Sweet Seduction Shadow Read Online Free Page B

angle and plane matching the softness of mine. And it most certainly had nothing to do with the way he smelled. A masculine fragrance that was definitely an expensive cologne, mixed in with the sweat of man.
    A shiver of recognition ran down my spine. I had smelled this particular scent before.
    I had dreamed this particular scent before.
    I was up and out of his arms in the next second, adrenaline finally doing what it was meant to do. But vertigo making my flight delayed, as I doubled over and clasped my knees, breathing deeply and blinking rapidly to make the dots before my eyes disappear. I was vaguely aware of him sitting up, of him resting his arms casually across his bent knees. And of him watching every single move I made.
    He was dressed in black, good to hide in the shadows, I told myself. Black faded jeans, black faded T-shirt, and old scuffed black boots and a black leather belt. The belt was heavily laden with items I did not want to dwell on, but forced my eyes to acknowledge anyway. A cellphone, taser, handcuffs, mace and the obligatory bad-guy gun. I'd seen my fair share at the Compound. I even knew how to fire one, my father had made sure of that.
    His right arm was tattooed, it reminded me of Christchurch and my time with the Devil's Henchmen. But this was no motorcycle club marking, it was tribal in nature. Intricate and beautiful at the same time, despite the frightful looking Tiki hidden in its depths. Hiding in plain sight. My eyes flicked up to his face and I made myself not suck in much needed air.
    He definitely had some Māori blood in him; more a milk chocolate colouring, than dark cocoa. He was also unbelievably beautiful, in a hard, rough-edged way. Abi Merchant wouldn't be seen dead with a guy like this, but the old me would have looked twice, that's for sure. I adopted a slightly haughty expression, then realised I was playing Chrystal today, so changed it quickly to one of carefree nonchalance.
    He smiled, having clearly seen the cover-up and even while I swore loudly in my head at my faux pas, I blinked rapidly at the transformation on his face. If he was beautiful before, then when he smiled he was breathtaking. I stared dumbly at him for several seconds, as he held my gaze and the smile spread even more.
    The sound of a car door creaking open behind me broke the spell. I stood upright and took a step away from the good-looking, good-Samaritan on the ground, and faced off against the yet unknown car-driving maniac to the side. I kept both men in my line of sight, and kept myself several feet away from each.
    The driver was middle aged, had a light tan and a hard working physique. And wore a checked flannel shirt, rolled up at the sleeves. If he was one of Roan's he did not fit the bill. My eyes flicked back of their own accord to my "saviour", who would have blended in superbly at the Compound. I forced myself to assess the driver again. I noticed dirt beneath his chipped fingernails and mud on his working-man's boots and the back tray of his Ute - I realised, not a car - was covered in landscaping material. Pete's Landscaping stencilled on the side of the cab finishing off the image perfectly.
    Roan could have used a chameleon like me to hunt me down, but I doubted it. The danger here lay in the relaxed looking guy still sitting on the ground. He was the one hiding in plain sight, Pete wasn't hiding at all.
    "Bloody hell," Pete exclaimed. "Are you OK? I thought I was gonna hit you for sure. Thank God you were there to move her, mate," he said looking at my saviour, but returning his eyes to me immediately. "I tried to stop in time, but..." his voice trailed off and he swallowed painfully, as his eyes swung behind him to the road. Black burnt tyre marks left a trail of evidence behind them. "Are you sure, you're OK?" he asked, when his eyes finally returned to mine.
    "I'm fine," I said with a small smile. "Just incredibly clumsy." Abi Merchant was not clumsy, so I was happy to go with