Page 12 of Tamed By Her Touch

Clair nodded.

“I know. Look at the decay rate!”

He moved beside her again, one massive hand reaching around her to adjust the display. The blue compound expanded until Clair could see every molecular bond.

“This is not simple degradation,” he murmured.

“No.” Clair felt a thrill of excitement rush through her. “It's changing.”

Kaelus was silent as he selected another option. At his touch, a stream of data appeared on the screen.

“The original compound is reacting with biological enzymes inside the petal,” he said, sounding awed.

“Exactly!” Clair leaned closer.

The argument was completely forgotten now—replaced by the wonder of a new discovery. This was the part of science she loved—the moment when something impossible suddenly began to make sense.

“The flower isn't producing the medicinal compound directly,” she said excitedly. “It's producing a precursor.”

Kaelus nodded slowly.

“The precursor is almost pharmacologically inert,” he rumbled.

“But when the living tissue metabolizes it…” Clair said.

“It changes molecular configuration,” he finished for her.

“And that is the active compound!” Clair turned toward him with a triumphant smile.

“Indeed, it is.”

Kaelus was already looking down at her and she couldn’t help noticing they were standing very close—much closer than usual.

She hadn't realized it earlier because they'd both been staring at the display, but now she was suddenly conscious of the warmth radiating from his enormous body. His arm was still stretched around her, one hand resting on the controls on the other side of her, effectively surrounding her without actually touching.

His golden eyes dropped briefly to her mouth again and something tightened in Clair's stomach. What was going on here? She didn’t like Kaelus, and he certainly didn’t like her—why was he looking at her like that?

For several long seconds neither of them said anything. Then, feeling desperate, Clair cleared her throat.

“So,” she said brightly. “Looks like I didn't destroy your analyzer after all.”

“No, I suppose not,” Kaelus rumbled.

The moment broke and he stepped away.

“However, your methodology was reckless,” he added, though there was no heat in his voice.

Clair put a hand on her hip.

“Oh, for heaven's sake! Are we still fighting about this?”

“We are not fighting—I am merely pointing out that you inserted an active botanical specimen into an instrument you had never operated before.”

“And discovered a metabolic conversion that neither one of us knew existed,” Clair shot back.

He frowned.

“That does not make your actions less reckless.”