Involuntary

Chapter Three

Elena glanced at the clock on the wall above her desk. It had little cat paws on it that moved with each tick of the second hand. Two minutes to nine. Would he be late? Would he even show up? Would his good-looking friends convince him he didn't really need to volunteer at a shelter when he could walk into any agency and land a modeling contract?

She sighed and absentmindedly flipped her phone in her hand.

"When is the new volunteer coming again?" Patty asked hurriedly. "I can't believe you hired him without asking any of us. We're all supposed to sign off on volunteers, Lena."

Patty was a lovely woman with light brown curls and dark brown eyes. She was heavier set, like Elena, and had a sparkling personality when she wasn't stressed about work. Which was most of the time.

Jenna, who had been there the longest, was off today, which was probably fine. She didn't really like guys much--though Elena wasn't sure if she liked girls either--and she would only make Dmitrei's day more awkward. Which it already would be. He had this ethereal look to him, almost like he wasn't from this world and needed to be protected, despite his height and the sense of power radiating off him.

Still, Elena knew better than most that there were more strengths than just the physical. The door to the shelter dinged as a man's tall shadow blocked the bright morning light streaming through the doorway.

"That must be him," Patty said.

Elena put up a hand. The three seconds it took Dmitrei to walk through the second set of doors into the florescent light where she could see him were the longest of her life.

"Holy Moses," Patty breathed out putting a hand through her hair and leaning back in her chair making it creak. "What the heck is he doing here?"

Elena bit her lip fighting her own reaction as a wave of attraction ripped through her, "He really likes one of the cats."

"Smoking hot and loves animals?" Patty fanned herself and Elena stood to walk around the counter and greet him.

Once again she was impressed by how impossibly tall he was. Intimidating, though the expression on his stunningly handsome face was mostly neutral. The angles of his cheekbones and jaw and nose appeared plotted by someone who was trying to draw the most beautiful male visage possible. His eyes looked astonishing with the blue sweater he wore. A sweater that skimmed the bulging muscles of his tall body making her mouth water. She liked a hot guy as much as the next one, but she had never had a reaction like this.

She wiped her sweaty palms on her skirt before holding out a hand for him to shake. When he took her hand, he simple held it for a moment, gazing down at her with an unreadable expression as he looked her over.

Then his expression changed. It became readable. His blue eyes were mercurial. Heat. Want. Was that even possible? She pulled back and he let her go, cocking his head as if he weren't sure what he had done wrong.

"You pulled back. Was I hurting you?" he asked.

"No," she said. In fact, it had felt good touching him, like something warm and soothing was flowing through her. But it had been too intense, and she felt as if her legs were going to melt right out from underneath her if he stared at her with those blue flames any longer.

She stepped back, adjusting her clothes. Her eyes skimming up him, she couldn't believe how long his legs were and how the wide, strong muscles filled his jeans. She looked up and saw a slight smile quirking the side of his full lips and she caught her breath. It was like seeing just the slightest hint of sunlight peeking out from behind a cloud, and she could imagine how beautiful all the rays would be if it could just come out farther. As quickly as he'd smiled, it was gone. Once again hidden behind a handsome mask of indifference.