Free HeatedMatch by Lynne Silver Page B

hated
to be questioned, and what did it mean that Gavin knew Adam was supposed to be
with her?
    “Adam’s refusing his match rights.”
    The soldier’s jaw unhinged for a nanosecond before he
regained his composure and smiled charmingly at her. “Well isn’t this my lucky
day, escorting a beautiful woman around my home.”
    “Gavin,” Shep warned. “Blacker’s pretending to be dumb, he’s
not actually stupid.”
    Gavin lost the smile and scowled at Shep. “The things I do
for you. One of these days, you’re going to get me killed.” He turned to Loren
and offered her a hand up. “Ready to go?”
    She stood and nodded. They made it a few steps before she
turned back to Commander Shepard. “I’ll need my things. I won’t want to wear
these clothes for two weeks.”
    “We’ll take care of it later. For now, go meet your
brother.”
    She followed Gavin down a long corridor and out double glass
doors into a courtyard of sorts. It reminded her of the quad from her college
days, but no coeds sunbathed and tossed a Frisbee. Instead tall, muscular men
jogged or strode from building to building alone or in pairs, chatting intently
or checking cell phones. Where were the women? Locked away in towers?
    “Where are the women?”
    Gavin stopped walking to look down on her with confusion
etched on his face. “Huh? What women?”
    She gestured to the other courtyard occupants. “Only Y
chromosomes. Don’t you have women here?”
    He scanned the area. “We have plenty of women on campus,
though there’s been a bit of a drought lately. You’re the first woman recruited
in a while.”
    “I’m not a recruit. I’m not staying.” She met his skeptical
look with a steady one of her own and ignored his snort. His hand steered her
by her elbow down another gravel path and she started to ask a question, but a
flash of darkness in the form of a speeding large male interrupted her.
    “Shit, not again, Blacker,” Gavin groaned from the ground.
“That’s twice I let you knock me on my ass. I’m being nice because she’s your
woman, but I swear if you touch me again, it’s on.”
    Adam lumbered over Gavin’s supine form. His breath came in
spurts. “She’s not my woman.”
    “Then why are you about to kill me for touching her?” Gavin
asked. “Loren, put your hand on him. Your touch will calm him down.”
    She eyed the tall, angry man who’d appeared out of nowhere
to tackle her escort the second he’d placed his hands on her body. She wasn’t
getting near that train wreck. “What is your problem, Adam? Why did you attack
Gavin?”
    The scowl on Adam’s face sped up her heart rate, but she
refused to cower to him or cut him any slack for being a ridiculous, overgrown
baby.
    “He grabbed you.”
    “He did not.”
    “I know what I saw, Loren.”
    Her hands fisted on her hips. “Since when is putting a hand
on someone’s elbow ‘grabbing’? Besides, what do you care? I’m not your woman.
You admitted it.”
    “Get out of here,” Adam told Gavin then turned back to her.
“Fine, you’re my woman. Happy? Let’s go.”
    “Not a chance.” She took a step back, but he followed with a
larger step. Traitorous Gavin was already twenty feet away, obviously unwilling
to interfere. Mint hovered on Adam’s breath and shampoo wafted from his damp
hair. Lucky him to get a shower, something she still lacked after their
intense, dirty night.
    “Loren, come with me.”
    These military types needed to stop assuming she’d follow
their every order. Not in this lifetime. “Where are you going to take me?”
    “Where was Gavin taking you?”
    “To see my brother. Do you know my brother? And did you know
my father?”
    He shook his head. “I know your brother and I knew of your
father, but never met him personally.”
    “And it never occurred to you to mention that last night?”
    His lips thinned. “I was slightly distracted. We both were.”
    Heat flooded her cheeks as she recalled the many
distractions. She