Hearts Aflame Collection: 4-Book Bundle by Melissa F. Hart Read Free Book Online Page A

her. She took
refuge in anger.
    “What sort of jerk creeps up on a woman at
this time of the night?”
    “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to scare you. I saw
you standing here and thought you could do with the company,
especially since it’s so late.”
    His heartfelt apology took the wind off her
sails. She huffed in exasperation. “Yeah well, you should have let
me know you were behind me.”
    “I only just got here.” He said with a
shrug.
    They were quiet for some minutes. Melissa
didn’t admit it, but she felt somehow safer with him there. He
still made her uncomfortable, but not in a threatening way. If she
were being honest with herself, she knew it was her reaction to him
which made her uncomfortable.
    “I could take you home.”
    She turned to look at him but he was looking
straight ahead, into the night. She turned away and worried her
bottom lip. She knew with bone-deep certainty that she was safe
with this man. She didn’t know how she knew, she just did. So that
wasn’t the problem. She was cold and he could get her home in no
time at all. On the other hand, just standing next to him, even
without touching, she could feel the electricity between them. She
stole another glance at him but he was studiously staring
ahead.
    What was she afraid of, anyway? Nothing was
going to happen unless she wanted it to and she was stronger than
that wasn’t she? With a deep breath she turned to look at him.
    “I would appreciate a lift home, thank
you.”
    He turned to her then with a slow smile which
had her pulse racing. This man was sex on two legs and it was
criminal.
    “My car is this way.”

    Chapter
Four
     
    As Adrian steered the Ford Explorer toward
Melissa’s apartment, he couldn’t help sneaking a glance at her. Her
head was resting on the head rest and she’d closed her eyes, but he
knew she wasn’t asleep. It was her attempt to block him out. He
looked back at the road and tried to examine his feelings. He’d
never experienced lust before, but he was pretty sure that was what
he was feeling at the moment. He knew passion, because he was
passionate about his work, but this was something beyond what he’d
felt as a messenger.
    He took a deep breath and the scent from her
filled his lungs. He felt himself grow hard instantly and wondered
briefly how mortals lived with this sort of thing on a constant
basis. He didn’t envy them the least.
    “Where exactly do you live?”
    He felt her train her eyes on him as she gave
him directions to her place. Her voice was husky and he knew she
was as turned on as he was. The tension in the car was so thick, he
thought they would both combust if they didn’t do something about
it, and soon.
    “What do you do?”
    “I’m an accountant.” She replied.
    That explained a lot of things, but not her
general hostility. “You deal in numbers then, everything has to
make sense.”
    “Don’t bother trying to psychoanalyze me.”
She stated without heat.
    “I’m not doing that. But you’ve directed
inexplicable hostility toward me and I guess I just want to
understand.”
    She moved restlessly and he felt himself grow
even harder. This was insane.
    “It’s not you, okay? I’m just not in a place
where I can get involved right now.”
    “Right, I get that. But you were the one who
offered a quick lay.” He reminded her.
    “I was bluffing.” She admitted.
    He’d guessed as much, but he wasn’t willing
to let her off the hook. “I still think it came from a deep-rooted
desire.”
    They were parked in front of her apartment
building now and he turned to face her fully.
    “You’re imagining things.” She said, but she
didn’t meet his eyes.
    “When last did you have sex then?” He
challenged.
    She turned to face him then with a frown. “I
fail to see how that’s any business of yours.”
    “Just answer the question, Mel.”
    “Look, just because you gave me a lift home
doesn’t give you the right to go poking your nose where it