Noah: Scifi Alien Invasion Romance (Hell Squad Book 6) (6 page)

Laura shook her head. She’d had love, and while she’d had it, it had been amazing, comforting, passionate, supportive. When she’d lost it, it had been the most horrible day of her life. Noah had clearly been hurt, just as she had, but in a different way. She gave a little, hollow laugh. “I don’t want anything, okay? Let’s just pretend this—” she waved a hand between them “—never happened.”

As she stepped back again, he gripped her arm. “Hell, no. You think this fire between us is just going to snuff itself out?”

“It’ll have to.”

“It’s too strong for that, Laura. It’s already singeing us. The fire’s going to grow.”

She felt that crack inside her widen. A part of her, the hungry part, was reaching out, wanting to touch him.

“No.” She kept her voice firm. “Have a good day, Noah.”

She turned and walked to the door. She wasn’t running this time. This time it was her choice to walk away and she was in control.

“Laura?”

She hesitated. She really, really wanted to look back. Hell, she wanted to run back to him and take what he was offering.

But she made herself walk out the door and not look back.

***

“Noah, what the hell is wrong with you today?” Elle Milton slammed her comp keyboard down on her desk and turned to scowl at him.

Noah just scowled back. So he was in a bad mood. That wasn’t exactly news. “You should be used to dealing with me by now.”

“I thought I was, but this is a new level of bad.” She came closer, her scowl morphing to concern. “It’s the worry about getting the convoy illusion system working, isn’t it?”

He barely resisted rolling his eyes. Elle couldn’t hold her anger or a grudge for longer than thirty seconds. She was the same with Marcus, stomping her foot about the risks the man took. Marcus defused her by tossing her over his shoulder and heading to their quarters. And what they did there, Noah did
not
want to think about.

Thinking about sex just made him think of Laura.

Fuck
. He picked up one of the alien energy cubes he’d dismantled. “I’m fine, Elle. Don’t sweat it.”

He went back to studying the alien parts for the hundredth time. Yeah, he was stressed about the illusion system, but the current reason for his foul mood was about five-foot-eight, with deep-red hair and green eyes.

He kept replaying that moment right here at his desk. Thinking about where he’d gone wrong. He pressed a closed fist to his forehead. He’d always had a better affinity with machines and comp systems than people. As a child, he’d been far ahead of his classmates and usually in advanced classes with kids much older than him. He’d never been completely socially inept, but he wasn’t always great at reading emotions in others. He wasn’t particularly good with subtleties, either.

And Laura was hiding a whole bunch of stuff under her pristine façade.

He set the cube down. Maybe she was like Kalina. Kalina had showed Noah one face—a beautiful, caring one—until she’d had his enormous rock on her finger. Then she’d been a first-class bitch who made it very clear she’d married him for his bank account. There hadn’t been a genuine bone in that skinny woman’s body.

But his gut told him Laura was nothing like Kalina.

Hell
.
Just stop thinking about her, Kim
. He went back to staring at the energy cube with a vengeance.

A slim hand slammed down on the desk.

He looked up into Elle’s pretty face, and the surprisingly stubborn look on it.

“Noah, I am used to dealing with hardass, alpha-male soldiers. One arrogant genius is nothing. So spill, what’s wrong?”

“Elle, I’ve got work—”

“No.” Her tone was hard. “I’m not letting you avoid this. Something’s wrong and I’m your friend.” Her tone softened, her blue eyes earnest. “What’s wrong?”

“I kissed Laura.”

Elle blinked. “Laura?” Then her eyes widened. “Captain Bladon?”

“Yeah.” Well, it had been a hell of a lot more than a kiss, but he wasn’t going into details with Elle.

“You and Captain Bladon kissed? The woman you’ve been cursing for months, who you said rides you into the ground, who annoys the hell out of you. Who—”

“Got the point, Elle. Yes, Captain Bladon.” He scraped his hands through his hair.

Elle cleared her throat. “Did you like it?’

He raised his gaze.

She must have seen what was blazing inside him because her eyes widened even more. “Right. You liked it. A lot. And Laura?”

He sighed. “She’s running from it.”

Elle perched on the edge of the desk. “She was married, right? Before.”

“Engaged.” And that was all Noah knew.

“That’s right.” Elle nodded. “He was a Navy SEAL, I think.”

Hell, of course he was. Some dedicated soldier who would have suited her perfectly. “She hasn’t said much, but she lost him and her family.”

Elle pressed her hand over Noah’s. “We all lost loved ones.” Something crossed her face.

Noah knew Elle had heard her parents die at the hands of raptors on the night of the invasion. And while it sounded like they’d been selfish, vapid assholes, and Elle hadn’t been really close to them, she’d grieved for them.

“We’ve all lost, Noah. But now, it’s about how we pick ourselves up and move forward. Wallowing in the past doesn’t help. The past will always be remembered, and the people we loved will always be special. But I wouldn’t trade what I have with Marcus for the comforts of life before. And I wouldn’t give him up to insulate myself in case I lose a loved one again.”

Noah thought of his failed marriage and the painful lesson his ex-wife had carved on his soul. He was honest enough to admit he hadn’t left that behind. It was why he’d told Laura they could just fuck and get it out of their systems. That was all he’d done from the day his divorce was finalized. He hadn’t wanted to risk letting a woman close enough to eviscerate and embarrass him again.

Shit, he’d been letting his past drive him. He thought of Laura, and those moments when she’d come alive under his hands, pure desire lighting her up. Desire just for him.

He wanted that.

He really wanted that.

Now he just needed a plan to make it happen.

Chapter Five

When his comp pinged later that afternoon, Noah noticed with surprise that the message was from Laura. He dropped the energy cube he was working on. Damn thing was driving him nuts, anyway. He tapped his comp and opened the message.

Hi, Noah. I know you’re working to get that energy cube operational for the illusion system. I was wondering if you’d like to question the raptor prisoner we have in custody. He may be able to help. He’s become a lot more cooperative in the last few weeks. Your call. Laura.

Noah sank back in his chair. It was a good idea. But damn, he hadn’t expected her to extend this cordial invite to him. He hadn’t expected to hear from her at all.

He quickly typed a message back.

Hey there, Captain Dragon. Excellent idea. I’ll be down there shortly. Noah.

His comp pinged.

Do NOT call me that ridiculous name.

Soon, he was striding down the tunnels to the prison area, a smile on his face. As he approached the reinforced metal door to the prison, he saw a young, female soldier standing guard outside. She had gorgeous, dark skin and black, curly hair that framed her face.

“Hi.” He nodded at her. He’d seen her a few times when he’d come down to repair the comp system.

She smiled. “It’s Noah, right?”

“It sure is.”

“Comp system down again?”

He shook his head. “Something else I’m working on with Captain Bladon.”

The soldier nodded and moved to unlock the door. She paused and looked back, her smile still in place. “I heard you like gaming.”

Noah’s eyebrows rose. “Yeah, I don’t mind it. The tech team has a weekly tournament in a few of the first-person shooter games they managed to bring with them.”

“I used to play Masters of War with my brothers, and a few of us played when we were at the Coalition Military Academy.” She pushed open the door and smiled at him again. “I thought maybe you and I could have a private gaming session sometime.”

Noah might not be good at reading subtle signs, but he got this one loud and clear. And shit, looking at her, he would have taken her up on it a few weeks back. But now he wanted a different woman. “I—”

“I’m sure Mr. Kim would love a gaming session, Maggie.”

Laura’s sharp voice startled both Noah and the young soldier. She was standing just inside the doorway, watching them.

Noah walked in. “Another time, maybe,” he murmured to Maggie.

With a nod, and an embarrassed look on her face, Maggie returned to her guard duty.

“A gamer, I should have known.” Laura was looking over his shoulder. Like the bare concrete wall was suddenly fascinating.

Noah shrugged. “I play with a few of my team. I’m not a hardcore gamer like some of them. My old company had a gaming division, so I had to have a working knowledge.”

“I prefer to read or draw.” She spun and headed off down the tunnel toward the cells. “Come on.”

He heard something edgy in her tone, but he couldn’t decipher it. With a shake of his head for infuriating, fascinating women, he followed her.

She stopped at one door, her hands clasped behind her back as she looked through a thick window into the cell.

Noah stepped up beside her and looked as well.

The raptor was seated. He was playing with a small tablet, seemingly engrossed.

“You let him on our system?” Noah asked.

“Of course not. The tablet has no connectivity. We just didn’t want him bored…that’s the worst thing for someone in captivity. We’ve been helping him learn more English. It was the biggest problem when he first arrived. We had trouble communicating.”

“But you have people who have learned the raptor language, right?”

She nodded. “Yes. Elle has been helping, since she has a real gift for it. My people are getting better, but there is still so much we don’t know.”

Noah released a long breath. “I don’t really want to know about them, I just want them to leave.” Humanity was fighting back, but it was an uphill slog. Noah knew that. For every few gains, there seemed to be a huge step backward.

“The more we know about them, the more prepared we are to fight them. And to prevent future attacks.” Laura cleared her throat. “Ready?”

Noah stared at the raptor. “Sure.”

Laura opened the door. “Good afternoon, Gaz’da.”

Shit, they knew its name. Noah watched the raptor straighten. He had dark-gray, scaly skin that covered every inch of him. He had no hair, just scales, and those burning red eyes that were unique to all the aliens.

“Cap-tain.”

Hearing the raptor speak in English sent a shiver down Noah’s spine. It had a harsh, deep voice.

Laura pulled out a chair and gestured for Noah to sit. She sat in the empty chair beside him.

“Gaz’da, this is Noah. He has a few questions to ask about the energy cubes we have.”

The raptor’s red eyes focused on Noah. It was impossible to read anything in the creature’s face, he was just too alien, too different. Noah cleared his throat. “I’m trying to use the cube to power some of our technology.”

A look rippled over the alien’s face, but again, Noah had no idea what that meant. Was he upset? Angry? Resigned?

“I am…a soldier. Not a—” he said a word in his own language.

The guttural word didn’t mean anything to Noah. He looked at Laura.

“The closest approximation we have is scientist,” she told him.

“Okay. Well, let me ask my questions and you answer the best you can.”

Gaz’da nodded.

Noah used simple terms and words, trying to explain what was going wrong. The raptor responded with a few simple suggestions, but he had no definitive answers.

Frustrated, Noah sagged in his chair. “Thank you.”

The raptor stared at him. “But I did not provide the—” he paused, like he was searching for the correct word “—information you seek.”

Noah stood. “You tried.”

Laura had stood as well. “I’m sorry, Noah. I’d hoped you might get something that could help.”

God, he wanted to touch her. He shoved his hands in his pockets. “It was a good idea. I appreciate it.”

“Wait.”

The raptor’s word made them both turn.

“I…cannot help you. But a scien-tist could.”

Noah frowned. “A raptor scientist could give me the information I need?”

“Yes.”

“Well, unfortunately, I don’t have one handy.”

“There are some…at a research outpost. In your dry sands…in the center of this country.”

“Dry sands,” Noah said with a frown.

The raptor shifted in his seat. “Desert. I know the outpost location. Many scientists there, doing work on your wildlife and minerals. Only one raptor patrol.”

Noah felt a spurt of excitement. If they could find a raptor scientist with the expertise to help him access and harness the energy cube, powering the illusion system should be a breeze.

“Thanks,” Noah said and exited the cell.

Laura closed the door. “What do you think?”

Noah crossed his arms, watching the raptor settle back into using the tablet. “I should ask you that. You’ve had him here for months. Is he credible?”

“My gut says yes. He resisted at first, but he’s slowly come around. The recent information he’s given us has paid off.”

Noah chewed it over. “I’ll have to go to General Holmes and explain the idea. No doubt Hell Squad will want in. But Holmes might not go for it.”

“I’ll help sell it to him. He’s a friend.”

“Oh.” An ugly burn started in Noah’s gut. “How close of a friend?”

She stilled. “Just a friend. Not that it’s any of your business.”

He wanted to push her against the wall and kiss her until she took those words back. But she was right, it was none of his business. She kept pushing him away, and she had to come to him if they were ever going to see what lay between them.

Noah’s jaw worked. “Let’s set up a meeting with the general.”

She nodded and headed back down the tunnel.