Excerpt of The Descartes Legacy by Nina Croft

He flicked open the top button of her shirt and had
progressed to the second one when a cell phone rang behind
her, and he went still.

His expression was rueful, but he stepped away and reached
for the phone. Though he turned his head as he answered, she
clearly heard Callum’s voice at the other end of the line.

“Luke, I’m on my way up.”

Luke glanced at her, regret clear in his eyes. “Okay, I’ll
see you in five.”

Jenna jumped down off the counter as Luke shoved the cell
phone in his pocket.

“That was Callum. He’s on his way up.”

“I heard.”

“You did? You must have good hearing.”

She frowned. “This morning it seems I do. Does Callum live
here?”

“He has an apartment a couple of floors down. He stays there
when he’s in the country.” He made to leave the room but
paused in the doorway. “I didn’t use anything last night.”

For a moment, she didn’t understand what he was saying. Then
she realized he meant no condom. “Is there anything I should
know?”

“No, I’m clean. What about you—any chance there will be
repercussions from this?”

“No. I’m on the pill.”

She’d hated the idea of passing her disease to anyone and
had seriously considered being sterilized, but strangely, it
was her father who had told her to hold off. He’d said the
advances in medical science were coming so fast who knew
what cures would be available in another decade.

“Good. I’ll be back after I’ve dealt with Callum.” His smile
was apologetic. “Maybe you should go to the gym after all. I
have a feeling this might take some time.”

He closed the door behind him.

Her gaze settled on the coffee machine as the scent of fresh
coffee teased her nose. Jenna poured herself a cup and sat
at the table sipping it. Even through the closed door, she
could hear Luke moving around the apartment, and she frowned
again.

The flavor of her coffee tasted more intense than she had
ever noticed before. Everything appeared sharper, brighter.
Was it some sort of relief that she was alive when others
were dead?

Or was something else happening? Last night, for the first
time in as long as she could remember, she hadn’t taken any
medication. But she didn’t feel ill. She felt…She closed her
eyes; she felt vital, alive, alert. Could it be some sort of
side effect, a symptom that heralded much worse to come? Or
had the medicine, while forestalling her illness, also
dulled her senses?

The elevator door slid open. Presumably Callum arriving.
Jenna sat back in her seat. If she closed her eyes, she
could hear the conversation clearly.

“You look like you just got laid,” Callum said

“Leave it.” Luke’s tone held irritation or guilt. Possibly both.

“Do you know what you’re doing?” Obviously Callum was
unwilling to leave it. “This woman is a possible suspect,
and even if she weren’t a suspect, she’s our only lead.
She’s bait, and you’re losing focus.”

“I said, leave it,” Luke snapped.

“Damn it, Luke, this is my deal as much as yours. I have as
much at stake as you. Leah was my sister.”

“I know.” He was silent for a minute, and Jenna strained to
hear. “This way, Jenna trusts me. Don’t worry—I’ll do
whatever’s necessary.”

Had Luke been playing her?