“Sure. And we can always shower together before we part company. Save time.”
He winked, making Samira laugh. She felt delighted to be with such a gorgeous man. And she was thrilled that he liked her, too.
“Car’s in the garage,” she said, gesturing towards the white metal doors. She handed him the keys, then watched as Ivan stepped over and opened them wide. The scent of chemicals from within wafted over and stabbed Samira’s nostrils. “I’ll leave you to it,” she said, walking away.
“Hey, hot stuff, if you see your cousin inside, ask him to come out here. I’m gonna tell him we’re dating.”
“Are you?”
“Yeah, you’re mine now, and Tariq needs to know what’s going on. And all those jocks on your college campus need to know, too. I won’t share you with any other guys. I get kinda possessive.”
She chuckled. “I noticed.”
They held eye contact for a few glorious seconds, then Samira strode off towards the house, feeling his eyes all over her as**s. She jogged upstairs and quickly changed into a pair of shorts and a sleeveless top, then she stuck her head into the living room and told Tariq that Ivan wanted to talk to him outside. Tariq frowned and opened his mouth, but – without waiting for his response – Samira strode back out to find her wonderful man bent over her truck’s engine in the echoey garage.
He stood and kissed her. There was an oil stain on his forehead, making him look like a sexy mechanic. This guy was masculine perfection on legs.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he said. “I see what problem is – your starter motor’s corroded. Is there a scrap merchant nearby?”
“I’ve no idea. But you being all oily makes me want us to grab that shower together right away.”
“Me too!” He hugged her, being careful not to get his oily hands on her white top. “I’d gladly rub soapsuds into every inch of your tight little body.”
She laughed and opened her mouth to flirt, but she fell serious as she saw Tariq strolling over. Samira braced herself for another fight about dating Ivan, but actually he smiled kindly as he joined them inside the cavernous space.
He halted and folded his arms across his chest. “Morning. Did you both have fun last night?”
Ivan ran his fingers through his curls. “Uh, yeah.”
“It’s okay,” Tariq said. “I’m warming to the idea of you two being together. You don’t need to go sneaking off, you know, Samira.”
“Well, I knew you wouldn’t approve.”
“I’m sorry for being so possessive. It’s your life; your body. You can date whoever you like, of course.”
“Do you really mean that?”
“Yeah, sure. Or else I’m no different to the men back home, right?”
Samira hugged her cousin. “Thank you for understanding.”
He laughed affectionately. “No problem.”
Samira stood back, sensing that Tariq wanted to say something to Ivan. She expected a lecture about him treating her right, but actually he said, “I need to talk to you about the project.”
Samira grinned excitedly. “Tariq, this project is so cool – Ivan’s told me everything about it! I’d love to help in any way I can. You know how much I love nano-stuff.”
The atmosphere in the garage turned bleak – like a storm-cloud obscuring the sunshine. Tariq’s jaw dropped. “Ivan, you f**king idiot – you told her?”
He bristled at being chastised. “She won’t say anything to anyone. You saying you don’t trust your own cousin?”
“I’m saying I don’t want her coming to any harm. Listen, I was at the new office last night, working alone, and I think there was someone out there, sneaking around. I don’t know if it’s anything to do with our visitors yesterday, but still… I think we might need to cool things down for a while. Or at least move somewhere completely different.”
Ivan frowned. “You really think someone knows where the new office is already?”
“Yeah, I do. And I dread to think if it’s the Russians, Saudis, Chinese… or even our own government. Ivan, we can’t let this fall into the wrong hands.”
“I know. We’ve worked so hard.”
“Not just that. But imagine what harm could come to our loved ones if they decide to blackmail us. Your siblings; my cousin. Maybe even my Craig. This project is dangerous. I never really realised it before because we were so busy doing it. But now I see that we might not only need to protect our device, but to also protect our loved ones. Or better still, we might need to think about abandoning the whole thing. We might need to destroy it completely, Ivan, before someone gets hurt. Or worse.”
? Also By Julie Farrell
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