Read Running Hot for Free Online Page B

Not exactly a compliment. He wasn’t sure what the hell to do with the comment.
    â€œAnd about the flirting . . .”
    She’d called him a dog, so this really didn’t have anywhere to go but up. At least he hoped that was true. “Yes?”
    â€œDo you have any limits?”
    His mind blanked. He’d been listening to her, watching her, all while keeping his senses locked on alert for distinct sounds and the approach of anything he’d need to shoot, strangle, or cut down. Now he knew he’d missed something. “I don’t know what you’re asking.”
    â€œI’m assuming the flirting was part of some grand plan to lure me into bed and once there, ask me questions about what I’ve seen happening on the island.”
    Whack.
    Another branch took a hit, this time with the help of her knife. Ward started thinking she might be visualizing his head as she took each swing.
    He went with a quick-and-dirty answer in the hope she wouldn’t turn the knife on him. “Nope.”
    â€œYou were pretending to be on holiday—”
    â€œHoliday?” The word dragged his attention away from her lean arm muscles and the expertise with which she cut those branches. One long arc and she created an opening in front of her that they both could slip through.
    So damn hot .
    She shrugged. “I believe you call it a vacation .”
    Looked like they had a language barrier of sorts after all. “Ah, right. Go ahead.”
    â€œYou’re saying you weren’t trying to lure me into bed with all that smooth talk back at the bar?” She wasn’t looking at him now. The steady rhythm of cutting and holding back her steps for a fraction of a second as each branch fell guided their way.
    â€œOh, I was.” He waited until she glanced at him because he wanted eye contact. “But that wasn’t for the job. It was all for me.”
    Her arm dropped to her side, and she stood frozen. “Huh.”
    The relative quiet gave way to something. A slight swish. A rumble, low but clear.
    They had company.
    â€œHold up.” He put a hand on her arm and drew her body even with his. With his head bowed he whispered in her ear. Felt her shiver. “Wait.”
    â€œYou hear something?” Her tone dropped to match his. They spoke at a level that barely registered as a whisper.
    â€œMaybe.” He wasn’t sure if he said the word out loud or just nodded.
    The rumble grew louder. Ward concentrated, focusing in on the sound that didn’t match the others. Blocked out the wind and the rustle of branches. Ignored the dull thwap from where she tapped the side of the knife against her leg.
    Through his training he’d learned how to survive and how to kill. But this, the ability to pick out sounds and magnify them in his head, came to him as a kid. Years of practice and focus brought him to this point. He’d endured hours of study at the Farm with agency instructors investigating the skill in the hope of teaching it to others but failing.
    Ward chalked his strange gift up to his upbringing. In a household where no one talked and everyone obeyed his father’s word without question, Ward had learned to thrive in silence. And it served him well now.
    â€œWhere—” Tasha’s words cut off when Ward squeezed her arm. “Right.”
    â€œMen.” He knew by the way the footsteps fell. The heaviness said male, and the echo grew louder. “Fifty feet and closing.”
    She glanced over his shoulder, but Ward knew she wouldn’t see anything. Not through the thick brush and blanket of branches. The potential attackers didn’t speak, and picking up their exact location and direction proved difficult. But Ward knew. They had seconds only before the group—he thought no more than three and possibly only two—moved into view.
    As soon as he saw the attackers, the attackers would see him. With that advantage gone, the