Page 30 of Deadly Peril

“The local biathlon club is a short drive,” Jana said. “You’ll see it soon. If I don’t drag you there for a workout, you’ll be there when Coley tests my new training tool.”

“That will be soon?”

“Yes, that’s the plan. I want to get this done. It’s taken a long while, as it is. The sooner I have real-life trials, the sooner I can get this thing on the market.”

“Does it have a name?”

Jana smiled. “I’ve been going back and forth. It was difficult. I’d prefer something simple, so I’ve settled on Heart Rate Jewel.”

“That’s clever.”

“Well, it’s a microchip that reminds me of a jewel. It’s so tiny but it sparkles.” Jana refilled her wine glass. “And it is my jewel, so there’s a double meaning. If it works out like I hope, it will be worth as much as any rare jewel.”

Jana cleared the bowls and got the dinner from the oven. “I hope you’re going to like this.”

“It smells delicious.”

Jana put the platter on a cooling rack. “It’s meatball pizza.” She looked at the meatballs. “It’s my grandmother’s recipe. She keeps premade meatballs in the freezer, so we can pull some out anytime we need them.”

Thaddeus cut the pizza and put a slice on Jana’s plate, then took a couple of pieces. He bit into one, sucking in air to keep from burning his mouth. Then he chomped on it. “This is really good. You must have some special ingredients.”

Jana chewed on a bite of hers. “It’s in the meatballs. That’s the secret.” She took another bite. “It’s your turn. Tell me something about you, or your family.”

Thaddeus reached for another slice of pizza at the same time Jana did, and her fingers touched his. But neither pulled back. The awkward pause made Jana’s skin warm. Then she took her pizza, trying to pretend nothing had happened.

“Do you have relatives in Iceland?” Jana took a sip of wine as a distraction. She needed to be occupied, so she wouldn’t ogle Thaddeus.

“I have uncles, aunts, nieces, and nephews,” Thaddeus said. “I don’t visit as often as I’d like, but I have been there since I got out of the service.”

Thaddeus was talking to her. Jana considered that was progress. He spoke about his parents, who lived in New Jersey, and his two younger brothers. One was an attorney and the other was a high school teacher. “We’re about as different from each other as you get.”

“Sounds like it.” Jana finished her food then picked up her wine glass. “Maybe after all of this is over, we can share a bottle of wine.”

Thaddeus didn’t respond right away. It had been the wrong thing to say, too forward. What had Jana been thinking? And why was she saying stuff like that?

Then Thaddeus smiled. Previously, he’d been so quiet, and his expressions had been serious. But right then, his blue eyes gleamed and his smile lit up the room.

“I’d like that,” Thaddeus said in a low voice.

Jana’s heart skipped a beat. But before she could get too excited, Thaddeus was once again the ultimate professional. “I’ll help you clean up in here,” he said, without a hint of the smile from a moment before.

He cleared the table, then dried dishes while Jana washed. It was quite domestic, and standing next to him was a thrill, for some indefinable reason. He stood close, but not too close. Yet his warmth radiated, and Jana wanted to touch him, to feel his bare skin.

The wine was affecting her. That had to be it.

Jana couldn’t have imagined that doing dishes could be sexy, but it was. She watched as he dried each dish, drawn to his hands and imagining them on her. He was precise in his motions, probably how he did most things. And his biceps flexed under the sweater as he lifted items into the cupboard.

After dinner, Jana turned on music in the other room and served ice cream. “I don’t want to be alone just yet. You don’t mind, do you?”

Thaddeus accepted the vanilla ice cream drenched in chocolate syrup. “Not as long as dessert is involved.”

Jana thought she saw him smile; his eyes gleamed, anyway. She was enthralled. What was it about him?

She kicked off her fur-lined ankle boots then dug her toes into the thick carpet. Watching the fire roar in the fireplace gave her a place to focus. Meanwhile, she felt eyes on her. She turned to see that Thaddeus had finished his dessert and had set the bowl on the table.

She held her bowl in both hands and looked over. Her gaze locked with his and her body heated. Music played in the background, but neither said a word. Jana tried to read his expression, but she didn’t really need to. He must feel what she did.

Thaddeus didn’t look away and Jana didn’t move. The music seemed softer, the fire warmer. She put her bowl down, feeling a little flustered.