Free With Every Breath by Maya Banks Page A

eyes that studied as his gaze swept the room. Her girly parts sighed and purred, ignoring the order to stand down and not react, but who was she kidding? The room was already filled with hot guys and enough testosterone to float a barge, but with the addition of four mouthwatering specimens of pure alpha male? She was swimming in it.
    He remained silent, merely offering a lift of his chin to indicate his acknowledgment of the already existing members of DSS. Beau wasted no time going down the line.
    â€œThis is Zeke.”
    Once again, feminine appreciation fully intact, she took in Zeke’s appearance, noting that he wasn’t as tall as Dex, but then Dex was taller than all of them, including the current members of DSS. She put Dex around six-six but Zeke was only a couple of inches shorter, which still made him much taller than the average male.
    His hair was black as midnight and hung loosely to his shoulders in an unruly style that said he didn’t bother with it and furthermore didn’t give a fuck. It had a shine that made it appear blue-black, like a raven, and coupled with bronze skin and features that hinted of Native American ancestry convinced her that he shared at least some of the blood of his ancestors. But his eyes were a startling crystal blue, a sharp contrast that made him a work of art that someone couldn’t help but stare at and appreciate.
    He was a bit stockier than Dex, not quite as lean but no less muscled. He was just thicker and more solid, ropes of muscles over every body part visible. It didn’t escape her notice that he bore scars and likely more on parts that were covered by his faded jeans, combat boots and black T that was a little looser fitting than Dex’s.
    It was hard to drag her gaze from Dex and Zeke because damn . . . But then Beau continued on.
    â€œThis is Shadow,” Beau said, indicating a man about Zeke’s height, maybe an inch shorter. He had a quiet look about him and his features were solemn, giving nothing away. He had tats spiraling up both arms and she wondered whether he had tats in other places as well.
    His hair was shortly cropped, military style, though a bit longer than regulation. Spiked on top, the color of chestnut. His eyes were green, lighter than Zack’s, but he had a piercing gaze that pinned each of the DSS operatives as his attention moved to each in turn. When he got to Eliza, he stared what she thought was a longer time than he’d spent studying the others, but then she was paranoid. It wasn’t as if he knew anything about her or rather only what Dane or Beau might have said and neither were indiscreet so their conversations had likely been confined to her skills and capabilities when it came to the job and she knew Dane had her back and would have made it clear she could handle herself.
    But still, she wouldn’t want to be a bad guy on the receiving end of that stare pinning them solidly in place. One that would likely have Shadow’s prey tripping over themselves to spill whatever it was Shadow wanted to know.
    He sported a tan but was obviously Caucasian, and like the others, he obviously had a strict workout regimen because there was nothing to indicate he was anything but in top form and shape. What was it Beau had said his name was? Shadow?
    For some unknown reason she found herself opening her mouth before she thought better of it.
    â€œYour name is Shadow?” she asked, lips pursed, one eyebrow lifted in question.
    Then he grinned and it was one of those lazy, I-don’t-give-a-fuck smiles that plainly said he wasn’t used to explaining himself, but his eyes filled with amusement and Eliza sucked in her breath, because damn, her girly parts weren’t just perked up and paying attention. They were fluttering wildly and screaming at her about her neglect of them.
    â€œForget I asked,” Eliza muttered.
    â€œYou have me at a disadvantage, darlin’,” he drawled.