He only wanted...
"This is deep," she said quietly, her voice enchanting him even more.
He looked down, but instead of his hand, all he could see was the deep valley between her breasts that was bared by the V of her sweater. He would only have to move his hand a few inches to sink it down between the soft mounds. To push her sweater aside a little bit until he could cup her with his hand.
"What happened?" she asked.
Zarek blinked to dispel the image that caused his groin to ache and throb as it demanded satisfaction. "Nothing."
"Is that the only word you know?" She grimaced at him as she held his hand with hers and reached up to pull a bottle of peroxide out of the cabinet over the sink. He was amazed that she knew which container it was, but then, everything in the cabinet appeared to be deliberately and carefully placed.
He hissed again as she poured the liquid over his cut. The coldness of it stung as much as the disinfectant.
Still, he was stunned by her caring actions, by the gentleness of her hand on his.
She patted around with her hand for the dish towel by the sink. Once she found it, she wrapped it around his hand. "Keep it elevated. I'll call a doc-"
"No," he said harshly, interrupting her. "No doctor."
"But you're hurt."
"Believe me, this is nothing."
Astrid noted the catch in his voice as he said that. More than ever before, she wished she could see him as he spoke. "Were you cut because I bumped into you?"
He didn't answer.
Astrid tried to reach out to him with her senses and found nothing. She couldn't tell if he was with her or if she was completely alone.
Her senses had never failed her before.
It was scary to have no ability to "feel" him.
"Zarek?"
"What?"
She actually jumped at the sound of his deep, accented voice so close to her ear. "You didn't answer my question."
"Yeah, so what? It's not like you care how I got hurt anyway."
His voice faded as if he were moving away from her.
"Sasha, where is he?"
"He's headed back toward the den."
She heard Sasha growling in the hallway.
"Back at you," Zarek grumbled.
"You know," he said louder. "I hear dogs live longer when they're neutered. And they're friendlier, too."
"Oh, yeah, let's neuter you and see if it affects you, you-"
"Sasha!"
"What? He's obnoxious. And I am not a dog."