Free Princess by Christina Skye Page A

have to kiss you.” She sat up and propped her elbows on her knees. “What time is it?”
    “Almost six. Your sister called a few minutes ago. When I told her you’d call back shortly, she wasn’t exactly thrilled.”
    “Summer is convinced all men are out to dupe me and I’ll be too naïve to notice it.” Heat filled her cheeks as she realized how that sounded. “I don’t mean that my sister’s not wonderful,” she added quickly. “Or that I’ve never—that I haven’t—” She cleared her throat. “Because I have, you know. Summer’s just protective. Maybe overprotective.” Jess was still trying to figure that out, working through the whole twin dynamic thing, and she knew by now that it wasn’t an easy relationship to explain. Sisters were close, but twins were part of each other, sometimes linked mind to mind in a way that bordered on freaky.
    Not that he’d be the least bit interested in her family background or sibling issues.
    She waved a hand. “Never mind. It’s just one of those family things.”
    “You’re identical twins?”
    Jess nodded.
    “When I was a kid I always thought it would be cool to have a twin.” Hawk stared out the window at the rain. He turned, his eyes following her as she stood up and slipped on a pink fleece robe. “I left the newspaper here for you.” He took a step back. “Now I’d better get moving.”
    “You don’t even want coffee?” Jess bent over the tray, lifting lids and checking pots. “Especially coffee that smells as wonderful as this? Come on, tell me how you like yours.”
    Hawk hesitated.
    “A few minutes won’t kill you, Lieutenant. That storm outside is going nowhere.”
    “No sugar. A microsplash of milk.”
    Amused, Jess filled a cup, added a single splash of milk, then held the coffee out politely.
    She tried to act calm and polite, not at all flustered, as if she wasn’t wearing a nightshirt and they hadn’t shared hotel accommodations the night before.
    As if he hadn’t taken her for a spy and tried to strangle her.
    Hawk accepted the cup, his jaw hardening.
    “Are you okay?”
    “You don’t have to serve me,” he said coolly.
    “It’s no bother. How about half of a grapefruit? Or maybe a croissant with butter and jelly?”
    He stabbed a hand through his hair. “I really need to get out of here now.” He sounded tired and tense.
    “Don’t be an idiot.” Jess shook her head. “I know how much energy it takes to ride a motorcycle off-road in the mud, so stop arguing and eat.”
    Hawk stared at her. How long had it been since a woman fussed over him, worried about him, bothered to ask his coffee preferences? He couldn’t begin to remember.
    “Get the lead out, Lieutenant.”
    When Hawk looked up, she was chewing a wedge of grapefruit enthusiastically, while a bead of juice trickled down the corner of her mouth.
    It seemed as if a switch were thrown somewhere, pumping up every nerve and muscle group in his misbegotten, unpredictable body. Not that Jess was remotely his type. She was clearly a one-man woman, the kind who believed in three kids, chasing fireflies and staying in love until you died of old age. The sight of her eating shouldn’t have been remotely sexy, but somehow Hawk kept thinking about licking away that trail of juice, exploring her tongue, enjoying all the warm corners of her full mouth.
    Back off, Mackenzie.
    He knew the distraction had to be from the meds they were giving him. Something about freeing the bioavailability of testosterone and activating his growth hormone production to aid healing, they had explained.
    So far the symptoms had come exactly the way Izzy had described them.
    Frowning, Hawk finished his croissant and took an-other one.
    Outside, the storm hammered on.
    “Do you have far to go?”
    He shrugged.
    “Sorry. I ask too many questions.” Jess frowned at him. “I’m probably not supposed to ask. What you do is some kind of military secret, right?”
    Hawk stood up and reached for