weren’t so damn good she’d tell the owner what he could do with this skimpy excuse for a uniform. But no way could she find another job for the same amount of hours that paid her tuition and rent. It was a sorry reality that some women were forced to make their living that way, but she was glad she wouldn’t be one of them for long.
If everything went well with this final study, she figured she could hand in her resignation in about a month. Bless Brenda’s heart for however she bribed her brother to fill in.
Nick was perfect for the study in two ways. According to Brenda, he had amazing dream recall, and second, he had time. Brenda had told her once how he’d been a quiz kid who made his fortune early, and then diverted his energy to women. Good for him. All Emma cared about was that for two weeks he was all hers.
Other than that, she knew little about him, which was terrific for the study because she’d approach his dreams with few preconceived notions. It would have been better that she knew nothing about his reputation as a charmer. But that wouldn’t be a problem…not professionally, and certainly not on a personal level. Those kinds of overconfident guys were a turnoff.
“Ouch!”
Another nail bit the dust as she shimmied out of the skin-tight uniform. She threw it aside, adjusted her thong panties, which she’d never in a million years have bought except she needed them to accommodate her uniform. Much to her surprise, she’d ended up liking the fit and bought several more.
She glanced at her watch as she reached for her khaki pants, and groaned. He’d be here at any minute. Her bra…where was her bra? God, she hoped she’d remembered to bring one.
NICK LET HIS PORSCHE IDLE a minute before he turned the ignition off. The temptation to peel out of the parking lot was so great he knew if he didn’t cut the engine now he just might head for McGillycuddy’s pub and forget all about this crazy dream analysis stuff, and Aspen.
But man, he didn’t want to disappoint Tiffany. Because when Tiffany was happy, she was amazing.
He got all hot thinking about her and quickly stepped out into the cool North Carolina afternoon air. The single-story white stucco building he faced was old and not much to look at, but of course, this wasn’t the main campus…more like an annex for the science department where the labs were located.
Pocketing his keys, he slid a glance around the small parking lot. A handful of white sedans, nondescript, unimaginative, were parked perfectly within the lines. He’d bet his bank account each and every one belonged to a professor.
Nick exhaled sharply. Just being on campus, any campus, gave him the creeps. Academia had to be life’s greatest penance. He couldn’t believe his own sister actually wanted to be a teacher.
He adjusted the collar of his black leather jacket, patted the pocket where he’d dropped his keys. Okay, he could do this. It was only for two weeks. Aspen was worth it. Tiffany would be very happy.
It was a long walk to the door. Only about twenty yards, but with lead feet it was a tough trip. When the front door wouldn’t open, he almost turned back around. Maybe he should knock.
He tried the knob again, and hell, this time it opened.
He cleared his throat, and then stepped across the threshold. The room was clean but shabby. A metal desk was crowded into the corner, the top covered with stacks of files, yet managing to look uncluttered. Beside a black leather lounge chair was an intimidating and sophisticated piece of equipment. The wire tentacles were obviously some kind of probes and he quickly looked away. Better not to think about it.
Other than three mismatched metal file cabinets, not much else was in the room. Including anything breathing. Maybe he’d luck out yet.
There was another door that had to lead somewhere, and in good conscience he figured he ought to at least check for signs of life. He moved in that direction and saw her.
At least the back of her.
And she was naked.
Nick froze.
He tried to back up, get out of view, but his gaze stayed glued to the brown silky hair that hung nearly to her waist—a slim waist, that dipped in nicely above a curvy, firm-looking behind. And legs…man, she had some wheels.
Nick swallowed, but his mouth was too dry. If he didn’t get the hell out of here, he’d probably start coughing.
She angled to the side to pick up a piece of clothing and the last thing he realized before he bolted out the front door was that she’d been wearing a thong. A red, silk one. Thongs did scary things to his heart.
He managed to close the door softly behind him, and then stood in the cool air and broke into a sweat. She couldn’t be Emma Snow. Not from what Brenda had told him about the woman. Emma was a serious student, determined to complete her thesis, had no social life, no interest in dating or men in general, and was totally off-limits to him—as if he’d be interested in someone like her.
So who was this woman? Another student, or test subject? A friend of Emma’s maybe?
After checking his watch, he decided to give her another five minutes before knocking. The extra time wouldn’t hurt him either. His physical reaction needed to settle down.
Another couple of minutes and he heard someone moving around inside. He adjusted his jeans, and then knocked this time.
The door opened immediately. A brunette wearing oversized black-rimmed glasses smiled at him. “Nick?”
“Yeah.” He tried to look past her. The other woman was obviously still in the back.
“Come on in. I’m Emma.” She waited until he got inside and then offered her hand. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you filling in like this.”
Her hand was small, fragile, but her handshake was firm. He gave her another look. Hazel eyes, clear skin, no makeup. The only outstanding feature was her lips. Naturally pink and full enough they looked cosmetically altered. But indulging in vanity didn’t fit the profile Brenda had given him.
Her general appearance did. The outdated glasses and tight bun at her nape made her look older than she was. In grade school they would have called her a bookworm, and a few other less flattering names.
“If you’ll take a seat at the desk I have some paperwork for you to fill out,” she said, gesturing to a battered gray fabric chair. The back was high and the numerous pills looked as though a cat had used it as a scratching post.
“What kind of paperwork?” He moved closer to the back room door and tried to get a glimpse of the other woman. No luck. “This is all confidential, right?”
“Of course. Any information you give me is strictly for the purpose of the study.” She smiled, and his gaze riveted to her mouth. Her lips and her friend’s legs. Now there was a combination to be reckoned with. “But I don’t think you’ll find I’ll be asking anything too personal. This basically asks statistical information.”
“And then what?”
“I’ll explain what we’ll be doing for the next two weeks.”
He took the seat at the desk and stared down at the questionnaire. Innocuous enough questions, but this part he’d
