Night's Darkest Embrace Read Online Free PDF

myself for what I had to do. Then I stared into his dazzling cobalt gaze with a slow, inviting smile.
    “Speechless?” I asked softly, echoing his teasing question from before.
    Rafael’s hand slid across the bar to cover mine, those strong fingers stroking with smooth, sure touches.
    “Perhaps.”
    I didn’t believe him, but I wasn’t being honest, either, so who was I to criticize?
    “That’s all right, we don’t need to talk,” I offered, trying to make my tone sound throaty and enticing. “But maybe we could go back to your house and you can show me what you’re thinking?”
    According to everything I’d heard, Rafael didn’t bring women back to his home. Instead, he had a fancy little room set up at the Plaza de Souls for romantic trysts. It was all I could do not to hold my breath while I waited to see if my previous refusals would pay off and he’d break his routine to take me up on my offer.
    The lights in his eyes began to brighten, like stars about to go supernova. Thanks to the genuine attraction I had to Rafael, I knew mine were probably also gleaming with tiny specks of brilliance. Humans didn’t know that the expression “eyes lighting up” originally referred to demons, or they might hesitate to use the phrase themselves.
    “What’s behind your sudden change of heart?” Rafael asked, his voice low but filled with a tantalizing undercurrent.
    I let my fingers twine with his, stroking over those ancient rings.
    “I’m sick of being patient.”
    That was the truth, even though Rafael didn’t know I wasn’t talking about jumping into bed with him. Either way, it seemed to be enough. His hand tightened on mine, pulling me to my feet, and then he began leading me toward the door. The crowd around us reacted by pulling back slightly, deference this rough bunch showed to no one except Rafael. By the time we reached the entrance to Bonecrushers, his black-and-gold carriage was already out in front, the driver staring ahead impassively.
    One day I’d have to ask Rafael how he always managed to have his ride waiting for him, but tonight, that was last on my list of things I intended to find out.
    “You’re sure?” he asked, drawing me close to whisper the question against my ear.
    All those years of guilt-infused wondering, waiting, and wishing I would’ve acted differently were about to come to an end.
    “Hell yes.”
    He opened the door and I climbed up into the interior of the carriage. A single gas lantern provided dim lighting when Rafael shut the door behind him. He hadn’t taken a seat before the carriage lurched forward, but he managed to stay perfectly balanced even as my head thumped against the cushioned seat. The horses seemed to be as impatient as I was, but to my relief, the carriage didn’t turn around and head toward the Plaza de Souls. It went straight, the direction of Rafael’s home.
    Part one of my plan accomplished.
    Yet now that I’d put the first step in motion, some of my bravado faltered. Odds were I wouldn’t be able to pull this off without paying a price. Gloria’s face flashed in my mind, followed by my sister’s. Both images firmed my resolve. Whatever the cost, I’d see this through.
    Besides, I was already in over my head; all I had left to find out was whether I could tread enough water to survive.
    Rafael sat next to me instead of taking the bench across from mine. The single flame kept most of his face in shadows, but it highlighted the richness of his red-gold hair. Being this close to him, knowing what would come next, made my heart speed up. I took in a steadying breath and an enticing scent teased my nostrils. Odd, I’d never noticed before that Rafael wore cologne. Probably because there had always been so many people around every other time I’d been near him, except for the two instances when we’d been on the back of a smelly horse.
    “Mara.” His voice was no louder than a sigh, but it raised goose bumps across my skin with its