Page 40 of One Reckless Night

She laughed. “As long as you don’t go to the lab. Take the day off.”

The sun was bright when I stepped out of Clair’s condo. It felt like the temperature jumped a good twenty degrees. I shielded my eyes with my hand, squinting against the glare, and walked next door to my place.

I fumbled with my keys at the door, the metal warm from the sun, and finally let myself inside. The cool blast of air-conditioning hit me instantly, a welcome relief from the oppressive heat outside. I kicked off my shoes by the door.

I felt a little guilty for running the AC all the time, but it was a necessity. It was going to take me a while to get used to the heat.

The shower was calling my name. I stripped off my pajamas and stood under the spray for what felt like forever, letting the water rinse away the tension in my shoulders and the guilt that clung to me like a second skin.

I changed into a pair of soft cotton shorts and an oversized T-shirt. I planned on spending the weekend cleaning and catching up on some sleep. It felt like it had been ages since I actually slept more than eight hours consecutively.

The weekend passed in a blur. I spent most of it sleeping, trying to recover from the emotional toll of the week. By Monday, I felt more like myself, refreshed and ready to face the lab again. But when Jared waltzed in, slamming a piece of paper on my workstation, I didn’t flinch. I didn’t clam up. I just looked at him, my expression calm.

“Can I help you?” I asked calmly.

He smirked. “Pack your bags, Dr. Pritchard. We’re going to Miami.”

I blinked. “What? Why?”

“There’s a conference,” he said. “The brightest minds in research and medicine. It’ll be right up your alley.”

I frowned, my mind racing. “Who else is going?”

He didn’t answer, just turned and walked away, leaving me staring after him. I wanted to be irritated by his presumption I’d just go. Then again, he was the boss and if he said I needed to go, I need to go.

But the man could truly use some manners.