Tempted by the Night Read Online Free

of Ian Marck’s truck. A damned rock had come flying up and caught him, splitting the skin like an overripe grape. He nearly lost his grip from where he crouched on the solid back bumper, his muscles frozen taut and tight for far too long as he took care to keep his head out of sight of the rear window.
    In fact, Luke was in more pain from the awkward position of holding on for dear life while jouncing along on the back of the damned vehicle than he was headachy or dizzy from the blow at the back of the head and loss of blood.
    But, as he’d hoped, once Marisa saw the blood and he staggered a little, she stopped asking questions and looking at him with loathing and suspicion and went straight into female-motherly-action mode.
    Though he had to admit—it had been a bit of overkill when he leaned so heavily on her as she helped him through the corridor. But Luke hadn’t been able to resist getting that close.
    He still smelled the fresh, definitely-not-floral-but-arousing-as-hell scent that clung to her tightly bound ponytail and skin. The glasses were new since he’d left, and damned if she didn’t look ridiculously sexy yet a little dangerous when she was glaring at him over top of the lenses. He basked, just for a minute, in the memory of her petite, sturdy, soft body tucked under his arm. Wishing…
    He shook his head sharply, then winced—for real—at the stab of pain that shot along the back of his head and down over his shoulders.
    Focus, asshole.
    He looked around. The minute she’d pulled the t-shirt/blindfold away—which, by the way, had been so threadbare it had done little to obscure his vision—Luke had begun to examine the room.
    What the hell was this place? A library’s secret chamber? Hmmm…hidden and closed up, Batcave style. What the hell was in here, anyway?
    Luke couldn’t believe how lucky he’d been, getting Marisa to take him to this place. He’d had no idea such a secret room existed—and considering the fact that he and Lainey had pretty much been everywhere in the Shelby Library/Bengotti home, trying to avoid being caught with their hands down each other’s pants, that could be considered a miracle in itself.
    So that made the chances of a second one even more remote.
    He had no idea Marisa would share such a secret with him; he simply didn’t want to be taken to her living space—or worse, her freaking bedroom. Not only would he be discovered much too easily, but, well…it just wouldn’t be a good idea to be in either place. For all he knew, she could be sharing it with someone.
    Hell, she probably was. She’d take off those damned glasses, unfasten her ponytail, and let all that thick, dark hair fall loose and free…
    Focus , asswipe , he reminded himself again.
    He’d stopped bleeding by now, which was good because then he wouldn’t leave a trail of blood around the room to let Marisa know he’d been snooping. In fact, he wouldn’t even have been bleeding at all, except he’d had to take extreme measures back in the exterior hallway. He’d swiped away the blood that had begun to clot over his injury so it would start bleeding again. Just to make sure Marisa was properly concerned.
    A niggle of guilt spiraled through his gut, ending in a sharp stab. Pretty much not one thing he’d said or done since grabbing Marisa Bengotti in her own home had been aboveboard or honest.
    Yeah, well, he’d already burned that bridge five years ago…so what did it matter now? She already thought the absolute worst of him. Lainey’s married now. She moved away. She wouldn’t take you back .
    Thank God for that, at least.
    He wondered how much time he’d have to look around here, to see what was what. But everything in this room was clearly meant to be hidden…probably from the likes of Ian Marck and his bounty-hunter bastards.
    Luke detested Ian Marck, the rest of the