Games Demons Play (Mystic Isle, Book 3) Read Online Free

something about her called to
him, made him want to soothe her. Protect her from whatever it was
that lurked behind those beautiful blue eyes.
    Her gaze dropped, searching the floor as if
she’d find the answers there. Then she craned her neck and peered
over the end of the bed to look at Pierre.
    “Where am I?” she asked, pegging Shade with a
glare.
    “My house. It’s almost daylight.”
    As if the thought had just occurred to him,
Pierre bolted into action. Spry for an old guy, Shade would give
him that. Vampires didn’t suffer from things like arthritis. Pierre
gave her a wide birth as he side-stepped his way around the
perimeter of the room.
    Izzy watched every step he took. The moment
he drew the shades and pulled the curtains closed, her shoulders
dropped a fraction. The hard glare she’d pegged him with softened
and became curious.
    What a fascinating creature she was.
    Shade flipped a switch on a nearby lamp and
was rewarded with a quick jerk of her head that sent her beautiful
blonde hair flying.
    “You’re safe here,” he assured her. For a
reason he didn’t want to examine, it was important to him that she
felt safe. Secure. That he made her feel that way. What the hell
was wrong with him?
    Her eyes widened and her chin pulled back,
and then up. “I’m not safe anywhere.” Concern pinched her brows.
She pressed two fingers right above her nose and rubbed up and
down. Then she shook her head and stared at him. He couldn’t quite
figure out what it meant, but it was intense.
    “Where’s Gorgeous?”
    It was Shade’s turn to frown. “Who?” She
licked her lips. Oh damn. The added moisture made her crimson lips
shine. Now he wanted to taste them.
    “The car. What happened to the car?”
    “I had someone tow it to town. Don’t worry,
he’s top-notch.”
    He could see the wheels turning. Reaching out
with his mind he heard a colorful variety of words racing through
hers.
    Pierre skirted the edge of the room again and
paused in the doorway.
    “If you need anything else, mademoiselle , please let me know.”
    Shade crossed his arms over his chest and
felt like preening when her eyes followed the movement. In fact her
gaze swept over him like a paintbrush, narrowing as she studied his
face.
    “If you’d like to take a shower, the
bathroom’s through there.” He nodded toward the door on the wall to
her left.
    Her frown deepened. Absently, she ran her
fingers through her hair, twisting it into a single sheaf and
draped it over her left shoulder. Blood had matted the pale
strands, darkening the color, caking at her temple.
    She didn’t take her eyes off him. And if he
wasn’t mistaken, she was shaking.
    “I’m not going to hurt you, vamp. You’re
welcome to sleep as long as you like.”
    “Why are you being so nice?”
    Why indeed when she seemed hell-bent on
making him out to be the devil himself. Luc would get a kick out of
that.
    The truth was he didn’t have an answer to
that. He rarely allowed anyone in his home. Not that he was a
hermit, but he liked his privacy. His space. He liked his things
just so and having people stomping through his house tended to
change the energy.
    He’d partied hard in his youth. Now he liked
his peace and quiet. Unknowingly, she played havoc with his
sanctuary. The memory of her in the seat next to him, her lips on
his skin… and now. Seeing her here, in his home, he would never be
able to erase the memory of her scent.
    Even now, less than an hour after meeting her
he was consumed by her. Obsessed. Not good for a demon.
    Obsessed or not, he wasn’t mean by nature.
But that didn’t explain the surge of feeling overwhelming him now.
He needed a time-out. A long walk. Some fresh air to clear his head
and examine… everything.
    “Why wouldn’t I be?” He dropped his arms to
his sides and noted the way she sucked in a breath and tensed. Verdammt . The woman had trust issues.
    He rubbed a hand over the scratch marks on
his arm. She glanced at the