you’re going to make bank for this company. She might work on flashier projects, but everyone knows it’s minds like yours who bring in investors, who fuel the other projects. You might not change the world with the helium project, but you’re going to make it easier for doctors to use the diagnostic machines they need, to pay for that use. You’re making a real difference,” she said.
Yep, now she remembered why she’d been excited in the beginning. She’d seen only this side of her boss. “Thank you. I’m grateful to have the backing of Genedyne. But to your question, no. She didn’t send me anything. Our lockers were across from each other. Maybe they got confused.”
She doubted it. But she also didn’t understand why anyone would think Madison might leave her something.
But she might have been setting her up to take a fall.
That thought sent a chill through her, and she had the sudden and deep desire to talk to Hutch. Her father would immediately panic and make a move to protect her at all costs. If she talked to Cara, she would probably be told she was being paranoid.
Hutch would talk to her. Well, he would have talked to her. This was about the case, though. Perhaps he would have to talk to her, and she could come to some understanding of why he’d gotten upset.
You know why he got upset. He got upset because he felt what you did, and he wanted to go with it. He wanted to go all in, and you couldn’t trust it.
She still couldn’t. This wasn’t a feeling she could trust. She was in danger and he was safe. He was pretty much her perfect man, and she hadn’t even realized what she wanted until she’d met him.
No one fell for a person this quickly. It never worked.
“I need you to let me know if anything else happens,” Jessica was saying. “We need to keep everything quiet because the last thing we want is publicity. You understand that we need our investors to know we’re a solid company.”
“Of course.” She needed to think about everything that had been said. There was something more going on here. “We are a solid company.”
Jessica’s smile went bright, and she stood again. “We are. All right. You can meet with legal tomorrow. Why don’t you head home and get some rest? I’m excited about this new experiment.” She turned to the door. “Are you sure you want the geeky one? Don’t get me wrong. He’s cute, but his brother is divine.”
She followed Jessica’s gaze and then her heart skipped a beat because Hutch was standing in the outer lab talking to Kyle. He was wearing jeans and sneakers and a T-shirt that said something snarky, she was sure. His hair was a bit long and he brushed it back, showing off those ridiculously strong arms of his.
He might not be as showy as Kyle, but she’d seen him naked and knew how demanding the man could be in the best of ways.
His eyes caught hers, and a stunning smile crossed his face.
“Nope. He’s the one I want,” she said, wishing that she could actually have him. But she wasn’t stupid. They came from completely different worlds. Maybe somewhere down the road they would find themselves at Sanctum and she would be ready for someone like him.
Of course, he would have moved on by then.
Jessica waved him in. “Well, I suppose I should be grateful for that. Kyle, I’m going back up to the office. I’ve got a date tonight, so you can knock off early. Bentley can take me upstairs.”
Hutch walked straight up to Noelle, his eyes warm on hers. “Hey, baby. I missed you all day. I hope you don’t mind me coming by. I wanted to head home with you.”
She would have said something, but his hands were on her and then those lush lips of his were covering her own, and he wasn’t holding back. The night before rushed into her brain in vivid clarity, and every hormone in her body flared to life. By the time he stepped back, she was completely breathless.
“Okay, maybe I get it.” Jessica winked her way before turning. “Don’t forget that report.”
The door closed and Hutch’s face fell.
“Hey, I’m sorry. I thought I should…” he began.
It was for their cover. Of course. It was all for their cover, and at least now she knew he wasn’t going to leave her high and dry. “It’s okay. I understand.