Gargoyle's Mate by Nia K. Foxx Page B

permanently etched in his memory. His own mother had roamed these very halls for a year after its completion before the fateful night.
    They passed through a metal security door camouflaged behind a heavy oak one. Lorn rattled off the six-digit code for her benefit as he punched it into the keypad.
    “To the left is the room housing all texts we have collected over the years. To the right are a series of sterile research rooms where you can perform your carbon dating and biological research. Which would you like to see first?”
    Fatima swallowed to remove the lump forming in her throat. “I’d like to see the texts.”
    Lorn nodded, leading her through another secured door, this one responding to hand scans from a panel. “To minimize any foreign contamination, you must always scrub up and wear one of the sterile gowns over your clothing.” He indicated both a sink and metal wardrobe where several long-sleeved lab coats hung.
    For a hoax he’d gone all out. Sterilized and properly adorned, they entered another adjoining room which closely resembled a library in spite of its metallic walls and shelves. One wall was completely covered with aged books in an assortment of bindings, each shelf depicting its own numerical value.
    “These,” Lorn began, indicating the wall unit,” are divided by year and language of origin.”
    “Language?” She looked at him in surprise. “Exactly how many languages are we talking?”
    “About ten,” he answered nonchalantly. “Four, of which should present no problem for you. The others I will aid you with.”
    “How did you know I spoke four other languages?” She turned on him, temporarily forgetting the gold mine in front of her.
    “There’s little about your background I don’t know,” he answered matter-of-factly.
    It stood to reason anyone who’d invested so much money in security and acquiring her services had investigated every aspect of her life. He probably knew things about her she didn’t know herself.
    “You said these were family texts. How could that be in ten different languages?”
    “My ancestors were collectors, and went to great lengths to acquire materials,” Lorn supplied. “Have you seen enough for this evening?” he asked after she’d skimmed several items on the shelves.
    “Yes. I mean I’d like to see the biological facility too, but I can wait until the morning.”
    “Good.” He helped her dispose of her robe, making sure to turn out each light. “Breakfast is served after seven. I’ll make sure someone calls up before.”
    “Thank you.”
    “I’m curious about something.”
    “Hmm?” She was already making mental notes of things she would need to do the following day. Hoax or not he had some intriguing looking journals she couldn’t wait to get her hands on.
    “Why did you remain a virgin for so long?”
    Whatever she’d expected it wasn’t for him to spring a question like that on her.
    “How… how do you know?” she stammered angry at herself for letting her guard down,
    “It was pure conjecture until now, but thanks for the confirmation.”
    The smug smile on his face made her want to scream.
    “You couldn’t have possibly guessed something so personal from a background check.”
    He shrugged. “You’d be surprised what can be uncovered, but in your case there was no skeletons to be found; No teenage rebellion; no embarrassing college moments caught for posterity. Although I attribute the latter to you having been far younger than the average college student.”
    When she would have walked away he secured her arm in his grasp.
    “But you’re all woman now, so why the wait?”
    “I… I don’t see how it’s any of your business,”
    “You’re intelligent, beautiful, with a body made for sex – hot, long sex,” he added.
    Fatima gasped, when he pressed her against the door separating them from the lab.
    “Were you always surrounded by men more eager to plow through books instead of your lush body, or have