Degrees of Passion (10 page)

‘A condensed version, but very well done, Mr Merchant.’ Prichard nodded. ‘I’m glad to see someone came to this project prepared.’ He gave a disapproving glance to Sasha. ‘Mr Jacob Schwartz, what changes did Moctezuma institute to elevate his status and that of other
pipiltin
?’

‘He established new court etiquette, stripped warriors of common birth of their special uniforms and made laws on behavior and clothing to set the nobles,’ Jacob paused, correcting, ‘the
pipiltin
, apart from commoners or
macehuales
. He put young noblemen from the various cities under his control to work in the palace, supplanting the servants. He replaced officials and set up rituals to ensure his place as a living reflection of the god Huitzilopochtli. He—’

‘Well done,’ Prichard interrupted.

Kevin finally gave in to the temptation to look at Sasha. Her mouth pulled into a tight line and he could practically feel the tension radiating off her. She glanced at him, meeting his gaze for the briefest of seconds before turning her attention once more to Prichard. That eye contact was all the encouragement his body needed. His hand flexed and he mentally kept it from lifting to comfort her.

‘And the reason the Spanish Conquest of the Aztec people is important to our work, Mr Jason Schwartz?’ Prichard asked.

‘It’s the end of the era whose artefacts we will be analyzing,’ Jason answered.

Prichard nodded, even though the last question had been an easy one. His tone changed from questioning to the loud dry boom of a lecture. ‘The items brought back from the dig sites predate the events Mr Merchant just described. So, if you come to me trying to tell me the pottery you’re dating is from the 1700s, we will have a problem. If you tell me it’s from the 1600s . . .’ He pointed at Sasha.

‘We’ll have a problem,’ Sasha answered, her voice flat.

‘We’ll have a problem,’ Prichard confirmed. He turned his attention to all of the students. ‘You must have a thorough understanding of the culture you will be studying. I expect your documentation to be clean, references listed, your scientific deductions are impeccable and, above all else, you must never damage the integrity of the artefacts you will be handling. One misstep and I will make it my personal mission to see that you graduate without honors and a letter of warning to potential employers placed into your files.’

Jason and Jacob shared a look before seriously nodding their heads to indicate they understood. Kevin didn’t move, focusing on where Sasha stood in his peripheral view.

‘Mr Merchant.’ Prichard drew his full attention. ‘I suggest you set up some intense study sessions to help your partner learn her facts. Her misunderstanding will reflect upon you. Not fair, but neither is life.’

Intense study sessions? Sasha alone with him? Studying, talking, looking? Intense. Intimate. Private. Just the two of them.

Kevin swallowed, a nervous anxiousness taking over his gut as fleeting thoughts invaded his mind. Scattered, sexy images of the last time they’d been alone tried to find their way into his consciousness, bringing a rush of sexual frustration with them. He nodded once, gruffly answering, ‘Of course.’

As Prichard persisted with his small lecture, speaking on the conception of the project, his long and distinguished career in this field of study and the daily duties expected of the team, Kevin couldn’t help but continue to watch Sasha from the corner of his eye. They all stood, even though there were a few chairs in the lab. After Prichard gave an overview of each piece of lab equipment, stating things all of them probably already knew, he turned to Sasha. ‘Miss Matthews, since you are in need of coffee, why don’t you take everyone’s order?’

‘Not a problem,’ she said. Kevin tried not to smile at the slight defiance in her tone as she reached into her bag and grabbed a notepad and pencil. Looking at the others in forced expectation, she inquired, ‘What will it be?’

‘Large coffee and a strawberry Danish,’ Prichard answered. ‘Use the bakery at the end of the block. I only like their pastries.’

‘I’d like a coffee as well,’ Jacob said, lifting his hand to get Sasha’s attention. ‘And maybe a blueberry muffin with those crumbles on the top.’ His twin brother nudged him in the arm with a slight frown. Jacob appeared confused. ‘What?’

‘Whatever’s fine,’ Jason said.

‘I’ll come along to help you carry—’ Kevin began, only to get interrupted by Prichard.

‘She’ll be fine. I need you to help open our first crate.’

‘And you?’ Sasha asked, holding her pen at the ready. She stared at him, as if blaming him for her current situation.

Kevin balled his hand in irritation. It wasn’t his fault she came unprepared, not even caring enough to know what she was going to be doing here. If she didn’t take her work seriously, why should he feel guilty for it? ‘Large coffee, one cream, two sugars, and a cinnamon roll with glaze not cake icing.’

Her scowl burned hot but she wrote down what he said. Without saying a word, she stormed from the room.

‘That pompous, arrogant, scum-sucking, know-it-all, stupid, fucking . . .’ Sasha paused in her tirade, searching for the next insult as she continued to march through the snow to the end of the block. Her words were punctuated by white puffs of breath. Not seeing the bakery, she realized it must be in the other direction and she turned around. ‘Stupid, arrogant, pain-in-the – argh!’

How dare Kevin do that do her? So what if she didn’t have the exact date readily memorized? She’d been in the right general area. There was no reason for him to go all know-it-all on them and give more than the doctor asked for. She hated guys like that with their . . .

‘Their, um, brains and smug faces and their piercing eyes and cute, knowing smiles,’ she ranted. Finding the bakery on the corner, she pushed at the glass door. Inside, the tables were empty, but a long line of businessmen stretched out from the register along the glass counter. Workers filled orders, shoving pastries into small white paper bags and handing out coffee like the bitter brown liquid was the elixir of youth.

The line moved quickly and Sasha stared at the paper in her hand. When the young woman came to take her order, she got herself a coffee before reading the list. She stopped when she got to the cinnamon roll. Glancing up, she said, ‘Do you have a day-old section?’

‘It’s not any cheaper and we have everything we need right here, baked fresh,’ the woman said, her smile more of an afterthought.

‘Well,’ Sasha drawled slowly, ‘I don’t want a fresh cinnamon roll. In fact, I want the oldest, rock-hardest cinnamon roll you have and I want you to smother it with thick cake icing.’

The woman shrugged, going to get the order ready. Sasha found herself grinning, feeling a little better. It didn’t last long. The woman came back and placed a large bag and cup holder on the counter. Sasha pulled cash out of her messenger bag, knowing she wouldn’t get paid back for the food run.

Anger kept her warm as she marched back to the Project Aztec building. By the time she arrived, she managed to get it under control. Not daring to bring food into the lab and risk upsetting the insufferable Dr Prichard, she set it in the small area marked as the break room. As she walked out into the hall, she stopped, seeing Kevin.

‘You’re back,’ he said.

‘Yep.’ She nodded, planning on giving him the cold shoulder. ‘Everything’s on the table. Help yourself.’

Kevin grabbed her arm as she tried to walk past. Warmth soaked through her chilled coat. Electric heat seemed to form where he touched her, or perhaps it was only the shaking reaction she had to his nearness. She wasn’t prepared for the sudden rush of desire. The subtle smell of his cologne mingled with the scent of soap. Lip balm covered his lips, coating them with a light glossy sheen that drew her notice. Sasha became aware of how dry her mouth felt and she unconsciously licked her lips.

Sexy brown eyes darted down to watch the sweep of her tongue and she heard his breath catch. The hallway suddenly felt a little too narrow. He was too close. The heat of his hand became too intimate even with clothing protecting her flesh. Torrid thoughts ran circles in her mind, urging her to act on primal instinct.

Sasha pressed her thighs together, but the motion only made the growing ache worse. Her breasts tingled, seeming to create a cord of pure lust from each nipple to the moistening folds of her sex. She licked her lips again, silently wishing he’d grab her and kiss her. She wanted him to shove her against the wall. She wanted him naked, his cock free to stake total claim. She wanted him to make her feel that night they were together all those months ago. How had she managed to block how good he’d been in bed? How had she let herself forget the thrill of not knowing what he was thinking, even as he thrust inside her? Kevin was excitement and sex and pure animalistic attraction. She wanted him and the unexpected rush of it confused her.

How did she suppress it? How did she convince herself that it was nothing more than a drunken mistake? The answer came to her like a whisper in the back of her naughty mind. Trevor. She’d forced herself to deny the full degree of her passion for Kevin with her desire to have the fairytale life with Trevor.

Trevor.

Sasha’s breathing continued to deepen. Trevor, her boyfriend who left her this morning for Europe. Trevor, the insensitive clod who didn’t tell her about his impending move before today. Trevor, the man who’d inspired her to improve herself from the first moment she saw him. He was the reason she’d got back into shape, the one thing she told herself she was sure of, the one decision she managed to make when everything else in her life scared her. Trevor was future, security. Kevin was . . .

Sasha’s mind went instantly blank. Was Kevin leaning closer? The fan of his breath struck her cheek and she sucked it in involuntarily. Though unintentionally intimate, just breathing the same air as him turned her on more.

Sasha wasn’t sure if she would resist the claim of his kiss, but she never had a chance to find out. Kevin pulled back. ‘Tonight.’

It took her a moment to process the gruff word. ‘Excuse me?’

‘I’m free tonight if you’d like to study up on Mesoamerican culture.’ Kevin ran his hands through his hair in what looked like an effort to smooth it. The gesture only messed it up more. ‘Dr Prichard has a reputation for making an example of at least one of the members of his team. It’s a way of wielding power and control over the group. He sent you for coffee, so I’d say you’d better work extra hard to impress him the rest of this week.’

‘I don’t need your help.’ Sasha didn’t move. His expression didn’t give much away. What was he thinking? Did he know the effect he had on her senses? Did he know she would have let him kiss her had he not stopped? Was this a game to him? Knowing a study session to be the last thing her confused mind and body needed, she said, ‘I’ll be prepared.’

‘Possibly, but why don’t you take my help anyway. You are my partner after all and it will be a hell of a lot easier for both of us if Prichard isn’t breathing down our necks.’

‘I said I’ll be prepared,’ Sasha ground out. Not wanting to fight with him all day, she lamely added, ‘Besides, I have to work tonight and I have classes early tomorrow morning.’

‘You work?’ Kevin’s question was interrupted by the laboratory door opening.

Jacob came out, pushing a wheeled trash can filled with packing material. Seeing the two of them, he said, ‘You’d better get back in there. He’s ready to pass out the first assignments.’

‘Thanks,’ she said to Jacob, pointing to the door. ‘Food’s in there.’ Sasha looked meaningfully at Kevin before heading back to the lab. ‘Enjoy your cinnamon roll.’

‘This rant has lasted a full five minutes. I want to meet him.’ Zoe leaned forwards in her cushioned chair, a wide grin across her face. ‘Any man who can drive Sasha this crazy has to be worth meeting.’

‘Is this the guy you were refusing to tell me about the other night?’ Kat demanded. ‘What did you call him? Prince Charming?’

‘Is he the reason you weren’t here last weekend?’ Zoe asked. ‘Is this someone special?’

‘What is it with this family and scientists?’ Megan sighed. ‘Though I guess a smart man makes sense for Sasha. Maybe he’ll be smart enough to finally help her pick a major. What degree are you going for now? Beet farmer? Cryptozoologist?’

‘I think cryptozoology is interesting,’ Kat inserted. ‘Can you actually major in Bigfoot?’

Sasha grimaced at her sisters. They sat in the living room of their parents’ house waiting as their mother prepared a new recipe she’d read about in a magazine. Sunday was always a Matthews family gathering. The only missing person was Ella, who was somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean on a ship.

Located on Ninety-Sixth Street and Columbus, the prewar building was of Art Deco influence. The apartment used to be classy and refined, but their unconventional mother made sure to take care of that. What had been a completely renovated home with polished hardwood floors, graceful mouldings and stylish white curtains had become an eccentric example of their mother’s flamboyant taste. Pink lace curtains hid the oversized window leading to the balcony. The floors were covered in large rugs and framed photographs hung on many of the walls. Sasha loved it, despite the lack of elegance. It reminded her of the safety of her childhood home.

Addressing each sister in turn, Sasha answered, ‘No, you can’t meet my internship partner. No, I’ve never told you about him. Kevin Merchant isn’t a scientist, not really. He’s going to get his doctorate in anthropology. Kat is the only one in this family into a scientist. And, for the record, I am most definitely not into Kevin and I don’t need his help with anything.’

‘But you just said Prichard wanted him to help you study,’ Kat said.

‘Methinks Sasha protests too much.’ Zoe’s grin widened. The light gray of her cardigan sweater had three large buttons over the chest and hung open down the waist to show the bright-white T-shirt underneath. Like Kat, her collection of designer clothes had definitely grown since she had married wealth. Her husband, Jackson, could be heard laughing from down the hall. The men gathered in their father’s den. Douglas Matthews enjoyed his three sons-in-law’s company and often lured them away to do ‘men stuff’ the moment they walked in the door.