Chapter 14
14
AMELIA
I was used to rain.
Growing up in England, I’d seen my fair share of storms—gray skies, drizzles that lasted for days, the occasional downpour.
But this? This was something else entirely.
The thunder was deafening, shaking the walls of my condo every time it boomed.
The lightning lit up the sky like a strobe light.
I flinched with every crack, my hand trembling as I poured myself another glass of wine.
All day, people had been talking about the storm coming in.
I didn’t understand how long it was supposed to “come in” for.
I chalked it up to people just being dramatic.
A little rain never hurt anyone.
The day had passed with occasional bursts and some wind.
By the time I left the lab, I was certain I had seen the worst of the storm.
But a few hours later, things changed.
The humidity was ridiculous.
My hair was absolutely frazzled.
I felt sticky and icky, even in a pair of shorts and a tank top.
I had taken off my bra, but I was regretting that.
Now I had boob sweat.
It was quite the conundrum.
It was late, and I should have been asleep, but the storm had other plans.
The booming felt like it was a kettle drum in my bedroom.
Add in the howling wind and debris slamming against the window and I would have had a better chance of sleeping in the center of a thirteen-piece orchestra.
My nerves were frayed, my mind racing with thoughts of the lab, the storm, and—unfortunately—Jared.
I’d been trying to push him out of my head since the incident , but it was no use.
He was everywhere, and I hated how obsessed I was getting with him.
I sipped the wine and moved to look out the window.
The rain hammered against the glass.
I pressed my fingers to the pane, feeling the faint tremble of the glass beneath them as another clap of thunder shook the building.
The wind howled like some wild animal.
I was told the windows wouldn’t shatter with the force of the wind, but I wasn’t sure about that.
Lightning split the sky, illuminating the world for a split second in an eerie blue glow.
The ocean churned in the distance, waves crashing violently against the shore, white foam spilling up onto the sand.
It was beautiful in a terrifying way.
I’d never seen anything like it.
I took another sip of wine, though it did little to calm my nerves.
Another loud burst of thunder rattled the windows at the same time lightning lit up the sky.
There was a loud pop and then suddenly everything went black.
“Bollocks,” I cursed in an unladylike fashion.
I waited to see if the power would come back but it didn’t.
My mind immediately went to the lab.
The fridges, the samples, the experiments—what if the power outage ruined everything?
I couldn’t take that risk.
I wished I had brought my Wellies, but I never expected to need rain boots.
I grabbed my raincoat, pulling it on over my pajamas, and raced out into the storm.
The rain was coming down in sheets, soaking me to the skin within seconds.
It felt like the wind was going to catch my raincoat and send me airborne.
I ran across the campus, battling the wind and rain, jumping every time the thunder boomed.
I realized halfway across the campus I could very well get struck by lightning or have a palm tree drop on my head.
Maybe this wasn’t the smartest decision.
For an intelligent woman, I sometimes lacked common sense.
This might have been one of those times.
I ran through the empty campus, my heart pounding, until I reached the lab.
The lights were still on.
I let out a sigh of relief.
Of course, the labs had generators.
They were essentially mini-hospitals, after all.
I felt a little foolish for not realizing that sooner.
I went inside, shaking the rain from my hair, and headed straight for my lab.
Everything seemed fine—the fridges were humming, the equipment was running smoothly.
I felt ridiculous. These people were used to storms. Of course a man like Jared would think of everything.
Still, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep if I didn’t check on my lab.
My work was too precious.
I let out a long breath, my shoulders relaxing.
I heard the faint sound of thunder rolling.
It was a lot quieter in here.
The insulated walls dampened the chaos.
I didn’t want to sound like a baby, but I preferred to ride out the storm inside the lab.
It wouldn’t be the first time I spent the night in there.
But as I sat there, the adrenaline began to wear off, and I realized I was starving.
I hadn’t eaten since lunch, and the stress of the day had left me ravenous.
Did I brave the storm and go home to make myself something to eat?
And drink my wine. The small lunchroom wouldn’t have the typical fare, like the fresh donuts, sandwiches, and what not.
But the vending machines would be up and running.
I got up and headed for the breakroom.
My footsteps echoed in the empty hallway.
I loved the quiet. Some people might find it spooky or eerie, but I found it comforting.
Growing up in a small flat with my mother and grandparents, being alone was a rare treat.
I had always been a bit of an odd man out.
I was not the most popular girl in school.
I was too busy studying, and then as I got older, I was the one taking care of three adults.
I didn’t have time for all the silly games teenagers played.
Being alone was very natural to me.
“Shit.”
I forgot I didn’t have my purse.
I walked back to my lab and dug through my drawer to pull out any change I could find.
Back at the vending machine, I studied my options.
There was plenty of good stuff but my heart always craved the same thing I always got.
I was counting the change in my palm when I heard footsteps behind me.
I froze, my heart skipping a beat.
The lab was supposed to be empty.
Who else would be here at this hour?
My rationality was gone, worn down by lack of sleep and the storm.
My mind immediately went to the worst-case scenario thanks to my obsession with true crime.
The chances of being murdered by a psychopath in an empty lab during a storm was slim, but it wasn’t nil.
And I was in my pajamas.
No weapon. I didn’t even get the chance to get a can of soda from the machine that I could chuck at my potential murderer.
I turned slowly, my breath catching in my throat, just as a shadow crept around the corner.
I screamed, loud enough to wake the dead.
The shadow jumped back, cursing.
“Jesus Christ, Amelia!” Jared’s voice echoed down the hall.
I blinked, my heart still racing.
He stepped into the light, looking as startled as I felt.
His hair was damp, his shirt clinging to his chest. He looked rough.
Like he hadn’t slept in days.
And it wasn’t just the hair plastered to his forehead or drowned-dog appearance.
I gasped, pressing a hand to my chest. “Bloody hell, Jared. I thought someone had broken in!”
“Well, bloody hell right back. You scared me just as bad,” he shot back, his voice sharp.
“What the hell are you doing here? Don’t tell me you needed peanut-butter crackers this badly.”
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart.
“The power went out at my condo. I was worried about the lab, so I came to check on things. Then yes, I needed peanut-butter crackers. That’s not a crime.”
He stared at me, his expression a mix of disbelief and irritation.
“You ran through the storm to check on the lab? Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?”
I crossed my arms, feeling defensive.
“Obviously not, or I wouldn’t have done it.”
“We have generators,” he said.
“Yes, I figured that out when I got here. But it never hurts to double check.”
He arched an eyebrow at me and smirked.
“You thought I would let the lab go dark in a storm?”
Now I felt ridiculous.
“I didn’t think about generators.”
“This isn’t our first rodeo,” he said irritably.
“Nor will it be our last. And this barely even counts as a storm.”
“Forgive me for being so foolish to think you might not have thought of everything. How dare I?”
He sighed, walked to the vending machine, and punched in a bunch of numbers without putting in money.
Gears whirred and the package of crackers fell into the retrieval bin.
“You get free stuff from the vending machine?” I asked.
“I paid for it all in the first place.” He grabbed the snack and handed them to me.
“Now go home, Amelia.”
“I can’t,” I said, my voice small.
“The power’s out at my condo, and I… I don’t like storms like this. I’m not used to them. And you just said it’s dangerous out there. So I’m fine here. I’ll go back to my office.”
He frowned, his eyes scanning me.
“You’re soaking wet.”
“I noticed,” I muttered, pulling my raincoat tighter around me.
He hesitated, then shook his head.
“The new condos—the row you’re in—aren’t hooked up to the generator grid yet. I’ll get that fixed. So there you go. Congratulations. I guess I didn’t actually think of everything.”
“It’s a hollow victory,” I said, shaking my head.
“But for now, you can’t stay here.”
I tilted my head toward my lab.
“I’ll just camp out. It’s fine. I’ve spent plenty of time alone in the lab at night.”
“No,” he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.
“You’re coming back to my house.”
I blinked, caught off guard.
“What? No, that’s not?—”
“Amelia,” he interrupted, his voice softening.
“You’re wet, you’re uncomfortable, and you’re clearly scared. Just come with me. You can dry off, get some sleep, and we’ll figure this out in the morning.”
I hesitated, torn between my pride and my exhaustion.
I didn’t want to admit how much the storm was getting to me and I also didn’t want to spend the night shivering in my lab.
But going to his house?
That invited all kinds of trouble.
Finally, I nodded, too tired to argue.
“Fine.”
He led me out to his car, shielding me from the rain with his briefcase.
It was a small gesture, but it was sweet and made me feel fluttery inside, like it was kind of difficult to breathe.
I didn’t want to examine what that feeling was too closely.
He opened the door to a flashy, expensive sports car, and I climbed in, feeling out of place in my soaked pajamas and raincoat.
He got in and started the engine.
“Why don’t you drive a golf cart like everyone else?”
He smirked, his eyes on the road as he pulled out of the parking lot.
“I didn’t spend close to a million dollars on my education to drive anything less than this. And I had to run into town and came back here.”
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at my lips.
The car was fast, the engine purring as we sped through the storm, not that we had far to go.
The rain was still coming down hard, but inside the car, it felt safe.
Cozy. Like the storm couldn’t touch us.
We reached his mansion quickly.
He parked in the garage and I followed him inside.
The house was as impressive as I remembered—sleek, modern, and filled with light even in the middle of the storm.
He handed me a towel and pointed me toward a guest bathroom.
“I’ll get you some clothes. They might be a little big, but they’re dry.”
I nodded, feeling awkward.
I would have refused his offer, but I didn’t want to be dripping all over his fancy house or shiver all night.
“Thanks.”
He hesitated, then nodded toward the kitchen.
“After I grab some clothes, I’ll make some tea. You look like you could use it.”
I went into the kitchen to wait, dizzy at how quickly the night had taken a turn.