Love Me Or Let Me Go

by Kelly Lucille

  When one young woman looked up from her microscope and nearly bumbled whatever fragile project she was working on, Mira felt a headache begin to brew. Then a different older woman turned to look at them. Her eyes immediately went to the Doctor at her side and narrowed.

  "Aren't you done torturing my staff for at least six months? Why are you here?"

  Doctor Weer glared at the woman, and Mira took a moment to sift through the mirage of emotions coming off both of them. He opened his mouth to say something.

  Mira stepped forward interrupting him. The last thing she needed was for him to belligerently introduce her as a relation.

  "I'm afraid this is my fault. I am considering a job here, and Doctor Weer took it upon himself to show me the lab and introduce me to the staff I could possibly be working closely with." She glanced at the credentials and could not help her surprise. "Dr. E. Cole, as in Ellen Cole? The molecular physicist?"

  Dr. Cole dragged her snapping grey eyes from Doctor Weer and looked at Mira with curiosity and surprise. "And you are?"

  "Forgive me," Mira said smiling at the woman. "I’m Dr. Miranda Fletcher. My field is psychology and neuroscience but there was a small overlap with your field in a few of my master classes. Your work was required reading and quite brilliant."

  A small tinge of color hit the woman’s cheeks and she cleared her throat. "Thank you, may I ask where you studied and what job you are considering?"

  Suspicion, Mira knew and did her best to belay it. "New York University. My work is in the correlation between emotions, social interactions, and the work environment. I was brought in to see if I could improve the efficiency of your staff by improving the work place." She shrugged. "Basically."

  Doctor Cole blinked in obvious surprise, and Mira felt the spurt of humor before it hit the woman’s eyes a moment later. "Well," she finally said, clearing her throat, very carefully not looking at Doctor Weer. "That would be the last thing I would have expected you to say. I was not aware that management cared about the feeling of its staff, certainly not to the extent they would hire an expert in the field."

  Mira smiled big at the woman, her own eyes twinkling with the humor she was feeling from the other woman. After the tension in the rest of the room it was almost a blessing.

  The relief was such she took a chance and sent it spiraling out to the others, soothing fears and jangled nerves until people were moving more smoothly, relieved and just suddenly in good spirits. If she could hold onto the feeling until she got Doctor Weer out of the lab maybe she could bypass the migraine that was even now building behind her eyes from the negative emotion they waded through.

  Beside her she felt Doctor Weer still, and knew that, unlike Doctor Cole or the rest of the staff who had no inkling of where their good moods had come from, he had noticed something. She met his eyes and raised a brow. If Major Franks knew about her abilities, she had no doubt that Mac's father did as well. The only question was whether he would out her to the rest of the staff or let her work her magic in secret for a while.

  Either way it was his lab, his decision. She would abide by it. What she would not do was inhibit her abilities so that she had to work hamstrung to sooth whatever scientific prejudice he might have with extra sensory perception. In short, she was not going to pretend to be something she wasn't.

  After a moment the good Doctor looked away from her to glare with no heat at Doctor Cole. "Do you have a problem with me hiring an expert to clean up the mess you have going around here?"

  "No," Dr. Cole said raising her hands and looking even more amused if possible. "By all means let’s find out exactly what, or who, is the actual problem. I am dying to hear her conclusions on it." Clearly, she had a good idea of who the problem was and was not shy about making that known. She shook her head and met Mira's eyes again. "Quite frankly I think you are taking something on of herculean scope if you accept this job. Some people were just not meant to work with others."

  Mira just smiled. "In my experience it is rarely one person causing all the friction in a work place, but a series of things that can be improved. Occasionally strong personalities clash regularly and morale can be affected. Often there are simple steps that can be taken to mitigate the damage and work within the confines we are presented with. Usually small changes to the present unhealthy cycle are enough to stabilize the emotional tone of the workplace."

  Doctor Cole snorted and looked around at her staff as if she was going to say something and then stopped. She turned back to Mira with both surprise and confusion on her face. "Well, since Doctor Weer is in the lab and no one appears to be dropping things or fluttering about in a panic I have to concede the point. I'm not sure what you said to them as you came through, but obviously it's working." She shrugged. "If you can keep Weer from scaring off yet another batch of promising talent I will call you a miracle worker and pray you take the job." She looked around again. "Hell, I'd pay your salary myself if you can keep this up."

  Mira shrugged giving the woman a pleasant friendly smile, giving nothing away. She didn’t know if it would be a good idea to take the job. She could see the challenge of it and that, more than the substantial salary and benefits, made her consider it. But there were other considerations just as important. Like the main reason for the offer had nothing to do with her and her qualifications, and everything to do with a man she said good-bye to a long time ago.

  CHAPTER THREE

  "Did you do that for my son?" It was the first question the Doctor asked when they left the lab.

  Mira didn’t answer right away, facing as she was the security desk with Major Franks and code name Nevada glaring them down behind and in front of it. Both men stood with their arms crossed over hard chests. Though Nevada's torso was quite a bit bigger if no more intimidating than the much older, and she was sure wiry, major.

  "Do what?" She asked the doctor quietly while keeping her eyes on the other more daunting men in the room. They were far enough away that they would not hear a private conversation if Miranda and Doctor Weer were quiet.

  "Soothe the savage beast?" he asked with a touch of sarcasm. "Whatever the hell you did back there to make everyone so..."

  He seemed to be at a loss for words, so she took pity on him. She really did not want to know what the outspoken doctor would say anyway. "No, Mac was always very self-contained with his emotions. Very rarely did I get a read on him and the few times he was around while I was working my soothing vibes had no noticeable effect."

  "Soothing vibes, is that what you call it?" Since he asked with such derision she turned and glared at him. He glared back. "How often do you influence the minds around you?"

  She almost rolled her eyes. Did he picture her as some kind of super villain, stealing the will of her victims? "I don't influence the minds, I influence emotion, and only the very surface. Much as you do just by walking into the lab. Only where your presence has a negative influence, mine quiets the nerves and clears away the negativity. I assure you it is easily brushed off if the person does not want to be soothed." She gave him serious eyes. "Such as yourself."

  That knocked some of the fire out of his ire, and she felt him take a step back from overt suspicion, back down to scientific curiosity. She had no doubt he would have had more questions, but the soldiers watching their exchange were getting restless.

  "Did you two have fun touring the level3 secure lab without approval and clearance to do so?" the sarcasm was not subtle. And she knew as cool and collected as he sounded, Major Franks was not happy.

  Doctor Weer transferred his glare to the Major and Nevada. "I gave myself approval and if she didn't have clearance you would not be trying to hire her in the first place. I have my doubts about this cockamamie plan of yours and needed to see what she had to offer in the lab."

  "In one tour?" Franks asked clearly exasperated. "What did you think she would accomplish in one walk through?"

  Doctor Weer looked from the major to her and then cocked them both the first smil
e she had seen on his face since she met him. It was odd, and the feeling she got from looking at it was the same she was getting from his emotions. Predatory satisfaction. "I got what I needed."

  She didn’t know what he had decided but she had no doubt the workings of his brilliant mind would become clear eventually. Though even as she assured herself of that she shivered under that raptor smile.

  "Get her a room," he ordered before either she or the major could respond to that. "She's staying the night. Let her get the full picture." He started to walk away his mind already elsewhere it seemed. "And while you're at it make sure mine stays available. I'm sticking around a few days more."

  "What? Why?" Major Franks called after the Doctor, his surprise obvious, and not so obvious was the core of worry beneath it. But the Doctor was already gone.

  Mira looked from the empty hall to the two men now giving her their full attention. Guess she was staying the night. At least it would give her a chance to sleep on it and make up her mind about what she was going to do. And it would not be a bad idea to check out the apartment they were offering with the job. Just in case she lost her mind and decided to take the job. She smiled at both intimidating men. "Any place around here I can get a coffee?"

  Major Franks ground his pearly whites, but his answer was polite enough. "I guess we might as well finish the tour at the mess hall since you've already seen all the restricted areas." Again, his sarcasm was not subtle.

  ***

  When Miranda was shown to what she had been informed would be her permanent residence should she take the job, she was happy to see it was bigger than the small studio she had been renting at the university.

  It did not hurt that the big picture windows overlooked a wooded area rather than the smelly alley she was used to. She was not on the top floor of the twelve-story high rise, but she was close to it and the views were spectacular.

  The main great room was separated from the small but well-equipped kitchenette by only a marble island and two stools. Fully furnished in a minimalist style, the whole apartment was clean and filled with natural light from the many windows. Why she had expected something closer to a military barracks she was not sure, but it was a relief. The one bedroom and bathroom were good sized and just as nondescript but warm. The bed was a queen and when she bounced on it, she was happy to note it was both soft and springy.

  She sighed in relief.

  As tired as she was from the flight and extensive interrogations that continued through the rest of her tour and over her measly one cup of coffee, she just wanted a shower and a place to lay her head.

  And as soon as she could get herself to get back up and off the nice comfy bed she could unpack her pajamas and take that much needed shower. The time difference from New York to California was kicking her ass as much as the recent sleepless nights. A phenomenon that was becoming all too frequent in the last few years.

  Mira sighed and closed her eyes for a moment.

  ***

  She opened her eyes to a rainforest.

  The bed was all white rather than the shades of blue she had been lying on and she was naked beneath the cool sheets she did not remember getting under. She sighed and did not need to turn her head and look to know that Mac was in bed behind her just as naked, lying on his side looming over her. Mac always had been good at dream scape's, she rolled over away from him and tucked her head under the soft pillow.

  "Go AWAY!" The shout was muffled by the pillow, but she knew he heard it. This was his dream after all. Nothing she did would be missed by him here. The only blessing she had was that here he could not delve deep into her mind the way he could have if they were in the real world. Ironic and strange, she had always thought, since her mind was the only thing really in the dream world he created.

  "Not bloody likely." She felt him reach forward and pull her into the curve of his thigh.

  Mira tried to hang on to the bed, but he was strong. She fell into him with a thump, spooned against his hard length, his erection pressing against the soft curves of her backside. His hand around her waist kept her in place. With only the thin sheet between them he was like a flame against her back, and she had to suck in a breath to keep a groan from rolling out.

  This was not fair. Damn him.

  "You promised you wouldn't do this anymore." She tried to wiggle free but all it did was make him hold her tighter, and then he was the one groaning, as his hip did a little involuntary thrust grind against her back side. She froze turning her head to meet his eyes. His cool blue gaze went directly to her lips and heated. She looked away before he could lean down and kiss her.

  "Stop trying to distract me." He growled, smacking her hip and making her gasp in outrage.

  "Me!?"

  "Yes, you." He said, his hand rubbing over the hip he'd just abused. "You're the one wriggling."

  She growled, burying her chin in the pillow. "What are you doing here?"

  "Exactly my question. What are you doing here?"

  "You brought me here!"

  "Not here." He said, smacking her thigh again. "What are you doing with my father?"

  She rolled over to face him. "How did you know that?" Her eyes narrowed, even as his were trailing down her body and back, his hand a brand on her stomach. She slapped it away. "Are you watching me?"

  "Absolutely." He said a wicked gleam in his eyes as they caught on her curves. She grabbed his chin and pulled his eyes back to hers.

  "Are you watching me after we agreed it was over?" The wicked gleam went out of his eyes to be replaced by a more predatory flame.

  He leaned over and kissed her, his lips parting hers and his tongue pushing inside to rub against hers. She groaned again, her lips clinging to his for just a second before she pulled away. He pulled back enough to meet her eyes. "You really want to have that discussion again?"

  "What I want is for you to get out of my head, get out of my dreams and stay out of my life."

  "Then why?" He growled back, rubbing his nose across hers and back. "Are you hanging out with my father?"

  "He offered me a job and I’m considering it. It has nothing to do with you."

  "The hell with that. You aren't working for my father."

  "The hell with you." She pushed his face away and tried once again to turn over, but he held her down.

  "You even think about defying me on this and I'll paddle your sweet ass."

  She opened her mouth to blast him and was so angry all that came out was a "Grrr." She took a deep breath and counted to ten. "Try it and you'll be limping for a week. Now if you don't mind, I would like to get some sleep, I have a new job to start tomorrow." Or not, but she did not add that part.

  "Damn it,” he growled. His frustration obvious even in the dream. “They are just using you to get to me."

  "So?” she asked blithely. “Ignore them, stay out of my head and it's not your problem."

  He ignored that. "This job is dangerous. I know my father."

  "Not your problem. You left remember."

  That had him grinding his teeth audibly. "I told you I'd be back."

  "Thanks for nothing," she muttered, pushing his hand away again.

  That hand went to her neck like he was seriously thinking about strangling her. His thumbs pushed up her chin and she glared him in the eye, daring him to try it.

  "You are the most exasperating woman alive." He said through gritted teeth.

  "Yes well, don’t let the door hit you on the way out."

  His forehead fell to hers and he laughed despite himself. Then he slipped down until his lips found her ear. His voice changed, went softer. "I've missed you." She closed her eyes feeling the pang in her stomach of that hit, and if she were honest, a zing to her heart.

  "Don't."

  She felt the bristles of his beard scruff when he pulled back up, his lips skimmed over hers. "If you want to see me, I'll come to you, you don't have to work for my father for that."

  She pushed him away her eyes going from
soft to hard in a heartbeat. "You are the most egotistical man alive."

  "Are you actually going to deny this is a play for my attention?" The bastard sounded both surprised and smug. She hit him, then she kept hitting him when he laughed at her.

  "I haven't said I would take the job," she said between hits.

  "Good don't," he said before she could go on.

  She growled hitting at him harder. "But if I do, it will have nothing to do with you."

  She attempted to knee him in the balls, but was hampered by his leg and the sheets she was wrapped up in. "Now you are just being mean," he said before he easily subdued her with his much bigger and muscular body. He had her on her back beneath him, her hands locked by his above her head and her legs trapped on either side of his hips before she could try for another shot at his manhood.

  "Stay out of my life," she gritted out between clenched teeth. "Stay out of my head and stop watching me."

  "Stay away from my father," he shot back just as mad suddenly. "That man will get you killed."

  She blinked at that, he was telling the truth as he knew it. She stopped struggling and studied him. "You think I'm in real danger," she said with surprise. "You aren't just being your usual controlling ass-edness."

  His jaw tightened, but he answered calmly, and she could feel him willing her to listen. "My father is a brilliant sociopath, who cares about one thing and one thing only. That's his work. He will put you in harm’s way without blinking to further his experiments, and if he figures out what you can do, he'll do it sooner rather than later."

  Mira narrowed her eyes, sifting through the shifting and twisted emotions she got from the man above her. Where his father was concerned it was not an easy tangle to unravel. Knowing it for the minefield it was she spoke carefully but firmly. "He is not a sociopath, believe me I would know after spending time with him today. And while I get the feeling he was curious about my empathic abilities, he is certainly not the crazed doctor Frankenstein you seem to think he is. Is it possible your estranged relationship and childhood memories are coloring your thinking on this one?"