Read Online Passion Unleashed by Larissa Ione - Free Book Online Page A

flight. The predator in him wanted to give chase, to take her down to the ground. The male in him wanted to ravage her while she was there.
    Right now, the best he could do was keep other predators away.
    They didn’t slow until they reached the hotel. He pulled her to a stop in front of the door.
    “What was that thing?” Serena panted, looking back over her shoulder as though afraid it would come after them, even though it had started to disintegrate before they’d even jumped out of the truck.
    “Don’t suppose you’d buy that it was a rabid dog?”
    “Hardly. I know it was a demon.”
    “A tracker.” He watched her closely, wondering how much she was willing to say. “What do you think it’s tracking?”
    She lifted her chin and looked him straight in the eye. “No idea. But thank you for killing it. I’m glad your Aegis skills haven’t rusted.”
    Well, good. He’d earned her gratitude. Tayla had told him to be nice, but maybe killing things for her would be even better. Not to mention, more in character. And more fun.
    Tayla had also said human females liked polite men, so he opened the hotel door, releasing an aromatic breeze of coffee and spicy lamb coming from the restaurant. He entered behind her, and speaking of behinds… hers was nice.
    “I could use a drink,” she said, gesturing toward the bar. “Want to join me for one before we talk business? You have the artifact, right?”
    “It’s in my room.”
    “Excellent.” She gave him a smile that made his insides quiver. Weird. No female had ever made his insides do that. His outsides, yes, but that didn’t take much.
    Maybe the poison was affecting him in yet another way. Besides the libido-dampening, he’d been intermittently nauseous and dizzy, and sometimes his muscles and organs cramped as they slowly died.
    Fun stuff, that mordlair necrotoxin.
    “I could definitely use a whiskey.” Which didn’t affect Wraith, unless taken through the veins of a human who had imbibed. He eyed Serena’s throat. He didn’t suck human females, but he’d love to latch on to Serena’s long, slender neck and drink his fill, maybe settle between her thighs.…
    “I could use a few more than a drink.”
    “My kind of female.” Wraith could really like this chick if he ever allowed himself attachments, which he didn’t.
    Find an excuse to touch her. Tayla had told him that. She’d said something about how he had to start small. Light, innocent touches.
    He was not good at light and innocent. Pounce and pillage… that was his style.
    Cursing to himself, he cocked out his arm in a foreign-feeling gentlemanly gesture to escort her. To his surprise, she hooked her dainty hand around his forearm and allowed him to walk her to the bar, where they were greeted by a middle-aged Egyptian man who wrinkled his nose at Wraith’s facial dermoire.
    Wraith itched to shove the guy’s head up his ass, but he kept himself in check and ordered a double whiskey, neat.
    “I’ll have what he’s having,” Serena said, and Wraith felt the slow burn of admiration creeping up on him. He’d expected her to drink something sweet and fruity.
    This chick was not what he’d expected, and he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad one.
    He put his hand on her knee.
    She picked it up and put it back in his lap.
    Crash. And. Burn.
    As though Wraith didn’t exist, Serena braced her elbows on the bar top and played with her napkin, grinning at the bartender when he set her drink down in front of her. Goddamn. The sensual glow that radiated from her when she smiled was downright unholy, and he felt an erotic surge rise up like a tide in his veins. And in his jeans.
    He despised that reaction to humans. It made him feel dirty, and he ruthlessly tamped down his urges, even though those urges were what were going to win him the prize.
    He’d planned to meet her, whisk her someplace private, take her, and be done with it without ever having to exchange names. He was a