Page 12 of Fire Forged

“Lovely night, isn’t it?”She sidled closer; surprised he was letting her.

As she neared him, his incredible height loomed, and the sheer breadth of his chest forced her to shift her head to take it all in.The clouds cleared, revealing a little of his form in the waning moonlight.The silver rays highlighted his stance; wide spread legs with his hands clasped behind him.A military uniform adorned his impressive physique, and she almost relaxed, thinking him law enforcement.Since she worked at a survival shop and they sold similar outfits, her relief was short lived.

“Leave,” he muttered, his voice surly.

Leave?

She glared at him, not that he could see her in the dark.He was standing in her mother’s yard, spying.He should be the one to go or at least explain his presence.Dammit, perverts abound.She ran her gaze up him, doubting she could break any bone in his body or even get her knee high enough to hit his groin.

“I live here.You leave.”That wasn’t her wisest response, but she was floored by his audacity.

She ‘turned’ as if to walk away, gripped the edge trim, whipped off the helmet, and swung it into his stomach.Heooffedand fell onto one knee.When he began to rise, she dropped the helmet at his feet to fumble for the taser and spray canister.Adrenaline rushed through her, shaking her fingers.Unfortunately, spray happened before tase.

He roared like a lion, his eyes on fire.She winced when the sound penetrated the sleepy neighborhood.Throwing down both items next to his prone body, she bolted, sprinting across the yard at full speed.Thankfully, she’d mowed it last week which meant navigating the grass was easier.

“Mom, call E.A.F.I just decked a man in our backyard...and tasered him.”She burst into the house, slamming the back door behind her.

As she entered the lounge through the dining room, she ground to a halt, her sneakers screeching on the hardwood floor.Her mother was somewhere within burly arms.A rather large man, dressed like the idiot she’d assaulted, knelt beside Mom, engulfing her in a hug.

Yikes.Perhaps she’d been too hasty with the helmet?Fuck it.After the day she’d had...“Mom?”

Her mom mumbled something to the man pinning her.Scarier than her calm in this weird scenario was the way he held her, as if she was the most precious thing to him.

Another roar from the backyard made Britt jump.“Shit.He’s awake.”

“Be calm, human female.Nerx will not harm you,” Mom’s hugger said.

Nerx?What kind of name is that?Swedish?

“Like hell I will not.Alodon’s balls, she sprayed some burning shit into my eyes, Aldur.I can barely see,” Nerx growled as he stumbled through the kitchen.

Shit.In the light, he was as tall as she’d guessed, maybe six-foot-six, and so huge, his muscles had muscles.Judging by the balance of his arms to his chest to his bulky thighs, these weren’t gym-generated muscles, but the kind honed from hours of physical labor.

Did Scotsmen look like this?Swinging a claymore would do this to their bodies.His skin was bronze, like the metal, and it shimmered in the light.She smirked, thinking he was glittered to the max.No man could be called a girl when he looked like that.If he’d stop rubbing his face, she’d be able to see his features.

Peeking through his thick digits was his square jaw and pursed lips, too wide to be classically handsome.Still, he was sexy anyway.Nerx.Her eyes widened in recognition.He was Etterian?Why hadn’t the bastard said something?Shemightnot have attacked him.

The man holding her mother stood up, lifting her with him.He was so gentle while he ensured she had her balance, it made Britt’s heart leap.Maybe this Aldur had an agenda?He sure promised more, something Britt had been praying for her mom.He crossed the room to halt before Nerx, eye to eye.His physique was as masculine.Perhaps it was genetics?

“It looks irritated.”Aldur tapped on a device he’d pulled from one of his hidden pockets.

“It stings,” Nerx grumbled, rubbing his eyes with his thick fingers.

“My med-gun is malfunctioning.”Aldur shook the device.“Did you bring yours?”

When no response was forthcoming, Aldur scanned Nerx’s face with holographic lights on his forearm.Britt gaped at that bit of alien tech.“It is not serious, Nerx.Return to the ship.I will heal you there.”

“I will not leave you,” he said, clenching his jaw.

Aldur tutted.“You cannot see anyway.”

“Good point.”Nerx tapped his wrist.“Matir, Sena, to me.”He leveled his distant gaze at Britt.“Let us hope I never meet you again.”

At his threat, the emotions roiling through her made her breathless, uncertain, and nervous.Now that he’d lowered his hands, she had a full view of his face.It was broader at the jaw than his forehead.His nose was tall and hero-like, angular.His pursed lips had relaxed.They were still wide but were enticingly uneven.Dark blue downturned eyes under arched eyebrows, black as sin, completed a striking man.Wow.

This… He… She got the sense he would take what he wanted.Nothing like Kev.

She shook herself, trying to snap her womanly bits into some semblance of order.Furious with herself for finding this Neanderthal attractive, she fell back on her defense mechanism...Sarcasm.

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