Relentless Flame (Hell to Pay) Read Online Free PDF Page A

inferior choice of a mate, Dante respected her decision.
    But what about this waif of a woman with her sweet librarian glasses? What the hell was her name? He had no idea, but he’d bet his left
testikel
this was the woman, Jessica, he needed to find.
    Hadn’t he fantasized about finding a woman immune to his charisma? Hadn’t he longed for a relationship that relied only on his character and not his other ... charms?
    Well, that idea was clearly garbage.
    The idea bordered on insanity. The idea made his gut churn and shoulders straighten with the need to succeed in fabulous fashion now. A challenge. He loved a challenge.
    But what if something had gone seriously awry with his constitution? What if this challenge didn’t hold the answer?
    He stopped dead in his tracks, staring at his hands. Had he lost his touch?
    He looked up at the sun. Was it still there? It shone brightly.
    Gravity. Did it still work? He jumped.
Ja
, he came back down to Earth.
    When he pinched himself hard, it hurt. All right, so he wasn’t dreaming.
    Well, now he
had
to have this woman. Had to charm her. Had to win.
    Time to regroup.
    Spying a young woman down the street, Dante sauntered over and flashed his never-fail, superstar smile. “Well, hello. Lovely day, isn’t it?”
    The woman tucked her long, black hair behind an ear and tilted her head to the side. “Yes, it is.” She licked her lips.
    Utmarkt
. Excellent.
    Dante was back in the game. Momentarily unmanned but not undeterred.
    • • •
    The next morning, Hannah cracked an eyelid against the light filtering in her bedroom window. With a groan, she rolled off the mattress onto the hard floor and pushed herself up to stand, waiting until her ankle loosened up enough to take the first steps. One day, she’d get a normal bed with a normal frame and box spring. Getting up in the morning would be much more pleasant.
    A faint snore drifted from the other bedroom. Scott must’ve come in late last night.
    She glanced at her watch. Damn. They couldn’t afford for him to lose another job.
    She peeked into the bedroom. Scott lay on top of the blankets, in the same clothes from yesterday. Despite being passed out, his legs shifted restlessly, like when a dog dreamed. Twitchy, constantly moving, even in his sleep. She’d never seen him jumpy like that before. Weird.
    “Scott, get up.” A snore was her only reply. “You’re going to be late.”
    He mumbled. “Sh’up.”
    He rolled over and put a pillow over his face. It was nearly 8:30. He needed to get moving, and she had to leave soon for her own job. As it was, she’d have to walk quickly to get there on time. Her leg ached as she anticipated the fast pace.
    “Come on, let’s go.”
    She pushed him over, and he swatted halfheartedly at her as he swiped his matted brown hair off his forehead. This entire situation—his behavior, the crappy rental, scraping to make ends meet—all of it was getting ridiculous. She didn’t want to fight Scott. Why couldn’t he just grow up? She blew her bangs off her forehead.
    “Oh, shit, my fucking head’s killing me. I feel like ass. I’m calling in.”
    “No way. You’re not losing this job.”
    Pulling his legs around the bed, she tugged him up to a sitting position and ignored his muttered curses. The overwhelming odor of acid, stale beer, and a weird chemical scent like a new shower liner assaulted her nose. A pitiful figure, he moaned and continued to pick at his arms.
    He grabbed her hands. “Help me, sis. Come on.”
    When she tried to pull away, he held tightly with his sweaty hands. She kept her long, navy skirt away from the questionable stains on Scott’s clothes.
    She shook her head. “I can’t. The last time I helped you, it took me days to recover.”
    “Please, I’d love you forever.” His cajoling tone didn’t fool her one bit. “You’re all I’ve got.”
    But man, he really tugged at her heart sometimes. Could she heal him again? Now? She cringed in