Fire and Ice Read Online Free PDF Page A

to be blushing.
    â€œLemon Balm, right?” His velvety voice filled the room.
    My eyes swept upwards. Nicely hung, faded blue jeans ripped at the knee, black t-shirt, and a leather coat. Dark hair that fell in soft waves framed the most incredible eyes — the heat of the sun with laser beam intensity. My breath caught in my throat when his gaze locked on mine. It was hard to think with the overpowering aroma of thyme in the air, but at some point in my delirium I recognized him. The mystery guy from the café.
    He smiled and my stomach twirled. Everything about him was astonishingly beautiful.
    â€œWe met the other night.” He paused, looking at me through impossibly long lashes. “At the café? What are you doing here?”
    â€œRight… I remember.” As if forgetting someone like him was humanly possible.
    â€œYou were serving a cheerleader, if I recall correctly.” His mouth quirked into a crooked grin.
    â€œThat part, I’d rather forget.” I groaned, jamming my hands into the pockets of my jacket.
    â€œSo, you didn’t answer my question,” he said.
    I frowned, slightly confused.
    â€œWhat are you doing here?”
    â€œI assumed you were joking.”
    â€œNo joke.”
    â€œAnd who wants to know? What, are you with the press or something?” I replied, sounding sickeningly like my mother.
    â€œAdrius Thanduir.” He stretched out his hand. “Nightly News.”
    Wow, he smelled good. Outdoorsy like the forest after it rains, with a hint of cologne. I looked at his hand. It was easier to breathe focusing on that. His nails were well-manicured and his palms slightly stained, like a mechanic who’d been tinkering with engines for decades. Not that he looked old enough to have been doing anything for decades. I guess I stared too long because he withdrew his hand with a crooked grin. “Sorry, axle grease. From my bike,” he said, pulling out a handkerchief from a pocket inside his jacket.
    â€œNo, no, it’s fine.” I smiled, surprised that a guy would carry something like that. Maybe he was older than he looked. “Ten speed?” I asked suppressing a smile.
    â€œKawasaki, Ninja 9000,” he replied evenly, matching my smirk.
    â€œAhh.” A biker guy — noted and filed for future reference.
    His perfect face leaned toward me and my heart stopped. He had no concept of personal space.
    â€œI didn’t catch your name.”
    â€œThat would be because I didn’t throw it.” Whoa, what was with the Ice Princess routine? Some small part of me enjoyed the fact that he wanted to know my name, even though common sense told me not to give it to him. He was waiting to see a shrink after all.
    â€œYou know, you can tell a lot from someone by their name.” He kept watching me. “It’s like a window into their soul. Some even believe knowing someone’s name is like owning a piece of them.” When he smiled that sexy boyish grin it made my stomach flutter.
    I’d never had such a visceral experience looking at someone before. It was an exciting flirtation, innocent with a touch of danger — real or imagined. His gaze held mine expectantly.
    I reminded myself to breathe. “So, if I understand correctly, you’re asking for a piece of me,” I said, eyebrows arched. That should give him a taste of his own medicine. Let him be the one uncomfortable for a while.
    But this guy didn’t miss a beat.
    He laughed. “Are you offering?” His eyes pinned me in a way that was too intense, too inviting, and too intimate for me not to look away.
    Oh, he was good. I bit back a smile and pasted on my untouchable look.
    â€œIt’s so not your lucky day,” I said, my heart beat quickening. “You’re not getting either.”
    The heavy office door opened and Phyllis came out, four-inch heels clicking on the mahogany floor. “He’s ready for you, Adrius.