Page 30 of Ivory Obsession
Slowly, Dante pulled himself out of me, rolling onto his back and pulling me close against his side. His fingers traced lazy circles over my bare skin, the sensation calming and soothing in contrast to our earlier frantic coupling.
“I should probably go…” I started to sit up.
“Stay,” he said. “Let’s fuck until we physically can’t and have breakfast on my balcony tomorrow. What’s stopping us, Jade? I’ll drive you to work in the morning.”
“I don’t know…”
“Come on,” he said, flashing me that charming smile. “What’s the worst that could happen?”
Chapter Twelve: Jade
The fluorescent lights of BioHQ’s conference room flickered to life as I made my way through a forest of white lab coats. My notebook was clutched tight under my arm, my brain already whirring with the day’s agenda when the room’s murmur hushed at the entry of a newcomer. His confident stride and immaculate suit were out of place among our casual scientific chaos.
“Morning, everyone. Let’s bring this to order,” announced Dr. White, motioning toward the stranger. “This is Edward Rodriguez, your new cybersecurity consultant.”
I scanned Edward, his presence a sharp note in our otherwise routine meeting. Why now? Why us? But answers would come later. Now was for observing, for learning what game he played.
“Thank you,” Edward began, his voice even, persuasive. “I’m here to reinforce our defenses against prying eyes. Corporate spies are real, and your work on neural regeneration is too valuable to risk.”
His words carried weight, the unspoken threat of espionage looming like a shadow over our groundbreaking research. As he detailed his plan, talking firewalls and encryption, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that there was more to his story than met the eye. And yet, I found myself nodding along, drawn to the sense of safety his certainty promised.
“Any questions?” Edward finished, locking eyes with each of us in turn.
My colleagues peppered him with technical inquiries, which he fielded with ease. Yet, beneath the surface of every answer, my mind spun with suspicion. Who sent you, Edward Rodriguez? What do you really want from us?
Only time would tell. For now, I had science to attend to.
“Jade, what do you think?” Ellie’s voice jolted me back to the present.
“About Edward?” I replied, tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear. We were outside the meeting room now, in the more casual setting of the lab’s break area. The hum of machines and scent of sterile equipment faded into the background as I focused on El, who was fidgeting with the sleeve of her white coat.
“Isn’t it odd? Him waltzing in at this stage?” Ellie leaned against the counter, her petite frame dwarfed by the industrial coffee maker she was nonchalantly operating.
I grasped the warmth of my own mug, feeling the heat seep into my palms. “Yeah, it is,” I conceded, avoiding her gaze. “I wonder if something happened.”
“Like if someone got caught slipping?” Ellie said. “Weird, right?”
I nodded. “I guess.”
Ellie gave me a knowing look, her eyes sharp, mirroring my concern. “You’re thinking about it too, aren’t you? About why now?”
“Can’t help it,” I admitted, stirring my coffee slowly, watching the vortex I created dissolve. “There’s something unsettling about the timing.”
“Like he doesn’t quite fit the puzzle,” Ellie murmured, tapping her finger against her chin. Her intuition was always spot-on, a trait that kept us both grounded amidst the complexities of our work—and lives.
“Exactly.” I took a sip, allowing the bitterness to sharpen my senses. “But let’s not get carried away with conspiracy theories. We’ve got a project to complete, and Rodriguez...well, he’s just another variable we’ll have to account for.”
“Let’s hope he’s one that won’t cause an unwanted reaction,” Ellie quipped, a wry smile tugging at her lips.
I couldn’t help but return the smile. Trust Ellie to find humor in the face of uncertainty. But she was right, as usual. Edward Rodriguez was an unknown, and in the volatile equation that was our lives, one misstep could lead to disaster.
“Let’s just keep an eye out,” I said, feeling the weight of responsibility settle over me. “For the project’s sake.”
We made our way to the lab. Once the door was closed behind us, Ellie cleared her throat.
“Enhanced security just as your...I mean, as Dante Moretti shows interest in our research? Seems more than coincidental,” Ellie muttered, her skepticism laced with concern.
I glanced around the sterile lab, my gaze lingering on the locked cabinets housing our latest trial samples. “Things are getting more intense with Dante,” I said curtly, brushing off her insinuation while feeling the knot in my stomach tighten. “Let’s keep our focus on the work.”