She neither knew Liam well nor studied him extensively. This shouldn’t be possible. What did it mean about her powers? Were they growing, changing, or was there something wrong with her?
There was a groan from within the dream. Her heart raced. Almost unwillingly, she padded closer on bare feet to the translucent bubble, until she could see Liam clearly.
He was straddling a woman. Their golden bodies moved together in a slow rhythm. Her legs wrapped around his back. As she watched, he rocked faster and faster.
Their moans of pleasure built until Hannah felt her own need rising. She didn’t want to watch, but seeing the perfect muscles of his ass left her transfixed. A longing to touch him filled her. The need was so powerful that she stepped into the bubble and moved toward him.
He turned. They both did. And suddenly, she was staring at herself beneath the Keltair male. The Hannah beneath him vanished. He rose from the ground, his gazed fixed on her.
“Come back. I need you.”
She awoke, sweating. And frustrated beyond belief. What the hell was she doing jumping into Liam’s dreams when she’d spent the past few weeks doing her best to avoid him at every turn? She pushed her tangled black hair out of her face and wiped at the moisture on her forehead. Her whole body was tied in one giant knot.
Without wanting to, she sat up in bed, her gaze trained on the door to her quarters. Just a few steps across the hall, Liam was lying in bed dreaming about having sex with her. It would be so easy just to go over and—
No! She would not allow herself to be distracted any further. Not only was she already up too early on combat testing day, she was exhausted from Dream Jumping. She threw herself back on her pillows and groaned, rubbing her face. There was no more denying the very simple fact that if she didn’t have sex soon, she was going to explode.
She’d been putting it off for reasons she didn’t want to consider. But no more. By the end of the night, she promised herself, she’d have done the deed. With someone.
Putting her hand on her stomach, she closed her eyes. It just wasn’t soon enough. Glancing at the clock again, she saw that she still had plenty of time. She walked to her dresser and pulled out Turbo. It wasn’t sex with a real man, but it was the next best thing.
An hour later, she was showered and dressed in her deep blue uniform. Her golden Starflight Academy logo shone on the front of her button-down shirt. Smoothing back her hair one last time, she smiled at her own reflection.
In a short time, she’d have her first combat test. By the afternoon, all the teachers will have posted their scores. She was bound and determined to be at the top of every list.
Even though Liam is my biggest competition.
She scowled at the thought. Her only competition should be herself, wasn’t that what her father always said?
Her computer console played an angry tune. Speak of the devil! Her heart raced as she crossed the floor and sat down in front of her desk. Taking a deep breath, she hit the blue button on the screen.
Fleet Admiral Stowe, better known as her father, was staring down at a pile of papers on his desk. A pen had been placed behind his ear, slightly disturbing his neatly trimmed, silver hair. Next to his elbow, a small glass held an amber-colored liquid. His most expensive scotch.
None of this was good. The admiral didn’t allow a single hair to get out of place. Or drink during the daytime. And the fact that he was contacting her…well, none of it boded well for her.
He looked up, and she swore there were more wrinkles at the sides of his eyes than when she’d seen him last. But, the change was subtle. As always, his pale green eyes hid all emotion. “Good morning, Hannah.”
She leaned back in her chair, trying to look casual. “Miss me so soon?”
He sighed loudly. The lack of chastisement in his face made her palms sweat. Definitely not good.
“I told you before you left that your people would need you no matter what, and that your responsibility to them would come above all else.” He paused, searching her face. “You’re needed.”
Her stomach sank, but she simply raised a brow. “Are you just calling to kill my good mood, or is there something specific you need from me?”
Picking up the papers on his desk, he shuffled them, making certain that all the edges were even. “The president herself has ordered your latest assignment.”
She sat up straighter in her chair. “Seriously? Okay. What does she need?”
“As soon as we finish this call, I’ll send you information on your target.” He cleared his throat. “President Luna would like you to enter the man’s dream tonight.”
The air rushed out of her lungs. Tonight? “No, Dad, that’s too soon—“
“She wants you to do it immediately.”
She shook her head. It was too dangerous. She needed time to study him, to view any and all information. The only time she entered dreams is when she could perfectly recall every one of the target’s physical features in her mind’s eye, and only if she had a firm understanding of who they were as a person. To do otherwise was dangerous.
Not knowing the person made it harder to separate herself from them. And what was more, she could make a mistake out of pure ignorance.
That lesson had been learned the hard way. The really hard way.
“We both know how dangerous what you’re asking me to do is…”
His gaze met hers. “I’ve never argued with the president before. But I argued with her about this. I bought you until tonight, but not a day longer.”
She swallowed the excess saliva in the back of throat. What was she supposed to say? That she was terrified? That she refused to do it? None of it mattered. The man she was speaking to was the admiral in that moment, not her father. And a command was a command.
“Okay, what do I need to know?”
He didn’t look relieved. “The specifics will be in the file, but in general, your target is Ahmed Zhou. He’s most well-known for being a wealthy arms consultant and dealer. But to nearly every advanced government, he’s known for running one of the largest sex trafficking groups in the known universe. The problem is, no one has ever caught him red-handed, so to speak.”
Am I really being forced into this sadistic man’s dream without the proper preparation? A shiver ran down her spine. She didn’t want to do this.
Nibbling on her bottom lip, she met her father’s gaze. “Why does this need to be done right away?”
And that’s when his admiral mask faltered. “On another unrelated, highly classified situation, the president’s daughter and a small group of her college-aged friends have gone missing.”
The hairs on her arms stood on end. “Gabrielle?”
He nodded.
Gabrielle had been her close friend until the realities of their lives drew them further and further apart. They’d see each other several times a year at important functions, but they were always busy trailing their powerful parents. Until Gabrielle went to college and Hannah’s training grew more intense. But still, being the daughters of two of the most influential people in their galaxy connected them in a way that seemed permanent.
“I’ll do it,” her voice came out an angry whisper.
And she was angry. Angry at the thought that they still lived in a world where young women weren’t safe. That there were people who bought and sold women like livestock. It didn’t matter that Dream Jumping so soon would be dangerous. She could help her friend, and she would.
“Hannah,” her father’s voice drew her gaze. “Be careful. And if things start to go badly, jump out. You’ll have followed orders. She can’t ask for more than that from you.”
“Of course.”
He clenched his jaw. “Damn it. Losing both of you won’t do anyone any good.”
Her eyes opened wide in surprise and she simply stared at him. “I’ll be okay.”
He nodded, then rubbed his mouth. “I’ll send the information. Call me first thing in the morning.”
For a mi
nute, she thought he’d say more. Instead, he reached forward, their gazes held for a moment before he tapped the screen. It went blank.
She sank back into her chair. Eat. Prepare for the combat exam, then study the asshole. Her legs trembled slightly as she rose. No. No! Don’t get distracted. She slammed her fists on the table. She would not allow her other responsibilities to impact the rest of her life.
Push it out of your mind, or you’ll explode. She took a deep, calming breath and stood up, her back stiff. She would be Hannah the Unbreakable. No matter what.
Grabbing her leather backpack off the bed, she strode out the door.
Across the hall, Liam’s door opened. This is your world. These are your problems. Not the others. His gaze slid to hers and held.
Seeing him, no matter how often, always took her breath away. The large, half Keltair male looked like every woman’s deepest, darkest fantasy brought to life. Dark hair, a dusting of a beard, and a body that was both impressively massive and muscular. He stirred things inside her that she’d much rather keep hidden.
She raised a brow, trying her best to hide her reaction. “Waiting for me again?”
The lighthearted words lifted a bit of the weight from her chest. She could do this. She could live only in this world.
He smirked in response. “How many times do I need to remind you? We have nearly the same schedule.” His slight Irish accent slid over his words, warming something inside her.
She shook it off. Don’t let him wind you up!
Yeah, there was logic to his point. They were both Hawks and, even worse, they were both specializing in Starship Command. That meant that not only did they have their core classes together, but they had most of their specialty classes together, too.
Which was beyond frustrating.
She turned, heading for her friend, William’s, room. “Weird. There are a lot of other Starship Command majors here, but you’re the only one I constantly seem to run into.”
Her finger hovered over the green button next to her friend’s door.
“We’re across the hall from each other, too.”
She jumped a little, surprised to find he’d silently come to stand so close to her. “Whatever you need to tell yourself.”
His arm reached over her, touching the wall.
Turning, she suddenly found herself trapped by the sexy Keltair male. She swallowed hard, gazing up into his dark eyes. Whatever he wanted, she’d need all her wits about her to refuse him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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1
Gillian
"So, how is your day looking? Do you think I could meet you for lunch?" Doug’s voice comes through the door of the bathroom, and I can tell he's standing right outside.
I close the door of the medicine cabinet and look at myself in the mirror. There is something wrong with Doug these days, but I can't put my finger on it. It should be okay for a guy I’m seeing occasionally to ask about my job, right? The only thing is, he never took an interest in it until about a month ago.
And the last time he met me at my office he'd been a little too snoopy for my liking.
"Uh, no." I try to sound reluctant. “I have to meet my boss for lunch today."
I open the door and step out, and he puts his arms around me. It used to make me feel special, but now I just feel…worried. On the outside he’s the same man, green button-down shirt and black slacks, raven hair parted on the side. But now I look up into his piercing blue eyes and wonder what’s going on in his head.
“That’s too bad, Gillian.” His familiar grin is missing its warmth. “Dinner tomorrow, then?”
“Yeah, sounds great.” Maybe. I don’t think I’ll be seeing Doug again, but I’ll cancel by phone. It’s been a great few months, but I don’t have time to deal with his weirdness. My work comes first. Especially now. I’m pretty close to a breakthrough that could completely change my career forever.
Better get to it, hadn’t I?
2
Brion
Gillian works too hard. The errant thought startles me.
I’ve never cared about what the person I’m protecting does before. But there’s something special about Gillian. Something that draws me to her in a way I can’t explain. Maybe it’s her passion for her work. Or maybe she’s just the hottest thing you’ve seen in a long, long time.
Whatever it is, it makes being assigned to her rather difficult. And keeping my mind on my work is usually not a problem for me.
She’s finally leaving her lab at 7:00 p.m. As she crosses the street to meet her roommate for coffee at their usual café, I’m struck again by how beautiful she is. Faded blue jeans and a T-shirt, eyes so blue they’re almost purple, shiny blond hair back in a ponytail. I wonder what it feels like to run my fingers through it. She’s natural. No makeup required. And she’s a scientist.
Brains and beauty.
Next to her, I’m a beast.
My story is different. I skipped out on school, did my time in the service, and then built a security company and made a living protecting low-life scumbags from other low-life scumbags. Until I was shot point-blank by someone I’d trusted.
How I became an angel when I died I’ll never know. I guess Michael just needed people who could fight. Because I sure as hell can fight.
And I’ve got an instinct when one is coming up. Like right now. Something’s wrong, but I can’t put my finger on it. I knew when Michael assigned me to her that there might be trouble. But he wasn’t very specific on what that trouble might be. Hell. Maybe he doesn’t even know what it is.
I jump off the rooftop, extending my wings to float down to the ground. It’s a busy downtown metropolitan day, but I’m not worried. Most humans can’t see me when I do miraculous things like extend my wings or fly. There is the occasional exception, but other humans tend to think they’re crazy. Most see me only when I make a real effort to show myself.
I land in front of the coffee shop window, blocking the view of her from the street.
A blinding pain slices through my side. My eyes search for the thrower as my hand closes around the hilt of the dagger.
This is going to hurt.
I grit my teeth as I pull it out, but a muffled “Fuck!” comes out anyway. That burns like hell. I never said I was a fucking hero. I just said I could fight.
Another dagger comes flying, this time toward my chest. I block it with my wing. And my eyes have found the culprit.
It’s a demon. None of the pedestrians react—to them he looks human. But I can see him for who he is. Demons are slightly larger than humans, with grayish skin, horns, and long, thin whiplike tails. Beware the tails. The daggers on the ends of those little bastards hurt.
I raise my eyebrows in surprise, but don’t have time to wonder why the demons are here. Did I attract them, or is it the woman I’m protecting? The mystery deepens as two more appear out of nowhere.
I throw up a shield of protection around the window where she sits, then turn back just as the first demon jumps from the roof of a bus and lands on me. I toss him into the air and he flies into the side of the bus. I backhand the other demon that comes from the opposite direction. Two well-placed kicks throw him into the windshield of a taxi, which spidercracks while the occupants inside scream incoherently.
The third demon has reached me now. I grapple with him, throwing him into the shielded window. I punch him in the stomach with quick jabs, his head banging repeatedly against the glass. I peer inside the coffee shop over his shoulder briefly to make sure the shield is still working.
Sure enough, Gillian notices nothing. Her roommate is making her laugh with his crazy facial expressions. So innocent.
Unlike this demon.
I finally get a stranglehold around his throat.
“Why are you here?” I use my angelic voice, deep and powerf
ul.
He splutters and I realize he can’t speak. I loosen my fist. Slightly.
“You don’t know?” He laughs. “The biggest news in the underworld and you boys upstairs know nothing. Typical.”
I tighten my other fist. I really want to put it through his jaw. But then he won’t be able to talk at all. “Are you after me?”
He shakes his head and his eyes burn with hatred. “Sometimes your arrogance astounds even me.”
“Who are you after?”
His eyes inadvertently roll toward Gillian. Then he snaps out of it. “I’m not telling you anything.” He gasps. “Giving us a fighting chance.”
Then the body slumps and I realize he’s just a walk-in. The real owner of this corpse is gone.
“Shit.” The body crumbles to dust at my feet. Long gone.
I hear a scream and see that the first demon has awakened and is attacking a random woman on the sidewalk. My stomach lurches. If he bites the back of her neck by her spine, then he’ll be able to walk in to her. And that’s the last thing I need.
They struggle and end up in the street. I look between my charge and the woman. It’s not my responsibility to protect every human on the street, but I know between the demon and the speeding cars, she doesn’t have a chance of walking away alive.
“Shit!” Sometimes duty is a bitch. I force myself between them and use the dagger I pulled out of my abdomen to stab him through the heart. He crumbles to dust at my feet. The woman runs off.
“You’re welcome,” I grumble.
Just then, I hear Gillian’s voice. Spinning around, I’m shocked to find her on the sidewalk right behind me. I’ve never been this close to her before. The late evening sun breaks through in the space between two high-rise buildings, framing her face perfectly. An expression of fear comes over her and she outstretches her hand toward me. I notice the flecks of darker blue in her eyes for the very first time.
To Kiss a Warrior: An Alien Rogue Romance (Starflight Academy Book 1) Page 5