"I could put my hand in your jeans," she suggested. "It'll help you relax."
He gave her another flat look. "I seriously doubt that. Sex—at least the kind of sex I have in mind—isn't very relaxing. Exhausting, yes. Time-consuming, that too. But not relaxing."
Natalie clamped her teeth over her bottom lip so she wouldn't say something stupid like prove it.
But the clamping wasn't necessary. She didn't get a chance to say anything, suggestive or otherwise. The phone rang, the sound shooting through the room. Since Natalie didn't want to move fully out of Rick's embrace, she reached over to the counter and pressed the speakerphone.
"This is Dr. Isabella Henderson," the caller announced. "I believe you want to see me."
Rick and she untangled themselves from each other. Once Natalie got past the initial jolt of surprise, she was ready for a breath of relief. Rick and she obviously needed to speak to the woman, and the woman had come to them.
"What can I do for you?" Natalie asked.
"Well, for starters you can open your front door and let me in."
That brought Natalie fully out of Rick's arms, and the breath of relief was gone. She looked at Rick. He was already shaking his head and sporting a nasty scowl. He hurried to the window and glanced out.
"Dr. Henderson is standing outside by her car," Rick relayed to Natalie. Then, in a louder voice, he aimed a question at Dr. Henderson. "What do you want?"
"I think that's obvious—we need to talk."
"And just why can't we do that over the phone?" Rick demanded.
"Because I think you'll want to talk face to face when I explain who wants you dead."
Chapter Eleven
Well, this was one way to put an end to the tender moment that Natalie and he were sharing.
And it wasn't necessarily a good way to end it, either—even though they certainly needed something to end it.
Rick put the phone on Mute and stared at Natalie. She was obviously as surprised with this visit as he was.
His first instinct was to call the police and have them take Dr. Henderson in for questioning. But that instinct was slightly overpowered by his need for immediate answers and information that Dr. Henderson might have.
Might being the operative word.
Of course, seeing her was not without risks, especially if she was the person responsible for everything that had happened to Natalie and him.
He took the gun from his jacket, which he'd draped over the back of a chair. "I'll meet with her. You go upstairs to your room and lock the door. I'll let you know when it's safe to come out."
Natalie folded her arms over her chest, and what was left of that rosy glow of passion evaporated. "You really think she came out here to kill us?"
"I don't know what to think, but I know I don't want to take any unnecessary chances."
"Part of me greatly appreciates that." Her voice mellowed. "But the other part of me doesn't think much of that idea."
"And why not?"
"For one, if she's here to hurt us, then she could just shoot you the moment you open the door. Then, she'd come after me, and I don't think a locked bedroom door would stop a bullet."
Rick agreed with part of that. The doctor probably wouldn't just come in with guns blazing. But the blazing might happen later, after she'd gained entry. And Natalie could still be hurt in such an encounter.
"So, we don't meet with her," Rick countered. "I'll call the cops."
Natalie shook her head. "If you do that, we might lose the opportunity to get to the truth because she probably won't hang around long if we don't let her in. She especially won't wait if she knows we've called the police."
"By calling the police, we might avoid the opportunity to get ourselves killed," he reminded her.
"I honestly don't think Dr. Henderson would come here to do that."
True. If the doctor was guilty, she likely wouldn't have called to announce her presence.
Well, maybe.
Maybe Isabella Henderson had counted on them feeling that way, and maybe this was a ploy to establish a false sense of security. In other words, this could be an ambush. Still, he had to make a decision, and any decision had to include Natalie's safety.
"Okay. We'll talk to her," Rick informed her. "But you stay on the other side of the room. I'll keep my gun aimed at her so she won't be inclined to make a wrong move."
"No disagreements this time. If I had a gun, I'd aim it at her as well."
Finally, they were on the same page. Rick only hoped it wasn't a page he'd regret.
Once Natalie was in place by the bar and far away from where he planned to talk to the doctor, Rick went to the door and opened it. He came face to face and eye to eye with Dr. Isabella Henderson. Petite, she wasn't. She was the same height as he was, and she wore her fifty-plus years extremely well. She wasn't flamboyant or flashy like Macy, even though the women were very close to the same age. Instead, the doctor was the picture of sophistication and professionalism with her tan business suit, pinned-up auburn hair and minimal makeup. Looking at her, it was hard for Rick to believe this woman had murder on her mind.
But he wasn't about to declare her innocent just yet.
Natalie stayed back as he'd instructed her to, and Rick moved slightly to the side so the doctor could enter.
Dr. Henderson eyed Rick's gun. "You're concerned about safety. I understand."
"Do you?" Rick fired back.
"I do. I know how difficult it must have been for you to decide to see me. Thank you."
Rick motioned for her to come into the living room. He also took her purse and plopped it on the table in the entry. Just in case she had a weapon in there, he didn't want her to have easy access to it.
The doctor's only reaction to the purse removal was a soft sigh. Other than that, she cooperated, taking a seat in the living room, and she placed her hands in her lap. "Dr. Benjamin told me about your situation and the conversation he had with you."
"Did he also tell you that he accused you of some assorted felonies?" Rick asked.
"No. But I suspected as much. That's yet another reason for us to talk. So I can explain my side of the story."
Rick shrugged. "So, start explaining."
"Well, for one thing—I didn't drug you so you'd impregnate Natalie with a phase-two baby. I've given up on the Cyrene Project."
None of this was a surprise, but Rick continued with the questions. He also glanced at Natalie to make sure she was staying put. She was. "Why did you give up on it?"
"Simply put, my interests lie elsewhere—with genetic memory research. I don't have time for something as inconsequential as Dr. Benjamin's passé ideas about eugenics."
It was time for Rick to go for the jugular. "Funny, he said you were scared that the medical community would learn of your involvement and that you might lose funding for your latest research."
"Nonsense." She said it calmly enough, but it was a sore point. For a moment, just a moment, the anger flashed in her eyes. "I'm a successful researcher in my own right, and I'm not in danger of losing funding."
"So, why would Benjamin lie?"
"To take suspicion off himself. The truth is—there's only one person I know of who'd want a phase-two baby, and that's Dr. Benjamin himself."
"And what about the other side to this—who's trying to kill us?" Natalie didn't wait for the doctor to answer. "Because if Dr. Benjamin is truly obsessed about this baby I'm carrying, then he couldn't possibly want us dead. You, on the other hand, might want that."
Rick gave Natalie a nod of approval. The accusation was dead-on.
"Why would I possibly want to harm you?" Dr. Henderson responded.
Natalie had a quick answer. "Perhaps because you're jealous that Dr. Benjamin succeeded, and you want to do some serious harm to the Cyrene Project?"
The doctor had an equally quick denial. "That's absurd."
"Is it?" Natalie fired back.
Oh, that brought on slightly more than a
flash of anger. The doc was fighting hard to keep control of what appeared to be a nasty temper.
"Accusing me of attempted murder is absurd," the doctor insisted. "And don't be so hasty in declaring Dr. Benjamin innocent of trying to kill you. Did he tell you that he's concerned about an upcoming federal investigation into his unethical research?"
Now, she'd managed to surprise him. Rick shook his head. "No."
"I didn't think so. He found out three days ago, and that's why I severed our relationship. Our friendship. The investigation could close down the Cyrene Project permanently, and it could even earn him some jail time."
"You mean because of the drugging?" Rick asked.
The doctor nodded. "That, and some other coercion tactics that he'd prefer the authorities not learn about."
Rick followed that through to its conclusion. Dr. Benjamin could have been the one who drugged them. And after he learned about the investigation into the Cyrene Project, he could also be the one who tried to kill them—so he could eliminate anyone who could testify against him.
Of course, Dr. Henderson could be lying.
"Do you have any proof about Dr. Benjamin's coercion tactics or any other illegal activity?" Natalie asked their guest.
"No. The computer files and hard copies I had regarding the Cyrene Project mysteriously disappeared on the same day we learned about the upcoming investigation."
She seemed riled about that. Rick understood completely. He was still incensed that someone had stolen his lab tests.
"There's also the possibility that Dr. Benjamin is innocent," Dr. Henderson concluded.
He studied her a moment, trying to figure out why she'd let her former partner off the hook when she was the one who'd put him there just moments earlier. "Then if he's innocent, that brings us back to you."
"Or it brings us back to someone else who might have a vested interest in the Cyrene Project." The doctor turned her attention to Natalie. "Like your mother's personal assistant, for instance."
Troy again. Rick was getting awfully tired of hearing the man's name emerge every time suspects were named. Though he had to admit that by disappearing, Troy wasn't doing anything to make himself look innocent or to clear his name. Just the opposite.
"I went to the hospital to visit your mother," the doctor continued. "But I understand she left without informing anyone of her whereabouts. My advice is to find her and have her institutionalized. In my opinion Macy is in need of long-term intensive therapy."
Rick glanced at Natalie. She looked concerned over that last suggestion so Rick moved the conversation along.
"The police will no doubt want to talk to you," he informed Dr. Henderson.
She took a deep breath, but that was her only reaction to what had to have been unsettling news. "I suspected as much. I'll deal with that when the time comes." She stood and faced Rick. "And what about you? Could you live with the arrest of someone you love?"
Rick quickly went back through the conversation to see if he'd missed anything. "What do you mean?"
No flash of anger, but her mouth relaxed into a smug half smile. "I was talking about your uncle Carlton."
Rick was sure he blinked. "Carlton? What does he have to do with this?"
"Maybe everything."
"Are we supposed to understand what that means?" Natalie asked.
The smugness went up a significant notch. "I'm sure you know that Carlton doesn't approve of this pregnancy. He's always been vehemently opposed to Dr. Benjamin's research—especially since it cost him your mother, the woman he loved, the woman he considered to be his soul mate."
"And you're saying…?" Rick stopped with that. Because he didn't even want to speculate where the doctor was going with this accusation.
"I'm saying Carlton will do just about anything to stop the Cyrene Project. Anything. My advice? If you're looking for a would-be killer, look in his direction."
* * *
NATALIE WAS more than happy to usher Dr. Isabella Henderson out of the house. She'd been eager to talk to the doctor, eager to get any information, but that information had come at a high price.
She'd all but accused Rick's Uncle Carlton of arson and attempted murder.
Rick was trying to handle the news well. He was pulling his stoic routine. Silence. Staring off into space. The occasional pacing.
It wasn't working.
Natalie could see the tension building inside him. It was like watching a volcano about to erupt.
She followed him into the living room where he was presently pacing and tried to figure out the best way to do some damage control. She decided to go with the simple approach.
"Dr. Henderson could be lying about Carlton," she pointed out.
"Maybe." He stopped pacing and went to the window to look out. "But the pieces fit."
"No, they don't. Carlton loves you, and despite how he feels about Dr. Benjamin or me, he wouldn't try to kill you."
She prayed that was true, but Natalie wasn't even sure she could be objective about the truth. Both Carlton and her mother's assistant, Troy, had been implicated, but those implications had come from two people who also had motives to hurt Rick and her.
Isabella Henderson and Claude Benjamin.
Dr. Benjamin could be after them to eliminate the phase-two baby he'd wanted, since that particular baby could now also be the physical evidence to send him to jail. Of course, Dr. Henderson could want them out of the way to preserve her reputation and funding.
Still, she couldn't totally discount that Carlton wasn't involved. She just hoped that involvement was one that wouldn't spur a criminal prosecution.
Rick bracketed his hands on each side of the window and kept his back to her. He probably didn't realize how powerful and brooding he was just standing there. Natalie also noted that he was hot and sexy, but since it was a totally inappropriate thought, she kept it to herself. However, after the near-counter incident, the dirty talk and the orgasm, she figured she'd have to suppress a lot more thoughts like those.
"Carlton was at the motorcycle shop just before the fire started," Rick reminded her.
Yes. And that disturbed her as well. It also disturbed her that Carlton had stormed out in a fit of anger. "Still, that proves nothing."
"It proves he had the opportunity and the means. We already know what his motive might be." Rick groaned and then cursed softly. He turned around to face her, leaning his back against the wall. "When my parents were killed five years ago, Carlton was there for me. He's the only family I have left." He glanced at her stomach. "Well, except for the baby."
Yes, she was lucky in that respect. She had Kitt and her brother, Wyatt. And her mother…wherever she was.
And the baby, of course.
This baby had become the impetus for her to keep her composure. After all, screaming from frustration probably wouldn't be good for the pregnancy.
Natalie walked toward him. "It's strange. Even with everything that's happened, I'm beginning to understand just how much this baby means to me."
"Same here," Rick agreed.
"Really?" And Natalie hated that she sounded so surprised.
Rick shrugged. "I've always wanted kids, but I'd given up on love and marriage."
"Yes." Because of what had happened with David. "Me, too."
He reached for her, and as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he pulled her into his arms. He smelled good. Like soap and shampoo, probably from the shower he'd taken after they'd returned from the fire.
"Yet, here we are," he continued. "Eight months away from being parents."
"Eight months," Natalie repeated, suddenly feeling the enormity of it all. "Seems a little overwhelming, doesn't it?"
"Sometimes. It won't be easy to work out things between us."
She thought about that and knew that wasn't exactly true. They were already working things out. They were already on the same side. Holding each other, at that. And the shared concern and camaraderie seemed to be growing by le
aps and bounds.
Natalie leaned her head against his shoulder before she even realized she was doing it. She was settling into his embrace, taking comfort from him.
And that was a mistake.
She stepped away from him, and Rick gave her a puzzled stare. "It was just a hug. Nothing more."
"Yes, but we know where hugs lead, don't we? We have no willpower, Rick. Zilch. Distance is the only thing that will help us."
He just stood there and continued to look welcoming and, well, hot. It was all she could do to stop herself from going right back to him.
She groaned and pushed her hair away from her face. "Mercy, this is hard."
He stared at her before the corner of his mouth lifted. A dimple flashed in his left cheek. "At times you have the same effect on me."
"Don't smile," she warned. "Those dimples are lethal weapons and you know it."
"You like dimples?"
"I like your dimples," she admitted. Natalie immediately wanted to throttle herself because this was verbal foreplay. No doubt about it. But then, lately, breathing seemed to be foreplay. "I just keep reminding myself that we'd feel horrible if we broke that promise to David."
"Yeah." He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "I go through the whole range of emotions. Heck, I've even gotten mad at David for making that request."
"Me, too."
It did seem a little selfish, and Natalie was immediately disgusted with herself for thinking that. David had been terribly hurt by what Rick and she had done. Added to his already fragile mental health, he certainly had a right to ask them to stay away from each other.
Now, it was up to Rick and her to fulfill that promise.
Somehow.
"It'll be easier once we find the person responsible for trying to kill us," Natalie continued. "Then we won't be seeing each other every minute of every day."
It was a good rationalization, but Natalie also knew something else. That Rick being out of sight wouldn't mean he was out of mind. Something had changed between them, and they wouldn't be able to go back to they way things were.
"You're right," she heard Rick say.
Natalie pulled herself out of her thoughts. "About what?"
Covert Conception Page 11
