Read Online Shadow Rising by Kendra Leigh Castle - Free Book Online Page B

hand.
    “No,” he said quietly, hardly knowing why he spoke. “You don’t hate me.”
    Despite the frustration still pouring from Ariane in waves, Damien quickly became aware of the way her curves fitted perfectly against him, the way her heart pulsed against his chest. Her skin warmed beneath his hands, and her breath fanned his face, cool and sweet.
    His cock hardened immediately. Damien knew she would be able to feel it, rigid and unmistakable along her thigh. He didn’t give a damn about that. All he was going to get was a raging case of blue balls that he deserved anyway for doing such a piss-poor job handling things tonight.
    He didn’t expect to feel her hips shift beneath him as she tried, one last time, to throw him off. In an instant, he found himself nestled directly, and very firmly, between her thighs. Damien’s breath left him in a stunned rush as Ariane’s cheeks flushed a deep, embarrassed pink.
    “Maybe you do hate me,” he gritted out.
    “Let me up,” she said, sounding more than a little breathless. “I’ve decided not to kill you.”
    He lifted an eyebrow. “Lucky me.”
    Ariane frowned up at him. “You’re wasting time with this! I want to know what the other man might have heard. Don’t you? I think we can at least agree on that, unless you’re going to try and find a way to keep me from talking to him too. Where is he?”
    Damien sighed. “For the last time, I did not take Manon’s head off. And the fledgling can’t have gone far. I can still hear him blubbering back in the offices somewhere. Can’t you?”
    She was still for a moment, listening, and then nodded slowly. He should have let her up then. Damien knew she was right, that they both had a vested interest in cornering Manon’s unfortunate associate and gleaning what information they could before the man went completely off the deep end. But something kept him in place, whether it was the surprisingly right feeling of her body nestled against him, or the look in her eyes as they stayed locked with his, anger slowly shifting to confusion and… something very like desire, tentative, but there just the same.
    That was all it took to send every rational thought from his mind.
    Damien felt the purr welling up in his throat again, just as it had the night he’d met her. It was already clear hewould have to be very careful where she was concerned. He really ought to turn her in and get her out of the way.
    And yet…
    “You’re going to make trouble for me, aren’t you, kitten?” he murmured.
    “No more than you’ve already made for me,” she replied.
    He felt a rare, genuine grin curve his mouth. “Ah, but you’re interfering with my livelihood, whereas you’re just on an altruistic little adventure. And, as you’ve already mentioned a few times, I’m a Shade. My scruples run from questionable to nonexistent. If our paths keep crossing, I’m going to start taking liberties to punish you for getting in my way.” His grin widened as her flush grew deeper.
    “Get in my way again and more than just your shirt will get ruined.”
    Damien chuckled, amused that she thought she could intimidate him when she looked and sounded so charmingly disgruntled. “Really, kitten. Give me a little credit. I believe I’m going to take a liberty just for the insult to my considerable skill.”
    “ Don’t. ” She wiggled a little in protest, which did nothing but create delicious friction between the two of them. He saw the bright shock of it stamped clearly on her face as she abruptly stilled. Oh, she would be an adventure to educate, if he had the time.
    When he had time. He’d make some, just as soon as he figured out where she was staying so he could drop in. Preferably through a window, directly onto her bed.
    It was a struggle to talk around that damned vibration that wanted to rumble up from the depths of his throat, but he just managed.
    Don’t purr, don’t purr, do not purr…
    “Don’t what?” he asked, his eyes