Twice as Hot (50 page)

So
far, Elaine’s sessions were going very well. The scientists at PSI had painted
a translucent gel over her exposed skin—much as Rome had worn during our
training session—which acted as a barrier. Like clothing. Tanner could now
caress her cheek—and had, several times. Each time, Elaine leaned into him, her
eyes closing in ecstasy.

“It
would hurt you,” I said, returning my attention to Jean-Luc, “and I don’t want
to hurt you.”

Now
he sighed. “Rome, then.”

I
nodded.

“What’s
so special about him that—No. Never mind. Don’t tell me.” Jean-Luc followed the
direction of my gaze, to Tanner and Elaine. “Some guard dogs, huh?”

I
laughed with genuine humor. “Yeah. They’re about as effective as Ginger and
Lovey.”

He
sighed again and toyed with the rim of his glass, finger stroking the edge.
“That’s how it should be, isn’t it?”

“What?”
Somehow, I’d lost the thread of the conversation.

“Love.
That’s how love should be.”

Oh.
I bit my lip, studied Tanner and Elaine again. There was a gentleness to
Tanner’s expression that I’d never seen before, even with Lexis, transforming
him from young man to protective alpha. Seemed odd, that tenderness toward a
woman could bring out such a Me-Killing-Machine aura, but it was there. Tanner
would protect her, would die for her.

They
hadn’t known each other long, but sometimes people just knew. That’s how it had
been with me and Rome. I had been enraptured by him from the very first, even
though he’d been sent to destroy me.

Tanner
caught my scrutiny and frowned over at me. “What?”

“I
just love you, that’s all,” I said, my eyes misting. God, I was a freaking
watering pot lately.

“That’s
because you secretly want to ride the Tanner Express.”

I
barked out a laugh. Elaine gasped, not quite used to his sense of humor yet.

“That’s
the line he used to use to pick up girls,” I told her. “Needless to say, he was
an absolute failure.”

Slowly
she smiled. “Did you really?”

His
cheeks pinked a bit. “It wasn’t my best line, but it did the job.”

“Did
not,” I said, laughter increasing in volume. “Girls ran from you, fast as they
could.”

“I’m
not running,” Elaine said in a throaty whisper.

Just
like that, the two were lost in their own world again.

My
smile faded. I tossed my napkin on the table and pushed back my chair. “I need
to run to the ladies’ room.” Compose myself, I didn’t add.

Jean-Luc
stood with me. I clomped off. How could I let him down without hurting him? I
maneuvered around tables and people, past the kitchen and its hot, steamy air
and into the bathroom.

The
door slammed behind me, locking before anyone else—namely a female
agent/guard—could enter.

“Finally,”
I heard.

I
spun, gasping. There was Dr. Roberts, tall and thin with a comb-over he needed
to shave. Thick glasses I hadn’t seen him wear in our previous brief encounter.
He was very studious-looking. Oh, and he had a gun pointed to my chest.

“Hello,
Belle.”

“Dr.
Roberts.”

“Ah,
you remember me. I had a feeling you would. I wish we were meeting under
happier circumstances, but I’m afraid that isn’t how things played out. You
received my note, I hope?”

“Yes.”
Cold, I needed cold. Almost instantly, an ice ball formed in my hand. Damn. I
really was getting good at this. “So what are you doing here, armed no less?”

“I
have to protect myself
somehow.
And I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
The gun cocked. He motioned to my hand with a tilt of his head, his brown eyes
bright with intrigue. “Taken to your powers, I see.”

I
dropped my arm to my side. “I didn’t exactly have a choice. It was either feel
sorry for myself over what you made me, or embrace the new me and move on with
my life.”

He
sighed but didn’t lower the gun. “I’ve done some terrible things in my life,
and I’m sorry for them. I forced powers on you that you weren’t prepared to
deal with. I treated my daughter like a lab rat. I was only trying to ensure
that she would be well able to survive in our supernatural world, but in the
process I ruined her life and my own. I’m searching for a way to undo
everything I’ve done, for you, for her, but I need time to do that. I need
peace, as I said. Give me peace, and I’ll do the same for you.”

He
meant it, then. He truly didn’t want to hurt me. I took heart. And yet…I closed
my eyes at the irony. For weeks after being given my powers, I’d dreamed of
nothing but finding an antidote. And now, here he was offering the hope of one,
when I no longer wanted it. “And what happens if I want to keep my powers?” I
asked.

His
smile was sad. Did I remind him of Candace, always craving more? “Then taking
the cure would be up to you. I won’t force anything else on you. But I still
need my freedom.” His head fell back a little and he peered up at the ceiling.
“My daughter…it’s my fault she became what she did. I should have been more
careful with her, should not have introduced her to this life. Please tell John
to be kind to her.”

Someone
knocked on the door. “Belle? You okay in there?”

“I’m…fine.”
My words trailed off. I’d glanced at the door, then back at Dr. Roberts, but he
was already gone. How? Where? I dropped the ice ball into the trash can,
freezing it, and pounded through the entire enclosure, opening every door,
peeking into every shadow, but there was no sign. It was as though I’d imagined
the entire incident. I knew better. The good doctor must have experimented on
himself, as well.

Shaking,
I washed my face and hands. Part of me wanted to call John and Rome right now
and tell them what had happened. But the other part of me knew they’d immediately
launch a search party for the doctor and then where would we be? Roberts wanted
a chance to undo the damage he’d done. Perhaps we should give him one.

When
I exited, there was a pretty brunette I recognized from PSI waiting for me. Her
sharp gaze took my measure. She must have decided I was okay, because she
nodded and went back to her table.

Jean-Luc
was not so easily convinced. “You’re pale,” he said as I reclaimed my seat.

“I’m
fine. Really.” I hoped. Had I made the right decision? Only time would tell, I
guess. Ultimately, if Dr. Roberts could develop a superpower neutralizer, we
could stop scrims in their tracks. And wasn’t that the point of my job?

The
waiter delivered our food. I’d ordered the halibut with extra garlic sauce (a
girl had to prepare for the worst and I hadn’t wanted to have to reject
Jean-Luc if he tried to kiss me, so had decided to make him
not
want to
come within ten yards of me). The delicious aroma drifted to my nose, and I
inhaled deeply, allowing myself to relax. Everyone else had ordered some type
of green-colored pasta.

We
ate for a little while in silence, and I continued to pretend all was well.
Jean-Luc would take a bite, swallow and open his mouth to say something, then
press his lips together in a mulish line. Then repeat the entire process again.
And again. It was…awkward.

Finally,
I dropped my fork and faced him. There had to be a way to do this without
crushing him. I just, well, I had to get my life in order. Being confronted by
Dr. Roberts had reminded me just how quickly circumstances could change. I had
to seize the moment, take what time I had with Rome while I had it. There was
also Lexis to consider, I thought with a sigh.

“You
know, Jean-Luc,” I said. “I like you. I do.”

He
released his fork, too, and it clanged against his bowl. He propped his elbows
on the table and dropped his head into his upraised hands, scrubbing his face.
“This the brush-off speech?”

“No.”
Damn it, girl. He deserves your honesty.
“Yes. Maybe. I don’t know. I
would never back out of our deal, I hope you know that. You want the full three
dates, I’ll give them to you. But I’m in love with him. That isn’t going to
change, no matter how many dates we go on. I wish it would. I mean, you’re so
much easier to be with than Rome.”

“But?”

“But
he’s the other half of me, and this date is killing him.” Or at one time, it
would have. Now…I traced a fingertip around my plate and only prayed that it
did. “I don’t know if I have a future with him, but he’s the only man I want,
and I’d rather stay single and dream of him than date anyone else.”

He
grabbed his wineglass and drained the contents, then signaled the waiter for
another glass. When it arrived, he drained it, too. Then he stared down at the
tabletop for a long while.

I
didn’t move. Didn’t speak.

Finally
he wiped his mouth with his napkin and smiled sadly. “Stupid honesty. I could
push, you know. I could use your doubts about your future against you.”

“I
know.”

“But
you don’t care. Because you love him.”

“Yes.”

Another
sad smile. “I had hoped…well, it doesn’t matter now, I guess. You’re sweet,
funny and you have the sexiest laugh I’ve ever heard, but your attraction to
another man is annoying as hell.”

“I
know. I’m sorry.”

“That’s
why—that’s why I have to—Damn this. I’m releasing you from our deal.”

For
a moment, I couldn’t react. All I could do was think how amazing this man was.
A true diamond in a sea of zirconium. Then relief drifted through me. “I—Thank
you, Jean-Luc.” I wasn’t going to give a token protest and hurt him further.
“You are a wonderful man and one day some lucky woman is going to make you very
happy. She’s going to love you with her every breath.” Would that woman be
Lexis?

He
scowled over at me. “Look. You don’t want me, fine. I’ll live. I don’t like it,
I wish it were different, but I’ll live. You don’t have to patronize me.”

And
that was the difference between us, what really showed me that I’d made the
right choice. I
couldn’t
live without Rome. Wouldn’t give up, had to
have him. He was my drug. My addiction. Not my newfound increased powers, but
him. Maybe I needed therapy, but there it was. “I’m not patronizing you. I
swear. I—”

Jean-Luc
threw his napkin on the table and stood, his chair skidding behind him. “Have a
nice life, Belle. I won’t be bothering you anymore. We’ll both work at PSI, but
I’ll stay out of your way.”

Tanner
and Elaine emerged from their love-cocoon long enough to throw us startled
glances.

“Jean-Luc,
wait! Lexis—” Was I really going to do this? Yes, yes, I was. It was the only
solution I had right now, though granted, it was a sucky consolation prize.
“Lexis wants you. She says the two of you are meant to be together.”

He
turned, suddenly stiff, giving me his back but not walking away. “What are you
talking about?”

“All
I know is what she told me earlier today. She sees the future and she has seen
the two of you together. Romantically.”

He
snorted. “Impossible. I don’t want her.”

“And
I don’t blame you. I just wanted you to know.”

A
pause, a nod. And then, unconsciously taking a page from Rome’s book, he strode
briskly away.

“Wow,”
Tanner said. “I didn’t see that one coming.” He shrugged and turned back to
Elaine, smiling.

“Is
there anything we can do, Belle?” Elaine asked.

“No.
The rest is up to me.”

Armed
agents hid in the shadows all around the outside of my house. I should have
told them all to go away, that the threat of Dr. Roberts was over, but I
didn’t. I needed to have a conversation with John first, and I didn’t want to
do that tonight. I chucked my keys on the table in the foyer and strode toward
my bedroom. Tanner and Elaine were close on my heels, though they branched off
and entered Tanner’s room. I paused, catching his eye as he closed the door.

He
gave me a wicked smile before the cherry wood blocked him completely. I shook
my head, sad and happy at the same time, and jumped back into motion. I had my
powers under control, I’d been released from my deal with Jean-Luc, so I should
be celebrating. Instead, I was going to cuddle my dogs, cry and come up with a
plan. I’d broken a good man’s heart, and I needed a strategy to win back
another’s.

The
house was eerily quiet. Sherridan was probably asleep. Just like my puppies, I
realized. They were snuggled together in their crate and snoring. Not wanting
to wake them, I left the light off. No cuddling for me, it seemed. It’d just be
me, my tears and my schemes.

I
brushed my teeth and hair, washed my face clean of makeup, stripped to the skin
and padded to my dresser to find a pair of panties and a nightgown. Wasn’t sure
I’d have one. Rome and I had always slept naked. Lately, since his memory loss,
I’d been using his shirts. I couldn’t do that tonight, since I hadn’t done
laundry in forever.

Strong
arms suddenly banded around my waist and lifted me. Before I could react, I was
soaring through the air. I landed on the bed with a thwack, sprawled on my
back, arms and legs splayed. Gasping, I jerked upright, raising my arm.
Cold,
cold, cold. I am cold.