The Dark Side by M. J. Scott Read Free Book Online

to find out if there was a way to protect myself from whatever power it was Esteban wielded. Otherwise, everything Dan had said might just turn out to be true.
    Jase was the obvious person to ask but he was going to be as mad at me as Dan was once he found out we’d be working for Esteban. Adding an admission that Esteban could voodoo me wasn’t going to improve the situation.
    But I had to ask someone. Every time I thought of Esteban, part of me burned even as the rest of me chilled. I hoped like hell the former was going to wear off soon.
    If I wasn’t going to ask Jase or Dan, I needed to ask Ani. I made a mental note to call her as soon as possible.
    Dan’s Jeep bumped its way into his front drive and I came back to myself with another shiver.
    “Are you feeling better?” Dan asked as he climbed out of the car.
    I shut the passenger side door, stood for a moment while my legs decided whether or not they wanted to keep me upright. Then I walked over to him, hoping not falling down was proof of my statement. Cold warred with exhaustion and a desperate need to sleep. But I wasn’t as freaked out as I had been. “I’m okay.”
    Dan’s gaze sharpened. “You’re lying again.” Anger smoked through his scent. He pulled me against him. Heat ripped through my body.
    Too hot. Too fierce.
    Esteban’s voodoo still riding me. I pulled free.
    Dan frowned. “What are you doing? You’re freezing.”
    I realized the leather vest wasn’t hiding the fact my nipples were hard and crossed my arms. Damp leather rubbing across sensitized flesh only made heat spike again and I trembled. The good kind of tremble. Problem was I couldn’t be sure if it was Dan or Esteban causing it. “I’ll be fine.” Despite my efforts to quell the heat, my voice quivered.
    Dan’s nostrils flared. “Still lying,” he said.
    Damned werewolf senses.
    I looked at him, eyes silvered in the moonlight, tall and strong, leather and cotton clinging to all those muscles, and felt the heat bite again. Maybe I shouldn’t fight the feeling. After all, sex was better than fighting. Surely I deserved one good thing out of this mess of a day, Esteban or no Esteban?
    I stepped closer, breathing in the edge of wildness that was pure Dan. Familiar. Soothing, even as it swirled across my nerves and drove warmth through my body. Warmth that didn’t burn and bite like the feelings Esteban had evoked. Warmth that felt right. Natural.
    Maybe hot sex with Dan could drive away all the demons nipping at my heels.
    I smiled, tilting my head back to look at him. “You could warm me up.”
    “Is that so?” His voice deepened a few notes.
    A nod. “Yep. All this wet leather is...cold.” I backed toward the house, tugging the vest away from my skin slightly. Dan moved forward as I moved back, all male intent and grace as he stalked toward me.
    Desire licked my nerves as warmth turned to heat and heat loosened the tension in my muscles. It felt wonderful. We reached the porch and Dan reached for the door. I didn’t want to wait. Needed what he could give me now. Needed skin and heat and us to drive away everything else. I ducked under his arm, blocking the door by leaning back against it and arched toward him. “Where’re you going in such a hurry?”
    His eye widened. “Inside?”
    I tugged at the laces holding my vest together. “What’s wrong with right here?” The porch was shadowed, the moonlight flickering through the clouds unevenly. The darkness seemed to kiss my skin with more heat.
    “Isn’t this a little public?” Dan sounded confused.
    I worked the lace free of the first few holes, baring my cleavage. “Don’t tell me the big bad wolf is shy?”
    “Ash, let’s just—”
    I made a frustrated noise. Too much talking. I’d had enough of voices. Of arguments. Of shoulds and shouldn’ts. I wanted hands and lips and skin. Wanted to feel instead of think. I reached for his neck, pulled myself up on tiptoes and nipped his lip. “
Here
.”
    He