Overcome by the unexpected, he stood. What the hell. One minute this high-flying corporate overachiever sat in his office talking about psychometric testing and other bullshit, and the next he’s hit in the gut with an overwhelming urge to kiss her. Or more. Shit. His research was on the verge of a major discovery, and all of it for Amy. No one else. The best way to deal with a distraction like Carla Saunders was to stay the hell away.
He leaned back against the desk and shoved his hands in the pocket of his jeans.
“You all right?”
“I’m fine.” She drew in a deep breath and then her words came out in a rush. “I’m really sorry about what just happened here. I wasn’t expecting—”
“Forget about it. You were caught by surprise.” Carla shrugged, apparently still uncomfortable about her reaction.
“As I was saying, this is a research facility. We’re involved in learning about the potential medicinal benefits that can be derived from snake venom, specifically the king cobra’s.” He felt himself relax as he entered the familiar terrain of his scientific world.
“Our objective is to isolate and identify the various proteins in snake venom, and then conduct tests on the proteins to determine their efficacy in the development and possible cure of multiple sclerosis.
“Apparently you have a fear of snakes, which I guess is why your company specifically sent you here to do whatever operational efficiency bulls— Ah…thing you’re supposed to be doing.”
Carla nodded. “This place would definitely fit the bill for a ‘fear assignment.’ ”
“I’m sure it would.” He shook his head, wondering what exactly he was doing. He sorely needed the help, so occasionally he took on interns. Generally they were veterinarian students interested in specializing their field of study in exotic animals rather than the usual dogs and cats expertise.
But every once in a while he agreed to take on someone from the corporate world, and more often than not regretted it. They all came armed with nothing but jargon-laden corporate speak, going on at length about how he needed to “leverage his assets” and “think outside the box” to come up with “integrated solutions” for his business. He had zero interest in what they were talking about, but they could be useful in assisting the researchers. And, their deep-pocketed companies paid him well for the incalculable experience he provided their employees. He supposed it was his version of an “integrated solution.”
He hadn’t worked with Carla’s company before, but the fee they’d agreed on was exorbitant. Cash like that — funding research, supplies, and salaries for his staff — just couldn’t be passed up. The way he figured it, why the hell should he? For that kind of dough, he could put up with her “consulting” him.
He expelled a weary sigh. “Look,” he began, “you’re going to have to deal with your fear or you won’t last a day, much less a month.” Despite his gruff exterior, he wasn’t insensitive to people’s fears. God knew, he had his own just like anyone else, the biggest one being Amy not having enough time.
He swung out of his chair. “I need to get back to work. Let me show you your room. If you want a tour of the place you’ll need to change your clothes. There’s no use for a suit and heels here. I hope you brought more casual stuff.”
Carla nodded. “Don’t worry, I came prepared. I didn’t know where I was going, but my instructions told me what kind of clothes to pack. I assume jeans are okay?”
“They’re fine. Let’s go.”
With the ease of a trained athlete, Jackson lifted himself from his chair and walked out of the room. Carla trailed behind. She hadn’t meant to linger, but as she followed him out the door she couldn’t help noticing once again how very nicely he fit into his jeans. Not wanting to give up that hot rear view, she just naturally fell into place behind him. He had that lean body and wolf-like gait, and damn the view back here was fine and—
She looked up, realizing he’d glanced behind to see what was keeping her and she’d been caught staring like some lecherous peeping tom. Shoot me now. The unmistakable heat of a blush crept up her cheeks.
Thinking fast, she feigned a stumble and cursed her inappropriate footwear as she hurried to his side. “Sorry,” she muttered. “I really do have the wrong shoes. I’m having a bit of a hard time keeping up.”
He stared for a moment, saying nothing but making it pretty obvious he didn’t believe a word she’d said. His response was his usual grunt, but Carla thought she might have seen a whisper of a grin touch the corner of his mouth. Could it be…was he flattered? He looked straight ahead so she couldn’t be sure. At least he wasn’t scowling.
They walked down the long main hallway and up a set of back stairs leading to the second floor. “A lot of my researchers have rooms here.” Jackson gestured toward the closed doors on either side of the hall.
“You mean offices?”
“Offices and bedrooms. They write reports and analyze test results in the quiet of their private rooms. They’re fully equipped with laptops, printers, fax machines, etc. Anything they need.”
“They don’t go home at night?”
“Some do. I’m sure you noticed it’s pretty remote out here. Most of the researchers only return home at the end of the week. This facility is too far away for them to drive back and forth every day. Besides, a lot of work is done during off hours. This is no nine-to-five job, and Saturday and Sunday are like any other workday. My researchers are often here for two weeks or more at a stretch before taking a couple of days off.”
They slowed in front of one of the doors and Jackson cocked a thumb toward it. “That’s my room.” They continued along the hallway, passing a couple more doors and then turning a corner to the end of the wing. “This one’s yours.”
The very last door, Carla noted, but just down the hall from Jackson’s. Not that it mattered, of course. He fished a key ring from his pocket and quickly flipped through it, finding the correct key in seconds. He took it off the ring, stuck it in the door and turned the lock. Then he pulled it out and handed it to Carla. “Don’t lose it; it’s the only one there is.”
She raised a surprised eyebrow. “You don’t keep copies of your keys?”
“I do, but another intern who used this room took the key and never returned it to me. I’ve meant to get a copy made but haven’t gotten around to it.” He reached a hand to the door knob and gave it a swift turn. “I’ve got better things to do. Besides, if I need to get in this room badly enough I will. A key’s not going to matter.”
Deciding not to comment on that rather ominous sounding statement, Carla nodded and stepped inside the room. A pleasant surprise greeted her.
The space was almost like a suite, with the living area and desk in the front and the bedroom toward the back. Jackson hadn’t lied when he said the rooms contained all the latest equipment. A laptop, phone, headset, digital tablet, laser jet printer, and a set of reference books including several different dictionaries were all placed neatly atop a large desk. Carla noticed numerous medical books and recalled Jackson’s comment about the large number of medical students who came for internships. To no surprise, there wasn’t a single book on business to be found.
Jackson pointed out the closets within the suite and the door to the bathroom, then nodded in the direction of the bedroom.
“I’ll wait outside while you change.” He turned and left without another word.
When she heard the click of the door behind him, Carla expelled a sigh of relief. Was she really going to spend an entire month with this man?