“Awk-ward,” Kai sang from where he stood beside the dining room table, listening. “Talking to your sister about orgasms. Definitely awk-ward.”
“Grow up already,” Alyssa shot at Kai.
“Why would I want to? You and Teague take such good care of us kids.”
“Quaid senses heavy electromagnetic energy in her,” Alyssa said to Jessica, ignoring Kai. Then explained to Mitch, “When a person has a lot of dopamine in their system, their aura shifts. Auras are simply extensions of our inner electromagnetic fields and take on different frequencies based on the source of the energy.”
“Good Lord.” Mitch pointed dramatically toward his face. “Look at the glaze over my eyes. Come on, ladies, speak English. So, this dope makes her happy and creates a certain electrical charge in her body. How does that relate to the visions?”
Alyssa shook her head. “That I don’t know. It might be a shared frequency with the other person. It might be something in the universe connecting with her frequency when her dopamine reaches a certain level. I don’t think knowing how it works really matters, only how to utilize it. We don’t know how Keira hears others’ thoughts through a photograph. Or how Luke becomes fireproof. Or how Kai feels emotions. But they know how to make it happen, and by making it happen, they learn to control it.”
The room went silent. Too silent. Kat’s laugh drifted down the hall.
Mitch’s body temperature spiked at the implications. But fear tempered the excitement. “You’re not suggesting what it sounds like you’re suggesting . . . right?”
Alyssa’s eyes lost the excited haze she always got when some new way of looking at medicine or the human body tripped in her head. She focused on Mitch again and he could see the moment his insinuation hit. Her eyes widened, her mouth dropped open. “Oh, no, I . . . I mean, it’s . . .” Her brows dipped together in a confused pout. “I didn’t mean to suggest that, but . . .”
“Jesus Christ,” Kai grumbled, “you always get the best end of every situation. How the hell do you do that?”
Mitch stood there for a moment, stunned into silence. Have sex with Halina for the purpose of inducing orgasms—repeatedly—so she could learn how to wield her power to envision the future? A duel stream of hot and cold ripped down his torso.
He covered his discomfort with a laugh. “Uh, no. That’s not going to happen.” He wiped his hand down his face, fighting the confusing combination of need and fear rising like a tidal wave inside him. “And I want to see her beat the sh—crap out of the person who suggests it.”
“Actually, I think Alyssa’s on to something,” Jessica said. “I happen to know a little about the dopamine effect. I learned about it in rehab, then went on to study it on my own.”
Jessica reached behind Mitch and picked up an apple from the bowl. After unsuccessfully struggling with Quaid’s death in the warehouse fire, the grief had dragged her under, and she’d become addicted to drugs, alcohol, and sex. She’d been clean now over a year with no signs of relapse. And with Quaid back, their relationship strengthening and growing every day, no one would ever guess her harrowing history by looking at her.
Mitch crossed his arms and set his stance, preparing to take Jessica’s points and throw out a rebuttal to every one, just as he did in court.
She eased back on a stool and tucked a few loose strands of her deep copper hair behind her ear. “Basically, dopamine is released in the brain in response to a rewarding experience. Generally food, sex, and drugs have the highest incidence of dopamine release. I also read that recent studies have shown aggression may also stimulate the release of dopamine. You and Halina may have a head start there.”
“Ain’t that the truth?” he muttered.
“While this is really only a hypothesis on Alyssa’s part, the details describing the when and why of her visions confirm the probability—”
Alyssa hissed in a breath, drawing Jessica’s attention, and whispered, “Don’t use that word around him. It’s too big. Scares him and scatters brain cells.”
Mitch gave his sister a look, then turned back to Jessica. “Continue, before all my brain cells scatter the hell out of here.”
“Dopamine functions as a neurotransmitter,” Jessica said. “A chemical released by nerve cells to send signals to other nerve cells, so there is electromagnetic energy involved. Considering the high levels of this energy Quaid felt in Halina and the high levels he knows to exist in the universe from teleporting, I think Alyssa’s hypothesis is a pretty damned solid one.”
Mitch spread his arms wide. “There have to be ways to increase dopamine in the brain other than sex.”
He’d already broken the seal on his heart by trying to fuck her and failing. Every time he touched her, he was drawn deeper into those feelings he’d buried. Emotions he’d been sure he’d never feel again—for anyone, including Halina.
“Sounds to me—” Kai started.
Mitch waved him off. “We don’t care what you think.”
“Like,” Kai continued anyway, “unless you want to stuff her with triple chocolate cake or set her up with a few lines of coke, you’re going to have to step up to the plate, brother.”
“Ryder . . .” Mitch warned.
“Heh,” Kai chuckled, “never thought I’d see you step back from a strike straight down the middle. Hey—this dopamine thing can happen with anyone. You said she’d had it happen with other guys.” Kai turned fully away from the windows for the first time since he’d started acting strange. “I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry, dude, I’ve got your back.”
“Ryder,” Mitch growled, “I swear—”
“Shit or get off the pot, Foster.” Kai’s grin was filled with clear challenge.
“Kai,” Alyssa scolded.
“It’s me or Cash.”
“Don’t bring me into this,” Cash said with a what-the-fuck look.
Kai looked back at Mitch with that grin he was ready to slam off his face. “And I’m pretty sure I’m the more aggressive of the two of us.”
Mitch knew Kai was only pushing his buttons. Knew he’d never touch Halina. But it was still that straw. Before he knew what happened, he was across the room, separated from Kai’s amused expression only by Ransom’s hand against his chest.
“He’s fucking with you, dude.” Luke pushed him back, smiling. “Just the way you fucked with me by coming on to Keira before we were back together. Payback’s a bitch.”
“Fucking assholes,” Mitch muttered, turning away.
“Teague, honey,” Alyssa called into the office. “Would you just pass the jar around to the guys?”
Mitch pulled out his wallet and Frisbeed it into the office before Teague could step out, hitting his brother-in-law in the chest. Teague caught it effortlessly, laughing.
“Just take whatever’s in there,” Mitch grumbled.
Alyssa frowned and crossed her arms. “I think I’m going to have to come up with another form of punishment. Money doesn’t seem to be much of a deterrent anymore.”
“Wait ’til we get the money for Kat’s wedding, babe,” Teague said, sliding Mitch’s wallet into his back pocket.
“Can we get back to this issue, please?” Mitch turned to Jessica, who was sitting in a chair across from Keira chewing a bite of apple, her pretty face alight with amusement.
How could they all be so laid-back when his world was falling apart?
Keira sauntered up to the kitchen bar, picked up a baby carrot from the vegetable tray, and grinned. “Like my better half said, payback’s a bitch.”
He frowned at her in confusion for a second until he’d realized she’d read his mind.
He pointed a stern finger her way. “We made a deal. You’re supposed to stay out of my head.”