Roy

 

Throwing my bag down on the bed, I once again imagined where I would have been in Kazakhstan. Staring at the night sky, far away from civilization. Eating hot soup in a dingy restaurant. Trailing someone for information. Maybe interrogating an informant. Or meeting up for a drop-off.

Anywhere but here.

Here, in the middle of the Sierra Mountains of California, in America, where Piper called the shots from a cushy office in San Francisco and I had to play house with Doctor Kesari Iyer.

That slim, delicate doctor with her pretty hands and curious, wide eyes. Where every expression showed so plainly on her face, it was like looking into the sun.

I’d seen the hurt come and go at Lev’s comment. Doc might think it was aimed at her, but it wasn’t. It was meant for me. Cat had zero tolerance whenever she thought I was being an idiot.

Boss, came the gruff, mellow voice of Rurik. Everything is all clear outside, but I’m soaked.

“Oh!” came an excited voice. “Hello, handsome doggy.”

Is this the young doctor? She’s pretty.

“Well, thank you,” Doc said with a warm laugh and I stood up straight.

Slowly walking out, I watched Rurik, a huge, gray Borzoi – a dog that came up to my waist – pant happily as Doc scratched at his ears and made faces at him. While usually not the friendliest beast, he'd already given his doggish heart to her.

Boss, she understands me! Rurik said happily, swiping his tongue at her and Doc smiled.

“You understand him,” I said, folding my arms and making a helpless gesture with a hand before I could help it. Of course, you do.

“Yeah, I’m one of the few who hears them all,” Doc said. “Of course, I’ve been a vegan my whole life. Makes things kind of difficult to eat when traveling, but you get over it.”

Doc smiled at Rurik and scrunched her nose at him. I swallowed and looked away.

She was too damn beautiful for her own good.

I’d already looked into her. Kesari Iyer. Lynx shifter. Age twenty-six, born in Paris, later lived in London and now Berlin. Her father was Indian, while her mother was German and French.

She spoke four languages, Hindi, German, French, and English, but also knew enough Latin and Sanskrit to make do with any other language. A child genius who was taking college-level classes by age fourteen.

But all of that became meaningless in Doc’s presence. She was captivating. Her eyes were clear and while she had a bit of an impetuous streak, she was kind and sweet. Add that to a gorgeous face with round cheekbones, a strong nose, and bow-shaped pink lips… Never mind the glasses and light hazel eyes. I was terrified.

Not because she was attractive. That I could handle.

But because she cared.

The last thing I wanted was this nice, friendly doctor caring about me.

I saw Piper's train of thought about this situation clear as day, I really did. It was smart and efficient. Doc and I should have been no problem.

But there was already a problem. We’d both been there that night in Greece when I’d seen my cousin Piper shaken to her core. Something that had hit the people around her. They’d all had a bit of shell-shock in their eyes, but none more than Doc.

She’d been blindsided by whatever happened.

And I didn’t want to know. I avoided that shit.

However, I was there to report on it. I had to know the nitty-gritty. And I was trained in reading a situation. Down to the flicker of an eyelash.

In that room, for whatever reason, I knew it had changed Doctor Kesari Iyer. Hell, the aftershocks had hit me.

Boss?! Rurik’s growl woke me up.

“Sorry, what?” I asked and saw Doc giving me a look. Had I been staring at her?

“I can do it,” she said confidently, standing up and walking past me. Rurik trotted by.

I swung and watched her go. “What are you doing?”

“Giving Rurik a good rub down so he doesn’t smell,” she responded. “He’s soaked.”

“Right.” I nodded as they vanished into the bathroom and the door closed. “Uh, thanks,” I called as an afterthought and then I slumped against the wall. Why me? Why?

Smooth, came Lev’s caustic voice.

 

Lying on the bed, I was half-dozing, half-daydreaming of ways to avoid Doc the entire time when there was a knock at the door. Jerking up, I blinked in the dim light and watched her come into focus. She was wearing lighter, wire-rimmed glasses and a long winter coat.

“We need groceries,” she said, jutting out a hip and her lips twitched to the right.

“Right, of course,” I muttered. “Damn, I forgot. That’s on me.”

“If we hurry, we should have an hour before the local store closes.” Doc rolled her eyes at my frown. “Trust me, I wish I could go alone.”

“You can stay here,” I argued, getting up and pulling my hat back on. “Lev and Rurik know how to guide someone to safety. You can shift and–”

“No,” Doc said firmly.

“Iyer,” I said in a low voice. “Not up for debate. I am your bodyguard.”

“And my boyfriend,” she said, making my mouth go dry. “What, you didn’t think Piper would fill me in on our cover? Going shopping together is cute and couple-y. Gets our faces together in people’s heads. When they ask what we’re doing here, the other can corroborate. Add exclamation points.” She was chattering on and my head ached. “Now.” A bag was thrust at me and I caught it with an oomph. “There are clothes in there. Wear something casual and comfortable.”

“Why can’t I go dressed like this?” I asked, almost petulantly.

“Roy, you know why,” Doc retorted.

With a grumble, I watched her close the door and I went through the bag. You’ve got to be shitting me. It was all nice sweaters and pretty-boy clothes. Perfect for a nerd. With a sigh, I even dug into my own bag when I was done and pulled out my glasses, which I rarely wore.

After all, I was a freelance software developer taking some time to launch a big project and wanted the quiet of Bear Valley. My girlfriend was a writer who was wrapping up a second novel. Both of us wanted to take advantage of the quiet for the inspiration and romance.

Romance, right. I thought bitterly. Please, someone kill me. Shoot me in the head.

 

In the car, it was quiet and awkward. Doc, who didn’t seem like someone at a loss for what to say, was. She stared out the window, watching the mountains and ostensibly lost in thought. I was watching the road, but internally having a stroke.

Her sweet and warm scent was tickling my nose and making my skin crawl. Orange blossoms. Violet leaves. Passion Flower. It fit her.

At the store, finally, I breathed a sigh of relief at the fresh, cold air. It was beautiful here and I did love the mountains. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.

Then Doc reached out and took my hand.

I almost jerked away, except there was a couple coming out of the store who smiled at us and I nodded back. We walked in, holding hands. Her mitten was warm and fuzzy, thin enough that I could feel the bones of her fingers underneath. Even her heartbeat if I concentrated hard enough.

“What are you doing?” I asked in a low hiss as she picked up a circular and handed it to me.

“Well, I didn’t think you’d go for putting your arm around my shoulders,” Doc shot at me and I recoiled slightly. I didn’t like when people saw through me. “Baby steps.”

Once we had the cart, I gratefully gripped the metal bar with both hands and ignored Doc as she pulled off her gloves, sticking them in her jacket. “Let’s start with produce,” she announced.

“Why don’t we split up?” I asked as she steered us into the store. “Faster. More efficient.”

“Not as romantic,” Doc replied, reaching up and squeezing my shoulder. “You’ll live.”

As we went through the store, Doc made it a point to touch my arm or back several times. At the tenth time, I balked and caught her wrist before she could do it.

“What are you doing?” I asked in a whisper, glancing around. “Stop.”

Shoving her glasses up her nose with the other hand, she forced a smile on her face and said, “Communication is mainly non-verbal. And tone, depending on what study you read.”

“I know that, but you are forcing it, Iyer,” I said, letting her go. “You look desperate.”

“I do not!” she burst out.

At that moment, an elderly couple came around one end, while a mom appeared at the other. I dropped an arm around her waist, pulling Doc into my side and gently tugged her hands down, away from where they were curling together at her chest. Both of her wrists easily fit in one hand.

Trying not to think about that, I whispered in her ear, “You’re trying too hard. Relax.” Letting out a chuckle, I said louder, “We’ve got more than enough time.”

Doc nodded without comment and I let her go. The rest of the trip passed without incident, although both of us were quiet and I saw several people raise their eyebrows at Doc. I was guessing there weren’t many folks of Indian descent around.

At the register, the older man working it asked us genially what brought us to his neck of the woods and Doc took over, chattering and making him smile.

“I can see how’d you’d be a writer, miss, you certainly like words. Must do all the talking for your feller, here,” he joked and I gave him a small nod.

“Oh, he’s just shy,” Doc said, her tone wicked and I winced. “Give it time.”

“Oh, you folks sticking around for a bit?”

“For a bit,” she said. “Big, personal projects. And it’s so quiet and lovely here.”

“That it is, miss. That it is,” the man said wistfully. “Good place to make babies. Propose.”

It was hard to say whose face was more of a study. I could feel the blood draining from mine as Doc went pink, even as she kept a wide smile on her face.

“Good night,” she said, all but running out the front door.

Outside, I shook my head and murmured quietly. “You started it.”

“Oh, be quiet,” she hissed. “They bought it, didn’t they?”

I smothered a laugh, about to answer that or maybe tease Doc up or down from that atomic state of embarrassment she was in when I caught myself. Thankfully she wasn’t looking at me when I saw my reflection in the car windshield. I was smiling and I quickly rearranged my features.

By the time we got into in the car, I’d gotten a hold of myself. And though I felt Doc’s eyes on me several times, I didn’t look over once.

If I’d let myself, a bitter smile would have twisted on my lips.

Guess it was a good thing I’d learned by the age of seven to hold my desires in check. To bury them and pay them no heed. To expect and want nothing.