Dating Outside Your DNA

by Karen Kelley

  “Yeah, I’d say she can run the mile in under nine,” she heard Link say before she was far enough away that she couldn’t hear them.

  Lyraka was careful to stay off the path even though there might be booby traps. It took her less than five minutes to catch up to Johnny and his captors. She kept her cover.

  There were three men with guns. Really big men with ugly snarling faces. Where the hell did the government recruit these guys—from prison? This all looked a little too real.

  Johnny’s hands were tied behind his back as he was pushed and pulled along. There were three more men with their hands tied behind their backs, but she noticed they weren’t pushed quite as hard as Johnny. She’d seen all she needed to see and headed back to the others.

  Once she’d rejoined them, she quickly explained they were moving fast and yes, they had Johnny.

  “I have a plan,” she said. “I’ll get in front of them and see if I can pick off the one in front. Two of you bring up the rear and one on each side and we’ll have them boxed in.”

  “Be careful,” Ray told her.

  She nodded and took off again. She moved in place so that she was in front of the men and their hostages. She chose a spot that was just a little elevated, but would shield her in case she was caught in any kind of crossfire.

  Then she waited.

  As soon as she had the front man in her sights, she squeezed the trigger, hitting him dead center of his chest. He stumbled, looked at the blob of blue paint, cursed and sat down on the ground.

  She smiled.

  He was dead, and he knew it. The other two quickly took cover behind a hostage, guns to their heads. Their implication was clear—if they went down, so did the innocent men they had captured.

  “We’ll kill them!” one of them yelled.

  “Let them go, and you will live. You have my word.” All she had to do was keep them talking until the others caught up and got into position. But after three minutes had passed, she’d run out of things to say and was starting to worry.

  “I think you’re by yourself,” one of the bad guys called out. “What are you going to do when you capture us?” he taunted.

  “Like she said, put down your guns and we’ll let you live.” Link spoke from the side somewhere, but she couldn’t see him. Relief washed over her.

  “Back off or they’re dead!” The bad guy spun around in the direction Link’s voice had come from.

  “You’re surrounded,” Warren said from the opposite side.

  “You don’t have a chance,” Ray called from somewhere in the rear.

  “It looks as though we don’t have anything to lose ’cause no way are you going to let us go if we free them.”

  There was a pop and the bad guy’s chest was covered in a big blue splotch of paint. He immediately went down.

  “Do you want to be next?” Link asked the remaining guard. “Yeah, you might kill a hostage, but you’ll definitely be going down. You drop your weapon, let the hostage go, and you at least have a chance.”

  Since the only one left had Johnny, Lyraka almost hoped the bad guy splattered him with paint. She really didn’t like the guy. But he didn’t, he carefully laid his gun down and stepped away, hands behind his head as he went down on his knees.

  She came to her feet, smiling. Mission accomplished.

  “It’s a good thing I’m not a bad guy or you’d be dead right now,” Roan spoke from behind her.

  Chapter 19

  Lyraka jumped and whirled around.

  Roan knew he probably shouldn’t have scared her like that, but he wanted her to be aware of all possibilities. Anyone could be just around the corner.

  “I didn’t even hear you!” She frowned at him, but she didn’t look that pissed. After her initial scare, she even looked a little glad to see him.

  For a moment he got lost in her eyes and the way she looked at him. Just as quickly, he cleared his throat and turned serious. This was important.

  “When you’re on a mission, you have to be aware of everything. If there had been someone on watch, you’d be dead right now.”

  She tilted her chin. “We did save the hostages, you know. Did anyone ever tell you that you really know how to kill a moment?”

  “Yeah, they have.”

  “I thought as much.”

  There was a burst of laughter. Roan’s gaze moved to the trail where the others were. Gavin had just joined the group of agents who’d acted as hostages. Roan noticed that he was taking his time cutting the rope from Johnny’s wrists. Johnny was going to make him regret that later.

  “You did very well,” he said as he turned back to her.

  Her smile widened. “You think so?”

  Rookies. “Yeah, I know so.”

  “What’s next?”

  She looked like she was ready to shoot more bad guys. He’d created a monster, but one he was proud of. Lyraka just might make a good agent after all.

  A very sexy one, too. She definitely filled out fatigues in all the right places. Whoa, what the hell was he doing? The training session had barely ended and he wanted to jump her bones. He’d never in his life been this infatuated with a woman. It made him nervous as hell. Time to leave while he still could.

  “We’ll head back so everyone can clean up and grab a bite to eat,” he told her. “I’ve called a meeting at the training room afterwards so we can go over the exercise. Gavin will lead everyone back to the transport truck. It’s not far from here.” If he didn’t get away soon, he would pull her into his arms and kiss her.

  He turned and went deeper into the woods. Just over the ridge there was a clearing where he’d parked the Jeep.

  She followed. “Did I really do okay?”

  He grinned when he looked over his shoulder, then leaned back against a tree. “Yeah, better than I expected.”

  She frowned. God, he liked the way she frowned, the way her lips pursed. If he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, her body would press against his, her soft curves molding to his harder body.

  “Hey, Lyraka, where are you?” one of the guys called out.

  “They can’t see us. Better join your team before they think you were eaten by a wild animal.”

  She hesitated, then threw her arms around his neck and planted a quick kiss on his lips, then pulled back before he could do more than catch his breath.

  “I’ve missed you.” She turned and scrambled down the small hill.

  He took an involuntary step after her, realized what he was doing, and turned in the opposite direction toward his Jeep.

  She missed him? He smiled, liking that she did. Not that either of them would have a chance to do a lot about it. The next few weeks were going to be the most intensive exercises any of the trainees had ever been through.

  He remembered what it had been like when he went through training, but this would be different. Each one of them had been handpicked for what they could bring to the team. This was the best of the best—they just didn’t know it yet. That is, if they made it through the course.

  He opened the door of the Jeep and climbed inside. This had been a relatively easy day. The next ones would be a lot more difficult.

  And more realistic.

  He stopped with his hand on the ignition key. The next exercises would also be dangerous. What they would face in the weeks to come would push them to the brink of their endurance and then some. Joe had said he wanted them ready to roll in four weeks in case they were needed. His spies were telling him something was up with the Roverts and maybe the Adnams. He didn’t like either one of the species.

  A few years ago, he’d had a chance encounter with a Rovert. Everything about the Rovert said he was human. Women would probably drool over him because of his dark looks. He’d been charming and pleasant, until Roan looked into his eyes. There was no soul inside him. Just a coldness that reeked of pure evil.

  He wasn’t as worried about the Adnams. Not as long as he kept his distance. They had a tendency to explode smelly
slime. Gross, but not deadly. They acted a lot tougher than they were. Nasty creatures.

  He started the Jeep and headed back to the main buildings. If the Roverts and Adnams were stirring up trouble and combined forces, it could get really messy. He didn’t like to think of Lyraka being in the middle of it.

  He rested his arm on the door and leaned back in the seat. Relationships could be so damned complicated sometimes. More so if it was two agents involved.

  But they weren’t involved. They’d only had sex. His gut clenched. He hadn’t had sex like that his whole life. Lyraka was special.

  She was so eager to learn everything, and didn’t mind getting dirty. He laughed. They were the same in that respect. She damn sure didn’t back away from anything he’d asked her to do except when it came to blind trust. She had a problem with that, but he was certain she would learn to trust as the team worked together over the next few weeks.

  He pulled into one of the parking spots, turned off the ignition, and climbed out. He had to write his report. More paperwork. He was getting sick of it. If Joe didn’t get him out of here he was going to put in for vacation time. Joe couldn’t continue to hold him hostage in the hopes that he would train everyone who’d ever thought about becoming an agent.

  Joe was in his office. Roan tapped on the door, then went inside.

  Joe looked up. “Roan, come in.”

  “Sally wasn’t at her desk.”

  “I let her off early. How’d the exercise go?”

  “Good.”

  “Lyraka?”

  “Better than I’d expected.”

  “Did they work together as a team? That’s the most important thing.”

  “Yeah.”

  “And Johnny?”

  “Exactly as I expected.”

  Joe nodded. “Did they use Lyraka as lead?”

  “Right from the start, even though Johnny had wanted to take it. The rest of the team didn’t budge.”

  “Smart move. I knew they would make a good team. They each bring something to the group that makes them special.” He picked up a pencil and tapped the eraser end on the top of his desk. “Will they be ready?”

  Roan shrugged. “I think so. Maybe. If they don’t break. What you’re planning hasn’t been done before. It’s a tough call.”

  Joe set the pencil down and leaned back in his chair, a grim expression on his face.

  “What?”

  Joe shook his head. “My head tells me that we have plenty of time. My gut is yelling at me to hurry and get this team together.”

  “We have other teams.”

  “Not like this one. Besides, we’re spread too thin. The government doesn’t think we need to train agents for intergalactic patrols. The president is listening to his advisors, and the advisors are looking at what this is costing. They’d rather use the money to fund research on how long it takes catsup to run out of the bottle.” He tossed the pencil down in disgust.

  “Then we’ll just have to hope your gut is wrong.”

  If they were spread that thin, it would be hard to protect the borders, and they would be ripe for an invasion. That wasn’t good.

  “It’s surprising how a hot shower and a good meal can turn a man’s disposition around.” Ray patted his stomach.

  “What I’m wondering is how you could hold so much.” Link shook his head as everyone headed toward the training building.

  Reeka snorted. “Between the two of you, I was wondering if you were going to leave anything. Next time, both of you start at the end of the buffet line.”

  Lyraka smiled. They were already forming a nice easy friendship. It felt good to be part of something.

  “Did y’all notice someone was missing?” Alesha looked around pointedly.

  “Johnny, and good riddance. I’d had all of him I could take.”

  Lyraka had to agree with Warren, but it made her wonder if Johnny’d gotten kicked out of the program. Her heart wasn’t breaking because of it.

  They walked inside the building and down the hall to the training room, then filed in, and sat at the long table. A few minutes later, Roan walked in. Her heart began to thump loudly inside her chest as she drank in the sight of him. He wore jeans and a dark green T-shirt. Her breath caught in her throat as a familiar heat began to sweep over her.

  “Is it getting warm in here?” Ray asked.

  “Maybe you’re having hot flashes.” Alesha snickered.

  “Not funny.”

  Time to think of something else and not about having sex. If she was the one generating the heat, it could get embarrassing.

  “The other instructors will be along in a few minutes,” Roan told them.

  “There are more instructors than you and Gavin?” Reeka asked.

  “You’ll have one other instructor. You’re about to start intensive training. You’ll be asked to push yourself further than you’ve ever thought you could. Today was a walk in the park compared to what you’re about to go through.” He looked at each one of them. “But when you finish you won’t think you’re the best of the best, you’ll know it.”

  Pride filled her. This was what she was meant to do.

  “Here they are,” Roan said as he turned toward the door.

  “You’ve got to be shittin’ me,” Ray said

  Everyone turned and looked toward the door. Lyraka’s mouth dropped open. There was no way this was happening. No way!

  “Meet your third instructor, Johnny Hayden.”

  She had a feeling she would never make it through the coming weeks of intensive training. Well, damn!

  Chapter 20

  Roan could tell by the team’s reaction that they weren’t happy. It couldn’t be helped.

  “He was a ringer.” Ray’s look said it all for the rest of them—he was disgusted.

  “We had to see if everyone could work and play well with others. And we wanted to see if you would stand by each other if the chips were down,” Johnny said. “You proved it when you refused to leave Lyraka. It might be different in other branches of the government, but when you work for the elite force, you work as a team, and you watch each others’ backs. Together, you’re a well oiled machine. Separate, and you become weak.”

  “So, are you really an asshole?” Alesha drawled. “Or were you pretending?”

  He grinned and it completely changed him. “By the end of the training, you’ll probably think we’re all assholes.” He suddenly turned serious. “Everything you thought I was, I’m not. I don’t care who you are as long as you believe in what you’re doing. We’re the good guys, and everyone should have the right to live in peace.”

  Gavin went on to tell them exactly what they’d be doing over the next few weeks. Roan had to give the team credit for not walking out right then and there. They would be expected to do a lot.

  Time passed quickly as they went over the mock mission. The afternoon turned into evening. Gavin and Johnny left Roan with the last part of what needed to be done so they could start setting up for the next day. He figured from the slumped shoulders and the yawns, they’d been at it long enough.

  “That’s it for today. Get some rest and I’ll see you back here tomorrow morning.” He began to gather up the papers on the desk as everyone filed out of the room, but when he looked up, Lyraka was still there.

  She sat on the long table, feet swinging, patiently waiting for him to notice her. Man, why the hell had he taken their relationship as far as he had? But the longer he looked at her, the more he knew exactly what had possessed him.

  He went back to stacking papers. “You’re going to have a long day tomorrow. Better get some rest.”

  “You think so?”

  “I know so.”

  She crossed her legs. He caught the movement from the corner of his eye. It seemed innocent enough, as though she hadn’t planned on it being provocative, but it was, and he was finding it hard to concentrate.

  She’d changed into red shorts and a thin white shirt with short sleeves. Troubl
e was, the shirt was really thin and he could see the lacy cups of her white bra. Had she worn it on purpose, knowing what it would do to him?

  “It’s not that late. I won’t even go to bed for at least another couple of hours.”

  The thought of her crawling into bed, pulling the sheet slowly up her body, the cotton caressing her, was a vision he didn’t want, or need, right now. He set the papers down and leaned his hip against the desk. “We shouldn’t have made love.”

  “Is there a rule against it?”

  He frowned. “No, but you’re going to need all your concentration to get through the next few weeks and…”

  “I want to make love with you. My body burns for your touch. I want your mouth on me. I want to taste you.”

  He turned and strode to the door.

  Disappointment filled her. She felt such an incredible need to be closer to him, to have him take her into his arms, to feel his warmth wrapping around her. She didn’t think it was her passionate Nerakian side, either. If it had been anyone else in the room, she would’ve walked out the door without a problem. It wasn’t just the man, it was the person that she wanted, and now he was walking away. Incredible disappointment filled her.

  Roan shut the door, then turned the lock.

  “You’ve quickly become an addiction for me,” he said, then turned. “From the first moment I saw you, I knew I was attracted to you, even though I refused to acknowledge it.”

  His words sent a thrill through her. She hadn’t thought she could live another minute and not feel his body pressed against hers.

  “This could get complicated.”

  “It already is.” He sighed. “I’ve seen other relationships get screwed up when two agents were involved. It’ll be tough when we’re on a mission. Will you be able to think of me as your team leader?”

  She raised her chin. “Yes, but will you be able to think of me as an agent?” She had to know if she would be putting him in danger.

  He walked toward her. “Probably not completely. I’ll worry about you more than the other agents, but I’ll train you just as hard as the others. I’ll probably push you more because I want to know that you can handle yourself in any situation. You might even start to hate me.”