Edge of Passion by Tina Folsom Read Free Book Online Page B

intersection, but the car hadn’t even stopped. A drunk driver, most likely. Nevertheless, he couldn’t shake off the thought that this was no coincidence. He’d long stopped believing in things happening at random.
    “I’m fine,” she mumbled, her hand pushing against him to steady herself.
    As she managed to sit up and lift her head, she looked at him, assessing him as if to figure out if he could be trusted.
    “Thank you. I didn’t see … the car ran a red light.”
    He nodded. “I’m glad I was there.”
    “I didn’t see you,” she said, her voice a hotbed of caution as she eased farther away from him now. “There was nobody behind me. I would have heard you.”
    Perceptive human. “I was just crossing from over there. The car’s headlights probably blinded you, so you didn’t see me.”
    He rose slowly and reached a hand out to her.
    Leila gave him a doubtful look. “Thank you.” She made a motion to get up, declining his hand, but the moment her right leg touched the ground, her knee buckled and she cried out in pain.
    Aiden didn’t hesitate and supported her by putting an arm around her waist, making her lean against him. Heat from her body seeped into his, igniting his cells instantly.
    “Brace yourself on my shoulders,” he instructed as he crouched down. Her elegant hands dug into his shoulders.
    He reached for her foot. “I’m going to check if it’s broken, okay?”
    “Okay,” she whispered.
    Slowly, he stroked his hands over her ankle and tested her range of motion. She winced immediately.
    “Ouch!”
    “I’m sorry. It’ll be just a second,” he assured her as he allowed his supernatural senses to penetrate her skin and reach to the bone. It was intact. There was no break, merely a sprain. Relieved, he exhaled. “It’s not broken.”
    “How do you know? Are you a doctor?” Leila looked down at him with curiosity in her eyes.
    Aiden released her foot and rose, making sure he kept supporting her weight. “No, I’m not a doctor. But your ankle is just sprained. You’re very lucky.”
    “Thank you again.”
    “You should put some ice on it right away.”
    “I’ll do that when I get home.”
    “No, I mean right now. Even a half hour delay can make it worse.” He pointed toward the end of the block where the lights of an Irish Pub flickered invitingly. “They should have some ice down there.”
    What the fuck was he doing? He shouldn’t engage any more with her than he already had. If he were smart, he’d leave her now. But apparently tonight his mind was occupied with other things, lust being one of them, the inexplicable need to get to know her being another.
    “That won’t be necessary. I’ll just get a cab to take me home.”
    He glanced up and down the street. “You won’t find a cab around here this time of night. We can call one from the pub—after you’ve put some ice on your ankle.”
    And thanked your rescuer.
    He could vividly imagine what kind of thanks he’d prefer: a kiss from those pert lips. Why did he suddenly want that when he knew he should stay away from her?
    “Okay, I think I can walk that far,” Leila finally conceded.
    “Walk?” He shook his head. Not as long as he was here to lend a hand. “I don’t think you should walk.”
    Ignoring her protest, he lifted her into this arms and strode toward the pub.
    “But …”
    When he looked into her ocean blue eyes, her eyelids suddenly fluttered, and she lowered them quickly. Color flushed her cheeks.
    With every step, her body rubbed against his, and despite the clothing that separated them, he felt a rush of excitement course through him. The contact was intense and real, the payoff torturing, as the bulge in his jeans could attest.
    He noticed how she studied his neck and the muscles that flexed underneath his tight tee. It seemed she didn’t want to lift her eyes to peruse his face so openly. Not that he would mind being studied by her. Hell, there wasn’t anything he could think of