Sea Panther (Crimson Storm) (19 page)

Kimberly moved as if in slow motion, each step more
difficult. She tried to focus. Her fingers curled into fists. She needed to
deliver the message to Robert.

After what seemed like an eternity, she could see the end of
the passageway. A sickly yellow glow illuminated the hall outside the open
doorway of Dr. Knight’s office. Kimberly’s throat constricted and she gasped
for breath. Intuitively she wanted to flee. Only sheer determination kept her
moving forward. One-step at a time. Robert was there. She needed to give him
the message.

The last leaded step brought her to the threshold. She
peered in, eager to see Robert.

No
. The word screamed in her mind. She gripped the
doorframe as denial burned her chest. Robert reclined on the sofa, body
stretched taut, eyes closed, lips parted in masculine rapture. Patrice
straddled his thighs, her hands caressing the erection inside the boxers exposed
by the unbuttoned pants. The doctor spied Kimberly and whispered something to
Robert. His eyes popped open, and he reached for Patrice. Her breasts spilled
over the top edge of lacey bra cups and she leaned into him.

Kimberly strangled on an involuntary gasp. Robert’s gaze
flipped to her, guilt evident on his flushed face. She whirled around and ran
blindly through the corridor. She raced around a corner, stopping in front of a
steel door to catch her breath. The long stride of heavy footsteps pounded
toward her.

She opened the door and backed inside the dark room. As
quietly as she could manage, she shut the panel then leaned her head against
the cold metal. She couldn’t face Robert. Her heart ached at his betrayal.

A light flicked on behind her.

Kimberly spun around, and gaped at the man standing a few
feet away.

“You didn’t believe he loved you, did you?” Jason’s white
teeth flashed—a perfect contrast to his well-kept, tanned appearance—and his
lips slowly stretched into a mocking grin. “Did you expect him to be faithful
to a plain Jane like you?”

“What are you doing here?” Kimberly couldn’t believe the
audacity of her ex-fiancé to show up, here, now, after she’d been gut-punched
by the sight of Robert with Patrice.

“Don’t you want me to take you back? You begged me to stay
with you before I left for the Caymans.” He stepped forward. “You always
begged.”

Y…o…w…l.

Kimberly took a step backward at hearing the frightening
sound and bumped into the closed door. She bit her lip and slid her gaze over
Jason, to the nearly room-sized cage behind him. Her heart kicked in her chest.

Jason dissolved, leaving her alone with her worst
nightmare—a big tawny cat with greenish-amber eyes and a sardonic smile. The
animal opened its mouth and yowled again, the sound grating along nerve endings
like chalk on a blackboard.

She’d rather face Robert. She reached behind and grasped for
the knob, opened the door, and spun into the hallway right into Patrice.
Another mocking smile.

“Did you think he would want a sexless woman like you?”

Kimberly’s fingers fluttered at the base of her throat with
the horror of the woman’s comment. Robert appeared behind Patrice, pulled her
back into him and wrapped his arms around the doctor’s waist.

“You didn’t believe my lies, did you, Kimberly?” They both
laughed.

Kimberly tumbled backward and kept falling as if she’d
plunged into a bottomless pit. Her scream got lost in a chaotic cacophony of
sound.

A nightmare. Must be a nightmare. Wake up. Please.

She hit the ground hard. Held still for a moment, breath
knocked from her lungs. She needed to get a move on before
he
found her.

Kimberly got up and ran. Scratching fingers grabbed at her
from the dark. The thud of pounding footfalls sounded from behind. He’d lied to
her. He was a monster with blood red eyes and fangs.

This wasn’t right. She must be having another terror dream.
She tossed and turned, becoming tangled in damp sheets. She ripped at the
cotton. Come on. Wake up!

When she opened her eyes, he stood in front of her. Robert
morphed into a panther and lunged for her throat. She leapt out of his path and
landed with a thud on…

On a thick carpet?

Her eyes felt dry, stuck shut. She forced them open and
focused. She lay on the thick peach carpet in her suite at the compound. Her
pulse slowed, and she took a deep breath.

Then adrenaline kicked into her blood stream as an uneasy
sensation swamped her. She wasn’t alone. She twisted her head and gasped at the
sight of a pair of large brown man’s loafers. She quickly raised her gaze to
tan khakis, to a stripped polo shirt, to the man sitting in her bedside chair.

“Good, you’re awake.” He dragged fingers through disheveled
graying hair as he looked down with empathetic hazel eyes at her position on
the floor. “I was beginning to worry.”

“Who…who are you?”

His lips curved into a grave smile. “Dr. Nolen, your
doctor.”

Kimberly swallowed to ease the tightness in her throat. “Are
you here because Robert is dead?”

A
mourning dove
cooed outside the open window, and Kimberly glanced through the screen. During
the night, a cold snap blew across the states below the Mason-Dixon Line, its
chill reaching deep into south Florida, making air conditioning unnecessary.

Such a shame. The less than hardy potted flowers on the
veranda had succumbed to the lower temperatures. Kimberly wrapped the tartan
shawl around her shoulders and gazed back at the patient.

Robert lay in panther form on a gurney next to her chair.
Leather bindings strapped him to the stainless steel. For the past two weeks,
the veterinarians had given him heavy doses of tranquilizers to keep him from
biting at the stitches marring his massive chest.

She ran a palm over the coarse tawny fur of his thick neck.
His chest rose and fell with each breath. The research facility’s chief veterinarian
assured that Robert wouldn’t die. She prayed the doctor spoke the truth.
Robert’s condition had yet to improve. Even with a lower dosage of sedatives,
he remained semiconscious.

A tear slipped and landed on the panther’s face. His
whiskers twitched. His lids cracked a slit and he yawned, extending a long pink
tongue. His eyes opened wide.

Kimberly held still, swallowed, and tamped down hard on her
remaining fears. A sad greenish-amber gaze slid over her face. Her apprehension
was pointless. He didn’t struggle against the bindings. Instead, he closed his
eyes as if reconciled to the current circumstance. Had he given up?

If only she could explain her feelings. Make him understand
she accepted his unusual and somewhat frightening nature. She had to try. “I’m
not sure if you can hear me.” She stroked the panther’s neck. “If you can, I’m
not sure if you’ll understand my words. But I need to tell you how sorry I am
that I ran from you and caused you to be shot while trying to protect me. I’m
no longer afraid of you.” She sighed. “I accept what and who you are. I accept
you as a man. I accept you as a panther. And I…”

She swallowed thickly. “I accept you as a vampire.” Kimberly
rested her head on the big cat’s shoulder. “Love you,” she murmured. She rubbed
her nose into the stiff fur, inhaling the musky scent.

A soft purr vibrated along the panther’s chest. Maybe she
was getting through to him.

“Colin told me the truth about Dr. Knight. I know she
tricked you while you were under hypnosis.”

The purring stopped. Kimberly squeezed her eyes tight. She
wouldn’t cry. Dr. Knight had set the stage to push her away from Robert. The
bitch almost succeeded. Kimberly had acted out the part scripted precisely as
directed and made a mess of things. If only she hadn’t run.

Her reaction made sense at the time. Who wouldn’t have tried
to get away from a predatory and bloodthirsty beast? Her sense of reality had
been destroyed. She’d thought the chances against a hit man were better than
those against a vampire shifter.

“Robert, I wish I hadn’t run.” She slid fingers through the
fur with steady strokes, needing to assure him of her love.

The last two weeks had felt like an emotional roller coaster
ride. After she recovered from the concussion and trauma of what happened in
the swamp, confusion continued to jumble her thinking and nightmares. She’d
been ready to escape the compound and all the crazy people who made up Robert’s
scary world.

That was before she met Dr. Kurt Nolen. He befriended her
and explained everything.

She continued the even strokes over Robert’s fur. The
purring began again. Good. At least he still enjoyed her touch.

Kimberly had never given psychoanalysis much credence
before, but although Kurt was an internist, he dabbled in psychotherapy, and
was good. He’d forced her to face reality. He helped her work through the fears
that revolved around Robert’s less than normal state of being and the guilt
over her father’s death. Emotionally, she felt better than ever.

Although, she still resented the fact Robert wasn’t the one
to explain his peculiar malady. A thoughtful frown crossed her lips. Perhaps
she should continue attending counseling sessions.

The purring quieted when she drew her hand away. She leaned
back in the chair and rolled her head from side to side, hoping to ease a stiff
neck from sitting for so long.

She owed thanks to Dr. Nolen. He had reminded her of the man
Robert was. Of his innate goodness. Of the code of honor Robert embraced. Kurt
explained about the monsters haunting Robert. How Robert did everything in his
power to control the evil he believed lurked within him. And how all the
scientists on the staff researched a cure to save Robert from giving in to the
dark side because he was a man they respected.

She respected him too. When he got well—she had to believe
he would—she’d make him suffer for not trusting her with his secret. Had he
told her and made her understand, he would have saved them both a lot of
anguish.

Colin entered the room to stand beside her. “How’s the
patient today?”

“He seems…resigned.”

A furrow appeared in the big man’s forehead. “That doesn’t
sound like Robert.”

“He’s not tugging against his bindings. That’s a good thing,
right?”

“Not necessarily. He should have regained his strength by
now. Without a will to fight he may not recover.”

“Isn’t there anything else to be done for him?” Kimberly
chewed on the edge of her lower lip. She had to believe he’d get well.

“I’ll talk to the vets. Maybe they should stop doping him
completely.” Colin motioned to the door. “Come away now, lass. You need to keep
up your strength. It’s the chef’s day off and the lads have prepared lunch.”

“I don’t want to leave Robert alone.” She brushed fingers
over his fur once more.”

“I’ll send one of the veterinarian’s assistants in to watch
over him.”

Kimberly rose and followed Colin to the door. She glanced
over a shoulder. “I’ll be back.”

The panther’s penetrating gaze bore into her.

* * *

Robert waited until Kimberly and Colin were gone. The
panther’s body convulsed several times before the man emerged from the beast.
Using his restored vampire powers, he forced the drugs from his system through
the pores and burst the restraints holding him. He gritted his teeth against
searing pain as the wounds on his chest instantly healed, leaving nary a scar.
His breath released as a relieved sigh.

He sat up, threw his legs over the side of the gurney, and
scanned the sterile room. A bundle of clothes lay atop a metal cabinet. Good
man. Colin had known he might shift at any time. Standing, Robert grabbed for
the jeans. He had to get out of there. The offensive odor lingering from
Kimberly’s fear burned his nostrils.

She’d said she could accept him as he was, but she lied. To
herself, and to him.

As he pulled the black denim over his hips to his waist, a
female gasp sounded from behind. With fingers still fastening the top button of
the jeans, he spun around expecting to see one of the veterinary assistants.

Kimberly’s brown eyes were too large within a too pale face.
She wore her hair longer now. The soft strands dusted her shoulders where her
family colors draped a low cut floral blouse that exposed a glimpse of
cleavage. His heart slammed against his ribs. The short black skirt dragged
attention downward along a length of slim leg, to an ankle, to a turquoise
flip-flop displaying toenails painted bright tangerine. He glanced away and
swallowed to clear the tightness in his throat while he finished buttoning his
fly.

When he looked again, Kimberly gave a tentative smile. White
knuckles clutched the doorframe though. She feared him but didn’t flee. She
deserved credit for that at least.

An awkward silence hung thick between them. Her head lowered
for a moment. When she raised it, tears glistened on the tips of thick lashes.
“I’m sorry.”

Damn, his chest pinched, he couldn’t stand to see and hear
her pain, knowing he was the reason for it. He should have never gotten
involved with her. From the first, their bond had been a mistake. The loss
would kill him, but he needed to end their relationship now, before he caused
more hurt. He would send her away. Jagger could protect her better.

“None of what happened was your fault. I take full
responsibility for all that has transpired.” Robert snatched the shirt and
shrugged it over his shoulders. He buttoned the front of the black linen and
walked toward her and the door. “Now, if you will excuse me, I have phone calls
to make.”

“That’s it? That’s all you’re going to say?”

“Aye. For now.”

Kimberly grasped his arm. A jolt shot through his system as
he tried to pass.
Damn her
. She let go, but didn’t step out of his way.
“We need to talk about everything that happened.”

“Not now.”

“Then when?”

He shoved his hands into the jean’s pockets. “Dinnae push
me, lass.”

“Or else, what?” Kimberly’s forced laugh cut deep. “You’ll
turn me into a vampire?”

Robert’s hiss escaped from between clenched teeth. Kimberly
took a step back. It wasn’t smart to yank on a tiger’s tail. Or in this case, a
panther’s tail.

For god’s sake, a vampire stood before her. Was she
certifiable? Yup, must be. She stood on the balls of her feet to seem taller
and pulled on the open edges of his linen shirt. He allowed it. He even tipped
his head forward and permitted her to kiss him.

Kimberly took encouragement from the acquiescence and leaned
into his hard body. She slid her tongue along the seam of his lips. He
stiffened but didn’t stop her. She wrapped eager arms around his neck, took his
bottom lip between her teeth, and nipped the flesh.

He exhaled sharply, the air rushed over her moist lips,
making her shiver. His nostrils flared though he still held himself in check.
In frustration, she pressed tighter against him and slipped her tongue between
his lips and into his mouth. He responded by dueling with her.

She was delighted when he removed his hands from the jean’s
pockets and used them to cradle her ass. Okay, now they made progress. What did
she need to do to push him a little farther, to get a stronger response from
him? She grazed her tongue along the edge of his top teeth. A rumbling sound
erupted from his chest, and she felt his fangs elongate.

Holy shit
. She tensed, and he started to pull away.

“No.” She kept her arms firm around his neck. If she loved
him, she had to accept him as he was. “Bite me.”

She leaned her head back and exposed her neck while still
gazing into his eyes.

His eyes glowed crimson red. He had her up against the wall
before another thought entered her mind. His hands expertly roamed her body,
touching everywhere, thrumming her need. Moisture pooled at the juncture of her
thighs and she rode his knee. He released a harsh growl and grazed sharp teeth
along the base of her throat.

A prickle of fear made her tremble. She forced the unwanted
emotion away and tilted her head to the side to give better access, curious to
feel the prick of his fangs.

He bunched her skirt around her waist and pushed her panties
aside. His fingers plucked, and teased sensitive flesh, bringing a quick and
explosive orgasm.

By the time she caught her breath, he was gone. The door
slammed with finality. Damn the man. She wasn’t about to let him get away with
walking out on her. She adjusted her clothing, smoothed her hair, and stalked
into the passageway.