Edge of Darkness Read Online Free PDF

here.”
    With a rueful twist of her lips, Ember said, “I thought you were going to buy a very expensive book and save the shop from ruin.”
    “You wish, lady. Actually I brought you something.” He bent and retrieved a small brown paper bag from the floor by his feet. He dangled it in front of her like a cat toy. “Lunch. You said you didn’t eat this morning, so…”
    Ember’s eyes misted. He brought her lunch after she ran out on him like that? Damn. This was turning out to be one hell of a morning. She took the bag and peered inside. Sandwich, fruit, a cup of plain yogurt. “Is it poisoned?” she asked, to hide how touched she was by the gesture.
    Asher smiled and his eyes twinkled through his glasses. He saw right through her tough act, but never called her out on it. He was a good friend for many reasons, but primarily because he let her have her secrets and didn’t press too hard when she shut down. He knew that was the surest way to make her run away.
    “No. You’re not getting off that easily.”
    He blew her an air kiss and turned to go, but Ember said, “Wait,” and he looked back at her, brought up short by the emotion in her voice.
    She rounded the counter, wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, and hugged him. “Thank you, Ash,” she whispered. “I really appreciate it.”
    He chuckled and gave her a squeeze. “Don’t get hysterical on me, sweetie. I only know how to handle hysterical boys .” He pulled back, still holding her around the waist, and smiled down at her, his brown eyes soft. “You creatures with ovaries really terrify me. You’re so unpredictable. Creatures with penises are much more straightforward.”
    “I think you mean simple .”
    He shrugged. “You say potato, I say potahto…”
    She smiled back at him, her first true smile in days, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
    At exactly that moment, Christian McLoughlin sauntered through the front door.

Ember knew it was him without looking because the air in the shop suddenly became charged.
    That and Asher became charged.
    He turned his head toward the door as he heard the jingle of the bell, and the smile on his face faded, replaced by a look of wide-eyed, gaping shock. His fingers tightened on her waist. From his mouth came a little, wordless noise, and his eyes, fixed on some target, travelled up, down, and back again. He exhaled a slow, whistling breath.
    Ember sighed, released him and turned to look at Christian.
    As elegant, regal and, well, gorgeous , as the first time she’d seen him, he looked back and forth between her and Asher with a quizzical lift to his brows. Good , she thought peevishly. Let him think Asher is my boyfriend. Even though he’s looking at Christian as if he’d like to lick every part of his body.
    “Helllooo, beautiful,” Asher purred. Ember elbowed him. So much for the boyfriend cover.
    “That was fast. Did you fly here?” she said to Christian, not particularly warmly. The rent, Ember , she reminded herself. The rent . She forced herself to smile at him.
    The corners of Christian’s lips lifted and he walked forward, his stride languid, posture cocksure. He wore dove gray trousers and a perfectly cut shirt of indigo blue, which made his eyes appear even more vivid green than they did yesterday. The hair was perfect again, too, and Ember childishly wanted to run her fingers through it just to ruffle those perfect strands and mess it up.
    Or did she just want to run her fingers through it?
    She mentally slapped herself. There was a line a mile long of females wanting to run their fingers through this man’s hair, she was sure—and she was equally sure she would not be standing at the end of it.
    Not that he’d want her to, anyway. He looked like he only dated lingerie models and starlets. Women with perfect hair and gym-taut bodies and long, manicured fingernails who’d leave scratches when they clawed at his back while they arched and moaned in ecstasy beneath