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Emma slid off her stool, feeling supremely oafish next to the lithe beauty. Her breasts jiggled, cleavage threatening to spill out of the comfy tank top and loose-fitting flannel shirt she’d changed into after the disaster of a presentation. Her jeans suddenly felt way too tight.

“I don’t know ... ” She took a deep breath, eyeing her food, but not really seeing it for once. God, she craved what Erika had more than she’d ever yearned for a tortilla chip, but at what cost?

A shadow crossed the corner of Emma’s vision and she turned her head back, surprised to find Erika’s hand beside her cheek, fingers delicately plucking at an errant curl. She looked wide-eyed into the other woman’s pretty face.

Erika gave her a seductive smile and waved the flash drive at her again.

“Even trade. I can throw in a perk. Name your poison. Blond or ... dark ... ” She tilted her head and glanced to the opposite side of the bar where her entourage sat.

The Adonis twins beside Erika’s known lover, painfully beautiful Eben, and the dark-haired, ruggedly gorgeous Corey Monaghan, who was probably the most inaccessible man on the planet. Or at least, in their specialty.

Emma swallowed. “Are you actually offering ... what I think you are?” Did these men even know who they were following?

She stared at Erika and caught a slight waver.

Maybe it was the way the other woman swallowed a little too harshly, or the way her lashes fluttered.

She had to be bluffing. Emma had heard all the rumors about Erika and her crew.

Fantastic, dedicated scientists, all of them, but emotionally screwed on so many levels and maybe even a little bit incestuous.

“I’ll take the twins,” she said. “If they’re really available. But you and I both know they’re not. Neither is Corey. Eben might be, but he’s been so far up your ass for the last five years he probably wouldn’t be that fun, would he?”

Holy shit, she was on fire. Especially if Erika’s surprised look was any indication. She kept going.

“You don’t own them, Erika. And besides, I can get a man on my own.

You can have my research, but only because I want yours.

” She shoved her hand into the front pocket of her jeans and pulled out the flash drive she’d been carrying around with her.

Ever cautious, she had copies of her research stashed in several places, and one always on her person.

She reached out and snatched the drive Erika still held in her hand and slammed her own into the woman’s palm.

Erika grabbed it and gripped Emma’s hand tightly in hers. Before Emma could blink, the other woman had tugged her close with sudden, ferocious strength, gripped the back of her head, and planted her mouth on Emma’s.

Emma struggled for a second out of surprise, then gave in, letting Erika dictate how their mouths merged.

She’d never kissed another woman before, and Erika’s tender passion surprised her.

God, she was a good kisser—as commanding as a man and as hungry, too, but underneath she was gentle and so, so soft.

Emma couldn’t help but kiss back, a little hungry herself for the connection, and curious enough to explore the velvet pliancy of Erika’s lips and tongue.

It had been so long since Emma had been intimate with anyone, even a simple kiss opened up a door to let go in a way she hadn’t since a disastrous affair with another TA when she’d begun grad school.

And tonight, she really did need to let go.

But it still wasn’t quite right. The desire Emma sensed in Erika was enough to make her hot, but not enough to go any further.

She pressed her palms against Erika’s shoulders and pushed.

“Wow, ah ... that was unnecessary?”

Erika wiped her mouth, looking as dazed as Emma felt. “I’m sorry. I ... you’re the closest to an equal I’ve ever met, Emma. I wanted to know what it felt like to ... to be closer to you. But we both have work to do, I think. Good luck with yours.”

Emma blinked at Erika’s back as the other woman walked away, looking even more shaken than Emma felt.

She touched her lips, confused, and a little elated at the exchange.

She had Erika’s research and Erika had given her the kiss of a lifetime, which she felt like she should have enjoyed a lot more than she had.

Fuck. If that kiss was any indication, she could have probably spent the night with Erika and dug even more secrets out of the woman. She didn’t consider herself even remotely gay, but she’d have done it.

“What the fuck just happened?” If she didn’t know better, she’d swear she’d just had the upper hand on Erika fucking Rosencrans and had blown her chance.

It was kind of a sweet feeling. Emma went back to her room in the best mood she’d had for the entire conference and fell asleep while making plans to do precisely what Erika suggested—mount an expedition to prove her research was fact. Except she wouldn’t start with Africa.

She’d start in her own back yard.