Fiery Temptation by Marisa Chenery Read Free Book Online Page B

it was something he did every morning. While alone in his house, he didn’t hide who he was. His wings were such a part of him he felt more comfortable with them out in the open and tucked against his back. Only out among humans did he keep them hidden for long periods of time. During Soar’s last tour, it had been hard to always pretend to be one of them. He and his band mates had had almost a year of sneaking around to take to the air without being caught. An Alte needed to fly, to feel the wind along their outstretched wings. To be grounded, to never soar high in the sky, was almost torture.
    With nothing to do but wait for Neve, Jalen sat on the mattress. He took a better look at the room. Besides the bed, there was a single dresser and bedside table with an alarm clock and a cordless phone sitting on it. Both pieces of furniture were done in a light colored wood. The room was a bit on the small side. It was even smaller than any of the four guest bedrooms in his house. But since it was Neve’s, the size didn’t bother him. He would have been quite content to be in a closet-sized one so long as it was hers and she was with him.
    Last night, while he and Neve had talked, he’d learned she only had enough money saved to pay for a couple more months of rent. He’d also heard how reluctant she was to take the job at the restaurant when she’d told him once again there could be an opening there for her. It had been on the tip of his tongue to tell Neve she didn’t need that job, or any other one, for that matter. Considering what she was to him, he’d be taking care of her financially from here on out. She wouldn’t have to work another day in her life.
    The bedroom door opened and Neve stepped inside, closing it behind her. She had a towel twisted around her head with her bathrobe on. She peeled off the towel first and walked over to her dresser and picked up a comb. He watched her run it through her damp hair.
    “So what would you like to have for breakfast?” Neve asked as she met his gaze in the mirror attached to the dresser.
    “I guess it really depends on what you’re having.”
    Finished with her hair, Neve turned to face him. “I know we have eggs and bread. How about I make us fried eggs and toast?”
    “That sounds good.”
    “And it shouldn’t take too long to make or eat,” she added.
    Neve reached for the belt on her bathrobe and tugged it open. She then pushed the garment down her arms and off. Jalen’s gaze roamed over her nude body, taking in her more than a handful breasts, curved-in waist and long, toned legs. His cock twitched with interest, but he ignored it. Now was not the time to get all worked up again.
    He lifted his gaze to find Neve watching him before she returned her bathrobe to the closet and then took out some clothes from her dresser. She dressed in a light pink t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. Once she finished putting on the last article of clothing, Jalen stood and followed her out of the room.
    Downstairs, he and Neve had the kitchen to themselves, since Kara was still upstairs in her room. Neve set to work cooking them breakfast as he helped himself to some of the coffee sitting on the counter after she gave him a mug from one of the cupboards. He then took a seat at the table to stay out of her way.
    Watching Neve work, Jalen felt a sense of hominess. The last woman he had cared about who had cooked for him had been his mother. All the other human women he’d been with over the years, he’d kept the encounters as impersonal as he could. They had been based solely on mutual pleasure and that was about it. But with Neve, he wanted so much more. He wanted what Gannon had with Arwen. He wanted to have someone he could share his life with, a woman he’d never have to worry about losing.
    He followed the line of Neve’s back while she stood at the stove. He did care about her—a lot. It also felt good to have another to look after, to protect. Up until now, at times his