Page 61 of Birthright

“Geez!” A man sitting at a desk in front of a computer yelped, standing quickly as a coffee cup hit his lap and dropped to the floor. His face was stern and angry, and he had to be at least six foot six. A white tank top clung to every rippling muscle of his abdomen. He was built, but not like someone who lifted weights alone. No, this guy was chiseled from years of military training. Every muscle honed to perfection. A blade hung under each arm, ready for a cross draw. On each hip was an automatic weapon of some sort.

Guns. The first I had seen on the island.

“Priestess?” His big body straightened and his tone changed, anger over the interruption and the spilled coffee now gone. “I’m Jordan…”

He kept talking, but I could only watch the muscles of his taut stomach move as he spoke. My body reacted wildly to him. I couldn’t get air in my lungs.

“Doran’s not here…”

I heard part of it, but as he continued to speak, I was blatantly looking at those hips. They were angled perfectly and tucked into dark military cargo pants that also showed off his long, thick legs. I managed to get my gaze back up to his stomach.

“Priestess?”

I glanced back at his face and then at his stomach as the muscles tightened again. Stop it, I said silently to those muscles, trying desperately to get my gaze back to his face.

“Sorry,” he said, sighing.

I finally found his steel-gray eyes. I was lost. My nipples tightened, heat rose from all the wrong places. His eyes drifted briefly down the length of my body. I could tell he was trying not to look at me as obviously as I was looking over him. We were both failing at subtlety. I felt a blush creep over my skin. His body was reacting to mine as strongly as mine was to his.

“Stop it!” I was talking to myself this time. Trying to get myself under control.

“Sorry,” he said again. He straightened, standing at attention and trying to look over my head, off into space.

My mind was frantic with desire. My imagination was running wild with it. Visions of being naked and draped over his big, tight chest ran through my head. I watched a small smile start on his lips.

“You must block your mind from mine, priestess.”

“Mind?” was all I managed to croak out. I was still trying to get my eyes to stay away from his middle.

“My lady, I am half Demon, just as your father. One of my abilities is to read minds.” He was still looking over my head, holding himself stern. The man was definitely a soldier of some sort…

Then I realized what he was saying. He was reading my thoughts—thoughts that were running out of control. Thoughts of taking him here and now on the floor…

“Oh God!” I said, covering my eyes.

“Take a deep breath and feel for me in your head. Then put up a wall, my lady.” He was fighting not to smile, fighting to keep his hard, stern look. I took a step back from him, mortified and blushing madly. I felt his gentle touch in my head—actually felt it. It was a weird kind of tickle. I concentrated and pushed it out and put up a mental barrier.

“Very good.” No apology, just business this one. “Very good. First try.” He was still looking over my head. It was easy for him, being so tall, but I felt the overwhelming need to turn and run. I took a deep breath.

“You were looking for Doran?”

“Yeah. Doran. She’s not…” Once I’d stopped looking at his abs, I was able to take in more than just this hulk of a man. The room was covered wall to wall with computers, videos monitors…displaying events all over the world. Radios and walkie-talkies lined a shelf and stacks of newspapers were scattered about a small table off to the right. All the equipment seemed to be the latest and greatest in electronics.

“Wow,” I said. Technology was my element, my previous work…that part of my human life that always made sense. People and relationships were always a mess, but computers and electronics were easy to understand. “Jordan, was it?” He nodded, still watching the wall behind my head. “What is all this?”

“This is the surveillance center for the Kith. I’m the head of your security force.” I looked back at him and my body forgot all about the computers and monitors and started to demand I have him. Again. He was so tall, so muscular in a hard, proportioned, powerful way…

I took in a deep breath. I had to get out. I stepped back again.

His brows drew together. “You shouldn’t have gone to Thule. It was careless.”

This guy took his job very seriously. “I did what I had to do for my father.” I was still backing away.

“I admire your determination and strength.” He let his eyes glide up and down my body as he spoke, and I felt it like a stroke of his hand. “Next time you intend to ‘do what you have to do’, I insist that you come to me for assistance.”

His body was reacting to me as he spoke. I couldn’t help but notice the bulge pressing against his black fatigues as he spoke, so hard the buttons holding him in place were straining.

“Okay.” I couldn’t say anything else. Embarrassed, I turned and darted out of the room and rushed to my room. My heart wasn’t ready, but my body was demanding release. Release with the hulk of a military man named Jordan.