A muscle tightens in his jaw, and some unspoken challenge glints in the depths of his eyes.
Rivals it is, then. At least, for now.
With sure movements, Orion tugs the cuff of his glove up and pushes away from the lectern. He steps directly up to me, his towering height forcing my head to tip back as he boldly steals the hand at my side, his palm sliding along mine with a claiming grasp.
“I’m sure we’ll figure that out, Collins.” He says my name slowly, as if tasting it, as two of his fingers rest along my inner wrist.
I sweeten my smile, trying to ignore the way the leather scent of his gloves speeds my pulse, the feel too cool against my skin. “I’m sure we will,” I concede, unable to curb the slight tremble in my voice. “But please refer to me as Dr. Holbrook.”
As I attempt to pull back, he tightens his hold, his long fingers sealing me within his grasp. For the briefest moment, I catch an unstable shift in his expression before his grin stretches. “We’ll work on that.”
He releases my hand and cuts a flinty look at Banner. “Just more bullshit bureaucracy to waste my time,” he says, and Banner visibly recoils. “Don’t worry, Leo. I’ll play nice for the donors.”
I curl my fingers into my palm, feeling the lingering press of leather. Like the predator he is, Orion’s gaze catches my action.
“Listen, Rye, none of us want this, you have to understand—” Banner breaks off to collect himself. “The incident left me little choice.”
Orion gives Banner the full weight of his icy stare. “Choice,” he says with a defiant edge. “That’s not a word you want to use with me.”
It’s more than a power dynamic at play here; it’s what I sensed when I first entered the university, that indefinable element that stings the air, the unknown entity that whispers through the dark corridors. It presses against me, rolling off Banner in waves.
Fear.
Like Stonehurst, Orion Night presents a breathtaking exterior, fascinating and beautiful. But it’s what lurks in the shadows within that’s to be feared. A terrifying and dangerous duplicity.
A lot of information is dropped during this short exchange, and I hang on to a couple key details. Banner’s nickname for Orion. The familiarity between them despite the obvious tension. And all the while, I watch Orion’s shifting expressions.
He’s as unstable as his experiments, and yet, there’s no other way for me to get close to him without taking a risk.
I need access to him.
“I’m excited to be here,” I say, jumping in to defuse the tension. “This is an amazing opportunity for me.”
“You’re interested in the study of space, is that right, Dr. Holbrook? That’s why you disrupted my lecture today.” Orion watches me with a scrutinizing calmness that chills my blood.
The tempo of my heart accelerates, and I refrain from touching the place where the muscle kicks my breastbone with palpable force, refusing to display the slightest hint of weakness.
Instead, I clasp one hand over the other and press my thumb to the pulse point of my wrist. “I’ve always found astronomy fascinating. But more so, I rarely have the opportunity to work with someone so gifted in their field,” I say, testing a stroke to his ego. “A true luminary.”
It’s almost unnoticeable, but I detect the slightest tic in his jaw, the dilation of his pupils. “Is that right.”
“Absolutely. But I apologize for disrupting your lecture.” I hold his gaze, not apologetic in the least as I lick my lips, the way he did when our eyes first met across this hall. His mouth twitches at the corner, a secret between us already. “It’s my method, referred to as Naturalistic Observation. It gives me the opportunity to observe a person in their environment, whereas a therapy room could have influence on behavior.”
“Observation is how we form theories,” Orion states.
“Precisely.” I smile.
Banner chuckles gratefully, and an indistinct grunt passes Orion’s lips. “And what is your theory of me, Dr. Holbrook?”
“That I need more observation.”
A true smile illuminates Orion’s face, and I feel it in the backs of my knees. “So you want to watch me…with some voyeuristic method.” There’s a hidden dare beneath his words, a challenge flickering behind the lustrous blue-green of his eyes.
I flip my hair off my shoulder, too aware of the firing pulse in my veins. “I don’t like to waste time, mine or anyone else’s. Naturalistic Observation is very efficient.”
At the mention of time, Orion checks his wristwatch. He then reaches under his lectern and retrieves a black leather jacket and helmet. After he slips the jacket on, he snaps the collar closed, his tongue resting in the corner of his mouth as he considers me. “We’ll meet in your office once I’ve made time on my schedule.”
I bite back my retort, carefully culling my options as my chest tightens. I can only garner what I need by observing him in his environment.
