Free The Guardians: An Urban Fantasy Romance by Elise Marion Page B

floor with a soft thud. “He doesn’t like me, does he?”
    Jack leaned against the dresser, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s nothing personal.” Micah would kill him for revealing too much about his sister, and it wasn’t his place to tell. Aside from that, he also had no desire to talk about Tracy. To anyone. Ever.
    “Sure does feel personal,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes.
    Reaching up, she pulled the rubber band loose and allowed her curtain of fiery red locks to cascade around her shoulders. The dim light of the lamp caused the strands to catch fire and for a moment, he was hypnotized by the shades of amber highlights dancing in the glow.
    “What, does he hate strippers or something?” She glanced up at him, her gaze locking with his.
    Jack lowered his eyes, realizing she’d caught him staring. Embarrassment flooded him. “Micah loves strippers,” he remarked with a dry snort. “Maybe one day, he’ll tell you about the one he used to date.”
    “And what do you think about strippers, Jack?” She arched one titian eyebrow at him.
    He shrugged. “I think people do what they have to do to make a living. I just saw a few seconds of your performance but, uh …” he cleared his throat again and jerked at his collar. “You, um, seem like a … talented dancer.”
    She laughed. A deep, throaty sound, almost like a purr. “I’ve gotten a lot of interesting feedback about my performances, Jack, but I have to do say most guys don’t tell me what a good dancer I am.”
    “Well, I turned away before you started taking your clothes off, so there isn’t much to go off of here.”
    She cocked her head at him, eyes narrowing on him in curiosity. “You looked away?”
    “I didn’t go to Temptations tonight to drool over you. I came to recruit you for an important cause. Didn’t seem appropriate to watch.”
    Her gaze held his and she regarded him for a moment without speaking. You are a surprising person, Jack,” she said with a shake of her head, her voice low.
    He didn’t know what to say. The truth was, now that he’d seen her wearing next to nothing, he found himself wondering why he hadn’t watched. She had a beautiful figure; all lithe curves and legs that went on for days. Reminding himself of the last time he’d mixed his duty with pleasure, he shook his head and broke her stare. As attractive as Addison was, he couldn’t let her distract him from what needed to be done. Most of all, he didn’t need the complications she presented. A normal life could never be possible as long as he had a Naphil hanging around. Better to finish the mission and part ways as soon as possible … better for everyone involved.
    The bathroom door opened, the sound of Micah’s heavy footsteps crossing the hall to his room before the door slammed.
    “Bathroom’s free,” he said. “If you want, you can have it next.”
    “No. You’re the one that got covered in demon blood. I’m happy to wait.”
    Nodding, he turned and opened a drawer to retrieve pajama bottoms and a t-shirt. He turned to find Micah standing in the doorway, barrel-wide chest bare, a pair of sweatpants hanging low on his hips. Damp hair clung to his forehead and neck as he came into the room, extending a small bundle to Addison silently.
    Standing, she gave him a wary glance as she reached out to accept it. “What’s this?”
    “Figured you’d need ’em,” Micah answered in a gruff tone, “since we took you before you could gather clothes and all.”
    She gave him a tentative smile as she unfolded the bundle to reveal a woman’s t-shirt and gym shorts. “Thank you, Micah. That’s very sweet.”
    Micah responded with a low grunt as he turned his back on them and lumbered down the hall. In the kitchen, Jack could hear him go to the refrigerator—likely to retrieve one of his many mason jars.
    “See, he does like you,” he teased as he gathered his own clothes and turned to leave.
    He just doesn’t want to.
    Neither did