Kale turned back and met Sam’s somber glance. It occurred to Kale that Sam cared a great deal for Erin and acted as her protector. Kale suddenly had a whole new respect for the man.
“I don’t plan on hurting her,” Kale assured him.
Sam widened his stance. “She’s special to me. I don’t know what this thing is going on between you two, but if you hurt her, I’ll hurt you. Understand?”
Kale smiled and held his hand out for a shake. “Understood,” he replied.
After a quick handshake to seal the deal, Kale said, “It’s nice to know that you care about Erin and that you look out for her safety, but I’m going to take over that role from you now, okay?”
Sam narrowed his gaze, assessing him.
Kale drove his hands into his pockets and pitched his voice low. “I got it bad for her, Sam. And I plan on taking this thing between us the whole distance.”
Sam’s brow rose. An equal mixture of surprise and pleasure registered on his face. “Really?”
“Really,” Kale said, meaning every word of it.
Sam gave a slow nod of approval. “It’s just that she’s been hurt in the past and I didn’t want to see it happen again.”
Kale addressed his worries. “I suspected that, and if I have anything to do with it, she won’t ever get hurt again.”
Sam clapped him on the shoulder. “Glad to hear it.” Relaxing his posture, Sam gave Kale the once-over. “I really wasn’t looking forward to taking you out back and kicking the shit out of you.”
Kale chuckled, picturing the brawl going an entirely different way. “I wasn’t looking forward to that either. And Sam, keep this conversation between us. Erin isn’t ready to know how I feel yet.”
Just then Deanne came sauntering down the hall. Sam turned his attention to her. “Deanne, I’ve been looking for you. I need you to retrieve the digital readouts from the recorder and log the responses.”
“I’m on it,” she cooed, slipping between the two, her body brushing provocatively up against Kale’s in a very suggestive manner.
After she disappeared into the cage, Sam gave Kale a quick nod and gestured toward the lab. “Go drink your coffee while it’s still hot. If you need any help with the paperwork, give me a shout.” With that, he turned and made his way down the hall.
Kale hurried to the lab, planning to immerse himself in his work, hoping it would keep his mind off Erin and the things he was going to do to her lush, responsive body that night when she showed up on his doorstep.
Grabbing a seat at the desk, he raked his hands through his hair and perused the data. The feminine scent of Erin still clung to his skin. He inhaled, filling his lungs with her aroma as he recalled the warmth and texture of her body beneath his. When he slipped his finger inside her tight sheath and had found her so wet and willing, he’d nearly erupted on the spot. Christ, if he didn’t soon take the edge off himself, he was never going to surpass her five-minute record.
Censoring his thoughts and turning his attention to the mountain of paperwork before him, Kale sipped his coffee and buried himself in his research. While he was lost in the data, time flew, and before he knew it, the day had passed him by.
Leaning back, he rolled his head to the side and took a quick glance out the lab window. The winter sun kissed the horizon as it began its nightly descent.
Both Erin and Sam had been in and out of the lab throughout the day as they continued their final testing on the serum and prepared a new batch for tomorrow’s experiment, but Kale had barely lifted his head from his research, stopping only long enough to grab lunch.
A little over an hour ago, Erin had poked her head in to let him know she had errands to run so she’d be skipping out early, a rarity for her, he was certain.
As his mind wandered to the wonderful things he was going to do to Erin later the evening, a knock sounded on his lab door and drew his attention. Stretching, he climbed from his chair and sauntered across the room. He opened the security door and found an envelope. He tore it open and inside found a note that simply said, “Meet me in the research room.”
He stepped into the hall and looked around briefly. When his search turned up empty, he moved toward the research room. Slipping his keycard into the lock, he pushed the door open.
He was immediately greeted with soft music and blackness. Taken aback, he groped for the light.
Before he could find it, he heard a shuffle a few feet away and a soft mewling sound. What the hell was going on? He hadn’t expected this from Erin, especially after their risky indiscretions earlier that morning.
“Erin?” he asked, a little confused by her behavior.
“Shh…” The smell of jasmine reached his nostrils. He inhaled the aroma and didn’t link the scent with Erin. A movement against his body signaled his seducer had reached him. Silence fell over them like a thick blanket as small hands gripped his and led him across the room. He knew where he was headed. Straight for the cushiony bed.
Once they reached their destination, those same small hands traveled over his body, going higher and higher until they snaked around his head like a scarf. His cock pulsed to life as she raced her fingers through his hair and dragged his mouth to hers. The minute their lips connected, Kale’s stomach lurched. He knew the woman he held in his arms was not Erin.
He pulled back abruptly, breaking the contact. The small arms that were curled around his neck became unlinked and fell from his shoulders. A broken gasp filled the room. “Kale, wait.”
He didn’t immediately recognize the voice. Taking a distancing step, Kale reached for the lamp beside the bed and
