Page 31 of Hired for Research
His lips stretched in a smile, his dimples showing despite his eyes remaining cautious.
“I’m glad you liked it. You should get some rest.”
She opened her mouth to say she didn’t want to sleep, but the words caught in her throat. She’d already told him she was tired, so she couldn’t turn around and say she had really been running from their conversation.
“You too.”
She paused again, still not wanting to turn away from him, but knowing that was the only option.
“I’ll see you in the morning.”
“I’ll be here,” he assured her.
She didn’t bother to argue and say he could just meet her at the hospital. She wasn’t sure she believed that the hotel was on his route, but if he wanted to walk with her, she wasn’t going to deny him. She had a feeling that once she left Eden, she’d wish she had spent every second with him that she could.
***
The next day passed much the same as the prior. The morning was slow, though there was a steady trickle of alphas coming in. The afternoon picked up, and by the end of the day she’d added another fifty-two blood and pheromone samples, as well as another three brain scans. It was still a small pool compared to most research projects, but she had time to flesh it out.
When the end of the day rolled around and she began packing up her things, Jett asked her out to dinner again. As much as she had enjoyed the first two nights, she couldn’t let her only observations be made in restaurants where people were a little restricted in the way they acted.
“I was actually planning on just grabbing a sandwich or something and walking around for a while. I need to see alphas out and about, not just in controlled settings.”
The way his expression tightened had her breath catching in her throat. He kept his smile, but it was obvious she’d disappointed him, and a part of her was unsettled by the thought.
“I wouldn’t mind some company. You probably know where people will be better than I can guess.”
The words were out of her mouth before she thought about the fact that he may not want to go wandering around after working all day. There hadn’t been any incidents besides some minor growling to correct bawdy behavior, but he’d spent the day on his feet already and had no reason to change whatever dinner plans he had.
“But if you don’t want to stay out in the cold, I understand. You don’t have to come if you can point me in the right direction.”
His grin grew easy again, dimples deepening as he shrugged one muscled shoulder.
“It’s not as cold today, and I wouldn’t want you wandering alone. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve eaten dinner on the go and I could use some exercise.”
Evelyn had to admit she was relieved he’d agreed. It was natural that the residents of a city would know where people gathered better than an outsider, and she didn’t relish the thought of spending the evening walking around and getting nothing to show for it.
Plus, she’d grown comfortable with being in close contact with an alpha or two at a time, but she had a feeling that it wouldn’t be the same if she found herself in a group of them on her own.
“There’s a rec area down close to the river where people go to work out. There won’t be as many this late on a Sunday, but there’s likely to be a few down there, and if not, there’s a few other places we could try. We could grab sandwiches at the café here before we head that way.”
Slipping the strap of her bag over her head, she nodded, following his broad back as he stepped out into the hall.
14. Jett
“Ican carry your bag if you want.”
Evelyn’s dark eyes turned to look up at him, brows raised before giving her head a shake.
“It’s fine. It’s not heavy.”
They made their way down the path that led to the river. No matter where you were in Eden, all you had to do was head East to reach the water, but the rec area was at the North end beyond the city’s bounds.
It had started out as just an open area framed on two sides by buried boulders with a little stream creating a small, clear waterfall that moved on to join the river. Enough of the rock stuck above the earth to create seating alongside the stream, and there had been smaller, loose stones that some of the alphas had begun using to lift before the gym had been built.
While some switched to the gym once it was available, others still preferred to exercise outdoors, so courts and free weights had been added, along with some exercise equipment in the original clearing, as well as a track encircling it all.
Coming around a curve, the rec area came into view. He’d been right that there wouldn’t be many despite the nicer weather, but there was still a game being played on one of the courts they could see.
