Ravyn's Flight by Patti O'Shea Read Free Book Online Page A

gaze. Even at this distance she could see the humor twinkling in his eyes as he drew to a halt. Reluctantly, she stopped a few feet away and waited for some smart remark. Heaven knew Alex wouldn’t be able to resist. Probably something about her stomach giving away their position, she guessed.
    “How familiar are you with what’s edible?” he asked.
    Ravyn was so surprised by Damon’s question that it took her a minute to answer. “I’m the one who transmitted the information and images that Sondra gathered. She was our botanist. I don’t know how much I remember, though.”
    Mentioning Sondra brought home what she’d been trying so hard not to think about. It alarmed her how quickly she was able to refer to her friend in the past tense. Hastily, Ravyn looked away from Damon and regrouped. He needed her to hold together. She would hold together.
    “We studied everything sent to Earth before coming here,” Damon told her. “I know what’s what, but I want you to watch closely. If anything happens to me, you need to know what you can eat and what could kill you.”
    Ravyn’s first inclination was to deny anything would happen to him. She didn’t even want to consider that possibility. But she knew he was right. If the unthinkable occurred and she was on her own, she would need every advantage to survive. She’d be the only one left to tell what had happened. If Damon planned to sacrifice himself for her, though, he’d better think again. She knew he’d do everything he could to protect her, to give her a chance to get away, but no matter the trouble she would never abandon him, she vowed fiercely.
    When she focused on Damon again, she realized he was waiting for a response. “I’ll pay attention,” she said, “but you better not let anything happen to you.”
    “If the situation deteriorates, I expect you to follow orders.” He scowled down at her.
    Ravyn met the intensity in his eyes without wavering. He had a formidable presence, but she had experience with forceful men. She’d been around them her entire life. And she’d always wound each one around her little finger. When she smiled up at him sweetly, he cursed and looked away. But not before she’d seen the flare of desire in his eyes. It wiped the smile off her face.
    Apparently, the attraction was mutual.
    That made things more difficult. He fought it; she could see that by the rigidity in his body. She fought it, telling herself it was the circumstances. The timing couldn’t be worse. They were running for their lives, possibly being stalked. Yet knowing he shared her interest set her pulse racing.
    Like waves lapping against walls of sand, she knew it wouldn’t take much to undermine their control. The desire she had seen in his eyes still had tingles coursing through her body. He didn’t know it was mutual. Yet. But how long would it take someone trained to be observant to notice?
    When he pointed to the first plant and started explaining which part was edible and which parts were not, Ravyn breathed a sigh of relief. If he hadn’t broken the spell, she might have done something stupid, like sway toward him. She knew he’d be asking questions later, so she paid close attention as he led her from tree to tree, plant to plant, collecting food. It was the way Spec Ops were trained. They lectured first, then tested to make sure the information had been absorbed. Alex had done the same thing when he’d given her self-defense lessons.
    Sure enough, as they ate, Damon quizzed her. Although she answered correctly, Ravyn couldn’t work up any enthusiasm. Some of the fruit and vegetables they ate, she recognized from the dinner table at the facility. A lump lodged in her throat as she remembered how Jason liked to put sugar on the pink fruit she held in her hand. That Pyle poured ketchup on cooked lanurr roots. The team had supplemented the supplies they’d brought from Earth with local plants. Their availability would play a role in the final