Chapter 2
Darkness had settled over the city as Sam parked his jeep outside his condo and climbed from the driver’s seat. He stole a quick glance at his watch and hurried up the walkway. Damn, he hated to be late for anything, especially a sexy experiment with a woman who’d been getting under his skin for the last six months.
As he pushed open his front door, his stomach grumbled, reminding him that in his quest to make the research room perfect for Cat, he’d stayed late and skipped dinner.
Kicking off his shoes, Sam made his way to his fridge and grabbed a cold piece of leftover chicken. As he bit into it, he scooped up a napkin and looked at the wall clock. With only twenty minutes to spare, he still needed to shower and shave before calling on Cat.
Cat.
Just the mere thought of her had his body reacting with urgent demands. In less than an hour he’d have her all alone in the research room and he’d finally have a chance to sample her lush body and get her out of his system. His cock throbbed just thinking about tasting and kissing her gorgeous, plump lips.
Both sets.
He practically salivated as his mind shifted through all the mouthwatering ways he planned on devouring her.
A strange primal yearning rolled through him as he thought about moving beyond pleasant courtyard exchanges to a deeper level of intimacy while testing Cat’s responses to sexual stimulation.
His sexual stimulation.
Something about the emotions Cat pulled from him really threw him off balance. Sam had always remained cool, confident, distant, and detached with the women he’d had sex with.
Sex was just that. Sex. Nothing more, nothing less. Insert tab A into slot B. Repeat if necessary. Simple good clean fun between two emotionally unattached people. At least that was the way it had always been. Sam had always kept a modicum of distance with the female gender and never let himself get too involved.
Nor did he plan to.
Tugging his shirt from his waistband, he pulled it off and tossed it into his bedroom as he rounded the corner to the bathroom.
The doorbell sounded. A muscle in Sam’s jaw clenched, suddenly concerned that Cat had stopped by to tell him she’d changed her mind. Of course, this would be disastrous for his six-month hard-on, not to mention his inability to complete his assignment.
He swallowed his last bite of chicken, tracked back to the door, and pulled in a fortifying breath. He eased the door open and relaxed, realizing how tense he’d felt only moments before.
His heart softened and filled with love as he came face-to-face with the most beautiful girl in the world. A girl who had taken up residency in his heart one month previous.
Sam had been mistaken earlier. There was one girl he didn’t keep a modicum of distance with, after all. The first time their eyes had met, she’d broken through his defenses.
Composing himself, Sam reached out to her. In a protective manner, he took her little body into his embrace and planted a gentle, heartfelt kiss on her rosy cheek.
He pitched his voice low. “I wasn’t expecting you,” he murmured, cradling Samantha, his one-month-old goddaughter, in his arms.
Kale clapped him on the shoulders. “Hey Sam, how’s it going?” Kale asked, stepping into the condo after relinquishing his sleeping daughter.
Sam leaned out his door and briefly looked around. His eyes skirted the parking lot. “Where’s Erin?” With the butt of his heel, he shut the door and faced Kale.
“Resting.” Kale yawned and brushed a gentle finger over Samantha’s cheek. He nodded his chin toward the bundle of joy in Sam’s arms. “Our little girl here fussed all night so I thought I’d give mommy a break and bring her over to visit with her favorite godfather.”
Sam took the baby’s hand in his. Tiny fingers curled around his index. “Well, I’m glad you did.” Samantha stirred and opened her big blue eyes. Sam’s heart tightened. He hugged her against his bare chest as emotions rushed through him like a runaway freight train. As he cradled her, Samantha’s chubby little body molded against his. The fresh scent of baby powder reached his nostrils.
Sam dipped his head. A few sprigs of Samantha’s dark hair tickled his cheek. “Hey sweetheart,” he murmured, brushing his lips over her forehead. Christ, who would have thought that such a little thing like her could arouse so many foreign feelings in him?
Sam took a breath and met Kale on the sofa. He lowered himself and propped his feet up, carefully positioning Samantha’s head in the crook of his arm, securing her against him. Angling his head, Sam read Kale’s body language, taking in the tension and concerned look on his face.
Like himself, Kale was usually laid back and relaxed. Sam detected none of those carefree qualities in his friend tonight. Something was up. “Now tell me why you’re really here,” Sam said.
Kale chuckled and shifted to face Sam. “You know me too well.”
Sharing the same interests, Sam and Kale had become instant friends when Kale had taken a position at the lab and married Sam’s friend and coworker, Erin Shay. Well, it was now Erin Alexander.
Sam’s eyebrow shot up. “What’s up?”
Kale mimicked Sam’s position, propping his feet up. Without preamble, he got right to the point. “I was concerned about your deadline. With protestors breathing down your neck and the Board of Directors temporarily shutting down your project, how are you going to test the libido enhancer and prove your finding to the Grant Governing Board on time?”
“I’ve got it under control,” Sam assured him.
Kale cocked a brow and scrubbed his hand over his chin. The poor guy looked like he hadn’t shaved in a week.
“Yeah? Care to elaborate,” Kale probed.
Sam rolled one shoulder, shifted Samantha in his arms, and offered no further explanation.
Kale narrowed his gaze, scrutinizing him, his voice taking on a serious edge. “From what I understand you have no options, Sam. Our Director
