Page 36 of Rogue

“You’re a surprise, I’ll give you that. If it makes you feel any better, I would have shot the asshole if he’d discovered you hiding beneath that tree. Hayden and his rules be damned.”

I stiffen. God, I really suck at dodging and evasion. I’d had no idea Jaxson had been spying on me spying on the compound. “How long have you worked for him?” I murmur.

“Five years. After my final tour in Afghanistan.”

“You’re a soldier?” A war veteran. Yeah, with a body built like his, I shouldn’t be as surprised as I am.

“A Marine. A sniper . . . I’m good with firearms, among other things.” He drags out the last word.Things.Instantly, the air between us combusts into an intense, sexually charged energy that steals my breath away. I struggle to process what he’s told me. A sniper? Skilled and intelligent? A defender of others. I mean, really, can this man get any hotter?

“I’m going to fill you in on a little secret. There’s nothing Hayden likes better than to fuck with people’s heads. He’s good at it. A pro. Hell Camp is about being mentally strong. Use what’s up here.” He taps his temple. “And don’t be predictable about it.” He chuckles, then adds, “Though after that stunt you pulled with the water bottles . . .”

I don’t know what to say so I simply stare at him. His blue eyes are pale, the color of a pond at noon when light dances across it and the water’s so transparent you can see the rocks at the bottom. I blink, startled by how this feels, like he’s allowing me into his soul and offering me a fleeting glimpse of the beautiful, rock-solid man inside.

Then his eyes flash, and he leans in and licks my lips.

“Cinnamon,” he informs me.

I roll my eyes. “Predictably so. Didn’t you just warn me about being obvious?”

“That a challenge?” He smirks. “Know what? I’m going to do you a huge favor right now. A lesson in coping under pressure.”

My heart skips a beat. It’s not what he’s saying but how he’s saying it, in the same deep, gravelly tone he’s used all morning on me.

“What? Are you going to lick me?” I blurt out. Damn, that word rolls off my tongue like it’d been waiting for the perfect chance to appear.

“You bet. But now isn’t the right time.”

I feel my cheeks flush with embarrassment. Talk about Hell Camp mind games. I’m never going to make it through with Jaxson around.

“I’ve been thinking about things.”

“How Declan will likely bank the most points by the end of Camp?”

“You.”

“Me? Yeah, right.”

He leans in, places a chaste kiss on my lips, then murmurs, “You’re the best part about this place.” The tips of his fingers brush over my bare stomach. “But you don’t belong here.”

I tense. “News flash. You kidnapped me and initiated my recruitment.”

“Yeah. A mistake. But I was under orders to bring you to the Ranch. And now, I find myself wanting to make it up to you. Call it my twisted sense of duty, but I’m going to give you a useful lesson in evasive tactics. Something harder, that’s going to challenge you and test your limits. Test your willpower. But only if you’re willing.”

Terrific. He’s going to flirt with me and tease me to death.

“You up for a challenge?”

“It depends on what it is.”

“Smart girl. How about I give you a play by play? Then you can either tell me to fuck off or to go for it.”

“What if I tell you to fuck off right now?” I sweetly ask.

He chuckles. “It’s your dime, fireball. Your call.”

I arch my eyebrows. He’s got this naughty, devilish look in his eyes and, God knows, not only should I resist him but I should roll myself out of our hiding place and run as fast as my legs will carry me into the woods.

“If this will help me survive Hell Camp, I’m up for a challenge,” I hear myself say.