Leopard's Kiss (Shadow Guardians) (Shadows Guardians Book 1) by Stephanie Rowe Read Free Book Online

brain."
    Heat rushed to his cock instantly at the thought of kissing her again, and he swore, disgusted by his lack of self-control. "My kisses are designed to soothe the psyche," he said. "I don't melt brains."
    "They don't soothe the psyche. They ignite more passion than any woman should be subjected to," she snapped, apparently extremely irritated by that fact. Personally, he found it deeply satisfying that she'd been as turned on by the kiss as he had, even if she'd been envisioning someone else during the kiss. "My mother and Marjorie were killed six months ago. Julia and I escaped. We went into hiding, just as we'd been taught. But then, two weeks ago, Julia disappeared. No one else knows she's gone. Only me. If I don't find her, no one will. She's all I..." Her voice broke, and tears swam in her eyes for a split second, before she cleared her throat and lifted her chin. "She's all I have left. I have to find her."
    Her tears got to him. He wasn't used to tears. He always went straight for the death kiss, flooding his victims with peace, serenity, and lust. Negative emotions weren't his thing, and he had no defenses against them. He felt wildly unsettled, thrown off his foundation by this bold woman who should have already been dead. Instead, she was in his safe house, challenging him at every turn, refusing to stand down to the legend that bred such fear into so many.
    She was making him feel off-kilter, and he didn't like it. He did, however, find that there was something about her that compelled him deeply, which meant that her tears felt real to him. For the first time in his life, he wanted to acknowledge someone else's pain. He wanted to help her. Offer comfort. Ease her anguish. But how? He cleared his throat, searching his mind for the appropriate words. "I'm sorry." Yes, that was it. That was what people said.
    She eyed him. "You didn't even attempt to make it sound like you meant that. Don't patronize me. I like it better when you're honest. I have no energy for platitudes." She took a deep breath, then walked back over to the couch and sank down on it. The weariness in her body was evident in the slump of her shoulders, and the shadowy weight of her aura. She closed her eyes and pressed her face to her hands, silently coping with her own trauma.
    Slade grimaced and ran his hand through his hair, watching her fight to regain her composure. She was so fragile compared to him. Vulnerable. And yet, she held herself with the courage of the boldest soldier, fighting for honor and love.
    He killed for money.
    She fought for love.
    He believed in honor. She was the one who lived it. The way she lived made him into a lie. Shit.
    He turned away and braced his palms on the steel wall, trying to reestablish his equilibrium. There were no windows in this safe house. Just a single door, which was invisible to anyone unless he was in their mind, making them see it. He hadn't been to this hideaway in a long time, because it was old and cramped, barely furnished, a throwback to his early days, when money had been scarce and all he'd wanted was a place to sleep deeply without having to watch his back.
    He'd been ten years old the first time he'd slept here.
    Ten. A child who hadn't yet killed anyone, a kid who had been so consumed with the need for revenge that nothing else had mattered.
    And now he was back, with a woman he was supposed to play guardian to. What did that even mean? Was the fact he'd saved her life enough? Or was there more? How long did the assignment last? He didn't even know. "What does the word guardian mean to you?" he asked aloud.
    She didn't answer.
    He turned and looked over his shoulder at her. She was still sitting on the couch, hugging her knees to her chest, staring blankly at the opposite wall. When he looked more closely, however, he could see that her stare was anything but blank. She was thinking intently, her mind flying through options, sorting out her next steps...exactly as he was doing.
    He