Absolute Zero (40 page)

“You have visitors, by the way,” she informed him quickly. Her voice seemed a bit shaky to her own ears.

“Don’t I know it. I saw their cars,” he breathed out in a clearly annoyed voice. As if on cue, Lena’s voice rang out in the kitchen.

“There you are! Guess what? We’re staying for dinner,” she stated in an all-too chipper voice.

“Aww, bloody hell, Lena” he grated out without looking in her direction.

“Language. Braden’s here too, ya know.”

“He’s seventeen, he says worse than that,” he stated as he continued to stare at Anne.

She was here. In his home. All he wanted to do was pull her to him. Her cheeks were slightly flushed and her ripe mouth was begging for his kiss.

Damn, Lena…

“Well, we don’t need to encourage him,” he could hear behind him.

“What’s for dinner?” he ignored his sister and continued to watch Anne.

“Lamb chops,” her eyes dropped down; resting on the hand he had placed in the counter. The veins were clearly visible as his grip pretty much matched the intensity of the look he was probably still giving her.

“Good,” he said in a quiet tone.

“Should I open a bottle of something?” Lena’s voice broke in.

“Are you still here?” he stated as his eyebrows rose. He still hadn’t turned to regard her, Anne noticed.

He took a long, deep breath before a shooting an almost apologetic half-smile to Anne. Pushing away from the counter, he backed away reluctantly. “I’ll go change,” he stated softly. “
Don’t
invite any more people,” he added with a heated look.

She narrowed her eyes back at him.

*****

“Aww, hell
NO
!”

Lena and Anne looked up at each other moments later as Ian’s voice boomed from the floor above.

A distinct thump could be heard a few seconds later as the two women continued to stare at each other.

“What was that?” Lena asked with widened eyes.

That would be my luggage
, Anne thought. She gave an innocent shrug instead.

*****

“The Xbox is in his library, so technically, I wasn’t lying,” Braden stated as he shoved another piece of meat in his mouth.

“This is so goo,” he added with a full mouth.

“Nice manners,” Lena stated as she shook her head before regarding Anne.

“So, you traveled all this way to consult on a project? It must be verra important,” she stated.

Anne’s eyes shifted to Ian. He was still staring at her under an almost hooded gaze. In fact, he never actually took his eyes off of her the entire time, or at least it seemed that way.

“I’d say it’s more…intriguing than anything. Very
innovative
,” she emphasized as her gaze flicked to Lena.

“What is it?”

Her eyes once again found Ian’s. She wasn’t quite sure if she should say. He gave her the faintest hint of a smile as if to encourage her.

“It’s a drug to treat Alzheimer’s and possibly Parkinson’s disease? They’re having trouble breeching the BBB. I guess that’s where I come in,” she stated still looking at him.

“What’s a BBB?” She could hear from across the table.

“Blood brain barrier. Most medicines have trouble breaking through and actually doing what they’re supposed to do. Molecules have trouble permeating epithelial cells surrounding brain tissue, so we’re going to start studying exosomes,” she stated before looking at Lena.

“They’re a cell-derived vesicle, present in bodily fluids and smaller than 150 nanometers. They can actually deliver antisense oligonucleotides if directly injected into the blood,” Anne stated. Lena’s face seemed to contort in confusion.

“It’s a rather revolutionary concept. They’re actually studying it at Oxford. They’re looking for Pharmaceutical companies to translate the concept into clinicals. It would be wonderful to be chosen. We just have to prove we have the ability to deliver,” Anne answered, pretty certain she just came off as a colossal nerd or perhaps the most boring person in history.

“Sounds…fascinating,” Lena stated but it was obvious from her expression she was joking.

“Well, it is to me,” Anne shrugged with a sheepish smile. “It’s wonderful to have an opportunity to innovate,” she shot a stern look to Ian before she could stop herself.

“We’re set up for that type of research here,” he answered quietly, his own look seemed to match hers.

“Right, and if you’re not set up, you can never be set up,” she answered, “Correct?” She tried to keep her tone light but her eyes practically burned into his.

“Now you sound like Rand,” he let out a disgusted huff of breath. “If I could only get you to concentrate on what you
can
do and not on what you can’t
have
, maybe I’d get something out of that facility,” he stated simply. His tone was smug yet his eyes were so intense on her.

“Maybe people need to know their contributions matter and that they have support from top management instead of feeling like they’re just going through the motions,” she returned hotly.

“Maybe people should trust that top management actually knows what they’re doing. Maybe they could stop looking at this as if it’s some personal slight and realize that the purpose of this company is to make money,” he stated before the mocking look that she knew all too well took over his features.

Her fists clenched as her pulse intensified. Apparently he wasn’t done yet, only increasing her agitation.

“What a notion! I know. Must seem awful cold to some people, that whole ‘making money’ thing. People that would rather
wallow
in emotion…” he stated in a cool voice.

“Must seem awful strange to some people, that whole ‘having emotions’ thing,” she mocked. “People that would rather wallow in their own little black void of nothingness. Oh! I’m sorry. Or was that just business? It’s so hard to tell the difference,” she contemplated as her eyes focused on the ceiling above her.

“Enough,” he grated out, causing her eyes to snap back to his.

Lena cleared her throat loudly but their eyes still locked and held.

“So…ah. That was pleasant. Are you a brain specialist or something, Anne?”

“She’s a neurosurgeon,” Ian answered instead, still looking at Anne.

She cringed inside, hoping it didn’t register on her face.

“You didn’t tell me that!” Lena exclaimed.

“You didn’t ask,” Anne blurted before clamping her lips shut.

“Well, so why do you work for Ian? Seems…”

“You know what?” Anne interrupted her, “I’ve bored you enough. Let’s talk about your Inn.”

“
I’m
not bored,” Braden piped up. “What?” he asked as all eyes focused on him.

“So…” Lena stated forcefully, turning her attention back to Anne. “It’s a verra lovely property. I have 5 rooms for rent and we’re looking to convert the attic into two more. I’ll have to wait on those, maybe after I actually start bringing in an income. Oh! By the way, Anne asked if she could rent one of my rooms,” she stated cheekily.

“No.”

Anne didn’t need to look at him to gauge his expression. She could imagine the heat in his eyes based on the snapped response he just leveled at Lena.

“No? Well, I must say, this is rather
hospitable
of you, Ian. I don’t know that you’ve ever…”

“Lena?” he interrupted her. “My penchant for hospitality is limited. Would it be too much to ask that you stuff the rest of yer dinner in her face and be on yer way?”

“Well then,” her eyes cast a glint of amusement in Anne’s direction before a small laugh erupted from her throat.

*****

“I thought they’d
never
leave. What are you doing?” she heard behind her as she rinsed the plate in her hands.

“Cleaning up,” she mumbled as she stacked it on top of the other rinsed plates in the sink.

“I have a housekeeper for that,” he stated directly behind her. Suddenly, her hips were grabbed, her body turned and he was lifting her easily before setting her bottom on the kitchen counter next to the sink. He immediately nestled his body between her thighs and placed both hands on either side of her head. Her wet hands braced against his strong shoulders, leaving a darkened spot that began spreading.

“Hello, Annie,” he rasped in a low tone before pulling her mouth toward his. There was no thought of stopping him. It started out sweet but flared into something hot and wild eliciting a groan from somewhere in her body. He pulled his mouth away and rested his forehead against hers as his thumbs swept the skin of her cheeks on either side.

“Do you know how hard that was? To see you and not be able to do this?” he stated before his mouth caressed hers once again. He broke the kiss and leveled a scorching look at her.

“Come on,” He wrapped her legs around his waist before hefting her up against him.

“I can walk, you know,” she stated against his lips once she was settled.

“I know. You weigh a bit of nothing and besides, I can keep kissing you this way,” he stated before doing just that.

“I’m still slightly pissed off at you,” she murmured between kisses as he climbed the stairs.

“Only slightly?  I can work with that.”

*****

“I’m close. I’m so close,” she rasped out as she watched the spot where their bodies were joined. It was dark, but moonlight filtered in from the large windows, casting an ethereal blue luminescence over his skin. His hands encircled her hips, tilting them up to where he kneeled between her legs. He immediately pulled himself from her and settled his length on top, still thrusting, causing a new type of friction that made her gasp out.

“Don’t do that, love. When I say I can go all night, I’m not joking.” He trailed his hands from her hips up her sides and back down her abdomen before massaging the top of her mound with his thumbs. His look was one of pure concentration as he focused his attention on that spot.

“If you want me to last any longer, you have to stop doing that,” she stated before one thumb slipped inside. The combination of pressure and friction were causing the familiar clenching and accompanying tingles to start again.

“Actually, I need to get you to sleep. You’re still five hours behind me. We’re up early tomorrow,” he stated almost absently before thrusting inside. “Let’s see what we can do, love.” His hands gripped her hips again as her back arched and a strangled groan emitted from her throat.

He was doing something with his hips, swiveling them in a hypnotically arousing circle, hitting every side of her as his thrusts increased. At some point, one of his hands trailed to her center, his fingers rubbing in time with his thrusts, causing her already trembling body to jerk when he gave a slight pinch. Just that small sting toppled her body off the edge and caused her to cry out as every nerve ending in her body prickled. He was saying something…his hands moving from her hips to under her knees, lifting her weak legs and settling them on his shoulders as he continued to move faster and harder, causing her already sensitive body to begin clenching again from the new spot he seemed to hit within her.

Moments later, she could hear a muffled grunt or was that a moan? She wasn’t sure if it came from him or her as his body seized up and his hands squeezed her thighs before relaxing.

Her legs sort of slipped from his shoulders, landing with soft thuds on either side of him as they stared at each other.

“I missed you,” he whispered after a few moments. His expression was so sincere; it made a small impression on her previously unaffected heart. Or at least, she had
thought
it was unaffected. Something was swelling inside. Something unknown to her. Whatever it was, it felt good. It felt
right
. Her mouth opened, a sarcastic retort was at the ready but instead her brain decided to shut down the sarcasm and go with the truth.

“I missed you too,” she stated quietly.

*****

“I’ll get you a sleeping pill.”

“
NO!
” she stated forcefully before catching herself. “Umm…no,” she stated in a softer tone. “What we did should pretty much wipe me out. I’m good,” she added.

His fingers were toying with her hair. His other arm was clamped around her back tightly, almost as if he were afraid she’d float away.

It felt good. Better than good. Her eyelids were heavy and she snuggled her head further into the pillow they were sharing.

“Go to sleep, Annie.” He cupped her cheek and leaned in, kissing her lips softly before pulling back.

Something was wrong.

Not with him.

Just a feeling. She pushed away slightly and sat up before turning her body and automatically walking toward the open bedroom door.

“Annie? Darlin’? Where are you going?” she could hear behind her as she shut the door and clicked the lock. She tested the knob once and then again before backing away, suddenly satisfied and at ease.