Riding the Waves

by Tawny Weber

“Nothing major,” her mother dismissed. “The washer broke. There was some floor damage, and, well, since the laundry is upstairs, there was a little ceiling damage, too.”

  “Mom, I can pay for the repairs. And I’ll get the new washing machine.”

  Her mother’s smile was shaky. More an acknowledgment that she’d known Dru would offer than a sign of humor.

  “I already bought a washer. Things are going to be tight for a bit, though. I’ve got enough to pay the mortgage, the bills,” she said quietly. “I’ll be okay. We always are. But I’m going to be working a lot, so I shouldn’t bring in new plants right now.”

  Dru didn’t look at the herbs they’d just potted, knowing those didn’t count. They were portable. The hibiscus, planted in the actual ground, wouldn’t be.

  What it would be, though, was a sign of her mother finally acknowledging she was secure. That her home was hers, forever. That she had faith in Dru, in her daughter’s ability to secure a living, to be a success.

  “Besides,” her mom continued, “those full-grown hibiscus trees are so pricey. You can’t be throwing money around, Drucilla. You need to save up. Just in case.”

  Dru grimaced, as usual wondering if her mom’s refusal to let Dru buy this place for her outright was really about control over the garden. Instead, they’d bought it together, with Dru putting enough money down to ensure that her mom would be able to afford the monthly payments.

  The tension pinching the corners of Olympia’s eyes relaxed and she gave her daughter a quick, rare hug. Then without a word she gathered the yard waste, leaving the tools for Dru to put away.

  Once her mother’s back was turned, Dru let her smile drop. Her spirits fell right along with it.

  Any vestige of regrets over leaving Los Cabos early and cutting all ties with Alex were gone. She’d made the best choice. The smart choice.

  The only choice.

  She had to focus on career success and give this new project one hundred percent. It wasn’t about pride or glory. It was about money. Security. A new freaking floor and ceiling.

  With that in mind, Dru pasted another smile on her face and dusted the dirt off her hands. “Well, I guess that’s one less hole we have to dig. How about some iced tea and cookies?”

  DRUCILLA HURRIED down the hall, pulling on her lab jacket as she ran. Because she’d slept through her alarm, her hair flowed down her back in a quick ponytail instead of its usual tidy bun. Four nights home, and each one she’d tossed and turned, at the mercy of hot, sweaty dreams. Winded, she stopped short of the conference-room door to catch her breath, straighten her jacket and adjust the leather messenger bag she carried in lieu of a briefcase. Then she took a deep breath.

  This was it. Her first project meeting as lead. Promising herself she’d ignore the butterflies in her stomach better than she had ignored her racy dreams, she plastered on her most friendly, but authoritative, face and pulled open the door.

  The chatter in the room dropped, turned to a hissing whisper, then went silent. She was sure everyone was staring because she was late. First time in five years, and it had to be today.

  She wanted to blame her mom’s dilemma for her sleepless night. But it hadn’t been worry over finances that’d had her moaning in a fitful sleep. Nope, it was missing Alex that was making it so hard for her to squeeze back into the neat little box that was her life.

  “Sorry, everyone. Alarm issues this morning,” she said with a slight shrug, returning greetings as she slipped into her usual chair at the circular table. The chatter started again. She let out a breath of relief and noted neither Dr. Shelby nor their guest had arrived yet.

  “Love the tan,” Nikki said as she leaned over to give Dru a one-armed hug of welcome. Dru struggled not to squirm, uncomfortable with any kind of public display at the lab. But this was Nikki, whom she both cared about and knew perfectly well didn’t give a flip what anyone thought.

  “Tell me all about your vacation,” Nikki insisted, scooting her chair closer so they could chat. There were about twelve other people in the room, all clustered together in twos and threes. As they all waited for the lab director, no one paid Dru and Nikki any attention, so Dru wet her lips and leaned closer to her friend.

  “It was nice,” Dru prevaricated.

  “Nice?” Nikki arched one perfect brow and tilted her head toward Dru. “Running late? Hair in a ponytail? Just exactly what happened on that vacation of yours?” she asked with a wicked grin.

  Dru couldn’t help it. She had to share or she’d burst. And really, it was all Nikki’s fault, so she deserved to know.

  “I did it,” she confessed quietly.

  Dru watched question, confusion, then clarity flash across Nikki’s face. Then Nikki’s eyes went huge and her mouth made an O. Not a shocked O or a judgmental O. More like an impressed O, Dru realized with a little tickle of pride.

  Look at her, going all giddy over getting slutty on the beach.

  “You got yourself a toy?” Nikki clarified.

  “Shh,” Dru hissed. Then she leaned close and whispered, “Not that kind of toy. Don’t make it sound so…dirty. Like vibrators and handcuffs.”

  Nikki grinned and shrugged. “Did the toy come with those, too?”

  Laughter burst out of her before Dru could stop it. The unexpected sound caught the attention of a few of her coworkers. As soon as she noticed, she toned it down to an embarrassed smile. Geez, she’d better get a grip soon or she’d actually deserve her mother’s next lecture.

  “I’ll tell you everything,” she promised. “Later.”

  “Oh, no, you don’t,” Nikki protested. “You can’t leave me hanging like this. One detail,” she wheedled.

  Dru debated. Then she smiled and pulled her notebook and pen out of her bag. She flipped to a blank page and wrote “Sex on a surfboard.”

  She didn’t get to truly appreciate Nikki’s gasp since Dr. Shelby took that moment to enter the room. The director was dapper in his suit and bow tie, all primped and ready to greet their visiting dignitary.

  Dru spared a brief hope that A.A. Maddow was as pleasant as he was brilliant. She’d read over a number of his more recent papers and was awed that someone could have achieved his level of success at such a young age. Four years younger than herself, he’d been offered positions with NASA, as well as every major lab in the country.

  Not only would it be an honor to have him on her team, but his name alone had guaranteed them the grant funding necessary to ensure her success and security. No, she corrected herself, the project’s success and security. But really, weren’t they one and the same?

  She’d have to thank the director again for this opportunity. She sent Dr. Shelby a welcoming smile and rose to greet him. Halfway out of her chair, she saw another man enter the room. Her eyes bugged out. Her breath caught painfully in her chest. Greeting—hell, thought—forgotten, Dru dropped back into her chair.

  Alex? Her playmate, beach lover, sexy naked wild man, Alex?

  What was he doing here? And why was he dressed all uptight and businesslike?

  She barely heard the greetings being passed around the table. A buzzing filled her head. Color warmed her cheeks at the images of the two of them, naked on the beach. Naked on a surfboard. Naked against the wall.

  Then the color drained, leaving her cheeks icy cold.

  Naked. She didn’t do naked here. This was a fantasy-free zone. There was no way in hell she wanted her coworkers, her team—her boss, for crying out loud—to know she’d had mind-blowing sex on every available surface with a virtual stranger.

  Almost hyperventilating at this point, Dru tried to regain control of herself. She ripped her gaze away from Alex’s shocked expression and stared at her hands. She forced herself to see only her pale fingers as they clenched a pencil, instead of flashbacks of his naked ass. She recited star clusters, hoping that by the time she’d worked her way through the Milky Way, she’d be able to think clearly.

  But one question kept jumping into her
head.

  Why was he here?

  Had he followed her?

  “Dru.” Dr. Shelby paused in his rush across the room to welcome Alex, to bend close and say quietly, “This is A. A. Maddow. You be sure to show him a good time while he’s with us.”

  Dru was pretty sure her heart stopped. Black spots danced in front of her eyes and a buzzing filled her ears. A. A. Maddow? He couldn’t be.

  Holy shit. Her sexy beach fling was the rock star?

  It was all she could do not to blurt out that she’d already shown him a damn good time. And had the orgasms to prove it.

  TOO FREAKING UNREAL. Alex struggled to keep the easy smile on his face and nodded in response to the greetings and comments flying around him even though he didn’t hear a single word.

  He felt as if he’d been riding a sweet wave, then without warning had had a total wipeout and hit his head. Drucilla? His fairy princess. His eyes did a quick inventory and his heart sighed a little as he assured himself it was really her.

  Silvery-blond hair snaking down her back in a sleek tail. Indigo eyes, round and shocked. Knife-edged cheekbones and those gloriously full lips that had sent him to so many kinds of heaven.

  What the hell was she doing here?

  And—his brain slowly reengaged and a frown creased his brow—what was her damn explanation for blowing him off?

  Leaving him lying there naked while she scurried off?

  Twisting his heart into a knot, then ditching him without even a goodbye?

  Anger starting to burn off the fuzzy shock, Alex’s stare turned into a glare. He spared the director a nod of thanks when he realized the man was rattling off Alex’s bio for those clueless few who might not have heard of him.

  Since he already knew who he was, he went back to not paying attention. What he wanted to know, dammit, was who the hell Drucilla thought she was. And what she’d been thinking, walking out on him like that.

  He opened his mouth, intending to ask just that. Apparently a week of really excellent sex had taught her to read his face. Her eyes, already wide, went huge with horror and she hissed, then shook her head frantically.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Alex noted a cute brunette with lots of curls staring between the two of them in curiosity and speculation.

  “A.A., welcome,” Glenn Shelby said as he pumped Alex’s hand like an oil well. “Trifecta is so pleased you’re joining us.”

  Alex struggled to shift his focus from the deviously sexy blonde to the slight, bald-headed director who’d wooed him in as guest physicist with the promise of free rein of the cosmic string project during his tenure.

  “If you’d take a seat here,” Glenn said, gesturing to a chair directly across from Drucilla, “I’ll introduce you to your team.”

  Other than a brief glance and nod to the people as their names were mentioned, Alex didn’t take his eyes off Drucilla.

  He waited like a cat outside a mouse hole, until Glenn worked his way around the table to Drucilla. Then he leaned back in his chair and arched his brow.

  “A.A., I’m pleased to introduce you to your coleader, D. A. Robichoux. Dru’s one of our top astrophysicists. This theory of cosmic strings’ gravitational influence on hydrogen gas in space is her baby, so to speak. She’ll be seeing it through after you’ve helped launch the project.”

  Fury and delight battled for top position in his gut. Alex could see from Drucilla’s expression that this was news to her. And, if the tight look in her eyes was anything to go by, the news was totally unwelcome.

  “The two of you will need to work quite closely, of course,” the director continued. “But I’m sure you’ll get along fabulously together.”

  Drucilla’s indigo eyes flashed a hurt protest, then she blinked and the hurt was gone. In its place was ice. Chilly, distant and dismissive.

  You’d think she’d have at least clued in to his inability to walk away from a challenge after that week of hot, wild sex. Alex leaned back in the plastic chair and contemplated exactly how he’d deal with her.

  An hour later, everyone had been introduced, and the team had been briefed on the project outline. They had two weeks to secure the final funding to create a mathematical model on cosmic strings in relation to hydrogen gas. The project was fascinating. It would, if it succeeded, be another bright feather in Alex’s already crowded cap of glory.

  But for the grandson of a renowned physicist who’d worked with none other than Albert Einstein, there could never be too many feathers. At least, not according to Alex’s grandfather.

  Which meant, despite the pain and anger churning in his stomach over Drucilla’s walking out on him, he couldn’t as easily abandon this project.

  He waited for Glenn to wind up the talk, then stood. As if she’d read his mind, Drucilla tapped the brunette on the arm and the two of them got up and rushed to the far side of the room.

  As if that was going to stop him.

  It took Alex ten more minutes to get through the chitchat and greetings of the rest of the team—all eager to socialize. Finally, when he saw Glenn talking with Drucilla, he took the opportunity. He timed it perfectly, crossing the room as Glenn said goodbye. Obviously the director’s departure was a signal that the group could disperse, because it was only the rush of bodies toward the door that stopped Drucilla from escaping.

  “Ladies,” Alex said quietly as he cornered her and her friend, offering his most charming smile.

  The brunette’s dimples flashed in a cautious welcome. “Dr. Maddow, I’m a fan of your work. I’m looking forward to the time you’ll be spending with us.”

  Hanson, Alex recalled with a nod. The head of the quantum physics lab.

  Unlike Drucilla, who was an astrophysicist. He was still in shock. His sexy fairy princess was actually D. A. Robichoux, a fellow scientist. You’d figure that kind of info would’ve come up in conversation at some point between orgasms.

  So why the hell hadn’t it?

  “I appreciate the welcome, Dr. Hanson. And I’d appreciate, too, if you’d give me just a second with Dr. Robichoux.” He offered his most charming smile and waited. She hesitated until Drucilla gave a tiny shrug, then with a frown, the brunette nodded and stepped out of the room.

  Now it was just him and his princess. And the crowd of onlookers, of course. But if he remembered right, she liked an audience.

  “Fancy meeting you here,” he taunted her quietly. “I have to wonder if this is why you demanded your contact information be kept private. You wanted it to be your little surprise, right?”

  Surprise—hell, she looked shell-shocked. Apparently he was just as much a bombshell to her as she was to him.

  She glanced around the room at her lingering coworkers and gave a little shake of her head, subtly warning him to be quiet. He stared, amazed as she wrapped herself in a chilly cloak of control.

  “Welcome to Trifecta, Dr. Maddow. I’m looking forward to hearing your ideas on my project,” she said in clear, concise tones.

  “So that’s how you want to play it? Well, then let me welcome you, as well.” Alex smiled through clenched teeth, then added, “Perhaps Glenn didn’t make it plain, but this is my project and I’m the one in charge.”

  “I’m the Trifecta project leader,” she objected, hurt once again flashing in her eyes.

  “And I’m the star,” he retorted, using the nickname he knew most people referred to him by.

  He’d thought that’d piss her off, break through the wall she’d thrown between them. Instead, her demeanor turned even icier as she shook her head.

  “We’re a team. Both here at Trifecta and for this project. Which means you can check your rock-star ways at the lab door,” she said coolly. “And keep in mind, I’m the project leader. You’re here as a sort of headliner to draw funds and lend an air of name recognition to the lab.”

  “It sounds as if you barely need me at all,” he murmured sarcastically. “Unlike before.”

  “There is no before,” she hissed, fin
ally showing a fracture in the ice. “As far as I’m concerned, we just met. A.A.”

  “My mother would be heartbroken to hear anyone use my initials so acerbically,” he returned, wanting to see that fracture widen. Hell, he wanted the whole damn ice floe to shatter so he could see if the woman he’d thought he was falling in love with had survived the cold. “Timing is irrelevant. Before or after, you can’t deny the need, Drucilla.”

  As contrary as she’d been compliant in Los Cabos, rather than cracking or melting, her eyes frosted over. Her shoulders stiffened and she gave him a look that hovered at thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit.

  “Are you doing this to get back at me?” she whispered.

  “For what? I thought you said there is no before,” he snapped.

  Those glorious eyes flashed once before she offered him an icy glare, turned and strode away. Hell, even her walk was different here. No more loose swing in her hips, her steps were tight and controlled.

  Just like the real her, apparently.

  The real Drucilla, versus the woman he’d idiotically built a million emotional—and admittedly, sexual—fantasies about. That Drucilla had been sweet and fun, adventurous and sexy as hell. This Drucilla? Cold, dictatorial and inhibited.

  Definitely not his type.

  So why the hell did Alex have an overwhelming urge to break through that icy exterior and hear her moans of orgasmic pleasure?

  8

  HER KNEES WOBBLED, but Dru kept her steps measured even though she wanted to sprint for the exit.

  Real. Her sexy vacation fling, her hot and wild playmate experience had invaded her real life. She was so screwed. She should have stuck with sucky sex.

  Now she not only knew firsthand what great sex felt like and craved it sleeping and awake. But she was craving it with the rock star of astrophysics, the biggest name in her field and her coworker. Which made him the ultimate temptation on earth—and totally off-limits.

  Not that he wanted anything to do with her, she admitted with a shaky breath. His anger at her leaving was coming through loud and clear. How difficult would he make things?