One Blazing Night

He laughed. “I think the word you were looking for was handsome? I hope?”

“Fine. Handsome. Hot as hell. Drop-dead gorgeous. Mouthwatering—”

“Okay. That’s enough.” Matt laughed, mostly at himself. How could he have forgotten her quirky tendency to drive them all nuts with the thesaurus in her brain. “Hey,” he said, giving her another once-over. “You’re taller. By a lot. When did that happen?”

Sam looked confused and then dropped her gaze to her toes, peeking out from under the hem of her slacks. “I’m wearing heels,” she said and then lifted her right leg to show him the proof. “Anyway...” She stuck out her hand. The key rested in her palm. “Here’s the key.”

Matt accepted it, wondering why she suddenly seemed so nervous.

She moved back and turned in a jerky motion. “This is it,” she said, gesturing widely. “It’s still a prototype. I’m working out the kinks.” She took off walking down the hall and he lagged a few seconds behind until she reached the junction of kitchen and living room. “The fridge and pantry are fully stocked. Feel free to use or consume anything.”

She picked up some brochure from the kitchen counter. “You’ll find everything you need in here, including chefs who will come here to cook or have something made-to-order delivered. The masseur is terrific, especially his sports massage. I know you know Boston, but there are a bunch of delivery menus by the pantry. And if you have any problems or questions—”

“You’ve used this masseur?”

“What?” Sam frowned. “Of course not.”

“You said he was terrific.”

“I could find out which doctor you should use if you had an enlarged prostate. It doesn’t mean I have personal experience.”

Matt let out a laugh. He’d missed this. She never had thought like everyone else. Thank goodness that hadn’t changed. “Point taken.”

“As I was saying, if you have any questions, just call the office. Clark knows this place inside and out.”

Confused, he looked down at the brochure she’d shoved into his hand. When he lifted his gaze again, he realized she was about to leave. Three steps away, he nabbed her wrist. “What? Where are you going? I want you to show me around, not give me some brochure.”

“I should get back to work,” she said. “Besides, Rick and Logan didn’t need me to hold their hands, and they did fine.”

“Tough. They didn’t have to beg for an invitation, either. So now, Sammy, my friend, you get to show me where I’ll be staying for the next few days.”

She glanced over her shoulder. “You have a lot of luggage for a few days.”

“You know corporate is here. I’ve got the annual dog and pony show to attend.”

“So why didn’t you leave your stuff at the office?”

“I came straight from the airport.”

“Really?”

He realized he’d been absently stroking her wrist when he felt her pulse leap. She pulled her arm back and he let go.

“Half an hour,” he said. “That’s not too bad. Right? Then you can go back to work.”

She closed her eyes, her long lashes brushing the tops of her smooth pink cheeks. “Fine,” she said, as if he’d asked her for a huge favor. “First lesson.” Turning to face the living room wall, she said, “Call Clark.”

Instantly, a monitor graphic appeared on the wall just to the right of the curved big-screen TV. The monitor was done so well it was difficult to believe it wasn’t three-dimensional.

“Yeah?” Clark’s voice was clear and irritated sounding as Clark removed his glasses and squinted at them. The guy looked almost the same as he had back at MIT.

“I’ll be a half hour longer than I planned.”

“Okay.”

“I don’t have any appointments, right?”

“Right. But don’t tell me you’re going to make it up later, because you really have to get some sleep. Pop a Xanax, do some yoga. Whatever it takes.”

“Fine. I’ll drug myself to sleep tonight.”

“Good.” Clark’s gaze shifted and he gave Matt a brief nod, then turned to Sam. “I’ve got that thing I’m working on,” he said, pointing at his desk.

“Go,” she said. “End call.”

Matt got the impression Clark didn’t like that Matt was keeping her from work. “I was going to say hey.”

“Next time. Jeez. He’s worse than my mother. Who loves him to death, of course.”

“I think that was the most I ever heard him talk. But you guys are cool, right?”

“Yes,” she said, the hesitation clear in her voice. “We’re a finely tuned machine. We just got a new assistant, Tina. She’s bright but still learning.”

Matt’s mind lingered on the other man. “Anything happening with you and Clark?”

“What do you mean?”

“Is it all about work, or is there something romantic—”

“With Clark?” Sam’s eyes widened. “Ew. No. He’s like a brother.”

“Just asking.” Pleased with her reaction, Matt smiled. Although, what did he care? He liked Clark, and if he and Sam had hooked up, it would’ve been a good thing. So what the hell—

“Do you want a tour or not?”

“Lead on.”

“So, this is the living room. If you want a fire, just tell it to turn on, and it will. You can use any wall in the house for a call, but be careful. Someone accidentally made a call from the shower, so...”

He hadn’t expected her to stop walking, and they nearly collided. He put a steadying hand at the small of her back.

She jumped at the contact, then stiffened. “Sorry,” she murmured.

“My fault,” he said. “You okay?” She nodded and visibly relaxed. He lowered his hand, distracted by what was happening around them. The walls on either side of the fireplace had turned from white to violet. When he turned around, he realized the walls in the foyer were also shades of purple. It was fascinating. “Is that your technology?”

“The colors? Yeah. It’s in all the rooms.”

“What determines the color change?”