Primal Elements (9 page)

“That sounds like Roger. Look, we’ll go to headquarters together and get this solved. Then we can talk. Okay?” Jenna gave his hand a squeeze. “Okay?”

“Why? Why do you need me all of a sudden? You seem to have survived all right without me for the past seven years. I doubt you needed me then either.”

He needed to know. He couldn’t handle betrayal again. Especially if it was Jenna.

To her credit, Jenna didn’t jump in with a platitude. She shook her head and smiled.

How she could smile and look so sad was mind-boggling.

“I have a feeling there is something bigger going on here. That thing in the crater is more than an alien artifact. I need you and your team to help figure this out before someone else gets hurt.”

Especially her. Ben realized they had formed some sort of connection tonight. He wasn’t ready to walk away from it yet. To walk away from her.

“All right. Let’s see what your boy Roger can come up with. And you might want to fix your hair.”

“Shit.” She raked her fingers through her hair and fixed it into a neat ponytail.

“Better?”

He nodded and gave her a wink.

The smile finally reached her eyes. “Thank you.”

They walked the rest of the way to the temporary headquarters in silence. When they arrived, the place was buzzing with activity. Roger and Matt were arguing about something, while three or four scientists were trying to talk over the noise of the fight, increasing the racket. To add to the confusion, several men he recognized as security personnel from his company began to file into the now-crowded room. He couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Glad you find this amusing,” Jenna said and sighed.

“I believe I’ll let you take the lead, Miss Robins.”

“Why thank you, Mr. Hawthorn.”

Jenna clapped her hands together loudly. “Excuse me, everyone. May I have your attention?”

Eight startled faces swung around and faced Jenna. Silently, Ben cheered her on.

He’d never seen her like this, in charge. And for once in his life no one seemed to notice him. He moved to the corner of the tent, spun a chair around backward, straddled it and sat down to watch her work.

“I’m assuming Roger has briefed everyone on our situation.” Jenna waited until the majority of people nodded. “Excellent. I believe the artifact was used for terraforming the planet.”

A rumble in the room from the scientists, several shaking their heads. The urge to 60

say something, to try to help rescue her, was strong. He squeezed the back of the chair and waited. Jenna didn’t leave him hanging for long.

“I know, where’s the hard proof? The explosion is the key.”

Jenna walked into the center of the room and pointed to Roger. “Let me see your kit.”

“I didn’t use anything from my kit on that thing. I didn’t have a chance.”

She took a large plastic kit box from Roger and set it on the ground in front of everyone.

“For those of you new to the team, this is a standard kit. In here we have various chemicals that we use to test soil and other samples that we collect. This,” she picked up two small bottles, “is magnesium and this is liquid oxygen. Now on their own they are harmless. But when you combine them—”

“They’re explosive,” Ben finished for her.

Jenna cast him a quick glance and nodded. “Given the right conditions, yes.”

Everyone turned and looked at Roger.

“I already told you I didn’t do anything. I set the kit on the ground about three feet from the device and left. This wasn’t my fault,” he said a bit too quickly, his face growing red.

Jenna held up her hand. “I know, Roger. I’m not implying you had anything to do with this. I think it was the artifact itself.”

That’s when it struck him. “Of course.”

Jenna looked at him from over her shoulder and smiled. “The artifact seems to have the ability to pull together elements that combine perfectly. When mixed together, these two chemicals make a very powerful explosive.”

“Just like the crystals underneath the device now. Makes sense,” Roger nodded.

Jenna stood. “We need to figure out how much power this thing has left. I’m going to break you into teams and give you your assignments. Once we know how powerful this thing is, then we can figure out if it will pose a threat to the planet.”

“Wait a minute,” Matt spoke up, making sure to catch Ben’s attention. “You think there is a threat? How big?”

Jenna’s eyes darted around the room, but she didn’t look at him again. Ben knew she needed to stay in control and if anyone thought for a second that she was taking her lead from him, everything would fall apart.

“You saw the damage that was done when the device combined a small amount of chemicals. Think of what would happen if someone got their hands on bucketful, or a tank.” She waited for that image to sink in before she continued. “Someone had tried to move the device. We found evidence of modern tools.”

“Then we need to set up a perimeter.” Matt looked to Ben again.

He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t undermine Jenna, even though every inch of him 61

was straining to take charge. For once in his life he was going to sit back and let someone else run the show. Jenna had trusted him earlier tonight, it was time for him to repay the favor. Ben looked from Matt to Jenna and waited.

“If it is okay with Mr. Hawthorn, I’d like to put Matt in change of doing just that.”

Jenna now turned to face him fully.

Ben felt the muscles in his neck relax a notch, pleased to be officially invited into the process. “Let us know what you need and we’ll get it in place.”

“Thank you.”

He could actually feel the gratitude radiating from her, spreading from her slow smile across the room to hit him in the chest. She looked tired. Ben stood, but Jenna turned back to the others before he could make a move to join her.

“Listen up, everyone, for your assignment,” she said with clear authority.

All he could do was stand there and wait. People would file up to talk to Jenna, and he could watch their confusion change to clarity after only a minute or two of talking to her. Each would leave with their purpose clear in every step they took. After ten minutes the only ones who remained were themselves and Matt.

“Matt, I appreciate you taking charge of security. I have a feeling we haven’t seen the last of the people who tried to move the device.”

Jenna handed him the schematics of the base area. Matt looked between her and Ben, before he reached into his jacket and pulled out a thermos.

“The two of you look like hell. I think you need this more than I do.”

Heat from the coffee inside warmed Ben’s hand. Knowing Matt, it would be strong enough to keep them up until dawn.

“Thanks. I think Miss Robins needs a short break before we put her to work,” he said, casting a quick look down at her face.

She tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn.

“And maybe a nap,” Ben said as he rubbed her back.

“I’ll leave you two alone then. I’m on the wireless if you need anything.”

Matt gave Jenna one of his killer winks and headed out to check the perimeter.

The second the door closed behind him, Ben turned and scooped Jenna into his arms.

Her eyes popped wide open. “What are you doing?”

“I was serious. You need a nap.”

He almost dropped her when she tried to squirm out of his arms. “Ben, please. Put me down.”

“I intend to. In this cot right here.”

He sat down on the cot, but kept Jenna wrapped up in his arms. She wriggled for another few seconds before giving up the fight. When she placed her head on his shoulder, a warm sensation of peace filled him.

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“Tired?” he spoke against the top of her head.

“Yes,” her breath warmed his shirt. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. You’ve earned it. It’s been a while since I’ve seen that many people jump to action that quickly.”

Her body shook with laughter. “I’m sure you see that every day at CalCorp.”

When she tilted her head back Ben’s breath became shallow. Even half asleep she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever met. He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead before he captured her mouth in a kiss.

Jenna sighed as she teased the back of his neck with her long fingers. She opened her mouth, allowing Ben to deepen his kiss. He massaged her back with his hand, tugging up her shirt as he went so he could feel her soft skin.

There wasn’t anything sexual about his touch. He simply needed to be closer to her, needed to feel her warmth and know that she was real. That everything that had happened tonight was real.

Jenna nipped his bottom lip, and then kissed a trail down his jaw to his neck.

“I hope you didn’t have any plans. Because the only way you’re going to get me to stay here is if you don’t move.”

For the first time in his life Ben didn’t mind the idea of a woman holding him down. He closed his eyes and breathed deep.

“I wouldn’t dream of moving.”

Ben couldn’t open his eyes again. It wasn’t worth the fight, so he let his mind drift into oblivion. He probably would have stayed like that for hours if Jenna hadn’t sat bolt upright in his arms.

“What the hell?” he asked, his senses quickly charging to full alert.

“Ben? Jenna?” Matt called from outside the tent.

Ben stood and let Jenna straighten her shirt and pants before he answered.

“What’s wrong?”

“You’d both better come see this.”

Roger and Matt waited for them outside, though Roger looked more than a little upset.

“We were wrong,” Roger said in a tone that both accused and sounded guilty.

“About what? The device?”

Jenna yawned and gave her eyes a rub. Both Matt and Roger had the decency to look guilty for waking her up. A quick look at his watch told him they’d only managed to get twenty minutes of rest. Some night this was turning out to be.

She reached for the thermos that Matt had given them earlier, opened it and took a long swig.

Roger waited for her to finish before continuing. “It looks like this wasn’t the only device. Matt found a secondary dig when he was securing the perimeter. It would 63

explain why the end of our artifact is damaged. Maybe the two parts were pulled apart on impact. Regardless, looks like someone else got here first and took whatever it was with them.”

Shit.

Jenna crossed her arms across her chest. “Was there anything left? If there is another one of those things out there—”

“Then we have a very big problem on our hands.”

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Jenna knelt beside the device and looked at the gaping hole in its side where it had been joined to its partner. She ran her fingers around the twisted metal, careful not to cut her skin. It didn’t look like someone had ripped this thing apart, so the damage must have come from impact. But the fact someone had known about this at all, taken the other part, whatever it happened to be, meant they had a security risk. The university was going to have her head when they found out about the damage done to their crane, but at least they had managed to move this behemoth to a secure location.

The more she caressed the metal, the stronger the strange stirring inside her got.

Longing and loneliness tugged at her, and for the first time in a long while she actually had to fight the urge to cry. She gave her head a shake.
I must be more tired than I thought.

Jenna cleared her throat and tried to sound like she wasn’t running through an emotional ride. “It looks like it was ripped apart. Broke up in the atmosphere maybe.”

“I haven’t seen anything like this,” Gareth Sanderson said from the other side of the device.

Ben moved behind her, but she didn’t turn to face him. It was hard enough being in the same room with him and the device. If they got too close, things would go downhill fast. She tried to relax and focus on Sanderson. At least he wasn’t setting her hormones racing. If anything he was pissing her off more than he should.

“I guess they couldn’t move the two pieces together. They probably intended to come back for this, but our team got here first.”

Gareth stood and brushed sand from his pants. “So how powerful is this thing anyway?”

“Powerful,” Ben and Jenna answered in unison.

Ignoring her blush, she concentrated on the underside of the device. They couldn’t possibly make things any more obvious than they already were. Roger had ripped into her after her quick nap in the tent with Ben. Not that it was any of his business whom she dated, and she’d bitched him out for even suggesting it was. Still, she couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit guilty. That somehow she was being disloyal to her team. And to Ben.

Regardless, she wasn’t about to make their relationship public knowledge. Not yet anyway. Gods, she didn’t even know if they
had
a relationship at this point.

“Who would want a device like this? If we can figure that out, then we can warn the authorities,” she said to Ben from the device. He nodded, knowing as well as she what would happen if the wrong people got a hold of this device.

Sanderson joined Ben and turned his back to her. Jenna shook her head and pretended to examine the damaged metal again. Sanderson had been an absolute pig 65

since his arrival an hour ago. She was going to have to get his ass kicked off her project.

That is if she could keep her hands off Ben long enough to talk to him.

“It could be any extremist group. If the other section of this thing has even a fraction of the power this end does, it could produce a very big bang,” Ben said in a cool tone.

Jenna finally faced him and immediately wished she hadn’t. He stood, leaning against one of the walls, his arms crossed loosely across his chest. He made eye contact with her and Jenna felt her insides quiver. His hazel eyes looked black as he stood in the half-light of the room. His jacket had been discarded long ago and his sleeves were now rolled up to the elbow. A thin line of dirt was smudged along his forearm. He looked hot, tired and very sexy.

He also looked pissed. Ben hadn’t missed Sanderson’s slight towards her. Jenna gave her head a shake, and prayed he got the message. The last thing they needed right now was infighting. It was going to take everyone, even Sanderson, to solve this puzzle.

A loud gurgle echoed in the room. Jenna grabbed her stomach and cringed.

“Sorry.”

“You need to eat and sleep.” Ben pushed away from the wall and offered her a hand. “Let me take you home.”

Screw that.
“I’m fine. Besides, Gareth just got here. I need to get him up to—”

“Roger can do that. You need to rest.”

Ben stood there, hand outstretched, and waited for her to take it.

“Mr. Hawthorn, I’m fine.”

“My company is ultimately responsible for this project. I can’t afford to have one of its most important resources tired and hungry. Gareth, you can handle things until Jenna gets back?”

The question hung in the air as Sanderson stood, mouth gaping, looking at the back of Ben’s head.

“Well, since I know he’ll do such a great job, I supposed I can take a short break. I’ll ask Roger to check in with you. He should be back from breakfast soon.”

Jenna smiled and slid her hand into his without thinking. When their hands touched an immediate rush pulsed through her. Her nipples tightened and her pussy practically gushed. She saw her desire reflected in Ben’s eyes, only this time he didn’t flinch. Ben didn’t wait for Sanderson’s response and led Jenna out of the makeshift lab.

As they got farther away from the device, the supercharged arousal she’d felt ebbed enough so that she was able to think again.

“Sorry I forgot about the not-touching rule around that thing,” Ben leaned in and whispered the words against her ear.

A pleasant shiver ran down her spine at his nearness. “It’s okay. I don’t think he noticed.”

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“No, I think he was in shock. Cocky bastard.” Ben shook his head.

“That was so worth it.” Jenna smiled.

“My staff has been telling me for months Gareth’s full of himself since he took over special projects. Thank you for helping me to make a point.”

Ben squeezed her hand that now rested in the crook of his arm. Jenna looked down at the contact and realized that it felt right. Which somehow seemed wrong.

“I think I’ll rest in one of the tents. I’m pretty sure Matt said something about getting cots set up for us,” she said, suddenly needing space.

When she tried to pull away, Ben stopped and looked at her hard.

“I thought we had gotten past this,” he asked, confusion on his face.

Jenna shrugged. What the hell could she say? Things didn’t make sense, least of all her feelings for him.

“Ben, I don’t know what’s going on half the time. I’m tired and need to sleep.”

Voices from an approaching group caused her to try to pull her hand free again.

Ben made a sound that could have passed for a growl.

“We need to talk. This way.”

He half pulled her towards the limo and jerked the door open.

“In please,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Excuse me?”

“I said please.”

Jenna buried her hands into her back pockets and stood there. She’d played this game with him before and wasn’t about to let him win again.

Ben frowned and shook his head. “There’s food.”

Another loud grumble from her stomach signaled her defeat. Jenna let her head drop to her chest.

“I don’t like this.”

He tapped his fingertips along the edge of the open door. He took a half step towards her, leaving just enough space so she didn’t feel crowded.

“I promise I only want to talk,” he said in his low rumble that only reached her ears.

When she looked into his eyes she was surrounded by his smoldering look. Every inch of her wanted his touch. She wanted to lie down, stretch out naked beside him and not move for hours.

“Well, since there’s food.”

Jenna flopped down onto the seat, and slid over to give him room. When he didn’t move to join her she patted the leather beside her. Ben muttered something under his breath as he sat down and closed the door behind him.

“What was that?” she said with enough innocence to almost sound convincing.

“I said you’re going to kill me.”

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Jenna laughed. “No, I’m your perfect match, remember? Now where’s the food?”

She watched as Ben’s lips curled into his wonderful slow smile. The scar on his cheek pulled tight when he did. She reached out and touched it as she had last night.

“Amazing how much things can change in a few hours.”

Ben nodded once, dropped to his knees and opened the fridge. They sat in silence and quietly consumed their breakfast. Jenna was thankful they had been on their date when the explosion happened. The feelings she was having for him would have been too much, too soon. She would have blamed the device and not trusted that there may be something to them. Amazing that the dating service was that accurate.

“I meant to ask you. Do you own Perfect Match? It didn’t strike me as the sort of company you’d use unless you had something vested in it.”

“No. The only reason I tried it was because of Matt. He lectured me one night over a drink. Told me I couldn’t hide behind my desk anymore and needed to rejoin humanity.”

“Good for him.”

“You’d say that,” he said. “After I’d made some discreet inquiries, this service came up as the best.”

“Well, if our device is what I think it is, maybe we can use it to start our own dating service.”

Jenna trailed off, her hand stopped in midair.
No, it couldn’t be.

“What’s wrong?” Ben turned in his seat to fully face her.

It couldn’t be that obvious. “If my theory is right, then the device pulls separate elements together for a perfect combination. Unlike you, I’ve had my name go through these dating services before. Trust me when I say they are normally far from perfect on the first match.”

“We got lucky?”

Jenna shook her head and leaned in close to Ben. “According to Rhonda, Perfect Match has only been operating for the last four months. That’s about the time my team set up camp. We only discovered the device a few weeks ago. Didn’t know what it was until last night though.”

“You think that the people running Perfect Match have the other device? That seems a bit of a stretch.”

“Why? With all the people out there, why did the program tie the two of us together? We don’t move in the same circles or have the same economic status.

Honestly, would you have personally involved yourself with this if we hadn’t been on a date?”

Ben frowned but didn’t answer.

Her heart began to pound and her hands grew damp. “Both the program and the device put us together. It has to be the other half.”

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Jenna crammed the last bite of her food into her mouth and fished her PCD out of her pocket.

“What are you doing?”

A quick tap of her speed-dial button and Rhonda’s number began to ring. “Getting answers.”

“Hello?”

“Rhonda, I need your help.”

Without giving her a chance to interrupt, Jenna told Rhonda as much of the story as she thought was relevant. On the chance that the people who had the other device were dangerous, Jenna didn’t want Rhonda to get too close.

“I tried to find as much information on the company as I could when I was planning your party, but there wasn’t much. Mostly testimonials as to the success of the program,” Rhonda barely managed to say before she yawned.

Shit.

“Any info on who owns the company?”

“Nope. The only name I could dig up was a lawyer, and I think that’s a dead end too. They are based on Earth.”

“Earth? Why the hell would someone want an Earth law firm to look after a dating service on Mars? It’s not like they will be able to pop right over to help with lawsuits.”

Ben sat bolt upright in the seat, and snatched the PCD.

“Hey!”

“Rhonda, this is Ben Hawthorn. What was the name of the lawyer?”

Jenna tried to grab it back from Ben, but he blocked her attempts. She hit his arm, once lightly, but the second time she put as much as she could into the punch. He didn’t flinch.

“I promise.”

“Promise what?” She tried to lean in to hear what was being said.

Ben listened for another minute, before thanking Rhonda and offering the communicator back to her.

“She wants to say goodbye.”

Jenna glared at him and plucked the PCD from his open hand.

“Hello?”

“I like him a lot. You need to keep that one.”

Jenna rolled her eyes. “Right. Goodbye, Rhonda.”

“I’m serious.”

“Goodbye, Rhonda.”

“Okay, but let me know how things turn out.”

The loud beep of the power button filled the limo. Jenna closed her eyes and took a 69

deep breath.

“Your friend is very…energetic.”

Jenna half looked at him and shook her head. “You have no idea. What did you promise her, by the way?”

“She knew you would ask,” he said and leaned forward.

“Of course I’d ask. My best friend was talking to you. And I know what you’re both capable of.”

Ben didn’t stop moving closer until Jenna was forced to lean back against the seat.