Lost and Found (Masters & Mercenaries: The Forgotten #2)(47)

“Instinct isn’t dumb,” he insisted. “Fear isn’t something to be ignored. Fear is the lizard part of your brain, the part that concentrates on survival.”

She stared at him. “Are you seriously mansplaining the amygdala to a neuroscientist?”

His lips curled up in the sexiest smirk. “I got no idea what that is, but it’s sexy when you say it.” He sobered a bit. “And you might be the brain expert, but I assure you, I’m the expert in fear and survival. So let me soldiersplain this to you. Fear is the first ingredient to survival. You can’t survive an attack if you don’t know it’s coming, and fear is the first sign. Did you feel like you weren’t really alone?”

She nodded, the hair on her arms standing up again.

“Then you probably weren’t,” he replied. “Have there been any crimes around your building? Break-ins? Assaults?”

“Not that I’m aware of.” He looked so serious, so concerned, that she found herself reaching out to him, putting a hand on his arm. The minute she touched him, she felt herself relax fully. It was okay. She wasn’t back there. She was here with him, and Owen knew what he was doing.

“You work in research,” he mused. “How secretive is it?”

She hadn’t considered that. “I publish my research. I talk about it pretty openly, but my data is kept secret until I’m ready to publish. The pharmaceutical companies who fund me get the updates, but those are quarterly. There’s always different foundations and competing research groups who wouldn’t mind knowing exactly what I’m doing and how far I’ve gotten.”

“They might not be patient enough to wait. I’ve learned that corporations aren’t patient at all, and they don’t mind bribing employees to get what they want. If there’s a spy, he’s likely in your midst. Or she. Saturday evening would be a good time to have a look around.”

That made more sense than someone waiting to hurt her. Having a logical explanation let her take her first deep breath in hours. “We have security. I’ll have them check and see if anything odd happened and who was in the building at the time. But I’m sorry you thought I was worried about you. I’m not at all, Owen Shaw.”

“You weren’t happy to see me. I didn’t imagine that.”

“I was surprised. It took me off guard seeing you here,” she admitted. How to explain? “I think I could get my heart broken by you. I think I could get serious about you fast, and that’s not something I’m ready for. I don’t know that I ever will be again. I think what happened in the elevator was a crazy connection, but I’m not sure we should take it further than that. I have a date tomorrow. I’m not planning on getting serious about him either.”

He seemed to think about that for a moment. “Is that why you said no when I asked you to go to dinner with me?”

“I had to work late that night.”

A hard glint hit his eyes and she was surprised that it didn’t frighten her off at all. That dark look on his face made him hotter because she didn’t believe for a second that he would hurt her in a physical fashion, though she wondered how rough he would get if he let himself off the leash.

Sex with her ex had been good. They’d been quite compatible, but she’d taken the lead in most of it. There had been something about the way Owen Shaw had asked her to let him take over, and then when she’d agreed how he’d mastered her body, that she couldn’t stop thinking about. It had been a hurried affair. What if they’d had a whole night? How would Owen Shaw make love to a woman when there were no time constraints?

“That’s a lie,” he said, his sensual lips forming a flat line. “I don’t like it when you lie to me. I would prefer honesty. You don’t want to go out with me at all, do you? Just tell me, and I’ll back off.”

But she didn’t want him to back off. “All right. You want honesty? I don’t want to be exclusive with anyone, Owen. I’m not in a place where I can have a relationship. I would like very much to be friendly with you, but I think you’re the kind of man who could get possessive.”

“And I think you’re the type of woman who won’t be able to hold herself apart no matter how much she wants to.” The dark look on his face was replaced with sensual amusement. “Are you saying you aren’t opposed to repeating the experience?”

Just like that she could feel her nipples perk up. Damn, he was a sexy man. She wanted him, but she heard herself saying, “I don’t know.”

He reached out and his fingertips brushed back her hair. “When you figure it out, why don’t you let me know. I think that we’re both adults with demanding jobs. We likely don’t have a ton of time to date, but I know I for one wouldn’t hate having someone to go to bed with at night or to share an occasional meal with. I definitely think I would like a woman who appreciates what I can give her in bed, and I’m not just talking about my cock. I’m talking about more than mere sex. Do you understand? I want you to think about this while we’re having dinner. Actually, for the next few days if you need them.”

She was back to not being able to breathe, though it was a pleasant experience. Anticipation. Longing. Curiosity. “What do you mean it’s more than sex?”

“I want more,” he said, his voice a husky temptation. “I want a few nights a week where we play. Do you understand what I mean by play?”