Alpha Heat Read Online Free Page A

blade on the band between my wrists. “Just one more thing then. Your number.”
    “Jesus!”
    He raised his eyebrows. His wet hair whipped around in the breeze. The waves rolled the boats and he held me, keeping me from falling. We moved like we were dancing to some crazy music played by wind and water. His lips twitched at the edges and somehow his mood grabbed me and my lips twitched as well.
    “Three one two five five zero four.”
    “Here’s your freedom, babe!” He sliced the plastic off.
    Finally. I rubbed my wrists.
    I laughed at the absurd scene. Just hours before my main problem had the belly fat above my bikini bottom, and now here I was having been saved from kidnappers.
    Several lights shone from the Wind Walker and I noticed blood on Karl's lips. “You’re hurt.” I reached up to his sharp cheekbones and touched his face where it was cut. He caught my hand. “I’ll let you tend my wounds if you answer my final question.”
    “What?” I snapped, pulling my sore wrists back. He should tend to my wounds, I’m the one who was tied in a box for the past few hours.
    “Am I right to call you Miss Dawson?”
    “I’m not married, if that’s what you’re getting at.” The deck swayed beneath me and I became lightheaded. The wine, the cramps from the cage, the burning from my wrists and the after effects of whatever the kidnappers had drugged me with all took their toll. I fell back against him and he wrapped me in his arms. His very warm arms. “Look. You have my number. You can call me if you want to. Maybe I’ll even answer. But, if I don’t crawl under a blanket soon, I’m going to die right here and that’ll be that.”
    “Hah. You’ve got spirit. Don’t worry, you’re not going to expire tonight.”
    “I do have a blanket and if my brother can keep his cheap plastic boat floating long enough to make port, I’ll have you home soon.”
    “I heard that.” Jack's voice. “Hey, I called the Coasties for our friends. If you two are done screwing around over there, we should go.” He slapped Wind Walker’s side. “The pumps are working, but things fall apart when pushed. We need to get back home and patch this baby up.”
    “Yeah,” I said. “Take me home.”
    Home, was there ever a more beloved word? Not now, other than maybe bed. My bed, with the natural latex mattress that was like laying on a cloud, and my Egyptian cotton sheets, my one luxury I couldn’t afford. Where The Winds of Winter sat half read, holding more secrets for me to discover more about the dragon queen and the sexy dwarf.
    They were waiting for me in my apartment, and my coffee machine would be there perking away in the morning. I’d see Leslie and she’d give me heck about coming back so late.
    “Home sounds good to me.” Karl said.
    “May I lie down now?”
    I do remember asking this before I fell.
     

ten
     
    I was being lifted into an ambulance. The world looked fuzzy, unfocused. I saw sailboats’ masts make black lines in front of the moon.
    We must be at the City Marina.
    Then, I heard a rumble like thunder from a nearby lightning strike. The roar shook me where I lay and I stared past the green clad rescue worker fussing about my arm to see Karl ride up on a huge black motorcycle.
    I blinked and my vision cleared as tears began to flow.
    Our gaze met for a moment, and he nodded. Then, he whirled his bike around, spinning the tire on the wet pavement and leaving a wet-rubber stench behind. As he sped away, I saw the design on the back of his jacket, a hammer above the words, Sons of Thunder.
    The handsome guy who rescued me is a rider in a motorcycle gang.
    Shit. Here I thought he was some billionaire.
    “You should rest now, miss.”
    The ambulance guy smiled at me with bright teeth and a black bearded face.
    “Don’t take me to the hospital.” The last thing I needed was another bill.
    “Are you sure? You’ve had a rough night.”
    “It’ll get rougher if you don’t take me home. Now.”