Set In Flames (Morningstars Book 1) Read Free Page B

impulse was ridiculous and stupid, so she didn’t give into it. He was nothing to her and it was very clear she was even less to him.
    With a cold, calculated stare she got off the bed and collected the few belongings he had seemingly taken off her while she had been dead to the world. He hovered behind her, a blond-haired, brown-eyed shadow. She felt him watching her and she had the strange urge to run. Neither his arms nor the fangs of the people hunting her were viable options though.
    “I asked for your name,” he repeated, his voice somewhere between seductively husky and angrily deep. He was all raw power and it should have scared Maya, but the truth was that she felt safer with him than she had ever felt with anyone else.
    She steeled herself, turning back to give him a glare.
    “And I didn’t tell you,” she gave back. He held her eyes, slowly taking off his leather jacket.
    Maya’s heart skipped a beat. Or two. Or three.
    “What are you doing?” she asked, sounding incredulous.
    His hand went to his jeans and opened the button. It took Maya a moment to realize that she was staring at the delicious skin showing where he pushed the pants over his hips while his eyes had stayed on her face. Which she only realized the moment her glance snapped back to his face.
    “I’m living here. And obviously you won’t stick to the deal until I’ve got that smell off me, so that’s what I am planning on doing now. And it’s pretty obvious you’ll happily get down to business,” he concluded by the way she kept staring at him. With one fluid motion he had freed his gorgeous body all the way and Maya blushed the darkest shade of red.
    She met his eyes, telling herself to not care and, more importantly, to not want him.
    He leaned in ever so slowly, checking her reaction carefully. There was no telling if he worried she’d run or if he more feared she’d hurt him if he’d drop his guard.
    She knew what was coming and yet she held her breath in anticipation. Underneath that cheap perfume was the smell she had already noticed before: He smelled like her favorite chai tea, all spices and sugar. She needed to know if he tasted the same way.
    His lips brushed hers, providing just the barest hint of a touch. She told herself not to reach for him, but when he framed her face, making her feel small and breakable while intensifying the kiss, her hands suddenly went around his neck. A burning on her back made her jump back though in sheer panic.
    “Shit! What are you… Stay away from me! Don’t touch me,” she said, not being able to keep her hysterics in. She was gasping for air while his eyes were darkened with desire.
    Right now her vision decided to be extra sharp, making her see all the strong lines of his angelic face, burning them into her memory. Wherever she’d go, she’d never be able to forget him again.
    “I’m never gonna be just another one for anyone. Especially not for some naked, admittedly handsome guy that picked me off the street. You can do what you want. I lied. You will never get any piece of me,” she said slowly, making sure he understood her.
    “We’ll see, Cupcake,” he grinned, sounding cocky. He vanished through a door on her left and just seconds later water was running in a shower.
    Maya didn’t hesitate long, rushing out of a door to her right, being glad that between the two remaining doors she had intuitively decided for the correct one. The other one most likely was a walk-in closet.
    Standing in a hallway she looked around, finding stairs at the end. They split, giving the room underneath an almost majestic grandeur. There was wood everywhere. The walls were dark oak and so was the rest of the house, making it appear more like a hunter’s lodge than the mansion the size inside suggested.
    She could even see a fireplace, wondering how many women the guy in the shower had seduced there.
    She shook her head, clearing those thoughts from her mind before hurrying down one side of