Boiling Point Read Online Free

Nothing hidden and all of it delectable.
    “This is too easy,” she complained, swinging her head around to look at him, and successfully swatting him in the face with baby-soft black curls from her ponytail. She held out an arm to the building. “They might as well have put out the welcome mat.”
    “You wanted it to be complicated?”
    “More complicated than this. They have nothing in place to discourage theft.”
    “That’s the point, isn’t it? That’s why they hired us,” he suggested.
    “I know, but…”
    “…But you wanted some fun tonight and you feel ripped off,” he finished for her.
    Fauna pursed her lips, fully visible in the direct light of the building. “Yeah.”
    A movement caught Cooper’s eyes as a shadow skirted the building. He didn’t like the low skulk of it, and he sure as hell didn’t want Fauna caught up in something dangerous. He had to make her disappear.
    Cooper hooked her arm and dragged her into the shadows several feet from the building. Fauna opened her mouth, as though she intended to object.
    “God, you’re one sexy lady,” he murmured. “Do you have any idea how tempting your ass is in those tight cotton pants?”
    Fauna’s mouth dropped open. Her eyes widened. Cooper moved in, crowding her space.
    “I’ve been tempted all night long to pull them off and run my tongue along the slit until I find something juicy and sweet between your—”
    Fauna zipped into nothingness. Reddish orange shimmered where she’d stood seconds ago. To anyone else, Fauna was invisible. To Cooper, her heat signature was anything but, and damn if he hadn’t made her hot. He couldn’t stop the smug smile from curving his lips into a smile.
    Cooper took his eyes off her for a second, checking for the figure. The other person had moved around the far side of the building and out of sight.
    “Sorry about that, boss. We aren’t the only ones sneaking in the shadows.”
    “What?” Fauna stammered.
    “Someone else is here, too. I didn’t want him seeing you.”
    Fauna stayed stonily quiet.
    “He’s around back. You stay here. I’ll come get you as soon as it’s safe.” Cooper didn’t wait for her to answer, he took off, edging around the walls the way the other man had. Cooper, however, stayed out of the light. Whoever was breaking in wasn’t doing a great job of being stealthy.
    Out of view from Fauna, and he glanced back to make sure her heat signature remained stationary, Cooper laid his hand on the open metal window sash of the building. Using the conductive properties of the ancient frame, Cooper willed himself into pure heat energy and rematerialized inside the science building.
    He didn’t have any cool tricks like the Harpers did, but Cooper wasn’t a faery. He was an elemental. Using his senses to detect subtle fluctuations in air temperatures, Cooper moved through the building until he found the shimmer of a trail, charged particles of body heat having passed through recently, leading to the office of the Dean of Science and Technology.
    The door stood ajar, internal lights off but for the soft glow of a lit computer monitor. Cooper poked his head around the corner, but the room remained still. Whoever had been there moments before had already gone. No, that wasn’t exactly right either. It wasn’t a who , but a what .
    No wonder the intruder had been clumsy enough to be seen on the perimeter. He hadn’t worried about being found. Only an elemental could thwart the perceptions of another elemental.
    Cooper retraced his steps, keeping a keen awareness to the elements. He sensed nothing. Whichever element was near, he was in hiding specifically from Cooper’s talents. It could be anyone, even one of his own kind. A salamander could easily offset the perceptions of another Fire based elemental. But the earth gnomes, water undines, and air sylphs could use their own abilities to confuse fire as well.
    Which meant there was a leak in the salamander scientific community