Alpha One by Cynthia Eden Page A

never told her the same.
    Maybe there was one thing he couldn’t lie about.
    Juliana shoved those memories back into the box in her mind. “I want to be able to defend myself if...if—”
    “When a bullet or a bomb is coming, there’s not much defense.”
    No. “But when you’re trapped in some hellhole and the enemy is coming at you because he wants to torture information out of you—information that you don’t have—then being able to fight back matters.” She’d been helpless in Mexico. If something happened and Guerrero got her again... I won’t be helpless. “You can teach me some defensive moves. I know you can.”
    His gaze wasn’t on her legs any longer. That too-intense stare raked her face.
    “I need this,” she told him. She had to have some control, some power.
    His nod was grim.
    He rose, backing up.
    The drumming of Juliana’s heartbeat echoed in her ears. She followed him into the opening in the middle of the room. Her toes curled over the old, faded rug.
    Light flickered on when Logan bent toward the lamp at his right. Juliana finally started focusing enough to realize that Logan wore no shirt. Just a pair of loose sweatpants. His chest, ripped with muscles, was bare. Only...
    Logan was sporting a tattoo now.
    She hadn’t noticed the tattoo back in Mexico. But then, he’d kept his clothes on there. Thank goodness. Now it was tempting...all that bare flesh.
    Juliana licked her lips. Down, girl.
    Her gaze focused on the tattoo. The ink was black, dark, sliding up a few inches over his heart.
    Forming a trident.
    Why did that symbol look so sexy on him?
    Why did she always have to want him?
    “I use a mix of martial arts,” he told her as he came closer, positioning his body just a few inches from hers on that rug. “I can teach you a few moves to help with CQC.”
    “Um, CQC?” No clue.
    “Close-quarters combat.” His words were quiet. His body was too big. She was too aware of his every breath. “You want to be able to kill quickly, efficiently.”
    She didn’t exactly want to kill, just stay alive. But Juliana nodded. She’d never heard him sound so cold before. Her hands pressed against her stomach. “And have you done that?”
    He didn’t answer. She knew he had. Probably more times than he could count.
    Not the boy you knew.
    She wasn’t sure she’d ever known him.
    “Can we...can we start easier? I mean...” I’m not ready to kill.
    He must have read the truth in her eyes. A muscle jerked in his jaw. “When it comes down to it, if it’s your life or your attacker’s, you’ll be ready.” Then he moved in a flash, almost too fast for her to see, and in the next breath, Logan’s hand was around her throat. “If you hesitate, you can die.” His big fingers surrounded her neck, seemed to brand her flesh. She knew with one twist of his hand, he could kill her.
    Logan stepped back. “But we’ll start easy, if that’s what you want.”
    Had his voice roughened? His eyes had hardened, his body seemed to have tensed.
    “Go for your attacker’s weak spots. Always make them your targets.”
    Juliana forced her own body to ease its stiffness.
    “When you attack—” Logan was circling her now, making her nervous “—use the strongest part of your body.” He stood behind her, came closer. His body brushed against hers. His arm slid around her, and his fingers curled over her hand. “Use your fists.” He lifted her hand, punched out with it and turned her arm. “Your elbows.” He surrounded her. So big and solid behind her, his arms sweeping out.
    He spun her around so that she faced him. His fingers still curled over her fist. He lifted her fist toward his neck. “Punch at your attacker’s throat. Hit hard, with every bit of strength that you have.”
    His gaze blazed down at her. “You have to be ready to take your attacker out,” Logan said.
    She tugged her hand. He didn’t let go. Her eyes narrowed. “What if I’m just trying to get away?”
    Another