She turned and faced him. “Only when you kiss me.”
The words barely reached across the room, but they electrified every part of him. Sam threw back the covers and swung his legs to the side before the thought of doing so even computed in his head.
He gripped the sheets in order to keep himself in place. “Do you want to let your brain rest now?”
Another small laugh. “Not yet. I think you were right about James. I’ve read through his emails. He sounds more and more desperate with each email. He sent two today.”
Shit.
“I’ll keep you safe, Tansy.”
Even in the dim light, he saw her stiffen. Time to curb the caveman tendency. “How about I try that again? We’ll work together to keep you safe.”
“It’s the tech he wants, not me.”
Sam highly doubted that. Unless the guy was a total idiot. Which he might be. “Either way, we’re stepping up security. And you should probably try harder to keep track of your phone.”
Another soft laugh.
“I’ll dig into the asshole’s background and see if he has connections to anyone we need to worry about.”
“He’s probably just trying to be important.”
A definite asshole. “That was a big deal for him?”
“I didn’t notice it at the time, but looking back, I think so.”
Trying to keep his tone neutral, Sam asked. “How long were you with him? How did he get hired?”
Tansy sighed again and leaned back against the window ledge. He wanted to pull her into his arms, but he wasn’t sure if she’d allow it.
“He signed on to work in the labs last summer. He showed interest in me from the beginning. It was flattering.”
“Tansy, you’re smart, gorgeous, and kind. Most men are going to be interested in you. So, he pursued you?”
She shoved off the ledge and started pacing the room. “Makes me sound like prey, but yes, I guess so.”
“You’re not prey, Tansy. You’re not weak. If we’re reading this correctly, he targeted you.”
“Which doesn’t make me feel any better. I’m supposed to be smarter than this. I was a fool. Am I so desperate for a man’s attention that I’m an easy mark?”
Unable to stand the despair in her voice, Sam stood and snagged her hand as she paced. “Come here, honey. You’re beating yourself up over nothing.”
She went willingly into his arms, and he wrapped her up. Not much felt better than holding her. She was a perfect fit.
Tansy burrowed in and he felt a shudder run through her.
Sam kissed her hair and murmured. “You’re as sexy as they come, Tansy. A little male attention shouldn’t have sent red flags up for you. It would be nuts for you to assume a man was after you only for your work.”
“I feel like a fool.”
“You’re not.”
They stood together for a bit, and then she asked. “What should we do next?”
“Same things you’re already doing. Do your work, keep taking different paths to your fort. I’ll install the security systems when they come. And keep digging into Stephens.”
She nodded into his chest.