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hall, he continued on, moving her at least thirty feet away from the Ops Cave door and spoke in a hushed voice. “Were you thinking about taking up with one of my men? Is that what’s going on? You like Josh’s tats? Owen’s scar?” Owen, Josh, and Alex had been part of Duncan’s Militia Warrior squad before they became part of the black ops team.
    She lifted her chin. “What do you expect? I have needs, and you’ve made it clear you don’t want any part of me.” He still held her left arm in a tight grip, and because she wanted the contact, she didn’t pull away. Instead, she stroked his battle vest, rubbing her fingers over the stiff, black leather, aiming for the edge so she could slip onto some skin.
    When she found flesh, Duncan’s spicy ale scent sharpened. She took it as a good sign and caressed his shoulder. His lips parted and his breathing grew rough. No surprise there. She knew Duncan wanted her; he just didn’t seem to have permission to be with her.
    “What are you doing?” he asked.
    “You know exactly what I’m doing.”
    “You need to stop.” He caught her hand and pulled it away from his shoulder. “I can’t do this shit right now.”
    She lifted her gaze to his. He frowned, so she frowned back. “Why not? You won’t talk to me, you won’t tell me a damn thing and I need you, Duncan, your body pressed up against me and none of this leather between us. Just skin. Yours and mine. And something hard driving between my legs.”
    He closed his eyes and waves of his scent flowed. She was more hopeful than she’d been in the past four weeks.
    “Duncan, try not to think of us right now. Think of this as a one-night-stand, only with me.” How desperate was she to be begging, but she didn’t care. “Just take me to bed tonight. I need you. I can’t explain why, but I’m going crazy.”
    Finally, he released her arm and stepped away from her. “I’ve said all I’m going to say.”
    “Then who’s going to take care of me?”
    He winced, but he turned up the hall. “I’m heading home. You coming?”
    “No.”
    “Suit yourself.”
    She watched him go, walking up the long hall, heading toward the landing platforms. The only way to leave Militia HQ was via the platforms or the alarms would go off.
    “Why won’t you talk to me?” she called after him, shouting at his back. “Dammit, Duncan! You said you would try. You promised me you would try.”
    But he didn’t respond.
    He’d told her he couldn’t take it anymore. A snake lived inside him, filling him with poison, and he didn’t want to hurt her.
    But he’d hurt her anyway, idiot that he was.
    And he wouldn’t talk to her.
    She sighed heavily as she returned to the Ops Cave, not wanting to follow Duncan just yet. She lived in the master bedroom of his Paradise Valley Two home, while Duncan had moved to a guest room. He’d insisted she stay since her beautiful forest cottage had been destroyed by Third Earth wreckers. Duncan’s offer of shelter made him a good man, which hurt her all the more.
    She took up her bar stool once more, and continued sipping her water. She was queasy, probably because of fatigue and a too-tight weapons harness. She rubbed the dagger hilts of the two blades angled along her waist.
    None of the men would meet her gaze. Each stared at the floor or the walls, anything but her.
    She felt like apologizing for making a scene. But she knew these guys; they’d only be embarrassed. They’d probably heard most of the exchange anyway, vampire hearing being as sensitive as it was. And most certainly, they’d heard her shouting at Duncan. But they were a team now, and very little could remain hidden, especially when it came to a relationship between two members. Besides, they ought to have an understanding of what was going on between herself and Duncan.
    She just wished to hell she knew what to do with him.

CHAPTER THREE
Sometimes surrender requires
    The greatest courage of all.
    Collected Proverbs –