Free Tempted by Elise Marion

remember much about the man, other than the fact that he’d also been in the Army and that they shared the same smoky gray eyes. There had to be a connection, some reason why his father had left that tied into what he was going through now. Jackson was willing to bet anything his father was one of those hybrid humans he’d just learned about.
    This was why they were on the subway, taking the quickest route to his old neighborhood where his grandmother still lived. She was the only one that Jackson could count on to tell him the truth.
    The subway train cruised to a stop and the occupants of their car made a mad rush for the opening doors, jostling Sarah into him. Instinctively his arms came up around her, pulling her tight against his chest as they were pushed from either side by people exiting the car. She turned slightly in his arms, her eyes wide and her lips parted.
    Every muscle in his body tightened as her soft form pressed against his. The curve of her hip pressed against his groin, and that floral-smelling hair brushed against his nose. His nostrils were filled with the intoxicating scent, and his head swam from sweetness of it all. The innocence in her wide-eyed stare, the sensuality of her parted lips, and the feel of her pressed so tightly against him…all were enough to flood his senses. Once the doors closed again and the subway was moving along the tunnel, Jackson pushed her away. He wasn’t exactly gentle.
    Sarah turned away and continued inspecting the inside of the dark tunnel through the window; he could see her reflection in the glass. Her eyes were focused on something Jackson couldn’t see, and he knew she wondered about whatever it was that had just passed between them. As much as he knew he shouldn’t dwell on it, he couldn’t seem to help it. The awareness that flared in her eyes had mirrored what he’d felt, and it just didn’t make any sense.
    He hadn’t wanted to be close to anyone since Iraq. He’d made it a habit to keep people at arm’s length. But when she looked at him with those guileless, hazel eyes, something in him wanted to crumble. Something in him wanted to let her in. It scared the hell out of him.

Chapter 10: Family Tree
     
    Sarah sat in an old, faded but comfortable armchair, cradling a cup of steaming tea in her hands. The two-story townhouse, sandwiched tightly between several others, was the homiest place she’d ever been. There was an air of coziness about the place; it was lived in. It smelled like vanilla and spices, and was warmed by the light summer breeze creeping between sheer curtains.
    The furniture was old but plush and comfortable, and the dim lighting was broken only by the soft glow of a few lamps. Pictures lined every wall; pictures of people with wide smiles and twinkling eyes. Her eyes moved over the pictures and paused on the photograph of a very solemn-looking man. His mouth was a firm line and his eyes stared blankly ahead. His military dress uniform was starched to perfection, his medals polished and gleaming. His eyes were the same smoky gray as Jackson’s.
    Jackson’s grandmother, Vivian, was a beautiful woman. She’d aged gracefully and showed her seventy plus years only around her eyes and mouth. Her dark eyes glistened behind square-framed glasses. Her lips were tinged ruby red, as were her nails.
    As she leaned back in the chair across from Sarah and crossed her legs, she adjusted the hem of her leopard-printed caftan. She shifted and adjusted a few more times until she was comfortable before lifting her own delicate teacup. She stared at Sarah over the rim of her glasses and smirked.
    “ Since you’ve come here with one of them I can only assume that you’ve finally figured it all out,” she said pointedly.
    Sarah gasped. Jackson rose from his own chair, his strangled cry filling the room. Sarah dared a glance at him and grimaced at the expression of shock and horror she found there. His clenched fists trembled at his sides and his