Page 5 of The Beast's Baby
“Don’t say a word,” he told himself sternly. “And don’t look at her.”
It was hard not to look at her, he had to admit.
She had stunning, huge blue eyes and the softest, thickest black hair he had ever seen. She was shapely and attractive in all the ways that turned him on. Not that he’d let her turn him on, of course. She was way too young for him anyway. And he didn’t think about the subjects that way. They were simply blood banks at the moment. Helping him accomplish his trial objective, analyzing the effect of the drug they were administering small doses of every day.
The results had finally begun to move from dire failure to success.
Slowly, slowly they were making real progress.
He entered her room on guard for the first time. She was sitting on her couch as though she hadn’t been expecting him, when this was the time of day he always showed up pulling his stupid cart and making a big noise. It was meant to be mildly intimidating, that noise, so that the subjects would remember their place. He just found it annoying.
I wonder if she does too, he thought, glancing over at her, green eyes meeting blue.
He swallowed.
Don’t talk to her and don’t make eye-contact, he reminded himself again.
Right.
Easy.
Since he’d been practicing it for nearly five weeks now.
“Hi,” she said. “Sorry about yesterday.”
It seemed to have been on her mind since it was the first thing out of her mouth. She smiled at him. It was a different kind of smile from the threatening one she had fired off as he left her room the day before. This one had some warmth to it. As though she was lonely and just wanted someone to talk to. She looked happy to see him.
He swallowed again.
Don’t talk to her and don’t look at her, for God’s sake, that voice in his head reprimanded, but he couldn’t look away now that he’d made eye contact.
Why is she being so friendly?the voice asked, and the question was convincing enough for him to frown at her.
Whywasshe being so friendly? It was like the mirror opposite to her attitude only twenty-four hours earlier.
You can’t trust her, the voice filled in his exact thought.
He looked away.
“Not in the mood to accept my apology, huh?” she asked. “That’s understandable. But I really mean it—I’m sorry for how I behaved. I was just… scared.”
“You’ve nothing to be scared of,” he said. “I realize that might be difficult to believe,” he added. “But it’s the truth. You won’t be harmed in any way and, just as it says in the contract you signed, once you’ve completed all four phases of the trial you will be paid really well. And, obviously, sent on your way.”
“Oh,” she said slowly, as though piecing something together. “I do remember reading about the phases but nothing conclusive. It was more like an outline. What are they again?”
He wanted to bite his tongue, but now that he’d begun answering questions, he figured it was better to answer them as truthfully as possible. His boss was tough as nails but even she would have to see the benefit in keeping a subject pliant to the process rather than fighting it. Especially since they were a day or two away from initiating Phase Two. And that phase would require trusting in the process. If a subject had questions, then they deserved at least the most basic answers so that they could understand that this wasn’t about them—it was much bigger than that.
“The contract doesn’t outline the phases in detail due to the confidential nature of the trial,” he therefore replied to her question. “But you’re in Phase One right now. And it’s readying you for Phase Two.”
“And dare I ask what Phase Two is?” she asked, making a face with her teeth clenched together as though she dreaded even asking if she should ask.
“Clearly, you do,” he remarked. “And I’m not at liberty to disclose that information.”
There was something wrong in the way she looked at him. She seemed about to seduce him, but he could tell there was still anger there. She’d just pushed it as far down as it would go. He was getting annoyed by how she kept lowering her chin, glancing up at him through her lashes. At though he was so easily seduced.
“Please, stop that,” he said.
“Stop what?” she asked innocently.
