Blindsided by Tes Hilaire Read Free Book Online

lip. “I suppose we should at least wait until seven to drop in unannounced.”
    “Yes, miss,” he agreed. “And perhaps you can get a short nap.”
    “I will later.” Pushing up, she grabbed her guide baton from the edge of the desk and started for the door. “I’m going to go do a few laps in the pool, then work through the simulator. Come get me a half hour before it’s time to go.”
    “Very good, miss,” Willis replied politely, but as she left the room she could still pick up the distinctive sound of molars grinding.

Chapter Three

    July 31 st 2104: 0703 EST
    “Get up.” The roughly edged words burned a path straight through the cloudy haze of an uneasy dream sleep and into Teigan’s slowly waking conscious.
    Teigan resisted the command, burying his head deeper into the stiff pillow which, up until this moment, had been his nemesis during the long night. Right now, the enemy you knew was better than the one you didn’t, and after three nights straight of very little sleep, whoever the hell dared to wake him before the sun had fully come up was, most definitely, his enemy.
    “Get up, bro.”  
    A strong hand shook his shoulder rather harshly. Who the hell? Instinct took over. Teigan lashed out with his leg, hooking it around the back of the idiot’s knee. Only this time the move didn’t work. Instead of sending the assailant onto his backside, it did…absolutely nothing.
    “Nice,” the voice taunted. “You always this cranky in the morning?”
    “Wait ‘til I—” His brain woke faster than his blurry vision—which told him he was looking down from above the bed, even though his aching back told him he still lay on the hard-as-a-rock mattress. Out of body experience. No. Garret’s bed, Garret’s house, Garret standing over him looking irritated. And the other sound he’d heard? The one that’d made him grab up the offending pillow and stuff it over his head? One of the alarm sensors.
    Springing up from the bed, Teigan went for the stunner under the mattress. Mid-movement, Garret grasped his wrist, effectively stopping him. “Not so fast.”
    “The perimeter?”
    “Some broad’s at the door. Since you’re me, I thought you should answer.” Garret gave Teigan a once over. Pride, and a determination not to give Garret an edge, had Teigan refusing to grab the sheet up to cover his chilly equipment.
    “You might want to consider getting on some pants first,” Garret suggested and left the room.
    “And you might want to consider getting a new pillow,” Teigan muttered, kinking his sore neck to the side.
    “Real men don’t use pillows, that one’s for show,” Garret called back from further down the hall.  
    Damn, the man had the ears of a bat.
    With his brain finally shoved into full gear, Teigan grabbed his stunner and strode to the far wall. The bed whooshed down behind him, followed by the clank of floor panel locking in place. He pressed open one of the wall units, revealing his clothing options. Green fatigues, beige uniform, or black casual. Original. He quickly pulled on a pair of black pants and for form, grabbed up a white T-shirt from a cubby, tugging it over his head as he raced up the hall, bare feet slapping upon the cold surface. Second thing he was buying Garret—some nice plush area rugs, right after a decent pillow.
    The bell sounded again, and he all but leapt the last few feet to slam his palm against the viewer’s controls. “Yeah.”
    “Garret? Garret Evans?” A light airy voice greeted him along with the rising sun.
    Teigan squinted against the bright rays flaring across the screen. The program compensated and a woman came into focus, haloed by soft light. And, okay…wow. That might be a sight worth waking up for. The woman’s dark brunette hair had been pulled up from her face with a clip, but fell haphazardly around her shoulders as if she’d just rolled out of bed. In fact, everything about her screamed sex, from the subtle bedroom curves to the