by Anna Hackett
Now, he just had to convince her to take the leap with him. Even in the middle of an alien invasion with a possible attack looming.
But he did have a genius IQ. He’d come up with something.
“I really hope we don’t get attacked.” He looked back at his desk and those damn cubes. “Or, at least not until I can get the damn illusion system working.”
“Come on,” she said. “Come back to base and get some rest.”
“I have work—”
She put her hands on her hips. “You need to eat and rest.” A tiny smile flirted around her lips. “I can help you with the resting bit.”
He smiled back. “You just want sex.”
She laughed. “Maybe. And I have this little fantasy of seeing you naked…wearing only your glasses.”
Heat pooled in his gut. “Very naughty, captain.”
She shook her head. “It’s your fault, you know. I was doing fine without it…but now…”
He grabbed her and gave her a quick kiss. She moaned into his mouth, and suddenly desire was a violent throb in his blood. He pulled back and just looked at her. “How the hell did we end up here?”
She cupped his cheeks, her face turning serious. “I’m not sure. A few days ago, I was pretty sure I found you incredibly annoying.”
He nipped her lips again. “Things can change in the blink of an eye.”
“Yes. So many things.”
Noah let her lead him out of the Swift Wind facility. For a few hours, he would just focus on her, and hope that tomorrow would bring the change he needed to solve the power problem.
***
Laura woke, stretching on the bed. The room was dark, the sheets smelled like Noah and sex, and she was deliciously achy.
The man had spent a long, long time learning exactly how she liked to be touched, kissed and licked. Her legs shifted restlessly at the memory of his head between her thighs.
But there was no long, lean male body in the bed with her now.
Funny how she’d only shared a bed with him for such a short time and she could already miss him. She rose up on one elbow and spotted him instantly.
He was at his desk, wearing only a pair of jeans and no shirt. The glow of his comp screen cast him in blue light. She heard him muttering to himself.
She sat up and grabbed Noah’s shirt off the floor. She slipped it on and wandered over to him.
She ran a hand over his shoulders, then leaned over him. God, he was tense. “What are you doing?”
“Working.”
“At three o’clock in the morning?”
“I need to solve this.” With a frustrated slash of his arm, he swept everything off his desk—papers, tablet, empty coffee mug.
Ah, here was the volatile temper she knew so well. “Did that help?”
He swiveled his chair and she stepped back.
“Don’t use your interrogation psychobabble on me.”
She raised a brow. “Psychobabble?”
“I’ve seen you. You can read a person like an open book, then force them to spill their guts. You make it look so easy, no one even realizes you’re doing it.” He huffed out a breath. “I’m frustrated and pissed. That’s all.”
On the corner of his desk, she spotted some of his dice. He needed a distraction. She reached for them.
“Don’t touch,” he said.
Her hand paused, hovering over the small cubes. “Why?”
“I don’t let anyone touch them. My grandmother bought me my first ones and collecting them became my little obsession.”
And he didn’t want her to touch them. Laura felt a little sting of pain and curled her fingers into her palm. “Did your grandmother like gambling?”
“No. She believed in luck.” He grabbed some of the dice. “Whatever she could do to swing some luck her way, she would.” He shook his head and stared at the cubes in his hand for a moment. Then, with his other hand, he grabbed Laura’s fingers and spread them out. He set the dice into her palm. They felt cool on her skin. “I couldn’t bring my entire collection. I just managed to grab a few, but I’m glad I got some of them. They remind me of her, of family. She would have liked you.”
Laura jiggled the dice.
“She hated all the women in my life before.”
The pleasant feeling drained out of Laura. “All the women?”
Noah grinned at her. “I was a multi-millionaire, Captain. There were women everywhere.”
Laura frowned and tried to pull her hand away from his.
He held on. “Most of them were shallow and superficial, and they were users. They were so pretty that they blinded me for a while.”
“And you married one of them,” she said quietly.
“To my ever-living regret. She was greedy and a liar. And I was stupid enough to be taken in by…her other charms.”
Laura heard the hurt buried beneath his words. “I’m sorry.”
He shrugged. “Kalina taught me a valuable lesson.”
“To not get too close to anyone?”
He went still, then tilted his head. “I learned to value the truth. To try to see beneath the shell and find the genuine in people.”
“Really?” Laura let her skepticism bleed into her voice.
“Okay.” He wrinkled his nose. “Maybe I’ve kept myself from getting in too deep with anyone. Like you do.”
She stiffened. “This isn’t about me.”
“Two of us in the room, Laura. Two of us doing this dance.”
She looked away, her heart beating faster. She desperately wanted to change the subject. Stupid to think she could learn more about him, but also stop him from doing the same. She opened her palm and tossed the dice in the air, catching the small cubes. “How about a game?”
He stared at her, like he could see right through her. Could see everything she wanted to keep secret.
She rolled the dice between her fingers and lifted them. “Highest roll wins and the other has to lose a piece of clothing.”
“Strip dice?” He glanced at his jeans, then the shirt falling to her mid-thigh. “It’ll be a short game.”
“Afraid you’ll lose, Kim?”
He sat back in his chair, his eyelids hooded. “Honey, either way—you naked or me naked—I win.”
She lifted her hand and blew on the dice. “So you’re feeling lucky, then?”
He ran a finger along her arm. “I know what you’re doing, Laura. We will talk…”
She felt all her muscles go tense. Why did she feel this irrational fear trying to choke her?
“…another time,” he finished. “Because I am feeling lucky.” A slow smile spread over his hawkish face.
She recognized the glint in his dark eyes. This. This she could deal with. This easy, straight-forward desire. And it felt good. It made everything else shrink away.
“Roll the dice,” he said.
She felt a flicker of excitement. She rolled the dice onto the desk.
“Six.” He scooped up the cubes, jiggled them, then rolled. His grin widened. “Ten. Lose the shirt.”
Laura undid the buttons, shrugged, and the shirt pooled at her feet.
His gaze slid over her. Her breath hitched.
“You are so damned beautiful.” He ran his hands up the side of her legs, his palms just skimming her skin. His touch left a trail of sensation in its wake. “You had it so buttoned up, so hidden, that it took me a while to notice it.”
“You were too busy wanting to strangle me.”
He tugged her in between his legs. “You wanted to strangle me, too.”
“Sometimes. But…mostly you just scared me.”
His hands clamped on her hips. “You? Scared of me?”
“Of what you make me feel.”
As he dragged her onto his lap, his mouth capturing hers, his hands sliding possessively over her, what she didn’t tell him was that she was still afraid.
Afraid that if she fell too far into him, she would never survive it if she lost him.<
br />
Chapter Eleven
Noah walked down the tunnel, towing a reluctant Laura behind him. “It’ll be fun.”
“Hell Squad are your friends, Noah. They won’t want me tagging along.”
He stopped and pulled her in so she bumped against his chest. “They’re good people, Laura. They like you. We’ll have a drink, and eat, and talk. Blow off some steam. You haven’t been doing enough of that.”
She made a small noise. “You and I have been blowing off a hell of a lot of steam. Any more and I won’t be able to walk.”
He smiled and tapped her nose. Damn, he was falling for her. One hundred percent. Now that he’d stopped fighting it, he was enjoying the freefall. “Come on. Let’s see that courage of yours.” He turned and thumped on a door.
It swung open and music and smells assailed them. The music was something with Latin undertones and the food smelled mouthwateringly good. Cruz Ramos stood there, in jeans and a T-shirt, a striped kitchen towel in his hands.
“Noah, Laura. Come on in and join the madhouse.”
They stepped inside. Santha and Cruz had slightly larger quarters, but with all of Hell Squad packed in there, it made the place seem small. No one seemed to mind.
“I’m making tamales.” Cruz smiled at them. “Thankfully Santha’s morning sickness has eased, so she can handle the smell.”
The woman in question sauntered over. She was tall, with long, black hair, copper-colored skin, and pale green eyes. “Hi Noah. Laura.”
Laura nodded and held out a hand. “Nice to see you, Santha.”
“How’s the bump doing?” Noah asked.
“I have one now.” Excitement licked through the woman’s voice. “Look.” She smoothed her shirt over her tummy.
Noah couldn’t see much of a bump on Santha’s still-flat belly, but she was clearly excited about it. “Great job.”
Santha laughed. “Come on. Grab a homebrew, and a seat if you can find one.”
They called out hellos to the others. Marcus was seated on the couch, Elle sitting on the floor, leaning against his legs. Reed was leaning against the wall, one arm around Natalya. Gabe and Emerson were beside them.
Arguing came from the tiny kitchenette. “You overcooked them, you idiot.”
“I like them well done,” Shaw grumbled. He elbowed the hovering Claudia in the side. “Out of my way, Frost. You’re cramping my cooking ability.”
Claudia moved, but was frowning at the homemade tortilla chips on the tray. “They’re almost fried to a crisp.”
“They are perfectly done, crispy tortilla chips.” Air whistled through his teeth. “Weren’t you making guacamole? You know, because you can’t actually cook anything.”
Claudia hobbled a little to the kitchen bench and Noah noted her wince. She set to work mixing a bowl of green, goopy-looking stuff.
A second later, Shaw was there, sliding a stool toward her. “Sit.”
“I’m fine—”
“I can see that hip is hurting. Don’t be a stubborn mule.”
She sat with a huff and finally noticed Noah and Laura. “God save me from bossy men. Especially ones with nurse delusions.”
“Hey, Claudia, Shaw.” Noah ran his gaze over Claudia. “Still hurting?”
“Doc fixed everything up, just a little problem with my hip. Has to heal the old-fashioned way. I keep telling Baird here to quit worrying—”
“Not worried. You’re too stubborn to be injured long.” He dumped his homemade chips into a bowl and nudged them across the bench.
Noah snagged one. “They are a bit overdone.”
Claudia grinned and tipped her head back at Shaw. “Told you.”
He pressed a palm to her smug face. “I like them well done. You guys can cook next time.” He looked at Noah. “How’s that illusion system coming along?”
Noah heard Laura make a sound and shake her head. He gave a rueful smile. “According to Laura, I’ve been obsessed, moody and frustrated.”
“Not working out, then,” Shaw said.
“Not yet. But I will get there. The info from the alien scientist helped. I’m close…”
Claudia patted his arm. “You’ll get it, Noah. You’ve solved every problem we’ve ever thrown at you. That genius brain of yours won’t rest until you crack it.”
“That’s the problem.” Laura sipped her beer. “He won’t rest. He’ll collapse from exhaustion if he isn’t careful.”
Claudia eyed her and dipped a chip into the guacamole. “I think you’ll keep him in line.”
“This a private party?” Devlin Gray sauntered up.
Noah liked Dev a lot. The guy was part of Santha’s recon team, and he was very good at getting into places without the aliens spotting him. He was wearing dark slacks and a blue shirt that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a boardroom or a fancy club. The man just exuded a suaveness that you either had or you didn’t. And with his British accent, Noah knew the base’s single ladies were torn between macho soldiers or a bit of charm.
“Hey, Dev,” Noah said.
“Noah. Hi, Laura.”
“How are you, Devlin?”
“Good.” He took a chip and somehow looked elegant eating it. “Busy. Aliens are back out in full force.” His face turned serious, his gaze intense. “And they’re moving this way. Not an all-out offensive, but something’s up. Not sure what yet.”
Noah’s gut rolled. Dammit. He shouldn’t be here relaxing. He should be working on that damn illusion system.
But just then, Laura’s hand pressed against his, their fingers twining. He drew in a breath. Later.
After dinner, Noah stood against one wall, sipping his drink and watching young Bryony dancing with Laura, Santha, Elle and Natalya. Cruz was strumming his guitar, lost in the music. Damn, the guy was good. The women were laughing, enjoying the moment. Only Emerson wasn’t dancing, instead staying close to Gabe’s side.
Bryony was an alien lab survivor. Cruz and Santha had rescued her and then adopted the young girl. They’d knocked through a wall and her room adjoined their quarters. The aliens had shaved the girl’s head, run tests on her brain. But since her rescue, her hair had grown into a cute style that made her look like a little pixie. She was holding Santha’s hands, laughing.
Noah’s beer curdled in his gut. This girl deserved to live. Santha and her baby deserved a chance. And as the men nearby discussed the aliens and a possible impending attack on Blue Mountain Base, Noah felt that damned incessant pressure again. He looked at Laura, glad to see her enjoying herself as she moved to the music. Not surprisingly, she danced well, loose and limber.
He wanted her to live, too.
He was falling in love with her.
“So, you’ve taken the plunge.”
Marcus’ gravelly voice made Noah jerk and spill some beer on his shirt. He cursed and dabbed at it. “What?”
Marcus lifted his bottle toward Laura. “You and the competent captain.”
Noah relaxed. “Yeah. It blindsided me, too. I think we were fighting each other because we both knew this was where we were headed. We were fighting to…” he tried to find the right words.
“To protect yourselves.”
Noah turned his head. “What’s a badass soldier like you know about it?” He couldn’t imagine Marcus Steele was afraid of anything. Noah pictured the tough soldier just plowing through anything that got in the way of what he wanted.
Marcus sipped his beer. “Well, I’m not gonna stand here and discuss feelings with you. But I fought what I felt for Elle for a long time. And I see others here ignoring what they really want for all kinds of fucked-up reasons. But at the end of the day, it all comes back to protecting ourselves, doesn’t it? Hell, caring for anyone, especially in this messed up world, is a hell of a risk.”
Noah blinked. “I think that’s the most I’ve ever heard you say all at once.”
“Screw you, Kim.” The man’s small smile took the sting out of his words.
“But pretty wise
words for a grunt.”
“Want me to punch you?”
“No.” Noah looked at Laura. “It’s worth it, isn’t it?”
“Hell yeah.” Marcus’ green gaze fell on Elle. “Every second. Every little thing makes it worthwhile.”
Elle caught Marcus’ smile and came over. “Come dance with me.”
“Hell, no. Don’t dance, you know that.”
Elle pouted.
Marcus heaved out a breath and pulled her into his arms. “Not standing out there amongst the gaggle. You move, I’ll hold you. Right here.”
“Fine.” Elle sank into him, swaying her hips.
Noah smiled at them and then saw Laura watching. Hell, he didn’t dance either. But when she held out a hand to him, he couldn’t resist her.
He tugged her in close. “I can’t dance.”
“Just sway with me.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “Most people try too hard when they dance. It was a lesson I learned when I started painting. If you try too hard, you end up feeling awkward and out of sync. Just listen to the music, hold me, and stop thinking about it too much.”
He did, pressing his face against her hair and breathing in the scent of her. Her words echoed in his head and suddenly he went stiff.
She pulled back “What’s wrong?”
“Shit, Laura, what you just said…it gave me an idea about the alien cubes.”
She frowned. “What?”
Adrenaline surged through him. Hell, he should have tried something like this long ago. “I’ve been trying too hard. Forcing the cubes into our systems. I need to put them together and let them blend, to find a way to work together. Not force the alien tech to conform to our systems.” He kissed her. “I have to—”
She patted his arms. “I can see that. Go.”
He hesitated. “You’ll be okay?”
“Yes. You were right, I’m having a good time. And if I come back with you now, you’ll be so lost in your work, you won’t even know I’m there.”
He already felt the call of it. A solution shimmering just out of reach, a problem begging to be solved. “Are you okay with that?”
She kissed him again. “It’s you. The way you work. I admire it.”