After Dark Read Online Free

Oh, that burned more than all his other insults put together. But she did like the thought of Kaia searching high and low but finding no sign of her, almost like they were playing a game of hide-and-seek. Bianka would totally, finally win.
    “You appear...excited,” he said, head tilting to the side. “Why? Does her concern not disturb you?”
    Yep. A certified do-gooder. “It’s not like I’ll be here long.” She peeked over his shoulder; more of that wisping white greeted her. “Got anything to drink here?”
    “No.”
    “Eat?”
    “No.”
    “Wear?”
    “No.”
    Slowly the corners of her lips lifted. “I guess that means you like to go naked. Awesome.”
    His cheeks reddened. “Enough. You are trying to bait me and I do not like it.”
    “Then you shouldn’t have brought me here.” Hey, wait a minute. He’d never really told her why he’d chosen her as his project, she realized. “Be honest. Do you need my help with something?” After all, she, like many of her fellow Harpies, was a mercenary, paid to find and retrieve. Her motto: if it’s unethical and illegal and you’ve got the cash, I’m your girl! “I mean, I know you didn’t just bring me here to save the world from my naughty influence. Otherwise, millions of other people would be here with me.”
    He crossed his arms over his massive chest.
    She sighed. Knowing men as she did, she knew he was done answering that type of question. Oh, well. She could have convinced him otherwise by annoying him until he caved, but she didn’t want to put the work in.
    “So what do you do for fun around here?” she asked.
    “I destroy demons.”
    Like you, she finished for him. But he’d already said he had no intention of killing her, and she believed him—how could she not? That voice... “So you don’t want to hurt me, you don’t want to touch me, but you do want me to live here forever.”
    “Yes.”
    “I’d be an idiot to refuse such an offer.” That she sounded sincere was a miracle. “We’ll pretend to be married and spend the nights locked in each other’s arms, kissing and touching, our bodies—”
    “Stop. Just stop.” And, drumroll please, that muscle began ticking under his eye again.
    This time, there was no fighting her grin. It spread wide and proud. That tic was a sign of anger, surely. But what would it take to make that anger actually seep into his irises? What would it take to break even a fraction of his iron control?
    “Show me around,” she said. “If I’m going to live here, I need to know where my walk-in closet is.” During the tour, she could accidentally-on-purpose brush against him. Over and over again. “Do we have cable?”
    “No. And I cannot give you a tour. I have duties. Important duties.”
    “Yeah, you do. My pleasure. That should be priority one.”
    Teeth grinding together, he turned on his heel and strode away. “You will find it difficult to get into trouble here, so I suggest you do not even try.” His voice echoed behind him.
    Please. She could get into trouble with nothing but a toothpick and a spoon. “If you leave, I’ll rearrange everything.” Not that there was any furniture to be seen.
    Silence.
    “I’ll get bored and take off.”
    “Try.”
    It was a response, at least. “So you’re seriously going to leave me? Just like that?” She snapped her fingers.
    “Yes.” Another response, though he didn’t stop walking.
    “What about that bed you were going to chain me to? Where is it?”
    Uh-oh, back to silence.
    “You didn’t even tell me your name,” she called, irritated despite herself. How could he abandon her like that? He should hunger for more of her. “Well? I deserve to know the name of the man I’ll be cursing.”
    Finally, he stopped. Still, a long while passed in silence and she thought he meant to ignore her. Again. Then he said, “My name is Lysander,” and stepped from the cloud, disappearing from view.

CHAPTER 3
    Lysander watched as two newly recruited