Prowling the Vet Page 5

  Brandon clenched his jaw and his blue eyes pinned her.

  “Your sister is a good time. Not the kind of woman you take home to your mother, and I bet that you’ve never dated a man like me either.”

  Laura glared at the man in front of her for a moment, angry at Brandon for summing up her sister so easily. Their parents were dead, and Laura saw Belle as a reflection of her.

  The problem was, despite the anger, he was right. She finally glanced away and shrugged her shoulder. He had a point, but she was not going to admit it.

  “I don’t know enough about you to judge that.”

  She glanced back at him and Brandon tilted his head, smiling at her, his cheekiness obvious in every line on his face.

  “I’m a builder by trade. Love my family, but they say I have an abrupt personality. I know I can be arrogant and I’m so honest I’ve been told I’m cruel. I find it really hard to lie. I weigh about two hundred pounds and the last time I checked, I only have about four percent body fat.”

  Laura’s breath hitched in her throat as her eyes fell to Brandon’s massive biceps, and the way his shirt clung to his thick chest. She’d slipped her hands onto his belly while they’d kissed, and she’d felt nothing but rock-hard abs and hot, smooth skin.

  She had to be honest. “No, you’re not like any of the men I’ve dated.”

  She twisted her keys in her hand and shuffled her feet.

  “I know you need to go, Laura, but I can hear how fast and hard your heart is beating.”

  What? How could he know that?

  Brandon continued, “I know you feel this, too, so please just think about it. We’ll be home all day tomorrow if you wanna’ come by for a beer or something?”

  Laura nodded without meaning to and gave him a small smile. She already knew where they lived. “I’ll think about it.”

  He gave her another smile that was so radiant it made her knees weak. She fell into her car and turned it on. What the hell am I doing?

  She waved to the big Viking as she drove off, her heartbeat still thudding like the traitor it was in her ears.

  Chapter Five

  Tyler lifted the glass jug with trembling hands and poured water into three glasses before he returned it to the table. He was more than slightly disgusted with how nervous he was as he looked out the window for the twenty-seventh time. It was past noon now, close to one-thirty, he thought. Shit! How long did he have to wait?

  “Do you think she’ll come?” Tyler called out to his brother. Brandon groaned and stalked over to him.

  “Yes.” Brandon clipped him over the back of the head, hard, and pain spread through his skull.

  “Ow!” He turned and snarled at his brother, who was way too calm for a moment like this. “Don’t you care at all?”

  A sound outside caught his attention and Tyler jumped to his feet, his heart thumping against his rib cage. This was it.

  “You need to calm the fuck down.” Brandon glared at him and headed off toward the front door. A knock sounded and Tyler jumped.

  Oh shit! She’s here.

  “Hey.” Brandon’s drawled tone made Tyler roll his eyes. His brother was seriously going to screw this up. He’d have to balance out Brandon’s idiotic behavior even more than normal.

  “Hey back,” Laura responded, her husky voice almost flirty in its response.

  Good job, big brother. I underestimated you again.

  Footsteps sounded along the parquetry floor, and Tyler suppressed the shiver that ran down his spine when Laura stepped into their kitchen. Her green eyes sparkled with good health, though she was obviously trying not to stand out in any way.

  Her beautiful body was covered in a loose, plain white T-shirt, and long khaki cargo’s. Her skin glowed, yet there was no makeup on her face, eyes, or lips.

  “Hi.” She smiled at him, placing a bottle of red wine on the bench in front of him. “Thanks for the invitation.”

  Tyler grinned back at her and nodded his head, not quite sure how to speak at the moment. Action was probably better. He walked across to the overhead cabinets and pulled out two crystal wine glasses.

  “You want a wine, Brandon?” He knew the answer, but he didn’t want to appear rude by not offering.

  “Me?” Brandon barked out a laugh and headed over to the fridge, pulling out a beer and popping the top with fluid, practiced ease.

  Tyler shook his head and opened the bottle of wine, pouring the two glasses quickly.

  “Thanks for coming over,” he said as he handed Laura a glass and indicated where they should sit.

  She looked delicious, yet she was playing down her sensual body as much as possible. It was funny, really, that she thought by wearing loose, plain clothing, he wouldn’t desire her. She underestimated his imagination so much.

  “I’m not really sure why I’m here,” Laura muttered as she sat down on one of the armchairs opposite him.

  Tyler sat on the couch and watched his brother prowl forward and fall into the armchair closest to Laura.

  “Because you want to know why you feel the way you do.”

  Her gaze connected directly with his, and the green seemed to swirl in their depths.

  “And how exactly do I feel, Tyler?” She placed her wine down on the coffee table and crossed her arms over her impressive boobs.

  Ah…crap.

  He swallowed and thought quickly. How to handle this exactly? He’d done nothing but think about it since Brandon told him what had been said yesterday, but now that he was faced with Laura’s pouting lips, he just wanted to dive over the table and pash her senseless.

  “Your heart races when we’re around. You are physically attracted to both of us, despite how different we look, and you feel safe in our presence.”

  Laura’s mouth dropped open and her arms fell down so that her hands ended up in her lap.

  Yep. Honesty is the way to go.

  Tyler waited, his eyes glued to Laura’s gorgeous lips as she finally closed her mouth and wet them. The sight of her pink tongue sneaking out to run along her full bottom lip made all his blood flow directly to his cock.

  “How…” She cleared her throat and her eyes darted over to Brandon for a moment before coming back to him. “How do you know that?”

  Tyler grinned, thanking his mother for all the stories she had told over the years.

  “It’s described in the legends, but it’s also how we feel. Both Brandon and I are attracted to you to an almost painful level, and when you are touching us, we get a sense of both peace and fire. Like coming home, but being passionately swept up in a storm.”

  Yeah, that about said it all.

  Laura stared at him for a minute, then glanced at Brandon. “Is that true?”

  Brandon looked away, then rose to his feet and headed over to the kitchen for another beer.

  Bloody coward.

  His twin was way out of touch with his feelings. Tyler opened his mouth to fill the silence, but as he watched Laura slump like a deflated balloon, he forgot what he was going to say.

  “I’m still not sure why I actually came, Tyler. I mean…it’s crazy.”

  He smiled at the beautiful woman in front of him, more of her delicate nature showing with each minute they spent with her. So much strength of mind, and a beauty that was obviously soul-deep. He shivered, tingles of sensation skittering along his spine as his eyes drank her in. Laura would love them with enough passion and intensity to keep them both deliriously happy for the rest of their days. They just had to convince her of that possibility first, and his bloody stupid twin, too, by the looks of his behavior.

  “It doesn’t matter why you came, just that you’re here.” His voice rose on the last word, his nerves getting the better of him once again. Butterflies kept flying around his belly, making his breath hitch and his voice squeak. It was fucking embarrassing.

  Laura stared at him for long moments and Tyler shifted in his chair. They needed to talk, to get to know one another better.

&nb
sp; “How long have you been a vet, Laura?”

  Her eyebrows rose up and Tyler waited while watching Brandon out of the corner of his eye. He sat back down and began chugging on his second beer.

  The biggest day of our life, and he’s getting pissed. Fucking wanker.

  “About three years. Four years at college, four years of university, and a year of residency.”

  Tyler did some quick math in his head.

  “So you’re thirty-one?”

  She nodded, interlinking her fingers in her lap and twirling them around like an adorable teenager who couldn’t sit still.

  “Yes.”

  Tyler grinned, looking over at Brandon who was also looking pleased. Hopefully, that meant Laura was ready for a family, because God knew, Tyler wanted kids as soon as he could get them. It was all falling into place.

  “That’s perfect, really. Brandon and I just turned thirty-two.”

  Laura nodded again and continued to twirl her fingers in her lap, looking lost and uncomfortable.

  Tyler had to take control of this, but he didn’t want to push her too hard. “You look really nervous Laura. Can I help you feel better some how?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

  He moved back in his chair, trying not to look intimidating.

  “Have you got any questions? I can’t imagine how weird this must be for you.”

  Laura looked between them and twisted her skirt in her lap between her fingers. “I’m just trying to get my head around all this. I know I shouldn’t be worried about this, but I’m already mentally listing all the reasons this isn’t going to work.”

  Tyler gestured for her to continue and ignored the grunt his brother gave in response. Brandon must be really struggling with his lion if he couldn’t even manage a sentence.

  “Well, for one, there’s two of you!”

  Tyler smiled as kindly as possible. “Yeah, and we both want you more than any woman we’ve ever met.”

  “But I work so much, what if I can’t give you enough attention, or affection or something?”

  Wow, that was what she was worried about?

  Tyler shrugged. “We’ll sort all that out. Three-part families like ours have been working for the perfect pairs in our line for centuries.”

  Laura’s eyes lit up a little. “Can you tell me more about the whole perfect pair thing? About you two, and your family?”

  Tyler looked over at his brother and raised his eyebrows.

  Your hormones under control?

  “You wanna’ take this one?”

  Brandon chugged on his beer, then set it down on the table, empty.

  “Our family is huge, as you saw the other day. We’re all big, loud, and so tightly knitted together that Tyler and I have got into more fights than I can count defending our cousins or each other.”

  Great, idiot. Do you want her to think we’re meatheads?

  He was surprised as hell when Laura laughed and her eyes lit up.

  “Renee too?”

  This time Brandon laughed and Tyler sat back, feeling the air around them begin to warm up. Like the sun coming out on a frosty morning, the drops of ice melting away.

  “Renee? Not since junior high school. We taught her how to fight, and after she floored a guy in high school, she never got picked on again.”

  Laura laughed again, the sound like a smooth whiskey sliding down his throat.

  “I wish I’d had brothers like you at Uni. I could have used some help.”

  Tyler smiled at her. “Needed a guy or two punched up?”

  “Oh yeah.” Laura nodded, then frowned, her face showing signs of remembering something horrible.

  He rushed to fix it. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to bring up something upsetting.”

  “Oh no, it’s fine.” Laura slid back and crossed her arms over her chest.

  Fuck!

  “What?” Brandon’s voice was hard and his face looked angry.

  Laura looked up and seemed to relax as she stared at him for a moment. “It’s nothing.”

  “Spit it out.” Brandon demanded and Laura sighed, relaxing her arms but continuing to fidget with her clothes.

  “I…I’ve always lost boyfriends because they want me to be skinnier, or whatever… and I’ve never been able to change. I know you’ve said I look fine, Brandon, but…I don’t really want to lose you over that.”

  Tyler had to say something. “Laura, you’re our mate. Fate designed you to be perfect for us. I wouldn’t change a thing about your size, shape, or your style of beauty. You’re gorgeous.”

  He stared at his brother, willing Brandon not to say the wrong thing.

  Brandon nodded. “You’re perfect, and I can’t wait to get my hands on those gorgeous big tits and ass of yours.”

  Laura inhaled sharply for a moment and Tyler’s heart sank. Then she burst into a giggle, her cheeks flushing with pleasure.

  “Why do I actually believe you? Despite the fact I know you guys have probably always dated tiny women, I feel like you’re telling me the truth. You’ve never looked at me with anything other than desire.”

  Tyler laughed and Brandon even chuckled.

  “Observant, aren’t you?”

  She shrugged and smiled.

  “It’s great that you feel that way, because it’s true and if you ever get worried about that, you need to remember that you are our perfect match.”

  Laura relaxed enough to reach forward and take a sip of wine.

  “Can you tell me about that?”

  This was better for him to explain probably.

  “A perfect pair by definition is a nonidentical twin set of men who compliment each other and have opposite strengths and weaknesses. This is so that we can give our mate everything she needs.”

  Laura crossed her legs toward him and his belly tightened in arousal.

  “Well, isn’t she a lucky woman?” Her eyes sparkled with fun as he watched her absorbing the information he was giving her.

  “She’s more than that. If she was made for me she’d be beautiful, intelligent, sweet, and sassy, with a huge heart. Everything I’ve ever wanted.”

  Brandon cleared his throat. “And if she was made for me she’d be sensual, funny, affectionate, and hot as hell.”

  Tyler watched Brandon rake his eyes over Laura and she reached for her drink again. “I’m not all that.” She took a sip and her cheeks grew rosier by the minute.

  Brandon grunted. “Bullshit.” He stood up so abruptly the chair skidded back on the wooden floor, making a horrible screeching noise. Laura slid back in her chair and stared up at him like he’d gone mad.

  “You wanna’ see the house? Tyler designed it. I built it.”

  Tyler gazed at his twin for a moment, dumbstruck.

  Brother, you are brilliant!

  Tyler jumped up and held his hand out to Laura. “That’s a great idea. Shall we give you a tour?”

  Laura looked between them, then slipped her hand into his, the warmth of her skin against Tyler’s making both of them shiver in longing and need. Laura moved to take her hand away and Tyler flipped her hand around and linked their fingers together. He didn’t want to let her go.

  “It’s okay, it’ll get easier. I promise.”

  Or so he hoped. The tingles still pulsing through them were pretty intense.

  Laura let him direct her around the coffee table and together they walked toward the front of the house.

  Brandon started the tour.

  “Okay. Tyler designed the front door around the Canadian Rocky Mountain Lions.”

  He made sweeping gestures toward the hand-carved wooden door that still gave Tyler pleasure when he gazed upon it. It was an intricate design that had taken him months to draw, and just as long to find a carver good enough to get it exactly right. On first glance it looked like there was only one lion, but if you cared to look closer, there were three.

  “Hallway, obviously. A waste of space in my opinion…” Tyler opened his mo
uth to rebuke his brother, “But Tyler loves them, and I must admit it does give the living room a bigger impact.”

  Wow, his brother was admitting Tyler was right. That was a first.

  They continued through to the huge, open living space with its high ceiling and neutral colors. It was a great space.

  “You’ve seen the kitchen, dining room, lounge…”

  Brandon indicated the area they’d just vacated and turned left, heading down to where the bedrooms were.

  Tyler kept hold of Laura’s hand, squeezing tightly as they moved down another brightly lit hallway. He’d taken great pains to use the natural light as much as possible throughout the whole house. Brandon indicated their rooms.

  “My bedroom, Tyler’s. The main bathroom.”

  Laura pulled her hand out of his grip, which hit Tyler in the gut like a sickening punch, but he followed quickly, almost afraid to let her out of his sight.

  She stuck her head in the bathroom, admiring the large tiles and Italian-made facilities. “Wow, awesome bath.”

  “Thanks.” Tyler nodded and watched her creep to the end of the hallway.

  “What’s this room?” Laura pushed open the door to the master bedroom, and sunlight shined down the hall.

  Tyler sighed, watching her brown hair show auburn highlights, a halo of light surrounding her.

  “That’s our bedroom.”

  ****

  Laura wasn’t sure she’d heard Tyler correctly, but as she stared at the huge master bedroom, Tyler’s words made more sense.

  She was looking at a four-poster, king-sized bed, with the same carved lion in the wooden headboard that was on the front door.

  The room smelled slightly dusty and as she moved around, Tyler snuck in behind her, opening the sheer curtains, and sliding open the massive windows to let in some fresh air.

  “Oh my…” She moved toward the windows as though she were being drawn by an invisible force. The light in this main bedroom was so bright, and the view through the window was magnificent.

  “Yeah, I know. I designed the house around this room. I wanted to be able to wake up to the view of the mountains every morning.”