by Day Leclaire
She’d fallen head over heels in lust with him in one short week.
It was ridiculous. Unbelievable. And yet, it had happened, and she’d never been more miserable in her life. Her feelings were impossible. They wouldn’t lead anywhere, other than down a pain-filled road. Even if they grew to something more than lust, Flynn Morgan wasn’t a man who believed in permanence despite his desire for marriage and children. He certainly wasn’t the type who’d settle in Salmon Bay. The sooner she realized that and overcame her bout of temporary insanity, the better. The decision made her cry all the harder.
With a grumbling sigh, Dipstick sank down beside her. Nuzzling her ear, he covered her with hair and sympathy.
CHAPTER NINE
“WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?”
“Good afternoon, Mr. Morgan. We’ve been expecting you.” Hickory leaned back in his chair and gestured toward the sofa. “Have a seat.”
“You’re not getting me comfortable.” Flynn folded his arms across his chest and glared. “I’m pissed and staying that way.”
Hickory’s pale blue eyes brightened with amusement. “Would you care to tell me what’s gotten you so...ah... pissed?”
“Knows about the perfumes,” Dogg murmured.
“How?” Hickory asked.
“Barstow.”
“Ah. I see.”
Rube paused, a lemon sour ball halfway to his mouth. “That was very bad of him to tell.”
Flynn scrutinized his “buyers,” a jaded cynicism slipping over him. It was a familiar feeling, one that had taken hold at a time most tots were learning not to wet their beds. “I gather you didn’t just buy me to install your security system?”
“Yes, we did.” Hickory’s contradiction surprised him. “Our arrangements haven’t changed. The perfumes she’s working on are secondary to that.”
“Oh, please. Cut the crap, would you? You bought a lab rat for her experiments. Catching Barstow is an added bonus.”
“I’m sure you find this situation difficult to understand.” Hickory cupped his hand over the top of his cane and regarded Flynn intently. “Please try and look at it from our perspective. Jane is a brilliant woman, but she’s rather oblivious to the ways of the world. She needs your help.”
Flynn couldn’t argue with that. He’d never met a woman more in need of help than Jane Dearly. But it wasn’t the sort of help these three had in mind. She needed to explore the human side of her nature. The emotions were there somewhere, locked beneath a crisp white lab coat, protective glasses and a painfully tight hairstyle. He’d seen them in that delicious smile she occasionally flashed, heard them when she’d laughed. Loosened them when he’d yanked the clips out of the most beautiful explosion of blond-streaked curls he’d ever seen. And finally freed the full depth and scope of her emotions when he’d stripped her bare and gathered her beneath him.
Yeah, Jane needed a man, all right. Too bad he wasn’t that man. Someone else would have to coax the passion free again, someone who wasn’t all wrong for her.
“Hell! There are alternatives to dragging me into this, you know.” Flynn paced across the room. “Have you any idea what almost—what could happen if her pheromone experiments are a success?”
Hickory suppressed a smile. “Yes, Mr. Morgan. We do.”
That stopped him. “You do, huh? Mind if I make a suggestion?”
“Go right ahead.”
“If you want her more worldly, then move to a bigger city where she’ll meet more people. Lock up the lab every once in a while and go on vacation. Send her out into the big, bad world. Whatever. But don’t bring the big, bad world and dump it in her bed. That’s just nuts.”
There was a long silence and it took Flynn only a moment to understand why. He swore. “You bought me in order to keep her here, didn’t you? You don’t want to move or lock up the lab or send her out into the world. You’re afraid if you do, she’ll find someplace she likes better than Salmon Bay and leave. Now, that’s low, even for you three.”
Anger darkened Hickory’s face. “You know nothing!” In an explosion of movement, he hurled his cane at a nearby coatrack. It caught the hook and whirled violently in a circle before flying off and clattering against the wall.
“You’re going to break your little cane doing that,” Flynn mocked.
Hickory gripped the arms of his chair, fighting for control. Slowly the tension eased from his body, though a bleakness settled deep into his face, making him look infinitely old and weary. “Listen to me, Mr. Morgan, and listen well. Jane is not some sad, neglected child. Don’t treat her as though she were the one shoved out of a fast-moving car, with Lost Springs Ranch left to pick up the broken pieces. She’s a beloved member of our family. She’s a chemist, raised by us and trained by us. Everything she needs for her research can be found right here, assuming you’re successful in protecting that research. There’s no reason for her to go elsewhere.”
Hickory’s words about Flynn’s background stung, hitting too close to home. But he ignored them. Hell, he was used to the taunts by now. But Jane... He focused his full attention on defending her rights. “So, everything she needs for her research is here? That’s great, if she were nothing more than a chemist. What about the woman? What about those needs?”
The three sat stubbornly silent.
Flynn’s eyes narrowed as he cut right to the heart of the matter. “You don’t want to let her go, no matter what’s best for Jane.”
“We’re best for her,” Dogg rumbled.
“She’s ours and we’re keeping her.” Hickory focused on the wall behind Flynn. “We...we love her.”
“She’s all we have. If she leaves...” Rube’s cherub face crumpled. “We’ll be all alone.”
Aw, hell. Flynn rubbed his hand along his jaw. If the little guy started bawling, he was out of here. “Let’s talk about her research,” he suggested.
Hickory seized the change of subject with obvious relief. “I don’t know why you’re so concerned about that. She’s simply developing perfumes.”
“Yeah, she mentioned that last night. What she forgot to add was that they were pheromone-based perfumes and that she was using me to gauge their effectiveness. Is that the real reason you bought me?”
“That wasn’t our primary intention. We weren’t even certain she’d test them on you.”
“But you suspected. In fact, knowing Jane, you could pretty much bet money on it, right?”
“It was logical to assume she’d use you as a test subject.” Hickory dismissed the concern with a wave of his hand. “So she’s having you participate in some of her experiments. Why are you making such a fuss about it?”
“Because you lied to me. You said I was supposed to rescue her. You didn’t say anything about experiments.”
“Oh, it’s nothing life-threatening or dangerous,” Rube hastened to assure him. “She wants to spray you.”
“Spray me.” That was a new twist.
“Or spray herself. Not quite sure which way she’ll do it.”
“Yeah? Well, I can tell you which it is and I can also tell you what happened as a result.”
Dogg nodded. “Know. Saw. Conclusions uncertain.”
They saw? Hell. How could they avoid it? That was his fault. He and Jane had practically made love right there on the front lawn. “Well, my conclusions aren’t in the least uncertain,” Flynn bit out. “My guess is you paid five grand to get your niece rescued, and then to get her laid. That way she wouldn’t have to go looking for action elsewhere and leave Salmon Bay.”
“Ten. Paid ten thousand.”
“What Dogg means is that it’s a bit more involved than that,” Hickory said, cutting in. “Yes, we did pay ten thousand for you. No, it wasn’t to get Jane laid—a quaint if rather crude expression. She’s testing perfumes. Granted, they are pheromone-based. But there’s nothing dangerous about what she plans. She simply wants a man’s reaction to them.”
“Uh-huh. Pull the other one.”
“I�
�m quite serious.”
“You want me to be her personal test subject? That’s the extent of it?”
Dogg snorted. “Sniff her. Seduce her. Scam Barstow. That’s it.”
Enough was enough. Flynn didn’t care why these three lunatics had purchased him. He wasn’t playing along. “Pay attention, gentlemen. You may have bought me, but I’m not for sale. Not for what you have in mind. If Jane wants a lab rat, she can look elsewhere. I’m not interested.” Yeah, right. Look at how disinterested he’d been last night. Even without her perfume, he’d been dying to give that mouth of hers another trial run. “I’m not donating my body to science. Are we clear on that point?”
The wizard—Hickory—regarded him with a complacent smile, one that made Flynn distinctly uneasy. “Oh, we understand your position, Mr. Morgan.”
“Glad we have that cleared up.” He crossed to the bow window and stared at Jane’s house. The two residences sat side by side, sharing an enormous lot in the back. The lab, a large single-story concrete building—functional if not as aesthetically appealing as the houses—squatted between the two property lines. Had Jane’s parents occupied the one house while the uncles joined forces to purchase the huge century-old home they currently inhabited? It must have made for a cozy arrangement. How had Laura’s husband dealt with the strangeness?
As Flynn watched, Mick Barstow hastened between the two houses from the general direction of the lab. Son of a bitch! Looked like the bastard had decided to take matters into his own hands. Dogg joined Flynn at the window and shook his huge, shaggy head.
“Trouble.”
“Why’s he trouble?” Flynn asked, interested in hearing another opinion.
“Wants Jane’s research.”
He already knew that much. “Does he also want Jane?”
“No. Just the research.” Flynn could feel Dogg’s eyes on him. “It’s you she wants.”
“Jane needs me,” he corrected him. “That’s all.”
Liar! She’d wanted him physically last night, though she might be having second thoughts in the cold light of day. Or she might change her mind once she found out about his deal with the uncles. But last night, she’d been as desperate for him as he’d been for her. His brows drew together. Were those pheromones a two-way street, driving the female into a frenzy of lust as well as the male? He’d have to remember to ask her.
“Stay for the next two weeks,” Hickory said. “Finish installing the security system and deal with Barstow. If you’re also willing to continue with Jane’s experiments, we’ll make a sizable contribution to your bank account, as well as increasing our donation to the ranch.”
Flynn didn’t give a damn about the money for himself. But how could he pass it up for the ranch? He swore beneath his breath. He didn’t like being backed into a corner. He hadn’t as a kid and he sure as hell didn’t as an adult. Right now, his back was to the wall. “I’ll stay the two weeks, as promised. And I’ll handle Barstow. As for the experiments... I need to talk to Jane first.”
Rube rubbed his hands together, his chubby face wreathed in smiles. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”
Before Flynn could comment further, Dipstick erupted into the room, heading straight for Rube. “Greedy dog,” the cherub muttered, unwrapping a sour ball and tossing it toward the animal. With one snap of his massive jaws, Dipstick gobbled up the treat and thanked the man with a thorough face-washing.
Jane followed the Saint Bernard into the room, picking up Hickory’s cane almost absentmindedly and hanging it on the coatrack. To Flynn’s disappointment, she wore her hair tightly bound once more. And she’d donned a crisp white lab coat and decorated the top of her head with another pair of glasses. These were red-white-and-blue with star-shaped frames. The scientist had returned with a vengeance, despite the whimsy her frames provided, Flynn realized, vaguely disappointed. She’d wrapped her work-persona around herself like a security blanket and it would take some serious effort to get her unwrapped again.
“Uncle Rube,” she scolded gently. “I’ve warned you about giving Dipstick sweets.”
“Just one,” Rube muttered. “Little one. Tiny one. Hardly one at all.”
She ruffled his tuft of hair and dropped a kiss on his forehead. “They’re all the same size and you know it.”
“Oh, no, they’re not. I measured them. Each one’s a teeny-tiny bit different. Microscopic. But it’s there.”
“What can we do for you, my dear?” Hickory interrupted.
“She wants Morgan.”
A hint of red crept into Jane’s cheeks at Dogg’s announcement, the color intensifying when she saw Flynn standing at her uncle’s side. She recovered swiftly, which was more than he could say for himself. Lust punched him, as strong and overwhelming as the previous night. He shook his head in an attempt to clear it. Damn it all! How long did those pheromones last, anyway? He couldn’t remember a time he’d been so thoroughly aroused without being in a position to ease it as he wanted—repeatedly and at great length.
“I’d like to speak to Mr. Morgan about security measures for the lab.” Her gaze swept the trio of uncles. “That is why he’s here. Right?”
Hickory smiled. “Why, no, my dear,” he replied gently. “We bought him as a birthday present for you. Isn’t that correct, Mr. Morgan?”
Sheer self-preservation kept Flynn silent.
Aside from the wash of color that returned to Jane’s cheeks, she handled the comment with amazing serenity. “Why, thank you, Uncle Hickory. What a lovely gift. Quite thoughtful. Unfortunately, this particular present isn’t quite my size and color, so I’m afraid I’ll have to return it.”
Flynn chuckled, pleased to see the fleetest of smiles cross Jane’s mouth, as well. “Did you want to speak to me?” he asked.
“If you wouldn’t mind.” She had trouble looking at him. No doubt her memories of their encounter last night were as vivid as his own. She chose to glance at her uncles, instead. He doubted she missed Hickory’s smug satisfaction, Rube’s gleeful anticipation or Dogg’s hopeful expression.
Flynn sighed. Apparently subtlety wasn’t their strong suit. “Why don’t we take it outside,” he suggested.
“Good idea.” She snapped her fingers for Dipstick and then gave her uncles a final warning look. “I’ll talk to you three later.”
The minute they were outside, the dog took off running, finding interesting scents to investigate under a nearby bush. Flynn walked in the general direction of the lab, waiting patiently for Jane to find the words that would salvage her pride. Words like... I don’t know what happened last night. It was just one of those things. I never do that on a first date. Or his personal favorite... You took advantage of me during a weak moment.
“Thank you for last night.”
He was so surprised by such sheer frankness, he could only stare.
“And I mean all of it, too,” she persevered with only a hint of nervousness. “Every last bit. In fact, I especially appreciate how it ended.”
“How it ended?” He sure as hell didn’t appreciate the ending. Nor did he appreciate the frustrating aftereffects, aftereffects that still lingered. “You liked that part?”
“Not that. Not...not the very end when we didn’t have—And we had to—” She closed her eyes and groaned. “I really stink at this, don’t I?”
“I hadn’t noticed,” he lied.
“I meant I appreciated your kissing me good-night when you were so annoyed. It was very generous of you. Not many would have.” She shot him a quick look from beneath her lashes. “If anything, I took advantage of you. You were a perfect gentleman.”
“That’s a first. I don’t think anyone’s ever accused me of that before.”
“You made the evening special. Very special.”
“I aim to please.”
“I...I just hope I didn’t hurt you when I tackled you.”
“Everything’s in full working order.” Painful working order. Which reminded him. He turned her to face him, ti
pping her chin upward so she couldn’t shy away from his question. “Why did you do it, Jane?”
Alarm turned her eyes to a vivid green. “Do what?”
“Wear the perfume. Didn’t you think I’d respond to you without it?”
“Oh, God.” She started to reach for the glasses stuck in her hair, but he stopped her.
“Don’t. Don’t hide behind those. You don’t need them. Just explain it to me.”
She moistened her lips and he fought to keep his hands off her, to keep from exploring that mouth all over again. To keep from tumbling her to the sweet, cool grass and finishing what they’d started the night before. “You know about the perfume?” she questioned cautiously.
“That it’s pheromone-based? Yes. That I was a test subject last night? Yes, again.”
She clasped her hands together. Not that it helped. He could still see the betraying tremor. “When did you find out?”
“This morning.”
“So last night—”
His mouth twisted. “Was a true test. I didn’t know about anything other than the survey, so your results weren’t compromised.”
She nodded, though he didn’t see the relief he’d have expected from a dedicated scientist. “Did my uncles tell you about the pheromones?”
“Not until I confronted them just now. I heard what you were up to from another source.”
Her comprehension was instantaneous. “Mick.”
“Mick,” he confirmed. “Now for the million-dollar question. Why, Jane? Why did you use me like that? Have you any idea how that feels?”
“I almost didn’t go through with that part of the experiment. Isn’t that funny? But then, the decision was taken out of my hands. And once it was...” She shrugged, her shoulders slumping. “I went along with it.”
“Taken out of your hands?” His eyes narrowed. “How?”
“Does it matter?”
He’d been in enough nasty situations to know it did. “Yes.”
She gazed at him, as though assessing his truthfulness. Apparently satisfied with what she saw, she took a deep breath. “I was in the ladies’ room trying to decide whether or not to test the perfume on you when a woman helped herself to a sample squirt. Without my permission, I might add.”
