Chapter 5

FIVE

A t precisely seven, Emma stood outside her building, wearing the black dress that made Janie whisper, “Science Daddy won’t know what hit him,” and promptly earned a shoe thrown to the head. A sleek black car pulled up, and the driver opened the door to reveal Lucas waiting inside.

Emma’s breath caught. He’d changed into a black suit that made his earlier office attire look casual. The effect was devastating.

“You look beautiful,” he said, his voice lower and rougher than it had been in the office. His eyes swept over her, shifting from green to gold in a way that made her wonder if she should be taking notes for scientific documentation.

“Thank you. You look...” Emma’s brain searched for an appropriate word—edible, no. “Statistically impossible.” Not much better.

His laugh rumbled through the car as she slid in beside him. The space felt intimate, charged with the same electricity from the elevator. His scent enveloped her – that woodsy, masculine smell that made her want to conduct very unprofessional experiments.

“Statistically improbable?” His smile held secrets and heat. “Do elaborate, Dr. Greene.”

“Well, remember you asked.” Emma turned slightly to face him, trying to ignore how the movement made their knees touch. “The symmetry of your features defies normal genetic distribution. Your reflexes exceed human capabilities. Your eyes change color. And your very presence seems to interfere with my ability to form coherent scientific hypotheses.”

“Only the scientific ones?” He leaned closer, and Emma’s heart performed a series of acrobatics.

“No,” she admitted. “All coherent thought becomes challenging when you look at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like you’re considering eating me alive.”

His eyes flashed pure gold. “Perhaps I am.”

Emma’s phone buzzed in her clutch, breaking the moment. She glanced down to see a series of texts:

Janie : GET IT GIRL

Mom : Remember to maintain eye contact. Studies show it increases bonding hormones...

Emma turned her phone off.

“Your family seems concerned,” Lucas observed, amusement and something darker in his voice.

“They’re... overly invested in my social life.”

Lucas’s laugh filled the car. “I look forward to meeting your family.”

The way he said it – like it was inevitable rather than presumptuous – sent shivers down Emma’s spine. She should be worried about how fast this was moving, how many professional boundaries they were crossing, how many impossible things she’d witnessed today.

Instead, she found herself leaning slightly closer, drawn by that magnetic pull she couldn’t explain with science.

“So,” she said, meeting his now-golden gaze, “are we going to pretend this is a professional dinner to discuss my research?”

His smile turned voracious in a way that should have been frightening but instead made heat pool in her stomach. “I think we both know this isn’t about professional matters, Emma.”

The way he said her name should be classified as a controlled substance.

“Good,” she heard herself say. “Because I have several hypotheses about you that require extensive testing.”

His growl – an actual growl – made her breath catch.

“Test away,” he murmured, close enough now that she could feel his breath on her lips. “But remember, Dr. Greene... some experiments can have life-changing results.”

The car stopped at the restaurant and the car door opened. “To be continued,” he said.

Le Bernardin’s intimate lighting made Lucas’s eyes appear almost luminous. They sat in a private corner booth where the candlelight cast interesting shadows across his perfect cheekbones. Emma tried to focus on the menu instead of how he’d smoothly guided her to their table with a hand on the small of her back, a touch that still burned through her dress.

“Wine?” he asked, his voice doing that low thing that made her stomach flip.

“Yes. Lots. I mean—” Emma caught herself. “A reasonable amount. Because this is partly professional. Sort of. Isn’t it?”

His smirk was adorable. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re enjoying watching me try to figure this out.” She set her menu down. “And I think you’re used to being the most enigmatic person in the room.”

“Guilty.” He leaned forward slightly. “Though I find myself rather enjoying being figured out. By you.”

The way he said by you made her head spin. Before she could respond, their waiter appeared. Lucas ordered for them both in perfect French, because of course, he did.

“Show off,” Emma muttered when the waiter left.

“I have many talents,” he replied with a wicked glint in his eye. “Some more... unusual than others.”

“Like defying the laws of gravity? Or running a multi-billion dollar company while looking like you belong on a magazine cover? Or making my heart rate accelerate beyond normal parameters with just a look?”

“Is it accelerating now?” He definitely looked pleased with himself.

Emma took a sip of the wine that had appeared as if by magic. “You know it is. Which raises interesting questions about your sensory capabilities. Normal humans can’t detect subtle physiological changes from across a table.”

“Perhaps we should discuss your research instead,” he deflected smoothly, but his eyes had darkened to that compelling gold. “Tell me more about your breakthrough this morning.”

“Trying to distract me from my observations about your super-human abilities?”

“Is it working?”

“No,” Emma said honestly. “But I’ll play along because the science actually is fascinating. And because you’re the first person who’s ever looked at me like that while I talk about genetic markers.”

“Like what?”

“Like my excitement about science is attractive instead of weird.”

His expression softened for a moment before turning heated. “I find your passion incredibly attractive. Among other things.”

Emma’s cheeks warmed. “Right. Science. Focus.” She took another sip of wine. “So, the stability markers I discovered – they’re like genetic locks, keeping certain traits pristine through generations. But like I’ve said, that same protection might be causing the fertility issues I’ve tracked in certain family lines.”

“Our research suggests similar conclusions,” Lucas said, watching her intently. “These bloodlines – they’re unique. Special. Their genetic makeup is significantly different from the general population.”

“You mean they’re not human?” The words slipped out before she could stop them.

Instead of dismissing her, Lucas leaned closer. “What makes you say that?”

“The data patterns. The statistical anomalies. The way certain families maintain impossible traits for generations. The way you move, and how your eyes change color, and—” She broke off as their food arrived, looking almost too artistic to eat.

Once they were alone again, Lucas said softly, “And?”

“And the way you look at me sometimes. Like you’re not just a man, but something more. Something primal.” Emma surprised herself with her boldness. The wine probably helped.

“Dangerous territory, Dr. Greene.” His voice had dropped to that rumbling register. “Some mysteries come with unexpected consequences.”

“Good thing I like experiments with uncertain outcomes.” She met his gaze steadily. “Are you going to tell me what you are?”

“No.” His smile displayed his too-long teeth. “But I might let you figure it out. If you’re brave enough to keep looking.”

“Was that a challenge?”

“Perhaps.” He took a bite of his food, somehow making it look sinfully graceful. “Though I should warn you – once you start down this path, there’s no going back. Some knowledge changes everything.”

Emma leaned forward, close enough to catch that addictive woodsy scent. “Maybe I want everything to change.”

His eyes flashed pure gold. “Careful what you wish for, Emma.”

“Or what? You’ll show me just how inhuman you can be?”

The low growl that rumbled from his chest definitely wasn’t human. “You’re playing with fire.”

“Good thing I’ve always been curious about combustion reactions.” She took another sip of wine, feeling daring. “Besides, you wouldn’t have hired me if you didn’t want me to solve this puzzle.”

“True,” he admitted. “Though I’m starting to think I underestimated just how dangerous you could be to my secrets.”

“Only your secrets?”

His heated look made her glad she was sitting down. “You’re dangerous to my control in ways that have nothing to do with science.”

Emma set down her wine glass, forcing her scientific mind to focus despite Lucas’s distracting... everything. “The fertility issues in these bloodlines – they’re getting worse, aren’t they? That’s why you’re really interested in my research.”

His expression shifted, a flash of concern breaking through the heated playfulness. “What makes you say that?”

“The patterns in the data. These families with unusual genetic stability – their birth rates have dropped significantly in the past few generations. And it’s accelerating.” She leaned forward, enthusiasm for the puzzle overtaking her awareness of his magnetism. Almost. “The very thing that makes them special is starting to work against them.”

Lucas was silent for a moment, studying her with an intensity that made her skin tingle. “And you believe you can solve this?” His voice was carefully neutral, but Emma caught the undercurrent of urgency.

She met his gaze. “This isn’t just academic curiosity for you, is it? This affects your family. Your people.”

The word people hung between them, heavy with implication.

“Yes,” he admitted finally. “The situation is becoming critical. Several prominent families are struggling to conceive. If we can’t find a solution...” He trailed off, his eyes shifting to that intense gold.

“You’ll face extinction,” Emma finished softly. “These perfect genetics will be your downfall unless something changes.”

“Unless someone changes it.” His hand found hers across the table, the touch electric. “Someone brilliant enough to understand the problem and brave enough to handle the truth behind it.”

“Someone who won’t run screaming when they discover exactly what makes your bloodlines so special?” She turned her hand to lace their fingers together, noting how his skin burned hotter than human-normal temperature.

His laugh held a darker edge. “Are you planning to run screaming, Dr. Greene?”

“Don’t be scared, be logical. It takes more than impossible genetics to scare me off.” She squeezed his hand. “Though I am curious about what other surprises you’re hiding besides the eye color thing and the supernatural grace.”

“Dangerous curiosity.” But he smiled, that predatory edge subtle but there.

What was this incredible man hiding? She’d find out even if it was the death of her.