Read Online Cursed Kiss (Paranormal Romance) by Helen Scott Taylor - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Helen Scott Taylor
Tags: Romance
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few minutes she simply enjoyed the morning sun, the rushing sound of the water, and the gentle breeze. But she had to remember why she'd come here and get back to business. "I have some more questions for you."
Luka pointed to a wooden bench, shaded beneath the trailing branches of a willow. "Let's sit, then."
They settled on the bench. Luka stretched out his legs, his long, lean body so close she could touch him if she reached out her hand. She fought the almost irresistible urge, like a child who'd been burned, but was tempted to put her fingers in the pretty flame again.
"You said that the Taldom's blood I need for my products comes from that place through the portal. I assume that means you can pass through the portal and get it for me."
He angled his head and glanced her way. "You'll have what you need, Clare. In return, I requested your help, remember."
"I remember. You haven't told me what you want me to do, though."
"You might think my request is strange."
Clare laughed. "Oh, I'm sure it'll be strange. But fire away. I still need to know."
His fist clenched against his thigh, then he flattened his hand as if consciously relaxing. "I want you to send me back to Taldom."
"Hang on. I thought you just told me you could go back through the portal. Isn't that how you were going to get my herb?"
"You assumed that. And Taldom's blood isn't an herb, Clare. I told you what it was the other night at dinner."
Clare frowned, casting her mind back to that strange evening. Her memory was still fuzzy. "You're going to have to tell me again."
He dragged out a sigh and stared at the river for a moment. "The secret ingredient your grandmother used is my blood."
"Your what? You can't be serious."
His grim expression told her he was.
"Oh, yuck." Clare winced. They'd been putting blood in Moray toiletries. How had her grandmother managed that without getting caught by the regulators? She supposed by the time the blood had been diluted to homeopathic strength it was difficult to identify. But then Luka wasn't human, so perhaps his blood was unlike human blood. Her gaze fixed on his skin. It was a normal color, as if red blood ran through his veins.
Clare raised a hand to her temple and rubbed as a cocktail of emotions and tangled thoughts spun through her brain. She couldn't continue to use blood in the company products. It just wasn't ethical. "Hell," she whispered.
"Not what you expected, I imagine."
"Not really. I'd thought, worst case scenario that Taldom's blood was an illegal substance."
"I have no objection to giving you some of my blood if you help me return to Taldom."
Clare waved a distracted hand. "Look, I'll do what I can to help you, but we'll have to reformulate our product. I won't continue to put blood in our face cream."
She turned to him, a thought suddenly occurring to her. "How is it your blood has rejuvenation properties?"
He shrugged. "Monique discovered the effect."
"Why did she even have a sample of your blood?"
Luka's dark gaze bored into her, then he looked away. "Do you know how you managed to pass through the portal?"
The sudden change of subject threw her for a second. She contemplated pushing him on the blood issue, but he obviously didn't want to discuss it.
The silence between them that had earlier been comfortable took on a tense air. "No idea. I saw an image through the portal and it seemed to suck me in."
"No matter. I'm sure you can work out how it happened with a little research. I have an extensive collection of arcane texts to help you."
"So that's what you want me to do, read up on how to pass through the portal and send you through?"
"Exactly."
"Couldn't you do the research yourself?"
"It takes special skills to control the portal. Only a few have the talent."
Clare laughed. "I assure you I don't have special skills like that."
Luka eyed her with curiosity. "Can you deny you passed into Taldom?"
"Of course not. But the portal just took me. If I'd had any control over
Luka pointed to a wooden bench, shaded beneath the trailing branches of a willow. "Let's sit, then."
They settled on the bench. Luka stretched out his legs, his long, lean body so close she could touch him if she reached out her hand. She fought the almost irresistible urge, like a child who'd been burned, but was tempted to put her fingers in the pretty flame again.
"You said that the Taldom's blood I need for my products comes from that place through the portal. I assume that means you can pass through the portal and get it for me."
He angled his head and glanced her way. "You'll have what you need, Clare. In return, I requested your help, remember."
"I remember. You haven't told me what you want me to do, though."
"You might think my request is strange."
Clare laughed. "Oh, I'm sure it'll be strange. But fire away. I still need to know."
His fist clenched against his thigh, then he flattened his hand as if consciously relaxing. "I want you to send me back to Taldom."
"Hang on. I thought you just told me you could go back through the portal. Isn't that how you were going to get my herb?"
"You assumed that. And Taldom's blood isn't an herb, Clare. I told you what it was the other night at dinner."
Clare frowned, casting her mind back to that strange evening. Her memory was still fuzzy. "You're going to have to tell me again."
He dragged out a sigh and stared at the river for a moment. "The secret ingredient your grandmother used is my blood."
"Your what? You can't be serious."
His grim expression told her he was.
"Oh, yuck." Clare winced. They'd been putting blood in Moray toiletries. How had her grandmother managed that without getting caught by the regulators? She supposed by the time the blood had been diluted to homeopathic strength it was difficult to identify. But then Luka wasn't human, so perhaps his blood was unlike human blood. Her gaze fixed on his skin. It was a normal color, as if red blood ran through his veins.
Clare raised a hand to her temple and rubbed as a cocktail of emotions and tangled thoughts spun through her brain. She couldn't continue to use blood in the company products. It just wasn't ethical. "Hell," she whispered.
"Not what you expected, I imagine."
"Not really. I'd thought, worst case scenario that Taldom's blood was an illegal substance."
"I have no objection to giving you some of my blood if you help me return to Taldom."
Clare waved a distracted hand. "Look, I'll do what I can to help you, but we'll have to reformulate our product. I won't continue to put blood in our face cream."
She turned to him, a thought suddenly occurring to her. "How is it your blood has rejuvenation properties?"
He shrugged. "Monique discovered the effect."
"Why did she even have a sample of your blood?"
Luka's dark gaze bored into her, then he looked away. "Do you know how you managed to pass through the portal?"
The sudden change of subject threw her for a second. She contemplated pushing him on the blood issue, but he obviously didn't want to discuss it.
The silence between them that had earlier been comfortable took on a tense air. "No idea. I saw an image through the portal and it seemed to suck me in."
"No matter. I'm sure you can work out how it happened with a little research. I have an extensive collection of arcane texts to help you."
"So that's what you want me to do, read up on how to pass through the portal and send you through?"
"Exactly."
"Couldn't you do the research yourself?"
"It takes special skills to control the portal. Only a few have the talent."
Clare laughed. "I assure you I don't have special skills like that."
Luka eyed her with curiosity. "Can you deny you passed into Taldom?"
"Of course not. But the portal just took me. If I'd had any control over
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