Page 103 of Dangerous Temptation
‘You have to. You just made a public disclosure. We need to get started on the paperwork as soon as possible.’
Her brow furrowed. ‘What are you talking about?’
He jabbed a finger towards the room where the committee was still debating. ‘That. Your research findings. We need to go talk to NYU’s patenting department. Did they have you sign anything before you gave that talk? Have they started proceedings on protecting it?’
She stared at him, not comprehending.
His gaze slid over her face, and some of the tension drained from his body. He gave her a soft smile. ‘Sorry, that was Ax coming out.’
Elena slumped against the door, letting it take all of her weight. She was so tired.
He stroked a curl of her hair. ‘I’m not talking to you as your lover right now.’
Her heart jumped. Were they still lovers? She hoped things hadn’t become too strained for them to fix.
‘I’m talking to you as CEO of Wolfe Pack, a Fortune 100 company that wants to license your technology.’
‘Wh–what?’
He sighed, but pulled his hand back. ‘Sexy, compassionate and brainy.’
There were footsteps on the other side of the door, and he backed away from her. Scrambling away from the door, Elena pressed her hands to her cheeks. She knew they were flushed. When Dr Walters stuck his head in, it didn’t matter.
Because she felt her blood drain right out her feet. So soon? It couldn’t be good news. The committee had found a flaw.
A wide grin split the professor’s beard in two. Juggling a folder of papers, he thrust out his hand. ‘Congratulations, Elena. I mean, Dr Bardot.’
Chapter Sixteen
The emotions of the day were starting to wear on Elena when they finally made it back to the penthouse. She couldn’t believe it was over, that her studies were through at last. There was still the final official paperwork and ceremony, but she’d reached her goal. She hadn’t known if that would ever happen. With all the drama and stress, it had become questionable.
The accusations and suspicions had beaten down her confidence. At the very heart of it, she hadn’t been sure she was onto something, even though it had made sense to her. She couldn’t even describe the sense of pride that had gone through her when the committee had declared that her research had merit.
Alex certainly thought there was something to it.
She rubbed her head as she sat down on the sofa. It had all been such a whirlwind. She hadn’t expected him to show up at her dissertation defence, much less drag her down to the university’s intellectual property office. She still didn’t understand what was going on.
With this licensing agreement … Or between them …
She watched as he set her laptop on the coffee table. Contrary to her, he was bounding with energy. He took off his suit jacket and tossed it over the loveseat. She swallowed hard. If anything, he looked harder and leaner. She’d forgotten the intensity of his physical presence. He was so raw, so male.
She pressed her thighs together.
She hated sleeping alone. She’d hated tearing them apart the way she had, but things had gotten toxic. All-consuming. If she hadn’t gotten out when she had, she would have drowned in them.
She tore her gaze away and clenched her hands together in her lap. She couldn’t go back to that – not now, when she was just getting her feet underneath her.
‘I need to show you something,’ he said, moving to the bar.
She bit her lip. At least he was getting out of the apartment now. That was a step in the right direction. And he seemed driven again. Back in control. The NYU licensing associates had certainly been dazed when The Ax had strode in to their little closet of an office to start negotiating.
But had things really changed?
Her stomach dipped when he pulled out a stack of familiar spiral-bound notebooks from his briefcase.
There was a spark in his eye as he stood over her, holding the rainbow of paperwork. When he sat next to her, he was so close his shoulder brushed against hers and their thighs nestled together. She felt his muscles clench, and she couldn’t stop her response.
She squirmed as warmth unfurled deep inside her.
