Definitely more than she needed for the experiment from the medical journal or even for an experiment similar to her father's.

From what she deduced from her father's notes, his needs had been minimal, mostly the laboratory rats and their requirements.

"We can return what we don't need to the equipment room. I've already put in an order for some lab rats."

Sebastian leaned against the table and smiled. "I don't remember the article in the medical journal mentioning any animals." She gave the edges of his black leather duster a playful tug. "No, it didn't. If Edward is the one, he'll know it, too."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "How secure is this place?"

"Unless you have a key card to get in, there's the basic security check at the main door. Video in the hallways and elevators. Plain old lock and key for this room. That's it."

Pursing his lips, he replied, "Then I'm on you like beans on rice. When do we get started?"

Melissa ran her hand through the strands of his dark brown hair. Then with a puzzled look, she touched the slight stubble coming in around his lips and his chin. "What's this?"

He rubbed the fuzz across the side of her face before kissing the edges of her lips. "You said you liked disreputable."

She could deny it, but it would be a huge lie. For days he'd been back to the old Sebastian. He was dressed again in a T-shirt and black jeans, and had slipped his silver hoop back in one ear. As he'd helped her slip on her own jacket, she'd noticed the thumb ring and silver bracelet on one hand. s.e.xy, she'd thought, wondering what it was about his whole bad-boy thing that appealed to her.

"Hmm," she replied, rubbing her lips over the fuzz, liking the feel of the newborn goatee. She moved her face a fraction of an inch and slipped her lips over his. "Nice."

Sebastian opened his mouth against hers. "Very, very nice."

She returned the kiss, leaning into him. He brought his hand between their bodies and was moving it upward when a loud cough at the door jolted them apart.

Hot color flooded her cheeks as she whirled toward the sound. Edward stood at the door, an amused look on his face.

"I knocked, but no one heard. I'm sorry."

"No, not at all, Edward. You know Sebastian." She motioned to Sebastian, his arm still around her waist as if to announce his intentions.

"Yes. I believe we've met before." Edward strolled into the lab and made a face of annoyance as he ran a finger across the grime on the surface of one table. "This is quite a mess."

"Sebastian and I were just going to tackle it," she said.

Again Edward made a face to show his displeasure, but this time it was directed exclusively at Sebastian. "Yes, well. If you need someone who knows their way around a lab, let me know."

Sebastian stiffened. Giving him a rea.s.suring squeeze, Melissa shook her head. "Sebastian and I can handle things just fine. We're going to clean and get some sterile equipment before I get started."

"Well, then. I can see I'm not needed, but first..." He walked out of the lab and came back with a small brown paper shopping bag. "I thought if you were anything like your father, you might need this."

He held out the bag and Melissa placed it on a table. Inside there was a small box covered in deep maroon wrapping paper. She undid the wrap to reveal a bra.s.s Seth Thomas clock. She held it up so Sebastian could see it. "Isn't this beautiful?"

"Yes. Very thoughtful," he said, a forced smile on his face.

Edward chimed in with, "Your father always lost track of time. I hope this might help keep you from the same mistake." "Thank you," she replied, thinking she wouldn't make the same mistake her father had made in trusting his old friend. Despite that, she gave him a hug. She suspected the clock was bugged, much like the frame in her office.

After Edward left, Melissa closed the door and turned to face Sebastian, holding out the clock for his inspection. "What do you think?"

Sebastian accepted the clock and examined it carefully. Sure enough, there was a hint of something in the small hole that was supposed to mimic the look of a winding mechanism. "Beautiful. Let's put it somewhere special."

He placed the clock on a table, but in a position that left him and Melissa free to move about a large portion of the lab. Grabbing his knapsack, he extracted his laptop and sat down in a metal folding chair at the far end of one table. After powering up, he quickly searched the various frequencies until he got a hit. "This one has the transmitter hidden inside," he said as he tapped into the signal coming from the clock.

While staying out of camera range, Sebastian checked beneath all the tables. "It's a strong signal so the receiver doesn't have to be in this room. He may have it stowed somewhere nearby."

Melissa glanced over his shoulder at his screen where the video from the lab was displayed. It was a much sharper picture than the one from the camera in her office. "The old p.r.i.c.k. It is him. What do we do now?"

"It's illegal to video someone without their knowledge, but that's a minor charge. So we sucker him into something more." He turned the laptop until the screen was visible from the rest of the room.

"Sounding all law enforcement, aren't we?" she teased.

He took hold of her hand and led her back into the line of sight of the camera. Leaning on the edge of the table, he drew her close, all the time keeping a guarded eye on what was visible on his laptop screen.

"Sebastian?" Melissa asked as he pulled her against him and wrapped his arms around her waist. She, too, shot a quick glance at the computer. "What are we doing?"

"Giving him the show he expects," he said, nuzzling the side of her face. "We need to act normal and dear Edward probably expects us to get back to what he interrupted."

There was something a little odd about being on exhibition, even if at their current position the camera only had a view of them from about their hips to their shoulders. Still, Sebastian's suggestion made sense and was, of course, highly pleasurable. She opened her mouth to his kiss. Enjoyed the slow, almost drugging way he made love to her with his mouth. Pulling at her lips with his. Dancing his tongue inside to tease hers to play. Which she did until she was shaking and breathless.

She grabbed hold of his shoulders, but he wisely kept his hands at her waist. No sense giving Edward too much of a show and feeling uncomfortable about what they were doing.

When Sebastian finally broke away from her, he brushed a hand over her hair. "I guess we should get to work."

Melissa looked at the mess in the lab once again. With a grimace and then a smile, she said, "It would serve Edward right if we took him up on his offer of a.s.sistance."

Sebastian slipped his hands around her waist. "Nah. Wait until we get the lab rats and then drive the old guy crazy."

Melissa's grin broadened. Sebastian was probably right. "Yes, let's wait."

The little b.i.t.c.h was playing games with him. He'd gone by the equipment room and seen her requests. Lab rats. There was only one reason for them-she was going to recreate Frederick's experiments. Which meant she knew the source of the unusual cells.

As he walked down the hall, he opened his PDA and quickly executed the remote camera's program. On came the picture from the lab. Very distinct and revealing. They were at it again. A b.i.t.c.h in heat. The possibilities excited him since, at his age, the options for recreational s.e.x were rather limited.

Only nothing happened. He experienced only a slight sense of disappointment, which vanished quickly as he realized that they were cleaning and organizing the lab. Considering its sad state, it might take them a day or two to get it ready.

When they finished with their work, he'd be ready, as well.

"I've got news," Diana said.

The four of them had met in Ryder's kitchen after Melissa's return from her late-night shift at the hospital.

Diana and Ryder had presumably shared a night together since both were still in robes, Sebastian thought. He had spent the night working, then he'd picked up Melissa at the hospital. Although he'd finished scanning the journals, he knew he wasn't going anywhere. Except maybe Melissa's bed, he thought as she slipped her hand into his.

He smiled and twined his fingers with hers.

"Peter Daly called a few minutes ago," Diana said. "The tail he had on Sloan didn't produce any results, except for this-Sloan visited an oncologist in the hospital yesterday afternoon."

Ryder shrugged. "One doctor consulting with another."

Diana shook her head and joined Ryder by sitting on his lap. "That's what the detective thought at first, but he decided to confirm it. The receptionist wouldn't say much. Claimed that doctors couldn't reveal information about a patient."

Melissa's hand stiffened in his. "Edward was in some pain the other day when he visited me. Claimed it was a touch of arthritis.

Maybe he's sick."

"Which gives him a personal investment in your father's work. He saw how your mother had improved and a.s.sumed whatever helped her might be able to do the same for him," Sebastian said.

Diana nodded at her brother. "That would explain why he was so over the top at the NSA. It wasn't just about 'supersoldiers.' It was about finding a cure for himself, as well."

"Desperation makes him even more dangerous." The concern in Ryder's voice was apparent, so it came as no surprise to anyone what he said next. "We can't expose you to that kind of risk, Melissa. We'll have to rethink the lab decoy."

"No way. It's the only thing that's worked so far. Thanks to that, we know it's Edward spying on me," Melissa said, her voice growing more tense with every word.

Sebastian rubbed her back. "We need to pressure Sloan into making a mistake so Diana has enough probable cause to have her friend ask for a warrant. Without the lab, we're back to square one."

"I can't protect her at the lab. I'm not strong enough to be out in the sun," Ryder said, clearly uneasy.

Sebastian didn't know much about vampire physiology. But he did know one thing. "No one said you were the one who was going to protect her."

He met his sister's concerned gaze, waiting for her to contradict him. Instead she nodded and laid a hand on Ryder's shoulder. "I know you want to help her, amor. But your control of your vamp traits has been unreliable lately. If you were hanging around and slipped up while Sloan was watching..."

"I can stay with her and make sure she's safe," Sebastian confirmed.

A myriad emotions pa.s.sed over Ryder's face as he glanced from Sebastian to Melissa. Finally, with a long slow nod, he acquiesced, but quickly raised his finger and pointed it at Sebastian. "But remember, I'll be close by."

"That brings me great comfort," Sebastian replied facetiously. In reality, knowing Ryder was nearby did bring a bit of relief.

Melissa rose from the table and tugged on Sebastian's hand. "Now that that's settled, I'd like to get some sleep so I can return to the lab late this afternoon."

Diana likewise rose and took a quick look at her watch. "And I should be back at the office to see what else I can find out about Sloan, or if Daly's people get any more info today."

Ryder warned Melissa, "If Sloan is keeping tabs on you, he'll know what you're up to in the lab."

"The rats arrive this afternoon. I've got a feeling he already knows about them."

"And if he does, he's bound to make his move soon, so please be careful." Diana gave both Melissa and Sebastian a hug.

"Hermanita, don't worry. Between Ryder and me, everything will be all right."

"And me. Remember me? I'm still here," Melissa added, waving her hand in the air, clearly a little annoyed at being left out.

"How could I forget you, mi amor?" he replied teasingly and embraced her tightly. "Let's go to bed. We need to get some rest."

Only as they walked into Melissa's bedroom, Sebastian wished rest would wait for a bit. As Melissa turned to him, her hand outstretched and a broad smile on her face, his wish came true.

Chapter 25.

"W e should call him Ben," Sebastian said as he stroked the brown-gray fur of the Norway rat.

Melissa eased the animal out of his hands and back into its cage. "Don't go all Willard on me. These are part of an experiment, and not pets."

"Yes, sir, Dr. Danvers, sir," he teased with a mock salute.

Melissa was hard-pressed to battle his infectious playfulness. With a smile and a wave of her hand to the far corner of the room, she ordered him away. "Go. Now. Before it's even harder to think about starting this work."

Doing a quick about-face, Sebastian strode to the spot they had set up for him in the lab, out of camera range. When he opened his laptop, Melissa turned her attention to the medical journal and her notes. Before her on the counter were blood samples from her patients who had responded to the experimental therapy. She intended to follow the procedures from the article and determine if the mechanism they noted was what had occurred with her patients.

She carefully uncorked the first blood sample.

"You shouldn't frown so," Sebastian said from his corner.

Her back was to him. For a moment, she was confused until she realized he was picking up the signal Sloan's clock was transmitting."And please lean over just a bit more, because with the way your blouse is gaping-"

"Stop, Sebastian." She turned and shot him what she hoped was a murderous glare. "I really would like to do this study."

"Do you need help with anything? Want to keep track of the results in a spreadsheet or something?"

She appreciated his offer. "Maybe later, once I'm a little further along. I may need to a.n.a.lyze the results of some of the a.s.says I'm going to run."

At his nod, she returned to her work and presumably he was busy, as well, judging from the soft taps his fingers made against the keys. She had just moved a bit of the last sample from a pipette to the centrifuge tube, when there was a knock at the door.

She quickly capped the tube, tossed the pipette in a biohazard receptacle and went to the door. She wasn't surprised to find Edward Sloan. "h.e.l.lo, Edward. How are you today?"

"Fine, thank you. I just dropped by to see if you needed any a.s.sistance." Without waiting for her invitation, he walked straight to the counter.

He paused, glancing at the test tubes and the rats. After picking up one tube and examining its label, he carefully placed it back in the rack. "Do you think your results will match those in the article?"

"Possibly. I'll know in a day or so when the more complex test results come back."

Edward picked up her notes and quickly glanced through them. "Interesting. Very interesting." With a wave of her papers toward the cages with the rats, he asked, "Is this a new step you're adding?"

"I'm not sure yet. Maybe once I'm a little further along I'll find some use for them," she lied, and held her breath, hoping he would see it for the lie it was.

Edward examined her carefully and actually seemed a bit disappointed. "Well, then. Let me know how it goes." He stiffly walked out.

"Talk about feeling totally left out," Sebastian said from behind the lab door.

Melissa had gotten so involved in the moment she'd failed to realize Edward hadn't noticed Sebastian. "Maybe it's better that he didn't notice you," she said.