Straightening, she swallowed the cold water, then caught a glimpse of Ted through the window as she pressed the back of her hand to her mouth. He was wearing his glasses and lab coat, his hair tousled as if he’d plunged his hands into it more than once. From frustration? Impatience?
Then Derek Armstrong moved into view, coming up beside Ted to look at his computer screen. Sara Beth frowned. Why was he there? As CFO of the institute, Derek wouldn’t normally drop in on the research doctors. There wouldn’t seem to be a reason for him to do so.
Even though Sara Beth had spent a lot of time in the Armstrong home, Derek and his twin brother, Paul, were eight years older. She’d lost track of them until she’d come to work full-time at the institute. She did know that Derek and Paul were opposites in many ways, ways that made Paul a good chief of staff, respected and liked, and Derek more hard-nosed, since he was the money guy. But he hadn’t endeared himself to the staff.
Or at least not lately. People hadn’t whispered behind his back until recently. His expression was stern now as he talked with Ted.
Suddenly Ted looked toward the window. Sara Beth pulled back before he could see her watching. She didn’t know why she was nervous about seeing him this morning, except that as she’d gotten to know him more each day, she’d found more to like each day, too. Her last boyfriend, a six-month relationship that had ended a couple months ago, would never have kept her on the phone until she was safely inside her house. He’d always “respected her independence,” as he’d put it—perhaps because she’d made sure he knew her independence was something she prided herself on.
But after last night she’d altered her thinking a little. Being independent didn’t mean she couldn’t let a man be considerate.
Ted had made her feel special. With a simple gesture he made her previous boyfriends seem uncaring. And Ted wasn’t even her boyfriend.
Derek came out of the lab, smiled slightly at her, then held the door for her to enter.
“Good morning,” Ted said, his posture a little stiff.
“Hi,” she said, going straight to her desk, upon which was the shopping bag full of catalogs and magazines she’d brought him the day before.
“I found a few possibilities online and printed them off,” he said. “Some styles that appealed to me. They’re on top.”
“That’s great.” She pulled out the papers, glanced at them, then nodded. “It’s you.”
“I don’t know what’s me, exactly, but I liked it.”
“Casual elegance, clean lines, masculine, not fussy. That’s you.” She set the bag on the floor. “I’ll come up with a list of stores to check out.”
“Thanks. I really appreciate it. Why don’t I pick you up around nine on Saturday?”
She hadn’t looked at him yet, but kept herself busy turning on the computer, taking off her jacket and hanging it up. She would finish up the first stack of files today. Would she get to go to the vault and grab new ones?
“It’s an easy shot for me on the bus, Ted. There’s no sense in driving to my house only to drive back to yours.”
“I don’t mind.”
Out of the corner of her eye she saw him move toward her.
She finally looked at him. Big mistake. Even with his nerd glasses and lab coat on, he looked sexy. Crazy sexy. Like she-wanted-to-kiss-him-for-hours sexy.
“Are you all right, Sara Beth?”
Desire and guilt battled for control in her head. She couldn’t tell him how hot she found him, nor could she tell him that the moment she was allowed into the vault, she would do something completely unethical. For a woman who’d always prided herself on her integrity—
“Sara Beth?”
She sat. She didn’t want to come across as rude, but she really needed him to go away. “I’m just anxious to get to work.”
He didn’t go away. In fact, he moved closer, into her personal space, stealing her oxygen. “Have you changed your mind? Would you prefer not to help me shop?”
She shook her head. Once she made a commitment to someone or something, she followed through. But this would be it, she decided. One time only. “I just don’t think you need to pick me up on Saturday.”
He stared at her. She stared back, trying to keep her expression bland.
“Good morning, all,” Chance Demetrios said as he breezed through the door. He came to a quick stop and looked from Sara Beth to Ted. “Everything okay?”
“Apparently,” Ted said, then walked back to his computer.
Chance lifted his brows at Sara Beth. She smiled. “Something I can help you with?”
“I just sent Mrs. Jordan next door to be prepped for a C-section. I thought you’d like to assist.”
She hopped up. “Absolutely. If you don’t mind, Ted?”
“Someone special?” Ted guessed.
“Candy Jordan was my first patient when I started working here full-time. She went through seven implantations before it finally took, and now she’s pregnant with triplets. I’ve held her hand a lot.”
Ted gestured toward the door. “By all means, go.”
She hesitated, then looked at Chance. “See you in a few.” He left.
She waited for the door to shut. “I’ll come back later and work,” she said to Ted.
“You can skip a day. It’s fine.”
She couldn’t get a handle on his mood. Which was probably fair, since she hadn’t let him get a handle on hers. She moved up beside him. “I don’t want to skip a day. I’ll work later on.”
“Whatever works out.”
He hadn’t stopped staring at his screen. She wondered if she’d offended him. “Does it bother you that I turned down your offer in order to ride the bus to your home?”
He made eye contact. “You’re doing me a favor, Sara Beth. A big favor. The least you can do is let me pick you up.”
So he was upset about that. “You’re right. Thank you. Yes, I’d appreciate that.” She said goodbye then left.
So. They’d had their first fight. She smiled. She’d thought Ted was extraordinarily patient, but even his patience could be tested when he wasn’t getting his own way.
Frankly, she was glad to see this new side of him. And wanted to see a whole lot more.
Chapter Six
Ted considered patience his strongest asset, and his ability to concentrate a close second. He could spend hours doing one thing, and only one thing, not even taking time to eat.
