"Your boss? He would be with MacKay Security and Investigation?"
"Yes."
"I looked that up on the Internet. It didn't say much, just that the company was started in 1927 and was based in London and Edinburgh."
Jack nodded. "That is true."
Since he was responding, her questions were apparently dodging the certain sensitive matters. She decided to keep digging. "What does this MacKay company do?"
"We provide security services for clients around the world, and we specialize in investigation."
"That's what you do? Investigation?"
"Usually, yes."
"Are you investigating something here in New York?"
"No."
"Providing security?"
"Yes."
Lara sipped some wine. This was like pulling teeth. If only she could get him to loosen up a bit. "Are you sure you wouldn't like some wine? Or something stronger?"
His mouth curled up on one side, and his eyes gleamed with amusement.
Damn. He knew what she was up to. She needed a different strategy, but she couldn't bring herself to blurt out a question about him being an alien or a Bionic man. It just seemed too ridiculous.
But. she could always try LaToya's suggestion of examining his body. "You poor thing. Your shirt's all wet. Why don't you take it off, and I'll toss it in the dryer."
He glanced down at his damp T-shirt. "It's not that bad."
"It's sopping wet. You'll catch your death of cold."
His mouth twitched. "I doubt that."
"I insist." Lara leaned forward to grasp his T-shirt and yank the hem free from his jeans. What was she expecting to find? Gills across his rib cage?
"Are you trying to ravish me, bellissima?"
Her cheeks flamed with heat. "Of course not. I just don't want you to get sick from wearing a wet shirt."
"How thoughtful of you." His eyes glimmered. "I believe my jeans are a bit damp, too?"
Her face burned hotter. "They seem all right to me."
"Let me know if you change your mind." He stood and finished tugging the black T-shirt free from the jeans slung deliciously low on his narrow hips. A trail of dark hair emerged from his jeans, striking for its deep contrast to his pale skin.
Lara dragged in a deep breath, forcibly avoiding any mental pictures about where that trail of hair led to. Man of steel? No, she wasn't going to think about it. But the paleness of his skin did surprise her. How long had he been working the night shift?
He rolled the T-shirt up further, revealing a swirl of dark hair around his belly button. One belly button. Very touchable-looking skin. Nothing at all alien.
Her mouth went dry as the T-shirt rose higher. Surely an alien couldn't fake those stomach muscles, chest hair, and strong pecs. What scientist would stick chest hair on a Bionic man? She could always touch it to see if it was real. Give a few of those dark curls a tug to see if they were glued on. Just for the sake of her investigation, of course. Her hands curled into fists, resisting the temptation.
He was moving so slowly. Damn him. Was he purposely trying to emphasize how sexy he was? He lifted his arms, and muscles rippled and bulged across his chest and shoulders as he yanked the T-shirt over his head. Lara bit her lip to keep from moaning. Or drooling.
He dropped the shirt on the coffee table. "Your turn."
"Hmm?" She dragged her gaze up to his face. The gold flecks in his eyes were gleaming. "I-I didn't get wet."
His nostrils flared and his chest expanded as he took a deep breath. His voice was soft and deep. "Are you sure, cara mia?"
Lara pressed her thighs together. Oh God, what if he also possessed a super sense of smell?
He sat beside her on the love seat. "I should warn you, love. Even if you take me to your bed, I will not be able to tell you what you want to hear."
She gazed dumbly into his warm brown eyes for a moment before his words clicked, then she gasped. "I wasn't intending to bed you for information. How dare you!" She snatched his damp T-shirt from the coffee table and marched into the kitchen.
He stood and slid his hands into his jean pockets. "I misinterpreted the situation." He ducked his head and studied his black leather boots. "I have insulted your honor. I apologize."
He actually looked embarrassed. A small fissure zigzagged across Lara's defenses and tugged at her heart. In spite of Jack's suave and sexy demeanor, she suspected there was a sweet and vulnerable man underneath.
She tossed his shirt into the small dryer unit that was stacked on top of the washing machine. "I only wanted to talk to you. I want to know how you can move so quickly. And how you can appear and disappear. And how you can control people's minds."
He followed her into the kitchen. "I am truly sorry, but I cannot explain."
So she was at a dead end. She punched the button on the dryer control panel, and a whirring sound filled the strained silence. How on earth could she let this go? "My roommate thinks you're an alien."
He gave her a wry look. "Do I look like an alien?"
"You could be hiding a different body underneath. Or given your ability to mess with people's minds, you could be manipulating everyone into seeing you as human."
He leaned back against the kitchen counter and folded his arms across his broad chest. "You see me as I am. I'm not able to influence your thoughts."
"I only have your word for that."
His brow furrowed. "I'm not lying about it. Believe me, if I could erase your memory, I would have already done so. And we wouldn't be having this awkward conversation."
Awkward was right. "Can-can I touch you? I mean, just to see if you feel normal."
He uncrossed his arms and held them straight at his sides. "Be my guest."
She took a deep breath, then approached him and placed a hand over his chest where his heart should be. His chest hair was like a soft, silky cushion. Individual strands curled around her fingers as if welcoming her touch. "I can feel your heart. It's beating a little fast."
"You're touching me."
She had an effect on him? She liked that. She gave him a playful smile. "So you're not... hiding a second heart somewhere?"
The corner of his mouth quirked. "Hide and seek? Where would I hide it?"
Her throat constricted. Was he implying he was an alien? "I don't know. Where?" She slid her hand down his rib cage and pressed against his firm stomach. "I don't feel anything beating."
"A little lower."
"Here?" She reached the waistband of his jeans.
"A little lower."
She noticed the bulge beneath his zipper and snatched her hand away. "You Neanderthal."
He laughed. "You can't blame me for trying."
"Well, if that's your idea of a heart, I'll just have to be a heartbreaker." She lifted her hands and mimicked the act of snapping a twig in two.
He grimaced, although there was still laughter in his eyes. "Please. My heart is very sensitive."
She lifted her brows with an innocent look. "You're softhearted? How sweet."
"I haven't been soft since I met you," he growled.
She ignored the heat in her face. "Stick out your tongue."
"My tongue?"
"Yes. To make sure it's not forked like a snake."
He gave her a challenging look. "I'll show you mine, if you show me yours."
"My humanity isn't under question. How do you control people's minds? Are you psychic?"
"I suppose you could call me that."
She was finally getting somewhere. "How do you move super fast?"
"It's a gift." He arched a brow. "I can also move super slow. Shall I show you?"
She bit her lip to keep from saying yes. Good God, the man was far too tempting. Or was he doing something to her? "Are you sure you've never influenced my thoughts?"
"I haven't. I tried, but I can't control you at all."
"Ain't life a bitch?"
He grinned. "I'm starting to like it. I never know what you'll do or say. It's exciting. And I like knowing that your reaction to me is honest." He tilted his head, studying her. "I think you're truly attracted to me."
She snorted. "What an ego." She let her gaze drift south. "You must be thinking with your heart."
"Oh yeah, I've been thinking real hard." He chuckled when she rolled her eyes. "Even though I can't answer all your questions, I am truly honored by your interest in me."