Nightwalker by Unknown Read Free Book Online Page A

menace.
    "Justin," she began shakily and was horrified by the pleading note in
    her voice. Desperately she strove to control it and tried to reason with
    him. "Justin, I had to stop you from marrying my sister. Don't you see?
    You would have been all wrong for her. She's a creature of the daylight, full
    of laughter and fun. She's made for the world she lives in; beautiful and
    charming and vivacious. She deserves someone like her. What's more, she
    deserves someone who genuinely loves her. You don't love her. You just
    wanted to use her!"
    "I don't think there's any point in discussing your sister," he said
    harshly. "And I'm well aware that you think I'm her opposite in every way.
    I'm a creature of the night in your eyes, aren't I? I'm not full of laughter
    and fun. I'm not handsome and I seriously doubt that you find me
    charming. It's true, I didn't love her. But then love is a myth, so I don't see
    that it matters. In any event, it's all behind us. I know Alison well enough
    to realize she wouldn't marry me if you told her what you know of my past.
    She wasn't exactly in the throes of an undying passion for me, you see. I
    rather think that in her own way she was using me herself."
    "That's ridiculous! Alison doesn't use people."
    "No?" He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "I'll reserve judgment on that.
    But none of that affects us tonight, does it? The game has moved to the
    next stage. You got in my way, Cassie Bond. You deprived me of
    something I wanted, so you're going to give me something in return. And
    in the process you're going to learn a lesson about treating me as if I were
    dirt."
    "But I never meant…that is, I didn't treat you that way," she sputtered.
    "I was only trying to protect Alison!"
    "You succeeded in saving your sister from my clutches," he taunted,
    "but I don't think there's much you can do to save yourself."
    "What makes you think you can seduce me!" Cassie ground out
    furiously.
    "Instinct," he said succinctly.
    "Instinct!"
    "Umm. It has something to do with the way you reacted when I kissed
    you in that hotel alcove, and—"
    "I didn't react to you," she interrupted quickly.
    "And something to do with the way you look at me," he continued
    ruthlessly. "You challenge me, Cassie, and when a woman challenges a
    man, she's usually vulnerable to him."
    "That's perfectly idiotic psychology!"
    "We'll find out, won't we? Now, where are the flashlights?" He seemed
    to have grown bored with the conversation and glanced around the room
    consideringly.
    "I don't have a flashlight," she replied testily, half-relieved he was going
    on to another topic and half-enraged that he could talk of seducing her
    and then forget the matter so quickly. Justin Drake was unlike any man
    she had ever met, she realized in dismay. The normal rules for handling
    men didn't seem to apply to him. But he did build a nice, comforting fire.
    "What do you mean, you don't have a flashlight? Didn't you have one in
    your car?"
    "No."
    "You really came prepared, didn't you?" He stalked over to a huge
    mahogany desk and absently opened a few drawers.
    "I came up here to find myself, not a flashlight!"
    He looked at her oddly. "To find yourself?"
    "Never mind," she muttered, moving out from behind the sofa to edge
    closer to the warmth of the fire. Cautiously she put out her hands to the
    blaze. "Just forget the flashlight. I don't have one and it would be difficult
    to search the house tonight in the dark. I was lucky to locate some candles
    in the kitchen!"
    "I'll get mine from the car," he announced deliberately and walked out
    into the hall without a backward glance. The front door opened and
    closed.
    Cassie watched him go and then mumbled gruffly to the cat. "Figures
    he'd be prepared, doesn't it, cat? He probably stuck a flashlight in his car
    this afternoon just so he could produce it under the right circumstances
    and make me look silly for being unprepared."
    The cat said nothing, merely continuing to watch her with slitted