Page 41 of Examining the Bond

Skylar: See you in a few.

Shit, shit, shit.

I throw my hair into a messy bun as my nerves mount, wishing I’d left my makeup on from this morning. I throw on some mascara and lip gloss, and I decide to leave on the leggings and T-shirt I put on after my nap. I already seduced her; it’s not like I have to do it again. Besides, I’m exhausted from the day’s events and want to be comfortable as much as cute.

After admiring my reflection in the mirror a final time, I rush back to the room and tidy up, straightening the blankets and making sure everything looks presentable.

That’ll have to be good enough.

Then, I sit on the end of the bed waiting, teeming with bubbling anxiety. The minutes stretch on impossibly long, and my chest gets a little tighter the longer I sit there watching the door.

When a knock shatters the silence of the room, I’m on my feet in a blink. I scramble across the short space, doing my best to collect myself before ripping open the door.

There, in the flesh, is Skylar. But I almost don’t recognize her without her button-up and lab coat.

She’s still in slacks, but she’s wearing a structured black jacket over a dark tank top that hugs her torso perfectly. The strap of a leather messenger bag is slung over her neck.

“Hey.” The corner of her mouth lifts in a smirk.

My brain turns to mush as I stand there staring at her, and my system struggles to reboot. Then I’m stammering and scrambling out of her way.

“Hey. C-come in? Yes, come in.”

She chuckles softly as she passes me, her smoke-wrapped pine scent much fainter than it was before.

“Sorry to drop in on you on such short notice,” she says as I close the door behind her.

I’m instantly aware of the fact that we are, yet again, trapped in a tiny room together. And this time, there’s no chance of prying eyes.

“It’s fine,” I assure her, waving a hand. I take a seat on the edge of the bed as she deposits her messenger bag on top of the dresser, and then she stands awkwardly in the middle of the room.

Who knew someone so drop dead sexy could also be so hopelessly adorable?

“Can I sit?” she asks, her eyes flicking to the empty chair in the corner.

“Yeah, of course. You’re probably exhausted from working all day.” I bite my tongue to keep from saying anything else.

The corner of her mouth hitches up again, and she moves to take a seat in the chair next to the bed. There are a few feet between us, too much space in my opinion, but the fact that she’s here to begin with is more than I could have asked for. Getting comfortable, I cross my legs on the bed and rest my elbows on my thighs.

Then the awkwardness kicks in, and I suddenly don’t know what to say.

“Your scent is different,” is the first thing that comes to mind.

Skylar nods, like she’s not surprised. “I took a ton of rut suppressants before I came. I didn’t want to risk a repeat of this morning.”

My stomach sinks, and I try to keep the disappointment off my face. “Oh.”

“Not because I don’t want it, to be clear.” She meets my gaze with a pointed look. “I’m trying to be responsible, trying to help you.”

Right. Responsible.

That’s what I get for going after an older woman. She’s worried about professionalism and responsibilities.

Meanwhile, I’m worried about whether she’d let me crawl into her lap and bury my face against her neck.

“Is that… why you’re here now?” I ask, still fighting the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. “Something to do with my results?”

She nods slowly. “I should have waited until tomorrow, but an idea struck me this afternoon, and I wanted to get started as soon as possible. If you’d rather wait until the office opens in the morning, that’s fine too. I just need a DNA sample.”