by Anna Hackett
He nodded. As they moved away from the door, the darkness got deeper. Natalya studied the shelves and she stilled.
Treasure. The shelves were filled with paintings, statues, old jewelry. It looked like the contents of a museum. She turned and saw more paintings stacked against the wall. “History.”
Reed looked over. “What?”
She ran a hand over the statue of a sinuous woman. “Human history. This is all we have left of it. We’ve lost so much.”
He moved closer. She felt the heat emanating off him.
“They’re just things.” His voice was low and deep. “People are what matter. Once we send these aliens packing, we’ll make new history.”
His optimistic view cheered her. She looked up at the bold lines of his handsome face and wondered, just for a second, what it would be like to be normal again. To have her once-solid confidence back. If she had it, she’d do what she wanted to do—seduce Reed MacKinnon.
Natalya’s hand fell away from the statue. But she wasn’t that woman, not anymore. Some days she despaired that who she’d been before would never return. And Reed deserved more than a cracked shell of a woman trying to put the pieces back together.
She tilted her head back and something on the ceiling caught her eye. “Reed, look.” She pointed.
He peered upward. “Ventilation grate. Leads into the vent tunnels.”
A way out.
“Can you lift me up?” she asked.
Chapter Three
Reed wasn’t quite sure how he ended up with Natalya’s soft curves pressed against him. He liked it. But at the same time, it was torture.
She was gripping his biceps, one of her small feet resting on his thigh. He gripped her waist and helped her up. She set her other foot on his other thigh…dangerously close to his groin.
And a twitching cock that liked the way she felt and smelled.
“Not going to work,” she muttered. “My skirt’s too constricting.” She waved at him to set her down.
He did. She stood in front of him, hesitated for a second, then straightened her shoulders and hitched her skirt halfway up her thighs. Slim, shapely, creamy thighs.
Reed’s heart stopped for a second. Then it started beating again, now a hard bang against his ribs.
She glanced at him, heat in her cheeks. “I’ll be able to move a bit more now.” She gripped his arms again.
His heart still thudding, he hefted her up once more.
“I need a bit more height,” she said.
He boosted her up higher and ended up with his face mashed against her belly. Damn. He was all-too-aware that the bare skin of her thighs was only inches away. He tried counting to ten. Then twenty. He heard her reaching up, muttering under her breath in what he guessed was Russian.
Yes. A distraction. “So, your family’s Russian?”
“My father was. My mother was French.”
“How’d they meet?”
“On the New Moscow Space Station. Dad was an astronaut and my mother a scientist up there conducting experiments. They fell crazy in love, married and had me.” She reached for something, and grunted. A soft, very feminine grunt. “We left Russia when I was a child and moved to Australia. My father took up a professor position at the United Coalition Academy of Sciences.”
“So you grew up in Australia but still speak Russian.”
“Only a little.” She shifted again. “Mostly swear words.”
“Do you know what happened to them? Your parents?”
She was quiet for a moment. “They were at the Coalition Academy.”
Which Reed knew had been one of the early targets hit during the invasion. “I’m sorry.”
“Thanks. And your family?”
“None left. Just some distant cousins. My parents had me late in life and passed away several years ago. I’m glad that they weren’t here to suffer through the invasion.”
A few moments passed. “I need a little more height. My fingers are brushing the panel but I’m not quite high enough.”
He boosted her higher. “Put one leg on my shoulder.”
Awkwardly, she moved until a slim thigh rested on his shoulder. “Ah, I’m not sure this is a great idea.”
He could see her panties. And under that neat black skirt, she was wearing pink lace. Reed went stiff as a board. In more places than one. He practically had his head buried between her thighs. “Just get it done.”
“Maybe I should try climbing the shelves?”
He gritted his teeth. “They’re temporary and pretty flimsy. Just get it done, Natalya.”
“All right,” she huffed. She shifted around and tried to reach the grate.
Reed barely managed to stop a strangled groan.
Finally, she sagged back. “It’s on too tight. Without a tool of some sort, I can’t get the screws undone and get it off.”
He nodded and slid her down to her feet.
In the process, her body ended up sliding along him until she was standing in the circle of his arms staring up at him with wide brown eyes.
Dammit. Control, MacKinnon. He stepped back from her.
Natalya stepped back, too. “All right, we need a Plan B. I will not let that hybrid hurt anyone. Let’s keep looking.”
Reed circled the room. The last hybrid that had snuck into the base had damn near killed Doc Emerson. They had to find a way out. He searched every shadowed corner of the storage room. Nothing. Apart from the door and the vent, there were no other openings into, or out, of the storage room. They were deep underground and past the cement walls he knew there were tons of rock and dirt. Fuck. “Nothing. We’ll have to wait for rescue.”
When she didn’t respond, he looked her way. She had her arms wrapped around herself. He narrowed his gaze. She was shaking.
“Natalya?”
Her head shot up. Her face was pale. “I’m…okay.”
“No, you’re not.” He moved over to her and gripped her arms. He expected her to be cold, instead she felt hot, a sheen of perspiration on her skin. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She tried to pull away from him. “I get these…episodes sometimes. I hate being…trapped. Locked up. Not able to get out.”
Ah. It reminded her of the raptor lab. “Come on, brown-eyed girl, let’s sit down closer to the door. There’s more light there.”
He sat with his back to the wall, knees raised. She dropped down beside him. She was still shaking and rubbing her chest.
“You’re sure you’re okay?”
“Yes,” she snapped. “I’m not made of glass, Reed. I’m not going to shatter into a million little pieces or start weeping all over you.”
The flash of fire in her voice actually gave him a sense of relief. “Good. Don’t want tear stains on this shirt.”
She shot him a look, but he saw the tension in her, the way her muscles were strung tight. Damn, he remembered those feelings all too well.
“Come here.” He slid an arm over her shoulders and yanked her close to his side.
She made a small sound but slowly relaxed into him. After a while, he realized she was rubbing her chest, like it hurt. He wondered if her scar bothered her. She started to shake again.
He frowned. “Natalya?”
“Don’t know what’s wrong.” Her teeth chattered together. “Feel…strange.”
God, maybe there was something medically wrong with her, not just old memories. He slid a hand up to the base of her neck and started massaging. He felt helpless, there was nothing he could do to help.
But when she made a small sound and let her head drop forward, he realized his distraction was working. He shifted and put both hands on her shoulders, kneading her tense muscles.
“Better?”
“Don’t stop,” she said.
He kept going, letting himself indulge in the feel of her. Smooth skin, such a slim, enticing neck. He let his fingers slide up into her short, silky hair.
She let out a small moan.
Jesus
. The sound shot straight to his cock and he shifted to try and ease his discomfort. The last thing Natalya was ready for was his needs. He was big, more often than not a little rough, and the things he wanted to do to her…well, he doubted he’d have much control when he finally got her naked.
She tilted her head back, her gaze drifting over his face. It settled on his lips and her own were parted.
Dammit. That mouth gave him all kinds of hot, dirty ideas. He closed his eyes and counted to ten. Twenty. Thirty.
When he opened them again, she was watching him.
Then she spoke. “I want to kiss you.”
***
Natalya watched a mix of emotions run over Reed’s face. Then his look turned hard and he took a deep breath.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
God. She’d thought…she pulled back. Of course, he wouldn’t want to kiss her. He no doubt had a whole group of the base’s pretty young things offering him far more than a boring kiss. Women with no scars, no dark memories, and a whole lot less baggage.
Be an adult, Natalya. “I’m sorry. Of course, you wouldn’t want to kiss me. Look, forget I said anything, okay?”
He made an angry noise in his throat. “For a smart woman, that’s a dumb observation.”
“Excuse me?”
“I didn’t say I didn’t want to kiss you.”
What? She looked up again, trying to work out what he was saying.
“I want to kiss you,” he bit out. “So much it’s fucking tearing me up inside.”
Her eyes widened and her gaze dropped to his mouth again. He had a really nice-shaped mouth. “So…what’s the problem?”
“You’ve been through a lot, I don’t want—”
She shot to her feet. “I’m made of glass again.” She flung out a hand. “You don’t want to kiss the freak show and upset her.”
He got to his feet now, and his tone lowered. “Do not talk about yourself like that. You’re a survivor. A courageous, brave woman who lived through hell.”
“But I’m too fragile to be kissed.” Anger pumped through her.
“I want to give you time.”
Right, he didn’t see an attractive, normal woman, he saw someone he had to take care with. “You know what, I don’t want to kiss you now. So this time, really forget it.”
He grabbed her arm. “No.”
“You can’t have it both ways, Reed.”
“You’re punishing me for wanting to take care of you? A long time ago, I saw a soldier, a good friend, come home after being in enemy hands.” He shook his head. “She never recovered. She rushed into things to prove she was okay…” He trailed off.
Natalya’s anger dimmed…a little. “I’m sorry about your friend. But it’s my choice you’re taking away, Reed. And I was only asking for a kiss, not for a life commitment.”
He reeled her in closer. “God, Natalya. I want to kiss you. I want to do a lot more than that.” He hesitated. “Just a kiss?”
Her blood ran hot, but she held on to her anger. “No, if you want to kiss me, you’ll have to work for it now.”
That made him scowl and amusingly, Natalya felt better. It reminded her how much fun it could be to have a man, one you could laugh with, play with, and fight with. She hadn’t had much time for dating before the invasion, but she’d always liked sex. Really liked it. She missed it.
Reed was watching her steadily. “Natalya—” he rubbed a thumb over her lips “—I really, really want to kiss you.”
She lifted her chin. His touch was electric. “No. Not good enough.”
His hands slid up her arms, leaving goose bumps on her skin. Heat pulsed off him. He lowered his head, his lips a breath away from her ear. “Please.”
She shivered. “No.” The word came out breathy and lacked conviction.
His lips move into a smile. “Okay, how about this? If you let me kiss you, I’ll take you swimming again.”
Her breath hitched. “Bribery?”
“Incentive,” he countered.
He’d taken her swimming once, when she’d had terrible nightmares and the base was closing in on her, making her feel trapped. He’d snuck her out into the darkness, and taken her to a small waterhole near the base. The moonlight on the water had been beautiful and he’d just sat on the edge and watched her swim and frolic like a little girl.
It had been magical. She definitely wanted to go swimming again.
She licked her lips, felt his gaze on her mouth. “Okay. It’s a deal.”
His mouth lowered slowly to hers.
It was a slow kiss. An exploration. He took his time, learning her mouth, sliding his tongue inside. Desire was a slow curl through her belly. Lazy and seductive.
She’d never thought Reed MacKinnon would be a slow kisser. She’d expected heat, a touch of roughness, a little bit of wild. Not this sensual slowness.
Oh, he tasted so good. She gripped his arms, her fingers digging into his hard biceps. She felt a tremor go through his body. His rigid body.
Realization flashed through her. He was holding back.
Disappointment was a bitter, bitter burn. She stumbled back. “You know what, I don’t think I want to go swimming anymore.”
“What?” Reed blinked.
Her hands clenched into fists by her side. “I told you I’m not fragile. I don’t need to be handled like a china doll. I want to be treated normally.”
“Natalya—” he reached for her.
She dodged his hand. “Tell me, is that how you always kiss? Tell me you weren’t holding back for my sake.”
His arm dropped and he just stared at her, jaw clenched.
She shook her head. “I thought so.”
“I want to take care of you.”
“You look at me and see something broken.”
“You went through a traumatic situation—”
“I’m not broken!” she yelled. Her voice echoed in the small confines of the storage room.
He stared at her. “I know that.”
“No, I don’t think you do.”
They stared at each other, the moment stretching out between them.
Then the storage room door slammed open. The large silhouette of a man filled the doorway.
“Reed? Natalya? What the hell are you doing in here? I heard shouting.”
Marcus Steele stood in the doorway, clutching a carbine in his hand.
Reed stepped forward. “Marcus. A hybrid was among those survivors we brought in. He trapped us in here and took off.”
Marcus muttered a string of curses and Natalya raised her brows at the creative…words he used.
“You’re both okay?” Marcus asked.
“Yeah.” Reed looked at Natalya.
She turned away to face Marcus. “I’m fine. But we need to find that hybrid before he hurts someone.”
Marcus nodded, his scarred face grim. “There have been reports of ransacked rooms.” He lifted his weapon. “There’s a bunch of us out patrolling.” He yanked a large laser pistol from the waistband of his cargo pants and handed it to Reed. “Come on, we need to find this bastard.”
Reed took the gun, checked it, and followed Marcus.
“I’m coming too.” Natalya hurried out after the men.
“No.” Reed frowned. “I’ll drop you at your room. You lock yourself in until this is over.”
Her last little hope of Reed ever seeing her as a strong, confident, attractive woman faded. And damn, it hurt. “I’m coming.” She had to help find this hybrid. She wouldn’t let anyone else be violated or hurt by these aliens.
She saw his jaw work as he ground his teeth together.
Screams and yells echoed from farther down the tunnel.
Marcus’ face turned scary. “No time to argue. Let’s go.” He took off at a jog.
Reed shot her a fierce look, then followed his boss. Setting her shoulders back, she followed.
Chapter Four
Reed tried to tamp down his frustration an
d focus on the hunt.
Marcus was yelling into his communicator, organizing teams to run a search of the base. Reed listened in, all the while keeping one eye on Natalya. Damn, he wished she’d go back to her quarters and stay safe.
She refused to meet his gaze, and he cursed a few more times in his head. She didn’t seem to realize keeping her safe was more than a priority for him, it was a driving need he had to follow. It wasn’t that he thought she was broken or incompetent.
“Dammit, find the damn hybrid and quit wasting time.” Marcus slammed his communicator shut. “Come on. We’ll search the lower storage areas.”
Where the hell would this thing go? What was it after? Reed pondered the questions as they jogged down a spiral ramp to the lower levels. This was going to seriously rattle morale. A part-alien loose in the one place people felt safe. They’d barely gotten over the fact that the aliens were turning humans, and that one had already got into the base before.
They entered another tunnel. One branch speared right, heading to the comp lab and the research areas. The other tunnel went left to more rooms that were used for storage. They were packed with scavenged goods—medicines, tinned foods, artifacts, clothing and electronics.
Marcus nodded left. “This way.”
As Hell Squad’s leader jogged ahead, Reed started to follow. Then he realized Natalya wasn’t with them.
She was staring down the tunnel to the right. A strange expression was on her face and she was rubbing her chest.
“Natalya?”
She didn’t respond.
“Natalya? We have to keep up with Marcus.”
She ignored him and started down the right-hand tunnel.
Dammit. Reed wouldn’t leave her. He hurried behind her. Had she heard something? He strained to listen for any sound, but the tunnel was silent.
He grabbed her arm and spun her around. “Hey. Talk to me. What’s going on?”
She shook her head, her face a little confused. “I’m not sure.” She rubbed between her breasts vigorously. “I just…we need to go this way.”
She hurried off again. When she reached the comp lab, she went to press her palm to the lock, then gasped.