She whispered, "Aye, in here." Opening the door, she pointed to a spot on the wall inside the room. "Put it over there."
He stepped inside the large supply closet, took Layla's hand, and tugged her inside. She gently fell against his arm for a second, and he enjoyed the softness of her breast before she stood upright.
After shutting the door, she turned back toward him with a frown. "There's no need to tug me around. I can walk."
His lips twitched. Dragon-shifter doctors almost always threaded steel into their voices, and Layla was no exception. Too bad Chase was good at defying orders when he wanted. "And I'm the one doing you a favor, aye? So no need to reprimand me for something so minor."
"I wasn't reprimanding you." She tried to put distance between them, but only managed an inch. "A reprimand would be more like this." Layla schooled her face into a stern expression, her brows raised for emphasis. "Tugging people around can be dangerous and cause injury. I'd suggest not doing it again, to save me the future work."
While she was trying to be serious, all Chase wanted to do was lean over and kiss her lips until they changed from a firm line, to open and seeking beneath his.
Dragon, stop with the images.
I wasn't doing anything. It's all you.
He replied to the doctor, "Leading people around is probably about the least dangerous thing I do, lass. Are you sure you want to waste your reprimand on that?"
She growled again, the act softened by the way her hair fell over her shoulders. All he wanted to do was reach up and touch the softness. Her voice snapped him back to the present, though. "I know your reputation, Chase McFarland. And since I don't want to turn gray before I finish the list of everything you shouldn't do, I won't start going through it."
He tried not to wince. Reputations weren't always true, and a large chunk of his most certainly wasn't. He hoped Layla didn't think he'd bedded half the single human females of Inverness, as his friends suggested. True, he'd had to hint at something to keep everyone from learning about Layla being his true mate before she was ready. But it still mattered to him what Layla thought of his reputation.
His dragon chimed in. Screw our reputation. The truth is we haven't had anyone for two years. Kiss her, now, and change that.
No. He focused back on Layla. "You'd look bonnie with gray hair, lass. So start listing away."
"Stop calling me 'lass.' I'm too old for that."
He should hold back, but the words flew off Chase's tongue before he could stop it. "You're not old, Layla. You're perfect."
Her cheeks turned pink as she stared at him.
Damn, she was so bloody beautiful. Dark hair and eyes, all topped off with lovely olive skin inherited from her mother's side. It made him wonder if her nipples would be a little darker because of her delicious light brown complexion or not.
You could easily find out, his beast stated.
Layla's pupils turned slitted for a few beats. Her cheeks turned even redder. Maybe her dragon was on his side after all.
She finally spoke again, her voice echoing inside the small room. "Can you put the first camera there?"
She pointed to a spot just over his shoulder. Maybe some people would do a double take at the change of subject, but Layla did it as often as breathing.
It was her way of trying to create distance.
Reminded of his task to be reliable and show how he was a male she could trust, he turned away from her and took a step closer to the wall.
He'd studied the schematics of the surgery earlier, and quickly imagined where all the electrical wires were hidden inside the walls. Taking out a pencil, he marked the area she'd indicated, so he could remember and confirm the placement was good. "Aye, it should be fine, and if not, I'll let you know once I take out my tools. Now, show me all the rest of the places you want cameras installed and then I'll get to work."
Layla reached around him and snatched the pencil from his hand. The light brush of her fingers against his made blood rush south. Thank fuck he was facing a wall and not Layla. She was bound to notice his erection in such close quarters.
His dragon hummed. Turn and bump into her. Let her feel how we want her.
Stop it, dragon. Now.
Layla stepped back and used her detached doctor's voice again. "I'll go and mark all the spots whilst you work here. That way, I can quickly show you the rooms and not get in your way."
He wished he could say she wouldn't get in the way. But even now, Layla's scent had taken over the storage closet, and it made it harder for him to concentrate by the minute.
Setting his bag of tools down, he nodded. "Aye, that will work. Give me half an hour to turn off the power to this room and install the first camera. Then come back and get me. Once they're all done, I can show you how to use them."