biology and everything to do with chemistry. Man-woman chemistry. Erik and Meg chemistry.
His voice slapped like an accusation when he said, “Is that why you kissed me?”
She fell back, confused. Anger flared on the heels of that confusion. “You kissed me first. What’s your excuse?”
“I’m an idiot.” He jammed one hand in his pocket and gripped his cane with the other as he paced away, then back, his uneven stride growing jerkier by the moment. “I—”
He cut off the word with a click of teeth and blanked his expression to the point that he barely looked human anymore. He could’ve been a statue.A wax figure. “Never mind. It’s not your problem. You’re just doing what you think you need to do to save your technology from unethical bastards like me. It’s not like you’re planning to kill someone.”
Meg got the distinct impression he wasn’t talking directly to her anymore. It seemed more like he was talking to himself, or maybe to a memory. Part of her wanted to soothe him, to smooth the unhappy wrinkle between his eyes. The rest of her wanted to walk away and forget the taste of him, forget the corpse-cold look in his eye as he stared at her now.
Instead she retreated to the place she’d found after her parents’ divorce, and again when her father told her she couldn’t be herself and be taken seriously as an academic. In that place—that hard, practical place where data mattered and emotion didn’t—she found the strength to say, “You’re right. That’s your problem, not mine. You wanted to kiss me, I wanted to kiss you. We kissed. I’m not going to make a federal case out of it, and I’m not sure why you are. But I can say one thing for sure—your response just now has cured me of wanting an encore.”
“Well, that makes one of us,” he said. He jerked his head to the elevators. “Come on. Let’s hole up for the night. Maybe this will all make more sense once we’ve had a few hours of shut-eye.”
She wasn’t sure whether “this” referred to the kiss, the attacks or their continued stalemate over the NPT sale, but she agreed with him on one count, at least. She was done in. Suddenly exhaustion pounded at her from all sides, as though fatigue had beenwaiting at the edges of her consciousness, ready to swoop down the moment she dropped her guard. “Fine. You going to run me home, or should I catch a cab?”
He looked at her strangely. “For God’s sake, I’m not leaving you alone just because I’m mad. Not after Raine and the text message. He said my other girlfriend was next. He may have got the relationship wrong, but the sentiment’s clear. Whether or not the earlier attacks were directed at me, you’re officially a target.”
Meg shivered and twined her fingers together as the last of the heat faded from her core. But she didn’t argue. There was nothing to argue against. She might not like Erik or his methods—or, more honestly, she liked some parts of him too much and others not nearly enough—but he was right. It wasn’t business as usual anymore. “What do you suggest?”
Faint surprise flashed in his eyes, followed by something darker, as though her capitulation only confirmed his deepest suspicions. “The way I see it, we have two choices—your place or a hotel. Either way, I think we should get the hell out of here as soon as possible.”
Because all of the attacks so far had come in or near the hospital.
Meg suppressed another shudder and focused on one omitted detail. “Why not your place?”
“Not an option,” he said flatly. When she would have pressed—out of sheer stubbornness more than anything—he held up a hand. “Hotel or your place? Either way, I’m staying with you.”
The thought of him bunking on her couch, or worse, in an adjoining hotel room, lent a new frisson of energy to the worry. “I’m not sure I want you as my protection.”
He scowled and advanced on her until they were nearly nose-to-nose, until he filled
His voice slapped like an accusation when he said, “Is that why you kissed me?”
She fell back, confused. Anger flared on the heels of that confusion. “You kissed me first. What’s your excuse?”
“I’m an idiot.” He jammed one hand in his pocket and gripped his cane with the other as he paced away, then back, his uneven stride growing jerkier by the moment. “I—”
He cut off the word with a click of teeth and blanked his expression to the point that he barely looked human anymore. He could’ve been a statue.A wax figure. “Never mind. It’s not your problem. You’re just doing what you think you need to do to save your technology from unethical bastards like me. It’s not like you’re planning to kill someone.”
Meg got the distinct impression he wasn’t talking directly to her anymore. It seemed more like he was talking to himself, or maybe to a memory. Part of her wanted to soothe him, to smooth the unhappy wrinkle between his eyes. The rest of her wanted to walk away and forget the taste of him, forget the corpse-cold look in his eye as he stared at her now.
Instead she retreated to the place she’d found after her parents’ divorce, and again when her father told her she couldn’t be herself and be taken seriously as an academic. In that place—that hard, practical place where data mattered and emotion didn’t—she found the strength to say, “You’re right. That’s your problem, not mine. You wanted to kiss me, I wanted to kiss you. We kissed. I’m not going to make a federal case out of it, and I’m not sure why you are. But I can say one thing for sure—your response just now has cured me of wanting an encore.”
“Well, that makes one of us,” he said. He jerked his head to the elevators. “Come on. Let’s hole up for the night. Maybe this will all make more sense once we’ve had a few hours of shut-eye.”
She wasn’t sure whether “this” referred to the kiss, the attacks or their continued stalemate over the NPT sale, but she agreed with him on one count, at least. She was done in. Suddenly exhaustion pounded at her from all sides, as though fatigue had beenwaiting at the edges of her consciousness, ready to swoop down the moment she dropped her guard. “Fine. You going to run me home, or should I catch a cab?”
He looked at her strangely. “For God’s sake, I’m not leaving you alone just because I’m mad. Not after Raine and the text message. He said my other girlfriend was next. He may have got the relationship wrong, but the sentiment’s clear. Whether or not the earlier attacks were directed at me, you’re officially a target.”
Meg shivered and twined her fingers together as the last of the heat faded from her core. But she didn’t argue. There was nothing to argue against. She might not like Erik or his methods—or, more honestly, she liked some parts of him too much and others not nearly enough—but he was right. It wasn’t business as usual anymore. “What do you suggest?”
Faint surprise flashed in his eyes, followed by something darker, as though her capitulation only confirmed his deepest suspicions. “The way I see it, we have two choices—your place or a hotel. Either way, I think we should get the hell out of here as soon as possible.”
Because all of the attacks so far had come in or near the hospital.
Meg suppressed another shudder and focused on one omitted detail. “Why not your place?”
“Not an option,” he said flatly. When she would have pressed—out of sheer stubbornness more than anything—he held up a hand. “Hotel or your place? Either way, I’m staying with you.”
The thought of him bunking on her couch, or worse, in an adjoining hotel room, lent a new frisson of energy to the worry. “I’m not sure I want you as my protection.”
He scowled and advanced on her until they were nearly nose-to-nose, until he filled
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