Rules of Survival (Entangled Embrace) by Jus Accardo Read Free Book Online Page A

enough to try. It was the middle of October and we were soaking wet and shackled together. That didn’t really scream “under the radar.”
    “I have an idea,” Shaun said, pulling me from the alley and guiding me across the street.
    I followed, unsure what he was doing, but too cold to care. He led me through the doors of the small apartment complex, and the moment we walked in off the street and out of the icy breeze, I felt a million times better.
    He closed the door behind me. “Laundry room. Should be able to find what we need there.”
    I was kind of surprised because it was fairly brilliant. “That’s actually a good idea…”
    He glanced back over his shoulder and shot me a cocky grin. “Of course it is. That’s why I was the one who came up with it.”
    I would have responded, but I didn’t trust myself. Of all the people on earth for me to be shackled to, the universe sends a cocky, know-it-all asshole with a perfect body, face of a demigod, rocking an attitude? I’d done horrible things in a previous life to deserve this. Kicked a cherub or spit on a cloud. That was the only answer.
    We went through the small foyer and around to the door marked Stairs . He pushed through and followed the hall to the end, our wet sneakers squeaking against the tile floor. We found the laundry room with little trouble, making only a single wrong turn and ending up in the boiler room.
    In addition to being hungry and soaked, I’d had to pee since I’d woken up. Luckily, there was a small restroom in the corner. I was able to duck inside despite the shackle chain, closing the door most of the way, and preserve at least some of my dignity.
    “Don’t be picky—just grab anything that might fit and let’s get out of here,” Shaun said when I came out. He pulled a dark-blue T-shirt from the pile of unfolded clothes to his right and started peeling off his wet one off.
    I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Well-defined lines and a whirl of black ink brought a rush of heat to my cheeks and regions lower. The air grew almost humid, thick and hard to breathe, and I found myself wanting to move closer. To run the tips of my fingers across his skin. It was as he stretched to pull the shirt over his head, arms extended and glorious muscles flexed, that I snapped out of it and realized the problem with our plan.
    “Whoa!” I said, grabbing the chain and yanking. “Do not do that please.”
    A wicked grin slipped across his lips as he let the shirt fall back into place. “I know once you’ve seen my physical perfection it’ll ruin you for all others, but—”
    I blinked. “Are you kidding me?”
    He thumped his chest. “I saw you checking me out when Pat and I came into the cabin. You couldn’t keep your eyes off me.”
    I had been checking him out, but he shouldn’t have been that flattered. I didn’t really get to spend much time with guys, in general. Besides, he was staring at me just as hard. “ Checking you out? ”
    He set the dry shirt down on the nearest washing machine and stepped closer, stopping just shy of invading my personal space. The tightness in my stomach increased, this time accompanied by a spike in my pulse. “Yeah. Checking me out. Kind of like you’re doing right now.”
    He was right—I was staring. Shit. I took a step back and jingled the shackles in front of his face. “I thought I wasn’t the only one with a brain. Exactly how do you plan on getting the shirt off your right arm?”
    He thought about it for a minute, then rolled his eyes. “It’s just a T-shirt. I can rip it.”
    I gave him a good old-fashioned golf clap. “That’s brilliant…but how are you getting a new shirt on ?”
    He opened his mouth—then closed it with a snap. “Find pants. Our shirts will dry eventually. We’ll have to make do.”
    We dug through the piles of clothing in search of something suitable and warm. Shaun managed to find a pair of jeans that fit perfectly. I turned toward the wall while he