Chase, Zara - Tigers' Temptation [Impulse 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (3 page)

“No idea. He must have slipped it past Vadim when he checked them out.”

“Okay, I’m on my way.”

“You won’t be sorry. She’s a real babe. Her picture didn’t do her justice. I’m in lurve.”

“Make the most of it. She won’t be staying.”

“Nothing to say for yourself?” Layla asked with a disarming smile that made Philo want to bend her over his knee and spank that cute ass for being such a tease.

“Those snow domes are sold all over Impulse.” Philo shrugged. “We have a lot of souvenir shops here, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

“But this is a research facility, not a souvenir shop. Why would you have a shelf full of such items?”

“My cousin makes them. I’m helping the family business.”

“What a supportive family member you must be,” she said wryly.

“Honey, you’ve no idea how supportive I can be.”

Her frown told Philo that flirting wasn’t going to distract her. Damn shame that, because he liked flirting with her and would welcome an excuse to carry on. The least she could do was to respond, just a little. No dice, though, and they sat in wary silence, watching one another. Philo was relieved when the door opened and Mikael joined them.

“This is Dr. Mikael Chatrier, Medical Director,” Philo said. “Mikael, this is Layla Dubois, a freelance journalist who seems to think we know something about a child with leukemia.”

His lover wasn’t smiling as he extended a hand to Layla and she shook it. Even so, Philo knew he liked what he saw, even though he was trying to block his thoughts from Philo. Philo had felt an animal attraction toward Layla before he even met her. She was the mate intended for them, even if she didn’t know it yet. There could be no other explanation for her sudden appearance in Impulse. The kid sneaking the snow globe out and it leading Layla to them meant that it was supposed to be. White tigers were highly superstitious about fate.

“Do you feel the vibes, lover?”
he pheromoned to Mikael.

“Forget about vibes. We need to get her out of here.”

“Ain’t gonna happen. Ask me, she’s got more invested in this fishing trip than journalistic curiosity. You’re gonna have to tell her something if you want to get rid of her. I don’t want her gone, of course, but I don’t suppose that counts for anything.”

“Yeah, all right, she’s gorgeous. Happy now?”

“Delirious.”

“Pleased to meet you, Doctor.” Layla flashed a smile. “So do you?”

“Do I what?”

“Know anything about a child’s miraculous cure?”

“Can’t say that I do.”

“Is it something to do with the strange atmosphere in Impulse?”

“To answer your questions in the order that you asked them, no I don’t know anything about cancer cures, and if it happened in Impulse, I’ve no idea why.”

“What sort of research do you do here, Doctor?”

“It’s Mikael.” He rested one elbow on the table, cupped his chin in his hand, and focused his gaze on her face. “We experiment with herbs that only grow in this area and use them as alternative medicines. For cuts and bruises, aches and pains,” he said when her breathing hitched. “We’re not into healing incurables, nor are we thinking to be.”

“But you graduated medical school.”

“I did.”

“So what made you deviate into natural medicine?”

He shrugged. “I saw just how inadequate mainstream health care can be.” Mikael glanced away from her. “One size doesn’t fit all.”

“No, that’s certainly true.” She paused. “Where did you go to school?”

“What’s that got to do with anything?”

“Just curious.”

“I was at Yale.”

She elevated her brows. “I’m impressed. Who funds your research?”

“Private investors.”

“Why is there nothing online about them?”

“Because that’s the way they want it. If I don’t respect their privacy, they’ll likely withdraw funding.”

“I noticed you have a clinic next door. If this is a research facility, why did I see people going in and out when I arrived?”

“Volunteers, trying out our various cures.”

She fixed Mikael with a penetrating gaze. “Can I volunteer?”

“What’s wrong with you?”

“What do I need to have wrong with me to qualify?”

The scowl that Mikael had maintained for the entire interview gave way to a brief chuckle. “I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way.”

“Look, here’s the deal. I’ve found four different children who vacationed in Florida. They arrived suffering from incurable illnesses and returned home fit and healthy.”

“Shit! I didn’t know she’d found anyone except Billy,”
Philo pheromoned.

“I knew she was trouble.”

“Yeah, but what packaging.”

“I don’t see what that has to do with us.”

“But I’m convinced you know something about it.” She folded her arms on the table and leaned her chin on top of them. “If you don’t want me hanging about, asking awkward questions, you might as well tell me the truth.”

“Or you’ll make something up and have hordes of journalists descending upon Impulse.”

“Journalists making stuff up?” She opened her eyes very wide and fixed each of them with an amused smile. “The very thought!”

Philo roared with laughter. Mikael maintained his scowl.

“We’ll have to do something,”
Philo pheromoned.
“We can’t wipe her memory in case she’s made notes somewhere.”

“I know.”

“Okay, Layla,” Mikael said. “If it’s what it takes for you to leave us in peace, we’re willing for you to stay here at the Institute with us for a couple of days.”

“Really?” She looked both pleased and wary by Mikael’s sudden about-face.

“You can have access to absolutely everything we do. My only condition is that you don’t write anything about us without clearing it with me first.”

“Deal.” She held out her hand and Mikael slowly clasped it in his. “Can I speak to some of the volunteers at the clinic as well?”

“Don’t push your luck.”

“I get the impression that you don’t like outsiders coming to Impulse.”

“On the contrary,” Philo said. “We’ve been waiting for you for decades.”

She frowned. “Decades?”

“Philo likes to exaggerate,” Mikael said, sending a warning glance Philo’s way.

“Evidently.”

“Before you agree to stay here,” Mikael continued, “I should warn you that the work’s mind-numbingly repetitive. You seem to think we have some sort of alternative agenda, but once you’ve seen for yourself how routine our work is, I very much doubt if you’ll find it interesting enough to write about.”

“We’ll see.”

“Way to go, man!”
Philo pheromoned.
“If we can’t convince her within two days that she’s destined to be our mate, then we deserve to live without a woman for the rest of our days.”

“That isn’t why I asked her to stay. You know I don’t trust journalists. I’d rather have her where I can keep an eye on her.”

Philo grinned.
“If you say so.”

Chapter Three

Mikael led the way upstairs to their living quarters. They extended across the entire top floor of the Institute, offering a 360-degree view of Impulse.

“Wow!” Layla dropped her purse on a chair and stared out the full-length window that looked directly onto the Intracoastal Waterway. “Impulse really is a narrow peninsula, isn’t it? You’re completely surrounded by water.”

“Yeah,” Philo said. “All good things come in small packages.”

“You guys live up here?” she asked, swirling around again to take in the roomy loft.

“Sure, we live over the shop,” Mikael said.

“Just the two of you? There’s room for dozens.”

“We enjoy our privacy,” Mikael said curtly.

He took a good look at Layla as she continued to enthuse over the view and their living arrangements, liking what he saw. Philo was right about her. He
did
feel a strong connection which he was fighting hard to suppress. Even so, a part of him over which he had no control was drawn toward her, and not just because she was attractive, sexy as hell, and clearly intelligent. Were it not for her occupation, he’d probably agree that she was the mate he and Philo had been waiting all these years to find and start trying to convince her that she was destined to live out her days with two shape-shifting tigers.

Forget it!
Someone with an inquiring mind like hers would never be satisfied with the life on offer in Impulse, even if it did mean that her aging process would be significantly slowed. Besides, she hadn’t told them the complete truth. She wasn’t only here because of the sick kids. She had personal reasons for delving into their affairs, he was sure of that. He could tune into her mind frequency and discover what they were, but that would require a vast amount of psychic energy. Energy that he and Philo no longer had, due to their lack of a mate. Their powers had been on the wane for months now, the sudden decline worryingly rapid. What power Mikael still possessed, he would use to make his patients better, but because of his reduced capacities, the number of patients they could take was also reduced. Fortunately, there were no kids in the Institute right now, which was one of the reasons why he’d said Layla could stay for a few days. No areas would be out of bounds to her, and there was absolutely nothing she could find that would make her suspicious.

“I’ll show you your room.”

Mikael led the way without looking to see if she was following. His enhanced olfactory perception told him that she was. She had a unique scent about her that owed nothing to commercial perfume. It was a combination of lavender soap and a fresh, smoky outdoor odor that wouldn’t be apparent to a normal human. Mikael inhaled and held that pungent aroma inside him until his lungs protested trying to imagine what she’d taste like if he kissed that lush mouth of hers and licked her all over until she squirmed.

“Don’t like what you see, then?”
There was a smirk in Philo’s pheromone.

“Butt out!”

“It’s lovely,” Layla said, looking around the spacious room and smiling at them both. “Are you sure I won’t be in your way?”

“We’re sure,” Philo said for them both.

“Well, that’s great. I’ll get my bag out the car later.”

“Give me your keys,” Philo said. “I’ll do the honors.”

“Okay, thanks.”

She threw the keys to Philo, but her aim was off. Mikael had just opened the closet to check it was empty when he sensed the keys heading toward his back. He put one hand over his shoulder and caught them without turning around.