Barak cursed Devlin and Trahern’s bad timing

Combat always left him restless and horny, another funny expression he’d learned from listening to D.J. talk with Cullen. It hadn’t been difficult to guess the meaning of the word, and he’d found it a fitting description of his condition. He’d chosen a life of celibacy for the past few years for a variety of reasons. Horny—that was him.

He thought back to those precious few seconds when he’d held Lacey in his arms, touching the smooth skin of her face as he’d stared down into her blue eyes. The rest of the world had disappeared into the distance, leaving the two of them alone, with only the hunger for the touch and taste of a kiss surrounding them.

Barak cursed Devlin and Trahern’s bad timing. If they hadn’t come along, he would have savored the sweet flavor of Lacey’s kiss as well as how she’d felt in his arms. Even now, hours later, he could close his eyes and remember exactly how her body had fit against his.

How much more exquisite would it feel to have her beneath him, cradling him in the warmth of her arms and in the heat of her body? He very much wanted to know the answer to that question. It had been so long since anyone had touched him, even just out of friendship. The females of his world had long ago turned their backs on him, not understanding the road he’d chosen to follow.

But Lacey had reached out with her sensitive fingertips and touched him with such gentleness. Her golden hair had slipped through his fingers like silk, her breasts had felt so right pressed against his chest.

Had it been only a moment of weakness on her part, or was she feeling the same fascination for him? He’d had little experience with seduction in his world, and none at all in this one. Perhaps a trip to the library would provide some credible information. Maybe tomorrow after work…

The shrill ring of the phone drew him back inside his small apartment. The phone rarely rang unless it was a wrong number. Most of the time he just ignored it, but the need to hear another voice, even a stranger’s, anything to distract his thoughts from Lacey Sebastian, had him reaching for the receiver.

Unexpected anger washed over her

When the waitress returned with the iced tea, Brenna took a quick gulp. Rats, one of those fruit-flavored varieties. Whoever got the mistaken idea that raspberry and tea went together? Still, the cool glass felt good to the touch, soothing her tightly stretched nerves.

In the silence, Blake’s words came back to her. She had worried that he was dead when they hadn’t heard from him for all those years. But if he were to be believed, her father had known all along where he was and hadn’t told her. To make matters worse, the two of them had belonged to some secret organization, one that had claimed her father’s life and now threatened Blake, as well.

She felt betrayed by both men. Unexpected anger washed over her, surprising her with its intensity. The decisions that they had made without consulting her had thrown all of her hopes and dreams into chaos. She had planned to spend this summer researching her latest book. Instead, here she was on the run with a wounded man who thought he was immortal.

Her temper faded as her eyes drifted back to where the state troopers where finishing up their late dinner. All her life, she’d been taught to respect the law and those who wore the badge. Most of them were good, honest people who could be trusted to enforce the law fairly. That was why her reaction to Detective Montgomery and his partner Detective Swan bothered her so much.

From the first moment, she’d sensed something was wrong with their approach to solving her father’s murder. Were her gut instincts totally out of kilter? She trusted Blake—who talked like a crazy man about not dying and needing to be chained down. The two detectives wore badges, yet she didn’t want to be near them at all, especially until she and Blake found out what was in the envelope her father had left him.

The waitress returned with her burger and fries. Picking up the hamburger, Brenna leaned forward to keep it from dripping grease on her blouse.

The taste of charcoal-broiled beef filled her senses, reminding her how long it had been since she’d eaten. She slowed down, not wanting to wolf down her food. But she couldn’t afford to linger too long, with Blake alone and wounded. He’d likely sleep soundly for several hours, but his earlier ramblings about dying and chains had shaken her up.