Primal Elements (3 page)

The crack and fizz of the holographic proprietor popped into view.

“Ah, I see my favorite ladies have finally made a match.”

Jenna’s mouth went dry. “It seems that way.”

“Well, I hope the lucky man can handle such a large group.”

Rhonda shot him a look that normally quelled her most annoying students. “My friend here is very pleased with her choice. What do you do now?”

“Well, it appears that your match is one of our special clients. Congratulations, my dear.”

“Thanks,” Jenna said with fake enthusiasm.

“You need to wait to see if your perfect match is interested in meeting up with you.

If he is, he’ll call you to arrange everything. Then you’re all set for a date. If he doesn’t, you can give me a call.”

Jenna cringed. “When should I expect to hear?”

“He has twenty-four hours to make up his mind. Stay by the communicator.”

The need for air became overwhelming. She nodded, and stepped around her friends and out into the hallway so she could breathe. This was such a bad idea. She hated smugness and Ben was the epitome of smug.

I’m sorry things had to end this way, Miss Robins. But it’s for the best.

She came awfully damn close to ending up in jail that day. Assault and bodily harm. She knew, just
knew
it would be worse if they actually went on a date. Whenever she didn’t listen to her gut, bad things always followed.

Ben Hawthorn was going to prove to be very bad news.

“You okay?” Ruby was the first to come out.

“I’ll be fine. Was getting hot in there.”

“I wonder how long it will take for you to find out if he wants to meet with you?”

Rhonda asked as she emerged.

“I wouldn’t count on a date, ladies. Ben and I are oil and water. I doubt he wants to see me any more than I want to see him.” Jenna could only hope.

14

The women talked for several more minutes before Jenna waved and got in the public transportation shuttle. She needed to get home and rest. With all of the problems on the new project, and now this whole dating issue with Ben, she was exhausted. Her body fell heavily into the compartment chair and the shuttle began to move on to the next station. The red Mars landscape outside the dome glass whizzed by, and slowly helped melt the tension from her shoulders.

Looking at the beauty of her home always set her at ease. This planet was her whole life, just as it had been her parents. And what most people didn’t realize was that it was in serious danger. In enough danger that she’d neglected her own love life since she’d begun her research ten years ago. If she could figure out what had killed the terraformed soil in sections of old Mars, she’d be able to save their current dome.

Her PCD buzzed on her hip. She withdrew the device to check the message. One of her preliminary experiments regarding the viability of the soil in that area of the planet should be finishing up any time now. She didn’t recognize the email address of the new message. Opening the note, there were only a few words contained in the message. She read them over and over, not quite believing it.

Yes. Tomorrow 8 p.m.

15

Jenna paced back and forth in front of her condo window.
He wasn’t coming.
He couldn’t be coming. This was Ben after all. He probably wanted to play a cruel trick on her by agreeing to the date and then not showing up. Why would he want to date someone like her anyway? She paused once more and peeked outside to see if a transportation shuttle had arrived. Nothing.

Her pacing route ended at the mirror that took up half the wall of her living room.

Another quick inspection of her hair and the dress Rhonda had helped her buy didn’t increase her confidence. She tugged at the low neckline, but it didn’t help. Too much cleavage for her liking.

“It’s not your liking you need to worry about. It’s Mr. Ben who needs to approve,”

Rhonda had teased her at the store.

Why the hell would she care one ion for what he thought anyway?

She spun around, the maroon and blues of the dress blending together in the swirl of fabric. She had to admit, it did make her look good. And the sexy black lace bra and panties she wore underneath gave her an added feeling of wickedness. Not that Ben was going to get a chance to see them. That was her little secret.

Jenna sighed as she plopped down on her chair. She hadn’t given Ben any thought for the last few years. He’d aggravated her to no end when they’d worked on her project. The fact that he was domineering and always thought he knew what was best didn’t help the fact she’d been hot for him from their first meeting. Only a dead woman wouldn’t gush at the sight of his perfect body and handsome face. Gods knew every female on the project did nothing but moon over him every time he walked into the room. Back then, Ben didn’t pay anyone any attention—except her. Of course she was only the object of his teasing and rebukes regarding what she wanted to accomplish.

Not the kind of behavior to base a relationship on.

What the hell was she doing? She doubted he was really interested in her. He hadn’t been seven years ago, why would he be now? Knowing Ben, he probably wanted to preemptively woo her over to his side of the Rebuild project. Now wasn’t that a charming thought?

Two men laughed as they walked by on the street below. Jenna jumped up to peek out to see who it was, her nerves starting to get the better of her. It was then she saw a long black car slowly move down her street and pull up in front of her condo. Who the hell drives in a personal vehicle anymore? It took her a second to will her hands to let go of the curtain and make her body move when she realized it was Ben.
Oh gods, he’s
actually here for me.
In a dash, she grabbed her shawl and purse and headed for the door.

Not too quickly though. She didn’t want him to think she was too anxious for this date.

16

Anxious to see if the spark that had been there seven years ago still existed. She wasn’t…not really.

By the time she walked outside, a man was waiting by the car. The blond hair and smiling face gave away the fact that this wasn’t Ben. As she approached, he gave her a wide smile. She’d never been able to resist Matt’s charm. She couldn’t help but relax a bit until she saw his gaze flick to her purse. Not like Matt to be quite so paranoid.

“Jenna, Jenna, Jenna. I didn’t think I’d get to see you again,” he said and winked.

Jenna’s heart began to pound. Matt had been one of her few allies all those years ago. She loved his easy manner and the way she instinctively trusted him.

“Hi, Matt. How have you been? Still keeping Mr. Perfect safe and sound?”

He smiled. “I’m trying. You still bringing the high and mighty down a few pegs when they need it?”

She smiled back, “No one else seems to want to do it. So they’re stuck with me.”

“I hate to do this right before your date, Miss Robins—”

“Gods, that sounds weird coming from you,” she said as she crinkled her nose.

Matt chuckled. “But I need to look in your purse.”

“My purse?”

“Yes, ma’am. I need to check for concealed weapons.”

Jenna looked down at the tiny square that was nothing more than a holder for her six-inch-long PCD and smiled. “No worries. If you happen to find anything of interest, please let me know. I’ve lost a lot of strange items in this beast.”

Matt chuckled again and opened the tiny opening to her purse. With nothing else to do, Jenna’s gaze drifted to the blackened windows of the car. She couldn’t see in and had to wonder if Ben was inside or if Matt was here to drive her.

In a very official-sounding voice Matt handed the purse back to her. “Looks fine.

Sorry about that, Miss Robins. If you would allow me.”

“Is he inside?” she whispered when Matt got close enough.

“Yes,” Matt smirked. “I haven’t seen him this excited in a while.”

“Ben? Excited?”
To see her?
Maybe there was hope for this date after all.

“Have a good time, Jenna.”

She took a step backward so Matt could open the door for her. She still couldn’t see the interior very well, but that wasn’t going to stop her now. With great care to keep from showing too much of her leg, she stepped into the limo and sat down on the closest seat. Matt closed the door and the darkness of the limo surrounded her like a blanket. After a few seconds of silence she began to tug at a strand of her hair that had escaped her updo.

“Hello?”

A noise across from her announced the presence of another person. Even squinting she couldn’t make out where Ben was sitting. Instead, the bubble of nerves started to 17

build deep inside her, which kick-started her mouth.

“Nice to see you again, Ben. Well, not that I can actually see anything yet, but you know.” She tried to swallow.
Stupid mouth is dry again.
“You have a beautiful car. I don’t remember seeing this one before. Does it run on electricity, or do you have an alternate fuel cell?”

His chuckle was deep and rich. Mentally, she kicked her own ass.

“Sorry. I ramble when I get nervous,” she muttered.

“I remember,” his deep, rich voice floated across the small space.

Her eyes were finally beginning to adjust to the darkness. She could now see where he sat, but wasn’t able to clearly make out his features. It wasn’t until Matt started the limo and the soft glow of the LED lighting turned on that she saw his face.

Benjamin Hawthorn was as stunningly handsome a man as she remembered. His dark brown hair held a slight curl and was beginning to show faint signs of graying.

His rich hazel eyes didn’t reveal much emotion, but he still had a slight smile on his full lips. She couldn’t tell from his position if he was in the same amazing shape he’d been in seven years ago, but a small part of her really wanted to find out. Damn, she’d thought she was over him.

He wore a black jacket over a white linen shirt buttoned up to his neck. She suddenly got a mental picture of striping him from his jacket and yanking his white linen shirt from his pants.
Damn.

She refocused in time and realized he was checking her out too. Jenna blushed.

“I’m sorry we kept you waiting. The streets of old Mars weren’t designed for a vehicle this large.”

“You should get a smaller car, or use a public transport car. It would make traveling around much easier and you would conserve energy at the same time.” As the words left her, Jenna slapped her hand over her mouth, mortified. “I’m sorry. That was very rude of me.”

He chuckled again. “Since when did you ever apologize for speaking your mind?

And you’re right. But I don’t think I could convince Matt to give up his baby. He reconstructed it from parts he had shipped from Earth.”

He ran his hand gently back and forth over the seat cushion. Jenna couldn’t tear her eyes away from the movement, amazed that she’d forgotten the size of his hands. Too many times she’d imagined what it would feel like to have them caressing her skin. She blushed again.

Ben reached over and picked up one of the large bottles that sat secured to the bar.

“Can I offer you a drink?”

Jenna’s insides did a small flip-flop. She was going to need some courage if she was going to survive this date. He’d always been able to do this to her. Send her into an emotional tailspin with as much as a single look. It pissed her off to no end that he never once lost his cool. He never appeared to come unglued by anything or anyone at 18

all. Ben always came across as more than just a mere man, and that was the one thing that had always irked and attracted her. He had absolute control over everything in his universe. She’d always wondered what it would be like to give control to a man like that in the bedroom. Maybe it was time to find out. Looking back up to his eyes, she shivered at the predatory grin she saw there.

Or maybe not.

Realizing she hadn’t answered his question, Jenna nodded weakly, managing to swallow past the lump in her throat. “Yes please.”

He filled two glasses with a bubbly honey-colored liquid and did something that surprised Jenna. He picked it up and carefully made his way over to beside her. He sat just in time as the limo turned a corner. Jenna took her drink, but a small portion of it sloshed over the side. Without thinking, she licked the trickle from her hand to avoid it dripping onto her new dress. When she finished she realized Ben was staring at the spot where her tongue had been moments ago. He then brought his gaze to hers, and she forgot to breathe. Her heart was pounding loudly in her chest and ears as a shiver of sexual awakening ripped through her body.

“Do you like the champagne?” he asked in a voice that barely rose above a whisper.

He took a sip from his glass and waited for her answer. Jenna’s body betrayed her mind’s resolve to keep her distance on this date. She was here out of curiosity, to see why Ben had agreed to this date in the first place. It had nothing to do with the secret obsession she’d had for him seven years ago.

Fuck, he’d barely spoken to her and she was ready to pop, she was so turned-on.

Who was she kidding? All the old feelings she’d had for him had resurfaced with a vengeance. And those weren’t going to lead anywhere—except maybe his bedroom.

Jenna dragged herself away from her thoughts and took a gulp of the drink and waited for the bubbles to travel the distance from her mouth to her stomach before she answered.

“It’s very nice. Tickles my nose, but I love it.”

“I’m glad,” he said simply.

With their bodies this close together, Jenna could smell the light scent of his cologne. The musk seemed to suit him, different from what he wore the last time she’d been near him. She was also close enough now to see a light scar on his cheek.

Interesting.

Ben didn’t say anything. This was probably some sort of tactic on his part. His way of putting her off guard so he could play one of his famous mind games with her. She swallowed a large gulp of the champagne and let the bubbles sting as they forced their way down her throat.

Jenna wiggled around in her seat, trying to get comfortable. Her dress tightened, constricting her movement. The neckline was too damn low, the cool air from the car chilling the tops of her breasts. Images of his large hands warming them up, caressing her through the fabric were pushing her arousal higher. She’d been without a man for 19

so long any man could have satisfied her. But Ben was more than simply any man, and he was very much her type.

He leaned in and kept his eyes firmly fixed on her. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’d like to take you to a special place for dinner,” he said with a knowing smile.

“Oh? I hope you don’t intend to try and win me over with by showing off one of your secret millionaire hideaways,” she said in what she hoped was a teasing tone.

Jenna already found herself second-guessing her actions.

He kept his gaze steady, locked to hers. “Still suspicious of everyone, I see.”

“Not everyone. Just you.”

They sat in silence for a minute, Jenna’s mind reeling over the implications that this date would have for her. She wanted him badly. Not that she was into vengeance sex, but it would be amazing to finally satisfy her long-imagined and insatiable curiosity.

However, she wasn’t willing to throw out her integrity for a good lay.

“There’s something I want to ask you,” she blurted out.

Ben frowned for a brief second before nodding.

She took mouthful of the drink.
Time to lay things out in the open.
“You know I’ve been assigned to lead the Rebuild project. So you know, I have no intention of letting you or your corporation have any undue influence on the project. I wanted to make that perfectly clear before this date goes too far and you need to kick me out.”

Ben leaned forward a fraction of an inch and kept his eyes locked on Jenna’s. “I wouldn’t dream of interfering with your project. Or kicking you out for that matter.”

The words didn’t quite register with her. “You wouldn’t?”

“You’re a very interesting, attractive woman, Jenna.”

She shook her head, “So why the hell did you agree to this date if it wasn’t to woo me to your way of thinking?”