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He glances at my nails, which are currently painted a soft shell pink "What do you know about grease under your fingernails?"

"More than you’d think"

We dive into an in-depth discussion of engines that has all three of us grinning Viktor isn’tcars, but he’s thrilled beyond all comprehension that I kno to do it He and Alejandro take turns quizzing et all but two of the questions right

Alejandro’s in thewhy I etAlejandro, ets close to me There’s an electricity in the air around us, a current that originates with hiht into me whenever he’s around It sounds crazy, but I don’t know of a better way to describe the waysparking as they wait for contact--any contact--with him

I turn to him with a smile and instinctively take the hand he holds out to uys?" he asks Viktor and Alejandro

"I think it’s ood care of us," Viktor tells him "I like her You should keep her around for a while"

"I’ to do just that" Ethan raises one dark eyebrow "Any suggestions on how I can accoet dirty," Alejandro tells him with a wink

"Excuse et the ietting his ass kicked I’m not offended because I know exactly what hehand on Ethan’s shoulder

"Your girl’s a greaseher hands dirty You should get her a car to fix up I bet she’d like that"

"I’d love it," I tell hi cheek "But I can buy my own car to fix up, thank you very ot yourself one of those feone"

"Believe me, I intend to" He reaches over, shakes both their hands I kiss Viktor’s cheek as well before alk away

"Hey, chica!" Alejandro calls after me "Come back and visit us sometime"

I turn to smile at him "I plan on it Take care, okay?"

He winks "I always do"

"I’," Ethan tells me after we say a quick hello to the last soldiers in the ward "Andrew has soy we’re working on I wanted toabout before I went into R&D with his thoughts on Monday"

"That’s okay You couldn’t have left me in better company"

"I could tell You looked like you were really enjoying yourself"

"I was Alejandro and Viktor are great Really cool guys"

"And closer to your age than I am, certainly"

I turn to look at him, confused "I don’t knohat thatseconds, andBut in the end he just shakes his head and escortselse until we’re out of the hospital and walking through the parking lot to the car "Have you figured out why I brought you here yet?"

"Frost Industries has done a lot of good at that hospital It doesn’t take an expert to see that everything they have is state of the art"

He waves his hand dis you there because I wanted to impress you with my philanthropy That’s the least of my worries"

I’m not sure how to react to that Does heme? Or simply that he doesn’t think philanthropy is the way to do it? Either way, I’m pretty sure I should be insulted Only he looks so annoyed, so frustrated, that it’s hard forbut interested

"So, tell me What did you want me to see?"

"Those patents you were so upset about from Trifecta Do you knohat they were for?"

I don’t Obviously so people referred to them by their official numbers, never by what they were for And my part of the research hadn’t dealt with the at older cases, precedents set before these patents were even filed

When it becomes obvious that I’h his hair Then walks right past his car to the edge of the parking lot We’re on the edge of Balboa Park, the cultural o We’re surrounded by ardens, and even the world-fa out over the lush and verdant landscaping for long seconds before turning back to eneration Do you knohat that means?"

I shake my head, mutely fascinated by the passion, the determination, in his eyes