Read Of the Knowledge of Good and Evil for Free Online

stated.
    Dahlia nodded.
    “Okay, then.” She watched as he visibly struggled and then seemed to come to a decision. He shoved his fingers through his hair. “That’s going to be a long trip,” he announced abruptly. “I have information that at least three sleeper rooms are vacant on this train. Let’s find one and rest until we arrive in Chicago tomorrow.”
    Despite reeling from the drastic change in conversation, Dahlia latched onto one thought: sleeper cars had beds … . “Works for me,” Dahlia said. She headed for the door, and she couldn’t help but notice how Jericho curled in on himself tighter to avoid being close to her. She rolled her eyes as she passed him. Out in the car, she turned. “You lead the way, big man. I’ll follow.”
    He gave her a suspicious look and then left the closet and moved with purpose toward their destination. He apparently really did know where the vacant cars were. He stopped abruptly in front of a door, glanced both directions, and then pulled some lock-picking tools from a nifty kit in his back pocket.
    Dahlia sighed, stepped around him, and broke the lock with a twist. She opened the door with a flourish and gestured him inside.
    He glowered at her. “That’s rather conspicuous, wouldn’t you say?” he said, pointing at the bent doorknob.
    “Whereas a jolly blond giant fiddling around with tools would absolutely escape the notice of the ticket-taker,” she said, gesturing to the approaching employee through the windows of the connecting car.
    “Right,” he said as he quickly walked into the room.
    Dahlia followed and shut the door behind her. Her gaze flickered over the room’s interior. It was decorated in the same neutral grey as the seats in the other cars, but instead of chairs, two shelf-like beds were connected to opposite walls.
    She gave Jericho’s back the snake eye. Of course he’d taken them to a room with two beds. Couldn’t make her job easier by taking them to a room with one cozy bed. He was impossible.
    Jericho settled on the far bed where he could watch the door, so Dahlia sat on the remaining bed. It was time to play her trump card.
    “You know there are side effects to Impulse-pairing, right?” she asked.
    He stared at her and said nothing.
    His glare was both uncomfortable and caused a flare of heat to travel up her spine. “What I mean is,” she continued, “we’re going to be compelled to be together physically.” She laughed as though this were embarrassing. “And if we don’t comply, our bodies will go through intense cycles of pain.”
    Jericho continued to stare.
    “The most time ever recorded for abstinence is three da — ”
    Jericho erupted from his seat. “You think I don’t know that?” he bellowed. “I was Subject One, you crazy woman. You have that information because you studied me! And my mate!”
    Whoa . Damage control. “Well, technically, I have that information because of what we observed in Eli and Abilene.” She tried a small smile. “I never observed you. That was before my time.”
    He scoffed. That distinction was apparently pointless.
    “Look, it’s inconvenient, I know. But, why not make the best of it if we’re going to be forced into it eventually?” she said, infusing her voice with sultry heat. His eyes narrowed as though he didn’t follow her meaning. “I could … help you if you, you know, help me?” she finished.
    He laughed humorlessly and shook his head. “I will not be touching you.”
    Before she could stop herself, Dahlia cringed. Ouch . His casual rejection of her … hurt . She prepared to shrug and play it off, but his words had struck at an insecurity she didn’t know she still had. “Fine! Bury your head in the sand,” she snapped. “We’ll just have to take care of ourselves. That’s just fine by me.”
    Jericho blushed to the tips of his gorgeous, muscled body, but said nothing. Dahlia shot to her feet and stomped toward the bathroom. She slammed the door behind