“But you’re not a sadist.” This conversation had taken a serious detour. Why were they talking about sex?
“Guess not.” He rubbed his chin, his gaze traveling across her body. “Though the right woman could probably talk me into it.”
Sami held up a hand, her skin tingling where his gaze had landed. “Whoa. I do not want to be whipped.”
Triumph filled his gaze. “Who said I was talking about you?”
Her mouth snapped shut. She drew a breath in. “Fine. Then how about Barbara? She’s a great soldier, and you’ve seemed happy with her this last week.”
He shrugged. “We agreed to no commitments.” His eyebrows rose. “I’d ask about your love life, but you haven’t been seeing anybody. Don’t you miss sex?”
“Who says I haven’t been having sex?” Time to put him in his place, damn it. She moved then, punching him hard in the gut and sweeping left. He bent over with a muffledoof, and she kicked out, aiming for his shoulder.
“You’ve been celibate. I’ve watched.” His torso pivoted, and he grabbed her foot before it connected with his flesh.
What the hell? She hopped back, her entire body going into a fight-or-flight mode. He’d never moved that quickly before. Her breath sped up, and only part of her reaction was from the fight.
Giving a low laugh, he shoved her foot up into the air, knocking her off balance.
She landed on her back with a loud slap against the mat, the air whooshed from her lungs, and he was on her.
Her mouth gaped open.
He straddled her and manacled his powerful hands around her biceps, pressing her upper body to the mat. He leaned down, his eyes right above hers.
She blinked several times. From day one, his eyes had fascinated her. Deep and blue, they looked what she’d imagined the Texas sky looked like. But as she focused, awareness struck. Dark blue rims, nearly black, encircled his irises. Those were new.
“Tap out,” he whispered, his voice gritty.
Oh, he really didn’t know her at all. She went limp as if giving up. His lips started to curve into a smile. Using her butt as a fulcrum, she rolled her hips, pushed off from her shoulders, and yanked her knees up beneath his arms. Putting all her strength into her legs, she kicked him squarely where his arms met his shoulders. The shock of the impact ricocheted up to her hips.
He fell back, releasing her.
She rolled into a backward somersault and leaped to her feet, her gaze tracking him. Awareness clacked through her, igniting nerves to life. Her blood stirred, and her body went on full alert, reacting to the raw maleness suddenly challenging her.
He stood and stretched his right shoulder, smiling. The smile wasn’t amused and held more than a hint of warning. “That’s relief in your pretty eyes, Samantha,” he whispered.
“Ha. That’s boredom,” she shot back, keeping track of his hands, her heart thundering. She’d spent her whole life courting danger, and she wasn’t changing now. If he moved in fast, she’d need to kick.
“Hmm.” He rubbed his other shoulder. “I originally just wanted to let off some steam, you know.” He moved forward, just a foot, already in a fighting stance but way too calm.
“Is that so?” She kept on her toes, her body on alert for his move.
“Yeah. Then I kind of wanted to win and make you tap out. But this isn’t about just tapping out anymore, now is it?” His chin lowered, and he focused on her knees, a different look in his eyes than she’d ever seen there.
The look stole her breath away.
She couldn’t transmit her intention with her legs, so she shook out her hands, trying to draw his attention. His concentration didn’t move. Her entire body felt sensitized and primed—hyperaware of him. “What more is there than tapping out?” Her voice lowered to a whisper.
His nostrils flared like a wolf’s catching a scent. “You’re wondering what it’d be like. You and me—just once.”
She stiffened and then quickly loosened her muscles in case of attack. How did he know that? Her legs trembled, and she settled her stance again. “Not even close.”
His grin was full-on this time. “Liar.”
She swallowed. All right. The guy had blue eyes, chiseled features, ripped abs, and a Texan drawl. Plus, she’d always had a thing for blonds. “Wait a second.” She cocked her head to the side. “Is your hair getting darker?” He’d cut it, but now that it was growing out a little, she could see burnished auburn instead of blond.
“Yes, ma’am. Apparently hair and eyes can change color after Scorpius.” He moved his head, his gaze on her feet now. “The eyes of some early Ebola survivors changed color, so it’s not a huge surprise.”
