Read Online Fallen Embers by P.G. Forte - Free Book Online Page B

Do you have any idea how that line sounds after…oh, say, the ten thousandth time or so you’ve heard it?”
    â€œNo. How does it sound?”
    â€œIt sounds stupid.”
    â€œOkay, then.” Julie pulled away. “I guess maybe we’ll forget about breakfast after all.” Breakfast with a side of censure? Hell to the no. Why go out for that? She could get that at home, any night of the week. “Goodbye, Officer Sullivan. Have a nice rest of your life.”
    She turned away, sighing as the pretty little fantasy she’d been indulging dissolved into mist. She’d dreamed of giving herself a kind of mini-vacation, of spending just one day away from the mansion and all the crap that came with it. She could have slept ’til nightfall, peaceful, dreamless, in a bed not her own, cuddled up to her host who’d be so blissfully passed out in a venom-induced stupor that he wouldn’t wake until she wanted him to. It could have been nirvana—for both of them, she’d have made sure of it—instead of just another dreary day.
    â€œWait. Hold on a minute,” he called after her.
    Julie stopped and turned to gaze back over her shoulder at him. “What now?”
    â€œOkay, so we got off to a bad start—and that could be partially my fault—I’m not saying it’s not. But there’s no need to be so hasty. After all, we still need to eat, right?”
    â€œMaybe.” She did need to eat. And he smelled delicious and at least he’d tried to be helpful. She supposed. Initially. Before he started acting like another father, or another brother, or another know-it-all male, the last thing she needed. Besides, this close to dawn, she might have a hard time finding anyone else.
    Dining out did not always have to be a social occasion; that was something else she needed to keep in mind. If he continued to annoy her, she did not have to put up with it. As a last resort, she could always knock him out and eat him while he slept.
    â€œAnd, you know what? Maybe I’d rather have you frisk me.”
    â€œReally?” She wasn’t sure she believed that, but it was an entertaining thought. There were definite possibilities there, ones she wouldn’t mind exploring. And, either way, it was nice of him to offer. “So you’d be into that, huh?”
    â€œLike I said: maybe. I mean, I’ve never actually been on that side of things, but we could always try it and see, right?”
    Julie nodded. “It’s always good to keep an open mind. You never know when you’ll find something you like.”
    She sauntered back to where he stood, pressed her hands against his chest and pushed. He looked surprised as she backed him up against the side of his car, but not alarmed. Not yet. She leaned in close, then sealed his lips in a long kiss meant to drug him into compliance. His hands stole up to clasp her waist. She could feel his coffee mug, a warm weight against the small of her back. He was breathing heavily when she finally pulled away.
    â€œK. Sullivan,” she read out loud, sliding a finger along his nametag. “What’s the K stand for anyway?”
    â€œKevin.” His voice was thick, his eyes dazed. “My name’s Kevin.”
    â€œHi, Kevin. I’m Julie.”
    He nodded, still struggling a little with his words. “Nice to meet you. So…breakfast?”
    Julie’s fangs tingled a little as they came unsheathed. She tightened her hold on him and smiled. “Mmm, Kevin, I thought you’d never ask.”

Chapter Four
    Christian paced restlessly across the floor. He’d been waiting here, in the suite he shared with Georgia, for hours. It was now almost dawn and she had yet to return. He knew she was probably off searching for that demented scientist Conrad had charged her with finding, but given her weakened condition, the thought of her being out on the streets by herself made him