“And it bothered you, when they asked about your father?” Wyatt nodded. “Why? You must be used to it by now, and they meant no malice.”
“I refuse to get used to it and I’m aware that it isn’t done with bad intentions.” Wyatt fixed Mia with a pointed gaze. “Most of the time.”
Mia laughed softly, her eyes shining with amusement. “Are you fishing for an apology?”
“Why? Will I get one?” Wyatt matched Mia’s teasing tone. He wasn’t hopeful, though an apology would have been nice.
“I think you know the answer to that question, Doctor Jenkins.”
“I really am too smart for my own good,” Wyatt said with a grin, and Mia lifted an eyebrow. “No snarky comeback?” he asked, and Mia pulled a single shoulder. “Oh, you want something.”
“What makes you think that?” Mia asked, but her expression showed he had guessed correctly.
“You’re being nice.”
“I can be nice!”
“Mia,” Wyatt warned with a shake of his head before leaning close to her. “Qu’est-ce que tu veux, ma Figue de Barbarie?”
“Your mouth.” Mia’s fingers traced his lips and Wyatt’s eyes fluttered shut with a soft groan. “And your tongue. All over me, inside of me.”
Wyatt kissed the tips of her fingers. “We’ll see how the rest of the day goes.”
He was full of it. Wyatt would do anything Mia asked of him, especially when she was looking at him the way she was right now, with her witchy gaze full of need.
“I can be nice for a few more hours,” she said with a sly smile, finger lingering on his lips as she stood. “I’m going to get something to eat. You want anything?”
“No, thank you.” Wyatt loved the feel of her fingertips brushing over him as he spoke. He loved the way things were between them now, still full of fire but not so much animosity.
He wasn’t delusional, he knew Mia wasn’t falling for him the way he was for her. She was adamant in her refusal to talk about anything personal and reminded him often that she still wanted his job, but he dared to believe she didn’t loathe him to the depths she had when he had only arrived at Oxford a couple of months ago.
Wyatt took what he could, fully aware that he was setting himself up for a world of pain. But that was in the distant future. For now, he allowed himself to enjoy the sight of Mia sauntering in front of him as they exited her office without dwelling on the repercussions.
A few minutes later, Wyatt was in his own office, engrossed in answering emails when yelling pierced through his closed door, causing him to jump out of his chair and bolt to the common area. People were starting to gather with alarm and curiosity in their stares.
“Why did you move it?” Wyatt recognized Amika’s panicked voice coming from the clinical applications lab. He sprinted there, pushing people aside and away from the door, shutting it in the face of the onlookers to try to provide a semblance of privacy before turning to take in the scene in front of him.
One of the undergrads that had joined them earlier that week was standing, seemingly shell shocked with her mouth gaping as she stared at Amika who was screaming at the open door of a laboratory refrigerator.
“Carissa, what happened?” The undergrad turned to Wyatt, but just kept gaping. “Carissa.”
His commanding tone must have penetrated, because Carissa started sobbing, telling him she was only doing as she was told, and now Wyatt had two hysterical scientists to deal with.
Deciding Amika was the priority, he went to stand beside her.
“Amika?” he said her name tentatively. “Can you tell me what happened?”
“She moved it, the tray.” Amika pointed at the blue tray with her samples. “It was in the front right corner on the second level, and now it’s in the back right corner on the third.”
“Okay, can we move it back?”
“I don’t know how long it’s been there, it changes everything, all my variables, my baseline.”
Wyatt was thoroughly confused. “These are state-of-the-art refrigerators, Amika. I assure you, your experiment hasn’t been compromised because of its location in the fridge.”
Apparently, that wasnotthe right thing to say.
Amika turned a deep shade of red, her eyes livid as she fixed her gaze on him, seemingly ready to unleash her fury.