Rebel Heart

She tasted like honey, and her hot mouth soon became more demanding. She leaned into him, her warm, soft body molding against his. He kept his hands behind his back and tasted her, enjoyed her, tested her without pushing either of them over the edge. She was responsive, hungry and yielding, a combination that lit his blood on fire.

When he withdrew, she weaved against him, face flushed and eyes glazed.

"Go lay down," he ordered in a husky tone and walked past her. "I need to think."

He'd had a lot of women throw themselves at him, most of them more interested in the genetically altered body that made him as good in bed as he was in battle. He didn't normally turn them down, unless he didn't have the time. Of course, he'd never felt so personally responsible for any of the women that passed through his life. Most of them were no more than one night stands.

But he couldn't let himself do it, no matter how much he wanted her or how willing she was. He didn't need more emotions to hamper his decision making, and he didn't need Tim to disown him at the end of this mess for exploiting the girl Brady was charged with guarding.

He watched Lana from the corner of his eye, returning to his weapons, this time with his back to the wall and not towards her. His head hurt from the shock of the baton, and he couldn't help hoping she was a better shot than she was figuring out the baton.

Brady's body was hot, his mind racing. He took his time with his weapons, needing to keep his hands occupied so he didn't take her up on her offer. He couldn't take her as his companion, no matter what he felt for her. The world was falling apart around them, and he couldn't risk either of their mental states in a relationship that may not see both of them surviving.

He finished and laid out his clothing and weapons in neat piles for the next day then stood at the bed. Lana was curled into a tight ball on the far end, asleep. As much as he ached to crawl into the bed beside her, he pulled a blanket from a trunk and went to the couch.

The next morning, he woke before dawn and before she did. He toured the progress of the camp before going to the exercise area. He spent an hour on a punching bag before joining a few others sparring. Dan appeared soon after, and they sparred until Dan finally signaled he was finished.