Assassin's Honor by Monica Burns Read Free Book Online Page B

loudly," he snapped.
                Heat crested in her cheeks as Emma clenched her fists. Hell, he was a manipulative bastard, but he was right. She had kissed him back. She'd enjoyed kissing him. Worse than that, she'd caressed the hard thickness of him with the intimacy of a lover. And she'd wanted him. Wanted him in the worst possible way. The hot ache between her thighs told her that.
                What had possessed her to get so caught up in a kiss she'd been willing to let him do whatever he wanted with her? She winced with disgust at her thoughts. She was out of her frigging mind. The man had broken into her home, held her hostage--how in the hell could she be attracted to him?
                The muted chime of the doorbell suddenly echoed in the study. He jerked his head toward the closed door. She watched him as he evaluated the situation in the same way a predator calculated threats. The doorbell rang again. Without a word, he reached out and grabbed her arm. Dragging her with him, he pulled her into the dark hallway. The blackened corridor made her balk. It had been this dark when she'd found Charlie.
                "No," she exclaimed. "I--"
                In a heartbeat, he covered her mouth with his large hand and jerked her backward into his chest. The moment his hard, muscular frame pressed into her back, a rush of heat flooded her veins. Nestled against him like this created a pleasurable, intimate warmth she didn't want to enjoy. But she did. She liked it far too much. God, she really had lost her mind.
                "Were you expecting someone?" He breathed into her ear. "Just nod yes or no."
                She nodded. Earlier at the memorial service, Ewan had said he might come by to check on her. If it was anyone she knew, it would be him. The doorbell chimed again and once more immediately after. Only Ewan rang the bell like that. Impatient and often irritating, it didn't change the fact that he was brilliant when it came to ancient civilizations.
                "It's my friend, Ewan," she mumbled into the hand covering her mouth.
                The intruder tightened his hold on her, his arm riding up to brush against the underside of her breasts. Her body tingled at the contact. The warmth of his breath caressed her cheek as he pressed his mouth to her ear.
                "It's not safe for you here, Emma." He hesitated. She could feel it in the way his hard body relaxed against hers.
                He eased his hand away from her mouth and turned her to face him. The indecision in his expression startled her. After everything she'd seen, she knew it was a foreign emotion to him. For the first time she began to think he really was concerned for her welfare. She shook her head slightly.
                "Why isn't it safe?"
                "I can't tell you that right now. There's no time. You'll just have to trust me."
                "Oh right." She sniffed with derision as the doorbell rang again. "Look, if I don't let Ewan in, he's going to call the police."
                "Answer it," he rasped with harsh resolve. "But when he's gone, you're coming with me, Emma. Count on it."
                "Go to hell," she snapped in a breathy whisper as the doorbell rang again.
                He gave her a slight push toward the foyer. Although it was still dark in the hallway, her eyes had adjusted to the small amount of available light. And for some reason his presence made the darkness a little less threatening. That made it official. She was insane. Stumbling forward, she moved down the hall as the doorbell rang for a fourth time.
                "Hold your horses! I'm coming," she called out.
                As she reached the front door, she looked over her shoulder. She couldn't see her fallen angel hidden in the shadows, and her heart