Merry and Bright(5)

Then Sam had gone home for his brother’s birthday and had gotten killed in Katrina, and things hadn’t been the same for Jacob since. He’d been left with five large contracts already signed, when all he’d wanted to do was go home and wallow. In hindsight, those jobs had probably saved his sorry ass. Even if this one just might kill him. But he wanted that damn bonus. It’d help both his mother and sister pay off the mortgages on homes that no longer even existed, and it would ease their tight financial situation.

He was busy laying out some electrical lines when he heard the click click clicking of heels and knew it was 8:03 exactly, because at 8:03 every single morning, she appeared. Maggie Bell, his new favorite “sort of” chemist with the encyclopedia brain filled with odd facts.

She’d grown up. Filled out. And looked damn good. She wore black pumps today, her long legs covered in sheer silk, a business skirt and blouse, and since it was December and chilly, an overcoat, open and flapping behind her as she rushed along, working her cell phone, sipping her caffeine, and balancing a briefcase. She looked a little bit harried, a little bit late, and in spite of the fact that she screamed class, also just a little bit messy.

God, he loved that part. He had a feeling if the right guy came along and took that pen out from behind her ear, then slid his fingers into her hair and kissed her long and hard and wet, she’d melt. That fantasy alone had gotten him through the past two months.

As he did every single morning, he stopped whatever he was doing to watch. She didn’t disappoint. Today her honey-colored hair was piled on top of her head in what looked to be a precarious hold. She didn’t wear much makeup that he could tell, but her lips were glossed. Her eyes were covered by reflective sunglasses but he knew them to be a light blue, and that in five seconds they’d focus in on him and she’d stumble just a little. Then her mouth would tremble open in a perfect little O, and time would stop, just literally stop.

And then she’d blink. Her eyes would cool, as if she’d just remembered that they were virtual strangers. She’d pretend to be occupied by something in her hands and rush into her lab, not to be seen again until at least six—

Ah, there it was. She glanced up, saw him only a few yards away with the electrical wiring in his hands. She came to an abrupt halt, prompting two of his guys behind her to nearly plow into her.

Her mouth opened and apologies tumbled out from everyone, and then his guys made their way around her and she gripped her things, once again turning her head in his direction, this time with a hint of pink in her cheeks.

He lifted his hand and waggled his fingers.

Her mouth curved in a self-deprecatory smile. “Whoops.” Her voice was soft and musical, and if he’d let it, it would have gone straight to his head. And other places.

In high school, she’d been the quietest little thing. He remembered sitting near her, watching her absorb school in a way he’d never quite managed. He’d actually wished he could be more like her. She’d helped him out, and he’d been grateful, but she’d been too shy to get to know, not to mention far too young. And then he’d moved and had never seen her again.

He was seeing her now—warm eyes, sweet smile, and a body made for sin. Not too young now, was she . . . ?

Scott West came out of the elevator, dressed like a man who didn’t have to worry about any ten-percent potential profit loss. “Hey, Maggie,” he said. “Jacob.”

Scott had been a tough-ass at the negotiating table, but was looking much softer now that he was taking in Maggie’s sweet morning appearance. “So what’s today’s fact?” he asked her, flashing a set of perfect teeth.

“Odontophobia,” she said, staring at his extremely white teeth. “The fear of teeth. Point one percent of the population suffers from it.”

Scott laughed and shook his head. “Good one. So . . . about that vial Tim gave you—”

“Oh! I tried it last night. The secret ingredient . . . it’s sweet almond oil, right? For that extra vitamin E? It’s a little too thick now but I’ll—”

“No, no, don’t worry about it. I’ll have Tim rework it.” He held out his hand, presumably for said vial, but she shook her head.

“It’s at my condo, sorry.”

“Gotcha. Well . . .” He opened his office door with a smile not quite the same wattage as before. “See you at the staff meeting.”

Maggie turned back to Jacob, but stopped short when her cell phone rang. With a look of apology, she opened her bag and pulled it out to answer it. Immediately a frown crossed her brow, and she forgot about him, he could tell. She was on the move again, talking, gesturing with her full hands, not watching where she was going as she headed beneath his scaffolding to enter her lab, just barely ducking as two men from his crew moved a heavy piece of equipment in front of her.

The woman was a walking/talking accident just waiting to happen. The cutest, sexiest, walking/talking accident he’d ever seen.





Maggie spent the entire morning hunched over her laptop, going over lab results, ignoring a flood of pesky texts from a nosy-body Janie.

Alice showed up at noon with lunch. “Men suck,” she said, handing a wrapped sandwich to Maggie. “And I think the bottle for your cream should be blue.”

Alice was twenty-two, an intern on loan from UCLA to do Data Tech’s filing, but she’d latched onto Maggie because she wanted to be a scientist, too. Dressed like a Goth superhero, all in black and lace, with some interesting deep purple lipstick, she sighed glumly as she sat and opened her sandwich. “I think my boyfriend is cheating on me with his lab partner.”