Hourglass (Hourglass 1)

“I just didn’t expect you to go all ninja on me.” Michael lost the battle and gave himself over to laughter again. I found myself wishing I’d managed to land at least one solid kick before I figured out who he was. I glared at him for another moment then resumed my run.

It took him a few seconds, but soon I could hear him pacing me. It had to be hard for him since his legs were so much longer than mine, but I didn’t care. He deserved to suffer. We ran in silence for a while until I snuck a sideways look at him. He was still laughing. I stopped so fast he ran right past me.

Spinning around, he clasped one hand over his mouth. He would have been wise to put the other hand over his eyes because they were giving everything away.

“Michael, knock it off.”

He reached out, hooked his arm around my neck, and pulled me to his side. I waited for him to give me a noogie and tried not to be intrigued by the full-body tingle.

“I apologize,” he said, but I heard the smile in his voice. “I really do. You’re just so damn cute.”

“And so damn sweaty,” I said, looking up at him sideways.

Maybe it was our close proximity, or that he had his arm around me and we were both sweating and breathing hard. All I knew was that even though I was hotter than hell, the second our eyes met my whole body convulsed in one giant chill. Our gaze stayed locked for an endless moment before he released me and gently pushed me away.

“Truce?” Michael asked hesitantly, holding out one hand.

I struggled to catch my breath, willing my gooseflesh to disappear. When I finally regained control, I gave him a sweet smile and reached out to shake.

Then I flipped him over my shoulder.

As he lay on the ground panting, I walked to stand over him, looking down, my smile still in place. “So I’ll see you later?”

He blinked once. I took that as a yes.

Chapter 10

When I got back to the loft, Dru and Thomas were gone. I felt great. The sass was back. It’s amazing what flipping a grown man over her shoulder does for a girl.

After a shower, I borrowed Dru’s laptop, taking it to the cushy chair in my room to settle in, enjoying the rich scent of the buttery leather. I got cozy—good thing—since I searched for an hour before I found what I was looking for. Just when I was about to give up, I came across a blurb in the Bennett Review about a scholarship funded by the founder of the Hourglass, Liam Ballard. I searched his name.

Jackpot.

I uncurled myself from the corner of the chair, placing the computer on my ottoman and leaning over so I could better focus on the screen. When I clicked on the first article, a huge picture of a completely devastated building popped up below the caption: No Answers in Laboratory Fire.

The story questioned the death of Liam Ballard, a scientist who was killed when his private lab was destroyed by a fire. No traces of any combustible materials were found, nor were any accelerants. The building had just passed a fire inspection. His home and several outbuildings, also located on the property, were not damaged. No one else was injured.

My skin prickled as I continued reading. After a lengthy investigation by authorities, the case was closed due to lack of evidence. There was no logical explanation for the fire.

A knock sounded at the front door, and I practically jumped out of my skin.

I exited to the search results page and hurried to answer, stopping for a quick check in the mirror. Opening the door, I found Michael, looking sheepish and holding a bouquet of fragrant zinnias.

“An apology,” he said, holding out the flowers. “You will explain how you did that. Soon.”

I reached out to take the flowers, and our fingers touched. Electricity sizzled, and I pulled away quickly.

“Maybe I will, maybe I won’t.” I gave him a look, before spinning on my heel and walking toward the kitchen. I was glad he couldn’t see my face—I knew I was blushing. Since my back was to him anyway, I stuck my nose in the bouquet and inhaled the sweet fragrance, creating a scent memory.

I’d never gotten flowers from a boy before.

“This place is amazing,” he said. Directly behind me, his footsteps echoed off the hardwood floor.

“Thanks. Dru is an excellent decorator. She loves to have a project. And now she and Thomas have a new one.” I made a hand motion indicating a bun in the oven before taking a crystal vase from a shelf and placing it in the sink to fill it with water, grateful I could concentrate on a task.

“Tell them I said congratulations.” He leaned back against the counter beside the sink, watching me. “That’s amazing news, especially for two people who seem to be as in love as they are.”

“They’re lucky they found each other,” I said, looking up at him.