“Iris? What is that?” Bec asked as she stepped into the room.
Iris swung toward her with the computer in her hand and grinned. “Walter’s only chance.”
Chapter Fifteen
“Is that Walter’s computer?” Bec asked in shock as Iris joined her in the doorway.
“I found it in his desk, so I sure hope so. We’re about to find out, but first, tell me everything was alright in the lab?”
“Yes,” Bec said with a head nod. “Nothing escaped, and all the safety protocols worked. I’ve secured all the viruses, so they can’t hurt anyone.”
“That’s a relief,” Iris said as they walked to the workspace. She’d searched the drawer but couldn’t find a charger, so if the computer had no juice, they’d have to wait for Cal to tear apart Walter’s house before learning what secrets it held.
“I still can’t believe you found a computer,” Bec said, squeezing Iris’s shoulder. “You may have single-handedly saved Walter’s life if he’s not behind this.”
“Once I had the lab doors working again, it made sense to try and figure out where to look for information on how to save Walter before the deadline was up. I was hoping to find a phone number or name to give Mina so she could run a trace, but I found nothing. I wasn’t even going to check the drawers. It felt too…”
“On the nose?”
Iris nodded, her lips tilting up a bit. “Exactly that, so I didn’t check them the first time through. Once I convinced Cal to go to Walter’s house, I decided to do my due diligence, too. It was in the top drawer, but I started at the bottom. Nearly gave up, if I’m honest.”
“So glad you didn’t,” Bec said, leaning down and kissing her lips. She’d intended to keep the kiss light and easy, but it quickly heated and morphed into a kiss filled with unspoken emotion. She wanted to weep, knowing that when this was over, Iris would return to Secure Watch, and she’d have to go on with her life without the woman she loved. The idea of loving Iris after only a few days left her off-kilter, but that didn’t change the truth. She had never felt this way about anyone in her life, and not just sexually. The emotions that filled her were startling, but every single one felt right. “Thank you for trusting me,” she whispered, caressing her cheek before dropping her hand. Iris smiled with a nod. “Before starting on the computer, we need to eat something. I want to wash up, so let’s go to my apartment.”
“You go ahead,” Iris said, trying to sit. “I should get started on this while Cal is at Walter’s.”
“No.” Bec set the computer on the desk. “It will be there when we’re fueled and rested. Besides, if Cal doesn’t find a charger at Walter’s, we may need to rethink how we do it so we don’t waste too much battery power.”
She could tell Iris didn’t want to, but she finally agreed and followed her downstairs once she promised they wouldn’t take too long to eat. After letting Declan know where they would be, Iris set her tablet on the table and turned to her.
“You clean up while I cook. We have a lot to do yet.”
“Other than the computer, which may not tell us anything, we’re waiting for everyone else to give us information. Let’s use that time to shower and eat.” Bec walked backward while holding Iris’s hand, even as she tried to pull her to a stop.
“But what if Cal calls?”
“He’ll call back,” she answered, turning the shower on to warm once they were in the bathroom. Then she walked to Iris and kissed her, stopping the stream of excuses falling from her lips until the only thing she heard were moans of pleasure. In a flurry of arms, they stripped each other of their shirts and bras before Iris sat. Bec pulled her shoes, braces and pants off before she helped her into the shower.
Walking without the braces was dangerous as she noticed Iris often tripped on her toes, so Bec had her sit on the plastic chair she’d taken from the break room for Iris to use. Once settled under the warm spray, Bec stripped off the rest of her clothes, wrapped her arm in the plastic wrap and joined her, pulling the curtain before she leaned down to resume their teasing kisses. Water warmed them as they explored each other’s bodies, almost allowing her to forget the reason why they were together to begin with. Almost.
Standing behind Iris, Bec massaged shampoo through her short blond hair until she tipped her head back and her mouth fell open from pleasure. Taking advantage, Bec walked back to the front of the chair and straddled her, kissing those open lips as the water rinsed their hair. Iris found the soap and lathered it, running her hands over Bec’s body, teasing and taunting her until she cameapart in her arms. Iris’s lips absorbed her shuddering gasps as she floated back to earth.
“Anyone ever tell you that you have magic hands?” Bec asked, treating Iris to the same torture once she could move again.
“It’s never been my hands that were the issue,” Iris answered, moaning as Bec caressed her breasts, moving aside so the water could rinse them before she suckled a nipple.
All talking ceased as Bec showed Iris all the ways she cared about her without caring about any of her issues until the water cooled and she accepted that they had to rejoin reality. Once the water was off, she dried Iris head to toe before helping her out of the shower to sit on her bed. She wrapped her in a blanket and then carried her braces back to her.
“Could you please check the tablet and see if we missed any calls?” Iris asked, so she hurried to it and pressed the power button.
“Nothing yet,” she answered.
They dressed in silence, and then she pulled a chair out from the table and motioned for Iris to sit before she pulled out cold cuts, cheese, bread and chips and set them all out on the table. She returned for water before sitting across from the woman she had just made love to in a way she’d never done with anyone else. There was something intoxicating yet soothing about their time together. Like the outside world, and all the fear that came with it, disappeared and they could find peace with each other.
“Thank you,” she said, squeezing Iris’s hand as she reached for a piece of bread. “For indulging me when your brain told you to do anything but.”
“Before I met you, I doubt that would have been possible. It’s not easy for me to stop in the middle of a task and not obsess over getting back to it. My neurologist says that’s typical after my kind of brain injury. My therapist says it’s typical of someone who’s afraid or fears change.”
“Who do you think is correct?” Bec asked, taking a bite of the ham sandwich she’d made while they talked.
