Read BloodBound for Free Online Page A

completely, but don’t forget you got yourself in hot water, Stephanie.”
    His last words pinched a tender area inside her. He was right, of course. Hell, he was doing her a favor.
    The trill of her phone interrupted her thoughts. Stephanie looked at the caller ID, which gave her pulse a nervous jump. “It’s my brother, Kyle. He rarely calls me.”
    “Don’t answer it.”
    The phone stopped ringing short, so it didn’t go into voicemail. She shook her head. “This can’t be good. He must have seen those pictures.”
    “Not necessarily. I put a limited access code on the file fairly quickly…but it’s a good idea to avoid talking to your brothers for now.”
    She felt her shoulders slumping. “I’m exhausted,” she muttered, and without looking at him, walked through the entrance hall and out the door.
    Just as she pressed the elevator button, a muscled hand closed around her upper arm. Even through the leather jacket, the contact sent a jolt of pure sensation through her body. A tiny gasp escaped her as she flinched. He pulled his hand away and she glimpsed the flicker of awareness in his eyes. He’d felt it, too.
    Her physical reaction to this man was too intense. It also made no sense on at least a few levels, specifically since she hadn’t figured out how much she disliked him. He was unscrupulous and possibly crooked.
    “I’m going home,” she stated.
    “Okay. I’ll take you.”
    “I just want to be alone right now.”
    “I don’t feel right about that—I brought you here, I’ll see you home.”
    The elevator doors opened and she stepped inside and stood on the door track. “I’m taking a cab and I don’t want an escort.”
    She noted the tension in his broad shoulders and square jaw. When he remained silent, she knew he’d let her go. She stepped back and the heat of his glare sizzled across her skin as the doors closed.

Chapter Five
    Stephanie pulled the satin robe over her warm skin and knotted the belt. The long bath soak in essential oils had done a good job easing the tension from her body. She dried her hair and poured herself a generous amount of red wine. She took a sip as she headed for the living room, eager to curl up on the sofa and watch some TV. It was nearing ten o’clock. After flipping through several channels, she stopped on a home and garden network.
    Light and cheery. Just what she needed. She tried to enjoy the scenes of lovely European homes, but they barely registered. Her mind kept straying to that smoky-eyed, vampire agent. What the heck was wrong with her? The man was blackmailing her and yet he was stuck in her head. His brother, on the other hand, seemed like a pleasant gentleman, despite his illness. And thank God for that. She’d hate to have to be forced to save the life of a son-of-a—
    The ring of the doorbell cut through her mental chat. She put the glass down, unwilling to find out who was on the other side of the door. Whoever it was, they’d bypassed the intercom system. She figured it could be the landlord or one of the neighbors. Barefoot, she padded to the front hall and peered through the eyehole.
    No way. Stephanie turned the bolt and opened the door. “Can’t you leave me in peace for one night?” She willed her gaze to scald him, instead, it traveled over his broad build outlined in a short leather jacket and jeans that molded to muscled thighs. An electric ripple arced through her and curled in the center of her sex, making her press her thighs together.
    “I’m not here to upset you. Can we talk?” The timbre of his voice carried a note of softness that hadn’t been there before.
    She threw her hands up in defeat. “Whatever.” For a moment, she’d forgotten about her flimsy garment, but as she glanced down at herself, she decided she didn’t care. She was too tired to care. Besides, it wasn’t transparent. She felt a sense of wicked amusement in seeing the tension in his face as his gaze lingered on her bare legs.
    He cleared