed her, he could scare her off. Especially with her history.

She interrupted his thoughts. "What's so special about my history?"

"Huh?"

"You were saying… or rather thinking, something about my history. Something special?"

"Oh. It was nothing." Damn, this telepathy is going to be a pain in the ass.

"Tell me about it."

"Shit. You heard that too?"

Roz giggled. "This is really weird. Kind of fun, but totally bizarro."

Konrad took a deep breath. "Let's go home and try not to think until we get there. Are you up for a jog?"

"Sure. If I get tired, I'll walk and meet you there."

"Or I can carry you."

Roz burst out laughing. "Yeah right. I may not weigh as much as a ton of frozen food, but I'm no lightweight."

"Sure you are." He turned his back to her and squatted slightly. "Hop on."

"What? Are you nuts? You want to give me a piggyback?"

"Why not? We're going to the same place and we want to get there quickly."

"I'll slow you to a crawl."

"Try me."

Roz folded her arms. "I'm not getting on your back."

"Why not?"

"Because I weigh too much." And I don't want you to know how much too much.

"Suit yourself." Konrad turned back toward her and scooped her up in his arms.

She shrieked.

As he strode off in the direction of their building, only a few more blocks away, she wriggled in his grasp. "Put me down!"

"If you don't stay still, I might drop you."

"Fuckin' caveman."

"Did you know that contrary to popular opinion, the

cavemen were neither slovenly nor dim-witted? That by their survival alone, regardless of having no manuals, no education, no knowledge of science or mathematics at all, they managed to live beyond puberty to raise the next generation. That points to intelligence."

"What are you, Mr. Wikipedia? Did you just Google 'cavemen'?"

"No, I'm trying to impress you. It's also agreed that language has been around for a million years or more. They developed language in order to communicate with each other. In order to do that, they must have been extremely intelligent."

"Yeah, yeah. You're a freakin' rocket scientist. Now put me down! I'm too old to be carried like a baby."

"I've got a better idea." He set her on her feet.

"Whew, finally. I—"

Konrad dipped down and came up with Roz draped over his shoulder.

She gasped.

"If you're going to accuse me of being a caveman, I might as well act like one."

Roz thumped him on his back. "Put me down this minute!"

"Just relax and enjoy the ride."

"I don't usually hear that until I make it to the bedroom."

Konrad laughed, but ignored her plea and strode off in the direction of their building as if she weighed no more than a sack of tennis balls. Then he added to her embarrassment by whistling.

"Oh, very nice. What if I have to fart while I'm up here?"

"Then fart. We're traveling downwind."

Roz giggled and bounced along with Konrad's long strides. "I give up."

"Good."

"It's your hernia."

"You're not as heavy as you think you are. So many women have negative self-images. You think you have to be bony to be beautiful, when it's the opposite for most guys."

"Oh, really?"

"Well, I guess I can't speak for the entire male population, but most guys I know like a little meat on their women." He patted her ass.

A passing couple laughed.

"Oh, for Christ's sake. Do you have to embarrass me completely and totally?"

"If that's what it takes to convince you that you're ravishing…"

She sighed. "Ravage me when we get back to your place and I might believe you."

Konrad slowed his march. "Did you mean for me to hear that?"

"Put me down and I'll tell you."

He quickly set her on her feet and grasped her shoulders to steady her.

She looked up into his serious face and took a risk. "Yeah, I meant it."

He straightened and his eyes widened. "I'll race you."

They grinned at each other, then took off running the final block to their building.