Free Dating Outside Your DNA by Karen Kelley

voice inside her head told her.
    No, she wouldn't give in to temptation. She was here to learn,  and learn she would. She wouldn't disintegrate the teacher.
    Maybe there was more to his advances than met the eye.  Maybe this was Roan's way of breaking her. She already knew he  didn't want to train her. If she quit, he'd be off the hook. That had to  be why he was toying with her, setting the trap for the unsuspecting  mouse. She could almost feel the snap of the metal bar crushing her  neck if she got too  close. There was more to her than that. She  wouldn't give up. She wouldn't give Roan the satisfaction.
    "This obstacle is about balance," Roan said, breaking into her  thoughts as they approached the next torture device, which was what  she'd begun to think  of each obstacle. She focused on what he was  telling her, determined to conquer this one, too.
    "Balance and strength," he said.
    They stood in front of an oversized net. She looked up. It was  only as tall as a single story house. The cargo net didn't look that  difficult to master. In fact, Lyraka had a feeling she'd surprised Roan  with her abilities. She hadn't mastered anything, but she hadn't let  any of the obstacles beat her. She'd finished each and every one of  them.
    She grabbed the rope and put her foot into one of the slots, then began pulling herself up, one rung at a time. They were farther apart than they looked so she had to stretch out her body to move up.
    "Keep your body close to the ropes. If you lean out, you'll lose your balance."
    "Easier  said than done," she muttered as she reached for another cross rope. It didn't help that the ropes were as big around as her wrist and hard to grip. By the time she got to the top, she was sweating. There were more wet patches on her shirt than there were dry ones. But this obstacle hadn't beaten her, either. She straddled the top bar and smiled triumphantly down at him.
    Roan smiled back as if he knew something she didn't, then he

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    Karen Kelley

    flipped a switch. There was a deep, throbbing noise as a motor  started up.
    What the hell was he up to? She looked around.
    "Hold on tight, princess."
    He flipped another switch. The frame began to move.
    "I don't think that's the safest place for you right now," he said.  "How fast can you get down before it collapses?"
    He was going to kill her! That had been his plan all along. Kill  her, then Joe would let him go back on active duty. Everyone would  think she hadn't been cut out to be an agent, but they wouldn't dream  of blaming him.
    "Are you sure you want to stay up there? The whole structure is  about to collapse."
    He was right. The frame was teetering back and forth. She
    flung her leg over the side, grasping the top rail. It shifted and she  was left grabbing air. Panic squeezed her chest.
    "Grab the rope!"
    She blindly obeyed and caught one of the rungs, clinging to it.
    "The whole thing is going to come down, Lyraka. You have to  get off now!"
    There was no taking her time this go- round. She blindly found  her footing, falling and grabbing as she went. The ropes burned her
    arms,  chafing her skin until she finally felt solid ground beneath her  feet. She untangled from the ropes and scrambled back, out of  harm's way, plopping down hard on the ground when she stumbled  over a branch, her chest barely expanding as she gasped for air.
    She watched as Roan calmly hit the switch. The A-frame  stopped moving. She looked from him, back to the A-frame, then  back to him.
    "Good job," he said and calmly began to walk away.
    She came to her feet and hurried after him. When she caught  up to him, she grabbed his arm, and forced him to stop and look at  her.
    "It wasn't going to fall, was it?"
    "No."

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    Karen Kelley

    She shoved against his chest as hard as she could. It frustrated her when he didn't move. His feet stayed firmly planted on the ground.
    "I hate you!"
    "No you don't."
    "Yes, I do! You can't tell me