Nerds Are From Mars

by Vicki Thompson

  She smiled. “Ready to leave so soon?”

  Right on schedule, his groin tightened. “Better not tease me, Darcie Ingram. You know how I get.”

  “Sorry.” She didn’t look sorry.

  Heat coursed through him, and he took a step closer. “Would you rather forget about the lab? Because it wouldn’t take much for me to change my mind and haul you back to my bedroom. You’d like the bedroom, too, I’ll bet.”

  Her flushed cheeks told him all he needed to know.

  His pulse kicked up. “Never mind the lab.” He took her hand and started toward the hallway.

  “Wait.” She planted her feet. “You know I want to have sex with you.”

  “Yep. I can see it in your baby blues. And I want to have sex with you, which makes it a mutual decision. And a good one, I might add. Let’s go.” He tugged on her hand.

  “But if we get naked now, we won’t tour the lab.”

  “Probably not. Who cares?”

  “I do. That’s where the magic happens.”

  He laughed. “Not much these days. We can make a lot more magic happen in my bedroom.”

  “We’ll do that later. Let’s go to the lab.”

  He gazed at her in frustration. “Darcie . . . damn it.”

  “I know. My bad for teasing you and getting us started down this road. I apologize. Let’s take the rest of the things out of your car and then head off. Really, I want to. It’s important.”

  “All right, but after that, we’re spending the rest of the time totally naked. Well, except for when we go outside and fool around with my professional grade telescope.” He couldn’t resist throwing that in.

  “You have a telescope? Cool!”

  “There’s no telescope at the lab. Just sayin’.”

  “That’s okay. I still want to see where you work. I want to see first-hand all the fascinating gizmos and gadgets. I want to be able to imagine you there as you use that equipment to design a rocket ship that will probe the vastness of space.”

  “You realize how phallic that sounds, right?” Or maybe it was just his current state of mind. A moment ago he’d been anticipating probing her warm body with his own personal rocket. He hadn’t switched gears.

  “I guess it does.” She glanced at his crotch. “Are you in pain? Because if I’m causing you pain, then we can go back to the bedroom for a quickie.”

  He didn’t want a quickie. He wanted a long, slow, intimate session. “I’m not in pain . . . yet. If we go straight out to the car and finish unloading it without any more sexy talk, and just pile everything in the living room until we get back, I’ll be fine.”

  “Then we’ll do that.”

  They worked silently for a few minutes and were done quickly. Nolan locked up and they headed for his car. They wouldn’t be having sex for awhile, but at least he’d get to take her for a little cruise in his most excellent ride. That would be fun.

  “This really is quite a vehicle, Nolan.” She walked down the steps and he hurried to open the door for her.

  “I’ll never be an astronaut who pilots my own spacecraft. So this is the next best thing.” Once she was in, he closed the door and walked around the sleek front of the car. His house was cozy. His mode of transportation was not.

  Getting behind the wheel of this muscle car gave him a charge every time. Sex with Darcie would always be his first choice for an adrenaline rush, but if she wanted to postpone that, he’d make do with the thrill of driving his car. He put on his shades.

  The smell of the leather seats and the array of instruments on the dash welcomed him like an old friend, but a friend who partied hearty. When he turned the key, the engine growled. He couldn’t have the Starship Enterprise, but he could have a red Firebird.

  “Did you want to be an astronaut?”

  He pulled out of the driveway. “You better believe it. But my eyes kept me from becoming a pilot, let alone an astronaut. Besides, by the time I could have gotten into it, the program was on its last legs. That’s why people like Fagan Harcourt are so important. He’s ready to pick up where NASA left off.”

  “I like Fagan. I can hardly wait to do his chart. I suppose he mainly asked because he knew I wanted to, which was nice of him, but I think he’ll get a kick out of it, anyway.”

  “No doubt about it.” He started down the winding road that would take them to the freeway. On a Sunday, it was deserted. Perfect. “The guy savors every experience life brings him. And speaking of that, hang on. And watch for cops. They usually don’t come up here much, but I’d rather not get a ticket.”

  “Are you going to do something that would get you a –” She gasped as Nolan floored it. “Nolan!”

  He laughed with pure delight as the tires screeched around the first turn. The squeal of those tires, the faint smell of burning rubber, and the deep-throated voice of the powerful engine put a grin on his face that would stay there until they reached the bottom of the hill. He’d done this so many times he was really good at it.

  Darcie gripped the armrest and screamed, but a quick glance at her face told him she was having almost as much fun as he was. A passenger couldn’t get quite the same rush, but she laughed and shouted as if they were on a rollercoaster.

  “Like it?” he called over the roar of the engine.

  “Love it!”

  The tires squealed around another turn, and another, as the scenery flashed by. Finally, although it was always too soon for him, he approached the light at the intersection, which seemed to be red every time he came down this hill. He stood on the brake pedal and laid some rubber. He didn’t do that often, but today was special.

  Then he turned to her. “So you –” He didn’t get to finish because she was on him, knocking his glasses askew as she kissed him like there was no tomorrow. If there hadn’t been a console between them, he was convinced she would have climbed in his lap. If she had, she would have discovered that his cock now resembled the gearshift.

  A horn beeped behind them. Breathing hard and laughing breathlessly, she bounced back into her seat and refastened her seat belt. “Light’s green. Better fix your glasses.”

  “And adjust myself.” He cleared the lust from his voice as he repositioned his glasses and pulled into the intersection. “I guess you liked the ride.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Want to turn around and go back to my house, now? I’m up for it.”

  She glanced across the console. “So you are, and it’s my fault, again. Sorry.”

  “So, what’ll it be? Want a tour of my equipment or the lab’s?”

  “The lab’s first, please. I got carried away with the ride and watching you driving this sexy car really fast, and your shades. I’ll control myself from now on.”

  “Don’t do that on my account. I like it when you attack me.”

  “Yes, but if I’m not ready to follow through, that’s not so nice of me.”

  “Then just promise that the next time you attack me, you’ll make sure you can follow through.”

  She glanced over at him with a grin. “I promise.”

  “I look forward to it.” So maybe he had to postpone having lusty sex with her, but the news wasn’t all bad.

  He’d inspired Darcie Ingram to forget herself and kiss the daylights out of him at a public intersection. He wouldn’t be forgetting that for a long time. And she’d promised to attack him again. With a reward like that hovering on the horizon, he could be patient.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The more time Darcie spent with Nolan, the sexier he seemed to get. Twice now she’d been sorely tempted to cancel this trip to the lab in favor of getting it on with the bodacious Dr. Bradbury. But something was pushing her to make the effort to see his lab, and so she’d listened to the voice inside of her that urged her not to abandon the plan.

  The sign for the turn-off was small and discreet, and no buildings were visible from the road. It wound through the grass-covered hills L.A. was known for. Around a curve, the compound came i
nto view. Utilitarian buildings were surrounded by a high metal fence. The gatehouse wasn’t manned, but Nolan had to swipe a plastic card before the large gate swung open.

  “That’s it? No guard at the gate?” Darcie was surprised, considering the expensive equipment housed in the buildings.

  “Not on Sunday. There’s a guard the rest of the days so those who don’t have access cards can be cleared to enter. Even without the guard, the place is secure, though. Security cameras are everywhere. Look along the fence.”

  She glanced up and discovered unobtrusive cameras mounted just below the fence line every three or four feet. “Guess I won’t be attacking you while we’re in this area.”

  “You can if you want. Just know that you’re being videotaped.” He drove toward the first building and pulled into a parking spot with his name painted on the cement curb. The rest of the lot was empty. “This is it. My home away from home.”

  Darcie surveyed the gray three-story building and shivered. Something didn’t feel right here. Maybe it was the industrial color and shape that turned her off. She’d never been a fan of boxy structures that had obviously been put up quickly with no thought to appearance.

  And yet . . . . She stared through the car’s windshield at the building where Nolan worked. Then she looked over at the other ones. All the structures were similar in shape and color. Theoretically she should dislike all of them equally, but there was something about this one that made her feel uncomfortable.

  Nolan opened the passenger door. “You still want to go, right? I figured you’d be out the door and chomping at the bit to get inside.”

  “Uh, sure.” She accepted the hand he extended so she could climb out of the low-slung car with a little more grace. Good thing she’d worn slacks today. Navigating in and out of this vehicle in a dress without flashing the world would take skill.

  “I’ll show you my lab first, but my key gets us in anywhere, so if you want to see more than just my spot, we can go wherever you want.”

  “Okay.” She tried to work up enthusiasm for that. Before they’d arrived she’d been excited at the prospect of exploring a research facility built expressly for taking human beings to Mars. She’d read about both Harcourt’s and Sterling’s projects with great interest.

  The media was barred from visiting this place or Sterling’s facility. That added an air of mystery to the research and made being here even more amazing. She should be honored and happy about that, especially because her tour guide was the head of the project and drove a very sexy car.

  “Darcie, what’s wrong?” Nolan had replaced his shades with his regular glasses, and he peered at her. “Are you feeling sick?”

  “No. I just . . .” She shook off the feeling. This place was as secure as Fort Knox with all its cameras. Nobody got in unless they had clearance or knew someone who had clearance. She was safer inside the research facility than she’d been barreling down the hill in Nolan’s car. “Let’s go in.”

  “If you say so. But I admit that chicken at lunch tasted a little bit off. You might be dealing with some digestion issues.”

  “Could be.” She smiled at him. “I really appreciate you bringing me here.”

  “I wouldn’t have thought of it, to be honest, if Fagan hadn’t mentioned the idea. I thought you’d be bored. It’s really just a lot of equipment.”

  “Anything dangerous, like chemicals and stuff?”

  “Well, sure, we have chemicals around. We need them to do our experiments, but we’re extremely safety conscious. Let me rephrase that. I’m extremely safety conscious, and I monitor the lab very carefully.”

  She chuckled as she walked with him to the front door of the building. “This speech comes from the man who drove down a winding hill at breakneck speed, squeaking the tires the whole way?”

  “That’s different. I know my car and I know that hill. I was completely in control at all times.”

  She recalled the daredevil streak in his chart. “At least it’s better than skydiving.”

  “Oh, I’ve done that.”

  “You have?” She put her hand to her chest. “Why?”

  He shrugged and put his card key in the slot. “It looked like fun, so I took an introductory course and made a few jumps. Maybe if our research results improve, I’ll have time to do it some more.”

  “I can’t imagine.”

  “Darcie, you would love it. I was scared, too, at first, but then I tried it. You don’t feel as if you’re falling. You feel as if you’re floating. Seriously, we need to do it together.” He stepped back and ushered her into the building.

  The minute she stepped through the door, her nerve endings prickled. Yet there was nothing strange about the reception area. A small metal desk and a desk chair were arranged neatly in one corner. The computer on the desk was off, as was the coffee machine in the other corner. A bulletin board on the wall had notices tacked on it in military precision.

  “Pretty basic,” Nolan said. “The lab’s through that door. We can start on the ground floor where I mostly work and then take the elevator to the other levels if you want to see everything.” He started toward it.

  The hairs on her arms stood straight up. “Wait!”

  He turned around, his expression puzzled. “For what?”

  “I don’t know.” She walked over and grabbed his arm. “But we’re getting out of here.”

  “I thought you wanted to see my lab?”

  “Not now. Listen, don’t argue with me! We have to get out of this building!”

  “Okay, okay.” He hustled her out the front door and pulled it closed behind him. “I know it looks like a prison in there, but –”

  “Get in the car.” She walked over, opened the passenger door and climbed in. “We’re leaving.”

  “What?”

  “Get in the car!” She fought the panic that tightened her chest and made it painful to breathe.

  “Wow, okay.” Backing up with his palms raised, he walked quickly around the car, got in, and started the engine. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but we’ll leave if that’s what you want.” He backed the car around.

  “Hurry, damn it!”

  “I’m going. I’m going.”

  “Then go faster!”

  “What’s the problem, Darcie? Why are we doing this?”

  “I don’t know!” And then she did. They were about fifty yards down the road leading to the gate when the building behind them exploded.

  “Jesus!” He stepped on the gas and the car leaped forward as debris rained down behind them. He kept track of what was happening in the rearview mirror and gradually slowed the car as they moved out of range. Breathing hard, he looked over at her, his eyes wide. “Darcie, how did you . . . how did you know?”

  She gulped for air. “I told you. The hairs on my arms stand up when . . . when something bad is going to happen.”

  He continued to stare at her. “We would have been killed.”

  She nodded and began to shake.

  “God, Darcie.” Leaning over the console, he tossed his glasses on the dash and pulled her into his arms as best he could. “We would have been killed.”

  “Y-yes.” Her teeth began to chatter.

  “But we weren’t. You saved us. You saved us.” He rocked her gently back and forth. Then he leaned his forehead against her shoulder. “Thank God.” He dragged in a shaky breath. “Thank God we’re not dead. Thank God for you, Darcie Ingram.”

  She clung to him and tried in vain to stop shaking. “We s-should c-call someone.”

  “Yes. But you’re trembling like crazy. I don’t want to let you go.”

  “C-call.” She struggled free. “I’m f-fine.”

  “I’ll make it quick.” He pulled out his phone and called 911. He spoke quickly, gave the location and the problem before disconnecting and gathering her close again. He took a deep breath. “I don’t suppose you think that was an accident.”

  “No.”

  “Yeah, me eithe
r. Our going into the building triggered the explosion, so it was intended to kill whoever went in there.”

  “Y-yes.” She tightened her grip on him.

  He began stroking her back. “It was no secret I was taking you on a tour this afternoon.”

  “B-but what if we h-hadn’t g-gone?”

  “They still would have nailed me. I’m the first one at the lab every morning. I like to get there early and work for an hour or so when it’s quiet.” He cursed softly. “So it was an inside job. Someone I trusted did it or gave another person access and information.”

  She groaned. “S-sorry.”

  “Yeah, it sucks. And all that equipment . . . .”

  Gradually her shaking stopped, but she couldn’t banish the horrible thought that someone wanted to kill him. She didn’t like Aaron Blackstone and knew he was a bully, but she didn’t want to believe that he’d attempt to murder his professional rival. She couldn’t bring herself to suggest such a thing to Nolan.

  But she couldn’t let it go. If Aaron had orchestrated this, then he’d had help from the inside. Someone who worked with Nolan, who saw him every day, had helped set up an explosion that would have killed him if she hadn’t been there. She couldn’t wrap her head around that level of betrayal.

  “Feeling a little better?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  He drew back and peered at her. “There’s more color in your cheeks. You were really white before.”

  “So were you.”

  “I’ll bet. Listen if it’s okay with you, I need to make another call.”

  “Sure.”

  “I don’t know if I’ll be able to get Fagan, but I need to try.”

  “By all means.” She scooted back. “Call anyone you need to call.”

  “He’s the most important. He’ll want to minimize the media coverage of this, but I don’t know if that’s possible.”

  Darcie turned to look at the flames leaping from the building behind them. “Uh, yeah. I don’t know how you keep a major explosion, fire, and attempted murder out of the news.”