Page 102 of Soul Mates: Hercules Valentine and I

I don’t believe him. “Oh, okay,” I barely say.

Suddenly, his mouth is delicately on mine. I’m tasting and feeling his tongue until his warm breath grazes my swollen lips.

“You can stay and finish eating,” he whispers.

I’m so discombobulated that I only manage to say, “Okay.”

I watch Hercules walk away. He doesn’t look back as he enters the glass lobby and then the elevator. Only when he’s gone do I worry about getting back into the building. It’s evident that all of his private entry and exit points have been programmed to grant him access—not me, though.

Now that I’m alone, I can’t stop wondering why he left so abruptly.What did I say? Did I do something that finally triggered his memory?

But he kissed me.If he’d figured out who I was, surely he wouldn’t have done that. Maybe he’s on his way to call security. Maybe that was his goodbye kiss.

My heart sinks, and my stomach turns. Even though I feel sick, I can’t toss the rest of Benny’s tasty hot dog. I chew and swallow faster while continuously glancing over my shoulder at the gate, waiting for the worst to happen.Would he send security to collect me through the gate and have them escort me away from the building through the alley?

“Yes,” I whisper. He would.

His actions make perfect sense. Hercules knew I wouldn’t be able to get back inside, which is why he left so suddenly. He took the reasonable course of action for someone who doesn’t want to create a scene. I’ve been caught—and now I’m fired.

When there’s no more hot dog to eat, I stand. Dread grips me as I clutch my stomach and walk to the glass lobby to test my theory.

Wait.I stop just as the doors slide open, and I tug on the lapels of Hercules’s coat.I’m still wearing it.

I look up at the sky, relieved. And then I laugh at myself for getting all worked up. Guilt is making me crazy. The elevator opens for me, and I ride up.

When I enter Hercules’s office, he’s not at his large desk. I take a moment to admire the cityscape rising behind his chair. I didn’t notice it when I first walked into to his office, because other than Lake’s painting, he was all I could focus on.

After all of these years, I still like him a lot.

I pull one lapel of his coat to my nose and inhale deeply. “Mmm,” I say as his scent fills my nostrils. I could smell Hercules every day for the rest of my life.

Finally, it’s time to leave. Since I’m not fired, I have a lot of work to get done. I carefully take off his coat and hang it back on the coat-tree. Before walking out, I stand in front of Lake’s painting. It’s a masterpiece. I can’t believe she’s such a great artist. But more than that, I can hardly believe Hercules paid half a million just because he liked my tits.

I snicker as I shake my head. It’s crazy knowing that Hercules Valentine is sexually attracted to me, the nerd from high school.

While returning to my pod, I realize that I dodged a bullet in the park. I have to watch what I say to Hercules and everyone else. I finally understand what’s at stake if I’m recognized. When he finds out that I’m Paisley Grove, he’ll feel betrayed. And then Hercules will banish me from his life forever. I have to figure out a way to never let that happen.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Who’s That Girl

Hercules Valentine

Fifteen Minutes Earlier

Ivaguely pay attention to the city going past my window. James is driving me home. I've heard that voice before. “Hercules,” she said in Lark’s tone with her same inflections. And I wasn't remembering the girl I ran into at the track and then slept with during a drunk spell fueled by misery. No, the speaker and I shared a more intimate connection, a link that’s closer than sex and more profound than physical attraction.

I told Lark that I had a meeting to get to—but I don’t. And I don’t want Mason involved in what I have to do. My instincts have been blaring like a fire-engine motorcade ever since I laid eyes on Lark Davenport. I hate to even think it, but it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility.Is she…?

I sip the warm air of the cab and let it rest in my lungs for a second. I release my breath. I have to exhaust every avenue.

I pinch my bottom lip.The way she tastes… smells… that night…

If it’s her, then I would want to know why she’s working for me under a false identity.

“My calendar,” I whisper.

I was scheduled to be traveling to New Delhi and London when she started on Monday.