Page 14 of The Billion Dollar Bet

“Goodnight,” he whispered as he pressed his lips to her cheek.

The contact of his lips to her skin left a tingle. The intake of her break also gave him hope that she felt the electricity which flowed between them. This was the beginning of a new era for Devin. What started out as a challenge to acquire a girl he wanted, now morphed into a mission to become a man she could fall for.

Chapter 11

Not an hour after Devin left that he called. The guy was persistent if nothing else. But she had to admit that he was charming and did make her heart skip a few beats. She curled up on the sofa with her research paper and her tablet, ready to do some reading.

“Why’d you call Devin?”

“I wanted to say goodnight and that I had a great time with you today.”

“I was sure I bored you to death with my talking about viruses and such.”

His laugher send warmth down her spine. “It was a stimulating discussion. You are quite an inspiration.”

“I’m glad you feel that way, thanks.”

“Now a deal’s a deal,” he said. “You said one hour and we spent the entire day together. That should count for something, right?”

“Where are you headed with this?”

“A dinner date where you can tell me more about your research.”

It was her time to laugh. “You’re one smart man. You know just how to charm me don’t you Mr. McCarthy?”

“What I want to know is what makes you tick, Dr. Melody.”

“You sure that’s all you want?” she knew she was treading dangerous territory, but Cassie found that she could stop herself. Devin’s voice brought heat to her chest and a heady feeling that made her feel like she was drunk.

“If I tell you exactly what I want, you might not be able to handle it.”

“Try me.”

“Tell you what, let me take you to dinner and I will make sure you know just exactly what I want.”

“Deal.”

* * *

The following morning the sun came out in all its glory and Cassie looked forward to a busy day continuing her research. Every few minutes she’d check her phone for messages. Nothing. Never since she could remember dating had she ever been this anxious to hear from a boy. With her nerves beginning to get the better of her, she left the lab and spent the afternoon cleaning her bathroom and kitchen.

After the physical activity, and some perspective, she felt more focused. Devin hadn’t called all day and she began to put him from her mind. Maybe she had been disillusioned with the romance of it all. Who was she anyway that a billionaire bachelor would just fall at her doorstep? But the way he’d been insisting on this dinner date had convinced her that he wanted to get to know her more. What also impressed her was that he had been a complete gentleman all day.

Even though his eyes frequently strayed to her breast and she could see him bite his bottom lip as he stared at them, he had not tried anything. There were moments where their eyes would meet and silence fell between them. In those moments a force field would swirl around them and Cassie would lose her train of thought.

Finally able to recharge her mind, she focused on her work and forgot all about Devin and the date he promised. After studying the latest reports of the Covid-2-21 she determined this it was exactly as she thought – a mutation of the first strain. What baffled her about the Covid-2 was that unlike the first which presented in 2019 in China, the second strain of the virus just disappeared after a month.

There were just a few deaths and the origin was never determined. The first case of the Covid-2-21 was discovered in a patient from a nursing home who had no travel history. No one else from that nursing home caught the virus and the patient recovered within a matter of seven days after testing positive.

The WHO dubbed this strain as the Covid-2-21 because it presented the exact formation of the original novel coronavirus discovered in Wuhan in 2019. All the symptoms were similar as the first. The only exception was that there were no clear indications of the incubation period. Formulating a vaccine for the Covid-2-21 would take some more research since there was no clear origin or a determined incubation period. She was back at square one. Her only hope was to study the culture she had secured at the university from the original patient.

Cassie closed the lab at around seven with her neck stiff and her eyes puffy. Taking a nap would recharge her batteries and she could be up by eleven to check on the specimen she was studying. She’d just climbed the steps up from the basement and entered the kitchen when the doorbell rang. She was tempted not to answer as she was not expecting anyone.

Dragging her feet and rolling her neck, she made it to the door and dragged it open. Standing there with that million dollar smile of his was Devin, causing her heart to do several backflips.

“Hi.”

Cassie frowned up at him. “What can I do for you Devin?”

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