Touch of Temptation by Rhyannon Byrd Read Free Book Online Page A

be.”
    He didn’t look at her as he kept pacing, the seconds ticking out in slow motion, stretching time, the heat of her gaze burning against his body as he moved. He was ready to launch into another spiel about how he was trying to clean up his act, when she finally said, “I get that this is a totally personal question, but do you always talk about your sex organ as if it’s a sentient being?”
    His own gruff bark of laughter caught him completely by surprise, and he came to a stop, his shoulders hunched as he roughly ran a hand over the back of his neck.
    “Well?” she prompted him.
    “I, uh, I don’t know.” With a slow shake of his head, he cut her a wry look from the corner of his eye. “Never really thought about it before.”
    Smoothing the blanket over her legs, she said, “Just to let you know, you should probably consider stopping.”
    A grin kicked up a corner of his mouth. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
    She turned her head to the side, but not before he thought he saw her lips twitch, on the verge of a smile. How they’d gone from snapping at each other to smiling again, he didn’t know. But it was obvious their moods were all over the place, shifting as swiftly as desert sands.
    Pushing a hand through his hair, he said, “Please, just don’t listen to Spark, okay? She gets a kick outta messing with people’s minds, but it’s all a load of crap.”
    Her fingers plucked nervously at the drab blanket, her profile…sad. Strained. From the side, her lower lip looked a little swollen, as if she’d been nervously pulling it through her teeth, and she swiped it with her tongue before saying, “Listen, Kell, it’s really none of my business what you do with Spark, or with any woman, for that matter. I’m not judging you, and if anything, I’m probably just jealous of all the freedom you’ve had, when that really hasn’t been an option for me because of the curse. But that was my choice. The Mallory have always been seen as evil manipulators who twist guys to our whims, and I never wanted to have anyone throw those accusations in my face. Plus, it would hardly be enjoyable to hook up with some guy and spend the whole time worrying he was only interested in me because of some stupid spell.” She brought her gaze back to his,her voice a little huskier as she added, “Anyway, I think it’d be better if you just didn’t come over here again. At least not until we’re ready to die trying to get out of this place.”
    “Don’t say that. You are not going to die.” He forced the words through his gritted teeth, surprised by the vehemence of his reaction.
    Carefully, she said, “I don’t want to fight with you, Kellan. So please, just go.”
    With his jaw locked, he paced along the outside of her cell again before stopping and wrapping his fingers around the cold rods of metal. “I don’t want to go,” he muttered, holding her with his stare.
    Her gaze burned with frustration, but before she could say anything, he continued talking. “I know you feel like crap, and to be honest, I’m not feeling all that great, either. But it makes…it makes me feel better to be with you. And before you ask me to explain what that means, don’t. Because I don’t have any idea. It’s just the way it is.”
    She studied his face, no doubt noting the ravaging effects of the poison on his system. “You…you don’t look well. Are you ill?”
    “Nah.” He scraped a palm against his stubbled jaw. “It’s just some poison I’ve gotta get outta my system.”
    “Poison?” she said slowly, the word trembling on her lips. “They poisoned you? When? How?” She started talking faster. “Why would they do that? Is it meant to be some kind of torture? Raine said they still think you came here to steal back the three Dark Markers that are in their possession. Does it have something to do with that?”
    Shaking his head, he said, “The poisoning actually happened before I got to the compound.”
    Her