Yeah, she needed to get a grip on her reactions to Dade Menke. She absolutely couldn’t allow herself to fall for the man. It was the worst idea in the history of ideas.
She would keep her eyes off his body and her hands to herself. No more grabbing his hand or touching his chest. No more squeezing his thigh.
This was a serious job. She needed to be alert at all times, prepared for anything, not drooling over the man’s broad chest and full lips. She’d stared at him enough. Show was over. Time to work.
Chapter 7
Dade was startled awake, as usual, in the early hours of the morning. He had never shut the blinds in his room because he preferred to be able to see out and at least note if it was night or day when he woke up.
It was still dark out this time. He confirmed that with a glance at the clock on the nightstand. He was wide awake, however, so he decided to make his way to Blair’s workout room, hoping he wouldn’t wake her.
He hadn’t entered that room yet, so he had no idea what equipment she might have in there, but what little he did know about her suggested she probably had every piece of equipment known to mankind.
After rummaging around in the drawers and closet, he discovered Ryan had done a fantastic job of outfitting him with everything he would need. Surely he had some help. Emily? That would make sense since Emily at least knew Dade.
Dressed in gym shorts, a T-shirt, and new tennis shoes, he carefully opened his door and made his way down the short hallway. When he stepped in the doorway, he froze.
He wasn’t the only one to have made this decision in the early hours of the morning. Blair was already in the room. And she took his breath away.
Her back was to him, and she was using a bar attached to the ceiling to do pull-ups. It was strategically placed facing the window, though he could see her face in the glass that acted like a mirror against the darkness of early morning.
She hadn’t spotted him yet. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her mouth pursed as she continued to pull her chin up over the bar. How many reps had she done before he arrived?
What made him stop breathing, however, was her clothing choice—or lack thereof. She wore nothing but tight, black workout shorts, a black sports bra, and tennis shoes. Her thick blond hair was pulled up in a ponytail, swaying with every lift of her body.
She had the body of a temptress. He’d already suspected as much over the course of the last few days as he watched her gradual transformation from a security uniform to jeans and a thermal shirt to leggings and a sweatshirt to now this nearly complete lack of cover that left nothing to the imagination.
And by nothing, he meant nothing. Until now, he hadn’t had the opportunity to see her chest. Even with her back to him, he could see the rise and fall of her breasts as she lifted. In the window, he didn’t miss a thing.
Jesus. How did someone as petite as her and as fit as he knew she was have such amazing tits?
Finally, she dropped to the floor and turned around. She startled. Not surprising. “Shit. I didn’t see you. Did I wake you?”
A heated flush covered his cheeks at being caught ogling her, though she made no mention of it. He shook his head. “No. I actually snuck in here quietly, hoping I wouldn’t wake you. How many damn reps did you do?”
She chuckled. “I’ll let you know when you’re caught up. How about that?”
Oh, so she was going to taunt him into working out. It was effective too. He smiled. “All right. How much do I have to bench press to catch up?” he joked.
She shrugged her shoulders high. “Guess you’ll find out when you get there too.”
He had to focus hard to keep his gaze on her face. Her exposed belly was rock hard without an ounce of fat. She was an incredibly gorgeous woman who would make any man drop to his knees. Which meant one of two things. Either she didn’t know she was sexy as hell, so she did nothing to flaunt her assets. Or, she didn’t want to attract anyone to her, so she normally hid her body. At this point he was inclined to go with number one since she seemed oblivious to her allure standing in front of him wearing so little, with sweat running temptingly between her breasts.
She had pointedly not answered his question last night, not that he’d given her a chance. It had been rude to ask, but the look on her face had made him think there was definitely a story behind her desire to remain single.
Oh yeah, she was completely unfazed by her lack of clothing or the effect it might be having on him. She did nothing to hide herself. She didn’t even appear to have brought a T-shirt to the room.
In fact, she moved on to the next apparatus and started doing leg lifts. “You won’t catch up to me on any equipment if you continue to stand in the doorway,” she joked. Her lips were tucked between her teeth as she exerted herself, but the corners of her mouth were lifted in a barely hidden smile.
He forced himself to come fully into the room, thinking there was no way in hell he would accomplish much as long as she was in there with him. She was going to be a distraction like none he’d ever experienced.
He grabbed a hand towel from a stack she had on a table in the corner and headed for her treadmill. He needed to learn to walk before he could run. There was no reason to be embarrassed about how bad of shape he was in after ten years of vitrification.
Nevertheless, he didn’t intend to slack off around her for one more minute. If her goal in bringing him here had been to encourage him to get fit, she had succeeded. If she thought she might be able to tempt him into a competition by running around the house in that damn outfit…she had also succeeded.
He forced himself not to glance her direction as he turned on the machine. If he allowed himself to look at her, he would end up on the floor at the end of the treadmill with his head slamming into the conveyor belt.
He started walking at a fast clip, gradually increasing the speed without noticing she had come up beside him. Her voice made him grab the handles to keep from sliding off the end. “Slow down. This isn’t a contest.”
He smirked. “I thought you were pretty clear that it actually is a contest.”
She stepped in front of him and set her hands on her hips. “Okay, big guy, but there isn’t a prize for reaching your goals faster than what your body can handle. Take your time.”
This was when he noticed the quarter-sized scar on her left biceps. He tried not to think about her getting shot and shifted his gaze to her face. “Don’t you have some other equipment to fondle?” He nodded toward the bench. “Perhaps some sit-ups or something?”
“Fondle?”
“Yeah, well, you obviously love to work out, so I’m betting you have a pretty intimate relationship with every apparatus.” What the hell was he doing teasing her like this?
She laughed. “You’re not wrong.” She walked away, leaving his mouth dry, wondering what the hell she meant by that. No way was he going to ask, though. He’d probably swallow his tongue if she got more specific. As it was, he couldn’t keep from picturing her masturbating with her legs spread open either straddling the bench or forced apart by the leg machine.
He pursed his lips and stared straight ahead, increasing the speed of the treadmill so that he started his first slow jog. He had a long way to go, but he intended to get there if it took every last day of his short life.
Yeah, if her goal had been to entice him to get in shape so he could enjoy the rest of his numbered days, she had definitely succeeded. Game on.
Two hours later, while Blair was in the shower, Dade made his way to her kitchen. He took a few minutes to get the lay of the land, and then he pulled out all the ingredients for omelets and hash browns. He had bacon frying and was chopping vegetables when she wandered in.
Her hair was wet and hanging down her back. He’d never seen it down since he met her. It was longer than he expected. She had on another pair of those damn tight, black legging things. She also wore a fitted, long-sleeved, lime-green sports shirt. This time she was not hiding her chest.
He nearly
cut his finger off as he forced his gaze back to the cutting board.
“That smells amazing. I hit the jackpot. If I had known you could cook, I might have kidnapped you two weeks earlier.” She set her elbows on the high-top table across from him and leaned forward, not helping matters at all with her breasts thrust forward and pressed together.
He attempted to laugh at her joke.
Did the woman have any idea what she was doing to him?
He gritted his teeth and turned away as if he needed to check the bacon that very second.
He knew several things. One, his body was fully functional. Two, he wasn’t going to last another full day without her figuring that out. Three, he wasn’t going to last long inside the confined space alone with her and her scent without taking her.
Was it possible his attraction was based solely on the fact that she was the only woman around and the first person to tempt him since he woke up two weeks ago?
He glanced over his shoulder and nixed that idea in a hurry. She was fucking hot. She either didn’t know it or didn’t care—both of which made her even more attractive.
It wasn’t really a matter of opinion. It was a fact. He wasn’t so far removed from society that he couldn’t see she was a strong, sexy woman—qualities he found appealing.
Part of him rationalized there was no reason to spend the rest of his numbered days living like some kind of monk while there was a fantastic tempting woman within reach. He couldn’t do that to her, of course. It wouldn’t be fair. But, God, how he wanted to turn around, grab her sexy body by the waist, set her on the counter, and fuck the daylight out of her.
It was important to remind himself that he was her guest. She was doing him a favor. It would be inappropriate and rude as fuck to come on to her. It could also ruin their tenuous relationship as friends. She’d brought him here to keep him safe from the rest of the world. Did she have any idea how very unsafe he was from her?
“Looks like it finally stopped snowing,” he said to fill the silence.
“Yep. But we got more than a foot, and it’s supposed to start again later tonight.” She shoved off the table and walked over to the back door to look out.
He blew out a breath. At least her tits were no longer in his face. Of course, her ass was almost worse, and it was on display. He would be subjected to one or the other at all times. Couldn’t she put on some more damn clothes?
He sautéed the vegetables for several minutes and then poured the eggs over them. The potatoes were almost done, and the bacon was draining on a paper towel. “So, you have a computer I can use, right?”
She turned around. “Yes. I’ll set it up for you after we eat. I usually work at the kitchen table. The modem is on the counter.” She pointed to the black box he hadn’t noticed behind the phone.
“Probably going to need a tutorial of your latest computer updates and internet usage if they’re anything like your weird phone apps and that iPad thing.”
She giggled, a sound he was beginning to enjoy a bit too much. “I have an iPad too if you need it.”
He shook his head rapidly as if clearing it of the clutter that was 2018. “The world jumped ahead a hundred years while I slept for ten.”
“Pretty much.”
He filled their plates and set them on the table. “Let’s eat.” He took a deep breath as he slid onto the stool. He was going to have to get a grip on his absurd lust for this woman fast. If not, he would make a complete fool of himself before the end of the day. And this was only day two.
While he ate, he reminded himself that he wasn’t available for any sort of relationship even if Blair or any other woman were game. He was going to die.
Ryan had been vague about his prognosis, so now that Dade had renewed energy, the first thing he intended to do was go through all of Ryan’s data and notes to come up with his own diagnosis. Instead of continuing to wallow in self-pity, he could at least be useful to the other members of the team. What if someone else was revived with the same condition?
Above all, he was first and foremost a scientist. He had devoted his entire life to finding the cures for diseases. That devotion had included the virus he himself had succumbed to ten years ago. AP12. He needed to stop whining about his impending death and start looking for a cure for the deadly combination of AA2 and AP12. If he couldn’t find a treatment in time to save himself, at least he could move the research that much closer to keeping someone else alive in the future.
Suddenly realizing he was in his own world, he lifted his gaze to find Blair leaning back on her stool, arms crossed under her chest, staring at him intently. Her plate was empty. So was his for that matter.
She gave him a small smile. “You get really intense when you’re thinking. What’s been going on in that head of yours?”
At least that hadn’t changed. “Yeah, I’ve been told that a time or two. I get inside my head and zone out the rest of the world. Everything else ceases to exist.”
“Did you solve the mysteries of the universe while you were in there?”
“Not yet, but I did plot out a time frame for when I would like to have them all solved,” he joked as he slid off the stool and took their plates to the sink.
“I’ll clean up. You better get started saving the world.” She followed him, taking the plates from his hands and setting them on the counter. “Let me get the computer so you can work, then I’ll tackle this kitchen.”
He nodded, grateful that she understood him without words.
Ten minutes later, he had his hand on her mouse and was exploring the internet. He was impressed to find that he could access any file Ryan shared with him and that Ryan had already set up a shared folder and included enough files to keep Dade busy for weeks.
The next time Dade had any cognizant knowledge of the universe was when a hand landed on his shoulder and a feminine body brushed against his side. He tipped his head toward Blair. “You’ve been working for hours. Why don’t you take a break? You need to eat. You should walk around some.”
He glanced at the window. “Shit. What time is it?”
“After five. The sun sets pretty early here this time of year.”
He swiped a hand down his face and leaned back, aware of every one of her fingers still touching him. “Wow.”
She slid onto the stool next to him. “What are you working on so intently?”
“Mostly I’m just adding to my frustration, to be honest. There have been so many advances in medicine in the last ten years that it’s going to take me weeks just to catch up. Maybe months. I don’t have months.” He wasn’t kidding. His stress level had skyrocketed the more he learned. Or rather the more he found out he needed to learn.
“I know it’s in your genetic make-up to find a cure for diseases, but you can’t fix everything in one day.”
She had no concept of what he was facing. “I don’t intend to fix everything, just AA2. And the clock is ticking.”
She nodded slowly. “I understand.”
“Do you?” He didn’t mean to get snarky, but she was standing too close to him, touching him, her scent wafting toward him. He needed to put some distance between them before he grabbed her by the face and kissed her senseless.
Shoving the laptop closed, he slid off the other side of his stool and broke the contact, padding from the room. As soon as he was in the guest room, he shut the door and leaned against it. He had no idea why he’d been so sharp with her. There was no reason for it. She’d done nothing to deserve it.
Except be sexy in his space, which he couldn’t deal with. He had work to do. She was the one who encouraged him to pull his shit together and live life to its fullest. What he hadn’t anticipated was intense attraction to her. And now he had a problem.
He’d only known her three days, and that was a stretch if he counted their limited interaction the first day. How could he possibly fall for a woman he’d spent so little time with?
He headed for the window and peered out into the night.
When deep breaths didn’t calm him down, he opened the window a few inches, hoping the cold air would shock his system back to normal.
Whatever normal was.
He needed a new normal. He needed a routine. Exercise. Cook. Eat. Research. That was what his routine looked like before he was vitrified. He could return to some semblance of that normal again now.
Except before he’d gotten sick, he had spent his days in the bunker.
And there most certainly hadn’t been a gorgeous woman wandering around in his space while he worked.
Dade needed to get his head on straight and focus. He had done enough research all day to better understand what he was facing.
First of all, Ryan and Emily were correct. There was no way of knowing how much time he had before he developed symptoms of AP12. Could be weeks. Could be months. With the total blood replacement, he had more time than someone else, and there certainly hadn’t been anyone else battling AA2 who’d received a total blood replacement.
Fact number two, as soon as he received the shot that was meant to cure AP12, AA2 would kick into high gear and kill him within a month. That was not an option.
Fact number three, there were a number of drugs that had been developed to prolong the lives of people with AP12 before the cure had been discovered. When Dade started getting symptoms, he could start a treatment plan that would buy him some time. Months probably.
Meanwhile, the clock was ticking on making a decision. There were two possible paths that could save his life. One was the development of a cure for AA2. The other was a bone marrow transplant. The success rate of the transplant was less than 50 percent. Not good odds, but certainly a possibility if all else failed.
He could get on the donor registry list, but that would create an entire new pile of issues since his reanimation and existence were not public yet, and no one involved in the project wanted anyone to find out the reanimation of one of the team members had not been 100 percent successful. That would simply add fuel to the protesters and possibly stall the reanimation of the rest of the team.
Reviving Dade Page 6
