He barely made it back to his locker room before he shifted. He slammed his fist into the wall over and over again, crushing the stone. It was the only relief he had and he wouldn't take it for granted. Straightening himself out, he dressed in a fresh suit as his last one was covered in blood, and readied to face her.
Reid hoped it would be enough.
Chapter Nine
***
Clara jumped when thedoor opened. It had been nearly an hour since the dog brought her to Reid's office and as the time lengthened, so did her anxiety.
“Dr. Reid.” She stood up and watched as he stormed to the seat behind his desk without looking at her.
Again with the hot and cold?
“You can sit, Ms. Warren.”
Clara ran her hands down her shirt, straightening out her clothing before she stiffly sat at his command. She wiggled her toes within her shoes.I can do this. He’s only another obstacle.
“Yes, sir,” she said with not a little bit of taunting. Reid continued eyeing a tablet out of her sight as though he hadn’t heard her. The bloody organ in her chest thumped once and she shifted in her seat.
“How are you feeling?”
“Okay. Great actually. I’ve never had surgery before where I recovered so quickly. Magic?”
“Cybernetics.” His cold eyes lifted to hers.
She nodded and vowed not to let him get to her. “Same thing in my book.” His gaze narrowed and she quickly added, “I’m ready for the next step.” They narrowed further.
“Are you now?”
This time her eyelids slit to match. “Why wouldn’t I be? This is what I want more than anything. I want this.”
“A child?”
“A family,” she retorted.
Reid sat back in his seat. The tablet dropped from his hand and onto the pristine desk. Clara refused to look away as he pursued her from head to toe, ear to ear, and through her skin to the very core of her being. She didn’t like how he made her feel, hot and cold all at once, but she wouldn’t let him intimidate her.
