Page 35 of Not Fooling Anyone

I stuff them in, trying to get comfortable, but it’s impossible.

“We’ll get started now,” Justin says over a loudspeaker, the sound muffled. “Remember to keep still.”

The table slides forward, the machine making a knocking noise as it revs up. After a while, a screen flickers to life, images appearing one after the other. These are different than the ones from the eye tests last week, except for one.

Lexie’s picture.

My gaze traces her features, lingering on the creamy, ivory skin, those full lips curved in a half smile, her hazel eyes that seem more brown than green in this photo.

What’s activating in my brain right now? The right regions?

I don’t love her, but I can’t deny I’m interested. There’s definitely attraction. Lust too, if I’m being honest. And she’s intriguing for sure with her strange dichotomy of confidence and reluctant vulnerability. When she lets her guard down enough, she’s witty and clever. Amusing her is an ongoing mission I’m determined to win.

You have to earn the right to be close to her, and it’s a challenge I’m so far enjoying.

Whatever is showing up on their monitors must be okay, though, because the test continues without interruption, my eyes heavy by the end after laying down so long.

Justin returns to the room and unhooks my IV, pressing a bandage to the area, and I follow him back into the first area.

“How’d I do?” I ask, curious as to what showed up.

“Fine,” he replies, leaving it at that. Maybe he can’t discuss the results with me. “You’re up, Lexie.”

She nods, eyes wide again as he heads to the table and grabs the second syringe.

He goes through the same spiel he did with me about removing anything metal or magnetic, and as he approaches her to inject the contrast medium, she steps back, her earlier promise to be fine by the time I’m done forgotten.

He pauses. “You okay?”

She swallows, staring at his hand. “I have a bit of a thing about needles.”

“Sorry, it’s standard procedure for the study. Everyone has to get it for the results to be uniform.”

She trembles as he approaches again, and I hold a hand up to stop him. “Give us a sec, okay?”

He glances at the clock on the wall. “Okay, but we have to keep on schedule. We only have the machine booked for the next half hour before another researcher needs it.”

I pull her over to the corner, sitting her in the chair there, and kneel next to her, wrapping a hand around the back of her neck. She’s so worked up, she actually lets me do it without resistance, the muscles there rock hard.

“You’ve got to relax,” I whisper, massaging her neck.

She releases a breath, swaying forward as the tension releases. “I’m sorry. I thought I’d be okay by now.”

“You will be okay. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.” I reach out and take her hand, surprised when she grips it like a lifeline. “Just squeeze my hand while he’s doing it.”

She nods and I signal to Justin to come over and do it.

Her grip tightens painfully as he takes her arm and swabs her inner elbow with an alcohol wipe.

“Hey, not so tight,” I joke. “I need my hands.”

She gives me a shaky smile. “You’re a boxer. You can’t take a little pain?”

“You can do whatever you want to me.”

The words slip out, a definite sexual undertone to them, and her gaze sharpens, some of the worry leaving her face.

Justin uses the opportunity to stick her then, and I move my hand on her neck so she can’t turn her head to view her arm. “Look at me. Don’t worry about that.”

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