Read Online Vigilante Mine by Cera Daniels - Free Book Online

in town. She liked that Ryan. But this one? No matter how mushy those big brown eyes made her insides, Amanda wouldn't simply cave. He wanted a date, he'd have to earn it.
    She gave an inward wince. Okay, so her hormones hadn't retreated to full dormancy. Had she actually considered having lunch with him?
    "I am not your lady friend." She beckoned him with an index finger and he obliged, still grinning like he had the upper hand. Amanda donned her best mocking smile. "And you're not my type."
    "Oh?" Ryan chuckled. "What kind of man is your 'type'?"
    You.
    She snuffed that blazing thought. The delicious specimen of extortionist maximus before her needed a reality check, not an ego boost. Her free hand planted on her hip and she leaned in for the kill. "The honest kind."
    Ryan's smile dipped. "Ah." He nudged the barely-there corner of his glasses, but he didn't avert his eyes. "So I guess dinner's not an option, either."
    "Perceptive of you." Amanda turned away. "It was nice to see you again, Ryan. Drive safe."
    The little voice in her head begged her to reconsider as she backtracked along the sidewalk and hopped over a shattered drain pipe. It was just a file. A harmless little collection of paper. It involved his family, anyway. If her mother were to die in a fire, she'd want to know more too. Granted, she could run through proper department channels. Her pace slowed as she considered the dilemma. He'd admitted taking the file had been wrong. Wasn't that first step worth something? He'd protected her during the explosion, gotten her out of the building in one piece. Couldn't she let it drop? Stealing a file didn't make him as bad as the criminals she put behind bars, did it?
    Her hand tightened around her work cell phone. Of course not. The white collar crime division never locks people up for stealing files.
    Ice-frosted vinyl siding reflected shimmers of exposed sun. Disappointment pinched her chest, but Amanda continued toward home. These benched months had rattled her confidence more than she'd realized if she could consider letting him slide.
    Wrong was wrong.
    With even her lieutenant caving to the money and power struggles of their city, she couldn't afford to waver on her own morality.
    She shook her head as if the movement could eradicate doubt. What would I tell him, anyway? 'Call me when you return the — '
    "I'm not giving back the file."
    Amanda started. Her heel sideswiped a patch of black ice. She got out half a gasp, and then her cheek was plastered against Ryan's cotton-covered and more-than-acceptably-toned torso. His arms wrapped her in an impromptu embrace. When his breath fanned over the sensitive skin by her ear, heat arrowed between her thighs, her body and her hormones ready and raring to play.
    Damn damn damn.
    A mortified blush crept up from her neck. There would be no graceful recovery. Not when her thighs were practically wrapped around his leg. Heaven help her if he noticed how hot she burned from his Good Samaritan catch.
    "Thanks." It came out muffled against his navy blue silk tie, so Amanda tipped up her chin. "I . . . don't like games, Ryan."
    Ryan's grip loosed. "I gathered that."
    She glanced up at his hoarse tone. He'd closed his eyes but his stance remained rigid. After seeing him in action in the file room, this stillness made her uneasy. Amanda carefully returned her palm to his chest. "Ryan?"
    He flinched. Not on his face — he'd resumed a suspicious, blank look over her head — but his muscles jerked under her fingertips.
    His gaze dropped, scorching into hers.
    She swallowed. "Oh."
    Yeah, he'd noticed the heat.
    Her lungs sought a shallow breath. The whole city would melt under her toes at this rate. Ice and metal alike.
    He eased a hand to his ear. "Heard you the first time, Zach."
    Ryan's heartbeat rapped against her fingers. Strong. Fast.
    "You know I'm not there yet." Dark brown eyes roved down to her toes then blazed back to her face. "I stopped to eat."
    More potent than