Page 33 of Pleasure Control

Laura shaded her eyes. Her gaze skirted the crowd in search of Erin.

Jay read her body language. His voice softened. “Come with me. We’ll go to the lab together and I’ll run you home later. With the director breathing down our backs, the sooner we get this perfected, the better.” He stood so close his warm breath fanned her face. Snaking his hand around her back in a protective manner, he played with the tendrils of hair at her neckline.

God…when he touched her like that, like he really meant it…She shivered as his tender caress stirred all her emotions.

Deep inside she knew she should have put a stop to their intimate play, knowing what had caused his raging arousal, but damned if she could bring herself to do it. Lust overshadowed sensibility, leaving her powerless to control her desires.

Laura drew a fortifying breath. Needing time to regroup before they worked late into the night, she said, “You go ahead and get started. I’m going to get a lift with Erin. I don’t have any clothes with me and I need to go home and change first.”

He shook his head. His jaw clenched. She knew him well enough to know he was about to voice an argument and urge her to change into a pair of scrubs at the lab.

She arched one brow playfully. “I need to get some panties,” she whispered. “Mine are ripped.”

He grinned, a glint of humor in his eyes. “I’ll replace them,” he promised sheepishly. She sensed his resolve melting.

“I’ll meet you there,” she insisted, not giving him time to protest.

He rolled his shoulders. “All right. Don’t be long. This is going to be great.”

Excitement danced in his eyes and pulled Laura in. Like her, Jay really loved this aspect of their job.

Laura searched through the now-dwindling crowd and found Erin sprawled on a lounge chair. She hurried her steps over to her.

“Hey,” Laura said. “Ready to get out of here?”

“Where have you been?” Erin asked, stifling a yawn. “I’ve been ready for an hour.”

An hour? Surely she and Jay hadn’t spent an hour in the bathroom.

“Let’s go.” Laura held her arm out.

Erin accepted the offered hand and let Laura pull her to her feet. As Erin stood, her gaze slowly, knowingly drifted over Laura.

Erin braced her hands on her hips, a grin tugging her lips up. “Now it’s my turn to say I told you so.”

Laura didn’t even bother to mask her feelings. After all, her emotions were as transparent as cling wrap. “And…” she said, turning on the ball of her foot, “I know you’re just dying to elaborate on that statement.”

Erin fell in step with Laura as they exited the backyard through the gated fence and made their way to Erin’s car.

Erin lowered her voice. “Last night I told you Jay slept with you because he liked you, not because of the enhancer.”

Laura pulled the car door open, paused, and glanced at Erin over the roof. She lowered her voice to match Erin’s. “Tell me something, Erin. You were there months ago when we tested the enhancer. How long did it stay in a man’s system?”

Erin gave her a look suggesting she was crazy and cut her hands through the air. “I don’t buy that for a minute.” With a nod she gestured toward the backyard. “Even if it was still in his system, which I doubt, he could have had his pick of any piranha in the place, and he chose you.” Her grin turned wicked. “The guy’s got it bad for you.”

Laura’s heart kicked up a notch as Erin’s words sank in. True, the effects usually lingered for a little over twelve hours, and they were well past that. And he could have had any slut piranha in the place. That was blatantly obvious.

Could Erin be right?

Could Jay have it bad for her?

Had hell frozen over?

Laura climbed into the car and secured her duffel bag at her feet. The strong smell of Erin’s pine-scented car freshener assaulted her senses and made her sneeze.

Erin turned to face her. “So tell me, did you finally get to finish what you started? Was he as great as I hear?”

Heat climbed to Laura’s cheeks as jealousy surged up inside her. She really hated thinking about Jay being great with other women.

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