Her mouth went dry as her heartbeat jacked into overdrive. Tiny pulses throbbed low in her groin, steadily building, and her nipples pebbled and strained against her lace bra.
She knew Jackson was affected as well by the unmistakable stain of arousal darkening his eyes. He swallowed but said nothing. Instead, he took a step toward her, standing so close now that their legs nearly touched. His scent surrounded her. She thought he would lean forward, closing the space with his kiss, and her stomach clutched with eager anticipation. Heat from his body drifted toward her. A trickle of sweat slid between her breasts. Her breath hitched in her throat and the tip of her tongue darted out to lick her lips.
But then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed him clench his fists. The muscles in the back of his jaw twitched and he turned away. “It’s beyond what you need to do here,” he finally said, his voice a dry whisper.
She sensed hesitation, as if he wanted to say more, but she already knew from experience he would not. The silent grunter from day one had re-emerged. Her gaze flashed to the ground and she looked away, not wanting Jackson to see her disappointment.
They walked out of the building, Jackson shutting off lights as they left, and started down the path toward his home. He said nothing more and they likely would have walked the whole way back in silence when Carla’s stomach suddenly let out a hearty growl.
He glanced down at her. “You didn’t eat?” “I got so caught up in the work back there I forgot.” They passed by the silent and dark cafeteria building. “No chance for a midnight snack at this point,” she laughed. “Guess I’ll be waiting until breakfast.”
“No, you won’t.” They turned down the bend toward home.
“Is there a secret stash of food I don’t know about?”
“I don’t rely on the caf for every meal. I’ve got granola bars, dried fruit, and nuts at home.” “Just to make sure your interns don’t starve?” She sensed a brief smile from him, although couldn’t quite see it in the darkness.
“Just to make sure I don’t starve,” he said. “I do what you did tonight all the time, so I’ve learned the hard way to keep an emergency supply.”
“Guess we’re a lot alike.”
He didn’t respond at first and she assumed he wasn’t going to. They reached the door of The Pit and he dug out his key. But as he stuck the key in the lock he looked at Carla and gave her a brief nod. “Yes,” he said, a note of surprise in his voice. “I guess we are.”
He walked down the hallway to his office. Once inside, he opened a desk drawer crammed full of food. She grinned when she saw it.
“You definitely don’t go hungry.”
“And neither will you. Here.” He held out a hand with two granola bars and a plastic baggie filled with dried cherries and almonds.
As she took the bag from him, his fingers brushed against hers. He didn’t do that deliberately, did he? Her skin prickled all the way up her arm from the brief contact, but when she looked up and caught Jackson’s gaze his guarded expression revealed nothing. She could only conclude it must have been an accident and reminded herself to stay focused on the job. And Paris. The sparks you sense are one-sided, Carla, and only because it’s been way too long time since you last had sex.
“Thanks,” she said. “This’ll be a nice snack.” “No problem.” He shut the desk drawer and they left the office, Jackson pulling the door closed behind him. They walked upstairs and then headed down the hallway, toward their rooms. When they reached Jackson’s door Carla raised a hand and wished him a good night, intending to keep walking.
“Carla…” His quiet voice stopped her.
She turned back around, assuming he’d continue, but he stayed silent, watching her. She held back a breath of frustration. I’m dealing with the most perplexing man on the planet. “Is there something you needed?”
“No, I…” He ran a distracted hand through his hair. “I just wanted to…ah…thank you for all the work you did. On the data.”
“Probably changed your mind about how valuable we consultants are, right?” She couldn’t help but tease. One side of his mouth curved upward. “I wouldn’t go that far. But you—” He cleared his throat. “I appreciate what you did. Good night.” Without another ]word he stuck his key in the lock and went into his room, shutting the door behind him.
Carla stared after him, making sure her jaw didn’t hit the floor. What was that about? On one hand he thanked her for the effort, on the other he was shutting the door in her face. Despite the hot body and breathtaking looks, Jackson Rivard began to revise her description of the mad scientist. Shaking her head, she walked to the end of the hallway to her room, wondering how in the world she’d get through the month.