Noah: Scifi Alien Invasion Romance (Hell Squad Book 6) Read Online Free PDF Page B

tossed his gloves to the edge of the mat, said something to Noah and strode out the door.
    Laura glanced over and realized it was just her and Noah left in the gym.
    Great. Just great.
    “Captain.”
    “Kim.”
    He held up the gloves, and there was the tiniest hint of a smile on his lips. “Wanna spar?” And a huge dose of challenge in his voice.
    Her heart started beating. It was best she got nowhere near him. This strange feeling she got every time she was near him would die eventually, especially if she starved it of air.
    “No, thanks.”
    He gave a thoughtful nod. “You’re afraid…I get it.”
    Her spine went stiff. “Afraid? Of you?”
    “Yeah. Otherwise I thought you’d jump all over the chance to beat me up.”
    She strode across the mats. “All right, Kim, you want me to beat you up? Well, bring it on.”
    ***
    When Laura slammed her glove into Noah’s stomach, the air rushed out of his lungs with an oomf .
    He jumped back, scowling at her. He’d imagined they would trade a few punches, not that she’d go after him like a prizefighter out to win the title.
    “Jesus, you can pack a punch.”
    “You wanted to fight, right? We’re not here to be nice to each other.”
    He came in with a left hook. She blocked and hit out at him. They circled around, getting in hits where they could. Noah couldn’t bring himself to put much power behind his punches. If he hit a girl, his mother would be frowning at him from wherever she was now. But it appeared that Laura didn’t feel the same compulsion.
    She caught his jaw, turning his head. His teeth clicked together. Goddammit . “Why the hell don’t you like me?” he spat out.
    She bounced on her toes, slapping her gloves together. “I told you, I don’t like arrogant men.”
    Noah made a sound. “I tell the truth, whether people like hearing it or not. If that makes me arrogant, so be it. I don’t like uptight, rule-loving women, either. So I guess we’re even.”
    “I’m not uptight.”
    “Honey, you’re strung tighter than Cruz’s guitar.”
    He saw a flush of dull color on her cheekbones. “We’re in the middle of an apocalypse. I’m focused on my work.”
    “So is Marcus, along with the other members of Hell Squad, and all the other squads. They know when to blow off some steam, find some pleasure when they can.”
    “I had pleasure. I had love.” The words broke out of her like bullets.
    Noah froze. Shit . He’d hit a nerve. “You lost someone.”
    “Yes.” A harsh whisper.
    God, he was an idiot. “I’m sorry.”
    Laura turned away. “I lost a family I loved. I lost the man I loved.” She pressed her gloves to her face. “Dammit, I don’t want to talk about this with you.”
    “Hey.” He pushed her gloves down, grateful to see while there was sadness on her face, she wasn’t crying. “I lost my family, too. Did you have kids?”
    She shook her head. “No. We were engaged. Children were in the plan for the future.”
    A future that had never come to fruition. He pressed a glove to her shoulder and wished he could comfort her.
    “Were you married?” she asked. “Did you have children?”
    “No kids, but I was married for a while. And my wife…well, I wish I could say I missed her.”
    Laura gasped.
    Noah dragged in a breath. “Ex-wife. Long, ugly story. But I am sorry you’re still grieving over your family and your man.”
    Her face hardened. “That’s just it. I’m not. Most days I don’t feel anything.” She lifted her hands. “Come on. Are we fighting, or what?”
    She came at Noah so fast, his head spun.
    He blocked her blows, struggling to keep her from knocking his teeth out. They moved backward across the mat.
    “You’ve been training with Marcus. You must be better than this.”
    He knew she was taunting him. Knew something hot and ugly was driving her. And dammit, he hated seeing that deliberately blank face that was hiding pain. She might say she didn’t feel anything but it was there, buried