Free Everywhere and Nowhere (Safe Haven Book 1) by Rebecca Royce Page A

hand and it had bothered him. It was High School 101. Why hadn’t she noticed it earlier? She rolled her eyes. Simple answer, because men, especially men who looked like Hadrian, didn’t get jealous over her. Maybe he was just like this with all women or maybe it had something to do with him being the leader and not liking one of his underlings getting attention he wasn’t getting. Or maybe she’d gotten him turned-on too and he didn’t know what to do.
    The whole thing was so preposterous. She wasn’t interested in Stone, or any other warrior, other than in a purely intellectual, friendly manner. Other than Hadrian, at least, who in addition to irritating the hell out of her made her feel more turned-on than she could ever remember being.
    “Forget it, I’m acting insane.” Hadley was glad Hadrian had said something because she wasn’t sure what she would have done if he hadn’t. Was it appropriate under these very strange circumstances to ask a man if he wanted to go somewhere and fuck really fast to get it out of their systems?
    “It’s very rare, but every once in a while a baby is born who has an affinity toward nature that has nothing to do with animals. Hence Stone’s name.”
    Stones? What could he possibly do with stones? “What use could that be?”
    “I’ve seen him pile them up miles in the sky with merely a thought. It can be useful.”
    “So it’s like psychokinesis then?”
    “Some people say telekinesis, but yes, same idea, only his power only works with rocks. He couldn’t lift and move a book off a table unless it was on top of a rock.”
    Hadley’s mind swirled with the possibilities. How far did this talent of his extend? The earth was made of an outer shell of rock. Could he have removed the outer core of the earth while he was there? How about here? Was it the same? Did he have to learn to control his abilities when he was a child?
    She stared at the ground, trying desperately to see if she could tell if there was a rock surface beneath them, but she was up too high and it was too dark. She couldn’t tell.
    Damn.
    “It’s amazing you find Stone’s ability to manipulate so much more fascinating than my affinity to hawks—you know, living creatures.”
    All right, that was enough. Hadley raised her right eyebrow. “Hadrian, are you jealous?”
    “Yes, damn it, I am jealous and I have no idea why that is.”
    “You’re jealous but you have no idea why.” It was strange. The best-looking man she’d ever seen, let alone known, had just admitted that he was jealous because Stone had held her hand and she’d shown platonic interest in him. Yet Hadrian had no idea why he was upset. The idea that he was so attracted to her that he couldn’t see straight didn’t seem to have entered his mind.
    Was she not his type?
    “You look as if I just hit you over the head.”
    “I don’t suppose you realize that what you just said was incredibly insulting? I know I can’t be anywhere near as beautiful as the women you’re used to being with, but you don’t have to act as if the idea that you might be jealous because of some sort of attraction to me is so completely out of the realm of possibility.” She hated the tears that threatened to spill out of her eyes. She blinked a few times and was pleased when the feeling passed.
    “What do you know about the women I’ve been with? And why would you assume I was insulting you?”
    “Hadrian, you’re not listening.” She didn’t care that now she was shouting much too loudly to be justified by the sound of the wind.
    “I am listening, Hadley, but as usual I have no idea what the hell you are talking about.”
    “No.” She stomped her foot inside the hawk’s claw and the creature screeched. She grimaced. There was no point in hurting the poor thing just because she was ticked.
    “You’re super smart. I can see that about you and I’m not saying someone has to be smart to understand me, not at all. But I think you’d be the kind