Ultraviolet Catastrophe (29 page)

“What’s going on, Max? How’s Zella?” I asked.

“Dr. Rosen is with her now. The bullet went through her leg cleanly, so they’re stitching her up.”

Asher nodded. “Dad’s good with a needle, but Zella’ll probably have a scar.”

“I don’t care as long as she’s all right.” He sighed. “I just need to see her.”

“Soon. I’m sure Dr. Rosen will let us know the moment she’s done. Come sit down, and we’ll tell you what happened with Danvers.”

“Right. Danvers.” Max took the chair beside me, but his gaze kept straying to the door as Asher and I told him what had happened.

I was mid-sentence when the door to the med wing swung open. Max shot to his feet as Dr. Rosen stepped through. He nodded at us, his salt-and-pepper hair crazier than usual. “Zella is fine. She’s stitched up, on pain meds, and ready for visitors. But only for a few minutes. She needs to rest.”

Max pushed past him, sprinting toward Zella’s room. Asher and I followed more slowly behind.

“Guess he finally figured out he liked her after all,” Asher said. “Took him long enough.”

“It was pretty obvious, wasn’t it?” I grinned at him. “Sometimes you geniuses just can’t see what’s right in front of your face.”

“Hey! I take offense to that statement.”

“Who said I was talking about you?” With a wink, I slipped my hand into his, and we pushed open the door to Zella’s room.

Max was already at her side. Zella blinked up at him, smiled weakly. And then, before we could even blink, Max leaned down and kissed her gently.

“Maybe we should give them some time alone,” I whispered.

Asher’s fingers grazed my jaw, turning me to face him. “I think that’s a very good idea.”

The tenderness in his gaze made my breath hitch in my throat. And when he bent his head and kissed me, I finally felt like Quantum Technologies was exactly where I belonged.

You know it’s going to be a good day when the guy you’ve been crushing on all semester shows up first thing in the morning carrying two cups of coffee and a dozen donuts.

“Help a guy out, won’t you?” Asher asked. The snow was coming down, and it had dusted his dark locks and tangled in his eyelashes. I stood in the doorway for almost thirty seconds before I realized I was staring at him.

I grabbed the bag of donuts from under his arm with one hand, grabbed his shirt with the other, and pressed my lips to his. He leaned into the kiss, a soft rumble coming from his throat. I wasn’t the only one breathing hard when I finally pulled away.

“Sorry,” I said, looking up at him through my eyelashes as I held the front door open for him. His feet had left dark footprints in the snow, and his car was already covered. My first snowfall in Tennessee — the only thing that could be more amazing than the first snow in Ohio.

For one very specific reason.

“You coming?” Asher asked from inside, slipping out of his boots.

“Yep.” I shut the door on the wintry scene. “Thanks for the coffee. You’re a genius. Mom used the Bunsen burner to make coffee while she was working this morning. I can’t count how many times I’ve told her I won’t drink that sludge.”

“Resident genius, that’s me. I’m glad you’ve finally recognized it.” He set the coffee down on the counter, leaning back against it to give me a once-over.

I flushed but took advantage of the admiration, winking at him in response. “I don’t know. I might just give you a run for your money next semester.”

He waggled his eyebrows. “We’ll see.” And then he chased me down the hallway to the living room. I giggled and shrieked as he grabbed my waist from behind, spun me around, and flopped backward onto the couch, pulling me along with him.

I stared down into his eyes and blinked. His heart beat beneath my chest, strong and steady, and I took a deep breath. Yeah, I was laying on top of Asher Rosen, on the couch in my parents’ living room. It seemed crazy, but something about having narrowly escaped death with the guy had eliminated any nervousness I might’ve once felt around him.

He cupped the back of my head, letting his fingers tangle in my hair, and took his time kissing me again. With the way his teeth snagged my bottom lip when he finally pulled away, I had no doubt about just how happy he was both of us had made it out alive.

I let my body squeeze down in the space between his side and the back of the couch, and we settled back to watch the fire Dad had built earlier. He and Mom were out on a date, though they’d frowned at me when I’d teased them about it. I had a feeling Mom would be settling in Oak Ridge for good.

“What time did you get home yesterday?” Asher asked, wrapping a strand of my hair around his finger and tugging gently.

I swung my legs across his lap and nudged my chin against his shoulder. “About noon. I could barely keep my eyes open.”

“Sucks to be the new director’s daughter.” His fingers brushed against my neck as he smoothed my hair back, and a shiver went through me.

It took all my strength to not climb the rest of the way into his lap, and I had to swallow before I could form a coherent sentence. “Actually, it had more to do with the equations for the catastrophe machine. Conveniently, I’d forgotten them. And with no record left, there’s not much hope anyone will be able to rebuild it.”

“Yeah, they were pretty excited to hear about the virus I’d inserted into Branston’s network and the files I copied over. Hope it helps them.” His fingers moved lower to trace my collarbone, and my eyes drifted shut.

“I love when you do that, Asher Rosen,” I murmured.

“What? The collarbone?”

“Mmm. That. But mostly the computer genius talk. You don’t need to flirt with me anymore, you know.”

He responded with a gentle kiss on my temple, then one on my cheek. I bit back a whimper and tried not to burrow deeper into his arms.

“Did they find Amy or her parents?” My voice came out husky, and Asher moved his fingers back up to my jaw. I opened my eyes in disappointment, but he smiled gently down at me before shaking his head.

“The Greens were gone when security got to their house. I doubt they’ll ever find them. Branston is too powerful.”

The thought of Amy being out there made me uneasy, but there wasn’t anything we could do. Hopefully the Greens had gone running to Branston and would stay there. They were wanted people now, and QT had plenty of resources to find them if they chose to.

His breath was hot on my neck as he inched closer to press a kiss below my ear. “So…one semester at QT down. How are you feeling?”

I was glad he was too busy with my neck to see the smile that twisted my lips. “That it might be time for you to give me some fishing lessons. I’m not very good at the whole catch-and-release thing. I seem to have the catching part down pretty well, but my release could use some work.”

Asher’s lips moved up to my ear. “Lexicon, you’re stuck with me,” he whispered. “There’s no throwing me back now. I’m so hooked.” I rolled my eyes, and he gave me one of those wicked grins. “You know there’s only way to stop me from making bad puns, don’t you?”

So I leaned in and kissed him again. And I wasn’t planning on stopping for a long, long time.

There are so many people who’ve helped make this book happen, from beta readers and critique partners, to friends and acquaintances, that it’s impossible to thank everyone, but I’m going to try! And for anyone I forget by mistake, I’m sorry and THANK YOU.

Mandy Stagg, thank you for being here from the very beginning of this crazy journey. You are one of the best friends and CPs a girl could ask for. Thank you for always supporting me, and encouraging me, even when I’m questioning all my decisions. And especially for the long conversations about what makes a perfect hero. You’re my sanity check.

Thank you to Leigh Ann Kopans who has been the best friend, fan, and all around amazing person I’ve been lucky to know. I don’t know how I could have gotten through all of this without your constant support and encouragement. I love you.

To Cait Peterson, the genius behind my gorgeous interior and all around amazing cheerleader. Thank you for not letting me give up, and for always being there for me to vent to. You are one of the best people I know.

Thank you Becca Weston, my amazing copy editor and fact checker. Your patience and skill made this book so much better. I swear I will learn when I need to add commas for next time!

To Krista Ball, who was one of the first people to ever tell me my writing didn’t suck and who actually wanted to read more. I appreciate the ass-kicking you gave me, along with the encouragement.

To Melissa Schook, my work-spouse and first reader. You’ve been my biggest cheerleader and the one person I could trust to be completely honest if something was confusing or not working. Thank you so much for being there always.

To the YA Misfits – your support has meant everything. I am so lucky to be part of such an amazing group. I love you all so much!

To Nathalia Suellen, who made the most gorgeous cover possible – I can’t thank you enough for the amazing work you put into getting Lexie just right.

Thank you to all of you who’ve read or commented or loved Ultraviolet Catastrophe – your kind words and encouragement have kept me going, especially Jaye Robbin Brown, Darci Cole, Alex Brown, Amanda Olivieri, Audrey Lockwood, Marieke Nijkamp, Dahlia Adler, Megan Whitmer, Chessie Zappia, Andrea Hannah, Erica Chapman, Gina Giocca, Alexa Hirsch, Deepali Stark, and anyone else I might have missed!

Thank you to the amazing Hafsah at Icey Books for generously posting my cover reveal.

My street team was all around amazing and did a fantastic job with getting the word out about Ultraviolet Catastrophe. I couldn’t have done it without you ladies! Thank you Jen, Amanda Olivieri, Kristina Schafer, Darci Cole, Tawney Bland, Bridget Shepherd, Jolene Haley, Alex Brown, Jamie Krakover, Marie Meyer, Audrey Lockwood, Jenny Kaczorowski, Pilar Albarran, and KK Hendrin!

A huge thank you to Lynne Matson and Susan Kaye Quinn who so graciously agreed to read Ultraviolet Catastrophe. You are both amazing and classy and I am so lucky to know you.

To my parents, thank you for encouraging me to read and for filling our house with books. I wouldn’t be nearly this big a book worm without you guys.

To Ryan, who has always encouraged me to write and to believe in my work. I would never have done this without your support and encouragement. Thank you for always being there for me and pushing me to follow my dreams. I love you.

Lastly, to everyone who has read or will read, who’s left a review or comment, or just enjoyed the book. Thank you! I love and appreciate you so much more than you’ll ever know!

Jamie Grey spent most of her childhood writing stories about princesses who saved the day and pretending to be a daring explorer. It wasn’t until much later that she realized she should combine the two. Now, as a tech-obsessed gamer geek, her novels mix amazing scientific developments, future worlds, and the remarkable characters that live in them.

Jamie lives in Michigan with her significant other and their pets, who luckily tolerate her overspending on tea, books, and video games. You can learn more about her at
www.jamiegreybooks.com
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@jamie_grey
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