best she"d never be more than the proverbial third wheel. At worst she might compromise their relationship in some way, and she couldn"t do that. She shivered. Oh God, she did love them.
“Dr. Silvay?”
What? She looked around. Had someone called?
“Emmaline?”
She turned around and looked up at a thin, white-haired man, one of her favorite members of the faculty council. Smile, Em . She was fond of Dr. Winton, but what was he doing here, and how did this whole thing look?
“Dr. Winton.”
“Howard, please, my dear.”
“Yes, of course.” She really did smile. “I was daydreaming, I guess; forgive my abstraction.”
“Solving amazing new genetic mysteries, I expect.”
“Something like that. Do you live in the area, Howard?”
“No, actually I live nearer to you by the university, but I love Asian antiques, and I wanted to show my nephew around the area since he"s going to be a resident.
Oh, you must meet him.” He looked around and began waving to a nice-looking, Genetic Attraction
55
sandy-haired man she estimated at about thirty-five. The man waved back, showing dimples, and came over to them.
Howard beamed. “Emmaline, may I introduce my nephew, Dr. Isaac Webster, who we have lured away from Princeton"s faculty. He will be joining me in the history department starting next week.”
“Dr. Webster.”
He extended his hand and further tested the dimples. “Just Isaac.”
“Hi, just Isaac.” Warm, smooth hand.
“Em?”
She looked around. Damn, for one brief second she"d actually forgotten her men. Her men ? Okay, give them both swords, and they"d look like avenging guardian angels protecting her from the nasty history professor.
She smiled as if her being in Connecticut with two gorgeous men was just a regular day. “Jake, you know Dr. Winton, I"m sure. And this is his nephew, Isaac Webster. Dr. Webster is joining the history department. Isaac, this is my research associate and dear friend, Jake Martin, and my friend , Roan Black.” Did they get that bit of emphasis? Would it make them think Roan was her lover, not Jake"s? Of course, he was.
Roan stepped up beside her and circled her waist with his left arm. Well, if her emphasis hadn"t, Roan"s gesture certainly spoke volumes of possession. He extended his hand. “How do you do?”
Howard and Isaac were clearly trying not to stare at Roan"s astonishing beauty, but that was not possible. She thought of the little statue resting on the counter behind her. Yeah, only gods and Roan looked like that.
She slipped her arm through Jake"s, so as not to carry the possession thing too far. “We took the first weekend off in ages to celebrate Jake"s winning the Belden Award. So we all came out for a day of sun and antiquing.”
56
Tara Lain
“Of course, remiss of me, Martin. I heard about the award. Congratulations, my boy.”
Howard extended his hand, and Jake took it. “Thank you, sir. Of course, I"m thrilled.” Then his smile dimmed a little, and he looked at Isaac. “So, did I hear you"re going to be coming to the university?”
Isaac matched his cool. “Yes, starting next week.” He turned to her with another dimple flash. “I"m delighted to know a few more people before I hit the campus. Perhaps I can ask for pointers.”
Well, he was casting down a gauntlet. She felt Jake"s arm tense, and she tightened her arm in his. “Actually, Jake and I are genetic researchers. We tend to stay cloistered in our lab and hardly ever know what"s going on. So in a few days, you"ll be able to give us pointers on politics, I"m sure.”
“Perhaps we can make a date for me to do that?”
Wow, it took serious chutzpah to make such a pointed proposal while she was sandwiched between Jake and Roan. But he wasn"t being obnoxious, only a bit pushy, and pushy wasn"t all bad.
Before Jake could take exception, she pretended to ignore the comment.
“Howard, I"m sure you"re going to be happy having Isaac in your department.
Forgive us. We
“Dr. Silvay?”
What? She looked around. Had someone called?
“Emmaline?”
She turned around and looked up at a thin, white-haired man, one of her favorite members of the faculty council. Smile, Em . She was fond of Dr. Winton, but what was he doing here, and how did this whole thing look?
“Dr. Winton.”
“Howard, please, my dear.”
“Yes, of course.” She really did smile. “I was daydreaming, I guess; forgive my abstraction.”
“Solving amazing new genetic mysteries, I expect.”
“Something like that. Do you live in the area, Howard?”
“No, actually I live nearer to you by the university, but I love Asian antiques, and I wanted to show my nephew around the area since he"s going to be a resident.
Oh, you must meet him.” He looked around and began waving to a nice-looking, Genetic Attraction
55
sandy-haired man she estimated at about thirty-five. The man waved back, showing dimples, and came over to them.
Howard beamed. “Emmaline, may I introduce my nephew, Dr. Isaac Webster, who we have lured away from Princeton"s faculty. He will be joining me in the history department starting next week.”
“Dr. Webster.”
He extended his hand and further tested the dimples. “Just Isaac.”
“Hi, just Isaac.” Warm, smooth hand.
“Em?”
She looked around. Damn, for one brief second she"d actually forgotten her men. Her men ? Okay, give them both swords, and they"d look like avenging guardian angels protecting her from the nasty history professor.
She smiled as if her being in Connecticut with two gorgeous men was just a regular day. “Jake, you know Dr. Winton, I"m sure. And this is his nephew, Isaac Webster. Dr. Webster is joining the history department. Isaac, this is my research associate and dear friend, Jake Martin, and my friend , Roan Black.” Did they get that bit of emphasis? Would it make them think Roan was her lover, not Jake"s? Of course, he was.
Roan stepped up beside her and circled her waist with his left arm. Well, if her emphasis hadn"t, Roan"s gesture certainly spoke volumes of possession. He extended his hand. “How do you do?”
Howard and Isaac were clearly trying not to stare at Roan"s astonishing beauty, but that was not possible. She thought of the little statue resting on the counter behind her. Yeah, only gods and Roan looked like that.
She slipped her arm through Jake"s, so as not to carry the possession thing too far. “We took the first weekend off in ages to celebrate Jake"s winning the Belden Award. So we all came out for a day of sun and antiquing.”
56
Tara Lain
“Of course, remiss of me, Martin. I heard about the award. Congratulations, my boy.”
Howard extended his hand, and Jake took it. “Thank you, sir. Of course, I"m thrilled.” Then his smile dimmed a little, and he looked at Isaac. “So, did I hear you"re going to be coming to the university?”
Isaac matched his cool. “Yes, starting next week.” He turned to her with another dimple flash. “I"m delighted to know a few more people before I hit the campus. Perhaps I can ask for pointers.”
Well, he was casting down a gauntlet. She felt Jake"s arm tense, and she tightened her arm in his. “Actually, Jake and I are genetic researchers. We tend to stay cloistered in our lab and hardly ever know what"s going on. So in a few days, you"ll be able to give us pointers on politics, I"m sure.”
“Perhaps we can make a date for me to do that?”
Wow, it took serious chutzpah to make such a pointed proposal while she was sandwiched between Jake and Roan. But he wasn"t being obnoxious, only a bit pushy, and pushy wasn"t all bad.
Before Jake could take exception, she pretended to ignore the comment.
“Howard, I"m sure you"re going to be happy having Isaac in your department.
Forgive us. We
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