Vet's Desire (28 page)

“Well, how do
you normally date a girl?” Rick retorted.

“I buy them a
drink, boink their brains out and go home.”

“You’re right,
that won’t work with Cindy.”

“Wouldn’t have
worked with Maddy, either,” Mike muttered.

“Look, Rick,
you’re married and the big doofus here is engaged, both of you to
nice girls. What’s the secret?

“No secret.
Just be yourself.”

“You think
that’s such a good idea?” Mike actually smirked.

Tim looked
sourly at him. “You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“Watching you
squirm? Yeah.”

Tim flipped him
the middle finger.

“Now, girls,”
Rick admonished before growing serious. “Tim, Cindy is a nice girl,
but she’s different to Cherry and Maddy. Cherry was really
self-conscious about her body - which, by the way…” Rick’s eyes
unfocussed a little as he smacked his lips together. “Yummy.”

“But you fixed
that,” Tim said impatiently.

“Between
ourselves, yes.”

“And you won
her.”

“Through
patience and sheer perseverance. And boy, is she worth it.”

Tim switched
his gaze to Mike.

Mike shrugged.
“Maddy was confident, but she had issues with family. They knocked
her around about in the confidence department, but she was very
much her own woman.” His slow grin was a little wolfish. “I just
gave her that firm hand she needed.”

“I’m surprised
she agreed to marry you. Neanderthal.” Tim fluttered his eyelashes.
“That is her nickname for you, right?”

“Yeah, it is.
She can call me that.” Mike pointed at him. “You can’t.”

Rick
grinned.

“So what’s the
secret?” Tim demanded. “How did you win Maddy?”

Mike
contemplated the desk top for a few seconds before meeting Tim’s
gaze. “Truth be told, Tim, love is a funny thing. Relationships are
funny. Everyone is different. You need to find your own way.”

“That’s your
words of wisdom?” Tim rolled his eyes. “I could have consulted a
fortune cookie for that.”

“You need to
consult nothing. Just be yourself.”

“Oh, like
that’s going to work?”

“You’ve already
been in her bed, haven’t you? Who were you then?”

Tim went
completely blank, the only thought bouncing around in his head that
he’d been his normal horny self, only he’d done things to her that
he rarely did with other women.

Because Cindy
wasn’t other women. Cindy was…special.

“I think he’s
getting it.” Mike turned to Rick. “Thank God. Another few seconds
and I’d be trying to punch commonsense into him.”

“Here, let me
try.” Rick crossed one knee over the other. “Now, Tim-”

“Oh great.” Tim
sighed. “You’re going all professional quack on me. If you start
charging me by the minute, you’re going to regret it. You can’t sit
with my sneaker up your arse.”

Unfazed, Rick
linked his hands on his flat abdomen. “Be yourself with Cindy. What
you see with her is what you get, and you should honour her with
the same thing. She obviously likes your company, she knows your
reputation and is still willing to give you a chance. Don’t mess it
up by trying to be or do something you’re not.” He spoiled the
professional air by scowling and adding, “Idiot.”

“Uncalled
for.”

“But true.
Seriously, just be yourself! God knows, if she’s willing to go the
distance with you as you are, you’ll both last through anything the
world will throw at you.”

“So you think
movies, a walk in the park, some hand holding, that’ll work?”

“Is that what
you want to do with her?”

“Well, heh
heh...” No, he wanted to do dirty things with her, make her scream,
make her hot and -

“Tim!”

“Sorry. I got
sidetracked.”

“You don’t
say?”

“Anyway, I
don’t know if Cindy will like that kind of thing.” He stopped and
contemplated for a few seconds. “Mind you, I did say I’d take her
to the movies tonight.”

“And?”

“She seemed
okay with it.”

“There you go.
Just follow your instincts, and above all, be yourself. Is that so
hard?”

“She didn’t say
we couldn’t boink our brains out afterwards.”

Rick looked
pained. “Please tell me you didn’t suggest that to her.”

“Heh heh.”

“And still she
hasn’t left him,” Rick told Mike.

“No accounting
for taste.”

~*~

Sitting in the
dark movie theatre, Cindy’s eyes nearly crossed with boredom. Oh
dear lord, how long was this drama story? If someone didn’t smack
the heroine upside the head soon, she’d do it for them.

Did Tim really
go for this stuff? She glanced sideways at him. Or was he just
trying to be sophisticated?

Catching her
glance, he smiled at her. “Enjoying it?”

“Oh yes.”
No
.

“It’s very
popular.”

“Really?”
Amongst the brain dead, perhaps?

“Seems as
though drama is all the go now.”

“Uh-huh.”

He returned his
attention to the screen while Cindy stared at it without seeing,
her mind crying out in boredom. The film was a disaster. It was
killing her. Intellectual movies just weren’t her choice of genre.
Now thrillers, horror, sci-fi, that was more to her taste. But she
was here with Tim, and for him she’d smile and nod and fake it.
Faking it would be a first for her.

She nearly
giggled aloud at where that thought took her but managed to control
it.

Tim glanced
curiously at her, obviously having heard her muffle the sound
before it could escape too much. She smiled up at him and looked
quickly back at the screen, and he did the same.

That had to
have taken all of five minutes. Only another hour to go.
Another
freakin’ hour!

And then she
felt it, the slide of an arm along the back of her seat. Was Tim
really making a move? Finally? Yep, there it came, the subtle shift
and his side was now brushing against hers.

Nice. She
inhaled the heady aroma of his cologne and soap. Very nice. Leaning
into him, mentally cursing the armrest but willing to work with
what she had, Cindy laid her hand on his thigh and immediately felt
the muscle beneath his slacks jump before tightening.

Seemed as
though she’d surprised Tim. Half his luck. She could do with a
surprise right then to keep her awake.

She certainly
didn’t expect the hand that slid down her back and the dexterous
thumb that flicked the side of her breast.

Holy Hannah,
had she really felt that?

A quick glance
sideways showed Tim still watching the screen. Huh. Maybe he’d been
so distracted that his hand had slipped and he wasn’t even aware of
what he was doing.

Another flick,
a caress, in fact, and her nipples hardened. Oh man, that had to be
deliberate, there was no way it could have been an accident.

Another glance
up but no, Tim was still watching the screen.

One way to find
out. Cindy slid her hand a little higher up his thigh and was
rewarded by his sudden intake of breath. A little higher as she
tested his resolve, waiting for him to perhaps stop her.

No, knowing
Tim, he’d probably enjoy a little groping at the movies.

With a little
sigh of contentment, she settled against him, leaving her hand
where it lay high on his thigh while tracing circles on his leg
with her nails.

He shifted a
fraction. His hand moved, coming around to partially cup her
breast.

Hoo boy!
And even more titillating, there was a distinct bulge appearing in
his pants.

She shifted her
hand a little higher up, her nails barely grazing the bugle beneath
the slacks.

“Cindy?”

Lifting her
head, she peeked up at him. “Yes?”

“Are you
watching the movie?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Truthfully?”

“Not at all.
Bored to tears.”

He went so
still that she wondered if she’d made a mistake admitting it, and
she opened her mouth to apologise when he suddenly swooped down on
her.

His arms
encircled her and he simply took her mouth in a searing kiss that
had her first grappling for purchase on the armrest, then
helplessly grabbing his shirt.

Catcalls and
whistles erupted around them, interspersed with yells to sit back,
stop necking, get a room, and someone threatened to get the
manager.

Lifting his
head, Tim grinned down at her.

Cindy laughed
back up at him. “Oops.”

“How about we
ditch this joint and find something else to do?”

“You read my
mind.”

He practically
hauled her to her feet, and she hurried behind him as they passed
people, nearly sitting on several disgruntled movie-goers’ laps as
they tripped in the darkened room.

By the time
they got out into the foyer, Cindy was giggling and trying to
muffle it with her hand. Ginning broadly, Tim slung his arm around
her shoulders and steered her past the bored-looking ticket
seller.

Outside, he
stopped and took in a lungful of air. “Seriously,” he said, “That
was a crap movie.”

“Boring,” she
agreed.

“What would you
have preferred?”

“Spooky, scary,
thrilling.”

“Well, there’s
nothing scary or spooky showing, and it’s too late for thrilling.
How about a drink instead?”

“The night is
young.”

The beat of a
nearby night club drew them and soon they were inside, Cindy
letting go to shimmy across the dance floor, laughing as Tim
gyrated in front of her.

Several people
yelled to her and recognising them, she waved back. Tim was also
greeted by name. They danced and drank a few glasses at the bar
before once more returning to the dance floor.

She loved it.
The music beckoned to her, the beat making her feet tap, and the
pure fun of having Tim keeping up with her, his moves quite
skilful, just added to the whole experience.

Watching Tim
dance was also an experience. Tall and lean, he moved easily,
gracefully, and he didn’t bother to hide his enjoyment of dancing.
He moved closer to her, and closer, until they were dancing up
against each other but without holding hands.

“Dirty
dancing?” she shouted above the music. “Who’d have thought it of
the playboy vet?”

He slid one
thigh neatly between her own, grinning devilishly. “Cindy Lawson,
the party girl. I thought you’d like dirty dancing?”

One sly rub
against his groin, an accidental brush of her hand that had his
eyes darkening, and she winked. “I can do more than dirty dance.”
And with that, she whirled off through the crowd.

Hips swaying,
toes tapping, she ensured that she kept a crowd between her and
Tim, and it wasn’t hard to do considering that the floor was
crowded with dancers.

Teasingly, she
blew a kiss at him when she caught his eye and whirled away
again.

A few shimmies
with one man here, a hip shake with another dancer there, an
exchanged giggle with a familiar face she knew from other clubs and
casual acquaintances, and yet through it all she knew that Tim was
searching for her.

She saw him
using his dance moves to slide though the crowded dance floor, his
gaze consistently finding her no matter where she went, and the
dance suddenly became so much more.

From dance to
seduction, from innocence to carnal, her moves became slower, more
sensuous, and Tim moved closer and closer, winding his way
gracefully yet with pure masculine intent towards her.

There was a set
to his mouth that was more than wickedness, more than playfulness.
His movements had changed, becoming almost like a hunter as he
watched her with an intensity that held a touch of rapacity. Brown
eyes caught the light, a glitter that was surely from the flashing
lights reflected in his eyes.

Closer he came,
stalking her in a fluid, effortless motion, and she couldn’t help
but slow down, swaying as he neared, her heart pounding as the room
seemed to narrow, the people vanishing from her vision as her sole
attention was captured by the man who stopped directly before her,
his arm sliding around her waist to pull her close against him.

She could feel
the heat coming from his body, his masculine scent filling her
senses, and she looked up to find him watching her with pure sexual
hunger in his eyes. Her knees shook a little, her skin tingled, and
her lips parted.

In one smooth
move Tim whirled them around, his hand sliding down to capture
hers, and he led her through the crowd and out of the club, barely
pausing to nod to the bouncer at the door.

He didn’t say a
word and more than conscious of the tension in his body that
matched her own, she could only cling to his hand, her other hand
curled around his forearm as he hailed a taxi.

It attested to
the earliness of a club night when a taxi slid to a stop in front
of them almost immediately. Tim opened the back door and she slid
inside. Without a word, but his eyes sending her a smouldering
message, he shut the door and came around the other side to sit
beside her.

When he gave
the address to the taxi driver, her head snapped up in
surprise.

Catching her
startlement, Tim asked huskily, “Do you need to be anywhere?”

“Not for
awhile. Alex is baby-sitting Al.”

“Good.” His
gaze dropped to her lips. Picking up her hand, he pressed a kiss to
her knuckles, his gaze burning into hers before he straightened and
turned to face the front without releasing his hold on her
hand.

His thumbs
brushed her knuckles and while his movements were gentle, she could
feel the tension between them, a sweet, hot, nerve-tingling
tension.

Whatever she’d
started at the club by making him chase her, now he’d caught her,
he was going to finish it.

Lord have
mercy, she couldn’t wait.