at torture
devices.”
“Oh, come on. You tame lions and you can’t take eyelash curlers?”
I shook my head. “Nope. No way.”
She held up the little metal clampy thing and squeezed the ends together. In her best
German accent, she sneered, “Ve haf vays of making you talk, Dr. Jones.”
Laughing like a lunatic, I squealed loud enough to set the dogs into a state. Moss
barked and Jax surged to his feet with a low, confused growl.
I’m okay, we’re just playing
. I noticed it took Jax a while to relax after that. “I shouldn’t even be going out.
I should stay with Jax.”
“You said he needed time, right? Give him some,” Emma said. “Besides, you might actually
have fun if you’d talk to people. Mingle a little.”
“And say what? ‘Hi, I’m Grace, I communicate with animals psychically. What do you
do?’”
“You could just learn to chat, not be so prickly, for God’s sake. Hold still.” She
finished by painting a layer of gloss on my lips and beamed. “You look gorgeous.”
I was just getting ready to say something about looking more like a hooker, when the
doorbell rang. Jax and Moss, who now eyed us with only mild interest, both sprang
to the ready.
“Moss . . . Jax . . . stay.”
“I’ll get it. Put on those shoes,” Emma commanded and sauntered out of the room.
I did as she asked and teetered out of the bedroom. “Emma how do you walk in—” I broke
off mid-sentence when I stepped out of the hall into the main living area.
Kai Duncan was following my sister into the condo. He stopped dead when he saw me.
His lips parted as he took in my appearance. The sexy heels. The sinfully cut aqua
dress that flowed over my curves like water. His eyes didn’t seem to know where to
look first. Finally, his gaze settled on my cleavage before he managed to yank it
up to my face.
I crossed my arms. “It isn’t polite to stare, Mr. Duncan.”
He seemed to be struggling to find his vocal cords. I’ve been known to leave men speechless
on occasion. Usually, because I’ve cut them off at the knees. I handle machismo, unwanted
advances, and jackassery in a very precise and cold manner. For some reason, the Ice
Queen glower didn’t seem to work on Kai.
Maybe with the sexpot dress, it didn’t have the same effect.
“Sorry, you look . . . different with your hair down. And it’s Kai, remember?”
If I was vain about anything, it was my hair. Freed from its typical ponytail and
bushed into a fall of shimmering jet, it was easily my best feature. Thanks to my
grandmother’s Cherokee blood, my hair has always been thick and long and perfectly
straight. But somehow, I didn’t think it was my locks he’d been admiring.
“What are you doing here, Kai?”
“Oh, I . . .” He started to hand me a few loose sheets of paper when he became aware
of the dogs that had entered the room to stand on either side of me.
He seemed to recognize Jax from the crime scene. But Moss soon commanded Kai’s undivided
attention. He blinked a few times, almost like he thought he was seeing things. “Ah,
is that a
wolf
?”
I absently placed my hand on my dog’s enormous white head. It was easy, as it came
to my waist even in heels. “Moss is a hybrid; he’s only half wolf.”
“Really? Only half? ’Cause judging by the way he’s looking at me . . .”
“Moss won’t eat you.” I just couldn’t help myself. I let my lips curve up slightly
and added, “Unless I tell him to.” Right on cue, Moss let out a low growl.
Kai’s eyes widened, but he stood his ground. A big point for him.
Emma placed her hands on her hips. “Grace, that isn’t very polite, is it?”
I glared at Emma for a moment. “Oh, all right.”
Go on, boys
. I flicked my wrist and my two canine sentinels turned and disappeared down the hall.
“What can I help you with, Kai?”
He relaxed a little, now that he knew he wasn’t going to be eaten. “I told you
devices.”
“Oh, come on. You tame lions and you can’t take eyelash curlers?”
I shook my head. “Nope. No way.”
She held up the little metal clampy thing and squeezed the ends together. In her best
German accent, she sneered, “Ve haf vays of making you talk, Dr. Jones.”
Laughing like a lunatic, I squealed loud enough to set the dogs into a state. Moss
barked and Jax surged to his feet with a low, confused growl.
I’m okay, we’re just playing
. I noticed it took Jax a while to relax after that. “I shouldn’t even be going out.
I should stay with Jax.”
“You said he needed time, right? Give him some,” Emma said. “Besides, you might actually
have fun if you’d talk to people. Mingle a little.”
“And say what? ‘Hi, I’m Grace, I communicate with animals psychically. What do you
do?’”
“You could just learn to chat, not be so prickly, for God’s sake. Hold still.” She
finished by painting a layer of gloss on my lips and beamed. “You look gorgeous.”
I was just getting ready to say something about looking more like a hooker, when the
doorbell rang. Jax and Moss, who now eyed us with only mild interest, both sprang
to the ready.
“Moss . . . Jax . . . stay.”
“I’ll get it. Put on those shoes,” Emma commanded and sauntered out of the room.
I did as she asked and teetered out of the bedroom. “Emma how do you walk in—” I broke
off mid-sentence when I stepped out of the hall into the main living area.
Kai Duncan was following my sister into the condo. He stopped dead when he saw me.
His lips parted as he took in my appearance. The sexy heels. The sinfully cut aqua
dress that flowed over my curves like water. His eyes didn’t seem to know where to
look first. Finally, his gaze settled on my cleavage before he managed to yank it
up to my face.
I crossed my arms. “It isn’t polite to stare, Mr. Duncan.”
He seemed to be struggling to find his vocal cords. I’ve been known to leave men speechless
on occasion. Usually, because I’ve cut them off at the knees. I handle machismo, unwanted
advances, and jackassery in a very precise and cold manner. For some reason, the Ice
Queen glower didn’t seem to work on Kai.
Maybe with the sexpot dress, it didn’t have the same effect.
“Sorry, you look . . . different with your hair down. And it’s Kai, remember?”
If I was vain about anything, it was my hair. Freed from its typical ponytail and
bushed into a fall of shimmering jet, it was easily my best feature. Thanks to my
grandmother’s Cherokee blood, my hair has always been thick and long and perfectly
straight. But somehow, I didn’t think it was my locks he’d been admiring.
“What are you doing here, Kai?”
“Oh, I . . .” He started to hand me a few loose sheets of paper when he became aware
of the dogs that had entered the room to stand on either side of me.
He seemed to recognize Jax from the crime scene. But Moss soon commanded Kai’s undivided
attention. He blinked a few times, almost like he thought he was seeing things. “Ah,
is that a
wolf
?”
I absently placed my hand on my dog’s enormous white head. It was easy, as it came
to my waist even in heels. “Moss is a hybrid; he’s only half wolf.”
“Really? Only half? ’Cause judging by the way he’s looking at me . . .”
“Moss won’t eat you.” I just couldn’t help myself. I let my lips curve up slightly
and added, “Unless I tell him to.” Right on cue, Moss let out a low growl.
Kai’s eyes widened, but he stood his ground. A big point for him.
Emma placed her hands on her hips. “Grace, that isn’t very polite, is it?”
I glared at Emma for a moment. “Oh, all right.”
Go on, boys
. I flicked my wrist and my two canine sentinels turned and disappeared down the hall.
“What can I help you with, Kai?”
He relaxed a little, now that he knew he wasn’t going to be eaten. “I told you
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