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hassle
of finding somebody to sublet his apartment and take over his classes. It was
so difficult to gain access to the IECS’ holdings, this might be his only shot.
If he passed it up, could he live with himself afterwards?
    Then again, a
move like that would be hard on Amelia. Linda loved their daughter, but
sometimes, she got distracted to the point of neglect. That wasn’t a problem
when he was a stone’s throw away, but if he moved several states south, how
would his daughter fare?
    He released a
slow breath. “I’ll have to think about it.”
    “I expected as
much.”
    “You’re taking
that awfully well. I expected you to argue or, I don’t know, cajole.”
    She smiled in
that enigmatic way she had, as if she knew something he didn’t and wasn’t about
to share. “Everything will work out exactly the way it should.”
    Dani bounced up
to them, her step light in spite of the late hour. “I’m heading back to the
site now.”
    “Indigo said it
was her turn to stand guard tonight,” Maya explained. “Dani’s keeping her
company for a while.”
    “Let me guess,”
James said. “You went to school together.”
    Dani cocked her
head to the side. “Nope. We’re just friends in a friendly way, playing catch
up.”
    Maya groaned.
“Please, Dani. Not the ketchup gag.”
    Dani green eyes
widened. “Would I do that?”
    “You absolutely
would.” She turned to James. “I’ve been the victim of that one myself. Don’t
let her draw you in with that innocent face or she’ll pull it on you, too.” To
Dani, she said, “Give me a minute and I’ll ride with you as far as the cabin.”
    “Yes, Maetyrm.”
Dani bowed slightly, then pivoted on her heel and left.
    James watched
her go, amused in spite of himself. “She’s something, isn’t she?”
    “She absolutely
is,” Maya agreed. She stood and caught Olaf’s eye. “We’ll be here for a few
days if you have any questions about my proposal.”
    “I appreciate
that. Thanks for considering me.”
    “Oh, you’re very
welcome. We could use someone at the IECS with your particular skill set. I
hope you’ll decide to join us.”
    “It would be
hard to turn you down,” he admitted.
    “That’s the idea.
See you on-site tomorrow?”
    James nodded, shook
her hand, and for the umpteenth time, cursed the attraction flowing between
them. It was distracting and would be a damn nuisance if he accepted her offer.
    She picked her
way through the crowd, said farewell to the Lindbergs, then waved at other
members of the group who called out goodbyes as she left. Without meaning to,
he imagined working with her on a daily basis, feeling the nascent attraction
bloom into something stronger, and maybe even acting on it.
    He cut the
thought off abruptly. Too much, too soon. He wasn’t ready for that kind of entanglement.
Still, it had been a good long while since he’d thought about a woman that way.
He just didn’t know if doing so was such a good idea, particularly when the woman
in question was as attractive and mysterious as Maya Bellegarde.
     
    * * *
     
    The shrill ring
of her phone woke Maya from a deep sleep. She groped her way to the nightstand,
picked it up, and glanced at the small bedside clock. 2:47 a.m. Alarm shot
through her. “Hello.”
    “It’s Dani. Come
to the site now. There’s been a break-in.”
    Maya  scrambled
out of bed and grabbed clothes, dressing one-handed. “Are you and Indigo ok?”
    “I’m fine.” Dani
sucked in a breath. When she spoke again, her voice was tight and thin. “Indi,
not so much, but she’ll live.”
    “Does Dr.
Lindberg know?”
    “Yeah. Indi
called him and Dr. Terhune.”
    “Any damage?”
    “Yeah.” Bitterness
crept into the younger Daughter’s tone. “Everything’s a mess, but at least a
couple of the documents were taken.”
    Maya closed her
eyes, a deep dread creeping through her. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
    As she finished
dressing, her mind flashed rapidly through the