Temptation in Shadows Read Online Free PDF

had circled the table, come up behind her, and slammed his hands on the man’s shoulders, sending him propelling into his chair. Sean leaned down, putting him nose to nose with his opponent.
    Everyone at the table went silent and no one moved to help their friend. Probably because Sean looked capable of cold-blooded murder just then.
    “You ever touch her like that again and I’ll cut offyour hands. Ever talk to her like that again and I’ll cut out your tongue. Believe me, I’m very good with knives. Do we understand each other?”
    Shock overwhelmed Gabby. Sean had defended her.
    The man paled, the blue veins underneath his skin now visible. He nodded. “Y-yeah, man. Yeah.”
    “Good.” Sean patted him on his cheek and straightened. “Finish your drinks and get out. You won’t like what happens if you linger.”
    The command was not met with any protests. In fact, everyone at the table grabbed their beers, downed them as quickly as possible—liquid even spilling out the sides of their mouths—and raced from the building.
    She and Sean stood in place for several minutes, silent. His back was to her, and that was for the best. She didn’t want to see that fierce, determined expression, didn’t want to feel the lance of attraction that always followed the meeting of his gaze. Didn’t want to like him any more than she already did.
    Of course, he had to turn eventually. Thankfully, though, he didn’t look down at her. He kept his attention just over her head, a muscle ticcing in his jaw.
    “You okay?” he asked. Still his voice was like a barely banked inferno.
    Concern. For her. Wow. “I’m fine.”
    He arched a brow. “Stuff like that happen often?”
    She shrugged, careful to keep her expression blank. Not that he was looking at her. Why wasn’t he looking at her? Sure, she wanted to avoid catching his gaze and feeling that lance of attraction, but what was
his
reason? “Depends on your definition of ‘often.’ ”
    “I’ll take that for a yes.”
    “Smart man.”
    His lips twitched into a smile as his gaze fell . . . only he didn’t meet her eyes. Yet. First he studied her chin, then her lips, then her nose. When those electric blues finally collided with her plain browns, every muscle in her body tensed and a shiver of awareness slid the length of her spine. God, he was beautiful. And yeah, maybe his tattoo and badass demeanor reminded her of her days on the streets, but suddenly she couldn’t recall why that was a bad thing.
    “What time do you get off?” he asked.
    Loaded question. Was he asking her out? But while the words had been sexual, his tone had been matter-of-fact. “Around three, after my area is clean. Why?”
    “I’m going to walk you to your car.”
    That was his job, keeping everyone safe. Not special treatment. That’s what she told herself, anyway, but that didn’t stop her heart from skipping a beat. “Okay.”
    “And then, of course, I’ll follow you home.”
    Wait. What?
“Uh, no, thanks.” She didn’t live at the address in her personnel file. She never had. It was better that way. If anyone came for her in the dead of night, she wouldn’t be where they assumed.
    The thought of having Sean over, though, of getting to know him and spending the night locked in his arms, was heady. Heady enough to cause her breath to hitch.
    “That’s not necessary,” she forced herself to add.
    Once again, his brow arched. “What if those guys are waiting for you? What if they follow you home?”
    More of that concern . . . it was as potent as acaress. No one had ever concerned themselves with her safety. “I can take care of myself. I swear.”
    “Oh, really?” His gaze dropped to her lips and lingered this time. “Know how to lose a tail?”
    To admit that yes, she did, would be to invite questions about
why
she did. Gabby simply shrugged.
    Someone bumped into her, and she stumbled forward. Sean caught her by the arms to steady her. She experienced another sizzle