Primal Passion (9 page)

“Gunner’s going to take your outfit and hide
it.”

Price’s answer confused her even more. “Why
would he do that?”

“You can’t leave the hotel room if you’re
naked. Given your attempt to escape this morning, this seems the
easiest way to ensure your compliance. Plus, it provides some eye
candy for Gunner and me.”

Deni was mortified. “You don’t seriously
expect me to walk around this hotel room completely nude all day,
do you?”

Price reached for her T-shirt and stripped it
over her head with ease. “Yes. I do.”

Gunner had moved forward during their
conversation and was kneeling behind where she sat on the bed. He
made quick work of her bra and added it to the pile.

Topless, Deni covered her breasts with one
hand while trying to fend off her lovers with the other.

Gunner grasped her and wrapped his arms
around her, preventing her from using her hands. When Price reached
for the button on her jeans, she kicked out, her last-ditch
attempt.

Price sidestepped her kick easily, then
pinned her legs to the side of the bed with his. Once he’d
unfastened her pants, Gunner lifted her slightly to allow Price to
tug them and her panties off. The entire disrobing had taken less
than a minute.

She was completely outnumbered. “I think it’s
only fair that you two take off your clothes too.”

Gunner chuckled. “No. We’re not trying to
escape.”

She twisted, trying to break his hold. “What
if I get cold?”

“We’ll crank up the heat.” Gunner released
her, but her freedom was short-lived. Price leaned forward. Deni
resisted the urge to back away from his angry face.

Last night, he’d been kind, even sweet in his
own way. Today she was facing the man she’d met in her lab. He was
irritated, scowling, looking far too serious.

Before she could move, a knock sounded on the
door in the living suite.

“That will be breakfast. Price and I ordered
room service. I’ll get it.” Gunner stood, gathered her clothing and
started to leave her room. He stopped at the doorway. “Unless you’d
prefer to sign for it, Deni.”

She smirked at his joke and he laughed,
mercifully shutting the door behind him. Standing naked in front of
Gunner and Price was one thing. She didn’t intend to offer a peep
show to every hotel employee as well.

She released a slow breath and then glanced
up. Price hadn’t moved. Maybe she should have signed for the food.
That task would have been simpler than facing Price.

While Gunner had taken her attempt to leave
in stride, Price was genuinely furious.

“I’m sorry.” She wasn’t sure what else to
say. She hated it when people were mad at her.

Price sat on the bed next to her. “Do you
understand the purpose of the Trinity Masters?”

Deni nodded. “Of course I do. The vision is
that there’s power in three. By forming triads, the Grand Master
hopes to build strong relationships that will lead to the success
of our country and humankind. The Trinity Masters have been
instrumental in influencing the continued development of
technology, education, the military and medicine.”

“That’s right.” Price took her hand. “You’re
special, Denise.”

She frowned. She’d heard that line too often
in her lifetime. Sometimes it was a compliment. Most of the time it
wasn’t. She rolled her eyes. “Great.”

He tightened his grip, squeezing her fingers
in a way she assumed was meant to soothe her. “I don’t mean that as
an insult.”

“I’m sure you don’t, but I’m pretty sick of
hearing it just the same.” She mimicked her younger self. “Why
can’t I go to third grade with my friends?” Then she adopted her
mother’s voice. “Because you’re special, Deni. Why can’t I go to
summer camp instead of taking a college class? Because you’re
special.”

Deni threw her hands up, flopping back on the
mattress. “I’m fucking sick of being special. I just want to be
normal.”

Price lay down next to her and rested his
hand on her bare stomach. Just like that, Deni went from pissed off
to turned on. She never would have pegged herself as a sexual
creature, but Price and Gunner had certainly ignited something
inside her, and she didn’t see it burning out any time soon.

“There’s no one in the entire world who’s
normal, Denise. We’re all just our own brand of unique.”

“So why do you think I’m special?”

“It’s never apparent why the Grand Master
partners people up immediately, but he does have a plan.”

Deni hadn’t had time to consider why the
Grand Master had thrust Gunner and Price into her life. All she
knew was she was glad he had. “What do you think his plan is for
us?”

Price lifted one shoulder. “I’m not sure
where Gunner fits in, but I think my role is to protect you.”

Deni didn’t think that sounded like much of a
power match. “That seems flimsy.”

He turned to face her, his upper body propped
up by his elbow. “Not really. I genuinely believe you’re going to
make a difference in the world with your research. Tell me about
the studies you do. What’s your long-term goal?”

“To find a cure for neurological disorders.
Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS. We’re still a long way away from
that, but I really believe that we’ll get there.”

He nodded. “And the way there is through
stem-cell research?”

“Yes, as well as through epigenetics.”

Price lifted his shoulder. “I’ve never heard
of that.”

“Epigenetics is a fairly new and potentially
invaluable field of research that looks at genes as being switches.
Meaning they can be turned on and off by both environmental and
chemical signals. Epigenetic gene control is a likely culprit for
the causes of both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The human genome
was sequenced in 2003, but the human epigenome is an even larger
feat. Even so, it holds huge promise.”

“And people are against that?”

Deni sighed. “There are some people who are
against the use of human embryos in stem-cell research. Period.
Then there are some pro-lifers who think we should only use adult
stem cells. It all lies with when a person sees life beginning. At
fertilization? Gastrulation? With the first organ derived from
morphogenesis? The first twitch of a newly active cardiac
cell?”

Price shook his head. “When did we stop
speaking English?”

Deni laughed. “Basically what people fail to
realize is that adult stem cells are only pluripotent. That means
they can only differentiate into some but not all types of tissues.
Researchers need totipotent cells, ones that can become any other
cell in the body through chemical signaling. IPSC have their
benefit, but they’re expensive and hard to come by.”

“IPSC?”

“Induced pluripotent stem cells.”

“Where do the human embryos come from?”

“Lots of places, but mainly from in vitro
clinics. They’re embryos that have been stored too long or that are
slated to be destroyed anyway.”

Price ran his hand through her hair. “That
sounds harmless enough.”

Deni hadn’t been touched much in her life and
never like this. It made her feel hot and fuzzy and dizzy all at
the same time. She cleared her throat and forced herself to pay
attention to the conversation at hand.

“Let’s face it, Price. There are a million
different aspects of my research that have been debated endlessly.
Lots of people are of the opinion that once a cell or tissue leaves
your body, it isn’t yours anymore. Look at Henrietta Lacks. She
unknowingly gave up her cells in 1951 and they’ve been dividing her
ever since. Her cells have played a role in the cure for polio as
well as establishing legal laws regarding the ethical treatment of
prisoners. Hell, they’ve even been to the moon and back to study
the effects of anti-gravity on cell division.”

Price sighed. “So basically this is just yet
another area where religion and science clash.”

Deni nodded. “In a nutshell, I guess.”

“And these threats against you are likely to
remain as long as you continue your research?”

Deni closed her eyes wearily. “I don’t think
what’s happening to me is normal. There are a lot of scientists in
the same field who don’t come home to destroyed apartments and
bombs.”

Price cupped her jaw, turned her toward him.
She opened her eyes, touched by the concern written on his
face.

“You’ve ticked off a dangerous person. My job
is to protect. I sometimes wondered if I hadn’t been partnered up
in a triad because I didn’t bring enough to the table.”

“Don’t be silly.”

He grinned. “You’re mine, Denise. You’re
brilliant, talented and passionate. I’m going to keep you safe so
that you can finish your work. Save the world.”

She laughed. “Wow. No pressure there.”

He kissed her.

“Must be nice to know your place in this
relationship.”

Price and Deni sat up at the sound of
Gunner’s voice. It was apparent he’d been standing in the doorway,
listening. “Meanwhile, I don’t have a clue why I’m here.”

“Comic relief?” Price suggested.

Deni giggled and stood. “If I promise not to
leave, can I at least get a T-shirt?”

Gunner and Price said, “No,” in unison.

“Come on. Breakfast is getting cold.” Gunner
took Deni’s hand and led her to the table where they’d eaten dinner
last night. They each claimed the same seats, falling into
comfortable patterns.

Would it always be this simple?

Deni suspected not. There were still too many
bridges to cross. “What do we tell people about us?”

Price paused in the middle of buttering a
croissant. “It’s imperative that we keep the true nature of our
relationship a secret.”

Deni took a sip of orange juice. “I know. So
how do we explain the three of us living together in your
house?”

Gunner leaned back. “I’m still not sure I can
get the transfer to Boston. It may just be the two of you for a
while.”

“You’ll get the transfer.”

“How do you know so much about the inner
workings of the Trinity Masters, Price? This is the third time
you’ve alluded to knowing something more than Deni and I.”

“The Trinity Masters isn’t run by one
man.”

Deni put down her fork. “It isn’t? I thought
the Grand Master held all the power.”

Price shook his head. “Ultimately, all
decisions are made by the Grand Master, but there is a triumvirate
standing behind him. Three members who support him, offer counsel,
handle day-to-day issues that may arise.”

“You’re one of those three?” Gunner
asked.

Price nodded.

“But you didn’t know about us, about the
ceremony,” Deni said.

“I suspect the Grand Master knew I would be
resistant to this particular match. I would have fought him on it
because I didn’t understand the reasons behind it.”

It was the first time Deni felt as if she
shared a common trait with her self-assured, powerhouse lover.
Neither of them could easily accept commands without also being
offered reasons.

“So you know who the Grand Master is.”
Gunner’s curiosity was almost palpable. Deni didn’t share it. It
had never bothered her not to know the man’s identity.

Price grinned. “Is it the CIA or the FBI who
coined the line, I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill
you?”

Gunner snorted. “I think it actually came
from some damn spy movie.”

“My mother will never believe that you and I
are a couple, Price.” Deni tried to steer their conversation back
to important matters.

Price covered his heart with his hand,
pretending to be wounded. “What? She never pictured her little girl
with a billionaire playboy?”

Deni laughed. “Afraid not.” She glanced at
Gunner. “But she would believe I was dating you. You’re the only
person who’s ever really stuck around, been a friend.”

Gunner shook his head. “I’m always surprised
when you say that. You’re gorgeous and funny enough that it’s not
completely impossible to overlook your nerd tendencies.”

Deni tore a crust off her bread and lobbed it
at Gunner’s head. “Jerk,” she teased.

“So you and Gunner will be the couple, and
eventually you should get married to solidify the union.”

“What about you?” Gunner asked.

“I have more money than God. I think that
entitles me to be a bit eccentric. I’ll take a sudden interest in
stem-cell research, become very good friends with one of the
field’s top scientists and her boyfriend. I’ll build Denise a lab
on my property with a connecting house for the two of you. My staff
is well trained and trustworthy. We’ll make this work.”

Deni was amazed by Price’s quick response.
She’d never met anyone so self-assured, so confident.

“Sounds like a plan,” Gunner said.

She studied his face, wondering if he was
truly okay with Price’s proposal. Gunner seemed to take everything
in stride, accepting their new fate so easily. She wished she could
roll with the punches as well as he did. Instead, she felt like she
was struggling to keep up.

“Can I borrow your phone?” she asked
Gunner.

Gunner handed his cell over without question.
Deni dialed the number to her lab, certain Curtis would be there
and wondering where the hell she was. Sure enough, he answered on
the second ring.

She took a few minutes assuring Curtis she
wasn’t dying. Poor man couldn’t think of any other reason for her
absence. Once she calmed him down regarding her health, she gave
him detailed instructions on what she needed him to do over the
course of the next two days. With any luck, she’d convince her
so-called captors to release her by then.

“Thanks, Curtis. See you in a few days.” She
clicked the phone off and returned it to Gunner.

“Feel better?” Gunner asked.

She nodded.

Gunner laid his phone on the table. “I’m
surprised you didn’t try to give him some coded message that would
alert him you were being held against your will.”