Dark Legion Duet

Dark Legion Duet
Second Edition
Isabella Jordan
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2024 Isabella Jordan
Excerpt from University

"You're late, G.I. Jane." Will Martin winked at her as she walked into the lab where they worked together and pulled the backpack from her shoulder.

Joey grinned at him, a big stupid grin no doubt, but she didn't care.

With his golden skin, sun-streaked hair and powerful body, Will was nobody's idea of a geeky scientist. Tall, handsome, with a bold nose, a sexy mouth and dark blue eyes that could glitter with humor or darken to the color of a stormy sea. Joey had never seen such a perfect blend of beauty and intelligence in any other man. In the realm of science there was no challenge he wouldn't take on, no subject he wouldn't tackle. Even Joey with her very limited knowledge of virology knew that Will was well on his way to making a difference in the world. It wouldn't surprise her if he were the one to someday find a cure for the AIDS virus, ending the suffering and death of millions. She had that much faith in him.

His brilliant mind fascinated her almost as much as his hot, muscular body and that was saying a lot. How many times had she satisfied herself while thinking about Will? How many late night dreams had he haunted? The touch of his rough hands on her aching breasts always felt so real in her dreams, so good. She'd swear that the solid length of his body between her thighs, the sensual glide of his cock in and out of her slick, ready passage were a reality while she was dreaming.

Until she woke up in a sweaty tangle of bed sheets. After several seconds of swearing and sometimes several more seconds with her vibrator, she could usually get back to sleep. But not always. Sometimes she'd lie there and think of clever ways to ask him out. A couple of times she even meant to carry out her plans to ask him out to dinner, then maybe even ask him to her bed. But she always chickened out at the last moment.

Joey grabbed her lab coat from its peg on the wall and watched Will as she slipped it on. Will had no idea that she was totally infatuated with him and she was afraid to make a move. They worked together after all. He was a brilliant scientist. She was just a girl who'd gone into the army to pay for college on the G.I. Bill and was now a way-older-than-average freshman. Joey continued to watch him as he scribbled notes on a steno pad and peered into the microscope before him, his muscular upper body straining against the lab coat he wore. How could someone like her ever hope to get the attention of someone like him?

"That's new." Dr. Rafe Bowen caught her off guard. Hooking the golden charm bracelet that circled her wrist with a long finger, he pulled her arm up to scrutinize it before releasing her.

"Yes," she said, recovering from the start. "It was a gift."

"From whom?" he asked in his clipped British accent, his hazel eyes watching her intently.

Her eyes darted to Will. But he didn't appear to be paying attention to their conversation. Damn him! "My sister," Joey answered blandly.

Rafe Bowen nodded, but continued to gaze at her speculatively. Rafe was her supervisor in the lab. He was a handsome man with his chestnut hair and well-defined, cultured features. He wasn't as tall as Will, his build average. From what little she knew of him he was probably in his early forties but he looked remarkably young for his age. He could pass for someone in his early thirties easily. It helped that he was easy to work for and generous with his time. He taught several virology courses in addition to his research.

Joey had long suspected that her boss had more than a passing interest in her. Rafe would stare at her when he thought she wasn't looking and it made Joey pretty damned uncomfortable. He'd always insisted that she call him by his given name, though she never had. But he'd given her a job when she'd given up hope of finding one. That alone had made her first year at Woods University much easier than it could have been for a twenty-five-year-old freshman.

"Why are you two here?" he asked, frowning.

Joey exchanged a glance with Will and let him answer.

"Next week is spring break," Will pointed out. "If we don't run the analysis on the Aspergillus cultures now, we'll lose them. They won't be any good when we get back."

Joey couldn't help with the analysis, wouldn't know how. She knew that Aspergillus was a mold and a respiratory allergen but that was about it.

But the money sure would come in handy.

"What about tomorrow and Friday?"

"Exams," Will and Joey answered in unison.

Rafe blew out a frustrated sigh. "You're not staying long. I have to be at a meeting in an hour."

"We'll lock up," Will assured him.

Joey's heart began thumping in earnest. Alone with Will Martin? Oh, yes, that would be fine.

Rafe's expression grew darker. It wasn't like him.

"You'll leave when I do," he said curtly. When it appeared Will was about to say something else, he added, "End of discussion."

Will's gaze followed him as Rafe marched to his office and closed the door behind him. He shook his head, giving Joey a sardonic half smile.

"What crawled up his ass today?" Will glanced up at the lab's clock, prompting her to do the same. It was five minutes to six in the evening. "Want to get started on prep?"

Joey nodded and walked to the autoclave on the counter opposite the lab door. Pulling open the door, she frowned when she found it empty.

"Crap! Someone took all the instruments I autoclaved last night," Joey grumbled. How would they have time to do anything now if she had to sterilize more instruments?

Will glanced over his shoulder at her but didn't seem concerned. "Turner probably took them for his class, that lazy asshole. Just sterilize some more. We've got time."

Joey motioned toward Rafe's office with her thumb.

"Let me worry about him." Will waved her on.

When Joey hesitated he smiled, a flash of white teeth. Her nipples tightened to hard little points in an instant.

"Go on." He motioned her to continue with her work. "How's your French class going?"

I know all the dirty words. I could recite them for you.

"I'm doing okay." Wasn't that a waste of a good conversation opener? Think! "I've really enjoyed the biology labs. The experiments have been very interesting."

"Yeah?" Will's back was to her. He kept right on with his work. "Which ones interested you the most?"

Her mind went blank. That would teach her to use something she had little interest in to get his attention. Shit! "The genetics experiments," she finally answered. She knew there had been a couple.

"I think the corn genetics experiment is the best that they offer." He paused a moment as he read over his notes. "Morten had a good idea there. Students get to germinate and grow F2 corn seeds and determine the inheritance pattern of the albino trait and what the P and F2 generations' genotypes must have been. Did you like that one?"

"I did." Joey remembered it anyway.

"We might make a scientist out of you yet." Will peered at her over his shoulder. "What are your plans for your time here? I don't think I've ever asked you that."

Her mouth went dry.

To jump your bones?