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untied the string to his pajamas and let them  drop to the floor. As soon as the water was warm, he stepped under  the spray and just stood there, letting the water sluice over him.
    Thirty minutes later, he admitted  to himself that he felt better  after a shower and a shave, but he still needed his coffee. He  glanced at his watch. A quarter till six. He'd have to make it fast.
    But once he got to the kitchen, the coffee was already made.  The tantalizing smell filled the room. Nectar of the gods. He went  straight to the cabinet, got a cup, poured himself some, then savored  the first drink.

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    "You really get into your coffee, don't you?" Lyraka commented. He hadn't even noticed her. He'd been too intent on getting his
    first cup down before they started their day.
    He raised his cup. "Thanks for putting a pot on."
    "Don't thank me. It was on a timer. Frances probably started it."
    "Then bless Frances." He finished his first cup and poured  another, noticing she drank orange  juice rather than coffee.
    He could almost see the excitement oozing from her. Rookies.  They'd be the death of him. Joe had told him all he needed to do was  teach her the basics. She wouldn't be put in the field until he knew  she was ready. Joe was like that. Most Nerakians were used for their  brains and abilities, rather than fighting. That pretty much pissed off  the warriors, except for one or two who showed exceptional fighting  abilities and actually were chosen for field work.
    Joe wanted Lyraka to sharpen her fighting tactics. That told  Roan all he needed to know-- Lyraka was going to be used for more  than her brains. Roan could understand why, since witnessing her  speed and ability to blend in with her surroundings.
    "Ready?" he asked.
    She nodded as she set her empty glass in the sink.
    He watched her as they walked inside the training center--saw  the excited expression on her face. Saw the way she tried to take all  the equipment in at one glance.
    "What are we going to do first?" she asked, the words
    practically bubbling out of her.
    He knew what he'd like to do. He quickly cleared those kinds of  thoughts from his mind.
    "We're going to see what you can do." He set his coffee cup  down on the desk. Top secret, Joe had said. Find out everything she  can do. He had a feeling sex did not enter into the equation, though.
    But Lyraka was definitely tempting.
    It had only been a couple of nights since he'd been with a  woman, but damn if it didn't seem longer than that. There was just  something about Lyraka that  made him think about making slow  sweet love all day long.

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    Karen Kelley

    Yeah, she was definitely going to be a temptation.

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    Karen Kelley

    Chapter 5

    L yraka was not having fun. She glared at Roan. He'd had her running on the treadmill for nearly an hour. Oh, but first he'd stuck little tabs on her face, arms, wrists and ankles. Then he'd attached wires to the tabs and hooked her up to some stupid machine that beeped -- a lot. So much it was starting to sound like fingernails on a chalkboard.
    He jotted something down on a clipboard, then peered at the machine again. "Can you pick up the pace a little?"
    Murder would be too good for him and this stupid elite force.  She glared at him, even though he wasn't looking at her, and increased the speed of the treadmill--again.
    She was a guinea pig to them. A stupid lab rat. What was she learning by running in one spot? This wasn't how it was supposed to be and she'd had enough!
    Roan wanted faster? She jabbed the button three more times and her pace shot up. Oh, yeah, she'd give him speed that was off the charts. Her legs moved faster and faster. She jabbed the button again, then again for good measure.
    "Slow down just a little," he said without looking at her.
    She jabbed it again.
    "That's good, Lyraka. Go ahead and slow down."
    She gritted her teeth.
    "Lyraka?" He finally turned his attention to her. "Is