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At first, Huntington didn't think anyone was there. The lab seemed absent of any organism not manifesting in a Petrie dish or beaker. It smelled clean, sterile even and the counters were neatly organized with their trays and vials and tubes and fascinating machines all in order. The lab was silent. But she was wound so tight, she just knew there was something momentous about to take place. Then she heard a rustle and the door opening behind her. The hairs rose on the nape of her neck. Worse and worse! Huntington recognized him right away, the client’s next devious plot against her: the cruelest sort of distraction. The Chemist was tall, tall and big, much more so than she’d thought from the pictures. He hadn't noticed her yet and she watched with fascination as he shrugged out of his white lab coat. His black, golf shirt—hanging the right way off his body—showed off thick, sinewy muscles in his wide back bunching with each smooth motion. Shoulders as broad as they come led to arms that were thick and defined and strong. His shirt tucked into gray slacks showed off even more. It exhibited a narrow waist and hips. Hunny could see the curve of a healthy bottom leading down to strong thighs and calves she could sense even in his loose-fitting pants. He turned toward her, sensing her presence, and she could see the power in his chest. Just a quick, unconscious contracting of the muscles there that drew her eyes and dried her throat. Hunny swallowed. She hadn't seen a body like that in a long, long time. She hadn’t had such a powerful physical reaction to a man in such a long… long… well, never. She swallowed again, not wanting to see his face if the body was so perfect. But, Hunny had never been a coward. Slowly, her eyes traveled up and up until she absently pressed a hand to her chest. Huntington didn't know if she had ever seen someone so delicious looking and so…so… damn. His skin was dark chocolate, smooth, and shining with a young, healthy glow. He had high, proud cheekbones and a straight, firm nose. His jaw was strong and square. His chin was just as adamant with its neatly trimmed beard. His lips were full and... just full. They looked soft and warm and ready to kiss. And his eyes—Good Lord, they had not left her since he came in—his eyes were the deepest brown, black even, and mesmerizing with their almond shape. They were warm eyes that held amusement and intelligence and just a hint of something else that was more than a little intimidating. They were talking to her. His eyes were talking to her and Hunny didn’t know if she was ready for what they were saying. She took a step back. The amusement kicked up a notch and Hunny swallowed. The man looked like an angel and a devil at once. Hunny had to look away for a moment. Her throat was dry and her insides felt like they were all stirred up. She needed to clear her head. She took a deep breath then—pure accident—cast her gaze back his way. He crossed his thick arms across his chest and leaned back against the counter. He smiled a brief, appraising smile that gave Hunny a glimpse of incredibly straight, white teeth, with the barest hint of a gap in the front two. Goodness, even the gap was sexy. She’d never in life thought of a gap as sexy. This man’s gap was sexy! And, as if that wasn’t enough, The Chemist started to speak. His voice was heavy and hot like a caress. Then she realized what he’d said and her eyes widened, “Hello, Honeybee.” She knew immediately why he’d chosen that silly moniker. She’d been called it before, even before people knew her real name. Her butter-colored skin, sand-colored hair, and light brown eyes were frequently enough commented on. But, she’d never been called Honeybee. Everyone had shortened Huntington to Hunny since she was little, but only her mother had ever called her Honeybee it didn’t sound the same coming from him. She didn't like it. She was certain she didn't like it. She absolutely didn't like the liquid warmth that had pooled inside her at the sound of that nickname rolling off his tongue. Remy Durant. It would have been impossible even without the magazine to not know him. He was gorgeous, he exuded power, and already, with a single word, he’d shown himself to be cocky. And though she’d been convinced she would not be affected by him, she couldn’t fool herself. His attraction to her in that moment was so intense she could feel it like a palpable thing. He fairly radiated sensuality and it was completely directed at her. She told herself not to blush. She told herself and told herself. He wouldn’t understand it. He probably didn’t think he had given himself away, but emotions that strong always bared themselves to her gift. From birth, Huntington had been blessed with the ability read a person’s deepest thoughts, feelings, and finally, desires. In that moment, she had been reading Remy Durant’s. It was going to be pretty damn hard to get through this first meeting if he was going to keep heating her up with his desire. And she couldn’t for the life of her figure out why. Why was this gorgeous man so attracted to her? Sure she was attractive enough—she’d have to be slow not to know that—but she had never picked up on a passion so strong from only a first meeting. Huntington found herself frowning. She certainly didn't like this coffee-complected Adonis being thrown at her as another wrench in her plans. She didn't like it at all. All she could think was she was not looking forward to the next couple of days. Oh this was definitely on the upper side of cruel! For a moment, she considered leaving. She couldn't stay there. Her best bet would be to leave the Lab, find Gina and tell her she could present the work they’d done earlier that day. She would call Arthur and tell him… tell him… well she didn’t know what she would tell him. All she knew was, she couldn’t work with him. He was dangerous. Dangerous to every part of her person. He held her career in the balance, and he was making her body go haywire while she needed all of her mental energy to land this troublesome contract. She didn’t know if she could do it. He was the single most handsome man she'd ever seen up close and personal, and his overpowering, predatory attraction to her was unnerving to say the least. How was she going to get the words out when she couldn’t stop staring at his chest and his arms, and that damn gap knowing full well that if she just gave in a little she could… How did a woman resist the power and draw of having a man like him at her fingertips? Quickly, with as much composure as she could muster she explained, "I'm sorry, were you expecting me?" she pushed out her hand and stepped forward. “I’m—“ “Huntington Lewis?” Hunny couldn’t tell if he was asking a question or not. His face, though hotly assessing before, was now almost inscrutable. He had put on his mask. Too bad the man didn’t know he couldn’t hide from her special talent. The stronger the feelings, the clearer they came to her. He engulfed her hand in his. “Yes,” Hunny answered nearly embarrassed by the breathy sound of her own voice. That’s when she realized she should be shaking his hand back. She had spent an entire lifetime practicing indifference, making sure she never betrayed her skill. Her mother had taught her that. All she needed was to make a slip and make it to a scientist at that! Her melodramatic mother had given her all kinds of nightmares about testing facilities like the one in Firestarter. “Huntington Lewis.” “Honey,” he stated clasping hers. For a moment, she couldn’t look away from his face. He was so masculine and beautiful… until she noticed that his nostrils flared. He was sniffing her! “Huntington,” she corrected trying not to sound startled or surly. He didn’t respond, merely smiled and inclined his head. “Shall we go to my office?” Huntington nodded. She started toward the door and turned to leave. However, when she hazarded a glance behind her, she found that Adonis—Durant—hadn’t budged. He was still standing by the counter and now he was sporting a full-on, devastating grin with one eyebrow cocked up at her. That couldn't bode well. Hunny frowned and he motioned her towards another door she had not noticed earlier. She changed her direction and went through the door as held it for her. As she walked past, she could hear him taking a deep, long breath right next to her hair and she felt that passion flare up again. Opening the door she paused. It was the most sumptuous office she’d ever seen. She’d expected something dark, gray, black. Something cold and uninviting. Something industrial and manly. She couldn’t have been more surprised. It was bright and cheery with beautiful hardwood flooring (Was that redwood? Wasn’t that endangered or something?) shined to perfection and plush and large red, gold, and copper paintings on three walls. There were two over-large sofas, both covered in durable, crisp white canvas with bright yellow leather cushions artfully arranged on them. A polished inlay coffee table tied the sitting area together and coordinated with Remy’s desk. It was situated in the corner between two windows. A huge, flat monitor sat on it. Hunny figured there was a keyboard and mouse on it somewhere, however she certainly couldn’t see it. The desk, a beautiful polished piece she would later find came from Poland, was an uncontested mess. Remy Durant went around and sat down. Huntington watched as he started to stack papers and pamphlet galleys and folders together to sit them on the floor behind him. Thankfully, his thoughts seemed to be moving towards a less provocative path. “Drawers,” he said to her almost apologetically. Her eyes widened. “I wanted a desk with drawers, but this one doesn’t have any. I had to decide which I wanted more.”
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About The Chemist Huntington Lewis, a smart, sexy, clairvoyant PR phenom, is trying to land the account of her life with pharmaceutical company Med Solutions. When the devastatingly attractive CEO, Remy Durant, makes an enemy of a very important FDA inspector, Huntington flies to the rescue the playboy chemist. |
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