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Eva put a hand on it. “Do you want it back?”

He shook his head. “However, we also use it to attract or repel
Spiders, depending on the situation. Mostly we protect Earth, keeping a sort of
shield over the planet so the Spiders don’t sense us. We can also use it to
attract them and set traps.”

“If there’s a shield over the planet, why did they attack us in
the parking lot?”

“The shield is more like camouflage, not an actual barrier.”

“Why are you telling me all this?”
Eva’s gut twisted. Something about
his tone raised her hackles.

“When the hacker infiltrated portions of our net, it wrecked the
delicate balance between shield and attractor. Our tech is extremely
complicated, and it doesn’t work like human-based computers, so any tinkering
inevitably attracts the Spiders. They feed on power, both organic and not. The
Stronghold net is mostly self-sufficient and generates far more energy than you
can imagine.”

Eva stared at him. “What does any of this have to do with me? You
shouldn’t even be telling me this. This is Sentry business.” She shifted on the
couch as her muscles knotted up. Greyson stood over her like an avenging angel.
Her instincts told her to run. Her heart told her to stay. She’d never felt
more frightened of him or attracted to him at the same time.
He isn’t truly human, is he?
she
mused, chewing on the inside of her cheek. No ordinary
man could control the energy she sensed he contained.

“Solomon traced the hacker to your computer.”

Eva stopped breathing. He couldn’t be serious? “That’s impossible.
I’m the only one who uses that computer.”

He smiled grimly.
“Apparently not.”

She stood up and backed away, her gut twisting. “I’m not a hacker.
I’m a web designer. I don’t even code, I use software to build websites.” She
felt like she couldn’t get enough air. She wasn’t sure if she was scared or
angry.
Or aroused,
she thought, looking at the long, muscular lines of
his body.
Which is crazy.
He’s accusing you
of hacking the Stronghold net!

“I told Solomon you didn’t do it.” The silver specks in his eyes
seemed to glow in the dim light.

“Good, because I didn’t.”
She stopped inching away. “What
did he say?”

Greyson lifted a shoulder. “He agreed.”

Relief hit her like a punch in the gut, but dissipated just as
quickly when Greyson’s expression didn’t change. “There’s more, isn’t there?”

“We need to catch this hacker before he attracts the Spiders.” He walked
to the window near the fireplace and looked out. The setting sun carved out his
profile until all she could see were sharp edges.

“Tell me,” she urged, when he let the silence draw out a little
too long for her comfort.

Greyson took a deep breath. “There’s a huge swarm near Alpha
Centauri. We can’t risk them getting any closer and infecting the planet.”

Eva twisted her hands together. “Are you asking me for help? That’s
insane. I don’t know anything about your tech.” She shivered at the thought of
a giant swarm of those crystalline things attacking Earth. Surely the Sentries
wouldn’t let anything happen to them? A niggling thought tickled at the back of
her head. “You need to set a trap for the hacker. Before he does anything
worse, don’t you?”

Greyson gave a short, sharp nod.

“Oh my God.
You want me to be bait,” she
breathed as the logical solution settled full-blown into her mind.

“No!” Greyson said harshly. “I told Bruno no.” He pivoted and walked
over to her.

Eva was already shaking her head at him. “You have to do it. You
have no choice.” She swallowed past the lump in her throat as she thought about
all the people who could be hurt or worse, die if she didn’t do this. She stood
her ground as he loomed over her, hard and implacable and so damn handsome that
even now, in the midst of a disaster, he still took her breath away.

“I don’t have to do anything,” Greyson replied, stroking her hair.

She jerked her head back as fear and frustration twisted through
her like a tornado. She didn’t want to be bait, but what else could she do?
If this was in any way her fault…
Another, more horrible thought
hit her. “Oh my God, you think
it’s
John, don’t you?”
She rubbed her face. “Of course it is. Who else could it be?
Fucking
hell.”
She started trembling. Was her entire life going to be one
betrayal after another? She’d thought John was a good guy, and instead he was
turning out to be just as awful as her father. Could even Greyson be trusted?
She swallowed, refusing to cry. She’d managed to survive so far. She’d get
through this, too.

“Eva, don’t,” Greyson said gently. His fingers touched her temple.

She
refused to take his comfort. “I’ll do it,” she said, turning her face away from
his hand. Anger rushed through her.
Damn John. And damn Greyson, for being a
Sentry.

“I
already told my brothers no.” He pulled her close.

Eva
didn’t have the strength to fight him off again. Her lips hit his damp shirt
and she let her head fall into his shoulder. He tasted like rain and dust.

“I
would never use you as bait,” he murmured.

She
bit her lip, hard. If she let herself think about it too much, she’d lose it. “You
have to. It’s the only way.” At least he believed she was innocent.
Small
favors,
she told herself grimly.

“I’ll
find another way,” he murmured, kissing her hair.

He
was being so gentle. The strangeness of it undermined her best intentions.
Dammit. I can’t do this alone anymore.
Eva
blinked back tears, and hurriedly wiped them away.
Screw it. I’ll do what I have to, but I want to live a little first.
She grabbed onto him, twining her fingers in his shirt. “I don’t want to die,
Greyson.”

“God,”
he muttered harshly.

The
next thing she knew, he’d lifted her up in his arms. “Greyson, stop,” she
cried, hanging on for dear life.

“
Shh
,” he admonished her, heading for the stairs.

She
shoved her face in his chest. “I don’t know how to do this.”

“I
do,” he said, kicking open the door to his room with his foot. The bed was lit
with red and gold light as the sun set over the valley.

Eva
trembled as he lowered her down. “I thought you couldn’t get close to anyone.
You said you had to remain aloof, as a Sentry.”

He
growled as he took off his shirt, tossing the wet fabric to the floor. “I
changed my mind.”

She
stared at his chest. Muscles played over his torso as he popped the buttons on
his jeans. She knew he was strong. He’d picked her up like she weighed nothing
at all, but she hadn’t realized until right now just how much his clothing hid.
He unlatched the metal clasps of his boots and kicked them off, padding
barefoot to the bed. Her eyes went to a rip in his jeans as her whole body went
hot.
Whoa
, she thought, overwhelmed.
Is this really happening?
She’d been
dreaming about this moment for years and had all but given up on being with
Greyson intimately.

“Don’t
be afraid,” he said, tugging at the arms she’d self-consciously wrapped around
her chest.

“I’m
sorry,” she said, voice cracking. “I’m not perfect and thin and strong—”

“
Shh
.” He cut her off. “You don’t see yourself the way I do.”

She
frowned at him, but he picked up her hands and put them on his shoulders.
His skin is so hot.
She kneaded the warm
muscles beneath her palms, trying to convince herself she wasn’t dreaming.

When
he closed his eyes and shuddered, she bit her lip. “I’m sorry,” she said again,
unable to help herself, but then he moved in and kissed her. The shock of his
lips moving against hers destroyed her ability to think. All she could do was
hang
on and trust him.

Chapter
Seven

Greyson
released the control he held over his empathic power and let himself sink into
her emotions. He didn’t understand why she thought she was so unattractive—Eva
was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever known, not just in body, but in
strength of character. She’d been through so much and come out the other side a
survivor. She eroded his self-control until he couldn’t fight himself any more.
He hadn’t let a woman get close to him in two hundred years, but this slip of a
girl destroyed all his good intentions. He nibbled on her delectable lower lip.
“You’re beautiful,” he murmured, hands on her hips. No way was he going to stop
now. He’d committed to this, Bruno and his suspicions
be
damned.

She
gasped, opening to him perfectly. He kissed her again, savoring her taste. Her
hands clutched at his arms and he kissed down her jaw, reveling in the softness
of her skin. “You’re strong,” he said, unbuttoning her blouse and pushing it
over her shoulders. His breath caught when he saw his ring nestled between her
breasts.

“I’m
not,” she argued, but he kissed her a third time, cutting off her protests.

“Gorgeous,”
he whispered when he let her up for air. He peeled the fabric from her body.
Her generous breasts strained against the black satin of her bra and he wasted
no time in nuzzling against them. She slid her hands into his hair as he tugged
at the cup, popping a nipple out over the top. He sucked it in, playing at it
with his tongue until it pebbled.

“Oh
God, Greyson,” she gasped, fisting his hair.

He
grinned against her skin and undid the clasps, sliding the bra away. He licked
at her other nipple, plying the first one with his thumb. His senses were wide
open and he could feel just how much she liked this. When he bit down, she
arched her back. The tiny bit of pain shot her arousal higher. Greyson groaned
as the echo of it funneled through him. His dick hurt where it was trapped in
his jeans. He bit down again,
then
undid her pants. He
paused and looked up her body. Her fair skin flushed under his gaze.

“There’s
no going back from this,” he said, wanting her to be certain. He reached up and
snagged a lock of her gorgeous hair between his fingers. “Be sure.”

She swallowed, green eyes glowing. “I know.” She put a hand to his
cheek. “Don’t stop.”

He kissed her fingers and peeled off her jeans, tossing them
aside. Her panties were next and he slid them down quickly. She smelled divine.
Her pussy was wet and pink and beautiful. He leaned in, desperate to taste her.
The shocked
oh
she made when he touched his lips to her made him smile.
He put his fingers on her labia and gently spread her wetness around until
everything glistened. He kissed her, ignoring her gasp. He licked over and over
the sensitive tip of her clit until she writhed on the bed, red hair spread out
like a lace curtain on his white sheets.

“Oh God, what are you doing?” she asked, breathy.

Greyson didn’t reply. Instead, he moved down, licking over her
anus. She keened and he teased the delicate muscles,
then
moved back up, sliding a finger into her pussy as he sucked on her clit again.
She shivered and he moved up, kissing over her hip,
then
biting her nipple until she writhed. He put another finger inside her, stopping
when he sensed a hint of pain with his empathy. “Eva?”

“Don’t stop now,” she said, grabbing his shoulders. “Please.”

He swallowed, fighting for control, and flicked her clit with his
thumb. She cried out, close to the edge. When he added another finger, the pain
intensified. “You’ve never done this before,” he said, overwhelmed. He couldn’t
believe it. His dick swelled, making him wince as it wedged awkwardly into a crease
of his jeans.

She leaned up on her elbows. “No, I haven’t. Is that a problem?”

“Hell no.”
He kissed her,
then
sat up on his knees. The urge to possess her
right now
roared up in him, but he tamped it down. He didn’t want
to frighten her.
She’s mine. She always has been, and always will be,
he
thought, fighting his instincts.
There’s no need to rush.

“Where are you going?” She reached out a hand.