City Of Tears Read Online Free PDF Page B

your head? There were a variety of pain relievers in the Medkit.” When she didn’t respond, he glanced over his shoulder. Curse the ghosts of the Night Moon, she was gawking again.
    “My implants accelerate healing.” Her voice sounded suspiciously hoarse.
    Turning back to the sink, he continued scrubbing his torso with more thoroughness than necessary. What did she feel when she looked at him? Lust or simple curiosity? Did the implants make her incapable of feeling desire? He’d seen more than curiosity smoldering in her gaze as she stared at his naked body. Without turning around, he asked, “Are you a virgin?”
    She gasped. “That is irrelevant.”
    “Well, the way you keep staring at me makes me wonder if you’ve ever seen a naked man before.”
    “You did your share of staring, too. Are you a virgin?”
    He pulled on the uniform top as he turned around. “Why do you presume I’m not? There are significantly more men on Ontariese than women. Some men die without ever knowing the tender touch of a real woman.”
    “What?” She folded her hands into tight fists and narrowed her eyes. “Is that why I was captured? I am a soldier, not a breeder!”

Chapter Four
     
    “You weren’t captured, Saebin. You were rescued.” Lyrik met her gaze through the red glow, his expression calm, yet compelling. “No woman is taken against her will on Ontariese. If anything, women have the power. You get to choose whom you sleep with and how long the social alliance will last. You would be —”
    Unwilling to dignify his nonsense with her attention, Saebin walked into the shelter’s main room. She was his objective. He would do whatever it took to … to what? She didn’t understand his motivation. Why had he saved her life? He could be a genuinely compassionate person, or he could be his father’s charming puppet. How was she supposed to figure out which? She had to concentrate on facts.
    It was foolish to attack an ally.
    It was lethal to trust an enemy.
    With a frustrated growl, she glared at the archway. What was taking him so long?
    The storm shelter wasn’t designed for comfort. A row of narrow bunks lined one wall, while an extended, L-shaped bench hugged the opposite corner. Compartments of some sort were recessed in the wall beside the bench. Smooth counters, a large sink, and an elaborate faucet identified the food preparation area.
    He strode into the room a few minutes later, fully dressed at last. “What’s the last thing you remember before they brought you out of stasis?”
    She hesitated.
    He shook his head. “We’re stuck here until morning, maybe longer. We have to find something to do.”
    There was no denying the storm had been real. It had nearly ripped off her head. “I have fragmented images of a battle and a fire. The last thing I remember clearly is participating in a demonstration. My handler was pleased, so I was rewarded.”
    “How were you rewarded?”
    His long-legged stride brought him within an arm’s length of her in the blink of an eye. Why did his smile send her pulse racing and his gaze make her nipples tingle? She had never reacted to anyone as she was reacting to this man.
    “May I know your distinction?” Was that her breathless voice? She wasn’t playing her part very well. He needed to believe D-159 was in control.
    “There are no distinctions on Ontariese, only names. My name is Lyrik.”
    He was so big. His hands could easily snap her neck. Even with the augmented strength of her body armor, she had struggled to subdue him. He moved even closer, his gaze caressing her face. Her cheeks heated, and she raised her fingers to her skin.
    “Say my name.”
    “Sir.”
    A smile curved his lips, and her heart fluttered in her chest. Without her armor she couldn’t regulate her responses. This was dangerous. She focused on his mouth. He’d brushed his lips over hers and pressed her against his chest.
    “Am I going about this backwards?” He curved the fingers of one