Page 41 of Patrick’s Seduction

Even though she didn’t believe Buffy’s statement, Fallon was grateful for the positive attitude.

Another hand squeezed hers ever so lightly. “You can trust Buffy,” Patrick confirmed. “I’m right here with you.”

She hummed her approval and surrendered to the care of the people around her. She felt safe now.

20

Patrick watched closely as Buffy began to examine Fallon. He was concerned. It was evident that Fallon was sick, and he could only guess that it had something to do with the attack from the previous night. Had the doctors at UCSF missed something? Or was she reacting to the medications they’d prescribed her?

“Are you taking any meds right now?” Buffy asked.

Patrick answered in her stead, “They gave her painkillers and antibiotics. Anything else, Fallon?”

Fallon took a breath. “Just oral contraceptives.”

“Are you allergic to penicillin?” Buffy asked.

“No.”

“Okay. I don’t think you’re reacting to any of the meds you’re on. I need to run a few tests,” Buffy explained. “I’ll draw some blood. You’re okay with that?”

“Yes.”

While Buffy prepared the tools for drawing blood, Patrick remained standing next to the gurney, stroking Fallon’s arm gently. He caught Lydia’s gaze on him. There was no surprise in Lydia’s eyes at seeing the tender gesture. He was certain that Lydia had already recognized his scent on Fallon, realizing that they’d been intimate. He didn’t care that she knew. He didn’t need to justify his actions to anybody. Besides, Lydia was no stranger to instant hook-ups and one-night stands. Not that what he and Fallon had was a one-night stand. At least he hoped it wasn’t. He felt something more than just sexual attraction. He was genuinely concerned about her well-being, and not just because she was a client. He couldn’t bear the thought of Fallon being in pain.

When Buffy began drawing Fallon’s blood from the vein inside her elbow, Patrick could smell her blood more intensely and felt his throat tighten at the thought of tasting her blood. He pushed his need down, knowing he couldn’t allow exposing himself for what he was. He couldn’t afford to frighten her. Despite the fact that they’d had sex, he was still a stranger to her, and he had no reason to believe that she trusted him sufficiently to accept his vampire side.

When Buffy pressed gauze over the puncture wound the needle had left, and bandaged it, he caught her eye.

“Fallon, I’ll give you something that’ll make you feel better,” she said, and motioned to Patrick. “Patrick, give me a hand with it, will you?”

He recognized that Buffy wanted to talk privately and nodded. “Fallon, I’ll be right back. Lydia will be by your side for a minute, okay?”

“Okay,” Fallon said.

He and Buffy walked to one of the private examination rooms and entered. He shut the door behind them.

“Do you know what’s wrong with her?” Patrick asked instantly.

“No idea. All her vitals are fine. Actually, not just fine, but excellent. I need to run some tests on her blood, but that’ll take time. But she’s clearly in pain. You need to give her your blood.”

He nodded. He’d expected as much. Vampire blood was a cure-all for humans. In fact, years earlier, the staff at Scanguards’ medical center had cured a stage four cancer patient with infusions of vampire blood.

“How do you want me to give it to her? She can’t know what it is.”

“I’ll disguise it in cough syrup. It’s sweet enough so she won’t taste that it’s blood.”

“Alright.”

It took only a few moments for Buffy to pour cough medicine into a small cup and for Patrick to drip an almost equal amount of blood from his finger into it. Buffy stirred it and nodded.

“Ready.”

Fallon still lay on the gurney, Lydia by her side. When he and Buffy approached, Lydia cast a knowing look at the little plastic cup in Buffy’s hand. She knew why he’d disappeared with Buffy: so that Fallon wouldn’t know that she was being given vampire blood to help her heal.

“Fallon, let me help you sit up.” Patrick reached around her and pulled her up to a sitting position.

In his arms, she still felt feverish.