Chapter 7
“Ladee, who are you talking to?” Dawn asked as she walked into the lab, securing her hair in a wet ponytail.
The intercom switched off, and the robot fox stared up at her, a guilty look on his monocled face. “There’s someone at the door. I was politely asking him to leave when you came in.”
Dawn turned to the monitor, surprised to learn of a stranger’s appearance. She kept her lab off any lists that she could, and as far as she knew, only the leasing agent and the taxman knew her real address. Visitors were rarer than the Millennial Comet.
Then she saw who was standing at the door and her jaw dropped. “Holy shit,” she whispered, slapping a hand over her mouth.
“You know him?” Ladee asked. That damn robot was always quick to assess her reactions. She could hide little from him.
“Maybe,” she croaked. “What does he want?”
“To talk to you,” Ladee replied.
Her face heated. How had the god from last night tracked her here? “Did he say why?”
The fox let out an embarrassed cough. “He says he’s a potential investor.”
“Fuuuuuuck.” Dawn covered her face with her hands. Not only had the man who’d shown her a night of unbridled pleasure figured out who she was, but he’d tracked her down in a matter of hours. It did not bode well.
How could he have found me already? I left no trace, didn’t use my name. I was disguised for fuck’s sake. There’s no way he could have tracked me down this fast.
Unless he already knew who I was. Was she being followed? Did they have their eyes on her even now?
“Damn Brian,” she muttered. “He must have told the Hills where we are. Must have let them know everything about the lab. Now they’re sending in spies of their own.” That was the only possible answer.
“Shall I order him to move away or risk a call to the interstellar police squad?”
Dawn shook her head. That would do little good, as the conglomerate would just send another one in his place. It was safer to know where the spy was. Knowwhohe was. Control the flow of information.
“No. We’re going to invite him in.”
Ladee’s eyes widened. “Now I know you need that vacation. Your mind has snapped.”
Dawn smiled. “Oh ye of little faith.” She hit the button to open the door and strode over to the opening.
The surprised male wandered inside, blinking at the bright lights after the dimness of Pallas’s surface. Yes, it was definitely the god she’d met last night, minus the face paint and naked chest. She would never forget the towering scion of sex.
“Dr. Dawn Illya,” she said, thrusting her hand out at him. “Pleased to meet you. My valet tells me you’re a potential investor.”
The god took her hand with a smile. “Peter Sloane. It’s a pleasure.”
Ladee rolled up beside her, tugging on her lab coat. “He said his name was Jeffrey, not Peter.”
The giant slapped a hand to his forehead. “Forgive me. Technically, my name is Jeffrey Peter Sloane, but all my friends call me Peter. And I can already tell we’re going to be good friends.”
Smooth, she thought, her pulse racing. Being so close to him again was causing her vital signs to go haywire. Best to disguise her disquiet with bravado. If the Hills thought they knew how to handle her, they could think again. “I’m a busy woman,” she said brusquely. “Let me know what you have to offer.”
His smile lingered even as he blinked rapidly. If he really was a spy, he wasn’t doing a great job at remaining undetected. But maybe he didn’t need to. Maybe the Hills had counted on her recognizing him and planned to use her Double V indiscretion as leverage.
Of course, that’s their plan.Her heart dropped to her feet.Gods, what if they have recordings?
“What’s that?” he asked, pointing behind her.
She craned to follow his gesture, assuming he meant the round, many-faceted device taking up the closest workstation.
Dawn sighed. It appeared he wasn’t ready to come to the point. Okay, she’d play along for now. Only to figure out exactly what they had on her. “It’s something I’ve been tinkering with for ages. It emits lights in synchronized patterns.”
