Solid Steel (Unseen Enemy Book 6) Read Free

the loss of her breasts, dreaded getting undressed every night, avoided mirrors when she was unclothed. And most of all? She hated the vivid purple-red scars that she now had to carry for the rest of her life. As she imagined Luke’s face at the sight of them, she bit her lip: that heartstopping face would be twisted in disgust, she was sure. Nothing sexy about a woman who looked like her.
    Yeah, sure, Luke was missing a hand and so he knew all about looking at and living in a body with pieces missing. A body that didn’t feel or look or work or even move the way that it had for years and years; a body that didn’t fit anymore. A stranger’s body, in some ways.
    She thought that maybe Luke would understand her in some ways that mattered, but not in all of them, and not in the way that mattered the most. In Selena’s mind, losing her breasts felt so – ugly . That loss was a knock-down blow to how attractive and desirable she felt; it was a direct hit to her femininity and her sexiness. The thought of being naked with a man was, quite literally, unimaginable.
    She hadn’t told anybody about her surgery. Not her father or brothers back in L.A., not her friends, certainly not her co-workers. She hadn’t told the guys at Solid Security because she thought that they’d treat her differently and she wasn’t about to fucking stand for that. She hadn’t told her friends because they were all new Moms who were totally overwhelmed by screaming babies at 3 a.m. and cracked nipples and going on panicked emergency diaper runs.
    And her family? Well, she hadn’t told them because she knew that any mention of it would hurt them deeply. It would call to mind old wounds, barely scarred over and definitely not anything even close to healed. It would call up losses, losses that were still keenly, painfully felt. Selena wasn’t about to shatter them like that. She was tough and she was going to handle it all just fine. On her own.
    With a huff of disgust at her momentary flight of fancy about a hot man, she pulled her hair back in to a tight, uncompromising ponytail. Who cared what Luke might think if he saw her with it down in dark waves around her golden skin? Who cared about Luke and his sexy-as-hell forearms?
    Not me. That’s for damn sure.
    **
    “So, is she single?”
    Griff grinned. He’d been waiting for this. He’d seen the way that Luke had checked out Selena and he’d seen her studied indifference, which was always the surest sign that she was, actually, interested.
    “You interested?” he asked as he poured some more coffee.
    “Hell, man.” Luke ran his hand through his hair. “A woman that stunning? Of course I’m interested.”
    “Yeah, well. Take a number, Rhodes.”
    Luke looked supremely unconcerned. “What number?”
    “Huh?”
    “I mean, how many guys do I have to beat off to get my chance with her?”
    Griff laughed, a deep, rolling sound from his broad chest. “Oh, I figure there are about three guys hanging around with hopes.”
    “And they’ve got them? Hopes?”
    “Nah.” Griff shook his blond head. “Selena’s hard on men, but that ain’t no surprise.”
    “Hard how?”
    Griff shrugged. “The woman is tough as hell and most guys can’t handle it. She’s a bodyguard and she’s hardcore and I think she could take down most guys without any effort at all. She needs someone strong – and not just physically.”
    “She’s a tough character too, huh?”
    “Oh, yeah.” Luke heard the affection in his friend’s voice. “She’s smart, man, and she’s strong mentally and emotionally.”
    “And she hasn’t found a guy who can handle all of that?”
    “I guess not, because of all the guys hanging around and asking her to dinner, she ain’t anything like serious about any of them. Barely gives them the time of day, actually. Especially lately.”
    Something in Griff’s tone caught Luke’s attention fully. “Why lately? What’s going on?”
    “Honestly? I don’t know, but she