“Caitlin, honestly,” Stan said, his mouth pinching at her odd question. “Just do what you normally do and he’ll take care of the rest.”
“What I normally do, I do by myself,” Caitlin couldn’t help pointing out. “I’m just saying... I don’t know how to act around a bodyguard.”
“I’ll do my best to fade into the background.”
She wanted to bark a short laugh. Him? Fade? Impossible. He was practically a beacon of male energy pulsing for every single—and unhappily attached—female in the building. She may not be interested but there would be plenty of women who found the idea of a virile soldier traipsing through the halls too tempting to resist.
And given their present situation, a disruption of that magnitude...well, it just seemed like a bad idea.
She drew herself up with a faint scowl, saying, “Well, I happen to think this is overkill but it’s not my dime, so as long as you stay out of my way, we’ll get along just fine.”
“Ma’am, your safety is tied to the safety of the world. I can promise you nothing will stand in my way of doing my job and keeping you safe.”
Their gazes met—they were both determined to do things their way—but the question was...whose way was going to win?
Caitlin pulled her gaze first, her fingers curling inside the privacy of her lab coat. To Stan, she said, “I’ll be in the lab, cleaning up the mess. We have a lot of ground to make up and we have no idea of knowing how unstable the sample is wherever it’s being held.”
“I’ll need to vet each of your team from this point forward,” Zak said, his tone firm. “There’s a chance this was an inside job.”
“Not possible. I handpicked my team,” Caitlin said, affronted by the suggestion. “I’d know if I had a traitor on my team.”
“Not likely, but it’s not your fault. You’re not trained to search out evidence of deception.”
“I can appreciate that, but I know my team. Your efforts are better spent looking on the outside.”
Stan interjected with a gruff approval to Zak, “You do what you feel is necessary.” To Caitlin, he said, “And I trust you’ll do whatever is necessary to ensure he has what he needs to accomplish his goal in keeping this lab secure.”
“Of course,” she replied stiffly, hating being told what to do in her own lab. “But I feel it prudent to point out that Mr. Ramsey’s energy can be spent pursuing more fruitful endeavors than areas that I already know are dead ends.”
She expected pushback but Zak simply said, “We’ll see,” and left it at that, which gave her little to argue further. Stan nodded, accepting the end of that particular discussion, even though Caitlin wanted to squash the theory that anyone on her team had been responsible.
Stan turned to Zak. “I’ll leave you to your work,” he said, before exiting the conference room.
She was alone with Zak now. Within seconds the silence between them blossomed to excruciating levels and Caitlin was almost relieved when Zak gestured for her to lead the way to the lab with an ultrapolite “After you.”
Caitlin spun on her heel and tried to pretend she didn’t have a sanctioned stalker. But her body seemed hyperaware—an ordinary activity such as walking was suddenly outside of her wheelhouse and she stumbled on imaginary obstacles.
“Are you all right?” Zak asked, reaching out to steady her but she shook off his help with embarrassment.
“I’m fine,” she insisted, her cheeks heating. “I was distracted.” You distract me.
This was her new reality, she realized. A tall, handsome, movie-star-looking bodyguard trailing her every move, breathing down her neck, probably thinking to himself that he’d definitely pulled the short straw for this gig.
Lord help me.
High school hadn’t felt this awkward and high school had been hell.
Chapter 2
Caitlin walked briskly to her lab, trying to somehow forget that she had a giant shadow on her tail that smelled faintly of mint aftershave and machismo, but that was like trying to forget that lions had teeth or that the IRS never lost an opportunity to collect their due.
Her assistant, Rebecca, looked up from her computer as they entered, her jaw dropping in an uncharacteristically girlie manner, and Caitlin resisted the urge to frown as this was exactly the kind of behavior that she’d wanted to avoid.
Rebecca, a few years younger than Caitlin, but sharp as a tack and one of the most brilliant research scientists in her field, quickly grabbed her cane and rose to greet them. With a smile as bright as the gleam in her eyes, she stretched her hand out. “My goodness, you must be our newest team member,” she said, openly and unabashedly flirting. “My name’s Rebecca Childress. Pleasure to meet you.”
“Ma’am,” Zak said, his handshake quick and perfunctory, which Caitlin approved even if she hated him being there. “Zak Ramsey, Red Wolf Elite.”
“Red Wolf... So official,” Rebecca practically cooed and Caitlin had had her fill of the nonsense.
Caitlin cleared her throat and addressed her team. “We all know the lab security was breached and a highly classified sample was stolen, so I’m not going to waste time dancing around the issue. The elephant in the room is plainly visible, so let’s also not pretend we don’t see it. Mr. Ramsey is here on official business, and as such, I would expect each of my team to act professionally.” Caitlin cast Rebecca a meaningful glance before continuing. “Mr. Ramsey will be here until such time as Tessara believes his services are no longer necessary, but we are to go about our business as if he weren’t here.”
Jonathan, one of her junior assistants, spoke up first. “Is our safety at risk?” he asked.
“Of course not,” Caitlin answered, refusing to let fear cloud anyone’s work performance. “But I won’t sugarcoat the situation—we don’t know who has the sample or to what end. So it’s imperative that we continue our work on the reverse engineering for the cure. That’s our top priority.”
“But why would Tessara hire a supersoldier unless there was a threat?” Jonathan persisted. “I’m not going to put my personal safety at risk without some kind of compensation, like hazard pay or something.”
Caitlin nodded. It was her job as the lead supervisor to take the concerns of her team seriously and Jonathan had raised a solid point. “I’ll talk to Stan and see if we can’t offer some kind of hazard pay during this time,” she said, trying to appease her team. “But until then, I suggest we just do what we normally do and everything will be fine.”
“I feel safe with Mr. Ramsey around,” Rebecca said, directing another smile his way. “Would you mind sharing with the team your qualifications aside from being super handsome and built like a Roman god?”
Caitlin suppressed an embarrassed gasp at Rebecca’s silly comment. How was Zak supposed to take them seriously if Rebecca kept acting like a lovestruck teen? Her mouth firmed in a tight line but Rebecca ignored her silent cue to stop.
“I assure you, I’m more than qualified to see to your team’s safety,” he answered with a brief but professional smile. Caitlin had to give him credit—he wasn’t moved or swayed by Rebecca’s attempt at flirtation or flattery. Rebecca was more than cute, not that Caitlin paid attention to those things, but if she were forced to answer, she’d admit that Rebecca probably didn’t have any trouble finding dates for a Saturday night.
The last date Caitlin went on had been abysmal for both parties and definitely hadn’t sweetened her opinion about online dating. In fact, afterward, she’d immediately deleted her ill-fated profile and tried to forget she’d ever stooped so low as to make one.
As far as she was concerned, Science_Lover17 need never see the light of day again. Scrubbing the memory, Caitlin pushed forward. “See? Everything is going to be fine, but we have a job to do. So if everyone could just go back to doing that, that would be great.”
Rebecca must’ve seen that Caitlin’s patience was wearin
g thin. “You’re the boss,” she acquiesced with a subtle pout, returning to her research with a sullen gesture that Caitlin was willing to forgive for the moment.
Trying to cling to some semblance of professionalism when everything felt as if it were crumbling all around her, Caitlin turned to Zak. “I’m sorry. We’re not accustomed to having visitors back here and the circumstances aren’t exactly normal.”
“Of course, totally understandable. I’m going to take a look around. I’ll be back in a few minutes. Do not leave the lab until I return.”
Caitlin bristled a little. “Am I on lab arrest or something?”
“Your safety is my concern. Do not leave the lab,” he repeated.
His firm tone invited no argument. Suppressing the shiver that danced on her spine, Caitlin managed a stiff nod. “I have work to do anyway, so I have no need to leave,” she said, spinning on her heel and going to her office. She plopped into her seat and flicked on her computer, determined to ignore Zak and the fact that her stomach was trembling.
It wasn’t until Zak was out of the lab that she managed to release her pent-up breath. But her relief was short-lived, as Rebecca scuttled into her office, her eyes sparkling. “Are you kidding me? That guy is your bodyguard? He’s, like, Hollywood-hot. I’m talking movie-star quality. How are you not drooling all over him?”
As smart as Rebecca was, she talked like a bubble-gum-chewing, hormone-riddled teen, and the incongruity was beyond Caitlin’s comprehension. Irritated, Caitlin looked at Rebecca, reminding her sharply, “You need to focus. Our lab was breached and the safety of the world might be at stake. I’m less interested in the beefcake bodyguard than I am in finding the cure for that bloody biological agent. I suggest you redirect your attention, as well.”
Chastised, Rebecca said, “Of course. It’s just not every day someone like him shows up like a Christmas present on our front doorstep.”
Caitlin found Rebecca’s fascination an additional irritant to her already raw nerves. “His facial symmetry aside, you need to concentrate on the task at hand.”
“I will,” Rebecca said, but she couldn’t let the topic drop. “Is he going to live with you?” she asked, cocking her head to the side, curious. “Imagine waking up every morning to that mug. Yikes, there are worse punishments in the world, am I right? I wouldn’t mind knowing he was watching over me.”
Caitlin wasn’t going to respond. She didn’t know how to process the fact that Tessara was forcing Zak to shadow her every move, which meant that wherever she went, Zak followed. She worried her bottom lip, her anxiety climbing a notch. Someone else in her private bubble? She didn’t even have a cat. She was accustomed to silence and solitude. All she needed was a good book, some takeout and her classical music playing softly in the background, and she was a happy girl.
But now a ten-foot-tall, armed-and-dangerous muscleman was going to be tramping around her cozy house, sucking up all the oxygen and contaminating her bubble with all that testosterone.
She couldn’t think about that right now. She stared pointedly at her assistant until she got the idea that it was work time, not story time, and Rebecca let herself out and hobbled back to her desk. God bless America, Zak had been there for only thirty minutes and he was already causing epic levels of disruption in her life. How was she supposed to pretend that everything was fine and business as usual when, in fact, it was the exact opposite?
No, this couldn’t continue, she decided. She’d just have to convince Stan that having Zak around the lab wasn’t conducive to a productive working environment.
Yes, that was exactly what needed to happen. She just needed to put her foot down. This was her lab, her work. Zak Ramsey was simply too much of a distraction and the work, too important.
Rising with purpose, she left her office and headed for the door. But before she could slide her key-card, it opened on its own and there was Zak, a frown forming on his face as he stated, “I thought I told you to stay put.”
“I—I needed to speak with my ultvisor,” Caitlin said, feeling as if she were actually shrinking beneath the shadow of his building scowl.
“About what?”
You. Caitlin swallowed, hating that her voice sounded so small and meek when inside she wanted to roar like a lion. “It’s classified,” she finally answered.
“I have top clearance, but if you need to leave the lab, I’ll accompany you.”
“This is ridiculous,” she said, shoving her hands in her lab coat to hide the fact that she was shaking. “I’m perfectly safe within the building.”
“My orders are to have eyes on you at all times. So that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
“That’s very intrusive and unnecessary,” she said, wrinkling her nose at the very idea. “What about when I go to the bathroom? Am I to have no privacy?”
He didn’t necessarily refute her sarcastic question, which was worrisome. But he said, “I will do my utmost best to protect your privacy as long as it doesn’t compromise your safety.” He stepped aside with a polite gesture. “Now, if you’d like to speak with your supervisor, I’m happy to escort you.”
“Oh, good gravy,” she muttered, knowing she couldn’t storm into Stan’s office with the intent to assure him she didn’t need the bodyguard when the bodyguard was right behind her. She wasn’t fond of confrontation—her introverted nature cringed at the thought—which left her little choice but to spin on her heel with a quick “Never mind” thrown over her shoulder as she returned to her desk.
Zak shrugged and took his spot, standing like a sentinel at the door, ever at the ready, while she sat glued to her chair, feeling trapped.
In the space of twenty-four hours her entire life had been tipped upside down, and there was little she could do about it.
The best she could hope for was a quick resolution to the theft issue so that her bodyguard could return to wherever elite soldiers came from and she could return to her quiet and orderly life.
In the meantime, she supposed she’d better figure out a way to deal with the fact that at the end of the day, Zak was, indeed, going home with her.
Heaven help me, she muttered, resisting the urge to sink lower in her chair and completely disappear.
* * *
For a small thing, she was surprisingly fierce. Oh, don’t get him wrong, she may appear meek and mild but Zak could sense a warrior spirit beneath that nerdy act. One thing was for sure, she wasn’t happy with the current arrangement and she was spitting mad. He was willing to bet his savings account that she’d been heading for her supervisor’s office to have him sent home, which would’ve been an exercise in futility.
If Caitlin was less than happy with his presence, her coworker Rebecca was throwing him looks that clearly said, “I’m available and willing,” but he never messed around on the job. There was a time and a place and this wasn’t it.
Besides, Rebecca, although not hard on the eyes, didn’t do a thing for him. If anything, Caitlin was more the kind of girl who might turn his head if they were at a bar together. She had that cute, nerdy-girl thing going for her that he found interesting. Not that he could imagine Caitlin being in any place where he would be.
Something told him they didn’t run in the same circles. For one, let’s get real, standing next to her, he must seem dumber than a post. Caitlin was wicked smart, the kind of brilliant that left most people scratching their heads with no way to relate. He’d been okay in school, nothing special, but he’d been more interested in sports and messing around than hitting the books.
The military had been an easy choice for a guy like him. He had excellent hand-eye coordination, decent memory skills and a knack for knowing when shit was about to go down—a sixth sense that you couldn’t teach.
He sneaked a look at Caitlin through his lashes. She was no-nonsense, quite obviously flustered by the turn of events, and trying unsuccessfully to f
ind her footing in this new environment. He respected her stoicism even if her quills were a bit sharp.
Rhodes had been very clear about Zak’s responsibility—keep the scientist safe while they chased down the thief—and even though he’d rather be on the chasing side, he wasn’t one to question orders.
And to be honest, the last job had been a bit of a doozy, so babysitting a nerdy scientist was almost like taking a vacation.
Except the scientist didn’t seem to like him very much and found his presence distasteful.
Aside from that, yeah, walk in the park, bring on the margaritas.
He’d done a quick perimeter check, marked all the exits and determined where the worst defensible spaces were, and then he’d returned to the lab to survey the people in their environment. He would start interviewing lab assistants tomorrow but he wanted to observe first.
If his gaze kept straying to the doc, it was only because he wanted to keep her in his sights at all times, not because there was something about her that he found frustratingly interesting.
Caitlin worked with her hair tucked behind one ear, her expression intent, a slight frown furrowing her brow as if she were ready to argue with her computer at a moment’s notice. A half-eaten, forgotten bagel sat to her left. It was anyone’s guess how long the bagel had been there, hardening and turning stale, a fact she seemed to remember when she took an exploratory bite and then dropped it into the trash with a grimace.
He smothered a smile and returned to his observations.
It was a small lab—only a few were cleared to work at this level, which made his job easier because it meant fewer people had access and every entry was logged through a key-card and recorded with a time stamp.
Whoever had broken into the lab had bypassed the key-card, going for a brutal smash and grab, obliterating the electronics and gaining access through simple blown circuitry.
They’d known exactly what they were going for—which suggested whoever had taken the sample had had knowledge of the lab layout—because they’d bypassed everything but the biological agent Caitlin and her team were working on.
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