Beneath a Trojan Moon by Anna Hackett Read Free Book Online Page B

He knew her well enough now to know she wouldn’t like that. He reached out and rubbed one of her curls between his fingertips.
    He’d lost everything he’d cared about as a young boy. Then, as a man, he’d forged a place in the Special Forces, only to lose too much there as well. Most days he just felt tired and used up…but this woman burned hot and ignited something inside him.
    He had his suspicions on what she was. She possessed a power he knew should scare him.
    But all he wanted to do was pull her close and keep her safe.
    And so he did. He curled around her body, liked that she fit perfectly in his arms. “No one’s getting to you, beautiful. They have to get through me first.”
    ***
    Relda’s eyes popped open. Her entire body was vibrating with energy. It rushed through her veins, filling her to bursting.
    It was always like this after using her abilities. She passed out, then woke like she’d taken enough stims to power a VelocityBall team…for a month.
    She took a deep breath, her eyes adjusting to the moonlit room. Then the scent hit her. Man—soap and musk. Hunt.
    She turned her head and saw him lying asleep beside her on the big bed.
    Stars, the man was gorgeous. She let herself drink him in. And there was so much of Hunt Calder to appreciate.
    He was shirtless, leaving his heavily-muscled chest bare to her gaze. Bronze skin was marked here and there by scars and had a light covering of dark hair. One arm was thrown above his head and she traced the thick muscles with her eyes. She wondered what his skin would taste like if she ran her tongue over it.
    His eyes were closed, so she could study that ruggedly masculine face without the hard intensity of his eyes distracting her.
    Hard slashes of cheekbones gave way to a nose that looked like it had been broken once or twice. She wondered why he’d never had it fixed, then she shook her head. Hunt wasn’t the kind of man to go spending e-creds on making himself pretty.
    He was strength in so many different ways. Solid, trustworthy and honorable.
    Another frisson of energy sizzled through her, making her shift against the cool sheets. But looking at Hunt had that overflow energy coalescing deeper in her body, driving between her legs, making her wet with need.
    She had to touch him.
    Reaching out, she brushed at his short hair. She saw a few silver strands were sneaking in at his temples and again, she knew he wouldn’t do anything to hide them. And he shouldn’t, they suited him.
    Relda traced the strong line of his jaw, liking the scrape of the scruff there. He was always clean shaven, but she liked him like this, a little disreputable looking. She ran a nail down his strong throat.
    A hand closed over hers.
    She flicked her gaze up and met his glacier-blue eyes.
    But they weren’t cold. They burned with a hunger so strong it stole the air from her lungs.
    “You feeling okay?” he asked, voice gruff.
    She nodded. “Great. After…I feel great. Full of energy.”
    He sat up, shoving a pillow behind his back. “Time to talk.”
    She sighed. “I was afraid you’d say that.”
    She couldn’t have Hunt Calder. She couldn’t have anybody. The past had showed her that. And the power she held was far too great. One slip and she could kill so many people. An image of Hunt’s lifeless eyes flashed through her head. She clenched her fists. Never.
    Edgy, she got off the bed and started to pace.
    Hunt watched her, silent.
    That silence made her edginess worse. “Clearly, I have some psionic abilities.”
    He kept watching her and that patient stare made her anger flare.
    She spun. “Is this some sort of interrogation technique?”
    He smiled and it turned rugged into spectacular. “I haven’t done anything.”
    “I know,” she snapped and started the pacing again. She waved a hand at him. “The silence, the way you watch me. It makes me want to lay myself bare.”
    “Well, the silence and the way I’m watching you isn’t a technique. I’m