Read Temptation's Heat for Free Online

the Alliance and the Legion.
    Scarlet looked at Dipak. “Does the Legion know?”
    He shook his head. “I can hold them off for a day or two, but there’s blood in the water. I can’t hide it for long.”
    They said their goodbyes and she and Rowen walked in silence into the hallway. They weren’t even to the elevator when Scarlet turned to him.
    “I need a drink. How about you?”

Fourteen
    The last thing Scarlet needed was to get drunk with Rowen Black in a dimly lit bar.
    But this was big. If the piece of glaive found in the revenant’s body was legit—and it looked like it was—everything the Shadowguard fought for was at risk. The Legion would use the broken Treaty as an excuse to go after mortals. All hell would break loose.
    Scarlet didn’t want to announce that she’d been out drinking with Rowen by revving up to the carriage house after hours, so they took the Audi back to Shadowguard headquarters before heading to the Anti-Chamber. It was unsettling to realize that she liked the feel of Rowen walking next to her. She shoved her hands into her pockets, glad he wasn’t the talkative type.
    The AC was packed, but they managed to find two seats at the end of the bar. Rowen gestured for beers and a moment later, Billy set two cold ones in front of them.
    Rowen tipped his dripping bottle to Scarlet’s. “To figuring out what the fuck is going on.”
    “Amen.” Scarlet clinked her bottle against his and took a drink.
    “I don’t think you have to worry,” Rowen said after a couple of minutes.
    She looked over at him. “About what?”
    “About appearing weak.”
    “That’s easy for you to say,” she muttered, turning her attention to the label peeling from her beer bottle.
    “Maybe,” he allowed. “But it’s true. The guys respect you. Admire you, even. I can see it on their faces. And Eva, too, I’m sure.”
    She took a deep breath. “You might be right, but I can’t afford to drop my guard. Not unless I want the Alliance to bring in someone from the outside if my father … if he …”
    “Hey …” Rowen’s voice was uncharacteristically tender. She avoided his eyes. “ Hey, ” he said again.
    When she glanced up at him, he seemed to be looking right through her. She felt suddenly naked in front of him, and her heart picked up its pace, slamming against her chest as he held her gaze.
    He took a drink of beer like a dying man slaking his thirst. She couldn’t take her eyes off his lips, could almost imagine the taste of his mouth.
    “What about Ivan?” he asked, setting down his nearly-drained bottle.
    “In case you haven’t noticed, Ivan doesn’t have a lot of fans.”
    “I noticed,” he said. “But he’s young. People change.”
    She peeled the wet label from her bottle. “Have you changed?”
    She felt him stiffen beside her. “I don’t know what you mean.”
    “I heard what happened in London. With the police.” She took a long slug of her beer. “Word is, it wasn’t the first time.”
    “Yeah, well, maybe I have a different idea of honor than some of the others in the Corp.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Let’s just say that while I understand the need to stay under the radar, keeping quiet when bad shit’s going down isn’t in my nature.”
    She turned to face him. “What kind of bad shit?”
    He turned the beer bottle in his hand on the bar, studying it like it would tell him what to say next. “I was on my way back from a wraith fight. It was late. I saw a woman being dragged into an alley by a group of men.” He shrugged. “I put a stop to it. It drew some unwanted attention. That’s all.”
    “Did you kill them? The men who attacked her?”
    “Not quite.”
    She faced forward, taking advantage of the opportunity to stare at Rowen in the mirror over the bar. From this perspective, he didn’t look like the imposing asshole she’d taken him for. Okay, he was still imposing. And gorgeous. But he was a man, his head bowed to his beer, the strong