2. Prescription For Love

She was about to take Flann up on her obvious invitation when a woman cut across Abby’s line of sight, moving like an arrow with Flann as her target. The svelte blonde sauntered as if on a New York runway and looked distinctly out of place among the cotton and denim crowd. Her jade capri pants and sleeveless raw silk shirt clung to her in a way that accentuated the curve of her shapely hips and full breasts. Her high-heeled sandals were definitely not meant for tramping around the barnyard. “Who’s that?” Abby said, hearing the edge in her voice and not caring. “Oh,” Carson said, “that’s Dr. Love.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Sydney Valentine. She’s a local vet. She got the nickname in high school, because—well, because

all the boys and quite a few of the girls wanted to sleep with her, and the rest of us just wanted to be her.” Carson smiled wryly. “You know the type? Top of the class, captain of the tennis team, homecoming queen—everything every girl wanted to be. She broke the hearts of half the football team when she wouldn’t sleep with any of them and ran through most of the interested girls like a threshing machine too.”

“I’m assuming Flannery was one of them,” Abby said, the desire to grab the blonde by her elegant neck and drag her away from Flann making her palms itch. She’d never had a physically violent thought in her life but decided she’d worry about what it meant later. When the vet put her hand on Flann’s upper arm, Abby rose. “Excuse me.”

She strode across the yard, dodging children playing a pickup game of catch, and stepped up to

Flann. “Are you ready for a break?”

“Pretty quick,” Flann said. “Abby, this is Sydney Valentine. She runs the big vet clinic in

Battenkill.”

Up close, Sydney’s eyes were a chocolate brown, intelligent and appraising. She was stunning.

Abby held out her hand and resisted the urge to pluck Sydney’s fingers from Flann’s arm. She did, however, make a point of staring at the offending appendage. “Abigail Remy. Nice to meet you.”

Sydney laughed lightly and held out her hand. “Nice to meet you too. I was just telling Flann I would’ve been here earlier, but one of my clients had a mare who was having trouble foaling.” She smiled at Flann. “Thanks for calling and letting me know about today. I would have hated to miss the party.”

“No problem,” Flann said easily.

“It’s so nice to see everyone again.” Sydney looked pointedly at Flann. “It’s been too long.”

Abby gritted her teeth and took Flann’s hand. “Your mother was looking for you.” “Sure,” Flann said, her brows quirked quizzically. “I’ll see you later, Syd.” “Of course.”

Abby pulled Flann through the gaggle of kids toward the front of the house and away from the center of activity.

“Really,” Flann said, laughing. “My mother?”

“Never mind.” Abby strode across the porch and inside to the deserted foyer. The hallway beyond was dim and cool. They were alone. Abby, Flann in tow, marched toward the staircase. “Abs?” Flann asked. “You invited her?”

Flann took the stairs two at a time to keep up with Abby’s rapid pace. “Yeah, I thought—”

Abby stopped at the bedroom she’d stayed in the first time Flann had kissed her, pulled her inside, and shut the door. She turned and pressed Flann back against it. “Be careful what you say right now.”

Flann’s eyes widened. “I thought I could introduce her to the kids. Help them get an in at the clinic.”

Abby caught Flann’s chin in her hand and kissed her until Flann groaned and gripped her hips. She pulled back, breathless. “Good answer.”

“Abby,” Flann said hoarsely. “What are you doing?”

Abby smiled. “I’m staking my claim.”

“I—”

Abby pressed her fingers to Flann’s mouth. “I think you’ll get my meaning in a minute.”

“You do realize where we are?”

Abby laughed. “Do you think anyone’s paying any attention? In case you haven’t noticed, you can’t hear yourself think around this place for all the hammering and whatnot.” She skimmed her mouth down Flann’s neck and licked the hollow at the base of her throat. “Unless, of course, you’d rather leave.”

“Hell no,” Flann whispered, tilting her head back against the door. She’d never been claimed before, never been taken, and suddenly she wanted that more than she’d ever wanted anything. She wanted to belong to Abby. “I don’t want to go anywhere at all.”

“Good,” Abby whispered, tugging Flann’s T-shirt from her jeans. “Because you’re not going to.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT “The door,” Flann said hoarsely, words deserting her.

“I’ll take care of that.” Abby reached back and turned the old-fashioned brass key in the lock. A clunk signaled the outside world was shut away.

Nothing mattered now except the desire that bound them.

Flann pressed her hands flat against the door. Abby wanted to be in charge. She couldn’t remember a time when a woman had made demands of her, other than that she satisfy her. She’d never minded, but this