Freak of Nature - By Julia Crane Page 0,12
cottage in the countryside. Very out of place, but Harrington wanted Adams to live on the compound in case any issues arose. The cottage had been Mrs. Adams idea. She said if she was going to be stuck on the god forsaken compound she might as well get her dream house. Harrington had built it to her specifics. Harrington definitely took care of his own. He had to give him that.
Lucas trudged forward across the well-manicured lawn and rang the doorbell. He just wanted the night to be over with.
Mrs. Adams opened the door with a friendly smile, her white hair falling in loose curls around her face. It was obvious the woman had been a looker in her day, but time had taken a toll, and had deeply lined her oval face and high cheekbones. Her bright blue eyes, however, still sparkled with youthfulness.
The Adams’s didn’t believe in the anti-aging treatments that IFICS had invented, but they were okay with turning a girl into half a human. People rarely made sense.
“Come in, Lucas. So glad you could join us.” She stepped aside and allowed him to pass into the cottage. He could smell fresh baked bread cooking. The aroma was mouth watering.
“You look as lovely as ever, Mrs. Adams.”
“Oh, you. Keep ‘em coming. You know I’m a sucker for compliments,” she gave him an impish grin that took years off her face.
A stone fireplace sat to the right, lit with flames. Knickknacks covered the worn wooden shelves that lined both sides. From the look of the shelves, the mantle, and end tables, Mrs. Adams collected angels and porcelain bears. A worn leather couch and two rocking chairs filled the small room. He smiled at the sight of the brightly colored rug in front of the fireplace. It reminded him of a rug his mother had made by hand many years ago. His mothers didn’t turn out quite as nice, but at least she tried. His mom always tried.
“Dinner is almost ready,” Mrs. Adams said sweetly. “I made roast. I hope that’s okay with you. You’re not vegetarian, are you? If so, I can whip something up.”
“Roast is fine. Thank you, it smells amazing.” He’d had no idea he was coming for dinner; he had thought it was just a last minute meeting with the Professor. The sound of his stomach rumbling reminded him he hadn’t eaten since lunch, so a home cooked dinner was a welcome surprise.
“Take off your jacket and join the rest of us in the sitting room.”
Lucas shrugged out of his jacket and wondered who ‘the rest of us’ were. He hoped he wasn’t being ambushed with some crazy upgrade by the professor. They were too close to make drastic changes now.
Mrs. Adams took his jacket and walked away to hang it in a nearby closet.
“Follow me.” She smiled and led him down a narrow hallway lined with black and white photographs.
He almost stumbled over his own feet when he saw Kaitlyn sitting on a floral loveseat next to the Adams’s granddaughter.
What is Kaitlyn doing here?
Kaitlyn looked up and caught his gaze. He felt like a lovesick teenager. His heart raced, and his mouth felt dry and refused to cooperate; he needed to say something, but nothing would come out. She literally took his breath away.
She sat at the edge of the loveseat holding a glass of water. The white dress she was wearing was entirely too revealing. Her long legs were pressed together and tilted to the side. He could see the coding scroll through her calves, and he had to force himself to look away. He searched the room until his eyes settled on a painting in the corner. It was black, red, and white and he had no idea what it was supposed to depict. It looked like a bunch of paint splatters to him, but something told him it was worth a fortune.
“Lucas, I’m so glad you could join us tonight,” Professor Adams said, offering a hand. “My wife has been dying to have you as a dinner guest for some time.”
“A dinner guest?” Lucas sputtered, shaking his superior’s hand. “I thought you had to see me about work?”
The elder man tutted. “My dear boy. Sometimes work needs to be set aside, and we just need to enjoy one another’s company.”
Lucas felt like he was being set up, but he had no idea why. What could that Adam’s possible want with him.
Chapter Six
What is he doing here? Tearing her eyes away from