I cleared my throat, trying not to be distracted any longer by this handsome stranger’s blue eyes and perfect face. I knew I had already been blatantly staring for far too long to be able to play off.
“I think I’ve learned my lesson, stopping for odd men tonight. Thank you for your help, Seeley. But, I should get going.”
I rushed off, not sure what was going on but not wanting to stick around to find out. I surprised even myself by not looking over my shoulder at the striking man I was leaving behind.
Lucky for me, this time Seeley didn't follow me. I pushed onward across campus, with more purpose to get home and sleep this confusing day away. I came over the walkway and to the quad and sighed a breath of thanks to finally be surrounded by the most well-lit area on campus. It should be smooth sailing from here. Still, I made a beeline for the stoplight at the end of the quad and quickly crossed the street to my apartment complex.
I ran up the stairs two at a time and locked myself in. I turned around, pressed my back against the door, and let out a sigh.
“There you are!” my roommate Abbey yelled from the kitchen. “You usually let us know if you’re going to be this late.”
I rolled my eyes as I pushed away from the door and made my way into the kitchen. I smiled at the sight of her with a bowl of cookie dough and a spoon in hand.
“Yeah, Mom. Way to leave us hanging,” my other roommate, Vanessa, chimed in, also holding a spoon.
Abbey had been my roommate freshman year, and Vanessa had been in the adjoining suite. The girls started calling me Mom because I was usually the only sober one by the end of most our outings. They always teased me that I looked out for everyone like I was a mom, and the nickname stuck. We all ended up staying roommates through the years.
“Sorry, weird walk home.” I smiled at them. From the corner of my eyes, I noticed the three empty champagne bottles in the trash. “Rough night in?” I laughed, nodding toward the recycling bin.
“Ryan dumped me,” Abbey whined.
“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry!” I walked over to give her a hug.
I wasn’t that sorry. Ryan and Abbey were an on-again-off-again kind of couple and had been for the past three years. I’d be shocked if there wasn’t an over-the-top amount of flowers for her outside our apartment first thing tomorrow morning.
“Pity dough?” She raised her eyebrows questioningly at me and held out a spoon.
“Of course.” I took a few bites in silence before the girls started chatting again about how awful Ryan had been at a party the night before. I gave my obligatory sound effects, gasping, nodding, the works. But my mind was currently occupied by the dangerous man who had escaped Falcone, the strange experiments being performed there, and the pair of gorgeous blue eyes that threatened to take over my dreams.
CHAPTER 3
I woke up the next morning, wondering how much of the previous day had just been my imagination. In desperate need of something to bring me back to reality, I stumbled over to the bathroom sink and splashed freezing cold water on my face. I jumped in surprise, even though I knew the cold was coming. The shock worked a little too well, and my mind churned.
There was no way the reputable company I was interning with would be caught up in any type of experimentation that would leave a participant in the state that the man who had escaped was in. They just wouldn’t. Perhaps he was worse off than that prior to coming to Falcone in the first place? As soon as those rationalizing thoughts entered my mind, I was brought back to the Non-Human and disassociation notes I had happened upon. What bothered me more was figuring out how I would find more information on the experiment. Given that I was so low on the totem pole, I wouldn’t have access to that sort of information at the moment. So what was really going on?
I looked at myself in the mirror and rubbed my arms, remembering the patient, gripping me tightly on the darkened path last night. As I suspected, no bruises. A chill spread through my body as I remembered the fear I had felt, knowing I had relied completely on the inanimate pepper spray to buy myself time, and it had done nothing. I had been helpless. If Seeley hadn’t shown up when he had… I shuddered, stopping the negative thoughts and instead focusing on the heat rising in my stomach at the thought of the man who had shown up at the right moment, twice.
Seeley. Lord knew I had to have dreamed most of him up. There’s no way he existed anywhere in the world, let alone on this campus without me having seen or heard of him before. Someone who looked like him would have been very well known around here. But there was something strange about him as well. After all, how could he have possibly shown up twice in one day to save me? Maybe the stress of late nights at the library and working so hard had finally caught up to me, because this round and round thinking was driving me insane.
I finished getting ready in the quiet apartment. Since it was the weekend, I knew Abbey and Vanessa would probably sleep until noon like they always did, which meant I had some alone time on my hands. I figured I’d call my aunt and head to the coffee shop to read and clear my head. Reading always provided me an escape from my current reality and an opportunity to recharge my batteries.
I headed out the door, pulling my phone out as I walked to my car. “Hey, ladybug!” Amanda said in her usual, singsong voice. I laughed.
“Hi, stranger.”
“And whose fault is that?” she threw back at me. I could almost see her quirked eyebrow and pursed lips, a look she got whenever she was questioning me.
“I know. I’ve been so busy. Work has been stressful.” I stopped walking and closed my eyes. It slipped out. My aunt was uncomfortable, for whatever reason, with me working at Falcone.
There was silence on the other end.
“Sorry,” I mumbled, not wanting to ruin the mood.
“Don’t be sorry. You should be proud, kiddo. Just be careful there,” she said quietly.
“Why?” I asked.
“I just don’t want you to get lost in a big organization. You’re so talented.”
I didn’t think she was being honest, but since she hadn’t ever really said what about Falcone had made her so uneasy, I had to take her at her word.
“Do you think they’d be proud I’m there?” I asked nervously, as I waited for her answer. The weight of my parents’ absence had been heavy on me, especially since starting at Falcone. I didn’t know if it was because I had finally made it and achieved the goal I’d set for myself at their passing. They had been research scientists, too, and died when I was a child. Amanda had been my guardian ever since. I felt the best way to make them proud was to follow in their footsteps. My aunt’s opinion was all I had left now, and if my working at Falcone made her nervous, I was worried for her response.
She was quiet again before speaking. “They’d be proud of you no matter where you are, Jules. You don’t have to work at the biggest company in the country for that. You just have to be happy. And safe.” She stressed the safe and I frowned.
“Anyway, how’s everything else? How’s Henry?” she continued, changing the subject as she had done oftentimes before.
“He’s fine.” I sighed but chuckled. Amanda loved Henry. They had met a few times whenever she came to visit, which was fairly often since she refused to let me go to school further than the two hours away that Wheatland University was, and the two of them always ganged up on me together. They were more like my brother and sister than my friend and mother figure.
“Good. Hey, listen. I’m almost at the hospital. Can I call you after my shift?”
“Of course.” I started up my own car to head to the coffee shop. “Don’t work too hard,” I chided.
“Who me?” she said innocently. “Never. Love you!” She laughed, much cheerier than she had been a few moments before.
“Love you more,” I responded before hanging up the call.
I was a creature of habit, so I recognized the barista as soon as I walked into the coffee shop. I waved. My presence here on Saturday mornings was as frequent as
my library visits on Fridays. Henry often teased that I was an old soul. I couldn’t deny that. I liked having plans and knowing what was coming next.
“Jules!” a voice called out a few moments later. Shelly, the barista who had been working here a few years handed me my usual chai tea latte. This was the only time of the week I went for anything with the name “tea” in it instead of pure coffee.
“Thanks, Shel!” I said with a smile and headed to the back corner of the café. I took out my latest romance novel and moved another chair closer toward me so I could prop my feet up.
Three pages and two sips into my Saturday tradition I heard a smooth, sultry voice in front of me.
“Parker?”
A warmth and excitement quickly spread through my stomach as I looked up to see Seeley standing there, grinning and catching me completely off guard. He was wearing a blue sweater that made his cool eyes pop even more. As if I needed a reminder of how wonderful they looked.
I swallowed hard, willing myself to speak and not act like an idiot. “Hi,” I said softly. I tried removing my gaze from his face so it wouldn’t look like I was staring in awe, but it felt almost impossible.
“May I sit?” He motioned to the empty chair at the table.
“Yes, of course,” I said, fumbling with my book and running my fingers along the pages nervously. What was happening to me? I thought back to Henry’s comments last night and realized I was acting like the mousey girl he had teased me about being. It was a response that a man had never brought out in me.
I pulled in a shaky breath in an effort to gain some courage. “I should apologize.” I said, in a desperate attempt to find a conversation starter on my own terms.
He quirked his head to the side and looked at me in surprise. I put my book down, firmly, removing the temptation to continue my nervous fidgeting, and looked back at him.
“I was a bit rude yesterday and I’m sorry. You came to my rescue twice, and I should have been more grateful. I was just a bit shaken.” I smiled. “I’m sorry about that. I appreciate what you did for me, truly. I’m just not even sure I comprehend having been in a situation where I needed rescuing.” This was good, talking logically worked for me and seemed to help ground me again.
He watched me for a moment with an intense curiosity before speaking. “It’s okay. Really,” he reassured me and gave a small smile. “The whole thing was strange.” His smile continued, but it was one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. He watched me with an interested gaze, not breaking eye contact, and raised his eyebrow. “So, are you a student or do you work full time at Falcone?”
“A student. I just intern at Falcone right now.”
“Ah.” He nodded. “What are you studying?”
I felt my cheeks flush at his attentiveness and interest. “Biology. I’m specializing in genetic research, so Falcone is a good place to be,” I answered. “What about you? Are you a student?”
“No, I’m just in town visiting my brother. He hasn’t been answering me actually. A bit unlike him,” he said, reaching into his pocket. He took his phone out, and after a brief look at it, placed it on the table with a frown.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
He shook off whatever he had been preoccupied with and smiled a more genuine smile that changed the entire look on his face with one perfect motion. “He probably met a new girl and is wrapped up in all things her at the moment.”
I blushed and shifted in my seat. I picked up my latte and took a sip to distract myself from thinking about being wrapped up in all things Seeley.
“So, if you’re not a student, what do you do, Seeley?” I asked.
“I’m in my family’s business,” he answered a bit hesitantly. “Management of sorts.”
“And what do you manage?” I asked, finding my groove and some confidence while shaking off my nerves. He’s just a man, Jules.
“Money, people, all sorts of things.” He seemed uncomfortable talking about himself. “So why a scientist? What made you want to study genetics? It’s awfully well-thought-out for someone your age,” he said, appearing more relaxed now that he was diverting attention back to me.
I couldn’t help but smirk at his response. “Someone my age? I can’t be that much younger than you,” I teased.
“Sorry. I meant that most college kids don’t really know what they want to do yet.” He watched me with a smoldering look that made me gulp and reach up to tuck my hair behind my ears. There goes that confidence.
“My parents were researchers, actually. They um…” I fidgeted in my chair for a minute, not used to sharing this much with someone new. “They died in a car accident when I was a kid. So, I decided to do what they did as a way to honor their memory.” I looked down and picked at a non-existent snag on my fingernail.
I didn’t usually talk about why I chose to study what I did. I didn’t think it was anyone’s business. Most people didn’t need some in-depth reason for their career choices and could get away with saying something like, I’ve always had a passion for it, or I just always knew. And that answer seemed to go over with people fine. I wasn’t sure why I had opened up to him just now; I just had.
His hands covered mine, and I looked up and met his eyes.
“I’m so sorry,” he said in such a calming and genuine voice I felt relief almost as soon as we connected.
I pressed my lips together and nodded, looking away from his steady gaze.
“My parents died, too,” he added, dipping his head to try to get my attention back.
My mouth dropped open slightly, and I looked back at him. Our eyes stayed connected, and the tension was so thick I felt sure that people around us would notice it soon as well.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
He looked at me with gratitude. It was the look of someone who understood, and it wasn’t one I’d gotten to see very often. “That’s why I am in the family business. Someone had to take over, and I didn’t really have a choice.”
“That’s a lot of pressure if it isn’t what you want,” I said delicately.
I realized he hadn’t let go of my hands yet. I looked down at them and then back to his eyes. This time they were soft, but a fire seemed to have lit in them I hadn’t noticed before.
“Yes. It is, Parker.” he said.
I snorted. “I’m sorry. I guess I should introduce myself properly.” I smiled and held out my hand.
“I’m Jules, Jules Parker.”
“Ahhh, so Parker is the last name,” he said, his lips tugging slightly to the right. It gave him a mischievous look that made me lick my bottom lip. “Nice to meet you, Jules.”
The way he said my name, made me squirm for a minute, and I felt my cheeks flush again. The reaction excited me but also frustrated me. I didn’t have time for distractions, especially from handsome strangers.
“I should let you get back to reading,” he said as he stood up from the table. “It was nice to officially meet you.”
“Thanks for saying hi.” I waved and shuddered at myself for how stupid that must have looked.
He turned to walk away but stopped. He moved his hands into his pockets and turned back to face me.
“Would you want to grab dinner tonight?”
I sat there, my mouth frozen in a dumb-founded part, unable to answer.
He watched, a smile slowly spreading over his face as I continued to stare. “Sorry if that was forward. I just figured, since I’m in town and can’t get a hold of my brother, maybe you could keep me company. For dinner?” He waited, again, probably wondering why on earth I was so weird since it was taking me this long to acknowledge his request. I knew I was thinking it.
“I, um, yes. Sure,” I stammered. He flashed another gorgeous smile at my nervous response.
I reached over to my bag and pulled out my notebook. I jotted down my number and offered him the torn sheet.
“I’ll call you later.” He smiled, holding up the paper and then turned again to leave.
I s
tared into space for a moment. I had just reminded myself I didn’t need distractions, and there I was handing out my number for the first time in my life, to a guy. I bit the inside of my cheeks, a terrible nervous habit I never seemed to be able to break.
Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. I should probably cancel.
Cancel what, Jules? He hadn’t called yet. Maybe he wouldn’t call at all.
I jumped and snapped out of my thoughts when my phone rang. I answered without even looking at the screen.
“Hello?” I said nervously.
“Hey, you,” Henry’s voice came from the other end.
I let out a sharp exhale. “Henry, hey,” I said.
“Wow, sorry to disappoint you?” he teased.
“No, no. I was just reading.” I said, mortified at how I had actually sounded disappointed that it hadn’t been Seeley. Why would Seeley call two minutes after walking away? Snap out of it, crazy lady.
“Vanessa called and said you guys were going to some concert tonight?” he asked.
“Oh shoot, I completely forgot!” I grabbed for my bag and pulled out my planner. I saw the note clear as day and had completely forgotten, which was very unlike me. “I might have other plans…” I trailed off.
“You?”
“Hey! I am capable of a social life outside of the library and work,” I said, laughing as I said it. He laughed with me, in a way that told me he knew as well as I did I was lying. Unhappy with how pathetic it was but unable to keep the charade up, I rolled my eyes and added, “Okay, I know and I’m as surprised as you are. However, I might have a date.”
“Oh, well okay. You might want to let Vanessa know. She thinks we’re going out.” His response was dry and unmocking. Not at all what I was expecting.
A Hunter Within Page 4
