“The serum sounds amazing, actually.” Her voice was tinged with pride. Obviously she and Bobby had been very close. She’d never talked about any other family and he wondered just how alone she really was now. “The primary intention was to enhance the plants to generate more oxygen for the environment.”

“Wow, that sounds pretty damned remarkable,” Rome said. And it did sound remarkable. He had to admit that Bobby really was one of the good guys. Not that he had fully doubted it in the first place.

“It is.” She flung the other chocolate bar next to the first. “But what’s really amazing are the other effects of the serum. The formula basically reengineered the plants’ genetic coding to make them stronger and healthier. Also, self-repairing.”

“Is that possible?” Rome halted his food sorting to look directly at her. He almost laughed, seeing Harper seriously eye the chocolate she’d thrown back.

Usually this kind of Science Channel stuff bored him to sleep, but this was actually fascinating. Maybe because he was smack-dab in the middle of it. Or maybe he just craved the sound of Harper’s low, husky voice. He’d listen to her recite the entire dictionary for no reason.

“Bobby must have found a way to make it possible,” she answered, finally giving in and fishing one of the giant-sized chocolate bars off one of his food piles. She tore the wrapping open to break off some squares. “He tested all different batches of plants, different types, to see if the serum was able to make them withstand severe weather conditions. Droughts, floods, fires, arctic freezes…You name it, the plants held up.”

“So the serum was working,” he said, reaching out to take the chocolate she was handing to him. Their fingers brushed, causing a tingle to shoot up his forearm.

“Right,” she confirmed. “The damaged plants were able to heal broken or missing stalks and repair themselves. If the cold froze the plant, it went into a sort of hibernation to slow down the decomposition and build itself back up.”

“Kind of a rehab,” Rome mused.

“Self-preservation at its finest.” Harper nodded and tossed another square of candy bar in her mouth, sucking on it lightly. “Plants that used to get pulled up by stormy winds were able to endure with stronger roots. None of the simulated hurricanes, typhoons, or tornadoes was able to tear them from the ground. Plants that would normally shrivel up from intense desert heat were able to keep rehydrating themselves.”

He could imagine the creamy chocolate melting on her hot, wet tongue. Oh, to be that piece of candy. Shit. He was staring and not listening. She was smiling. And he was sure she saw him flush. What was it about her that made him lose his composure? Some damn agent he was. He cleared his throat, tilting his head to indicate she should continue.

“Each folder contained the data for every experiment,” she went on. “Every detail on a given date. Bobby was meticulous about his notes. Each plant that was given the formula developed a keen hydrologic system that merged with is native plumbing. Developed its own filtering system, kind of like your brain filters a need or a threat. The superior new system adapted to its climate and other conditions.”

“Superplants,” Rome said, quite in awe at the brilliance of the formula her brother had developed.

She shrugged. “Bobby called it a variation of psionic power, meaning that through the complete force of genetic will, the plants actually desire to flourish. To find ways to survive. He found that a psionic plant could set off a power of sorts unto itself that would oppose any physical force or energy. The plants’ modified molecular nervous systems basically commanded their enhanced muscle tissues to survive adversity and hostile climates.”

He watched her finish her report and pop more candy bar into her mouth. Then he thought hard about what she’d just said.

Imagine. Food wouldn’t be scarce in places where vegetation couldn’t grow right now. Air quality could vastly improve. Forests could be replenished quickly. His mind reeled in absolute awe.

Bobby hadn’t just developed a revolutionary brew; he’d saved the world.

“Harper, that’s seriously incredible.” He brushed the boxes and packages aside so he could lounge on the bed near her. Reaching across the hideous but surprisingly cushy bedspread, he snapped off another piece of Hershey’s.

“He was incredible.” Harper’s voice was tinged with sadness. “Apparently this was a very top secret project within the Five Watch. Only Bobby and a handful of people knew about it. For security reasons, his notes indicated. They didn’t want it going public until Bobby deemed it was ready for implementation. The last files were part of his final testing. But then they just stopped.”

“A few days ago?” Rome asked.

She nodded, and then turned her gaze away from him, seeming to look at nothing.

She’d been alone here, in this cheap and seedy motel room, for about an hour while he had run their errands. He hadn’t really realized until now just how tough it must be for her to sit here and read her brother’s posthumous notes, the wording and diction familiar to her in a way he couldn’t understand.

But, because she did understand Bobby’s language, she truly was the best choice to go through it, in spite of the grief it may trigger.

“Harper, I’m sorry.” Rome reached for her hand and held it in his, trying to convey both sympathy and encouragement in his touch. “I know this must be hard for you. But we’re making good progress. This is the information we need.”

“I know.” She sighed heavily and squeezed his hand back. “I just…I hear his voice saying these words.” Damn, how he wished he could erase the pain he saw in her intense eyes. She lowered them as she took a deep, unsteady breath. “I’m okay. I just wish he were here.” She gave him a sad but sure smile.

“I know,” he said soothingly, moving his hand to rub her bare arm just below the cuff of her short-sleeve Tshirt. Damn, she was steely solid under that silky skin. Strong yet all woman.

All he wanted to do at this very moment was to shove the food and laptop off the bed and draw her body against his, just to feel her against him. And from the swirling typhoon in the green of her eyes, he wondered whether she was thinking the same exact thing.

His fingers began to itch in anticipation and he quickly lifted his hand away from her enticing flesh. Mentally slapping himself, Rome sat up and resumed organizing the food pile.

“So, um, what went wrong?” Rome heard the hoarseness in his voice and cleared his throat. He jumped off the bed to put some needed distance between them. Well, as much distance as he could, which wasn’t a lot in the small room.

He was never going to make it through the night if he didn’t stop thinking about how damn much he was attracted to her. He imagined those lean tanned arms clamping his back. Those long legs wrapping around him. Those luscious full lips he was familiar with, running all over his…

Damn it all. Rome raked a shaking hand over his face, struggling to clear his roving thoughts. He peeled his attention away from her and to the plastic clothing bags. Reaching inside one, he pulled out a pair of new cotton panties. And stared at them, imagining them on her. Off her. Damn. Damn. Damn.

A husky chuckle floated from the bed. A hand flashed in front of his gaze to snatch the panties out of his grasp. She rolled the material around in her hands, checking them out. He almost moaned out loud. Maybe he had.

“Bobby’s last phase of research was to test the consumption of the enhanced vegetation,” Harper said, answering the question he’d asked before his fantasizing. “To make sure the plants weren’t harmful to ingest and all that.”

“Sounds reasonable,” Rome said, continuing to unpack the bag, trying to impersonally sort between his and hers. He tossed Harper the rest of the clothes he’d bought for her and then organized his own, tearing off tags and stickers.