Free Crusader (Battle Born Book 1) by Cyndi Friberg Page B

physically and emotionally. Now she was fully awake and ready to face the day. She threw back the covers and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Apparently sensing her movements, the lights gradually brightened. Hopefully the bathroom would be as user friendly. She grabbed her overnight bag off the floor where Bandar had dropped it the night before and approached one of two doors in the room. She knew the other one led to the corridor, so it stood to reason that this one was the bathroom.
    Her logic was sound and she wasted no time in making herself more presentable. If she hadn’t missed breakfast already, she wanted to appear a little more composed when Bandar returned. After using the facilities, she took a quick shower and put on clean clothes. Her outfit was still casual, jeans and a short-sleeved sweater, but at least she was wearing a bra this time.
    She had just put on her shoes and was working her damp hair into a loose braid when Bandar returned.
    He held up a steaming mug with a distracted smile. “I thought you might enjoy a cup of coffee while you were getting ready. Looks like I’m too late.”
    “I’ll never say no to coffee.” She took the mug from his hand and returned his smile.
    His gaze quickly swept her from head to toe before settling on her face. “You look refreshed. Did you sleep well?” He was wearing contacts again, concealing the golden rings in his dark eyes.
    She nodded as she took a sip. It was strong and hot, but not bitter. She preferred it with cream and just a touch of sugar, but there was no way she was going to complain. He’d been amazing last night, patient and comforting, the perfect gentlemen, even as she wrapped herself around him and wouldn’t let go. She’d been so distracted by her surging emotions when their cuddlefest started that she hadn’t cared that their bare legs were tangled or that her entire body was pressed against his. But the emotions gradually eased and she became painfully aware of how intimately he held her. She should have pulled away, disentangled their limbs and put some space between them. He was being gallant, compassionate, and she was taking advantage of his kindness. And still she stayed. She rested her head on his shoulder and lightly caressed his chest, unable to still the restless motion of her hand. She didn’t remember falling asleep. All she knew was she felt safe and protected for the first time in her life, so she’d savored the sensations.
    Shaking away the pleasant memory, she focused on the present. He’d obviously showered and shaved, and borrowed an outfit from Nazerel. Bandar’s cargo pants were olive green rather than camo, but the black T-shirt looked identical to the one his cousin had been wearing the night before. Bandar’s smooth skin accented the strength of his jaw and the jutting angle of his cheekbones. He’d also combed his thick hair straight back from his face. Without the messy waves to soften his appearance, he looked even more dangerous.
    “If you’re ready, they’re waiting in Morgan’s office.”
    “Is that where you’ve been?” Rather than risk walking around an unfamiliar environment with hot coffee in her hand, she set the half-full mug aside and followed him from the room. “Did you sleep at all? You were looking pretty ragged last night too.”
    “I’ve been up about an hour. There were some things I needed to do before we head off into the mountains.”
    As usual, he hadn’t really answered her question. The details of his obligations weren’t her concern, so she allowed the evasion. “Are we driving to the cabin or can you bio-stream us there without an address?” She had no idea how the as yet unseen machine worked, but she was anxious to learn more about it.
    “Nazerel will have to get us started, but we’ll make it work.”
    That caught her attention. She knew even less about Nazerel than she did about Bandar. “Isn’t Nazerel battle born? What can he do that you