Page 56 of Once a Killer

She blinked, cleared her throat, but her voice was scratchy and raw. She casually released his wrist and rested her hands on the chair. But his eyes had gone dark, pupils dilated, and his chest rose and fell too fast.

“Make that patent a priority,” she murmured. “Finish the patent application before you continue working on the program itself.”

“Why are you so worked up over this?” he asked.

“I had no idea how much money was involved. People kill each other for a hundred bucks. Two hundred million? That could tempt a saint.” She jerked her head toward the engineers in the lab. “I doubt any of them are saints.”

“They’re not. Every one of them is flawed, but I can’t just toss them out on their asses. It wouldn’t be fair to any of them. I don’t even know if one of them is the person targeting me.”

“We haven’t looked at your cleaners yet,” Bree murmured, touching him lightly. His fingers twitched beneath hers, as if he wanted to join their hands. Press his palm to hers. She knew she should ease her hand away, but she wanted a few more seconds connected to him.

“Maybe I should tackle the cleaners next,” she murmured. “If you get me some names, some addresses or phone numbers, I’ll start working on that.”

“I’ll get that information to you by the end of the day.”

He leaned closer, as if he could see into her mind. As if he knew how much she wanted this connection with him. How much she wantedhim. He settled his hand on top of hers, and her heart jolted in her chest. “You’re really freaked out about this, aren’t you?”

“Damn right I am. I figured your program was worth several million dollars. Maybe as much as ten or twenty million. Buttwo hundred milliondollars? That’s… that’s Monopoly money. Not real.”

“I’m a long way from that point,” he said. “And who knows? Someone else could be working on a program similar to mine. He or she might have theirs finished first. Then mine would be worth jack shit.”

She frowned at him. “Do you really think that’s true?” she asked. She wanted to turn her hand so her palm was against his. So she could feel the ridges of his fingerprints. The muscles that would cling to her hand. But she held still. Didn’t want to do anything to disrupt the spell between them.

He shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t think so, but who knows? I don’t know everyone in the business. Don’t know every PhD student’s thesis subject.”

“Maybe you should talk to your advisor. They know other professors. They probably talk about their student’s theses.”

He laughed softly. “Yeah, they’re a bunch of gossips. And next time I talk to Theo, I’ll ask. But nothing’s guaranteed in life. There may be someone, at some university, working on a program similar to mine. No way of knowing.”

She drew in a deep breath. Leaned closer. “Then you need to get busy. Get that patent. Finish the program. Protect yourself.”

“I’m working on that, Bree. Trust me, I’ve spent too many years working on this to lose out now. I’ll make an appointment with my patent attorney and check on her progress. And I’ll prod her to work faster.”

“And you’ll talk to your advisor.”

“And I’ll talk to my advisor,” he parroted.

She leaned back, her lips twitching, but she didn’t let go of his hand. “Yeah, I know I’m coming off as a crazed woman. But I didn’t realize what was at stake.”

“Would you have done anything differently if you had?” he asked, tilting his head as he studied her.

She frowned, thinking back to what she’d done. The steps she’d taken. Finally she shook her head. “I don’t think I would have,” she said. “I didn’t cut any corners. Didn’t neglect anything.”

“So you’re doing your job.” He leaned closer to her. “And I’m doing mine. That’s all either of us can do. Okay?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I guess it is.”

His cell phone rang, breaking the spell that trembled between them. He eased his hand away from hers and pulled the phone out of his pocket. Stared at the screen. “That’s really spooky,” he murmured as he accepted the call.

“Theo,” he said. “Good to hear from you. I was just thinking about you.”

Bree heard a man’s voice over the phone, but not the words. Finally Jameson said, “I can’t do that.” He sounded regretful. “Can’t explain why now, but that’s a no-go. I’d like to come to the opening party though, and I think that would work.” He pulled his desk calendar close and studied it. “Yeah, that works. But I won’t be alone.”

The other man said something, and Jameson turned red. “No. She’s a woman I’m working with. I’ll tell you about her project when I see you.” His gaze flicked toward the wall and the hidden mics. “She came highly recommended.”

The low, rumbly voice on the phone said something, and Jameson’s eyes caught hers. Held them. “We’ll see you in two weeks.” he finally said. “I’m looking forward to catching up with you.”

He said goodbye and ended the call. Then he set his phone on his desk and shook his head.

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