babies. Despite the
strong sexual urges pulling them together, he was determined to stay apart.
Which was fine with her. Really. It wasn’t that she had anything against
marriage and kids. It was in her life plan, but very distantly. She had to
build her career first.
But why wasn’t he gangbusters on the idea? He’d grown up in
this world of marriages based on matched DNA, so why would he protest strongly?
He obviously wanted her sexually, but was totally closemouthed on why he was
opposed to anything longer than a quick roll in the hay. Or grass. Or couch.
She suspected there was more to it than the usual commitment
phobias from young men. Adam hadn’t said he didn’t want to breed with
her. He’d said he couldn’t. The soreness between her thighs told her it wasn’t
a physical couldn’t, but an emotional one.
There was more to it than she understood, and she wanted to
understand. She stayed in bed for a few more minutes staring at the bare walls.
Finally, she sat up with a huff. It was stupid. She wasn’t going to catch any
winks tonight without getting some questions answered from either Adam or
Chase. Screw Adam’s instructions about staying put. She was heading out.
She folded her legs off the bed and debated pulling on her
jeans. Forget it, night was too hot for warm pants. She grabbed the pair of
athletic shorts Chase had let her borrow. He’d mentioned something about
hitting the gym after dinner. Loren decided to try her luck there. Wherever the
gym was. She exited the bare-bones room Chase had her bunking in and headed
down the stairs to the apartment exit. The small buildings to her right looked
dark and more like individual residences than a large gymnasium, so she headed
left toward where they’d eaten dinner.
Loren neared the glass doors of a large building and pulled
them open. Two tall, well-built men, who looked as if they hit the gym on a
daily basis, exited as she tried to enter.
“Hi. Can you please point me in the direction of the gym?”
Loren asked with a polite smile.
Both men stared at her as if she’d grown two heads.
“What?” She folded her arms across her chest. She should
have taken the time to put on her bra. Pants would be a bonus too.
The men kept staring. “Who are you?” One of the men looked
ready to grill her up and serve her for dinner.
“I’m Loren. I have permission to be here.”
For some reason, both men chuckled at that. What? Were there
no other women here? Actually, come to think of it, she’d been the sole
estrogen soldier at dinnertime.
“What’s so funny?” Loren asked.
“Of course you have permission. Or you’d be dead,” the
darker-haired man informed her. “We just don’t get a lot of pretty women
wandering about in their pajamas.”
The blond man’s eyes suddenly widened. “Holy shit,” he said.
“I recognize that shirt. Chase has balls. I mean, he’s done a lot of crazy
stuff, but sneaking a lover on campus takes the cake.”
“I’m not his lover. I’m his sister.” Her words ended with a
slight shriek.
The men laughed even harder. “Sure you are, sweetheart.
Chase doesn’t have a sister.”
She nearly stamped her foot in annoyance, and if one of
their feet happened to be under her foot, well…accidents happen. “Fine. I’m
Adam Blacker’s match. Can you take me to one of them, or not?”
The laughter continued.
“Oh, forget it. I’ll go find them myself.” She pushed past
the hyenas and started into the building alone.
“Loren, wait up. I’ll take you.” One of the men jogged after
her. “Sorry for laughing,” he said. “Chase is sort of known for doing some
crazy shit. Sneaking a woman on campus as his ‘sister’ is just his kind of
thing, but for real, you’re Blacker’s match?”
“I am.” She marched down the corridor and let her gaze
wander from door to door but tried to keep her head still. If she looked around
as she wanted to, her annoying escort would know she was totally
strong sexual urges pulling them together, he was determined to stay apart.
Which was fine with her. Really. It wasn’t that she had anything against
marriage and kids. It was in her life plan, but very distantly. She had to
build her career first.
But why wasn’t he gangbusters on the idea? He’d grown up in
this world of marriages based on matched DNA, so why would he protest strongly?
He obviously wanted her sexually, but was totally closemouthed on why he was
opposed to anything longer than a quick roll in the hay. Or grass. Or couch.
She suspected there was more to it than the usual commitment
phobias from young men. Adam hadn’t said he didn’t want to breed with
her. He’d said he couldn’t. The soreness between her thighs told her it wasn’t
a physical couldn’t, but an emotional one.
There was more to it than she understood, and she wanted to
understand. She stayed in bed for a few more minutes staring at the bare walls.
Finally, she sat up with a huff. It was stupid. She wasn’t going to catch any
winks tonight without getting some questions answered from either Adam or
Chase. Screw Adam’s instructions about staying put. She was heading out.
She folded her legs off the bed and debated pulling on her
jeans. Forget it, night was too hot for warm pants. She grabbed the pair of
athletic shorts Chase had let her borrow. He’d mentioned something about
hitting the gym after dinner. Loren decided to try her luck there. Wherever the
gym was. She exited the bare-bones room Chase had her bunking in and headed
down the stairs to the apartment exit. The small buildings to her right looked
dark and more like individual residences than a large gymnasium, so she headed
left toward where they’d eaten dinner.
Loren neared the glass doors of a large building and pulled
them open. Two tall, well-built men, who looked as if they hit the gym on a
daily basis, exited as she tried to enter.
“Hi. Can you please point me in the direction of the gym?”
Loren asked with a polite smile.
Both men stared at her as if she’d grown two heads.
“What?” She folded her arms across her chest. She should
have taken the time to put on her bra. Pants would be a bonus too.
The men kept staring. “Who are you?” One of the men looked
ready to grill her up and serve her for dinner.
“I’m Loren. I have permission to be here.”
For some reason, both men chuckled at that. What? Were there
no other women here? Actually, come to think of it, she’d been the sole
estrogen soldier at dinnertime.
“What’s so funny?” Loren asked.
“Of course you have permission. Or you’d be dead,” the
darker-haired man informed her. “We just don’t get a lot of pretty women
wandering about in their pajamas.”
The blond man’s eyes suddenly widened. “Holy shit,” he said.
“I recognize that shirt. Chase has balls. I mean, he’s done a lot of crazy
stuff, but sneaking a lover on campus takes the cake.”
“I’m not his lover. I’m his sister.” Her words ended with a
slight shriek.
The men laughed even harder. “Sure you are, sweetheart.
Chase doesn’t have a sister.”
She nearly stamped her foot in annoyance, and if one of
their feet happened to be under her foot, well…accidents happen. “Fine. I’m
Adam Blacker’s match. Can you take me to one of them, or not?”
The laughter continued.
“Oh, forget it. I’ll go find them myself.” She pushed past
the hyenas and started into the building alone.
“Loren, wait up. I’ll take you.” One of the men jogged after
her. “Sorry for laughing,” he said. “Chase is sort of known for doing some
crazy shit. Sneaking a woman on campus as his ‘sister’ is just his kind of
thing, but for real, you’re Blacker’s match?”
“I am.” She marched down the corridor and let her gaze
wander from door to door but tried to keep her head still. If she looked around
as she wanted to, her annoying escort would know she was totally
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