Then she remembered a minor detail. "You said it was secret, so no one would be there to watch you. Unless you count the squirrels and hedgehogs?"
He grinned. "You're too clever for your own good."
Ignoring his comment, she said, "I like that idea. Sort of like a Snow White in reverse, aye? Do you call the animals and they come to help you with the chores? That would be quite the show."
Gently taking her cheek, he nipped her jaw. "Cheeky lass. No bloody animals come when I call."
Teasing Chase was more fun than she'd had in a long time. So she chanced pushing him a wee bit more. "Of course you'd say that, to protect your male pride. But if I found your garden and crouched low, waiting for you to take off your shirt and get to work, I'm sure I'd find a songbird landing on your shoulder within seconds."
His voice was deliciously deep and husky when he murmured, "Is that supposed to embarrass me? Because to have your eyes on my back, och, that would be heaven, lass."
Searching his gaze, she saw the truth there, along with a flicker of heat. Any clever retort she'd had died on her lips. Instead, her cheeks flushed hotter than before, as she imagined him toiling in a garden, wiping sweat from his brow, and then finally tossing a bucket of water over his head. Of course he'd shake it from his hair afterward, a few of the droplets splashing across her face.
It may be winter and too bloody cold for such a fantasy, but a female could dream.
Tracing her jaw, his grin returned. "I'd pay a fortune for your thoughts just now, Layla MacFie. Anything that makes you blush so furiously must be dirty indeed."
As she tried to think of how to reply to that, something caught Chase's attention on the screen, and Layla turned to watch.
Someone had entered one of the storage closets. Chase slowed the footage to normal speed, and Layla gasped. "That's Logan."
"Wait, what? Logan likes to tease, but he's an honorable male. I can't imagine he'd steal."
Layla placed her plate to the side and studied the monitor again. Sure enough, Logan plucked a few vials of dragon hormones from one shelf, as well as a bottle of medication used to help with heart arrhythmia from another.
Once Logan left the closet in the video, Chase stopped the footage. He then flipped through the other camera views, looking for any other thefts for about an hour before and after the pilfering they'd noticed. However, Logan never appeared in any of the other frames.
Chase finally turned off the screen, and Layla's frown deepened. Logan Lamont was the nurse she relied on the most heavily, one she never would've imagined betraying her like this.
It took her a second to speak again. "Why wouldn't Logan come and talk to me? If he needed help, surely he knew I'd give it if I could."
"Maybe he can't risk it," Chase murmured. His next words were at a normal volume. "What are you going to do, Layla?"
Sighing, she shrugged. "Confront him privately, I suppose. Although I'll make sure it happens inside the surgery, to help contain the situation."
"Aye, you could. Although he might try to run if you do, even if you're surrounded by other staff. For all we know, his reason for stealing is more important than the consequences he could suffer."
Her dragon chimed in. Maybe it's for a mate?
I can't imagine Logan hiding that from me.
Maybe if it was a human or exiled dragon-shifter, he might.
Those drugs wouldn't work on a human and would end up killing them. Logan knows that.
Chase's voice interrupted her inner conversation. "We could ask my brother for help if you want."
Layla met Chase's brown eyes again. "But won't he tell Finn? And then they'll all wonder why I didn't just say something before, not understanding that I wanted to try and contain the situation inside my surgery first."
"Grant would only tell Finn if the situation ends up being a threat to the clan as a whole." He took her hand and squeezed. "But what are the reasons someone might take those things? Knowing that may give me a better way to try to help you."
Glancing at her lap, she wanted to tell him anything he asked. And yet, admitting it aloud would be tantamount to saying she couldn't handle her job as head doctor.
Her beast growled. That's bloody ridiculous. He won't think less of us. So stop holding back.
Before she could convince herself not to, she stated, "The only reason someone would steal those items was if they sold them to someone else, or…"
She paused, not wanting to voice her fear.