Hunting Kat Read Online Free PDF Page A

aspect could read. They told a story. He carried them all, faint and faded with passage of time, but enough to catch her attention. And over it all, a pleasantly masculine musk blended with the smooth aroma of scotch.
    Well, Dev and Skuld had effectively marooned her on the station for two freaking days. No use chewing on useless thoughts and wasted experiments. She could spare the time for a second drink. Besides, a long-forgotten part of her wanted to see what the soldier would do next, curious about him.
    In the days before the attack on Triton, she’d never made time to flirt. Only Katzer had caught her up, made her curious enough to pay attention. And their time together had been a stolen kiss and a promise, ended with his death.
    She finished her drink in a smooth pull. Too many ghosts haunting her lately. Carefully setting the glass down, she looked over to see the soldier watching with appreciation and approval.
    “I guess…” What the hell did normal girls say? “Yes?”
    “Sorry, can you repeat that?” He turned completely toward her, leaving himself open as he leaned in closer. “I didn’t quite hear you.”
    For the first time in years, a male’s proximity didn’t set off her temper or cause a spike of fear. Instead, her pulse quickened in a few uneven skips and heat rushed to her face. Kaitlyn turned to look at her empty glass. Damn it. Girls did this all the time. She could speak, really she could. “Yes, you can buy me another.”
    Silence. She peeked up. He grinned, a twinkle in his eye. Without taking his gaze off her, he jerked his head at the bartender and tapped her glass. “The lady will have another, on me, and I’ll have the same.”
    She took the reprieve to focus on the bartender as she thanked him for the drink. The bartender looked from her to the soldier and then back at her. A slow smile pulled on one side of his face and he simply said, “You let me know if you need anything else.”
    Great. Even the bartender found her amusing. Skuld and Dev would probably have paid to see what transpired. In fact—Kaitlyn shot a careful glance around the bar area—she wouldn’t put it past them to pay for the surveillance feed. Fantastic.
    “You going to drink it, or warm it up in your hands?”
    Heat rushed across her cheeks again. His voice sounded pleasingly smooth too, a touch light, considering his heavy build. He must be younger than most soldiers she’d encountered on the edge of the solar system. Like the scotch, his voice hadn’t yet taken on the smokier tone that came with age. Lifting her glass, Kaitlyn took another sip, letting the mellow hint of toffee spread across her tongue. She liked the flavor better without the extra years.
    His smile flashed readily and the spark in his eyes turned from amused to wicked in a picosec. “Mind if I have a sip while I’m waiting for mine?”
    He caught Kaitlyn without words again. He’d bought her the drink, after all. She started to slide it over. He met her halfway. Warm and strong, his hand closed over hers, lifting the rim to his lips as her skin tingled under his light grip. She could have snatched her hand back, but she would’ve dropped the glass.
    She turned her head away again, sure he’d laugh at her awkwardness.
    Instead, he leaned a touch closer after he’d had his sip. His proximity burned all along her side, the heat of him seeping right through her uniform. One arm on the bar and the other along the back of her chair, he effectively bracketed her and every nerve vibrated with anticipation, not fear or aggression. What was he doing to her?
    “Normally, men suffer bodily damage getting this close to me.” The words popped out before she could filter them. She cringed inwardly. Definitely not something a normal girl would say, especially if she wanted him to hang around.
    He choked out a laugh. “I can believe that.”
    She looked up, surprised when he didn’t move away. The intensity of his gaze met hers with enough