Prowling the Vet (5 page)

Tyler
frowned and looked at Laura apologetically. “Ah, should I send Brandon alone
and stay with you?”

Laura
shook her head and pushed her salad away. “No, I completely understand.”

The
waitress left the bill on the table and Brandon pulled out his wallet, flinging
a couple of bills onto the plate.

“No.
I’ll pay for my…”

Brandon
scoffed and stood up, staring down into Laura’s beautiful heart-shaped face.

“What,
your salad? Next time, order some real food and we can fight about it then.”

Laura
looked away and picked up her things, standing slowly and facing him with that
grim look around her mouth again. God, she was stubborn.

“I’m
trying to lose weight.”

Brandon
scoffed again and said the first thing he thought of. “Why the fuck would you
do that? You’re perfect just as you are.”

The
gasp of the patrons around him was audible but Brandon didn’t let it distract
him. Somewhere inside himself he marveled at the words. He’d always been drawn
to skinny little blondes, but what he’d said was the truth. He didn’t lie. Laura
was a major turn on.

Laura’s
eyes went wide and her pretty mouth opened and shut like a fish.

He
took advantage of the silence. “So, you
gonna
’ come
to mum and dad’s thing? And make sure you bring an appetite with you, their
lamb on the spit is incredible.”

Laura
stepped away and turned to look at Tyler. “You said you’d explain about the
hand thing.”

Brandon
glared at his brother. Had he now? And just how was he going to explain a
perfect mate’s bond to a human?

Tyler
smiled at her with genuine warmth and Brandon’s lion growled and paced inside
him, causing him to need to step away toward the door. He didn’t like how
they’d bonded already. Being ignored was not a sensation he was used to.

He
heard them walk up behind him so he opened the door and took some deep breaths
in through his nose, enjoying the spiciness of the spring scents.

“It
would be so much easier if you came this afternoon. There will be heaps of
people there and you’ll be safe, I promise.”

Brandon
rolled his eyes and turned to watch his brother working their mate. She looked
at him for a moment,
then
went back to talking to his
brother.

“Why
do I feel so safe with you guys? I know I must sound like an idiot, but I trust
you already, and I shouldn’t. I barely know you.”

And why do I want to take you
home and mate you right now? Bloody curse!

Tyler
laughed. “It’s all linked to the same things. Please come?”

Laura
frowned,
then
nodded, crossing her arms over her big
boobs in a move that had Brandon swallowing a moan. His cock was stiffening in
his jeans. Fuck, he wanted her.

“So
you’ll come?” Tyler’s voice had
risen
an octave and
Brandon rolled his eyes again. If he didn’t know any better he’d think they
were both sixteen and courting their first woman. He’d never felt so uncool.

Laura
nodded and sighed, letting her arms drop. “Yes. I have to.”

 
“Awesome. It’s only about five minutes from
our place.
Two hundred and one The Grange Road,
Newbank
.”

Laura
nodded before pulling out her phone, typing fast,
then
tucking it back into her bag.

“What
time?” She
asked,
her voice stronger and deeper than
before.

“About three?”

Yeah,
that was perfect. There’d be a few people there already and she wouldn’t feel
as isolated.

“Great.
See you both then.” Laura backed away and slowly got into her car.

Brandon
couldn’t help mirroring Tyler as they moved forward and shadowed her, making
sure she was safe as she waved and pulled away from the café. As soon as she
was out of sight Tyler slapped him on the back, his feet actually leaving the
ground as he jumped into the air.

“We’ve
almost got her!”

Brandon
grunted at his too-enthusiastic brother.
Don’t
count your chickens, mate.

“Women
are a lot more complicated than that, Ty. Let’s go.”

Tyler
gave him a strange look. “You’re joking, right?”

Brandon
grunted and they both headed off to their own cars.

He
knew why his brother hadn’t believed his statement. He’d always claimed that
women were simple-minded and easy to manipulate. Well, that may have been the
case for the one-night stands he’d managed over the years, but it didn’t take a
genius to know that Laura was special. If she really was their mate, which he’d
find out today, then she would be harder to handle than any other woman they’d
ever met.

****

Laura
parked her car about a half mile down from the address Tyler had given her. She
couldn’t get any closer. There were cars everywhere. How big was this family
shindig anyway?

She
stepped out of her car, tugging on the long summer dress she’d chosen to wear.
Why was she even here? It made no rational sense whatsoever. She knew nothing
about this man, and there was no reason at all to trust him. Yet, here she was.

The
pecan pie she’d made was still warm and she picked it up from the front seat. She
had to know what this ridiculous attraction was all about. How could she have
such a subconscious and strong physical reaction to two men, brothers at
that.
And they were just so different!

Laura
walked along the grassy footpath, inhaling the smell of the mountains around
her. She’d thought Tyler and Brandon’s house was beautiful, but this place took
the cake.

She
stood in front of a double-story mansion, with a wraparound verandah and acres
of land behind the home.

“Wow.”

“It’s
pretty amazing, isn’t it?” A chirpy female voice said behind her.

Laura
turned around and smiled hesitantly at the tall, gorgeous redhead that had
walked up behind her. Wow was right. This woman was exactly what Laura had
always wanted to be.
Gorgeous.
Thin.
Confident.

“Hi,
I’m Renee.” The redhead greeted her with a smile, gesturing for Laura to follow
her up the path to the house.

“I’m
Laura.”

Renee
smiled with genuine warmth and opened the front door as though she owned the
place. “What brings you here, Laura?”

Laura’s
mind whirled as she stepped into a magnificent home that had the feel of warmth
and family love about it, even from the entranceway.

“Ah,
Tyler invited me.”

“Oh, really?”
Renee said, her voice rising in
excitement. Laura looked closer at the woman.

Renee
didn’t have any of Tyler’s
coloring
, but there was
something about the shape of her eyes, and the smile.

“You’re
their sister.”

Renee
chuckled, amusement sparkling in her green eyes. “Got it in one, I’m
impressed.”

Renee
linked her arm into Laura’s and took the pie with the other, holding it up like
a waitress bearing a plate.

“Let’s
go meet the parents.”

Panic
rose in Laura.
Shit, no! Where the bloody
hell was Tyler?

“Oh,
I’m not anyone special…I just…”

Renee
laughed as she continued to lead her through the house. The sound of Renee’s
voice was as soothing to her as Tyler’s presence.
Strange.

“Renee,
who do you have there?” The beautiful, singsong voice of a woman who simply had
to be Tyler’s mother rounded the corner and smiled up at her.

Brandon
obviously took after her. She had the beautiful blue eyes and blonde hair which
was just the same shade as her son’s.

“Mum,
this is Laura. Laura, this is my mother Rosalie.”

“Lovely to meet you.”
Laura greeted her hostess,
stepping a little closer to Renee as she spoke.

Rosalie
surveyed her quickly, smiling broadly as she took the pie Renee offered her.
“Oh, thank you, Laura, you really didn’t need to bring anything.”

Rosalie
bustled off, then Renee grabbed Laura’s arm and dragged her through the house.

They
made their way through the kitchen full of laughing women, and into the back yard
full of talking men. Wow, what a family. There wasn’t a man
under
six foot in the whole group.

“Laura!”
Tyler’s voice sung out as he bounced up the stairs and onto the deck.

God, he looked good in casual
jeans and a T-shirt.

Laura’s
heart thumped against her chest, deafening her as blood pumped into her ears.

“Tyler…”

Brandon
slunk up behind him, looking reluctant, yet when his eyes rose to hers, the
heat in their blue depths was enough to make Laura’s knees quiver.

“Brandon…”
She couldn’t keep his name from sliding off her lips.

Renee
let go of her arm and Laura glanced over to see ecstatic smiles stretching
across both Rosalie and her daughter’s faces.

“I
knew you were special the moment I saw you.” Renee grinned at her brothers,
then
winked at Laura.

Laura
stepped toward the men and moved back from the women a little. Tyler and
Brandon moved into the empty places on either side of her, the sensation of
protection oddly soothing.

“Sorry
we didn’t greet you at the door. But it looks like you found our family all by
yourself.”

Tyler
took her hand in his and she felt that odd sensation, though it was more of a
tingle this time. She looked up at him, not sure why she felt so safe when
surrounded by these men. She let him link their fingers together, his smooth
skin a testament to working a job that wasn’t manual.

“You
wanna
’
tour of the property?”

Laura
looked from face to face, completely confused about why they were so happy to
see her, but she would hold her tongue for the moment. While in wonderland she may
as well see where the rabbit hole lead.

“Sure.
I should also check on Cotton.”

Tyler
chuckled and Renee smiled. “Did I miss something?”

Tyler
grinned at his sister, but it was Brandon who answered. “She’s a vet.”

His
voice was like liquid chocolate, smooth and deep.

Rosalie’s
mouth dropped open and Renee began to giggle.

Laura
looked back to Brandon, his mouth pulled tight. He obviously didn’t find it
funny. “Is there something wrong?”

He
grunted. “No. Let’s go.”

And
he led the way, trudging down the stairs and moving through the crowd with
practiced ease.

“Come
on.”

Tyler
escorted her through the family, interested glances being thrown their way, yet
no one stopped them as Brandon opened the door to the barn.

“You
wanna
’ see the horses?”

Laura
grinned at the big hulk of a man and stepped into the barn.

“Absolutely.
One of God’s
truly majestic creatures.”
She stepped away from Tyler and walked up to
the first stall, running a professional eye over the stunning dapple grey. They
had good taste in horses and obviously took good care of them. This gelding’s
coat was sparkling with health.

“These
animals are incredible. Do your parents look after them, or do they have people
to help?”

She
turned and leaned against the door, her heart kicking out at her when she saw
Brandon staring at her from across the barn. He had the most intense blue eyes
she’d ever seen—so stormy and deep. There was something special about him, and
she hadn’t worked it out yet.

He
coughed. “We all help, but mum does most of it.”

He
stuffed his hands in his pockets and scuffed his boot into the dirt floor. He
looked like a gorgeous little boy, all nervous and adorable.

She
looked across at Tyler to see if he was making a similar statement, but found
him sitting on a hay bale. He was waiting for something.

“Are
you going to tell me about the hand thing?”

Brandon
nodded
slowly,
leaning back against the wall behind
him and making her knees almost give out beneath her. That man was way too
sexy.

“Yeah,
it’s something special, that only people with our type of connection feel.”

She
caught her breath and locked her knees so they didn’t collapse beneath her. What
did that mean?

“So
it’s just a sort of chemical reaction?” She hoped that was all it was. Her
scientific brain struggled with the idea of it being anything else.