No Rules Read Free Page A

girls didn’t warn you that Hibariates enjoy inflicting pain during mating.”
    â€œThey don’t like me very much.” Her own fault. If she’d just made friends with the other prostitutes she would have been warned about the sharp-toothed troll. Making female friends had never been her strong suit, especially now that she had so many things to hide.
    Fenton didn’t answer her as they made their way through a steamy alley jammed with vendors hawking food and souvenirs to the visitors. The air in the atmosphere dome was full of spice and frenetic energy. Alison hadn’t spent much time outside, and she drank in the bustle and buzz of life happening all around her. In a way it reminded her of New New York, and a pang of homesickness made her oblivious to the cracks in the sidewalk. She stumbled and would have gone sprawling if he hadn’t caught her.
    â€œCareful.” Fenton’s solid grip held her up. He didn’t linger, just made sure she was steady before turning to resume his course. His shoulders took up almost the entire span of the narrow walkway between the carts and she pressed deeper into his side. Safety was an illusion, but right now she needed to trust somebody at least a little bit. The man had gone out of his way for her, and she figured he would continue to do so, at least until he got what he wanted.
    An entire night with him. Her body tingled in anticipation. Hopefully he’d let her patch her arm up before he set in on her, but she wouldn’t complain either way. Once activated, her germ shield would eradicate anything that might lead to an infection, as well as protect her from sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy.
    â€œYou just flinched.” She started, unaware that he’d been watching her. Fenton didn’t require an explanation but his eyes asked the question.
    â€œJust a random thought. The worst-case scenario.” A baby was about the only thing that would make her life harder. Even the thought of a child made her twitchy.
    â€œI won’t hurt you.” Those icy eyes assessed her. “By the looks of you, you’ve been hurt enough.”
    It was almost impossible not to take offense to that. Alison was a realist, but knowing she looked like hell and hearing a potential lover say so were on opposite ends of the universe. What was she expecting anyway? Fenton said he was a soldier and he’d saved her ass. Envisioning him sweet-talking her into bed was overkill.
    Fenton ushered her out of the alley and across the road jammed by thicker congestion of military and civilian vehicles that idled in the early evening traffic and toward a small bridge spanning a long, dry riverbed. Even with the bioluminescent light fixtures tethered to trees surrounding the crossing, she could barely make out the edges of the arched walkway. With no railing, nothing prevented a one-hundred-meter drop to the long-dead stream.
    Seeming to sense her hesitation, Fenton spoke in that brisk, yet reassuring voice. “There’s an invisible force field around the bridge. You won’t fall.”
    She smiled weakly. “I’m not a fan of heights.”
    He moved closer and pointed up. “Meteor shower. Focus on that.”
    â€œOh.” Her breath caught as she watched the blazes of light streak across the blackened sky. For a moment she shed her misery, dismissed all her worry, and just watched the glorious display. “It’s beautiful.”
    Rough hands caressed her cheek, and she turned her attention to him as his mouth feathered lightly over hers. The kiss he gave her was sweet and soft, not the kind of thing she was used to at all. Instead of an eager, messy mating, his lips brushed over hers with a sweet reverence. He tasted of liquor and potent male spices. She was so stunned she didn’t have a chance to respond before he pulled back abruptly.
    â€œSorry.” He didn’t say anything else as they’d crossed