Unbroken Heroes, Tome 1 : Dangerous to know

Extrait offert par Dawn Ryder :

“Now he is hot.”

Roni rolled her words and ended up sounding like she was purring. Zoe glanced over to the man in question and wished she hadn’t.

Hot was an understatement.

She’d never known his equal, much less experienced what it must be like to have such a prime animal in her bed. Sensation prickled along her skin instantly, deep, carnal awareness twisting through her belly. The swiftness of the response sent her looking away with a shrug designed to protect her feelings from being spotted.

Roni was a master of sniffing out Zoe’s true feelings. It made her a great friend and major pain in the ass when life decided to deliver a punch to her solar plexus. Which was the perfect definition of a best friend. Zoe nodded, earning a husky chuckle from her pal.

“Lick-able.” She agreed.

The guy really was a double shot of whiskey. The kind you wanted to take straight up and slam down the empty glass while you felt the burn smoking your insides.

Mega hot.

She looked down at her drink suspiciously. Maybe the bartender was just doubling up in the hopes his bar would get a reputation of a great pick up joint.

“Oh Lord.” Roni jabbed her with an elbow. “What’s the point of hanging out at a bar if we don’t do a little window shopping?”

“Point taken.”

Zoe lifted her drink and watched the man in question over the salted rim of the glass. He was wrapped in black leather which made him doubly delectable. The jacket hung open, giving her a glimpse of a tee shirt that hugged a torso which was defined and tight. Dark hair and eyes gave him a slightly sinful, bad-ass look, and combined with the black leather, he was like dark chocolate.

Premium window shopping, for sure.

“I’m going to ask him to dance.” Roni slid off her bar stool with a click of her heels. “Wish me luck.”

“He’s not a dance-floor kind of animal.” Zoe wasn’t sure where the justification for her opinion came from, only that she was firmly sure of it. The guy was suited to shadows and thrived there. The only thing capable of scaring him was being predictable. Confidence radiated from him so thickly it felt like he just might be worthy of the arrogance his stony expression declared.

“He’ll turn you down.” she muttered while sitting her glass down. She was no longer interested in numbing her wits. Not when there was such a feast standing near enough to enjoy. Nope, she was going to enjoy the moment. Completely.

Roni fingered the strand of sliver beads hanging around her neck. “You might be right; you’re definitely spot on about the fact that he’s an animal… One I’d like to let play with me, no taming required. He can run wild….anywhere he wants to go.” Roni made a sweeping gesture with one hand up and down her body.

Zoe laughed at her friend. “You’re not normally the ‘toy’ type. Sure your modern woman can handle the hit to your pride? That man isn’t going to let you walk him on a leash.”

“Never let it be said I backed down from a challenge.” She declared in a husky whisper. “Besides, I fully intend to play as good as I get played with.”

“Matching collars is it?”

Dangerous To Know

Roni made a low sound in the back of her throat. “If I’m lucky.”

With a wink her friend made her way across the worn planks of the barroom floor, drawing stares from the shadowy booths lining the walls of the place with the sultry sway of her hips. It was really a whole body thing, one that Zoe admired as much as she detested. Her friend’s ability to mesmerize the male population fit nicely with her flirtatious persona but tonight, Roni was focused on the man leaning back against the bar. He’d bought a long neck beer of some sort but had only taken a single sip of it. It sat next to him, forgotten as he scanned the room.

Another prickle of sensation went down Zoe’s back. The beer remained on the bar while those dark eyes landed on every single soul in the place. He looked like he was assessing them, cataloging them, and that nothing was more important than sizing up the occupants of the room.

He sure wasn’t interested in the beer.

He reminded her of her brother, every motion controlled and his position selected for the best angle of defense. He was military trained. No doubt about it, the guy had served time in something more than general ranks, if she was any good at judging body language.

Nosy…

The word floated through her mind but she shrugged it off. Hell, if she was going to read anyone’s body, his was infinitely top grade. Besides, she wasn’t up for a quick hook-up. The main point of the evening was to ride shot gun for Roni and indulge in girl-friend time.

She wasn’t being nosy. He’d come into the bar and bars were places to be seen.

Right…Now you’re justifying your spying.

True. But that didn’t make her thinking wrong. Zoe took another slow sip from her drink and peered over the rim of the glass at the subject of her thoughts. Her lips curved as she took another sip.

This guy’s body language said a lot more, too. Her eyes narrowed, the lids feeling heavy as she watched the way his hips worked when he moved. The sight set off something deeply sexual inside her. Heat was spreading gently across her skin and it was just too enjoyable to resist a few more moments of indulgence.

So what if he caught her staring?

It was a bar after all. Everyone in the place was there with sex on their minds. Maybe that was a blunt way to put it but it was still true. Really, really true. One look at the tight jeans and short skirts was all one needed to confirm that fact. The groups of people crowded around the tables were there to connect with someone else, the drinks in their hands, nothing but liquid courage. Even Military Man, animal that he was, had to be looking for companionship in some form. He’d be off on his own if he wasn’t in the mood for company. Loneliness had a way of reducing everyone to pitiful piles of need. Of course a man like him wouldn’t have to work very hard to gain a little company.

I wouldn’t mind being your choice tonight…

Her inner animal wanted loose. She felt her cheeks heat because normally she had better control over her impulses. Knowing that everyone else had the same urges didn’t keep her blush from deepening either. She felt like he could read her thoughts. He had a demeanor that suggested he was more perceptive than the average guy. Defiantly in more control than most. A ripple of sensation went across her skin and she smiled, enjoying the response because it was so intense. There was something about the guy that just made her want to fling the rule book aside. No worrying about repercussions or anything lurking in his past.

He glanced at her, sending a jolt of awareness down her spine before Roni reached him, angling his head to look down from his six and a half foot frame. A bare half inch of black hair covered his head, the lights above him shinning off the neatly sheered surface.

Yup…military. She’d bet on it. Lust teased her again, so she decided to bask in the glow of the heat. Window shopping did need to be enjoyed, after all, especially if she wasn’t willing to lay down the price of making a try at touching the merchandise.

Why not? Why let Roni have all the fun?

Her inner voice was becoming more daring by the second, the heat gripping her body and urging her to abandon her common sense.

Yeah, well, impulsive sex came with too many risks for her peace of mind. It was a fun idea to toy with but that was as far as she was going. She needed to stick to her ideals because the leather-clad god across the room wouldn’t be the staying kind.

Oh, but the things you could enjoy while he was around…

Dangerous To Know

Which would be followed by a guilt trip which would cost her too much self-confidence for her comfort. Besides, she wanted more than just hot sex.

Ha! Not at the moment you don’t…

Zoe lifted her margarita and took a long drink but the fruity taste didn’t mix with the sight of Mr. Untamed Temptation. She sat her glass down, craving the hard bite of whisky.

Yeah, you want hard…that’s for sure.