Read The Exchange Part 1 for Free Online Page B

gold-green eye blinks up at me through the crack.
    I hold back the urge to smile. “Can I come in?”
    “Only you,” she mumbles.
    Fuck it. I let that smile stretch wide across my face. “Okay.”
    She steps back and opens the door enough to make room for me to step inside.
    The private jet is one of our own and one of the smallest ones at our disposal. I’ve
     never been in this one, but I barely spare a glance at the blue and beige room I’m
     walking into.
    It’s all about her.
    Sapphire moves toward the bed, her arms crossed. She’s removed her hoodie, and all
     that brown and blue hair falls down her back in thick waves.
    She sits on the bed, her eyes downcast. Her face is two shades paler.
    Over seventy-five percent of her insides are now titanium and steel. She’s now indestructible
     when compared to regular humans.
    I’m not seeing any of that right now. All I see is a young girl.
    Fragile. Scared.
    So damn beautiful.
    Magdalena Heaton was gorgeous. No doubt about it. But it’s different now. The girl
     in front of me is. I don’t mean the style, either. The difference is almost intangible.
     I can’t describe it, but it’s that difference that made me doubt her true identity.
    And I suspect that’s what drew me to her the moment I laid eyes on her.
    Magdalena was gorgeous, as I said, but this girl is something more and she calls to
     me on every level I can think of.
    She has so many reasons to be afraid, but I’ll be damned if I don’t do something about
     it. I give in to the pull demanding that I move closer and make my way over to the
     bed. “What’s going on?”
    She dips her head, hiding behind all that hair. “Nothing. I wanted time to myself.”
    I sit on the bed. The movement startles her and her head flies up. I’m not good at
     consoling people, never done it before. I’m a quick learner, though, and I’m going
     to figure it out right now. There’s no way I’m leaving her like this. “It’s okay to
     be afraid in your situation.”
    Her brows twitch. Confusion plays out on her face and her cheeks blossom with the
     lightest shade of pink.
    Freaking hell, it’s like I’ve never been with a woman before. Like I’ve never even seen one. I think my mouth is hanging open. Seeing the emotions playing out on her face
     hits me straight in the gut.
    I go hot all over. Antsy. I’m supposed to be figuring out how to comfort her, but
     all I can think about is how sexy she is to me.
    If I ran my lips along her jaw, would her skin taste as good as it looks?
    She’s technically three months old, asshole. Focus.
    “I don’t know why I’m afraid.” She tucks her hair behind her ear; another tell. “Maybe
     it’s because I was in a car when the accident happened, and now I’m in a plane.”
    Oh, she’s good. Not good enough at hiding what she’s feeling and pulling of the lie,
     but quick on the excuse part. Gotta give her that.
    I brace myself for what I’m about to tell her. Don't want to upset her more than she
     already is, but I can't help her with that type of lie between us. "I know who you
     are. Dr. Allen gave me the information."
    Her emotions aren't merely transparent; they're rapid-fire. One after another fly
     across her pale face, so fast that I almost can't keep up. Her shoulders lower and
     some of the tension leaves her body. She seems resigned.
    Then, with my next blink, she closes her eyes and starts trembling.
    The fear is back.
    "It's my first time on a plane."
    The reaction that goes through me at those whispered words is instant. I don't stop
     to think about it. No hesitating. I reach for her hand.
    There's no glove between us now. It's her and me, and the liquid, hot current that
     singes my veins.
    I jerk violently. I can't hide it.
    The fucked up part? I'm not the only one dealing with this. She twitches and her eyes
     fly open. When they land on our hands, her face goes red.
    Lust explodes between us. It's so obvious that I can't breathe through the