Noah: Scifi Alien Invasion Romance (Hell Squad Book 6) Read online

  “It’s of prime importance,” she said.

  He stood and released a long breath. “Everything goddamned is. I only have two hands.”

  She stiffened. “Then you need to work faster.”

  In the next second, he was in front of her, towering over her. She hated that. The fact that Noah made her feel…small.

  “I have every damn person in this base wanting something or needing something, and I’m also working to make sure if we have to evacuate, we have something to escape in. I do not need you riding me into the ground, Captain Dragon.”

  Her blood fired. “Don’t call me that.”

  His eyes darkened. “Captain…Dragon.”

  For the first time in eighteen long months, Laura’s control snapped. She gripped his shirt and swung him around until his back slapped against the concrete wall. “Say it again.”

  His hand closed around hers. “Dragon. You seem happy to live and breathe your damn work every hour of the day. Hell, I’ve never seen you at the Friday night parties and rarely at the dining room. Do you ever take a break? Blow off some steam?”

  “No.” She hated that her voice sounded the slightest bit unsure.

  He pushed her back a step, but kept hold of her hand. “You should. You’re taking your major uptightness out on the rest of the world.”

  “I have work to do. Important work.”

  “So do I.”

  She raised a brow. “Oh, and you never snap at people or give them hell?”

  He shrugged a shoulder. “I just tell people exactly how it is. I don’t have time to play the fucking games most people play. Hell, before the invasion, I’d had too many lessons in seeing through people’s bullshit.” He cocked his head. “You showing me the real you…Laura?”

  She took a small step back. “Yes.” Why were those dark eyes looking at her like he could see under her skin?

  “You seem to give me an extra-special helping of your fire-breathing attitude. Why is that?”

  She lifted her chin. “Arrogant men annoy me.”

  Noah snorted. “Uptight women annoy me.” Something flickered through his eyes. “Although money-grubbing liars bother me more.”

  She wondered at the fury in his voice. “Well, you don’t have to worry about money anymore. No one has it.”

  “That’s the truth.” He took a step closer, and when she took an involuntary step backward, his gaze narrowed. “I’m not certain you’re being honest with me.”

  “About what?”

  “Something else about me bothers you. What is it?”

  She shook her head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” God, now she really was a liar. But she wasn’t about to share that her body had decided it liked him—her body liked everything about him just fine.

  He took another step, and this time she forced herself to hold her ground. He was lean, but there was muscle in his chest, and she felt the heat of him brush over her skin.

  “I have work.” She turned and closed the few meters to her desk. She snatched up a pile of papers, not even looking at what they were, just needing something to make her look busy.

  Suddenly, she felt his body brush against her back and she stiffened.

  “You might be the expert in interrogation, but I can sure as hell tell you’re lying to me.” He expelled a breath and it brushed over her nape. She suppressed a shiver. “Okay, Laura—”

  “Captain Bladon.”

  “You didn’t want Dragon, and I actually think Laura has a pretty ring to it.”

  A finger flicked at her braid, and, unbelievably, she stiffened even more. If this kept up, she'd have sore muscles tomorrow.

  “I’ll leave you to your work…Laura.” There was laughter in his voice.

  Laura closed her eyes and waited until she heard the door close. Dammit. The man turned her inside out. She took a deep breath and fought for the numbness she’d been living in for so long. She thought of Jake, wished she had a picture of him. All she had were her memories, and she was afraid that they would fade over time.

  And even more importantly, she was desperately afraid to risk letting anyone close again.

  Chapter Three

  The gloved fist came straight at Noah’s face. He tried to dodge, but it clipped his chin, and even the partial blow had the force of a freight train behind it.

  He stumbled back but caught himself before he hit the mats. “Jesus. Go easy, Steele.”

  Across from him, Marcus stood, black boxing gloves on his hands. He slammed his gloves together, but he wasn’t ducking or weaving or zigzagging. Nope, in the time Noah had been sparring with the soldier, he’d learned Marcus was a straight shooter. He came at you head on, with no subtlety whatsoever.

  “You won’t get better if I take it easy on you,” Marcus said in his gravelly voice.

  Noah was getting better. He was no trained soldier, but he had a few skills, and he was starting to feel reasonably confident that he could protect himself in a fight.

  When the world was overrun with enemy aliens, it paid to have some survival skills. Not that any human could win hand-to-hand against the aliens. The raptor soldiers were all over six-and-a-half-feet tall, with dense muscle and thick, scaly skin. And their pets were all vicious, animal-type aliens with sharp teeth and claws. The squads all wore armor that was fitted with light exoskeletons that gave them added strength and speed.

  Noah used a sneaky combination to slam a fist into Marcus’ side. The big man grunted and swung around. Noah blocked and dodged a few more hits before he took a hard one to the gut.

  He bent over. “Marcus, what the hell?”

  The tiniest smile tipped Marcus’ lips. “What doesn’t kill you…”

  Noah rubbed his belly. “Makes you spit up blood?”

  Marcus snorted. “I owed you, for Elle.”

  “Elle?”

  “Yeah. I know you had a thing for her.”

  Now it was Noah’s turn to snort. “Right. Which I never pursued. The woman has only ever seen you.” Noah snuck in on the left. “And she has you wrapped around her elegant little finger.”

  “Fuck you, Kim.” Marcus swung a few more times.

  Noah blocked, the powerful blows rattling through his body, making him grit his teeth.

  “Really, I’m just trying to take your mind off things and help you de-stress.”

  “What?” Noah blinked.

  “I know you’re snowed under and stressed…especially about Swift Wind.”

  Noah bounced on his feet. “I’ll get there. I was used to stress before.”

  Marcus pulled his gloves off and reached down for the bottles of water they’d brought with them. Noah had just pulled his own gloves off when Marcus tossed a bottle to him.

  Noah drank. “If I didn’t have a certain dragon causing me headaches, things would be a bit easier.”

  Marcus didn’t smile, but Noah got the impression the man was amused.

  “Then I won’t tell you that your dragon just walked in.”

  Noah gave a mental groan and turned his head. Then the water he was drinking went down the wrong way, and he spluttered.

  He’d only ever seen Laura Bladon in her uniform. A crisply pressed uniform that covered her from neck to toe. He figured even wrinkles were intimidated by her. Most of the military personnel in the base, by necessity, had given up wearing uniforms.

  But Laura wasn’t wearing her uniform now.

  She wore black leggings that slicked over long, toned legs and hips with just enough curves to make a man’s mouth water. She wore some tiny, electric-blue tank that molded lovingly over full breasts and showed off muscled arms.

  That long body made him think of the way she’d taken down that alien bug in the prison cell. She’d had this calm, set look on her face. No fear. No concern. She’d been pure skill and power that had been impossible not to admire.

  Right now, her long, red hair—hair that always made him think of a glass of red wine—was pulled back off her face in a high
ponytail. The end of it brushed her lower back, and made him wonder just how it would look loose. Would it touch the top of her fine ass? How would it look spread out over pale sheets?

  Fuck. Noah felt himself harden and he hurriedly looked away and took another huge sip of water. This was Captain Bladon—Captain Dragon—he was ogling. Hell, she drove him crazy, and while he could appreciate her feminine attributes, he wasn’t attracted to her.

  He looked back at Marcus. The soldier was watching him, then he grunted and put his water down.

  “What?” Noah demanded.

  “Nothing.” Marcus slipped his gloves back on. “You’ll have to work it out, just like the rest of us had to.” His brow creased. “Although I know two people who are taking their sweet time pulling their heads out of their asses.”

  Noah yanked his gloves on, with a little more force than necessary. “I don’t know what the hell you’re going on about, Steele.”

  Marcus swung and slammed an unforgiving punch to Noah’s jaw. “Sure you do. But right now, we’re going to fight.”

  ***

  Laura finished her seated leg press reps, feeling a pleasant burn in her muscles, and climbed off the machine. She took a quick sip of water and moved over to the rack of free weights. She started her biceps curls and let her gaze drift over to the boxing match taking place on the mats.

  Marcus moved like a street brawler. He didn’t waste time with stealth, he just hammered his hits home.

  And Noah…well, he moved far better and faster than she would have guessed. He was using his speed to combat Marcus’ strength, and on top of that, Noah was sneakier, too. She could almost see the thoughts swirling in his head as he calculated his next move, came up with strategies, and then executed them. He was using his strengths—his speed and formidable intelligence. While Marcus wasn’t stupid—he was a hell of a planner when it came to his missions—he relied on his strength and took the shortest path.

  Laura sensed movement behind her, and suddenly she was flanked.

  “Mm-hmm,” Camryn McNab drawled to Laura’s left. “Nothing I like better than watching two prime specimens of men beating each other up.” The Squad Nine soldier was a statuesque glamazon with short, feathered hair and dark, gleaming skin.

  “I just like to watch prime specimens.” This from Sienna Rossi, a curvy brunette and another Squad Nine member. Her gaze was glued to the fight. “Wish they had their shirts off, though.”

  A snort to Laura’s right. A short, compact female was also watching the fight, although her gaze came back to Laura. Mackenna Carides, second-in-command of Squad Nine, was a force to be reckoned with, regardless of her height. “Sienna, you wish all men walked around with their shirts off.”

  The brunette sighed. “I sure do.”

  “I take it Squad Nine isn’t out on a mission,” Laura said.

  Mac shook her head. “Nope. Day off. But we are on call. Theron and Taylor are running a self-defense course for the base’s women next door.”

  Laura’s eyes widened. “Oh, I bet Theron loves that.” Theron was a tall, silent mountain of a man. He preferred to be on a mission, reading, or drinking a beer with his squad mates. As far as she knew, talking was not high on his list of fun things to do, and Laura knew some of the base’s women loved to talk.

  Mac smiled. “No, he does not.”

  “And Roth?” Laura didn’t spot Squad Nine’s leader anywhere in the gym.

  “Oh, please.” Cam waved a hand. “That man…if we aren’t on a mission or in debrief, he’s got Avery holed up in their quarters and they’re banging each other’s brains out.”

  Laura fought a smile. Roth and former CCIA agent, Avery, had survived crash-landing on a mission, being taken hostage by rogue humans, and being attacked by aliens. Laura had no idea how the two of them had managed to fall in love in the middle of all that, but they had.

  A lump lodged in Laura’s throat. Roth was another soldier who reminded her of Jake. He was tall, broad, dedicated to his squad and his job. He was a protector, like Jake had been. She was thrilled he and Avery had found each other, but God, it made her feel so empty at the same time.

  She blindly turned back to the mat and her gaze found Noah. He was scowling at Marcus, rubbing his jaw. Then he laughed. His dark hair was pulled back and she got the image of him standing at the helm of a pirate ship, legs braced for the roll of the sea, his intelligent gaze focused on the horizon and whatever treasure he was planning to plunder.

  Sienna sighed. “I’d like to be banging someone’s brains out.”

  “Thought you were snuggling up with that schoolteacher,” Mac said.

  Sienna wrinkled her nose. “Didn’t work out. He was a little intimidated, I think.”

  Cam sighed too. “I’d like sex, too. But no one’s taken my fancy.”

  Laura cleared her throat. She noticed things, things others sometimes missed. “Oh? I thought I noticed you paying great attention to Hemi Rahia.”

  Cam made a choking sound, and Sienna and Mac turned with wide, interested gazes.

  “That Neanderthal from Squad Three?” Cam spluttered. “No. No way in hell.”

  “When I’m questioning someone and they protest too much…” Laura let it hang.

  Cam’s dark eyes narrowed and she thrust a hand on her hip. “How about we talk about you watching Mr. Sexy King of the Geeks like he’s a hot fudge sundae and you’re suffering with a sugar craving, instead?”

  Laura’s mouth slammed shut. The other women rounded on her now…but just then, the base sirens started wailing. It wasn’t the evacuation alarm, but the signal for the squads.

  “Shit.” Mac straightened and all signs of teasing vanished from her face. “Got to run. Bye Laura.”

  The women jogged out, along with several other squad soldiers who’d been working out. Marcus tossed his gloves to the edge of the mat, said something to Noah and strode out the door.

  Laura glanced over and realized it was just her and Noah left in the gym.

  Great. Just great.

  “Captain.”

  “Kim.”

  He held up the gloves, and there was the tiniest hint of a smile on his lips. “Wanna spar?” And a huge dose of challenge in his voice.

  Her heart started beating. It was best she got nowhere near him. This strange feeling she got every time she was near him would die eventually, especially if she starved it of air.

  “No, thanks.”

  He gave a thoughtful nod. “You’re afraid…I get it.”

  Her spine went stiff. “Afraid? Of you?”

  “Yeah. Otherwise I thought you’d jump all over the chance to beat me up.”

  She strode across the mats. “All right, Kim, you want me to beat you up? Well, bring it on.”

  ***

  When Laura slammed her glove into Noah’s stomach, the air rushed out of his lungs with an oomf.

  He jumped back, scowling at her. He’d imagined they would trade a few punches, not that she’d go after him like a prizefighter out to win the title.

  “Jesus, you can pack a punch.”

  “You wanted to fight, right? We’re not here to be nice to each other.”

  He came in with a left hook. She blocked and hit out at him. They circled around, getting in hits where they could. Noah couldn’t bring himself to put much power behind his punches. If he hit a girl, his mother would be frowning at him from wherever she was now. But it appeared that Laura didn’t feel the same compulsion.

  She caught his jaw, turning his head. His teeth clicked together. Goddammit. “Why the hell don’t you like me?” he spat out.

  She bounced on her toes, slapping her gloves together. “I told you, I don’t like arrogant men.”

  Noah made a sound. “I tell the truth, whether people like hearing it or not. If that makes me arrogant, so be it. I don’t like uptight, rule-loving women, either. So I guess we’re even.”

  “I’m not uptight.”

  “Honey, you’re strung tighter than Cruz’s
guitar.”

  He saw a flush of dull color on her cheekbones. “We’re in the middle of an apocalypse. I’m focused on my work.”

  “So is Marcus, along with the other members of Hell Squad, and all the other squads. They know when to blow off some steam, find some pleasure when they can.”

  “I had pleasure. I had love.” The words broke out of her like bullets.

  Noah froze. Shit. He’d hit a nerve. “You lost someone.”

  “Yes.” A harsh whisper.

  God, he was an idiot. “I’m sorry.”

  Laura turned away. “I lost a family I loved. I lost the man I loved.” She pressed her gloves to her face. “Dammit, I don’t want to talk about this with you.”

  “Hey.” He pushed her gloves down, grateful to see while there was sadness on her face, she wasn’t crying. “I lost my family, too. Did you have kids?”

  She shook her head. “No. We were engaged. Children were in the plan for the future.”

  A future that had never come to fruition. He pressed a glove to her shoulder and wished he could comfort her.

  “Were you married?” she asked. “Did you have children?”

  “No kids, but I was married for a while. And my wife…well, I wish I could say I missed her.”

  Laura gasped.

  Noah dragged in a breath. “Ex-wife. Long, ugly story. But I am sorry you’re still grieving over your family and your man.”

  Her face hardened. “That’s just it. I’m not. Most days I don’t feel anything.” She lifted her hands. “Come on. Are we fighting, or what?”

  She came at Noah so fast, his head spun.

  He blocked her blows, struggling to keep her from knocking his teeth out. They moved backward across the mat.

  “You’ve been training with Marcus. You must be better than this.”

  He knew she was taunting him. Knew something hot and ugly was driving her. And dammit, he hated seeing that deliberately blank face that was hiding pain. She might say she didn’t feel anything but it was there, buried deep.

  He swung out with a good hit. This time she went back a step. Her eyes heated. “That’s more like it.”