The Anomaly Trilogy Boxed Set
Page 30
He missed Eve. It was crazy. He’d only known her for such a short, wild time, but he knew her slim, sexy body. He knew the sounds she made when she came. But more than that, he knew the tough, scarred heart of her.
He wanted her. For more than an adrenaline-fueled day in the desert. For more than just sex.
He wanted to learn everything about her. They’d made a powerful connection and he knew it was more than just two people turning to each other in tough times.
John wanted the chance to see where that connection took them.
Problem, mate. She hates your guts. His hand curled on the stem, the thorns slicing into his palm. Leven had tortured her. Had manipulated her very DNA.
God, John wouldn’t blame her if she never, ever talked to him again.
“You’re bleeding.”
The sound of her voice made him jerk. He spun and there she was.
She had one hip cocked to the side, her hands in the back pockets of her skinny jeans. A flimsy white shirt rippled in the light breeze and made John think of gypsies.
“Are you okay?” John prayed for his brain cells to work. He hadn’t spoken to her since they’d returned to Haven. “Cuts healing?”
She touched a finger to the white bandage over her arm. Another one covered the side of her neck. “Yeah. You?” She eyed his bandage, then his bruised jaw. “Sorry about that.”
“Why?”
She frowned. “I was in shock. I should never have hit you. I’ve spent a long time thinking about it.”
“I deserved it. I hurt you.”
Her frown deepened. “Leven hurt me. You aren’t Leven. In the heat of the moment, I lost sight of that.”
John lifted his hands, the blood on his palm had smeared. “These are the hands that hurt you. I can never change that.”
“You said you don’t remember anything before Haven.”
“The nightmares—”
“The nightmares that make no sense to you? Where you only remember the man who hurt you and your mother?”
John didn’t want to go there. Just having her so close that he could smell the sweet scent of her made him edgy.
“I saw you with the kids.”
He eyed her, his hungry gaze tracing the lines of her face.
“You’re so good with them. Patient, gentle, kind.”
God, she made him sound like a teddy bear.
“And in the desert, I saw the tough, strong and sexy side of you.” She stared straight at him her gaze slicing him laser deep. “I see you, John. I see you, even when you don’t.”
His heart was a hard drum in his chest.
She wandered to the closest rose bush and fingered a green leaf. “You’re planting a rose garden.”
Why the hell did he feel so nervous? “Yeah.”
“Why?”
“For you.”
She nibbled her bottom lip, her eyes luminous. “Why, John?”
His heart cracked open a little. “Because I wanted you to have a place that was yours. A garden where you could plant whatever you wanted. And I know you like roses, so these are for you.”
“You promised to show me everything Haven had to offer. The cottage they gave me is nice, but…it’s kind of empty.”
He took a step toward her, unable to believe she truly wanted him. “You shouldn’t want to be with me.”
“What I’ve always wanted is the freedom to choose what I want.” She stepped up close until her toes bumped his. “I choose you, John Brown.”
He wrapped his arms around her, careful not to touch her with his bloody palm and pulled her close. So close he might never let her go. She tipped her face up to his and he took her mouth, hard and hungry. She returned the kiss with the energy that was Eve, her hands digging into his arms.
When they broke apart, they were both breathing hard.
“What do you want, John?”
He didn’t have to think. “A second chance. In life. With you.”
“You’ve got both. Now, sweep me into your arms and take me home.”
John did as she asked, reveling in her giggles. The sun seemed brighter, the scent of the earth richer and the feel of Eve in his arms better. He glanced across the field to the schoolhouse and saw Gage and Cate. Beside them were Cal and Mara, and Sean with his wife Bay, carrying their daughter on his shoulders. They were smiling. Mara sent John a thumbs-up.
For the first time, he truly felt like he was a part of Haven. John swung Eve higher, tightening his arms around her.
He was taking his second chance.
And he wasn’t letting it go.
<<<<>>>>
COMING SOON from Carina Press
AT STAR’S END by Anna Hackett
March 2014
Join the adventure! A galactic treasure hunter and an astro-archeologist race across the galaxy in pursuit of the last remaining fragment of Da Vinci's Mona Lisa.
Dr. Eos Rai has spent a lifetime dedicated to her mother’s dream of finding the long lost Mona Lisa. When Eos uncovers tantalizing evidence of Star’s End—the last known location of the masterpiece—she’s shocked when her employer, the Galactic Institute of Historic Preservation, turn its back on her. Left with no choice, Eos must trust the most notorious treasure hunter in the galaxy; a man she finds infuriating, annoying and far too tempting.
Dathan Phoenix can sniff out relics at a stellar mile. With his brothers by his side, he takes the adventures that suit him and refuses to become a lazy, bitter failure like his father. When the gorgeous Eos Rai comes looking to hire him, he knows she’s trouble, but he’s lured into a hunt that turns into a wild and dangerous adventure. As Eos and Dathan are pushed to their limits, they discover treasure isn’t the only thing they’re drawn to…but how will their desire survive when Dathan demands the Mona Lisa as his payment?
Other Books by Anna Hackett
The Anomaly Trilogy
Time Thief
Mind Raider
Soul Stealer
Salvation
Science Fiction Romance
Winter Fusion
The WindKeepers Series
Wind Kissed, Fire Bound
Taken by the South Wind
Standalone Titles
Savage Dragon
Hunter’s Surrender
One Night with the Wolf
Anthologies
A Galactic Holiday
For more information visit AnnaHackettbooks.com
About the Author
Mining Engineer by day and writer the rest of the time, Anna Hackett grew up an avid reader with no dreams of being a writer. Her career in mining has taken her all around the world and sparked her desire to write.
As a teenager, she raided her mother's romances and her father's action adventure books, so no surprise that her stories combine both. She especially loves reading and writing short stories—the perfect intense read to fit into a busy lifestyle—and teaches the writing workshop, Short Story, Big Impact. When she isn't wearing boots and a hard hat, she's at her computer drinking too much Diet Coke and working on her stories.
Along with her husband and son, Anna lives wherever her mining career takes her. She's always delighted to hear from readers.
You can find her in the usual places:
Website and blog – AnnaHackettBooks.com
Twitter – Twitter.com/AnnaHackett
Facebook – Facebook.com/AnnaHackettAuthor
Goodreads – Goodreads.com/Anna_Hackett
New Release Newsletter – AnnaHackettBooks.com/contact.php
Go back to Contents
Table of Contents
Praise for The Anomaly Trilogy
Time Thief
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
&nb
sp; Mind Raider
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Soul Stealer
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Epilogue
Salvation
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
COMING SOON from Carina Press
Other Books by Anna Hackett
About the Author