Chemical Attraction (10 page)

“Joe. Please. Don’t go. I’m afraid. I … I … need your help.”

He stopped from opening the door and looked up as she cried. “You’ll start from the beginning?”

She continued to nod as he met her at the top of the stairs. “I’m sorry. I’ll answer everything.”

She let out a breath when he returned to her room. He sat in the chair and waited. Sitting on the corner of her bed, she reached for a pillow. She used it to wipe her eyes, then wrapped her arms around it.

“A month before I graduated with my doctorate, two agents approached me. They asked if I would serve my country by working in research and help them in the process. Homeland Security works with many types of professionals, including scientists with neurobiology backgrounds. Their Executive Program recruits talent from the private sector who then share their expertise with Homeland Security to fill special, discreet needs to protect our nation. I agreed, and they trained me in self-defense and weaponry for this rushed assignment.”

Madeline jumped as the thunder and lightning simultaneously cracked. Joe listened stoically.

“Three months later, I left feeling confident. I had knowledge, power, and the opportunity to help my country. My assignment was to start my research for BennTech, but to keep my eyes and ears open for illegal activity. After Bill Bennett Jr. took over, there were rumors of illicit doings with terrorist ties, but Homeland could never pin anything down. For six months, I called every few weeks with a report. I never had anything to tell them, so they deactivated me. They moved on and so did I.”

“You get a paycheck from Homeland?”

“No, I had volunteered. They gave me a badge, but I never considered myself an agent.”

“And where do I come in? Why the FBI?

“Since BennTech has facilities across the U.S., I thought the FBI would be the agency to call. When I called two weeks ago with my concern, Agent Orr agreed that they could help. He said they’d send someone. I thought it was illegal. It never dawned on me to call Homeland Security. I guess I should have. Joe, I’m just a scientist. I became so involved in my research. This nanotechnology became my primary focus and my life. It’s all I think about.”

He leaned his elbow on the chair arm to prop up his head. “What happened that made you jump at the training?”

Cringing, Madeline pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. “In college, I dated a guy who was as controlling as my father. By the time I figured it out and tried to break it off, I was pregnant. He beat me until I miscarried. It put me in the hospital for a week.” She sighed. “Joe, I’m in over my head. I don’t know what to do.” She watched him walk to the window, the rain hitting the glass. Joining him, she put her hand lightly on his forearm. “Will you help me?”

“Yeah, we’re partners now, Agent Pierce. The first chance you get, you will clean your gun. My guess is you’ll be reinstated until we finish this. I’ll get my boss to clue in Homeland. We’ll let our bosses fight out the jurisdictional bullshit while we search for evidence on your theory.”

Nodding, she hugged his waist. He put his arm around her as the lights went out. “I’ve got some candles in the kitchen,” she said.

As the lightning flashed, he thought he saw someone standing by the boardwalk bench watching the building. He locked the windows and rechecked the door lock. Returning to the window, he avoided standing directly in front of it. “Who lives in the other apartment?”

“Pat, she’s a secretary at BennTech,” she replied, setting candles around the room. “I had a chat with security after you dropped me off.” She set the last one on her nightstand. The room held a soft glow of dancing shadows.

“Did they see us?” he asked, straining to see the boardwalk during the lightning strikes.

She sat on the bed and pulled her knees to her chest again. “Yes, and June said the disc was gone. That’s not good, is it?”

“No, it’s not.” He sat beside her. “You and I will be spending more time together. When you’re not at work, you’ll be with me.” Thunder exploded next to the building as the rain pounded against the windows.

“Are you still upset with me?” she asked, biting her bottom lip.

“No, I understand now. This is going to be difficult, Madeline. Are you up for it?”

“With your help, I am.”

He smiled. “Pack a bag and I’ll get you a room at Sylvia’s.”

“Stay here with me,” she whispered.

Having spent the afternoon smelling lilacs, temptation pushed him. He kissed her and caressed her bare arm. Moaning, she slid her hand behind his head. This time, he moaned and then froze.

“We can’t,” he whispered, breathing heavily. With a pained look, he stood back from the bed. “Madeline, I don’t have any protection with me.”

“I’m on the pill. It’s another way of staying in control. You aren’t taking advantage. I want you in my bed.”

She slowly undressed. God, she was perfect. He groaned at her tan body with pale triangles of skin from her bikini top and thong bottoms. He’d weakened, damn it. She was his contact.

The fact that he’d already used up every ounce of self-control during their tour of BennTech didn’t help either. The battle in his head had raged with alertness of being caught, of making sure security saw what he wanted them to see, and of feeling the cool goose bumps on her skin wherever his warm hand caressed.

The chemistry of her kisses had shocked his body. He wondered if making love to her would give him a stroke, but the thought of tugging on her garter belt by the copier did him in. A primal need to have her had tapped every raw nerve in his body. She met him in the center of the room.

She raised his shirt. While he finished pulling it over his head, her fingertips seared his upper body. Touching her soft shoulders, he moved closer. Her breasts against his chest enticed him even more. Sliding his hands to the sides of her face, he deepened their kiss. She unzipped his jeans and they dropped to the floor.

He backed her up and onto the middle of her bed. He was acutely aware of every point of contact. Her smooth legs moved along his. Her breasts rubbed his chest. Her taut abdomen pressed against him. She cried out as his lips slowly found her neck and then her mouth. Her fingers traced the curve of his back, stopping at his buttocks. She squeezed. He groaned.

Joe pushed himself up and backed away. Kneeling between her legs, he pulled her hips toward him. She caught her breath. In the candlelight, he watched a wave of goose bumps rise to her cheeks. He stopped halfway inside her. She gasped then shivered. Panting, she writhed. He held her hips, firm.

Testing the limits of his restraint, he started to sweat. His vision blurred at his intense reaction to her begging. In one smooth thrust, he entered her, all the way. When her pelvic muscles gripped him, he lost all coherent thought. He was having a stroke but he didn’t care.

Their earlier BennTech exhibition continued to fuel their desire while the rain pelted against the windows.

TUESDAY

“WHAT’S ON YOUR AGENDA TODAY?” Eva asked, slipping on her Kelly green dress.

Matt buttoned his uniform shirt. “My Tuesday starts off swell with an autopsy in the morgue.”

“Yuck, what time?”

“Eight o’clock. I’ll drop you off if you want. David’s still using your car, isn’t he?”

“I guess. He hasn’t talked to me since Saturday.”

“Let’s plan on eating out tonight. I think by the end of the day we’ll both need a beer.”

She smiled at his attempt to cheer her up. “That sounds like fun. I’ll call Joe and Madeline. They’ve been seeing a lot of each other.”

“Yeah, I know.” He adjusted his utility belt as they left the house.

In the hospital’s atrium, she gave her husband’s hand a squeeze as he headed for the basement. She hated it down there. It smelled like blood and lemon cleaner. At least her boss would be busy with Matt instead of getting in her way. Dr. Ellis had no sense of humor, or personality for that matter, but he did have many awards for his volunteer work.

She knew she had a number of physicals this morning and only a few in the afternoon. That would give her time to start organizing clinics for the flu vaccines. As she walked into the waiting room, she spotted Dr. Russell talking to Amanda. Older by twenty years, he’d just dumped his third wife and was now prowling again. She’d known many physicians over the years. Most cared about their patients, but some liked the power and money. Dr. Ben Russell loved the money. His Hummer took up two spots in the employee parking lot.

Smiling at Amanda, he leaned on the counter. “How about lunch?”

“I have to work through lunch.”

He glanced at Eva as she walked through the office door. “You’ll let her leave for a quick one, won’t you?”

She saw Amanda’s thumb go down underneath the desk. “I’m sorry, Dr. Russell, we really need her help today,” she replied, glad Amanda came to her senses. She didn’t want to think about the drama that would unfold if Amanda started dating him.

“Okay, maybe another time.” He glared at Eva and then left for his office.

“What was that about? I thought you liked him?” Eva asked.

Hearing Betty laughing from the back room, Amanda closed the glass window. “Not funny, Betty.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry, Andrea,” Betty replied.

Amanda rolled her eyes in disgust.

“Oh no, he called you, Andrea?” Eva asked.

“Yes, when he first stopped by. How can a doctor be so stupid? I’m wearing my badge.” Shaking her head, Amanda left for the lab.

“She’s been in a crummy mood for the last hour. I don’t know why. Two doctors and a lab tech stopped by,” Betty said, sitting in the seat Amanda had vacated.

Amanda was usually a lot tougher than to let Dr. Russell bother her. Leaning on the doorframe in the small lab, Eva waited.

Amanda looked at her. “Norman Sanderson, Dr. Ellis’ assistant in the morgue, punched in when I did this morning. He said that I looked pretty on Saturday but didn’t think I needed all that makeup. That was the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. How can I have a crush on a nerd?”

She laughed. “That nerd has a job, which is something most of your boyfriends don’t have.”

“He’s so shy. He’d never ask me out.”

“Why can’t you ask him?”

Amanda looked at her as if she just spoken in Chinese.

Matt walked into the morgue to find Sheriff Benton, Dr. Ellis, and his nerdy assistant standing around the flattened, oozing body.

“It looks like an accident. We’ll destroy the animals and let it go,” the sheriff said to Dr. Ellis.

“What?” Matt asked from the doorway.

“Where’ve you been?” the sheriff asked.

“I was told eight.”

“We’re about done,” Dr. Ellis said.

Matt sighed. “How’d he die?”

“The cause of death for this John Doe is a hemorrhagic stroke. Basically, a blood vessel in the brain ruptured as the animals pecked at him.” Dr. Ellis covered the body with the sheet. “Norman, put him in the locker.”

“Why did the emus attack?” Matt asked.

“I have no idea,” Dr. Ellis replied, concluding the autopsy. “They may or may not have been a factor. He was extremely obese.”

“How can they not be a factor? They stabbed him with their beaks,” Matt said as the sheriff ushered him out of the room. “Jim, who’s the guy and why was he in the cornfield?” “We’re still checking into that. My guess is he had something to do with the meth lab you and your boys found nearby.”

“When’s the tox screen coming back?” Matt asked as they walked up the stairs to the main floor of the hospital.

“The doc says as early as tomorrow. Since this is outside city limits, I’ll keep you posted as a courtesy.” The sheriff left through the side door.

Matt wondered what had just happened. Sheriff Benton was taking the lead in a case, something he rarely did.

Joe sat up in Madeline’s bed. She was asleep, facing him, her long hair spread across her pillow. Twisted in the sheet, she looked like a wild goddess. Smiling, he picked up a strand of her hair and gently tugged on it. With her eyes closed, she grinned and stretched out her legs.

“Are you taking the day off?” he asked, leaning against the headboard.

She reached out her hand to touch the dark hairs on his abdomen. “No, I have a meeting at eight-thirty.”

“Madeline,” he said softly.

“Yes,” she replied, caressing his chest.

“It’s five to eight.”

Opening one eye, she looked past him and saw her alarm clock blinking twelve o’clock. “Damn,” she said, sitting up. She slid off the bed with the sheet still wrapped around her. He gripped the end and yanked on it. She held it firmly. “Hey.”

“You were naked last night. Why not now?”

“It’s morning.” She shuffled to the bathroom and shut the door.

Shaking his head, he picked up his clothes. Fifteen minutes later, she came out with the sheet wrapped neatly around her clean body. Smelling her lilac body spray, he stepped past her. He washed his face and used his finger to brush his teeth. He found Madeline in a black skirt and cream blouse with her hair in a tight bun. Smiling, he wondered where his wild goddess had gone. He kissed her, and her warm body softened against his.

He looked into her hazel eyes. “I see you in there. I’ll find you later.”

“What?”

“Never mind.” He grinned. “Ready?”

Before she got out of his car in front of the building, he grabbed her hand. “No more snooping, play it straight.”

Walking into the kitchen, he found Sylvia sitting with her mug of coffee. “Good morning, did you lose power last night?” he asked as he helped himself to a cup. Seeing that hers was still full, he put the pot back on the warmer.

“Yes, for a little while. Joseph, will I be refunding your money?” she asked with her hands wrapped around her mug.

“Are you kicking me out?”

“No, I just thought you’d be staying with Madeline, like last night.”

“I already paid for the two weeks, Sylvia. I don’t expect to stay at her apartment. I like it here.”

“Oh, okay.”

“What’s going on? Are you mad about that?”

“No, no, I’m not,” she replied, taking a gulp of her coffee.

He took her mug and dumped out the lukewarm liquid. Refilling it with hot coffee, he set it back in front of her. “What’s wrong?”

“The family of five that scheduled for next week canceled. I was counting on the money.”

“I’m sorry.” He reached for her hand. “You know, it’s really going to irritate Earl that you and I will be together unchaperoned for another week.”

Wiping her eyes, Sylvia chuckled. “It will, won’t it?”

“I think you and I should have breakfast at Minnie’s diner to rub it in a little. I’m buying. Who knows, maybe he’ll find you some boarders.”

“That does sound like fun.”

“Good, give me twenty minutes,” he said, sliding back his chair.

He should have talked to her about a room for Madeline, but he didn’t quite know how to work that into the conversation without giving his assignment away. How was he supposed to ask if his new girlfriend—who’s also your niece—could stay here so we can sneak around under your roof? Joe sighed at another dilemma and complication. What the hell was he doing?

Thirty minutes later, they sat in a front window booth. He smiled at Earl at the counter while Flo-like Cindy walked over with two coffee mugs and took their order.

“He looks like he wants to snap off my head,” Joe said.

Ignoring his comment, Sylvia added cream. “I want to know what’s going on with you and my niece.”

“You want details?”

“Yeah, how about it? My life’s pretty boring.”

He laughed. “I don’t think so, and what do you mean by boring? There’s a guy over there that’s so ticked off right now he’s fantasizing about using his plate as a Frisbee to cut my body in half.”

She glared at Earl and turned back to him. “I really miss Herbert. Running the B & B is such a chore now. I’m not sure how much longer I can do it.”

“Is there something else you’d like to do?”

“You know, I haven’t really thought about it. Maybe I do need a change.”

While they ate, Joe contemplated asking for a room for Madeline. After cleaning his plate with the last piece of bagel, he watched Earl’s buddies berate him and point to Sylvia. Earl stood and clenched his hands. Joe sighed. Peer pressure affected all ages not just teenagers.

“Sylvia, really,” Earl said beside their table, “you need to act your age.”

Her mouth fell open as Joe calmly set his napkin down. “That’s a very rude thing to say to a lady.”

“Sylvia is looking like a fool with you.”

The entire restaurant silently waited for Joe’s reply. Sylvia looked down at her plate as he pulled out his wallet. Laying twenty dollars on the table, he stood up, inches away from Earl. “The only fool here is you.” He turned to Sylvia. “Are you ready?” She nodded and he took her hand to help her stand. Walking arm in arm to the door, he leaned down and whispered very softly into her ear, “Are we still in high school?”

Her laugh seemed to echo as a raging Earl followed them out the door. Earl’s friends gathered at the front window just in time to see Sylvia punch Earl in the nose.

“That felt great,” she said, rubbing her knuckles, as they walked back to her house.

“Man-oh-man, I don’t ever want to make you mad.”

Madeline made it to the meeting with a minute to spare. She sipped her coffee and stifled a yawn with her hand. Manager’s meetings bored everyone. In his elevator shoes, Alan Shaw, the Chief Financial Officer, lectured about needing figures to justify their salaries; Bill Bennett and his comb-over rambled on about wanting quicker results in their research. If we could go faster, we would. It wasn’t a process to be rushed. Executives never understood that.

Tuning out Bill’s voice, she thought about Joe and last night. Her confidence stayed intact knowing he would continue to help her. Remembering his caresses still gave her goose bumps. It had been a very long time since she had a man in her bed and the first time she felt thoroughly satisfied. Blushing at the thought, she refocused as Bill concluded his rant. Next to her, researcher Sydney Collins raised his hand and asked about the fire damage on the fourth floor.

“Minimal,” Bill replied, closing his planner to adjourn the meeting. The group rushed for the exit while Sydney gathered his notes and Madeline stood and stretched her legs.

“Sydney, what fire?” Madeline asked.

“Didn’t you hear? It’s the restricted lab. When the power went out last night, a fire broke out.”

“Really, I didn’t hear the sirens.”

“They were never called. Security put it out.”

“Wow, Bill didn’t seem too happy. I wonder what they’re doing up there.”

“Nobody knows. I think it’s top-secret research for the military. I’ll see you later. I’m late for my next meeting.”

Back in her lab, she asked her assistant, Jessica, about the fire. She hadn’t heard anything about it either. She wouldn’t snoop today; she had promised. She’d run it by Joe first. She wanted to know if the raw materials for the meth were on that floor. Hoping to get her paperwork done by lunch, she planned to do testing on her own project.