A round of applause coming from the labs interrupted the chess game between Wells and Hartley Rathaway. They both got up to investigate and discovered a small group of people standing around one of the physicists; Martha Genaro.

"Oh, right," Hartley mused aloud. "It's The Relic's birthday." Martha was celebrating her sixty-fifth birthday. She led the team of physicists on the particle accelerator. She was old-school in her approach but far from obsolete.

"She's not a relic, Hartley," Wells said, patiently. "She's a treasure." He focused his gaze on Martha, or Marty to her friends, and didn't make eye contact with Caitlin. "Happy Birthday, Marty." He embraced her, warmly.

"Thank you, Harrison," she replied. She was one of the few people who referred to him by his first name. "Have a cupcake," she said, gesturing to a large plate of chocolate cupcakes with white frosting. She nodded politely to Hartley who managed to sound condescending while wishing her all the best.

"Open this next," Caitlin said, handing her a yellow gift box with a lavender ribbon on it. Seeing the color scheme from her bedroom, Harrison had to fight his body's response to the memory of their lovemaking.

"I hope this is what I think it is," said the older woman, taking the top off the box. Inside was a round plastic tub filled with something dark. "Thank you, Sweetheart," she said, kissing Caitlin's cheek. "It's just what I wanted."

"You might have mentioned your love of the recipe a few weeks ago." Caitlin winked at the physicist.

"I thought I was being subtle," she replied, removing the top and revealing a dark brown gooey substance.

"What is it?" asked Hartley, wrinkling his nose.

"Wet Chocolate," Marty answered. "You'd have to ask Caitlin what's in it."

"I included the recipe."

"You gave her cocoa mix?" Hartley asked but he was mostly ignored. Marty looked at the card that was in the box.

"Ah," she said, triumphantly, "Sweetened condensed milk! I knew it."

"Anything special about it?" Wells asked before Hartley could antagonize anyone else.

"Amaretto in this batch," Caitlin replied. "It can be made with chocolate vodka, Peppermint schnapps, or Irish cream. You just add it to hot water, it's very rich."

"Speaking of drinks," Wells cut in. "How about drinks at Sullivan's ?"

"Caitlin already invited me out for a burger there," the older woman said. "But feel free to join us."

"My pleasure," he said with a smile. "Let's all knock off early, first round's on me."

The small group left without Hartley who declined the invitation. Sullivan's was a bar near Star Labs that had a reasonably large space and ample seating, even on a Friday. True to his word, Wells ordered several pitchers and opened a tab for Marty. After two hours, the scientist crowd thinned out, half of them returning to the lab to continue work. Dedication was a necessity with such a large project like the Particle Accelerator.

"My husband's here," Marty said, patting Caitlin's hand. "I told him he needed to be my designated driver. Thanks for dinner, and my gift."

"I'll close you out," Wells said, getting up and going to the bar. Caitlin picked up her jacket and purse, bidding the few remaining employees good night. She walked out with Marty and greeted her husband, a retired firefighter. She waved them off from the curb and started walking to her car. She'd made it half a block before her boss caught up to her.

"I'll walk you to your car." he said, falling into step beside her. They turned the corner and, once out of sight of the bar, he pulled her into a dark doorway. He kissed her softly, whetting his appetite for her. "Do you want company tonight?" he asked when they resumed their walk.

"Yes," she replied. They crossed an abandoned lot to shorten their trek to where she'd parked when Wells realized they were being followed. He grasped Caitlin's hand and quickened his pace, pulling her into an alley between a clothing shop and a bakery. He knew she hadn't noticed anything so he put a finger to his lips and waited.

"No matter what happens, just go along with me."

Three men, all of whom had been at the bar stopped at the mouth of the alley. The scientist guessed that they were part of a group of environmental trouble-makers who protested the accelerator's creation.

"Evening, gentleman," Wells said. He nudged Caitlin behind him and put his hands in his pockets, keeping his posture relaxed. He smiled pleasantly. "By the way, I've seen more subtlety from a marching band."

"I'm surprised you noticed anything at all," said a slender, Asian man. "You seemed pretty into your secretary."

"I'm a bioengineer," Caitlin snapped, angrily."

"They don't even know what a bioengineer is," he whispered, loudly.

"Are these guys with the picketers?" she asked, irritated.

"Yep," Wells replied.

"Got some nice photos of you checking out her tonsils," said one of the other protestors. He was bulky and blonde.

"Good for you," Wells replied. He turned to Caitlin. "Shut down your phone right now." She obeyed without question and he raised his wrist, looking at his watch. "I'd love to chat, gentleman and debate the worth of technological advancement versus the continuation of knuckle-dragging but I'm much more interested in getting laid," he said.

"Don't let us stop you," said the Asian man. "We can get pics of that as well." He took a small digital camera out of his pocket and turned it on. "I'd love to get a shot of her hooters."

"Did you actually use the word, 'Hooters'?" Caitlin asked. She was afraid but knew better than to show it.

"I'll be seeing you gentleman around," Wells finished, bringing his watch up to look at it again. He pressed and held down two buttons that were on the top and bottom of the watch's face. It beeped once and produced a quick flash of light. The man holding the camera looked at his screen and then back at the scientist.

"What did you do?" he asked. "You damaged private property!"

"All I did was check the time," Wells replied, taking Caitlin's hand and leading her past the men and back onto the sidewalk. The bulky blonde man grabbed his arm as he passed.

"The whole world is going to hear about this." He said, angrily.

"The whole world already knows what I'm doing," he replied, calmly, glancing down at the man's hand. He removed his glasses and put them in his pocket. "I publish all of my breakthroughs in scientific journals and I regularly answer questions from the press." He smiled humorlessly. "Do you think the public believes I'm celibate? Now get your hand off me before I have you arrested for assault." The third man, who had been silent up until now stepped forward. He was the tallest of the three and built like a lumberjack. Caitlin guessed they'd brought him for intimidation.

"Listen you fucking geek," he said, poking Wells in the chest. Whatever he was about to say came out as a grunt. Wells bent his knees and struck the man in the abdomen with the heel of his hand. His arm snapped out and back so fast, Caitlin almost didn't see it. He twisted the blonde man's wrist, and punched his forearm. The shriek the man let out had her guessing he'd broken the man's radius. The Asian man stepped forward but Wells had a chance to back up a step and gain momentum and shift his weight effectively. He lunged forward and bent his elbow, striking him in the hollow of his throat, using his opponent's momentum to knock him off his feet. He grabbed Caitlin's hand and dragged her down the street and back towards the bar.

"We'll come back for your car," he said, breaking into a run. Tonight wasn't the night for staying and fighting. Not with company.

He all but tossed her into the passenger seat of his Lexus SUV and put it into gear, pulling away from the curb as two of the men came around the corner. He slammed his hand against the steering wheel, angry at the evening's turn of events. He doubted that the men would've had time to upload any photos to their website but he'd have to check.

"Why do you have an EMP on your watch?" Caitlin asked, turning her phone back on. She'd had the same thought as Wells and pulled up the group's website. She searched for several minutes before closing the site. "No pictures so far."

"I've been followed and ambushed in the past," he finally said when they neared his house. Caitlin had never seen it before and was impressed. "With the cameras people have on their phones, it comes in handy if someone's interfering with my privacy." His voice was tight with anger and he jumped out of the car as soon as it was in park. He opened Caitlin's door and took her hand, pulling her into the house. He threw his keys down on the counter and paced back and forth in front of his fireplace.

"Do you think they'll call the cops?" she asked.

"If they do, we'll have the security camera showing the three of them confronting and then grabbing me." He lifted his wrist again, showing her the normal-looking watch. "I only used a localized pulse, not big enough to bother any devices more than a few feet away. And I stopped there because two of the businesses have security cameras trained on that alley." He wiped his hand over his face and glanced at her. "It was stupid and careless to kiss you in public." He started pacing again. "I shouldn't even be doing this," he shook his head. "I never should have laid a finger on you."

"I'm a big girl," Caitlin said, irritated. "If you want to end this…whatever it is, we can pretend it never happened and go back to the way things were."

"I don't want to go back," he replied and kissed her. His mouth was urgent and when he held her close, she felt the erection straining his pants. She kissed him back and when he stepped back to remove his jacket, she pushed him up against the back of the leather couch and reached for his belt. Violence didn't excite Caitlin, but Wells' energy did. He pushed her jacket off her shoulders and took her mouth again, letting her unbutton and unzip his pants. She broke the kiss next by dropping to her knees in front of him.

Caitlin had Wells' pants pushed down his hips in seconds and clasped his thick, hard organ in her hand. She closed her mouth on him and he groaned, sliding his fingers into her long hair.

"Oh, God." He moaned when she started to suck. "Caitlin," he whispered, "my sweet Caitlin."

He placed his hands behind him on the back of the couch and sucked in a deep breath, looking up at the skylight. If he looked down and saw her head bobbing forward he'd lose it too fast. She pulled him deep into her throat, causing him to gasp when her lips met the base of his aching erection. He loved what she was doing but wanted something else. He grasped her shoulders and pulled her to her feet after she'd been working on him, tirelessly for a few minutes. His hands were a little rough when he unfastened her pants and turned her around, pushing her forward over the back of the couch. She held the cushions and was glad she'd worn heels. He was tall enough to make this position a challenge.

Wells jerked Caitlin's trousers and panties down over her hips before grasping himself and pushing into her. She was so tight and warm he had to hold completely still. He swore under his breath when he realized what he was forgetting.

"What's wrong?" she asked, breathlessly.

"Hang on," he said, digging in his pocket for a condom. He pulled out of her, painfully aware of how good she'd felt. He was back inside her in a matter of seconds and started pumping hard and fast. He held her hips tightly and pulled her back to meet his thrusts. The little noises she made were going to drive him over the edge. He let himself go over, unable to wait for her, and gripping her shoulders to pull her back onto his shaft for the last few, hard strokes. He nearly shouted when he climaxed but didn't have the breath for it. He stiffened and tightened his fingers on her as his exquisite release flowed through him. He breathed heavily for nearly a minute before Caitlin grew restless.

"That was intense," she said with a tight laugh. She'd been willing to pleasure him orally but he wanted to feel her come so when she started to straighten up, he pressed her back down.

"I just need a minute," he said, reaching around her and under her shirt. He cupped her breasts and used his fingertips to stimulate her nipples. He was getting hard, still deep inside her and smiled at her surprised intake of breath when he started to move again. He hadn't ever taken her more than once a night but he'd show her how well he could recover tonight. The sudden violence had made him angry, he didn't like to publicly advertise his familiarity with close combat. He'd channel his anger into the lovely bioengineer.

"You're ready again?" she gasped as he picked up his speed and brought his hand around to rest the pad of his middle finger against her clitoris, using the movement of their bodies to rub her against it. She let out the same sweet tones he'd grown fond of as her climax built up again. He slowed his pace just as she started to grind back against him. She made a frustrated squeal and tried to push back but he held her hips firmly with one hand. He built up his rhythm again and this time when she arched her back, giving him deeper access, he pushed her over the edge, and came with her.

"I want you to stay tonight," he said when they'd regained their breath. He disposed of the protection and tucked himself away. She was tugging her pants up and turned to face him. "It's probably a good idea to avoid going back there until tomorrow, to get your car."

"Right," she said, nodding.

"Besides," he said, catching her chin in his hand, "there's a whole lot more I'd like to do to you, tonight." He didn't smile or wink when he said it. His face was expressionless as he stood close to her.

"What did you have in mind?" Caitlin asked.

"Let's see, shall we?" He picked up their coats, hanging them in the closet. He noticed Caitlin rubbing her shoulder. "You okay?"

"Pulled muscle from pilates," she said. "Always hurts worse the next day.

"You should've told me."

"Why? Would you have taken it easy on me?"

"Probably not." He smiled then and took her hand and leading her to the bedroom and through to the master bathroom. "I'm going to take a few minutes and look for those photos online. I'll feel better if I'm sure they haven't uploaded anything." He handed her a towel and nodded to the shower. The walls and door were glass with a frosted panel that would conserve modesty. "Take a hot shower, it might ease the ache."

"Thanks, I will."

"My motivations are purely selfish, Caitlin." He smiled briefly. "Always."

Caitlin turned on the taps and stepped under the spray when it reached the right temperature. She washed her hair and body before she changed the setting on the adjustable shower head and let it pummel her shoulder and neck. She dropped her chin to her chest and rolled her head back and forth. She didn't notice any cool draft, but a large pair of hands gently slid up from her waist to her shoulders.

"Mmmh." She closed her eyes as Wells' strong fingers dug into the tense muscles in her neck. His thumbs pressed deeply and rubbed circles at her nape.

"I can feel the inflammation," he said, letting his scientist out for a walk. "There's swelling right here." He dug his thumb into a lump of knotted muscle.

"I can feel that shoot down into my back," she replied. "I must have a nerve impingement." She realized she was speaking clinically and reminded herself she wasn't in the lab. "It feels good," she said. "What you're doing." She leaned back and felt his erection prod her lower back. "Mmmh," she said, reaching behind her and giving him a squeeze, "is that for me?"

"Eventually," Wells answered, continuing to rub her neck. "Caitlin," he asked, hesitantly, "are you on birth control?"

"Yes," she answered. "I take the pill for three months straight and I only have four periods a year." She wasn't embarrassed to mention women's biology to a man like him. "Why?"

"I'm discreet," he said, eventually. "I'm not casual or careless."

They had a brief, frank discussion about statistics and safety.

"I'm okay with it," she said. "But I haven't ever…without a secondary."

"Being a scientist can kill romance," Wells said with a chuckle. "I've never forgotten, or been carried away, before tonight."

"And?"

"You feel amazing." He dropped his lips to her neck, the reddened spot where the hot water had been aimed. She turned in his arms and went up on her toes to reach his mouth. Their tongues tangled together and he pushed her against the tile wall of the shower. It was warmer than she'd expected. He pushed her arms above her head and leaned into her, pressing his naked body against her soft curves.

"Why now?" Caitlin asked, looking at him with a curiously intent expression. "You never made a pass at me before the night in your office."

"Your resume attracted my attention first," he said, caressing her, eagerly. He kissed her again. "When we met for your final interview, you weren't what I expected but I'd already decided to hire you." He cupped her cheek and brushed some water droplets from under her eye. "I would never put someone on my staff who was unqualified," he said. "I wouldn't be that cruel. You know how unkind scientists can be to someone who doesn't know what she's doing." He kissed her nose and pressed his erection against her belly. "But when you walked in and shook my hand I had one single thought that kept popping up during our discussion."

"What was that?"

"I wanted to eat you alive."

And he did. Caitlin gripped the top of the glass door with one hand and leaned up against the wall for support. Wells was relentless, and voracious with his mouth and tongue. When she caught her breath after an intense orgasm he stood up with a smug smile.

"Let's not waste any more water," she said, wringing out her long hair and turning the water off. She opened the door to the shower, deliberately ignoring her lover's throbbing erection. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself. She caught a glimpse of the dark expression on his face when she strolled past the mirror. He watched her walk away without looking back before grabbing a towel of his own. She went into the massive bedroom and smiled when she felt movement behind her.

Wells spun her around to face him, holding her against the bathroom doorway and gripping her towel to pull her onto her toes for a kiss.

"You want to drive me crazy?" he asked, between kisses. He liked to prolong his own pleasure most of the time, but he was finished waiting. He reached under her towel and slid his fingers inside her. He worked his fingers, below and his mouth on her lips. Hot water was great for foreplay but tended to wash away a woman's natural lubrication. He wanted it back. Caitlin gripped his upper arms for balance and arched her back. She loosened his towel and he didn't try to catch it. When she wrapped her fingers around him he shook his head. "Not this time."

Soon slicked with moisture, Caitlin made the familiar, soft noise in her throat before pulling away from Wells and turning around, spinning out of her towel and walking, naked, across the carpet towards the bed. She didn't try to evade him when his slippery arms wrapped around her torso and lifted her off her feet. Her back landed on the carpet gently, but his fingers encircled her wrists and he held her hands over her head. "You want me to chase you, Caitlin?" he whispered. "You want me to catch you?"

"Yes," she whispered back.

Wells was rough this time, but not unpleasantly. His bright blue eyes remained on her face while he kneed her legs apart and positioned himself at her entrance.

"Mine," he whispered, slipping inside her. "All. Fucking. Mine." He punctuated each word with a hard thrust. Caitlin watched his face as he worked out his impatience and frustration on her. Watching his face redden and the veins stand out on his neck from the surge of need made her feel powerful. He broke eye contact to press his mouth to her throat and trail kisses to her delicate ear. "Is this how you like it?"

"I want you."

"Say it again."

"Fuck!" she gasped when he rolled his hips and dragged his pelvis against her clitoris. "Ah, I want this."

"One more time, Caitlin." He was so hard he felt like a heated pipe spearing her insides. She felt each ridge and curve of the thick, penetrating organ. She was so close but his pace slowed and she whimpered. "Say it."

"Fuck me, Harrison." She knew what he'd wanted to hear so she gave it to him. He gripped her so hard she was sure she'd have bruises on her wrists, not to mention rug burn. He did as she asked and fucked her as hard as he could, driving deep and fast, letting himself go when he felt the first flutters of her internal muscles. His entire body tensed up, his back arched and his toes curled when he came inside her. The purely possessive male instinct to pour himself inside of her wasn't one he often indulged but with the young woman beneath him, he wanted nothing more than to shoot his seed inside her forever.