Dark Desire Read Online Free PDF Page B

aristocratic
features resembling Laris’s own. Zeke watched with a
growing sense of curiosity as the woman drew her to a corner away from the
crowd. Laris smiled at the woman, who gave her a warm
embrace.
    Zeke’s gut
tightened with sudden dread. A sense of impending danger threaded through the
air, yet he could find no clear cause for his reaction. “Who is that woman with Laris ?”
    “Ah, that is
Amari Lantel . She worked for the Tribunal as a
mediator between the dark breeds on minor disputes.” Amusement colored Marcus’s
voice. “I believe she is also your new bride’s aunt.”
    Zeke’s entire
focus held on the two of them. He studied Amari with a critical eye. She was a
stunning woman with her dark skin practically glowing under the candlelight.
Her dark hair was pulled up away from her face in an elegant upsweep of loose
curls.
    To Zeke, she
seemed cold, calculating. Dangerous.
    Protective instincts
he never knew he possessed rose up to the surface, bringing a growl of warning
pouring out of his throat. His friends turned toward him with surprise, yet he
never let his focus waver. As he watched Laris’s aunt
lean in and whisper in her ear, it seemed her expression went blank for the
briefest of seconds. He must be seeing things. The emotions boiling through him
were making him see threats in every shadow and every person. He needed to bed
her very soon or he couldn’t be held accountable for his actions.
    As if hearing
his thoughts, Laris’s head lifted, her gaze locking
onto him with a shy smile playing on those perfect lips. Lips he wanted under
his with an ever-increasing desperation. He watched as one of his servants led
her toward the arched hallway toward his wing of suites. His pulse picked up,
heart beating in anticipation. Soon she would be his.

Chapter Four
     
    Laris paced the
elegantly appointed bedroom, averting her eyes from the massive bed, which
seemed to dominate the room. At any other time, she would be impressed by the
clean lines and subtle colors of burgundy set off with contrasting greys. The
simple wood drawers and chairs were definitely male in design and color. Her
bare feet sank into the thick deep brown rug covering the white marble floor.
Pausing at the heavy brocade drapes, which matched the bedspread, she blew out
an irritated breath. Her usual patience seemed to be lacking, and she knew it
had everything to do with one mysterious stranger she now would call husband.
With nervous fingers, she nudged one side of the material open to take in the
view before her.
    Atlantis—her new
home—lay before her, awash in the dim blue-white glow of evening. The ceiling
high above shimmered in waves of phosphorescent light so low it cast long shadows,
pooling within corners, alleys and amongst the trees which adorned the Grecian
styled city.
    What the hell
did she get talked into?
    A bitter laugh
escaped her lips. She never had the luxury of being “talked” into anything. Ja’mel had told her what he expected with his usual
emotionless regard. It brought an ache to her chest to think of the cold
stranger her brother had become. There was a time when they were as close as
two siblings could be. They shared everything together. Only two years separated
them, with her the younger. He would promise to take care of her and keep her
safe.
    Simple,
uncomplicated times, golden times to be cherished. Only as Ja’mel grew older something inside him started to close up.
He grew distant and cold, and nothing she did could
break the icy shell that encased his emotions. If not for Amari she didn’t know
what would have happened, she had been so lost. The woman was the one constant
in her life, always there with words of encouragement, nurturing her. Because Laris had lost both her parents at just two years old,
Amari was the only mother she knew, and Laris thanked
the gods for her every day.
    A sound at her
back pulled her out of her memories with a start. Turning quickly she watched
the man she