you an order it’ll be to save your life.”
“I don’t take orders. Especially not from someone I’ve just met.”
He nodded, but his gaze tangled with hers.
“Fair enough,” he said. “Sometimes I forget I’m not still giving orders, even if I am taking them.”
“Boss me around and I’m outta here.”
He tilted his head to one side and clasped his big hands over his flat stomach. “I take it you got that strength from your father or you have it because your father was bossy.”
“Bingo. I think it’s both.”
“Good.”
She lifted one eyebrow. “How is that?”
“Because in this new world you’ll need that strength. No matter what happens, it’ll help keep you safe.” He segued immediately. “What did Magnus say to you?”
“He called me ‘Becker’s piece of ass’.”
Adam’s lips curled in disgust. “Son-of-a-bitch.”
“That’s a mild descriptor. He’s leaving the compound?”
“He’s leaving the company. The General fired him this morning.”
“Why?”
“On our last op we caught him manhandling a woman. That’s not the way we roll. Ian pulled him off her and punched him. We had to peel Ian off Magnus before Ian lost control.”
“Why did he go so nuts on Magnus?”
Adam put his hands behind his head. “Because Magnus reminds Ian of some serious shit that went down in his life. He won’t tolerate men abusing women. None of us will. Magnus was former infantry and worked with the General. The General hired him without realizing what an asshole Magnus is.”
“He doesn’t do background checks?”
“He does, but nothing came up indicating Magnus would be a problem.”
She held the cup tighter, still too damn cold, and fatigue weighing her down. She yawned.
Adam surveyed the room. “Keep your piece on you all the time, even while you’re in here. It’ll make you feel safer around all these men.”
“I’ll keep it by the bed.”
He smiled gently. “Guess if I want to kiss you again I’d better ask permission or you might shoot me.”
She laughed. “Maybe.”
His smile grew wider. “I’ll make you a deal. If you want a kiss, you’ll have to kiss me first.”
Her mouth flopped open, but she snapped it shut just as fast. Not what I expected. “That’s a first. I’m used to big alpha males taking what they want.”
Yeah, her father was a nerd about science, a freaking paranoid man, but he’d also been a hard-core alpha male with none of his hard edges smoothed. She knew she couldn’t judge every man against her father. Intellectually she understood it, but sometimes emotionally she forgot that fact.
His eyes narrowed slightly and he leaned forward. “Are you saying you want me to take a kiss?”
Good deal, Mally. Don’t challenge the silverback in his enclosure. Okay, she was being a jerk thinking of him as a gorilla. “No.”
“Have you been so isolated that you’ve only run into men who are brutes?”
She placed her mug on the table between them and held up her hands. “Sorry. This has gone off the rails. I’ve had male relationships that haven’t been fun and games. More than one guy who wanted me for my money, and there was an ex-cop who…I wasn’t dating him but he was obsessed with me. My father hired him as a bodyguard and things went downhill from there.”
Adam stayed in place, his interest obvious. “What happened?”
“Long story.”
He glanced at his watch. “I’ve got plenty of time.”
“Manny was indoctrinated in Father’s ideas about the End Times. Believed women should be subservient to men. He used to taunt me with that all the time. One day he caught me in the kitchen and forced a kiss on me. I was struggling but he was so much bigger than me. Father came in and pulled the man off. He fired him on the spot, but later Father said it was my fault because I tempted Manny. Which was complete crap, of course.”
“No man has a right to put his hands on a woman in anger.” Adam’s frown slowly turned into a
“I don’t take orders. Especially not from someone I’ve just met.”
He nodded, but his gaze tangled with hers.
“Fair enough,” he said. “Sometimes I forget I’m not still giving orders, even if I am taking them.”
“Boss me around and I’m outta here.”
He tilted his head to one side and clasped his big hands over his flat stomach. “I take it you got that strength from your father or you have it because your father was bossy.”
“Bingo. I think it’s both.”
“Good.”
She lifted one eyebrow. “How is that?”
“Because in this new world you’ll need that strength. No matter what happens, it’ll help keep you safe.” He segued immediately. “What did Magnus say to you?”
“He called me ‘Becker’s piece of ass’.”
Adam’s lips curled in disgust. “Son-of-a-bitch.”
“That’s a mild descriptor. He’s leaving the compound?”
“He’s leaving the company. The General fired him this morning.”
“Why?”
“On our last op we caught him manhandling a woman. That’s not the way we roll. Ian pulled him off her and punched him. We had to peel Ian off Magnus before Ian lost control.”
“Why did he go so nuts on Magnus?”
Adam put his hands behind his head. “Because Magnus reminds Ian of some serious shit that went down in his life. He won’t tolerate men abusing women. None of us will. Magnus was former infantry and worked with the General. The General hired him without realizing what an asshole Magnus is.”
“He doesn’t do background checks?”
“He does, but nothing came up indicating Magnus would be a problem.”
She held the cup tighter, still too damn cold, and fatigue weighing her down. She yawned.
Adam surveyed the room. “Keep your piece on you all the time, even while you’re in here. It’ll make you feel safer around all these men.”
“I’ll keep it by the bed.”
He smiled gently. “Guess if I want to kiss you again I’d better ask permission or you might shoot me.”
She laughed. “Maybe.”
His smile grew wider. “I’ll make you a deal. If you want a kiss, you’ll have to kiss me first.”
Her mouth flopped open, but she snapped it shut just as fast. Not what I expected. “That’s a first. I’m used to big alpha males taking what they want.”
Yeah, her father was a nerd about science, a freaking paranoid man, but he’d also been a hard-core alpha male with none of his hard edges smoothed. She knew she couldn’t judge every man against her father. Intellectually she understood it, but sometimes emotionally she forgot that fact.
His eyes narrowed slightly and he leaned forward. “Are you saying you want me to take a kiss?”
Good deal, Mally. Don’t challenge the silverback in his enclosure. Okay, she was being a jerk thinking of him as a gorilla. “No.”
“Have you been so isolated that you’ve only run into men who are brutes?”
She placed her mug on the table between them and held up her hands. “Sorry. This has gone off the rails. I’ve had male relationships that haven’t been fun and games. More than one guy who wanted me for my money, and there was an ex-cop who…I wasn’t dating him but he was obsessed with me. My father hired him as a bodyguard and things went downhill from there.”
Adam stayed in place, his interest obvious. “What happened?”
“Long story.”
He glanced at his watch. “I’ve got plenty of time.”
“Manny was indoctrinated in Father’s ideas about the End Times. Believed women should be subservient to men. He used to taunt me with that all the time. One day he caught me in the kitchen and forced a kiss on me. I was struggling but he was so much bigger than me. Father came in and pulled the man off. He fired him on the spot, but later Father said it was my fault because I tempted Manny. Which was complete crap, of course.”
“No man has a right to put his hands on a woman in anger.” Adam’s frown slowly turned into a
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