Dark Matter: SCIENCE FICTION ROMANCE

by Jessica Loft

  Looking at Shane dressed to the nines, made the desire bubble up inside her. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Elizabeth swallowed hard before she spoke.

  “Good morning, Shane. I like this look, I mean don’t get me wrong, the other one is fine. It’s just that you look so dapper in a good suit,” she said, winking at him as she walked by.

  His mouth fell open for a second and then he smiled and followed her. Ah, this is business Beth, he thought. Clearly, she would keep him on his toes.

  A few feet behind them, Tom couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He had never seen Elizabeth flirt so openly. He stopped in his tracks mouth agape just watching the two of them.

  “Let’s go gentlemen.” she said, ignoring Tom, and gesturing towards the elevator.

  As Shane stepped up beside her Elizabeth felt butterflies rise in her belly. She couldn’t believe the effect he had on her. She had never been this intensely attracted to a man. One minute earlier, she had been in her office in total control, assuming the boss role, and then the next moment she was flirting like a schoolgirl.

  Her eyes grazed over him, his dark wavy hair, his green eyes, his broad shoulders and narrow waist. Her knees were weak, she started sweating, her heart pumped in her chest, and her brain shut off. Instinct was taking over, she knew, she wanted to jump into his arms and tear that suit off of his gorgeous body.

  Jesus Elizabeth! Get it together. Deep breath, deep breath. She breathed deeply. What the hell was I thinking hiring this guy, I’m not going to get anything done, I can’t even get out the door without wanting to jump him, she thought.

  Tom nodded at Shane dismissively as he walked by him to press the elevator button. The three stood there and waited in an awkward silence for the door to open. When it did, Shane placed his hand on the small of Elizabeth’s back as she stepped in. The corner of his mouth turned up slightly suppressing a smile, Two can play at this game, he thought. She felt a shock through her system when he touched her; her cheeks flushed a brighter crimson. Oh god, I hope Tom can’t see my face, she thought.

  They filed into the elevator and the doors closed. Elizabeth could smell Shane; he had a woodsy, clean scent. She wanted to touch him, to feel him all over her body. Suddenly, Tom cleared his throat, startling her back to reality.

  “So, Shane, I have your employee contract prepared. When we arrive at the office we can go over it together and you can sign it,” he said, his eyes fixed in front of him. Elizabeth was grateful for the distraction.

  “Sure, yeah. That sounds fine. Thanks…Tom, is it?” Shane said with the slightest hint of a smirk.

  “Yes, Tom is right,” He replied, teeth clenched.

  “I saw in your background check that you have military experience. Good to know that you have at least one qualification for the position.” Shane looked over at Tom, his eyebrows raised.

  “Well, that, and the fact that I already saved Elizabeth’s life once before. But, of course, I wouldn’t have accepted a position that I’m not qualified for. I believe being a decorated Marine would provide me with some insight and techniques for protecting one person.”

  They had reached the ground floor, parking level, the doors of the elevator slid open. Both Tom and Shane gestured at the same time for Elizabeth to step out first. She winced, the sun wasn’t even up yet on Shane’s first day and she was already tired of the antics between them. She wondered if Tom was actually feeling jealous.

  That’s ridiculous, she thought. Tom was indispensable; he knew that. They reached the car and both men stepped forward to open the door for her. But this time Shane got to it first and opened it. Elizabeth thanked him and climbed into the car. Tom made his way around the car to get in on the other fuming. Shane took the liberty to slide into the seat beside Elizabeth.

  As the car began moving, routine fell back into place. Tom and Elizabeth simultaneously pulled out their phones to go over the day’s schedule.

  “Meeting at 9 with Turner Industries, do you have the acquisition ready?” Elizabeth inquired. But before Tom could respond Shane reached over and touched Elizabeth’s arm.

  “Did the detective get back to you about you attacker? Do they know who she is or what motivated the attack?” He asked, facing Elizabeth.

  Tom looked over and shook his head.

  “No. I mean her name is Trisha Gardner but they don’t have much more than that. She has no criminal record, and as for why she attacked me, there is no clear reason.” Elizabeth replied. Tom shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

  “She seemed to be mentally and emotionally disturbed. I don’t think it’s more complicated than that and, frankly, neither does the detective,” he directed at Shane, his tone stern. “Anyway, Elizabeth and I have to go over a few things before we arrive at the office.”

  “Yeah, well, like I said to Beth, it didn’t look random to me. My position here is to protect Ms. Connor from further danger, so I like to have all my bases covered,” Shane leaned back into the seat, his posture relaxed. He turned his attention back to Elizabeth.

  “I will look into the security systems you have in place and make sure they are airtight. As part of my job as your body guard I’d also like to look a bit further into this Trisha Gardner woman, make sure we aren’t missing anything.”

  Elizabeth didn’t want to go over Tom’s head, but, on the other hand, she wanted this situation dealt with quickly and effectively. She had a major merger coming up that she had been working on for months. This kind of drama was not something she needed right now. If this had been a premeditated attack against her, and if there was a possibility of being attacked again, she wanted to know. She nodded.

  “Yes, go ahead. I’d like this situation wrapped up as soon as possible. If that means you work on it as well as the detective then so be it.”

  Tom raised his hand, about to protest. She looked over at him and he knew the expression on her face meant the discussion was over.

  ***

  Elizabeth wanted to keep Shane close, she felt safe with him. All this talk about Trish Gardner and security systems had her more nervous than usual. She had never felt insecure before, but she knew she was still feeling vulnerable from the attack. She made arrangements for a desk area to be put together in her own office for Shane to work as close to her as possible.

  ~

  The rivalry between Tom and Shane had not lessened in the weeks Shane had been working for her, but Elizabeth felt it was worth the trouble. Obviously, Tom wasn’t happy about Shane being in the office, but Shane made her feel safe. Although he hid it with his rough and rugged exterior, he was as devoted to her as Tom was, perhaps more. He went through her security measures with a fine-tooth comb, discovering ever flaw and addressing them one at a time. He studied her habits and her schedule and he fit himself into her life seamlessly. She had only known him for a few weeks and yet it was as if she had known him her whole life.

  Elizabeth had carefully cultivated the persona she presented to the world. She was a petite woman but she commanded respect. She was a power in the business world and she had a no-nonsense approach that was not questioned by anyone. The one exception was Shane. Shane treated her differently than anyone she had ever known. He spoke to her as an equal; her money and power meant little to him. Surprisingly, for Elizabeth she found this endeared him to her even more.

  As they spent more time together, the attraction between them grew. He looked sexy as hell in his black suit, his hair always untamed. She would find herself watching him work for minutes at a time; he would run his fingers through his hair as he researched on the computer. When his research wasn’t fruitful, he would stand up, stretch his arms above his head, and then he would pace the marble floors of the office, his footsteps so light they made no sound. She would imagine herself running her hands through his hair, kissing those lips, grabbing that ass. I’m not going to be able to resist him forever, she recognized.

  As Elizabeth and Tom carried out the work of Connor Innovations, Sh
ane worked diligently investigating the woman that had attacked her. He was convinced that there was something deeper going on some type of connection. He kept Elizabeth up to date with his progress but Trisha Gardner was a veritable ghost. He theorized that that was just her alas. He spent hours researching to find out whom she really was. She had no paper trail to speak of so she was difficult to track. Shane decided to call in a favor from his days in the Marines. He asked his friend in Intelligence to run her picture through the system to see if they could cross-reference it.

  Hours before her next big meeting with their rival company’s CEO Elizabeth knew she needed to stop thinking about the attacker and who it might or might not be. She needed to buckle down and focus or she would seem unprepared. She looked down at her forms and forced herself to turn back into businesswoman Elizabeth, not victim Elizabeth.

  Hours later Elizabeth was still totally engrossed in her work; she was rereading a document to make sure she knew it inside and out. She felt a hand brush the side of her neck; she jumped, startled. Sense of relief filled her as she turned to see Shane standing behind her. He leaned down, his lips close to her ear.

  “I need to talk to you, do you have a minute,” he whispered. Tom raised his head from his work and frowned at Shane’s interruption. Elizabeth felt goose bumps rise all over her body.

  “Jeez, you scared me. How do you move so quietly?” she inquired. He smiled at her.

  “It’s a secret.” He winked. “But seriously, do you have a minute?”

  “Sure, what is it?” she asked. He moved beside her and leaned against her desk facing her, his back to Tom.

  “This woman, Trisha Gardner has no history to speak of, I dug deep. No criminal record, but also no school records, no work, no bills, no medical history. She doesn’t exist. So, I called in a favor and had my buddy cross reference her picture through the system and he found a match. Trisha Gardner is actually Karen Hatfeld; she is from around the Joliet area, about 40 miles from here,” Shane said, raising his eyebrows.

  “I called detective Anderson and found out she was released. They couldn’t keep her any longer as her bail had been paid.” He said. Elizabeth was stunned.

  “I can’t believe it, you were right. I mean, I was hoping you were wrong, that this was just some random attack. But this is sounding really fishy. Who paid her bail?”

  “They can’t release that information to me. Beth, I’d like to go investigate her tonight. I want to see where she is holed up and make sure she doesn’t have any more plans,” he said, reaching down and placing his warm hand on her forearm and giving it a little squeeze. Tom stood up abruptly.

  “Now hold on, it’s one thing to look into this woman’s background. But you get ‘your buddy’ involved? Do illegal digging through the government system and now you’re talking about going to spy on her in her home? Come on, this is getting out of hand.” He pointed at Shane. “This is ammunition for a lawsuit, now she will sue us for harassment.” Tom stood up and slammed his hands on the desk.

  “Elizabeth, this guy can’t be for real! This is insane! The police said it was a random attack, they released her because she doesn’t pose a real threat.” Shane turned towards Tom, furious.

  “You know, you should be a little more concerned with Elizabeth’s safety. That woman almost cut her throat while you stood there, helpless!” Shane accused. Tom started around his desk toward Shane.

  “Don’t you dare question my loyalty to Elizabeth! I’ve been working with her for years. You just waltz in here and think you know her? You don’t know shit! You were in the right place at the right time, made a split second decision, and now you're taking advantage, making her think she’s in danger so you can keep your cushy new job!” Tom was screaming now. Elizabeth stood up from her chair.

  “Okay, okay. That’s enough!” She yelled at both men as she stood up ready to intervene. “Just stop! I’ve had enough of you two fighting!” She turned her attention to Tom. “Why don’t you take a little break?”

  Tom didn’t even respond to her. He grabbed his phone off the desk and stormed out. Elizabeth had never seen him so worked up. She felt guilty that he felt threatened by Shane but she needed both of them. Tom was going to have to learn to accept that.

  “Beth, I just want to make sure you’re safe. He has to understand that,” Shane said to her. He reached out and put his hand on her shoulder. She laid her hand over top of his and squeezed.

  “I don’t want to talk about this in front of Tom. Do what you need to do, but nothing illegal. If you find something suspicious go to the police, okay?”

  “Okay, I understand. On the subject of things you can do to protect yourself, now that Karen Hatfeld is free, I would like to go over some basic self-defense techniques with you. You handled yourself pretty well when she attacked but it couldn’t hurt to give you some extra pointers.”

  She nodded, her mind still thinking about Tom’s reaction. She felt guilty. But she couldn’t help thinking what if Shane was right about this woman. Safety was more important than hurt feelings.

  “Yeah, I think that is a good idea, Shane. I’ll have Tom cancel my trainer for this afternoon?” she said, and sat back down at her desk.

  “Perfect, I’ll get the gym set up,” Shane went back to his desk to grab his keys and make his way to the gym.

  Tom returned to the office shortly after Shane left. He had calmed down, but was still not happy about the whole situation. He sat down at his desk and was about to start back on his work, when he paused.

  “Sorry Elizabeth. That wasn’t appropriate, I over reacted. I just think that Shane is over stepping.” He said, still looking down.

  She nodded and looked over to him. “No, you’re right Tom, it’s too much. I spoke to him when you left; he is going to drop it. We agreed to go over some basic self-defense instead, so I need you to cancel my trainer for this afternoon.”

  Tom looked relieved. “Sure.” He looked at her, “Thanks, Elizabeth.”

  For the rest of the morning, Elizabeth had several important meetings to attend, and even more paperwork to go over. She was usually very productive and focused on meeting her deadlines. If anything should have distracted her, it was the mystery woman and her secret identity, but all she could think about was her upcoming self-defense training with Shane.

  ***

  Elizabeth left the office and made her way down the corridor to her private training studio. She took pride in her beautifully outfitted gym and training area built just down the hall from her office. Nearly every afternoon, she would spend a grueling hour-long session with her personal trainer. Exercise was one of her favorite ways to deal with work stress; she trained like a beast. Afterwards when she returned to her office, her mind was clear and sharp; she could focus once again on the work before her.

  This was something she desperately needed today; her focus was in shambles. She would try to get something done and her mind would wander to Shane. Even now as she changed into her Lululemon tights and sports bra, as she tied the laces of her running shoes, she thought about him pinning her down on the floor to teach her how to defend herself. She would just wrap her legs around him and… She shook herself.

  “Jesus Christ, Elizabeth! Get a grip,” she said to herself in the mirror. She felt like she was in high school again, her mind was not in full control of her body.

  As she walked into the studio ready for what Shane was about to give her. Elizabeth bit her lip as watched him prepare mats tumbling mats on the floor. His plain white t-shirt stretched across his muscular chest and arms as he moved. He glanced up as she approached; gave her a little smile and waved for her to come over to him.

  Elizabeth leaned down to help him with the last mat when he grabbed her wrist, twisting her around violently and wrapping his other arm around her neck. He had her completely incapacitated in a split second. Her back was against his body, one arm twisted behind her and her other hand grasping at his arm trying to free herself from his choke hold.
He leaned forward and with his lips brushing against her ear he whispered,

  “You weren’t ready for this? I thought you’d be more prepared.”

  She couldn’t breathe; her whole body was alert with fear and desire. He had caught her off guard, but now that he was touching her she wasn’t thinking about defending herself. Her nipples hardened under the fabric of her bra, she could feel herself getting wet. She gritted her teeth and pulled down on the arm around her neck.

  “I am ready,” she grunted in reply, and thrust her hips. She ground her firm ass against his manhood. He immediately released his grip and jumped back from her. He grabbed her wrists and held her away from himself. He had a deadly serious look on his face.

  “This is a very bad idea, Elizabeth. I shouldn’t…” his sentence trailed off. She was frustrated beyond words. She couldn’t believe what was happening. She wanted to punch him in the face.