Free Watcher by Kate Watterson Page A

Unfortunately, from the look on Gillian Wesley’s face, Professor Lawrence’s other graduate student, she had noticed it.
    See, this just wasn’t going to work out.

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    But damn, he’d looked good as always. Those same worn jeans hugged his lean hips, he had on some sort of fraternity tee-shirt under his lab coat, and his dark hair, so soft and thick, had curled against his neck. He’d looked at her with as little expression as possible, but she didn’t think he could control the intensity in his beautiful dark eyes.
    “Crap,” she muttered out loud as she walked down the
    sidewalk.
    Her car sat oddly at a tilt.
    Jana approached and saw that both tires were flat on the passenger side. Not just low or slightly deflated, but completely flat.
    That seemed unlikely.
    The meeting had run over and she glanced around, all at once aware it was pretty dark already. The lot wasn’t empty, but nearly so, and it seemed prudent to retreat back toward the building. She did, going inside, and she punched in her sister’s number first, because Crystal would be a logical choice. Unfortunately, she got the answering machine at her house, and then voice mail on her cell phone.
    Well, hell.
    There was a phone book in her office and she headed back up that way so she could call a tow truck. Not sure if she should be glad or not, she saw that the light in the molecular lab was still on.
    Jake?
    She pushed open the door and peered in. Sure enough he was there, seated at one of the tables, his brow knitted in a frown as he looked at a piece of paper.
    Jana cleared her throat. “Hello.”
    He glanced up and came at once to his feet, his dark brows arching. “Hello.”

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    “I have a flat tire,” she said. “Well, two. I’m going to call a tow truck, and was going to call a cab, but since you’re still here, would you mind giving me a lift?”
    “Two? Are you serious?” His frown deepened significantly.
    His uneasy tone echoed her own doubts. “Yes, it seems weird.”
    “Yes, it does,” he agreed grimly. Of course, I’ll take you home, you know that. Call the towing company, and I’ll wrap this up in two seconds.”
    “Thanks.”
    While she could manage well enough on her own, it wasn’t a bad thing to have a capable male around Jana decided a little while later. For one thing, the two flat tires made her leery of standing out by herself and waiting for the tow truck, so to have a young, very healthy, broad-shouldered young man with her made it much better. He also talked to the tow driver, and they both ascertained her tires had been slashed, and if Jake hadn’t been there she thought she would have felt pretty rattled.
    She was a little rattled anyway.
    “I suppose you walked,” she murmured as they watched the truck—her BMW on board—roll away from the faculty lot.
    “Yes, sorry. As you know, it’s only a couple of blocks.”
    They began to walk, and he gave her a sidelong glance. “Any idea who would do it?”
    Jana shook her head. “No.”
    “Disgruntled student?”
    “It’s never happened before.”
    “All kinds of nuts in this world.”
    “I suppose so.” She had a feeling her smile was a little wan.
    This time, when they reached his apartment, he didn’t try and persuade her to stay but instead retrieved his keys and escorted her to his car.
    It was quiet on the drive to her house, and Jana bit her lip as they pulled into the driveway, completely out of her depth. The Watcher
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    weekend—plus this—was a little much, and to say she felt uncharacteristically uncertain was a severe underestimate.
    Her life had been very calm. Had been . Before the Incredible Quinn.
    “Thanks,” she murmured, reaching for the door handle.
    “Want me to come in?” His voice was soft and low.
    Well, her thoughts exactly .
    She had a shivery feeling of foreboding she didn’t like at all.
    Yes, she wanted him to stay.
    “I can sleep on the couch if you want,” he said evenly. “In the