Sebastian/Aristide (Bayou Heat) Read Online Free PDF Page A

they tripped over their feet at the sight of him.
    Oddly annoyed by the lingering female glances, Reny moved to stand at his side, her brows pulled together.
    “How did you…” She cut off her words as a smug smile curved his lips. “Never mind.”
    With a shake of her head she turned to pull open the door to the apartment building, stepping into the lobby.
    Sebastian was directly on her heels, moving around her to investigate the bleak space. Across the peeling linoleum floor was the elevator, as well as the narrow door to the stairs. Opposite were a dozen mailboxes built into the wall. And closer to the door was an orange couch that she’d bet had been there since The Brady Bunch was on the air.
    Reny shuddered. Had anyone actually sat on those lumpy cushions in the past decade?
    “The attack supposedly happened here?” Sebastian demanded.
    “Yes,” she said, watching him pace from one end of the lobby to the other with a lethal grace that was mesmerizing.
    “Cameras?”
    She pointed toward the hole cut in the ceiling near the flickering florescent lights. “The owner of the building said they were temporarily out of service, but I suspect they’ve never functioned.”
    Sebastian nodded, crouching next to the mailboxes. “There’s blood, but no scent of Pantera.”
    “It happened three days ago,” she pointed out.
    He straightened, turning to meet her guarded gaze. “After such a violent encounter there should be some trace of the attacker.”
    “Unless he could mask his scent.”
    “Impossible.” Irritation emphasized the yellow-gold in his amazing eyes. “Just as the wounds on the female are impossible.”
    “Why?”
    “A Pantera can’t shift into his animal form unless he’s in the Wildlands.”
    Reny hesitated. Her briefing had been lacking any details about the Pantera. No doubt because there wasn’t much information to share.
    The puma shifters had been elusive for so long that even the rumors of their abilities had died away.
    “Are you telling me the truth?”
    He shrugged. “It would serve no purpose for me to lie.”
    She held his fierce gaze, even when instinct told her to look away. “Of course it would. The Pantera have gone to a lot of trouble to remain hidden. If you have a rogue psycho attacking women it’s going to reveal your presence to the entire world.”
    Without warning he was standing directly in front of her, his hand cupping her chin as he glared down at her.
    “Whoever did this—” With a hiss, Sebastian abruptly jerked his hand from her face, shaking it as if he’d felt the blaze of ruthless need that jolted through her body. Then he went still, something dark and dangerous glowing in his eyes.
    Puma.
    It wasn’t threatening. It was…watchful. Intent. Hungry.
    She shivered, and lifted her hand to touch her chin. The skin felt like it’d been scorched.
    “What did you do to me?” she husked.
    He gave a slow shake of his head. “It wasn’t me.”
    “It had to be you. It was your touch that started this.”
    “Reny—”
    “No.”
    With a jerky motion she was headed across the foyer and up the stairs, unwilling to acknowledge the brutal arousal that was spreading through her body with every beat of her heart.
    God. What the hell was wrong with her?
    “Where are you going?”
    “The victim’s apartment is on the first floor.”
    Reny walked up the narrow steps, pretending to ignore the image of a stalking panther just inches behind her. He remained silent, but she could sense his tension. The very air sizzled with the heat of his edgy unease.
    It was a relief to step out of the stairwell and into the dark hallway, despite the unmistakable stench of urine. Wrinkling her nose, she hurried to knock on the nearest door, forced to wait for a tense minute before it was pulled open to reveal a young woman who clearly was preparing for a night out.
    Dressed in nothing more than her bra and panties, the woman pushed her dark hair still damp from the shower out of