Being Emerald Read Online Free PDF Page B

strode to his clothes piled haphazardly next to his duffel bag.
    Laila sat, waiting on the couch, following him with her gaze. He grabbed his pants from the floor and released the towel from his waist.
     
     

Chapter 5
     
    Ho-ly Crap. Laila had thought no man could look sexier than Rock, when she’d finally gotten a good look at him yesterday before the meeting. But the twenty-four-hours-ago Rock was just crushed by the right-this-second Rock, hands down.
    He was broad and tanned, with water dripping from the ends of his tousled hair and landing on his shoulders. Droplets rolled seductively down his chest past so sexy nipple rings and badass tattoos. She wanted to catch the drops with her tongue. No need for that pesky towel. He was perfect. Muscled, but not too much, obviously powerful, and with an air of danger that wrapped the irresistible package up in a bow. The day she’d noticed those little gold rings in his nipples, winking in the sun as he jogged around the compound, she couldn’t drag her eyes away. She’d stolen quick glimpses of his tattoos, and wondered what words meant so much to him he had them permanently written into his skin. Good God, no man had a right to be that gorgeous. He probably had women drooling all over him. Beautiful women, like Sydney with the striking green eyes. Laila wondered how much he availed himself to them.
    She was nothing special, painfully average compared to the women outside the Amber Zone. Her self-esteem had always come from her intellect. She was intelligent, but rarely does one hear a man brag about how smart his woman is. She used to be spontaneous and fun, happy. Those great qualities had disappeared since she’d left Amber.
    He said, “I’ll be ready in a minute. Then, we can go.”
    “Okay.” The word came out guttural. She cleared her throat quietly and continued her appreciation.
    He turned just enough to give her an eyeful. Oh my God . He was circumcised. She’d never seen one like that before. Growing up in Amber, she’d seen many naked men up close and personal. None of them looked like that.
    It answered one question about Rock. He was definitely older than she, old enough to be born in a world where medical care was available for everybody.
    She was not. Laila had been one of the first babies born in New Atlanta, her mom having traveled pregnant to the relative safety of the city.
    She glanced from his cock to his face and found him looking at her, the side of his mouth curling up.
    “Everything okay?” He pulled pants over his muscular ass. No underwear.
    “Yes.”
    He buttoned, zipped, and then walked to where she sat. “Your mouth says yeah, but your face says no.”
    “Nope. I’m good.”
    “Don’t worry. I’ll go easy on you today.”
    She nodded, happy to be distracted from the direction her thoughts had been going. Visions of military type boot camp had made her wary of mission prep for months.
    His boots were set in a wide stance, anchoring girders wrapped in blue jeans. He appeared invincible. He turned and a lock of his shiny black hair fell on his forehead like a comma. Like Superman. He reached toward her and his biceps bulged under his black T-shirt. “Come on. Time to start your training.”
    Laila spent the morning trying to wrangle some focus from her brain. Side by side, they leaned over a map of the eastern US while he traced the route they’d be taking. She found the size of his hands and the smell of his soap infinitely more fascinating. He taught her the mix ratio of gas and the additive that would make fuel out in the Onyx Zone useable, but she found it hard to turn her attention away from the veins hugging his forearms as he poured. The morning had been a little boring and gave her mind too much time to wander.
    After lunch, they knelt side by side while he patiently taught her CPR and first aid. His words fanned over her skin when he knelt with her over the CPR dummy. His gentle brown eyes met hers every few seconds,