A Despair of Demons (Travelers, Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

showed signs of staying behind.
    She looked
around her tidy office and couldn’t think of anything else she needed to do
tonight. “Okay.”
    “It’ll be here
when you get back,” Jordan promised with a smile.
    “Come on,” Ben
said as he threw an arm around her shoulders. “Let’s go watch a movie.”
    “Everybody?”
    “Obviously.” Gin
grinned at her from the doorway.
    Liv’s heart
melted. She loved movies, but most of her teammates couldn’t stand sitting
still for long. And they were volunteering to, for her.
    Liv smiled. “My
house, one hour?”
    “We’re there,”
Gin said.
    “Thanks, y’all.
I mean it.”
    Ben aimed his
finger at her like a gun. “Next time, I hope the scary Traveler just attacks
us.”
    Liv laughed. “Yeah,
me too.”
    Trent said,
“Watch what you wish for.”
    “Come on, Gloomy
Gus,” Connor said as he closed Liv’s door. “Let’s go.”
    *           *           *
    Jordan leaned
against Liv’s countertop and crossed his arms in an effort to avoid physical
contact. She was wearing some sort of velvety shirt that clung to every curve,
and since he’d arrived half an hour ago, he’d been fighting the urge to reach
out and feel if it was as soft as it looked.
    The team was
gathered in her small kitchen, talking over beers and finger foods, winding
down after their particularly stressful day, and he’d been watching her closely
to make sure she was okay.
    She acted like
her normal self. In his scrutiny, though, he apparently forgot the barrier that
normally kept his mind firmly in the she’s
my partner and we’re friends zone.
    She leaned
around him to answer some joke of Ben’s, brushing his arm, and he felt an
overwhelming urge to put his arm around her, hold her against him. He jammed
his hands in his pockets.
    Finally, she
said, “Who’s ready for the movie?”
    Gin and Ben
raced for the living room, calling their favorite spots. Connor and Trent
jumped for the couch.
    Jordan trailed
Liv, who took the last armchair. Since he refused to participate in the seating
melee, there were never a lot of options. He took his usual place on the floor
and leaned back against her chair, trying not to touch her knee with his
shoulder.
    The screen lit,
and he focused on the movie.
    He’d thought it
would be easier in the dark, but he hadn’t counted on her perfume. He tried not
to feel her presence next to him, but she shifted in her chair and her sweet
spicy scent hit his nose. He breathed deep and felt himself growing hard.
    Great. He tried
to think about baseball, but he wasn’t very interested in sports. Aunt Betty. That
should work.
    She shifted her
legs, brushing against him with sensual softness, and he breathed her in again.
The picture of Aunt Betty popped like a soap bubble and he grew hard again. He
wasn’t very good at picturing people he hadn’t seen in years anyway.
    He tried to
focus on the explosions on screen, but every time her perfume wafted past his
nose, it sent blood straight to his groin. Thank God he’d worn a long-hemmed
shirt. No one would notice in the dark, but he’d have to get out of here as
soon as the lights went on. Or preferably, before they went on.
    The end credits
finally rolled. Although he had no idea what they had just watched, much less
any of the plot twists, he jumped up and said, “Great movie. I’d better get
going. See you guys Monday.”
    He escaped out
the door before anyone managed to get to the lights, which suited him just
fine. He’d better get himself under control again before Monday or there would
be some serious problems.
    His house was
only a mile from Liv’s, so he got home in minutes. He decided that even though
he’d taken a shower a couple of hours ago, another might be in order— a
cold one.
    He rested his
head against the cool tiled wall of the shower. This is getting worse, not better. I thought I’d be over her by now. He
banged his head lightly against the wall. He’d been entranced