Edge of Reason (EDGE Security Series Book 2) Read Free

to try? She didn’t fit in with these dressed-up dolls.
    But she didn’t exactly fit in with the soldiers, either.  
    She shook her head. She was getting melancholy. It was time to go home.
    Cat made her way back to Liam who, by the look of the bottle of wine, was on his third glass. His voice was loud and too exuberant for whatever story he told. She tapped him on the shoulder.  
    “Liam, I’m tired and I’d like to go home,” she said.  
    “What? No way, Kitty-Cat. Come on, you can stay out a bit later.”
    “I asked you not to call me that.”
    “Kitty-Cat? But you like it.” He reached out and stroked her hair. “You should really grow your hair long. It’d be amazing.”
    She pulled her head away from his hand. “So I can look like Barbie? No thanks.” What had she seen in this guy? Or had she just been tempted because some civilian actually wanted to date her? “I’m heading home. I’ll see you around, Liam.”  
    He grabbed her arm. “Wait, Kitty-Cat—I mean Catherine. Why don’t you let me finish my wine and I’ll see you home?”  
    His friends Dumb and Dumber stood behind Liam grinning over their glasses. She shook off his hand. “No, thanks. I can take care of myself.”
    Liam frowned. “You know what, Catherine? That’s your problem. You’re too much of a man to accept help from one.”
    She’d had enough. She was aware of someone tall standing at the edge of her vision. Her instinct told her to look, but she needed to finish this. “You mean I should pretend I need you to protect me?”
    His lip curled. “No wonder you’re single.” He turned to his friends. “That bet is not worth it. It’d be like taking a guy to bed.”
    Her insides froze to ice with his words. The sounds of muted conversations and tinkling glasses rushed away. “What did you say?”
    Liam turned to her and put his face close to hers. “I only went out with you on a bet. Seriously, you’ve got more muscles than most men. You’re barely a woman.”  
    The ice inside her cracked and split. She wanted to run, but her temper had other ideas. “You were going to sleep with me on a bet?”
    “Yes,” he said, straightening to his full height. “I hit on you that night because I was dared to. It’s been interesting, if nothing else.” He flicked his fingers as if to brush her away.
    She didn’t really recall snatching his hand, twisting it, and digging her strong fingers into the pressure point at the wrist, but suddenly Liam was on his knees before her, leaning forward trying to ease the pain in his wrist and shoulder. She twisted harder and he writhed.
    “Fuck,” he said. “Let me go, you crazy bitch.”
      She applied more pressure and he shrieked. His friends shifted their feet, but did nothing to help their buddy. No worries there. The rest of the crowd had edged back from the confrontation.
    The tall figure in her periphery moved toward her main line of sight. Her stomach dropped. What was he doing here? This was so not her night.
    Petty Officer Second Class Rhys ‘Lucky’ Lafayette didn’t wear his uniform tonight, just a pair of low-slung jeans, a black t-shirt, and a battered leather jacket. He should have looked out of place among all the suits, but instead he radiated such a bad-boy vibe that every woman in the place followed him with her eyes.
    “Hey, Cat,” he said. His eyes flicked over Liam before catching hers again. “Whatcha doing, chère?”
    His Louisiana drawl wrapped around her, just like his strong arms had six months before.  
    She swallowed, pushing away the memories of that one explosive night.  
    “Just teaching someone some manners,” she said. How much had he heard? Crap. She could feel her face heat. With her pale skin, it would burn bright red. She looked away from those whiskey-colored eyes and down at the man still cursing her. She tightened her grip and he writhed again, but at least he’d shut up.
    Rhys leaned on the table and sipped the beer he carried.