Experimenting With Ed

Experimenting with Ed

Katie Allen

Human Design, Book One

A self-professed lab geek, Claire doesn’t date much. In fact, she has more contact with the rats at the lab than with human males, not counting her toadlike boss, Gordon. When her coworkers drag her out to a club, Claire ends up fending off her drunk and handsy boss—until she’s rescued by Ed, the most beautiful bouncer she’s ever seen.

Her tentative, exhilarating relationship with Ed is interrupted when she learns her boss intends to falsify research data to win a grant. When Claire threatens to reveal the truth, she endangers her life, as well as Ed’s. Framed and forced to run, it’s not long before Claire discovers Ed is hiding a shocking secret of his own.

Through arson, police chases and attempted murder, the two grow closer, the intensity of their lovemaking rivaling that of their harrowing journey. Claire would be worried about the ever-present danger and a grim future as a fugitive…if she weren’t so engrossed in her erotic experiments with Ed.

An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

www.ellorascave.com

Experimenting with Ed

ISBN 9781419928796

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Experimenting with Ed Copyright 2010 Katie Allen

Edited by Kelli Collins

Cover art by Valerie Tibbs

Electronic book publication June 2010

The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

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This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

Experimenting with Ed

Katie Allen

Trademarks Acknowledgment

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

Darth Vader: Lucasfilm Entertainment Company, Ltd.

Denny’s: DFO, Inc.

Dumpster: Dempster Brothers, Inc.

Spidey: Marvel Characters, Inc.

Porta Potti: Thetford Engineering Corp.

Twister: Hasbro, Inc.

Uzi: Israel Weapon Industries Ltd.

Chapter One

The bouncer was hot.

When Claire’s eyes finally stopped watering and the man came into focus, she realized her mouth was hanging open. Snapping it shut, she touched her chin to make sure she wasn’t drooling. Despite her best efforts, she just couldn’t drag her gaze away from that perfect body.

This was her first time at Club Taboo and the experience was reminding her why she didn’t go out very much. The vapor from the dry ice combined with a hundred different perfumes had burned Claire’s eyes, and the press of people had made her panicky. Ducking out onto the club’s side patio, she’d been relieved to find it relatively empty.

It was blessedly quiet after the heavy techno pulse of the club, even with the chatter from the crowd of people waiting to get in. The line bordered the patio and stretched all the way to the warehouse next door. The bouncer had moved away from his position by the door in order to monitor a group of rowdy guys waiting in line. Claire watched as the foursome bumped each other off-balance and insulted each other in voices so obliviously loud she could clearly hear the unimaginative comments above the noise of the crowd.

With his focus on the line, the bouncer was almost completely turned away from her. She studied him, feeling safe with her oblique angle. All she could see was the back of his head and the sharp edge of one high cheekbone, the corner of his no-nonsense mouth and the hard plane of his cheek. The cold November wind blew off the lake and ruffled his jet-black hair, but even in just his shirtsleeves, he didn’t seem to feel the chill. The crowd waiting to get in, however, hugged their elbows and shivered, noses turning pink as they stomped their feet and huddled against their dates.

Watching the crowd reminded Claire of her own bare arms and thin skirt. With an involuntary full-body shudder, she moved closer to the shelter of the building. She hesitated a few feet from the door, not wanting to go back inside yet. Instead, she studied the heavy curve of the bouncer’s shoulders and the outline of his back muscles beneath the dark fabric of his shirt. He appeared relaxed, calm, but she imagined she could see the tremor of readiness dart through his muscles.

“Claire!”

Gordon’s voice brought the bouncer’s head around. She managed to hold his gaze for a full second and a half before the intensity of his stare, the sheer breathtaking beauty of his face and body was too much. Ducking her head, Claire turned to Gordon.

“What are you doing out here?” he asked, a slight slur blurring the edges of his words. “It’s freezing!”

“Just getting some air.” Forcing a smile, Claire lied, “I was just about to go back in.”

“Good.” He gave her a sloppy grin. “Let’s go dance.”

Claire had to force herself not to recoil. Only a sharp mental reminder that he was her boss, and definitely not drunk enough yet to forget the evening, allowed her to keep her face expressionless. She even managed a small smile. “I’m not much of a dancer,” she demurred. “In fact, I probably should get home soon.”

“Don’t be silly.” Gordon brushed off her words, grabbing her by the arm and tugging her toward the doorway. “It’s a celebration!”

Gritting her teeth against the urge to punch him in the balls, Claire couldn’t help but jerk back against his grip. “No!” she snapped.

He blinked at her, surprised, dropping his hand from her arm.

“I mean,” Claire backtracked, “that I’m…um, not feeling well. I’d better stay out here a little while longer.”

“There a problem?”

The smooth, masculine voice brought both Claire’s and Gordon’s heads around in surprise. The bouncer must have hurdled the waist-high patio fence, as he was standing just a few feet from them, close enough to make Claire’s stomach churn.

“We’re fine,” Gordon snapped, his lips drawn in a tight, prissy knot. This close to the gorgeous bouncer, Gordon looked even more unappealing than usual. The sparse goatee circling those wet, too-red lips of his always made Claire think of pubic hair, an image that brought both suppressed giggles and a shudder of disgust.

The bouncer ignored Gordon, all his focus on Claire. “Miss?” he asked.

She cleared her throat. The combination of his beauty and that smooth, golden voice robbed her of her ability to speak.

“Huh?” she finally managed to grunt.
Smooth, Claire
, she commended herself. Obviously she had been locked in the lab for too long. “I mean, I’m okay,” she managed to squeak out, staring at him.

The bouncer didn’t move, didn’t blink. Claire swallowed.

“She said she’s fine,” Gordon repeated, reaching to take her arm again but dropping his hand at the last moment. “Come on, Claire, let’s go inside.”

Barely managing to look away from the bouncer’s perfect face, Claire finally turned her head to look at Gordon. As his words penetrated her fog of instant infatuation, she shook her head.

“No,” she said firmly. “I have to go home. I want to get into work early tomorrow.”

Gordon rolled his eyes. “Don’t be silly. I’ll give you the day off.”

Irritation rushed through Claire. “I need to get some things done,” she clipped out, quickly losing her grip on her façade of patience and good humor.

Ignoring her protests, Gordon grabbed her wrist. “Let’s go in,” he insisted, but Claire barely felt the tug before his face froze and his hand dropped away.

The bouncer’s fingers were wrapped around Gordon’s arm just above the elbow. Whatever he was doing must have hurt, judging from the pastier-than-usual color of Gordon’s face.

“You. Go,” the bouncer said evenly, and Gordon gave a short nod and a wince. As soon as the larger man released him, Gordon turned on his heel and stalked to the side door of the club.

Claire watched his stiff back leave. She sighed. Work would definitely be uncomfortable for a few days. Gordon slammed the door behind him and Claire flinched.
Make that a few weeks
, she amended mentally.

“How are you getting home?”

She turned toward the bouncer, startled. She’d been distracted enough by Gordon’s annoying behavior to forget the mountain of hotness still standing next to her.

She smiled at him. “Thanks for your help. He’s had a few too many and was being really persistent. He’s my boss, you know, so it wasn’t like I could kick him in the balls, although I did think about it. Punching him in the balls, to be exact.”
Shut up, shut up, shut up!
Claire’s brain screamed, but she couldn’t stop the babbling flow of words. “So it was really nice of you to take care of it so I didn’t do any damage to his man parts and get fired.”

He brushed off her thanks with a small shrug and a raised eyebrow.

“What?” she asked, before she remembered his earlier question. “Oh, getting home. Right. I’ll probably walk—I live five blocks away.”

The bouncer turned on his heel and gave a sharp whistle. Another burly man in a black shirt stuck his head around the corner.

“Going on break,” Claire’s bouncer called, his voice cutting easily through the chatter of the waiting crowd. “Watch those four.” He pointed at the loud group he’d been monitoring earlier. The four guys looked back at him with expressions of offended innocence until one wobbled and fell off the curb, to the great amusement of his three companions. The other bouncer nodded and waved a hand in a “go ahead” gesture.

The gorgeous man turned and walked toward the door to the club. Bemused, Claire just stared at his broad back.

Holding the door open, he turned back and raised the same eyebrow. Claire figured just that one eyebrow probably saved him a couple hundred words a day.

“Let’s go,” he ordered, and she blinked at him, startled.

“Where?”

“Your house.” Although the
duh
was left unsaid, it was very much implied.

“Aren’t you going on break?” she asked.

“Yes. Let’s go.”

Comprehension dawned. “Oh,” she hurried to say. “You don’t have to walk me home. I’ll be fine. I have a whistle.” Claire dug in her small purse. “It’s in here somewhere…”

Her fingers found the silver whistle and she yanked it out, grinning triumphantly. Her smile slowly faded when she saw the bouncer’s expression. The eyebrow was now appalled.

“What?” she asked defensively but he just shook his head.

“Hurry up.” He jerked his head toward the open door.

She gave in and followed him into the club, protesting. “Well, if you’re sure you want to. I mean, I don’t want to take up your break. I’m sure there are lots of things you would rather do than walk someone home—get a snack, pee…” She trailed off when she realized he couldn’t hear her through the club noise, even though they were only a few feet apart.

Claire followed his broad back through the press of people, appreciating the way a path just opened up for him, either his size or his presence making even the drunkest reveler duck out of his way. She glanced over her shoulder and saw her small group of colleagues clustered at a table. Claire sighed. Gordon still looked pissed.

Without realizing it, she slowed her steps. When she glanced back, expecting to see the bouncer’s wide shoulders, Claire found she was caught in a mass of strangers. She tried to wiggle through the crowd, but without the bouncer’s magic path-making ability, people refused to give way.

Standing on her tiptoes and cursing her short stature, she tried unsuccessfully to see over the press of bodies. With an irritated grunt, she fought her way in the direction she thought the door was located, using her elbows liberally.

She had only made a few feet of progress when the bouncer appeared in front of her. Grabbing her by the hand, he towed her to the main door and then they were in the blessedly cool air. Claire gasped a breath, relieved to be out of the crush of people, and then shivered.

“My coat,” she groaned, glancing back at the entrance with dread. She really did not want to go back in there.

“I’ll get it,” the bouncer told her, before shoving his way back into the mass of people.

“Wait!” she called after him, but he didn’t stop. “I didn’t tell you where it is,” she finished under her breath. Claire waited for him to come back and ask for directions—or for a description of the coat, at least—but was surprised to see him reemerge with her jacket clutched in one huge fist.

“Thank you,” she told him, holding out an arm. After a tiny hesitation, he helped her put it on. “How did you know which one was mine?”

He gave one of his small shrugs. “Just did. Which way?” Claire pointed left and he strode down the sidewalk.

“Hang on,” she told him with a breathless laugh, struggling in her heels to keep up with his quick pace. “Can you slow down just a pinch?” she panted.

Although he looked surprised, he did slow his steps until she didn’t have to run to keep up with him.

“Thanks,” she said gratefully. “I’m Claire, by the way.”

“I know,” he grunted. At her curious look, he added, “Heard your boss call you that.”

“Oh.” She nodded and waited. And waited. “And you are…” she finally prompted.

“Edward.” As she continued to look at him, he added, “Edward Astor.”

“So what do you go by?”

He slanted a look at her. “Edward Astor.”

Claire laughed, although she wasn’t sure if he was kidding or not. “Ed? Eddie? Ned? Big Ed?”

Shrugging, he told her, “Whatever you like.”

“That’s a little dangerous,” she warned, still grinning. When the eyebrow went up again, she explained. “Letting me call you anything I want. There’re so many unpleasant possibilities—Wally, for example. Or Scooter. How about Sprinkles? Or Giggles? Or—”

“Fine,” he interrupted. “Call me Ed.”

She made a face. “But I was just getting into it. You sure I can’t call you Sprinkles?”

He answered with a look.

“O-
kay
, Ed it is. Mr. Astor if you’re nasty.”

Both eyebrows went up at that and Claire thought she saw a spark of heat flare in his eyes, turning them silver for just a moment before they cooled to their original gray. An answering shiver clenched her lower belly.