They didn't reach Boston until two o'clock in the morning. Thalia was really tired when she climbed into bed at the hotel they were staying at, while Dean immediately fell asleep when his head hit the pillow, but she couldn't even fall asleep no matter how hard she tried. Because that day was full of action, her brain refused to shut down.
Just now they landed at a small airport where some cargo planes land there, then they took a taxi to the car rental agency. They rented a car there under her new name - Nathalia Preston - which is also the name on her driver's license. Three hours later, she and Dean had checked into this hotel, and now here she was, wide awake, staring up at the ceiling and wondering what horrors tomorrow would bring.
The bad things that happened always kept going back and forth in her mind like a bad nightmare. The clinic they founded is now ashes. As well as her close friends. What's worse is that her life is also in danger. And in between those gruesome images were snippets of actual joy - making love to Dean on the plane, their easy conversation, and the surprisingly entertaining drive to Boston.
But her time stopped when she and Dean were making love. She couldn't believe that she had done such a thing. Undressing in front of a man, and challenging him. Especially the most intense part that she has never experienced in her entire life. She just let herself go to Dean and just drifted off into the waves.
The man seems to be an expert at making her happy, so she doesn't really believe that he doesn't benefit women.
Rolling over on her side, she studied Dean's handsome face as he slept soundly. His features were more peaceful than she'd ever seen, his sensual mouth relaxed. She was tempted to caress his jaw, which was growing a little beard, but she might just wake him up. Instead, she just closed her eyes, until she finally fell asleep.
When she opened her eyes the next morning, she saw that the surroundings were bright, a sign that the sun had risen. But when she turned to her side, Dean was gone. She got up and stretched her body as she yawned. Then she noticed that the bathroom door was ajar. She also heard the splash of water from the shower.
Her heart somersaulted as she imagined Dean standing naked under the spray, water falling down his muscular body, sliding over his golden skin and perfectly defined muscles. She was tempted again to go to the bathroom and join him in the shower, but when she looked at the clock it was nine in the morning and she immediately got off the bed.
It was only a few minutes ago and Dean came out of the bathroom with just a towel around his waist.
Her heart suddenly warmed up at the pleasant sight she was seeing.
"Morning," he said as their eyes met.
"Morning, I'm just going to take a shower also," she replied, and she stepped closer to the bathroom.
"Sure." A corner of his lips lifted. "I was going to ask you if you wanted to take a shower with me, but you were sound asleep."
"It's a good thing you didn't wake me up. I guess I didn't sleep enough."
"By the way, while you're sleeping I go out to buy what you need," he said. "Like a toothbrush, hairbrush, clothes. I even estimated your size, I hope everything fits you. The things I bought are inside the bathroom."
Thalia was touched. "Thank you. You don't have to do that."
"Maybe you're tired of what you're wearing going back and forth." He said with sparkling eyes. "It's not that I'm complaining. In fact, I like that T-shirt of yours because I can see everything in you."
"Oh, really." She said and then she slammed the bathroom door shut.
Because she wasn't the type of woman who spent an inordinate amount of time on her appearance, she was ready to go in less than thirty minutes. She'd put on one of the outfits Dean had bought her, pleased to find that the jeans fit perfectly. She paired them with a V-neck black T-shirt, ankle socks and the new pair of running shoes she discovered at the bottom of the shopping bag. She braided her hair in her usual nonsense style and grabbed the sunglasses she'd also found among Dean's purchases.
The sunglasses came in handy once she and Dean walked out of the hotel lobby and stepped outside. It was a beautiful, sunny day in Boston. As they walked to the parking lot of the hotel, she noticed Dean who seemed to be taking a good look at the surroundings.
"What's wrong?" she demanded.
He seemed distracted, his eyes focused on the lampposts lining the sidewalk running parallel to the lot. "Ah, nothing's wrong." He shook his head. "It's just weird being back here."
"Did you live here in Boston before?" She immediately asked about it when she realized that she didn't know where he came from.
"Nope, but I grew up here in the States since my family migrated to Virginia."
He started the car and drove out of the lot, shooting her a sideways look. "So is this person you know working in the school lab?"
Thalia nodded. "I'll just tell you where to go once we get closer."
As they set out toward Harvard's campus, she toyed with the end of her braid, praying that Franco wouldn't ask too many questions when she showed up at his lab with a potentially deadly water sample. Even before they went to school, she made sure that Franco was at school for the whole week. She called the biology department to confirm if Franco was on duty all week, and she was right because he was on duty.
"We need to be careful today." Dean spoke harshly. "How close are you to this man?"
"We're really close to each other. Why?"
He didn't seem happy with what she said. "Okay, listen, Doc. At this point, let's just assume that the general in Esmeralda has contacted his superior. This time, they must have known that you escaped, and they probably also assumed that you were just hiding in San Jose. With that said, these people are not fools. They will trace your origins, and since you are from here, they will send personnel here to spy on your acquaintances here in the States. It is also possible for them to tap the phone of your acquaintances in case you contact them. So I repeat, how close are you and this professor?"
*****
