SharedObjectives Read Free Page B

I been paying closer attention, I would’ve guessed anyway.
It just didn’t matter to me.”
    “A lover’s genetic status wasn’t important to you?” He
looked at her skeptically. “Forgive me if I call bullshit on that one. I’ve had
women stand up and move to the other side of trains to avoid being near me. I
don’t even want to tell you what they’d do to avoid being under me.”
    The loneliness that haunted his eyes was something she could
easily relate to. Suddenly wanting to comfort him, she reached across the table
and let her hand rest on top of his. “Believe it or not, being a geneticist for
the government doesn’t exactly have men beating down my bedroom door either.”
She ran her thumb over his hand affectionately. “That’s probably why I never
tell anyone what I do—did—for a living. It got to where I couldn’t stand the
wariness in their eyes. Like if they fell asleep they’d wake up in a lab somewhere.”
    He cocked his head and studied her a little more closely.
“Did you ever tell Ben that?”
    She looked down as she remembered the fight they’d had.
“It’s hard to see your enemy as anything else.”
    “But you said it didn’t matter to you.”
    She glanced over at Nate as he shifted in his sleep. “Ben
was never my enemy. I, however, was his before I ever said hello.”
    “You two are going to have to work together. I can order him
to be civil. But you don’t exactly fall under my jurisdiction.” He looked down
at her hand as if it were an alien entity. “Will you be okay with that
arrangement?”
    “Will we be working together a lot?” She didn’t hate Ben but
she wasn’t fond of the way he looked at her and talked to her with disdain.
    “As much as it pains me to admit, Ben is the brains of this
group.” Dixie shifted nervously and, for the first time since they’d met,
looked uncomfortable. “He’s going to be assisting you.”
    “I’ve already perfected the procedure. I don’t need an
assistant, just a laboratory to work in.”
    He took a heavy breath in and released it slowly. “Okay,
he’s not assisting so much as…” His words died as he looked away from her
uncomfortably again. It was then that the pieces slid together for Lisa.
    No longer feeling the need to comfort him, she pulled her
hand away. “Keeping an eye on me and double-checking my work.”
    Dixie had the grace to look guilty before he nodded.
    “I see.” She stood slowly and walked over to the door before
turning back to look at him. “Say what you will about Ben, but at least he’s
always been straightforward. His feelings about me are the same to my face as
they are behind my back.” She opened the door and gestured into the night. “If
you don’t mind. I’ve had a long day and tomorrow is going to be,” she rubbed
her temple with her free hand as a headache bloomed, “difficult.”
    He rose gracefully from the table and crossed the room in
quick, even strides. “I understand.” He stopped when he stood in the doorway.
“Before I go, though, I want you to know that having Ben verify your findings
wasn’t my idea.”
    She continued to rub her temple as he spoke. “Well, it sure
as hell wasn’t Ben’s. He’s under the impression we’re not going to be seeing
each other anymore. He’s pretty damn happy about that too.”
    “I know. I’m going to clear up that misunderstanding as soon
as I leave here.” He ran a finger down her cheek until it rested under her chin
and then forced her to look up at him. “At the end of the day, he and I are
both just soldiers fighting someone else’s war. This order goes over either of
our heads.”
    For one moment Lisa thought he might kiss her. Which was
ridiculous. They’d only just met. And, though she’d been told she was pretty,
she couldn’t be considered beautiful on her best days. With everything she’d
been through, today could easily be considered one of her worst and she
probably showed it. She shuddered to think of how