Animal Instincts [The Andersons 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Read Online Free

so he got the point. “V et and co-owner of this practice. Certainly not receptionist. For your information, Doctor Latimer”—again, she lengthened the title—“Mimi Parish fills that position. The only reason why she’s not here is because she’s on a two-week vacation. ”
    Ah. Rex stepped up and collected his “World ’ s Biggest Dickhead” trophy. His outstretched hand continued to be ignored, so he shoved it into his slacks pocket. “My apologies. I just thought with you being at the desk …” He smiled. “An easy mistake to make. ”
    She raised one slim eyebrow, that gorgeous plum of a mouth taking a downward turn, clearly not amused with either his apology or his explanation. “ Really? ”
    “ Yes, really.”
    “If you say so.” Her departing smile did better at cooling the air than the small air conditioning unit situated in one corner.
    Still feeling a dickhead, Rex shook his head and blew out a long breath. That wasn ’ t exactly the best start in meeting his work colleague and possible future business partner. He sat in the chair vacated by Ramona and checked the appointments for the day. The afternoon was fully booked, but there was only one entry for the morning. A cat named Mudge was booked in to be neutered at 9:30 a.m.
    “Gee,” he drawled to the waist-length white jacket hanging on the coat stand by the front door, “what is it about dicks and the sex ki—” The sound of running water from upstairs stopped him. It then dawned on him which door Ramona had left by—the door to the house. His house. He bristled. She was taking a shower in his goddamn bathroom!
    Dashing through to the house and up the stairs, Rex was just about to thump his fist on the bathroom door when it opened and Ramona, accompanied by a steamy mist, emerged. An ample offering of pink-tinged flesh and a blue towel hugged a curvaceous body that made his mouth water.
    Immediately his anger dissolved and another kind of heat spread through his body. The type of heat that made him want to unwrap the towel from her body and generate some steam of his own.
    “ Since you ’ ve taken the master bedroom, I ’ ve moved into the one next door. ”
    He drew up short, a sudden uneasiness washing over him. “ Moved in? ” he croaked, his mouth now as dry as sandpaper. “When?”
    “Earlier this morning when you were in the shower. Didn’t you hear me?”
    No, Rex hadn’t. But then again, he wouldn’t have heard a tornado over the water gushing through the creaky pipes.
    “ Since I own half the business, I also own half the house. Didn’t Greg tell you?”
    No, Stephens hadn’t. But then while Rex knew that Stephens had told him the house was his when he’d given him the keys, he could understand Ramona’s logic. The practice and the house were joined, so it was only reasonable she would think she owned half of each. And really, he wasn’t going to argue the point. He’d had his fill of lawyers to last him for the next five years.
    “Besides,” she continued, “I thought you ’ d be lonely. I mean, six bedrooms is a lot for just one person. ”
    He opened his mouth to protest then, but pressed it shut again. He had to agree with her. Hadn ’ t he, just the night before, thought the same thing? What he didn ’ t agree with was the bit about being lonely. Since his divorce, he liked living by himself. Admittedly, he was no cook, only knowing the basics, but wasn’t that what restaurants and takeouts were for? But more importantly, there was nobody—no woman—to moan at him, to shout and scream at him, to remind him of what a conniving and “damaged” bastard he was for wanting a family. He could do what he liked, when he liked. Hell, he could even leave the toilet seat up without being nagged about it.
    A droplet of water sliding down Ramona ’ s neck caught Rex’s attention and cured his dry mouth. He followed that droplet as it traveled over the rather delicate collarbone and down to the top edge of