Canyon Shadows (27 page)

Authors: Vonna Harper

It appeared he was alone tonight, and he’d discarded the suit and tie for a more relaxed look. Holy crap, but the dude even looked hot in worn jeans and a sleeveless T-shirt.

And damn, but the guy even had tats. A big stylized cross of some kind spread from his right shoulder almost down to his elbow. He was definitely better-looking than on TV, with that thick, dark blond hair and absolutely brilliant blue eyes. Rodie knew he was in his mid-forties, but he didn’t look more than about thirty or so. Probably all that money. Any guy rich as Mac Dugan had access to whatever it took to look hot.

He bounded up the four stairs to the stage, walked across to the podium, and glanced around the room. Then he frowned. “This won’t do at all,” he said. He crooked his finger overhead and pointed toward the door. “Follow me.”

Rodie glanced at the guy beside her, shrugged, grabbed her backpack, and stood. Like a bunch of mismatched sheep, the six of them followed him through the door. Dugan waited just outside. “Break room’s this way. It’s a more intimate setting for what we need to discuss.”

No one said a word, but they all followed him down the broad hallway, into a smaller room with black granite counters, coffee machines, soft drink dispensers, and a tray of donuts that had probably been fresh sometime this morning. A large oak table with matching chairs all around dominated the space in the center.

Dugan took one of the chairs. The rest of them each found a seat around the oval-shaped table. Rodie glanced to either side of her. The smiley guy who’d been next to her in the first room was on her left; the one who’d had his feet planted on the wall sat on her right.

Good god, but she was surrounded by pheromones. At least earbud dude had removed the buds, turned off his iPod and stashed his phone. Everyone appeared totally relaxed, but Rodie could feel the buzz, as if their curiosity was cranked up on high. She toned down her sensory abilities, thankful she’d at least learned how to do that much.

In the beginning, when this new ability of hers first appeared, picking up on everyone’s mood had almost driven her off the deep end. She was still learning how to work it, how to make it work for her, not against her. She forced herself to relax, glanced at Dugan and waited. He smiled at her and then planted both his hands on the table.

“This is better,” he said. “I’m MacArthur Dugan, and you six are the only ones to make the cut out of over a thousand original applicants. I appreciate your willingness to hang on through what has to have been a frustrating and seemingly interminable selection procedure, but all those questions and tests were essential to my project. It’s my hope that you’ll decide to stick with it once you hear the details.”

Wow.
Rodie took a new look at the others and wondered what the six of them had that the other thousand-plus didn’t.

Earbuds raised his hand.

Dugan acknowledged him with a nod. “Yes, Mr. Black. What do you wish to know?”

“You said there were over a thousand who applied. On what criteria were we selected? And what, exactly, have we been selected for?”

Dugan grinned at all of them and then focused on Black. “Why don’t you introduce yourselves first and tell us why you applied, who you are, what you do. Then I’ll explain everything, including the project. You go first. Age, why you’re here, that sort of thing.”

The guy nodded. “Fair enough. I’m Morgan Black. Thirty-five years old. Self-employed landscaper.” He gazed at Dugan as if he were daring him to say something. “I clean up dog shit, pull weeds, and mow lawns.”

Damn, but he had a sexy voice, and she loved the obvious chip on his shoulder. She could so relate, but that voice! So deep she felt the timbre of it touch her inside like a physical stroke between her legs. All her vaginal muscles clenched, leaving her so intent on the sensation, she barely heard what else he said.

“I got interested when I heard the rumor going around that this was closely tied to the SETI project.”

“What’s that?”

Rodie almost snickered. Wouldn’t you know it, the classy black chick didn’t have a clue. Probably spent all her time and energy finding the right shoes to match her handbags.

Dugan didn’t seem to mind answering such a dumb question. “SETI, Miss Pearce, stands for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence.”

“Aliens?” She glanced at the others. “Really?”

“Really.”

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