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Dr Tiegel opened a small door to the left and led them down a hallway "These are the labs; most of us work here on various projects as our schedules allow In fact, some of us sleep here if there’s an experiment we don’t want to leave"
"Do you do that in addition to taking care of the animals?"
"We really don’t need to spendand such is handled by volunteers One of thewe know, there are hundreds of thousands of things--more likely millions--we don’t know Of course we have several on-staff biologists and veterinarians to keep an eye on the animals"
"How often do--"
Suddenly, one of the doors was yanked open--Alex had ti (Dr Sheldon Rivers, Director, Global Marine Progra in the doorway
"Do you have to do this shit here?" he snapped, oblivious to the three guns trained on hiot the whole damn place--twelve thousand square feet!--and you have to have your an
"I’m pretty sure I told you about the experi"
"Yes, Shel, but--"
"Iin your office and explaining why I couldn’t play lapdog to her Royal Annoyingness, right?"
Dr Tiegel winced and Jenny, who had been signaling the security teah she wished she had a gun of her own
As for Alex, she was having trouble looking away fro Dr Rivers He was so tall and broad he filled the doorway, his cocoa-colored eyes were glaring at the they nearly touched the glass His long legs were showcased in shockingly tattered blue jeans and gaped at the waist; they were about two sizes too large He earing a faded yellow T-shirt with the logo "Marine Biologists Get Wet" No lab coat His hair, light broith sun-streaked highlights, stood up froh it His lips were almost too thin, set in a scowl that made his ht have been laugh lines, but were probably frown lines
"Now get lost," he said, and shut the door
On Alex’s foot
Chapter 7
Shel Rivers looked down at the sood-looking woman attached to said foot She didn’t look hty Just had a patient look on her face, like "you’re gonna get this thing off ood way to break soer than it was
"Not before you get shot," she replied, and shouldered her way past hiood trick, since he had, at best estiot a whiff of eucalyptus as she brushed by, and he alth hair was as silky as it looked "Dr Rivers and I will be right out," she added, and closed the door on the protests of everyone else in the party
The princess (princess! in his lab!) looked around the small, cluttered roolanced back at hiot to breathe when those crystal blue eyes fixed on his
"I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced," she said pleasantly
"And I don’t think your security tea to like this at all"
"I’ now, please And you’re Dr Rivers You’re also rude and annoying, which is fine, butnobody slams a door on me"
"Especially when your fa not to look at her breasts
"Irrelevant I wouldn’t tolerate that behavior ifyou were funding in a circle to take in the whole roo in here?"
"None of your business"
"I think we could find some paperwork to prove that isn’t true What’s so i twenty questions part of the tour?"
"No, it’s part of being relatively pleasant And why did you dodge the tour? You don’t even know me"
Because she was rich Because he was busy Because she was a princess and he was a lowly Army brat Because she was too beautiful Because she was trouble with a capital T, and he’d had enough of that to last five lifeti a hand in front of his eyes "Dr Rivers? Hellooooo? Is anyone in there? Is it lunchtilare "I’ve got uide for a stuck-up VIP"
He was sure she’d get pissed, but instead, those arinned "I bet you don’t," she said, and turned to reach for the door handle
"Okay, okay," he said, grasping her elbow She took his wrist and pulled it away, al popped up "I’ll give you the da questions"
"You’re a fine one to talk about annoying," she retorted
"And no potty breaks"
"I went on the plane"
"And I’ this all day, either"
"You can’t," she pointed out "I’ lunch with Dr Tomlin in three hours"
"Another rich fat cat," he muttered
"Did you just call me fat?"
"Hardly In fact, as the last tieous--she more than lived up to her moniker as one of the most beautiful women in the world--but too skinny The planes in her face made her blue eyes seem enormous "Or even a milkshake?"
"I don’t know," she said absently "It’s probably on the schedule soued he alot about his experiments "Well, there’s a snack bar on the second floor Maybe we can grab soh, once you have to watch Dr To you ever had one"
"That’s all right, Dr Rivers"
"Shel"
"Shel You don’t have to worry I’ry And I’m Alex, by the way"