The Shadows of Christmas Past

was one of the hostages, and she—yes, that was definitely a strong sense of femaleness—she was royally pissed off. In a hostage situation, it was better to be scared than angry. Scared people were more likely to keep their heads down and do as they were told, increasing their chances of survival. Colin didn't like this, it added risk to the situation. If this woman did something stupid…
    Telepathy wasn't his strongest sense, and using it might distract him from the team effort. But he did risk sending one thought toward the perps and hostages alike.
    Calm down.
    I am calm , came the immediate reply.
    It took all his training to keep the surprised Colin from rising out of his crouch. She'd heard him! And answered! And the brief touch of her mind on his made him red hot.
    Suddenly shouts erupted from the building, followed by shots. And screams.
    "Go!"
    He was up and moving even as the command came.
    Colin was the first one through the door, rushing in just in time to see the flying side kick that knocked away the gun of the man who would have shot him.
    "Hey!" Colin shouted at the woman who'd disarmed the shooter.
    "Thanks for the distraction," she called back. She jumped and kicked again, straight up, taking the bad guy under the chin. He dropped like a rock.
    Colin grabbed her by the waist as she came back down, and pushed her to the floor.
    "Stay put," he ordered, as the rest of his team came boiling in through the door he'd broken down.

    Big brown eyes looked up at him, full of shock and fury that sizzled all the way through him.
    He motioned for her to get under a nearby desk, and turned to take out another gunman.
    There was already a third man down. No doubt the Karate Kid had gotten him, too—which was probably why the shooting had started.
    Farther back in the building he heard shouts and screaming. Members of the team were heading that way at a run.
    "You could have gotten everybody killed!" Colin yelled at the woman.
    "Well, I didn't!" she shouted back.
    This was no time for an argument. Colin quickly joined his team and got into the well-practiced rhythm of a rescue operation. But even as he went about helping to secure the rest of the bad guys, part of him was still aware of the impression of soft, warm flesh over hard muscle he'd gotten in the moment he held her. Her skin held the scent of ginger, and her psychic signature was pure heat, as if her blood was laced with chili peppers.
    He couldn't let it go, and marched back to the front of the building as soon as the place had been secured. By this time she was out from under the desk, and one of the medics was arguing with her. Colin noticed that one side of her face was badly bruised, and she was cradling her left hand with her right.
    Anger shot through him, and a hot, possessive protectiveness. "Who hurt you?" he demanded.
    She looked around, and her dark brown eyes locked with his. "I'm fine."
    "That doesn't answer the question."
    Her gaze flickered to an unconscious perp on the floor, then back to Colin. "I took care of it."
    Her response only served to redirect his annoyance at her. He ripped off his helmet and headset and glared at her. "You had no business doing what you—"
    "Hey!" she interrupted him. "I saved your ass."
    "No, you didn't."
    "He was going to shoot you when you came through that door."
    "He wouldn't have." He took the woman by the shoulders, and was instantly and intimately aware of the warmth of her skin. "My job is to do the rescuing."
    Her anger was incandescent. "You were a little late. Those men held us hostage for four hours. Where were you?"
    "Organizing a safe rescue." Everything about her burned him, but he liked it. She infuriated him, needed to be tamed, and he liked, that too.

    "Did you stop at Starbucks for a few lattes on the way?" She jerked her head to where the medics were working on the wounded officer. "She could have died. We all could have.
    Somebody had to do something."
    "So you decided to play hero? Bad move, sister."
    Her head came up sharply, brown eyes flashing.
    He could have kissed her then and there. "I am not your sister."
    "And you're no hero, either," Colin shot back.
    "Officer," the medic cut in. He put a hand firmly on Colin's arm. "Officer."
    The Prime part of Colin almost turned on the medic with bared fangs, as if the man was challenging him for a mate. It shocked him that the instinctual impulse was triggered by a mortal, and it took him a moment to get the vampire part of himself