9
Slade pulled into his reserved parking spot at Logan Industries and cut the engine on hisSUV.
He looked over to the passenger seat to find Mandisa smoothing the creases of her pants. If his guess was correct, all her twitchiness meant something more was going on behind this impromptu visit to the office besides her need to see testtubes.
“With respect to proprietorship, I had to let the Assistant Director know you were coming. Other than that, no one knows who you are or your purposehere.”
She nodded her head slowly, now picking invisible lint off the smooth material of herpants.
What the fuck is it with her and these damnpants?
He placed one of his hands over hers to keep her from fidgeting. She still wouldn’t look up at him, but she threaded her fingers with his, squeezingtightly.
“Darlin’, what’swrong?”
She shook her head as she kept her eyes focused on their joined hands. “Nothing,” sheanswered.
“Mandisa, I might not have known you long, but even I can tell when something isn’t right with you. What’s going on? Are you having second thoughts about this? You do know you don’t ever have to walk inside one of my labs unless you wantto.”
She took a long but silent breath and raised her head and eyes to him. She was composed. To the average person, she looked put together, ready for whatever was waiting. To him, she looked tense. As if she was exerting too much effort to keep the mask inplace.
“Slade,” she answered with a calm smile across her lips. “I’m fine. I’ve enjoyed every minute of my time with you on the ranch. But we did make a deal. I can’t possibly make a decision about selling to you until I see what kind of facilities youhave.”
She turned away from him to open the car door, but Slade refused to release her hand, keeping her planted in the seat. He leaned in, touching his mouth to hers. He needed the connection they’d shared only hours ago not just to anchor him, but to somehow remind her they mattered more than this damn business deal on thetable.
When he pulled away, there was warmth in her eyes again, less of the cold emptiness that seemed to be attempting to settle in. Satisfied his Mandisa was back, he opened his door and walked around the car to openhers.
She smiled at him again as she took his hand and let him help her out of the vehicle. They walked to the elevator. Mandisa watched the illuminated numbers above the elevator door while Slade watchedher.
When they arrived at the appropriate floor, a low tone dinged to announce their arrival. The doors opened, and they were greeted by a middle-aged man standing with a clipboard in his hand and a pocket protector securely lining the breast pocket of his labcoat.
Bill Johnson was everything one would traditionally expect when meeting a fifty-year-old scientist. Black, wire-rimmed glasses, a starched and iron-pressed long lab coat covering an equally stiff suit, and a facial expression that let the rest of the world know he was smarter than most stupid mortals. Everything about Bill said, “Don’t touch me, I’msterile.”
Every time he saw this man, Slade wanted to laugh, but his good manners made him give Bill the respect he deserved. “Mr. Hamilton, it’s a pleasure to see you againsir.”
Slade took the hand that Bill offered and shook it before turning to Mandisa. “Dr. Bill Johnson, please meet Dr. Mandisa Avery. I’m trying to court her to head up our new line. Please help me convince her that Venus is where she needs tobe.”
Bill smiled at Mandisa and offered her an excited hand as well. “Dr. Avery, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Mr. Hamilton has told me a great deal about you. I’ve also followed up on several of your accomplishments in the chemistry world. It is truly an honor to meetyou.”
Mandisa smiled and returned his eager handshake. He could tell she was readying herself to speak, but Bill jumped in again before she could utter a word. “I read your study inChemistry Now. Let me just say it was the most forward-thinking concept on waterproof mascara that I’d seen in the last twenty years. That study caused so many cosmetic houses and lines to change their formulas on the chemicallevel.”
Slade fell back while Bill and Mandisa discussed things he had no knowledge of. Bill escorted them to some sort of anteroom where they removed their jackets and then donned lab coats, disposable caps for their heads, booties for their feet, and protective goggles to shield their eyes. Slade followed Bill and Mandisa, watching her as she delighted in all the equipment and scientific bells and whistles Bill had to showher.
Apparently, the lady knew her stuff. Although Slade hadn’t the slightest idea what she was talking about, Bill seemed to hang on her every word. Not just Bill, either—all the other worker-bee chemists clamored around to get a glimpse of the apparentlyfamousDr.Avery.
Since the moment Slade’s eyes fell upon the lovely sight of Mandisa in that lounge, he’d known she was something special. Her aura stood out like a beacon while he muddled in the depths of his anger at Bull. Her light had literally called to him, and it was obvious that even in her professional community, her radiance still drew peoplein.
Slade leaned against a far wall in the back, giving her room to move around without his big frame hovering over her. A spark of pride ignited within him as he thought of all of Mandisa’squalities.
Beautiful, kind, funny, sexy, brilliant, andmine.
It took a moment before the words in his head caught up with his consciousness. The realization sent a chill through him. When did he begin thinking of this woman as his? Neither of them had asked for any kind of commitment. Lord only knew Slade wasn’t ready for one. But he couldn’t deny the pride that swelled within him as he watched her in her element. He couldn’t deny how possessive he felt when it came toher.
Thoughts of another woman he’d once felt that strongly about filled Slade’s mind. A dull ache began to throb in time with his heartbeat. The pain was bearable now, but ten years still hadn’t cured him of it. Slade shook his head, trying to free himself from the past’s painful grip. Mandisa wasn’t Macy. She’d given no indication that she’d betray him the way his ex-fiancéehad.
Mandisa was loyal and dutiful, probably two of the reasons Slade couldn’t seem to get enough of her. The fact that she was here, trying to make her mother’s dream into an empire, trying to add to that existing legacy, was selfless and noble. Macy wouldn’t know nobility if it smacked her on her plastic-surgery-alteredrump.
Slade had sworn never again after the debacle with Macy, but staring at Mandisa now, watching her glide so effortlessly from one workstation of the lab to another, “never” seemed a lot less permanent than it ever hadbefore.
