Chapter Four

Jackson

Jackson stepped out into the hallway, pausing for a moment to let his eyes adjust to the dim hallway light after the dark of his office. He looked left then right, trying to decide what direction to take. Toward the Records Room or toward the vending machine. The vending machine sounded like a better idea. He took a deep breath and took exactly one step in the vending machine's direction before freezing in his tracks.

A scent hung in the air that made something primal in the pit of his stomach tighten and ache with joy. The hair on the base of his skull tingled and his eyes lit up with a golden fire. He could barely detect it, even with his enhanced senses, but what he could smell was something that sent shivers of pleasure down his spine.

He gave a smooth about-face, sucking air into his nose to try and fill himself with the scent. It was flowers and sunshine with just a touch of something that made him start to ache with want. His feet carried him forward, his nose pulling in the scent like a rope as he worked down the hallway toward the Records Room.

The door to the room was ajar, letting out a thin sliver of yellow light onto the dark hallway floor. He whined softly with anticipation as the scent grew stronger the closer he came to the golden light. Moving softly, he crept up to the door, peeking through the thin slit to peer inside.

A girl in mint green scrubs and a blue winter jacket sat kneeling on the floor. Her light brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail that trailed down her back in soft tendrils. It took all his willpower not to reach out and touch it to feel its silky softness and bury his face in her scent.

Her back stiffened and she turned slowly to look at the door. Her eyes were a light green and her lips were full and perfect. She bit the bottom one gently, and she reached up to brush a strand of hair from her eyes.

"Is someone there?"

Her voice was sweet and Jackson was convinced that she was part angel. There was no way a voice as divine as hers could exist on earth. He could smell her apprehension, the crinkle of her brow starting to deepen as she peered out into the dark hallway. He looked down at his watch to see it was close to midnight. There was no way she was supposed to be here.

He pushed the door open, letting her see him before asking, "What are you doing in here?"

She smiled and Jackson was sure he had died and gone to heaven. Objectively, he thought she was average looking, but she was stunningly beautiful when she smiled. His heart sped up to a million beats per minute as she rose to her knees and then stood gracefully from the floor. There were grass stains on her knees.

"I was just told to come get some files. I'm almost done." She gave him another smile. "I'm sorry if I bothered you."

"No, I just saw the light." He thought desperately for a reason to make her stay and talk to him. So he said the first thing that popped in his head. "Who are you getting the files for?"

Her eyes went a wide for a second and he immediately regretted the question. His interrogator skills has snuck up on him and he was evaluating her without meaning to. He had trained for so long at asking questions and getting people to answer them, that he had forgotten that not everyone was hiding something. She was just doing her job and here he was, blocking the door and making her nervous.

"Dr. Vincetti. Listen, my boss was supposed to pick these up for the doctor this afternoon, but he forgot, so I'm getting them. I really am on my way out the door." She closed the filing cabinet, holding several manila envelopes to her chest.

He wanted to believe her. He really, really did, but the years of training wouldn't relent. Despite her delicious scent, she was hiding something. He crossed his arms, doing his best to look commanding but not intimidating.

"I would believe you, except for one thing. All of Dr. Vincetti's medical files are now electronic," he said. He should know, he had gone through a chunk of them looking for any cases similar to his own.

She smiled smoothly, her body language giving off nothing but calm, but he could hear her heart pounding like mad in her chest. A small trickle of fear leaked out of her, but she was managing to hold most of it in. He had to give her props. If he didn't have heightened senses, he would never have been able to spot the lie.

"I didn't say he wanted medical files." She held up the manila envelopes. "This is for his medical grant. He needed more background information."

"I don't believe you," he said softly. It was hard to concentrate with her scent filling up the small storage space. If she only knew the effect she was having on him, she could have smiled and walked right past him. He would have even carried the files if she asked.

“That’s too bad. My boss told me I wouldn’t have any trouble getting these for him,” she lied smoothly, her eyes darting to the door as she tucked the files into an over the shoulder bag on the top of the filing cabinet. She slid the strap smoothly over her pretty head, still managing to keep her body language calm. He was surprised he couldn’t see her heart beating through the material of her scrubs, it was hammering so hard.

"I think I'll need to call security." The words didn't even sound like they were coming from his own mouth. He didn't want to get her in trouble. He would do anything to get her out of trouble. He wished he could just clap a hand over his mouth to keep himself from talking. This wasn't going at all how he wanted.

"That really isn't necessary," she started, edging her way along the wall and closer to the door. He didn't move, his eyes following her tiniest of movements. She was so beautiful to him it was almost painful.

An alarm began to blare, filling the air with a shrieking high-pitched scream that made him instinctively place his hands over his ears and cringe. His heightened hearing made the obnoxious sound even worse.

The girl's eyes went wide for a second as she saw her chance and she took it, darting past him and out into the hallway. He watched her run down the hallway and out of the building, keeping his hands on his ears but his feet in one place. Her scent trailed behind her out into the night and he breathed it in, closing his eyes.

He didn’t know who she was or why she was stealing the files. He wasn’t even really sure if the alarm was even meant for her or if it was just bad timing. All he knew is that he had to find her again. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, letting the warmth and sweetness of her scent envelope him.