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"This didn't happen," I say, smoothing my hair with shaking hands.

Evan looks completely unruffled except for the darkened eyes and the slight redness where my lipstick has transferred to his mouth. He wipes it away with his thumb, watching me with an intensity that makes me want to squirm. I cross my legs together. I am wet. Dripping in fact but it was just a kiss. A kiss.

"We should meet again soon," he says, "To finalize the details of your research transfer. I'll have contracts drawn up."

"Fine." I grab my purse, desperate to escape before I do something stupid.

"One more thing." He catches my wrist as I turn to leave. "I'm assigning you a security detail."

I pull my arm free. "I don't need a babysitter."

"This isn't up for debate… Someone ransacked your lab last week. And there was also a break-in at your apartment before that."

I freeze. "How do you know about those incidents?"

"I make it my business to know." His jaw tightens. "The Crimson Plague didn't just come out of the blue, Dahlia. There are powerful people who started this, and they don't want a cure found."

"Why?"

"That's a longer conversation." He glances at his watch. "Until then, you'll accept my protection."

"Or what?"

"You'll probably have a bullet in your head by next week." His tone makes it clear this isn't an idle threat.

"Your choice."

Chapter 2 - Dahlia

"No, I didn't throw the damn report at his head, but I wanted to." I cradle my phone between my ear and shoulder while chopping vegetables. "You should have seen his smug face when he told me I work for him now."

Emily laughs on the other end of the line. "So instead of throwing things, you made out with him on his desk?"

"I did not…" I stop myself because technically that's exactly what I did. "It wasn't like that. I don't know what happened."

"Uh-huh." I can practically hear her smirk through the phone. "You’ve met Evan twice at a research conference, and both times you have wanted to poke your fingers in his eyes, and now you've just’ accidentally fallen on his lips."

"I'm serious, Em." I put down the knife before I hurt myself. "Something weird happened. It was like... my body took over. I couldn't think straight."

"That's called attraction, Dahlia. Some of us experience it regularly."

I roll my eyes. "I know what attraction feels like. This was different. More... intense."

"How intense are we talking?"

I hesitate, glancing around my empty apartment as if someone might overhear. "I had to cum three times before I could get myself back under control."

The silence on the other end stretches out so long that I check to see if the call dropped.

"Emily?"

"I'm sorry… did you just say THREE TIMES?"

"Yes." I press my forehead against the cool refrigerator door. "I couldn't stop... You know."

"Dripping?" Emily supplies helpfully.

"Yes. That." My face burns. "I've never been that turned on in my life. From just a kiss! It doesn't make sense."