THE PERFECT TEN (Boxed Set)

successful.”
    “I was,” Eli confirmed.
    Her eyes narrowed. “Wait a minute … I don’t like this language. I’m moving out? You found a safe house for me ? Aren’t you coming, too? I mean, if it’s not safe for me, it’s not safe for you.”
    He shrugged. “My lab is here. I can hardly move all this equipment without Janecek noticing.”
    “But you have other labs, don’t you? I’m sure you mentioned others in the west. Since the clinic has to be shut down anyway, why don’t we just fall back to one of them?”
    “The lab in Vancouver has been trashed.”
    “Trashed?”
    “The equipment was destroyed. There’s nothing left that’s of any use to me. And the one in Calgary remains intact, but we’re not sure if it’s still undetected. We’ve put it under surveillance to see if his operatives show up there.”
    “No.”
    He frowned. “What do you mean, no?”
    “I won’t go without you.”
    His gut twisted. “But you must. If anything happens to you, then this is all for naught. You’re the key, Ainsley.”
    “And you’re the only one who can use that key, Delano. As I think you once told me, you’re literally alone in your field. Who could take up your research? Or even if they could, who would?”
    “You’re suggesting there are safer things to investigate.”
    Her eyes blazed. “Yeah, like Ebola. Come on, Delano, this guy isn’t going to quit until he sees you dead.”
    “Or until we see him dead,” interjected Eli. “We’re not without our own resources in this war. But in the meantime, Delano’s right, Ainsley. We have to stash you someplace safe.”
    Ainsley rounded on Eli fiercely, and Delano braced, knowing what was coming.
    “And Delano is always right, is that what you’re saying?”
    Eli being Eli, he didn’t take a step backward at her tone, but he did shoot Delano a quick look before turning back to face her.
    “I’m not sure about that, but he is always the boss.”
    “Was he right when he asked you to pay attention to me? To flirt with me? Was he right when he asked you to do that, Eli?”
    He turned to Delano accusingly. “You told her?”
    “I did no such thing. She figured it out.”
    “Wonderful.” Eli lifted a hand to rub his temple. “I don’t want to know the circumstances under which that happened, do I?”
    “Good call.”
    “Then I take it she knows why we felt that course of action was necessary?”
    “Correct again.”
    “Hey! Don’t stand there talking about me as though I’m not here.” If anything, she sounded more furious than before.
    They both muttered an apology at the same time, but she looked anything but impressed. Hands on hips, she turned on Eli again.
    “So, how far would you have gone to oblige the boss, hmm? What if I’d decided to take you up on those bedroom eyes, that aw-shucks-ma’am, Matthew-McConaughey grin and all those muscles on your muscles? Huh? What then? Would you have obliged? Would you have let me drag you into my bedroom? Would you have sacrificed your body to the greater good of Delano’s master plan?”
    “Whoa right there, babe. First of all, it wouldn’t have come to that. You might have salved your pride and amused yourself by flirting with me, but we both know it wouldn’t have gone further than that. And secondly, even if it did, how in God’s name can you imagine I’d qualify that as a sacrifice?”
    “But—”
    “Silence!” Delano roared.
    Ainsley and Eli broke off, turning surprised eyes on him.
    “It was a very poor idea, okay? My poor idea, so if you want to take your anger out on someone, Ainsley, take it out on me. Later . Right now, I don’t want to hear any more about it. Not one damned word. Are we clear?”
    “Perfectly,” said Ainsley.
    Except she was far from clear, because right now he looked like he could kill. Literally. Over the weeks, she’d grown used to his darkly ominous looks. So much so that she’d all but forgotten just how dangerous he could be. No one looking at his face at this moment could mistake either his power or his capacity for violence.
    Dear God, could he be jealous? A thrill forked through her at the thought, followed quickly by dismay at her own reaction. Jealous men were dangerous men.
    “Eli? Are we clear?” Delano’s voice was as flat and hard as the planes of his face.
    “Clear.”
    “Excellent. Now, this safe house you spoke of…”
    “I’m not going anywhere without you.”
    Delano pinned her with blazing eyes, and her mouth