King's Crusade (Seventeen) by AD Starrling Read Free Book Online

fridge and examined its contents with a critical eye. It contained a surprising quantity of healthy food, a positive find that was nullified by the open carton of milk next to the microwave.
    Opposite the kitchen was a study that looked like ground zero of some catastrophic doomsday event. The polished floorboards were barely visible under a scattering of journals and books, while the MacBook Pro on the mahogany desk looked perilously close to being crushed under the avalanche of tomes piled atop it. The walls were solid floor-to-ceiling bookcases.
    The bathroom was unexpectedly bright and clean. A pair of worn running shoes was neatly arranged under the sink.
    Alexa stopped briefly in the open doorway to the bedroom and frowned at what she saw. She decided it could wait. At the bottom of the hall was a large sitting room with panoramic bay windows. She stopped in the middle of the hardwood floor and stared at the dark blue waters of the Charles River Basin visible through the gap between the buildings at the end of the road. She turned and looked around.
    One wall of the room was taken up with dozens of picture frames depicting shots of archaeological digs from around the world. A bright-eyed man with an infectious smile was featured in most of them. A set of used boxing gloves hung from a hook above a narrow mantel, which held several university boxing trophies. An eclectic collection of furniture, sculptures, and artifacts made up the rest of the decor.
    There were more books and a half-eaten pizza wilting on the coffee table.
    The place was as far removed from her own apartment in New York as the sun was from the moon. Her frown deepened. She had seen enough.
    She strolled back to the bedroom, stopped at the foot of the bed, and stared at the two figures sleeping under the sheets.
    ‘Zachary Jackson?’ she said coldly.
    There was no response from the inert forms on the mattress. She kicked the oak frame sharply.
    A startled ‘Whaza—huh?!’ erupted from the figure on the right. The man jerked upright and looked at her blearily. The cotton sheet slid down and came to rest just above his groin.
    Zachary Jackson looked to be a good six-foot-two. The muscles of his chest, stomach, and arms were hard and well defined, and he had a surprisingly athletic frame for an academic. Alexa recalled the boxing gloves and the running shoes in the apartment.
    Fine stubble dusted his strong jaw and upper lip. Above it, ice-blue eyes gazed at her sleepily under a mop of dark blond hair.
    According to Reznak, she was currently looking at one of the most intelligent humans on the planet.
    Alexa was not impressed. She sensed the other things Reznak had told her about the man would turn out to be unerringly true.
    The languid expression in his blue eyes slowly cleared. The man stared at her with a puzzled air. Male appreciation dawned on his features as his gaze skimmed her figure.
    The woman next to him stirred and pushed herself up on one elbow. She clutched the sheet to her naked breasts and blinked at Alexa. Her eyes widened. ‘You didn’t tell me you had a girlfriend,’ she said, turning an accusing glare on Jackson.
    ‘I don’t,’ the latter replied with a casual shrug, still staring at Alexa. ‘Besides, if I had a lady friend, she would be…bustier.’ His gaze dropped briefly to her chest.
    Alexa let the insult slide and looked at the woman in the bed. ‘Get dressed and get out.’ She picked up the scattered lingerie, high heels, and cocktail dress on the floor, and threw them toward her.
    An outraged gasp left the woman’s lips when the bundle landed on her chest. ‘Hey! Are you going to let her talk to me like that?’ she demanded shrilly of Jackson.
    An amused smile tugged at the man’s lips. He glanced at the woman beside him. ‘Not that last night wasn’t fun babe,’ he drawled, ‘but I’d do as the scary lady said if I were you. She looks like she’s in a filthy mood.’
    The woman scowled at Alexa.