Page 14 of Tamed By Her Touch

“You found the break-through by using my equipment,” he finally admitted.

But Clair still wasn’t done.

“And?” she asked.

His golden eyes narrowed to slits.

“And your hypothesis that you should be allowed to use my equipment appears to have merit.”

Clair laughed.

“Bless your heart. Was that so hard to say?”

Kaelus rubbed his temples like a man trying to push back a headache.

“I am beginning to regret catching that specimen tray,” he growled.

“Liar.” Clair beamed at him and turned back toward the analyzer. “You'd have had a heart attack if I'd broken your precious machine.”

“I would not have a heart attack. Kindred cardiovascular systems are considerably more durable than human cardiovascular systems,” he said, frowning.

Clair laughed.

“It's an expression, sweetie-pie.”

“Why do you insist on calling me these inane nicknames?” Kaelus growled but Clair only laughed again.

However, when she looked back at the display, her smile softened into something more thoughtful. The two glowing molecular structures continued to rotate side by side—the inactive precursor and the compound it became only after being processed by living tissue. Something about what she was seeing tickled the part of her brain that had made her go into science in the first place.

“This is really strange,” she murmured.

“Yes, it is.” Kaelus came closer again, his irritation apparently forgotten as his scientific curiosity took over. “There are several documented compounds which require metabolic activation. But this transformation is unusually dramatic.”

“It's almost like the plant doesn't make the medicine at all,” Clair said slowly. “It makes the raw material and then something living has to finish it.”

Kaelus looked at her thoughtfully, which was a change from his usual irritated demeanor.

“That is an interesting way to state it.”

Clair gave him a sly smile.

“Well, you know me. Reckless and interesting.”

The corner of his mouth twitched up. It was such a tiny movement Clair almost thought she'd imagined it but no—it was definitely there.

“Did you just smile?” she demanded.

“What? No!” he protested quickly.

“You did!” Clair exclaimed.

He frowned.

“I did not.”

“You absolutely did.” Clair pointed at him. “Oh my God, Doctor Kaelus has facial muscles!”

“I have always had facial muscles,” he growled.