Page 53 of Seductive Architect
She unscrewed the cap on her water and took a long chug. I watched as she carefully screwed on the cap, giving it an extra twist for good measure. She wouldn’t speak until I asked. Working with Janet would be the ultimate test of my patience.
I caved. “What?”
“Oh, nothing.” She reached out, flicking a pushpin. “For a man who spends all his time researching the world’s mysteries, you do an awful lot of speculating.”
“What? No. I?—”
“Who does Prism work for? Who has gotten their hands on Connie? Why was Arthur at the docks? Why haven’t we been affected? Most importantly, who made your robotic sex toy, and can I get one?”
I pouted. Janet had a tendency of being right. At the start of this, it had all been speculation. At least now we had therightquestions. Hudson couldn’t rememberanything before the mail room, and Connie, I’m not sure I’d trust her answer. This night would require more field work.
“He’s not a sex toy.”
“So, you haven’t shagged him?” Janet made the accusation, hoping I’d confess. I focused on the wall, willing the blood down. It was no use. My cheeks turned red. Even now, the thought of him kissing my neck made the hairs stand on end.
“That’s what I thought.” Janet patted me on the back. “Glad to see you’ve found somebody you connect with.”
For a moment, I thought it had been a backhanded compliment. When her hand squeezed my shoulder, giving me a jostle, I realized she had been sincere. It made me uncomfortable. The last time I had grown attached to somebody, the other shoe dropped, and I was worse off than when I started. Hudson left me wanting to scream from the rooftops, andthatmade me nervous.
“Thanks.”
As I eyed Janet, I couldn’t help but chuckle. Of all the people in Vanguard, I didn’t expect a team-up with a woman who body-slammed Wyatt for touching her troll dolls.
“What?”
I should have sent her home. Safer for both of us. But I needed her here. Needed someone.
I stared at the wall. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Of course you are.” She pulled the mystery man off the board. Pinning him in the center, and grabbed for a pushpin with a red string. “You need me to fix your mistakes. Did nobody show you how to make a conspiracy board?”
I already regretted giving her a compliment.
17
Hudson:We need to talk.
Hudson: Not in a bad way. Good way.
Hudson: Maybe in a sexy way?
Hudson: What I’m trying to say…
Hudson: I like you.
I stared at my phone as the elevator doors opened. His first text had my heart in a vice grip. By the third, I couldn’t help but smile. It served as another reminder of how much I liked this goofy man, red flags and all. Who said I couldn’t date a synthetic person? It sounded like perfectionto me.
Orion: Me too.
Orion: Like I mean.
Orion: You. Not me.
Orion: How are you doing?
I slid my phone in my pocket, wanting to focus on the task in front of me. Even as I approached the lion’s den, I had to smile. When he responded with a heart emoji, I could hear his voice in my head. There were dozens of reasons to want answers from Synergy, but the biggest was helping Hudson understand his origins. Preventing the destruction of Vanguard came in a close second.
Janet walked toward me. We slowed down, just as we had discussed.
