Chapter 12

TWELVE

N atalie kicked her under the table.

“I’ll make sure she gets home safely,” Marcus said, his voice rougher than usual.

“I’m sure you will,” Lillian murmured, earning another kick from Natalie.

Back at the lab, riding the high of a fun evening and possibly too much wine, she decided to make herself useful. Marcus had done so much to protect her—surely she could contribute something to the security efforts. The lab’s system looked fairly straightforward. Just a few small adjustments to optimize the protocols...

The piercing wail of multiple alarms made her jump. Red warning lights began flashing throughout the lab as the security system went into full lockdown mode.

“Shit, shit, shit,” Natalie muttered, frantically typing commands to try to undo what she’d done. The door burst open, revealing Marcus with Jax close behind, both scanning for threats.

“What happened?” Marcus demanded, then took in the scene—Natalie at the security console, looking guilty as hell.

“I may have slightly... broken your security system,” she admitted sheepishly. “I was trying to help.”

Marcus stared at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, to her surprise, his lips twitched. “You were trying to hack my state-of-the-art security protocols?”

“Hack is such an aggressive word,” Natalie protested. “I was more... tinkering.”

Behind Marcus, Jax burst out laughing. “Oh man, you’ve got your hands full with this one, boss.”

“I’m aware,” Marcus said dryly, but his eyes held warmth as they met Natalie’s. He crossed to her workstation, reaching past her to enter an override code. The alarms fell silent, leaving them in sudden, charged quiet.

“I’m sorry,” Natalie said softly, hyper-aware of how close he stood. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”

“Trouble seems to find you regardless,” Marcus murmured. His hand came up to brush a strand of hair from her face, the gesture achingly gentle. Time seemed to slow as he leaned closer, his gaze dropping to her lips.

“You should get some rest,” he said roughly, taking a step back. “I’ll drive you home.”

The drive to Natalie’s apartment was quiet, filled with unspoken tension. Marcus insisted on walking her to her door, his presence solid and reassuring beside her.

“Thank you,” she said softly as they reached her apartment. “For everything.”

Marcus’s hand cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing her lower lip. For a moment, she thought he might kiss her. Instead, he pressed his lips to her forehead, the gesture somehow more intimate than a kiss.

“Get some sleep,” he murmured. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Inside her apartment, Natalie had barely kicked off her shoes when her phone rang. Her mother’s name flashed on the screen.

“Hi, Mom,” she answered, collapsing onto her couch.

“Darling! Lillian told me you had dinner with your new boss tonight.”

Natalie groaned. “Of course, she did.”

“She said he’s very... impressive.”

“Impressive is one word for it,” Natalie muttered, sinking deeper into her couch cushions. “Did Lillian happen to mention he rented out the entire restaurant?”

“Oh, just a small detail she might have mentioned,” Eleanor said airily. “Along with the security detail. And his rather... commanding presence.”

“Mom, please don’t start—“ Natalie paused, waiting for the usual barrage of questions about her love life. To her surprise, they didn’t come.

“Start what, dear? I’m simply asking about your new employer.”

Natalie sat up straighter, suspicion creeping in. “Okay, who are you and what have you done with my mother? Normally by now you’d be telling me about some brilliant neurosurgeon’s son who’d be perfect for me.”

“Oh, I’m done with all that matchmaking nonsense,” Eleanor said breezily. “You’re a grown woman. You can manage your own love life.”

“Now I’m really worried.” Natalie narrowed her eyes at the phone. “Are you feeling okay? Should I call Dad?”

Eleanor laughed. “Can’t a mother simply want to hear about her daughter’s day?”

“A mother, yes. You? No. You once tried to set me up with?—“

“That’s all in the past now,” Eleanor said dismissively. “Tell me more about Marcus Vale. Lillian mentioned he’s quite protective of you.”

Natalie picked at a loose thread on her sweater. “There are some... security concerns with my research. He’s just being cautious.”

“Mh-mm. And does this caution usually involve him staring at you like—what was it Lillian said? Ah yes, like he wants to devour you whole?”

“Oh my God.” Natalie covered her face with a throw pillow. “I’m going to kill my sister.”

“Don’t be dramatic, dear. Though speaking of dramatic, is it true he growled at the waiter who got too close to your table?”

“He did not—“ Natalie paused, remembering a low rumble she’d heard when the overly friendly server had leaned in to refill her wine. “Okay, maybe there was a small growl. But that’s just... it’s a shifter thing.”

“A shifter thing?” Eleanor’s voice perked up with interest. “How fascinating. You know, I treated a shifter patient once. Remarkable healing abilities. And such strong protective instincts, especially toward their m?—“