other problems you haven’t noticed yet because you’re a tough guy. Will you let me fix it?"
Eisley leaned in to brush her lips over his, pleading with him. She didn't know why she feared he'd say no, but she did. Samuel answered by wrapping his hand in her long ponytail, and kissing her again.
When he finally released her mouth, he stared into her eyes. "I'm in love with you."
"That makes no sense," she said.
He laughed. "You could argue with a fence post. Why does it make no sense? It's how I feel."
"I did this to you… . I… ." His face grew storm cloud angry. She was shocked at the visceral reaction from him. His next words were staccato in tone and vehement.
"Stop that. You stop now." He gave her a light shake. "I did this to myself. They were selling something, and I was buying. You got a grant that was intended to help people. I don't want to hear you blaming yourself for this again, understood?"
Eisley let her head fall forward to rest on his forehead with a teary smile.
"Bossy," she whispered.
"You have no idea. Now, let's get rid of these nanites, so I can get you naked again."
Laughter bubbled up from her nearly involuntarily. She laughed, and she petted him lightly on his chest. "That's your motivation? Getting me naked?"
"I've done a lot worse for a hell of a lot less. Have you seen you?"
"Yes," she answered his usual question. "I have, and I think you're crazy."
His index finger of his left hand slid down her neck and into the v of her neckline. He hummed a sound. "You are the softest place I ever landed."
She gasped a stuttered breath when that finger flipped over a nipple causing her to arch into his hand. "Treatment. We can't do this till we do the treatment."
He growled and buried his face in her chest, squeezing her tightly. "Let's get it over with."
*
She had him in the med chair in the back of the lab. The injector was on the tray beside her as she moved to secure an arm strap. He looked down with a raised eyebrow. "Believe me, it's necessary," she said. He was going to fight to move, to run from the pain. She feared he might hurt himself.
Two of the guys entered the small room to stand by the door like they wanted to run. She gestured to them to stand out of her way. She picked up the injector once she had secured his arms, and looked at him, sitting there with that earnest look on his face. She stared a moment, and stood there.
She suddenly realized a tear had tracked down her face. "I don't want to do this," she said shakily.
His eyes never wavered from that earnest, little boy look he had, as if he'd been raised on one too many tales of valor and courage that had stuck. "Too bad because I don't trust anyone else to do it. I need this, right?"
She nodded her head, her ponytail bobbing.
He smiled a lopsided smile. "Then, just kiss me and give it to me quick. We need to get this over with. I have plans."
Eisley laughed a watery laugh. "You idiot," she said, then leaned forward to kiss him. She did her best to make it good, distracting him with one sensual glide of lips after another. She closed her eyes, and popped him with the injector in his arm. She felt him tense with her lips against his, and she whimpered into his mouth.
It would burn all the way through his veins. She dropped the injector on the tray and ran her hands over his head on either side. "Focus on my voice. It's going to be over soon. Just listen to me."
His body began to buck and fight the restraints. His eyes went wild as the serum set him on fire from the inside, but it was the only thing designed to destroy the remaining nanites.
She was still talking to him as he fought the pain. Thompson held his legs down to keep him from accidentally kicking off the restraints and hitting her. He yelled with the torture of it, and Eisley cried through the whole thing. Until his body finally relaxed, probably not at the cessation of pain, but not having the strength to keep fighting against it. When he finally passed
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