"Alexis Morgan - Dark Protector" - читать интересную книгу автора (Morgan Alexis)

frightened him anymore, but those tiny electrodes sticking into his scalp like tiny claws never failed to
make his stomach roil and his head ache. He knew in his mind that he was still human enough to pass the
test, but in his gut, where it counted, he feared what they would find when the machine chirped and
buzzed as it recorded his brain waves.
He stretched out on the bed, only dimly aware of the cool cotton sheets beneath his back. Closing
his eyes, he concentrated on his Handler to keep his thoughts from wandering down the ugly path of
self-doubt. HeтАЩd always had a thing for brunettes with long legs, the kind made for riding high around a
manтАЩs waist. Then there were those melted chocolate eyes. He could just eat her up.
LaurelтАЩs scent teased his senses, a mixture of shampoo and soap and something that was uniquely
her. He dug his fingers into the bedding. The more he was around her, the stronger the temptation just to
touch her became. When she leaned over him to apply the last of the electrodes, he bit his lip to keep
from moaning.
DidnтАЩt the woman have the good sense to keep her breasts out of his face? He badly wanted to lift
his head and nuzzle them. He settled for sneaking a quick peek, up close and personal. Her shirt was
pulled tight across her chest, leaving him little doubt that her breasts were perfectly shaped to fit a manтАЩs
hand, as well as his mouth. He bet they tasted sweet, like ripe berries and warm sunshine.
He shifted, glad that his shorts were baggy enough to partially disguise his immediate erection.
When Laurel stepped away, he let out a breath heтАЩd hardly been aware of holding.
тАЬIтАЩll dim the lights. Just try to relax and think good thoughts.тАЭ
As soon as the lights came down, she sat in the chair next to the bed and flipped the switch that
would start the program running. He tried to relax, but it wasnтАЩt working.
тАЬI know this isnтАЩt any fun, Devlin.тАЭ Her voice was cool and soothing, her use of his first name a bit
of a surprise.
Her hand came to rest on his shoulder before slowly making its way down his arm to rest on top
of his hand. He turned his palm up, threading his fingers through hers. They were both playing with fire,
but right now he needed all the warmth he could get. Maybe she would have done as much for any of the
Paladins, but he didnтАЩt think so.
None of them had ever mentioned her conducting herself other than strictly professionally, and if
she had, most of them were shallow enough to want bragging rights and would be unlikely to keep their
mouths shut. Even D.J. and Cullen would have found some way to mention it to him. That little worry slid
away for the time being.
Whenever he was hooked up to this machine, his sense of time was distorted. It rarely took longer
than thirty minutes, but it always seemed far longer. Even if the results still proved him human enough to
continue living, it marked his steady progression toward becoming Other.
HeтАЩd never bothered to ask how close he was coming to the end. It was unlikely that Laurel
would even answer the question. Besides, knowing wouldnтАЩt change a thing. He would continue to fight
and die alongside his comrades until his Handler revoked that privilege. That was something he was damn
proud of.
Gradually, he relaxed as his world narrowed down to the dim pool of light reflected from the
amber and green lights on the console. Turning his head slightly, he could see LaurelтАЩs profile and
wondered where her thoughts were taking her as they waited in the silence.
Even with his better-than-average eyesight, it was difficult to judge her mood from her still face.
Maybe she was making a mental list of what she needed to pick up at the store on the way home from
work. Or maybe she was as painfully aware of him as he was of her. Did she ever lie awake at night and
wonder how it would be between them?
He shouldnтАЩt even think such thoughts. What kind of future did he have to offer any woman? Even
if a woman could find it in her heart to love him, how could she love the monster he would inevitably
become?
The whir and beep of the machine signaled the end of the test, but when Laurel went to withdraw
her hand from his, he clamped his fingers down and held it captive.