by Cathryn Fox
He rolled his shoulders. “All right. Don’t be long. This is going to be great.”
Excitement danced in his eyes and pulled Laura in. Like her, Jay really loved this aspect of their job.
Laura searched through the now-dwindling crowd and found Erin sprawled on a lounge chair. She hurried her steps over to her.
“Hey,” Laura said. “Ready to get out of here?”
“Where have you been?” Erin asked, stifling a yawn. “I’ve been ready for an hour.”
An hour? Surely she and Jay hadn’t spent an hour in the bathroom.
“Let’s go.” Laura held her arm out.
Erin accepted the offered hand and let Laura pull her to her feet. As Erin stood, her gaze slowly, knowingly drifted over Laura.
Erin braced her hands on her hips, a grin tugging her lips up. “Now it’s my turn to say I told you so.”
Laura didn’t even bother to mask her feelings. After all, her emotions were as transparent as cling wrap. “And…” she said, turning on the ball of her foot, “I know you’re just dying to elaborate on that statement.”
Erin fell in step with Laura as they exited the backyard through the gated fence and made their way to Erin’s car.
Erin lowered her voice. “Last night I told you Jay slept with you because he liked you, not because of the enhancer.”
Laura pulled the car door open, paused, and glanced at Erin over the roof. She lowered her voice to match Erin’s. “Tell me something, Erin. You were there months ago when we tested the enhancer. How long did it stay in a man’s system?”
Erin gave her a look suggesting she was crazy and cut her hands through the air. “I don’t buy that for a minute.” With a nod she gestured toward the backyard. “Even if it was still in his system, which I doubt, he could have had his pick of any piranha in the place, and he chose you.” Her grin turned wicked. “The guy’s got it bad for you.”
Laura’s heart kicked up a notch as Erin’s words sank in. True, the effects usually lingered for a little over twelve hours, and they were well past that. And he could have had any slut piranha in the place. That was blatantly obvious.
Could Erin be right?
Could Jay have it bad for her?
Had hell frozen over?
Laura climbed into the car and secured her duffel bag at her feet. The strong smell of Erin’s pine-scented car freshener assaulted her senses and made her sneeze.
Erin turned to face her. “So tell me, did you finally get to finish what you started? Was he as great as I hear?”
Heat climbed to Laura’s cheeks as jealousy surged up inside her. She really hated thinking about Jay being great with other women.
“No.” Laura cracked her window and drew a breath.
Erin leaned forward, her dark eyes wide in disbelief. “No? He wasn’t great? Or no, you didn’t finish what you started?”
“I wouldn’t use the word great, Erin. It was more like amazing, mind-blowing, and earth-shattering. And no, we didn’t finish what we started.” Laura shrugged. “No condoms.”
An impatient sigh filled the car. “Girl, have you learned nothing from me?” She reached into her dash and grabbed a handful of super-sized prophylactics and dangled them in front of Laura.
Erin raised an inquisitive brow. “I take it he needs extra-large?” she inquired hopefully.
Laura gave a tight nod and swallowed as she recalled his magnificent girth. “Oh yeah,” she squeaked out, and linked her hands together.
Erin grinned. “If you want him again, and if you want to finish what you started, seduce him. That’s what I’d do.” She stuffed the condoms in Laura’s bag. “And keep a stash of these with you at all times. You never know what might pop up.”
A short while later, after Erin had dropped her off at her building, Laura made her way inside. As she pulled open the security door, her thoughts returned to Jay. Heck, who was she kidding, her thoughts didn’t return to Jay, they had never left him.
God, she couldn’t believe that they’d ravished each other like that in the director’s bathroom. Nor could she believe the erotic, stimulating things they did with the ice cubes. She’d never been so bold, so daring, so naughty. Or so reckless.
Even though the sex was fantastic, the more time she spent in Jay’s arms, the deeper her emotions spiraled out of control. And to think they had to test the suppressant again. A shiver made its way down her spine.
Jay had said her brilliance amazed him. In fact, he said it did more than just amaze him, and proved that fact to her in orgasmic ways. For a moment Laura pondered the situation. Was Erin right? Did Jay have it bad for her or was it the libido enhancer ruling his actions?
Suddenly Max’s words came back to haunt her. “You’d just be another notch on his bedpost.”
Even if Jay did find her attractive, he was a playboy—a renowned playboy who wasn’t searching for anything more than a wild time.
They simply slept together. Lots of people slept together and it didn’t mean they were in love. She swallowed the knot in her throat and pushed those thoughts to the far corners of her mind.
Exhaustion settled into her bones as she climbed the stairs to her apartment. She’d like nothing more than to go to bed and crash for a week but she knew she couldn’t go to sleep yet. She had to meet Jay at the lab to test her theory.
Just as she prepared to put her key into the lock, she noticed her door was ajar. She straightened in surprise. Had she forgotten to lock it earlier that morning in her haste to make it to that ball game?
When she inched the door open and peered inside, blackness greeted her. Taking one tiny step, she reached for the light switch. Glass crunched beneath her feet. Her heart lurched in her chest and her thoughts raced as air rushed from her lungs in a loud whoosh.
Before she had time to quietly tiptoe out of there, someone, a very big someone, came barreling into the hallway, knocking her backward. Her head hit the wall and her legs went out from underneath her. She winced in pain as she crumpled to the floor.
The intruder’s footsteps pounded down the hallway like thunder as he bolted down the stairwell and out the main door.
It took her a few minutes to pull herself together and gather the strength to rise. Crawling to her feet, Laura stood there, blinking, dazed, trying to figure out what in the heck had just happened.
Erin’s voice sounded from behind. Laura spun around. The quick movement made her dizzy.
“Whoa,” she mumbled, groping for the wall to right herself.
Erin put her arm around Laura’s waist and balanced her. “Laura, what happened? I saw a man running from the building.”
“Call Detective Doyle; his card is on my counter. I think I just ran into the guy who broke into the lab.”
Jay hurried to the research center, grabbed a quick shower in their lab changing room, and dressed in a spare pair of jeans and T-shirt that he kept stashed in his locker. He spent the next hour carefully preparing and heating the new compound. Once completed, he filled a syringe and administered the shot to Clyde. Ever since he’d given the rat an enhancer fifteen minutes earlier, the little guy had been stalking around his cage like a wild panther in search of Bonnie, in search of relief. He knew the feeling well.
Although he had to admit, his sleeping with Laura the previous night had nothing to do with the libido enhancer surging through his body. Oh no. Not at all. He’d slept with Laura because he was damn well crazy about her. What he experienced with her, inside the bedroom and out, was unique, extraordinary, something he’d never experienced with another woman. Or ever would.
He loved everything about her. Her beautiful face, hair, and body. He even found the way she nibbled on her bottom lip endearing. He loved her spirited energy and dedication to her work. He loved her sense of adventure and how she had maintained her humor at the ball game, even when she got bowled over. A low chuckle sounded in his throat. Talk about taking one for the team. Jay especially loved her intelligence. Not only did she arouse
his libido, she stimulated his mind. No other woman had ever done that.
Realization dawned. The deeper emotions he felt with Laura proved he wasn’t incapable of love, like he’d thought, like he’d always been told. It wasn’t that he was a total Cutler clone. Not at all. It was simply that the right woman had never come along and opened his heart.
The significance of his thoughts didn’t elude him.
It never occurred to him that in his original quest to melt the Ice Princess he’d stumbled onto something he had no idea how much he wanted.
Now that he’d found it, it made him rethink his lifestyle, his future. Until tonight, he’d never really known how lonely he’d been. How tired he was of the bachelor lifestyle, tired of going home to an empty apartment, eating alone, waking up alone.
He’d never brought a woman to his place before. It was much less complicated to spend the night at hers, and then escape when the time was right.
For the first time in his life, he wanted to bring someone into his home, his territory. He longed to wake up next to a woman who was sweet and caring, warm and welcoming. He wanted to feel Laura’s loving body in his arms, to kiss her awake and spend the weekend talking over coffee. He wanted to share her happiness, her heartache.
The night they’d spent together at her apartment certainly hadn’t satiated his appetite for her, the way he thought it would. In fact, his reactions were quite the opposite. It left him wanting, yearning for more. So much so that he ravished her in the director’s bathroom. He was losing himself in her. Body and soul.
It basically boiled down to one thing. He wanted Laura, inside the bedroom and out.
He could tell her how he felt, but why would she believe him? He knew his reputation as a playboy preceded him. No doubt she’d assume he was sweet-talking his way into her panties again. Not that he didn’t want her writhing between the sheets, mind you. He did. After all, he was a healthy red-blooded male.
But that would have to wait, because right now he wanted to show Laura there was more to him. To show her how much he cared, how he longed to be with her, and how good they would be together outside the bedroom. He wanted to prove to her that he was worthy.
He turned his attention to Clyde and watched him run laps inside his exercise wheel in an attempt to burn off some of that excess steam. “Ease up there, little buddy, before you hurt yourself.”
Reaching into a nearby cage, he gathered Bonnie into his hands and brought her close to his face. He murmured into her ear. “Hopefully the potion works this time and Clyde will give you a break.” Bonnie’s nose twitched as she wiggled to free herself.
He placed Bonnie into the far side of the cage and waited. Clyde stopped spinning his wheel, went up on his hind legs, and sniffed the air.
Jay scrubbed his hand over the prickly growth speckling his chin and observed Clyde’s actions. He glanced at the clock and yawned. What was taking Laura so long?
Clyde stopped sniffing, climbed from the wheel, circled like a cat, and then curled up in the fetal position. In no time at all he fell fast asleep. A wide grin split across Jay’s face, but he was too damn tired to jump up and down with excitement. In an automatic reaction, he turned to tell Laura the good news but quickly realized she wasn’t there. A sense of loneliness enveloped him. It surprised him how he’d grown so accustomed to having her at his side.
As he made his way over to his desk to note his findings, his cell phone vibrated and began ringing.
Who would be calling at this time of night? He dug into his pocket and flipped open his phone. Perhaps it was Laura letting him know she was running late.
“Hello.”
“Jay, it’s Erin.” She sounded anxious.
He froze midstride. “What’s up?”
“You better get to Laura’s place right away. Her apartment’s been broken into and she’s hurt.”
His whole body stiffened. Laura was hurt. How? Where? Who? Before he had time to ask any of those questions, Erin hung up.
Dropping everything, Jay bolted out of the building and hopped into his car. At breakneck speed he flew down the freeway and made it to Laura’s apartment in record time.
A sick feeling settled in the pit of his stomach as he pulled in behind two police cruisers. Their rotating lights lit up the tree-lined walkway. He climbed from his car, dashed into the building, and hurried up the stairs.
He burst through Laura’s door and spotted her sitting on the sofa, an ice pack pressed to the side of her head. Erin sat with her while the officers, the same ones he’d encountered at the lab the previous night, muddled through the disorder and dusted for prints.
With determined strides, he stepped over a smashed lamp and crossed the room. He took one look at her ashen face and felt his blood run cold. She looked so fragile, so vulnerable. He wanted to take her into his arms and soothe away her troubles.
“God, Laura, are you okay?” He gestured for Erin to shove aside so he could sit next to her.
Laura forced a smile. “I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine.” Mumbling curses under his breath, he placed his hand over the ice pack and held it in position for her. She looked exhausted and her body felt chilled. He glanced at Erin. “Would you mind grabbing a blanket?”
“Sure.” Erin stood and disappeared down the hallway.
He turned his attention to Detective Doyle. “Who did this?”
“We’re working on it,” he assured him.
Jay gathered Laura into his arms and offered his warmth. Christ, he should have driven her home. If he’d been here for her, this never would have happened. Erin came back with a blanket. He took it from her and draped it over Laura’s shoulders.
He felt his anger rising. “I assume it’s connected to the lab break-in,” he bit out.
The detective nodded. “Appears that way.”
Laura’s voice piped up. “He was after our files, but I came home before he found them.”
She seemed so pleased by that fact. Jay carefully lifted the ice pack off her head and examined the bump. He winced. “The files don’t matter, Laura. All that matters is that you’re safe.” His voice was tight with emotion. Oh God, what would he have done if something had happened to her? A sliver of unease made him flinch.
Her brow puckered in a frown. “Of course the files matter,” she argued.
He placed the ice pack back over the lump. “I think you should see a doctor.”
She waved a dismissive hand. “I’m fine,” she insisted. “I don’t need a doctor.”
Jay glanced at the mess in her living room and drew a heavy breath. “You’re coming to my place.”
“No, I’m not,” she said with certainty.
He wasn’t about to take no for an answer. “Yes, you are, Laura.”
“But—”
He interrupted her. “Don’t argue with me. You’re not staying here. Until they catch whoever did this you’re not safe.”
“I know it’s not safe, Jay. Erin already said I could stay with her,” she countered.
Jay twisted sideways and glared at Erin. He gave her a look that suggested it would be in her best interests to change Laura’s mind.
Erin quickly caught on. She slapped her hand to her forehead. “Oh, I just remembered, you can’t stay at my place after all. My spare room is being painted.”
“There, that settles it. You’re staying with me,” Jay insisted.
She tensed against him. “Erin…” Laura’s voice grated in warning.
Erin threw her hands up in the air and shrugged. “You know me and my forgetful memory.”
Laura slumped back; her shoulders dropped. He felt her body relax against his and sensed her resolve was softening around the edges.
She gave a resigned groan. “Fine.”
Jay rose from the couch and eased Laura to her feet. “Let me take you home and get you to bed.”
As she stood, her curvy body collided with his. He splayed his hand on her back to anchor her to him. When
her hips molded against his thighs, her breath seemed to hitch in her throat.
He watched the play of emotions cross her face and wondered what she was thinking. He decided not to press. There would be plenty of time for talking later when he had her snuggled in his bed. That thought brought a tingle to an area that needed to be ignored for the time being.
“I have to gather my things and have a quick shower.”
He caught hold of her hand, grabbed her duffel bag from the floor, and escorted her down the hall. “Go shower.” He held her bag out to her. “And then pack plenty, because until they find the guy who did this, you’re staying with me.”
He neglected to tell her that once he had her there, he didn’t intend to let her go. Tonight he wanted to prove to Laura he wasn’t just some playboy looking to get his hands on her sensuous body. She’d opened his eyes and his heart. He wanted her to be a part of his life.
Chapter 8
Night had closed around them by the time they stepped outside Laura’s apartment and climbed into Jay’s vehicle. Jay shot her a sidelong glance as he maneuvered his car into traffic. She’d changed into a pair of jeans that accentuated her curvy body and a pale yellow, short-sleeved blouse. Staring at the dark road ahead, she gently rubbed her fingers over the bump on her head. He touched her hand with his and gave a tender squeeze, bringing her attention around to him.
He arched one brow. “You sure you don’t want to get that checked out?”
She dropped her hand in her lap and gave a quick shake of her head. “I’m fine, really,” she assured him. “Besides, I don’t feel like sitting at the hospital for hours just to have a doctor tell me I have a lump on my head. I already know that.” She tossed him a genuine smile.
God, when she smiled at him like that his insides turned to mush. How in the hell would he ever be able to take her home, tuck her in his bed, and keep his hands to himself when all he could think about was kissing her, touching her, and finishing what they’d started in the director’s bathroom?
He knew if he wanted her to see him as more than a sex-crazed playboy, more than “Wildman” Jay Cutler, he had to keep his hands to himself and figure out a game plan. Fast. He needed her to start thinking about him in terms of commitment, not just the hot roll in the hay for which he was known.
