3. Reath
3
REATH
I gripped the steering wheel of my Lotus Eletre and overtook the turning car ahead of me as I headed for Tulane University.
The sun was a little too bright. I’d had one too many whiskeys at the end of the party last night. Beau had conned me into it, and the man could drink us all under the table.
Mostly I’d had one too many because I’d been pissed my mystery woman in red had slipped away.
I didn’t even know her name.
That kiss.
Beau had seen it. He’d given me a hard time. I wasn’t a man to kiss a woman in full view of others. I liked my privacy, valued it intensely.
I tapped my fingers on the wheel. I could pull the CCTV from Wildfire. I’d installed the security system, so it would be easy enough. Then I could run her through facial recognition.
I snorted. That sounded a lot like stalking.
Focusing, I pushed the woman in red—with her sweet, full lips—out of my head. It helped that I had an annoying task to deal with—tracking down the elusive Francesca Parker.
I wanted to make sure that she was all right, and settled. I’d do my job, and Jack would be reassured that his sister was fine.
I pulled into the university, the electric engine soundless, and parked. It didn’t take me long to find the microbiology building. There was a bored-looking woman sitting at a desk in the lobby.
“I’m looking for Francesca Parker.”
The woman tapped on the computer. “Lab Four. Upstairs.” She pointed at a sign-in sheet. “I need you to sign in.”
“Thanks.” I scrawled my name on the page.
Security was lax. I figured there was potentially nasty stuff in these labs, so it really should be tighter.
I headed into the elevator and pressed the number two. The elevator was slow, and when the doors opened, I looked down a long, white hall. I paused at the first lab, peering through the glass window. It looked like a standard lab to me—equipment, workbenches, test tubes. There was a card reader to swipe to open the door, so that was something.
I kept walking and saw the sign for Lab Four. The door was propped open.
Inside, the long benches were filled with a jumble of lots of gear and boxes.
“Hello?” I called out.
“Hi.” A woman backed out of a side room, maneuvering the large box she was carrying. She wore a lab coat and had dark hair that didn’t quite reach her shoulders.
She set the box down and I got a glimpse of a curvy body. Then she straightened and turned to face me.
What the hell? It was like a punch to the gut.
It was my woman in red.
“ Oh .” Her blue eyes went wide, her full lips parted.
“Francesca?” I said slowly.
“I go by Frankie.” She bit her lip. “And you’re Reath.”
My mystery woman was Jack’s little sister.
Fuck .
I scowled at her. “You knew who I was last night?”
She put her hands on her hips. “No. Not when—” she cleared her throat “—not until the fight, and…” She waved a hand, as if that explained everything.
“Hell.” I dragged a hand over my hair.
“It’s fine,” she said. “We’ll pretend last night didn’t happen.” She said it in a breezy tone.
I narrowed my gaze. “It’s that easy?”
She lifted her chin. “It was a mistake, right?” She watched me expectantly.
“It was,” I agreed, voice tight.
She glanced away. “Right. We won’t mention it to Jack.”
Jack . Hell, my best friend. The man I trusted to my marrow, who I’d do anything for. If he knew I’d kissed his sister, he’d punch me in the face.
“You haven’t answered any of my calls or messages.”
She cleared her throat. “I’ve been busy setting up my lab.”
I glanced around.
“My project is important,” she continued. “And I’m a workaholic, remember?” She turned and started stacking gear on one of the benches. “It’s fine, Reath. You’ve done your duty. You can tell Jack that you checked in on me, and that I’m all good.”
She was dismissing me. I didn’t like it.
“You should come for a family lunch,” I said. “Meet my brothers.”
Shit . Why the hell had I suggested that? That was the last thing I needed.
“Oh, um, thanks. I really don’t have the time.”
I hadn’t gotten a good look at her eyes last night in the dim light of Wildfire. They were the purest blue I’d ever seen. “Francesca—”
“Frankie.”
Frankie suited her sassiness better. “Frankie. I told Jack I’d keep an eye on you.”
“I’m a grown woman, Reath. I don’t need any help. And I don’t need a man getting in my way who’s just doing his duty .” She used her fingers to make air quotes. “I’ve been an adult for a long time. Now, I have experiments to start.”
She looked at me with raised brows.
Apparently, I’d been given my marching orders.
I held her gaze for a beat.
“Fine.” Then I turned and walked out.
But as I headed down the hall, I felt unsettled. It was an unfamiliar feeling, and one I didn’t like.
I should be happy. Steering clear of Jack’s little sister was the best thing for everyone.
Frankie Parker was bad for my nerves.