When she looked at Victor, he was staring at her with such naked longing that her heart stuttered.
“Chloe.” Her name was barely a whisper, but it seemed to vibrate through her body. His hand rose, trembling slightly, and brushed a snowflake from her cheek. His fingers lingered, warm against her cold skin, and she found herself leaning into the touch.
“I shouldn’t,” he said, but his hand stayed where it was, cradling her face.
“Shouldn’t what?”
“Want you. You’re my patient. You’re pregnant. You’re?—”
“Here,” Chloe finished softly. “I’m right here.”
Something broke in his expression and suddenly his mouth was on hers. The kiss was nothing like the chaste peck on the cheek she’d given him. This was heat and hunger, desperate and consuming. He kissed her as if he’d been starving for her, like she was air and he’d been drowning, and she melted into him with a small sound of surrender.
His hands came up to frame her face, gentle despite the intensity of the kiss. Big hands, she noticed dimly, bigger than they’d been a moment ago, but strong and careful. She gripped his shirt, pulling him closer, and he made a sound deep in his chest—half-growl, half-groan. The vibration traveled through her, sparking heat in her belly.
The world fell away. There was only the soft fall of snow, the warmth of his mouth, and the solid, muscular body pressed against hers. She’d never been kissed like this. Travis’s kisses had been polished, precise, as choreographed as everything else about him. This was wild and real and a little bit dangerous, and she wanted more.
She slid her hands up his chest, over the hard planes of his shoulders, and her fingers tangled in the thick hair at his nape. He shuddered, his mouth opening over hers, his tongue sweeping in to taste and claim. Victor, she wondered, or Hyde. The kiss was fierce and untamed, but she wasn’t afraid, she was more excited than she’d ever been in her life.
When he finally pulled back, his eyes blazed green in the gathering dark.
They stared at each other, both breathing hard. Snow continued to fall around them, dusting his blonde hair with white. His hands still cupped her face, and she could feel the tremor in them.
“I—” His voice cracked, and he released her abruptly, stepping back so fast he nearly stumbled. “I apologize. That was?—”
“Don’t.” She reached for him, but he moved away, putting the width of the sidewalk between them.
“Completely inappropriate.” His professional mask slammed back into place, but his eyes still glowed green and his hands shook as he shoved them into his pockets. “You’re my patient. I had no right to?—”
“It’s okay. I wanted?—”
“Your car.” He cut her off, his voice going flat. “You need to get home before the roads get slippery.”
She wanted to argue—to reassure him that she’d been hoping he’d do exactly what he’d just done—but the look on his face, stark and haunted and terrified, stopped her.
“Okay,” she said quietly.
They walked to her car in silence. He opened the driver’s door for her with stiff courtesy, and she slid inside, her lips still tingling from his kiss.
“Drive carefully.” His knuckles were white where he gripped the door. “The snow will start to accumulate.”
“I’ll be fine.” She looked up at him. His eyes were still green, still wild. “Victor?—”
“If the power goes out… if you need anything… Call me.” He rattled off a number. “That’s my personal cell, not the clinic.”
“Victor—”
“Just… call if you need me.” The words were gruff, but his eyes pleaded. “Please.”
“Victor—”
“I’m sorry,” he said again, and then he closed the door and stepped back into the shadows.
She started the engine, her hands shaking slightly. She couldn’t make out his body in the rearview mirror but she saw those eyes, still glowing green as he watched her drive away.
CHAPTER 9
Victor watched Chloe’s taillights disappear into the gently falling snow, gripping the stone pillar at the bottom of his steps and fighting the urge to go after her. His hands—still too large, still Hyde’s hands—left impressions in the old mortar. He stared at them, watching the green glow fade from beneath his skin, and felt bile rise in his throat.
