“Hey, Natalya.”
She managed a nod. “Reed.”
“How you doing?” he asked in a lazy drawl.
“Fine.” She barely controlled the snap in her voice. He always asked her that, watching her with that patient gaze. She suspected all he saw when he looked at her was a damaged, fragile woman. He’d been the one to carry her out of that raptor lab when Hell Squad had gone in to rescue survivors. He’d been the one she’d clung to. He’d been the one to sit by her bed in the infirmary for days as she’d recovered. And he’d been the one who’d witnessed a few of her bad moments in the weeks that followed her rescue.
She wasn’t damaged, dammit. She took a deep breath. “You’re back from the mission?” Oh, brilliant, Natalya, of course he was back from the mission.
He tilted his head, watching her. “Yeah. Rescued some humans the raptors were dragging off.”
To another lab, probably. Natalya swallowed the lump in her throat. But, she reminded herself Reed himself had blown up the alien’s secret Genesis Facility where they’d been turning humans into aliens.
“I found this.” He held up a black cube. It pulsed with a red light.
Oh. She jumped up and snatched it from him. “It’s an energy source. I studied one that was damaged, but this…it looks like it’s in perfect working order.” She looked up and found Reed staring at her. “What?”
“Never seen you look so…covetous of anything before.”
She felt heat in her cheeks. “You haven’t seen me about to get in a hot shower.”
Something flashed in his eyes and Natalya did a mental groan. God, had that really come out of her mouth? She’d never been this silly around a man before. She turned her back on him, knew her cheeks were flaming now.
She set the cube on her desk and ran a hand through her short hair. Another thing she could thank the aliens for. Before, she’d loved her long dark hair, but the aliens had shorn it off. At least it had grown back enough and with a decent cut, the short style didn’t look half bad.
Reed edged closer, his big body brushing hers. “So, you think the aliens use this cube as a power source? Like a battery?”
At that one tiny, accidental touch, she felt a spark of electricity skate through her. She tried to ignore his effect on her and focus on his words. “I don’t know anything for certain. I need to study it more, but I’m hoping it could be an energy source we can use or…”
“Or?”
Their eyes clashed. “Something we can use against them.”
His gaze sharpened. “Really?”
She shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t know yet.” Her jaw tightened. “But if we can, then I’ll make it happen.”
Dr. Eos Rai has spent a lifetime dedicated to her mother's dream of finding the long-lost Mona Lisa. When Eos uncovers tantalizing evidence of Star's End—the last known location of the masterpiece—she's shocked when her employer, the Galactic Institute of Historic Preservation, refuses to back her expedition. Left with no choice, Eos must trust the most notorious treasure hunter in the galaxy, a man she finds infuriating, annoying and far too tempting.
Dathan Phoenix can sniff out relics at a stellar mile. With his brothers by his side, he takes the adventures that suit him and refuses to become a lazy, bitter failure like their father. When the gorgeous Eos Rai comes looking to hire him, he knows she's trouble, but he's lured into a hunt that turns into a wild and dangerous adventure. As Eos and Dathan are pushed to their limits, they discover treasure isn't the only thing they're drawn to…but how will their desire survive when Dathan demands the Mona Lisa as his payment?
The Phoenix Adventures
At Star’s End
In the Devil’s Nebula
Beneath a Trojan Moon
Beyond Galaxy’s Edge
On a Cyborg Planet
Also by Anna Hackett
Hell Squad
Marcus
Cruz
Gabe
Reed
The Anomaly Series
Time Thief
Mind Raider
Soul Stealer
Salvation
The Phoenix Adventures
At Star’s End
In the Devil’s Nebula
On a Rogue Planet
Beneath a Trojan Moon
Beyond Galaxy’s Edge
On a Cyborg Planet
Perma Series
Winter Fusion
Wind Kissed, Fire Bound
Taken by the South Wind
Tempting the West Wind
Defying the North Wind
Claiming the East Wind
Standalone Titles
Savage Dragon
Hunter’s Surrender
One Night with the Wolf
Anthologies
A Galactic Holiday
Moonlight (UK only)
Vampire Hunter (UK only)
Awakening the Dragon (UK Only)
For more information visit AnnaHackettBooks.com
About the Author
I’m passionate about action romance. I love stories that combine the thrill of falling in love with the excitement of action, danger and adventure. I’m a sucker for that moment when the team is walking in slow motion, shoulder-to-shoulder heading off into battle. I write about people overcoming unbeatable odds and achieving seemingly impossible goals. I like to believe it’s possible for all of us to do the same.
My books are mixture of action, adventure and sexy romance and they’re recommended for anyone who enjoys fast-paced stories where the boy wins the girl at the end (or sometimes the girl wins the boy!)
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Website: AnnaHackettBooks.com
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Table of Contents
What readers are saying about Anna’s Science Fiction Romance
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Read the first chapter of Reed
Also by Anna Hackett
About the Author