Chapter 19
Hank felt his entire body strain with violence. His bear wanted to kill the rival now. His mind strained to hold the animal back. Of course, she had a boyfriend. She’d told him so.
Meanwhile, she brought the phone to her ear. He wanted to snatch it away and roar into the phone. He controlled himself only by clenching his hands into fists and grabbing onto a Zen mantra in his mind.
The greatest worth is self-mastery. The greatest worth is self-mastery.
He would not kill her boyfriend. But he would listen in to her conversation without apology. Fortunately, his ears were good enough to hear it all.
“Hello, Yu. I’m so sorry—”
“You got caught up in your work. So what else is new? Hey, I sent over an email. I’ve got a theory of what the Detroit Flu does to the neural system as it pairs with the endocrine—”
“Yes, I saw.” Her voice was impatient, and she rolled her eyes as she spoke. “It’s an interesting thought, but I haven’t got the resources to investigate it. Listen, Yu—”
“I know, I know,” he said still laughing. “I thought we could work on it when you get back. Before the next outbreak—”
She snorted. “There’s always an outbreak, but Yu—”
“Not if you put in for a transfer. Not if we get a grant, and with my credentials, we could get a big one—”
“Yu, stop!”
He did. A long pause as she took a breath.
“Look, I’m sorry to do this over the phone, but we’re over. Please understand that I think you’re an incredible guy, but we’re just not compatible. I’m so sorry.”
Silence again, and then rustling as the man shifted his grip on the phone. “Cecilia? What are you talking about?”
“Look, I could give you reasons and explanations, but they won’t help. You know there’s never been any real passion between us. You forget me as often as I forget you. I can’t even remember the last time we kissed.”
“What?” He didn’t sound angry, just really confused. “Cecilia, when was the last time you slept?”
“About two seconds ago. I was asleep when you called.”
“So this is a dream? Or because of a dream? You know you don’t think clearly on a case. And this Flu is a nasty one. You’ve been going nonstop—”
“Do you remember our last kiss? Have we ever held hands?” She looked down at where her fingers were entwined with his.
Yu’s answer came out slow. “We’re intellectuals. We don’t need that kind of display.”
“Well,” she said with a smile, “I guess I’m not as intellectual as we thought. I’m sorry Yu, but we’re done. Good-bye.”
She thumbed off her phone and set it down. Then she looked straight into Hank’s eyes, touching his face with a slow caress that he felt in every cell in his body. “I never put it together before now. With Yu, it’s just…thinking. With you, I feel so much. More than I ever thought possible.”
He felt his center warm at that. She was coming around to him. Or maybe he was starting to believe she could love him. But it wasn’t enough. “We need to get to know each other better.”
She squared off with him, her expression shifting into challenge. “Okay. Let’s start with what we do know. What do you know and like about me?”
He couldn’t begin to name them all, but he started rattling off generalities. “You don’t freeze in a crisis, you think and think well. You make me laugh when I feel at my worst. And you have this way of talking doctor that gets me hard.”
“What?”
He tried to mimic her. He lifted his chin and stared down his nose at her. “This is Hank. He’s here to help. If you question me, I’ll cut off your balls.”
She laughed. “I did not say that.”
This time he was the one who touched her. “Of course, you did. With your body and your tone. And I loved it.” He pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “It’s part of being an alpha female.”
