Read Online Kissed by Darkness by Shéa MacLeod - Free Book Online Page A

hides not having completely hardened yet. I felt the blade as it slid into the soft tissue behind the skull, then scraped through spine, parting it like a knife through hot butter. Its head popped off and rolled across the alley.
    We were done in less than ten minutes and I didn’t even get spattered. I pulled out my bottle of holy water, sprinkled some on the bodies and watched them melt. In seconds there was nothing left but smoking stains among the multitude of other stains on the grimy cement.
    “Well.” Kabita smiled, wiping demon goo off her machete. “That was a good night’s work. Creepy little things.”
    I wrinkled my nose at the foul stench from what little was left of the Zagans. “Yeah, I definitely prefer vampires. Not nearly as messy.”
    “Just be thankful they weren’t spitting slime all over the place. That stuff stings when it hits skin. You want a ride home?” She waved at her pride and joy, a vintage 1941 Harley Davidson.
    I shuddered. I was not a big fan of motorcycles. Plus she drove like a bat out of hell. “Thanks, but I think I’ll walk.”
    She shrugged. “Sure. Be sure to drop by the office tomorrow morning. We need to send Darroch an update on your Sunwalker adventures.”
    “Yeah, sure thing.” Right, my non-existent Sunwalker adventures. Oh, the joy.
    The moon was bright, nearly full, and the night air had just an edge of crispness to it. I loved walking at night. Sometimes in the dark and quiet it felt like I was the only one left in the whole world.
    I turned down 10th, which was a little darker than the main street. A high, stone wall ran along the sidewalk. I could smell the roses and honeysuckle in the garden behind the wall. I stopped for a minute, just to breathe in the heady scent and let the night seep into my soul.
    That’s when it happened.
    He came out of nowhere, slamming me up against the wall with enough force to rattle my teeth. I didn’t even feel him coming. I was not exactly a lightweight, yet he picked me up like I was no more than a child. I went for my stiletto, but he snagged my wrist in a vise-like grip. Oh, damn, but I was in trouble.
     

Chapter Six
     
     
    He leaned forward, slowly. His eyes were aquamarine, like the Pacific Ocean on a hot summer afternoon. Little gold lights flickered in their depths, dancing like dust motes in the sun. For half a second, I forgot I was in mortal danger. His eyes were that mesmerizing. His scent, a heady mix of spice and sun and man, swirled around me, sending my already overactive libido into overdrive.
    My heart beat hard in my chest, my blood hot and thick. Desire pooled low in my belly. All I wanted to do was breathe in his scent, wrap myself up in it until I drowned.
    I swallowed hard and tried to distract myself by staring at his mouth. Bad move. He had the most delicious mouth I’d ever seen: full lips, soft as velvet, absolutely perfect for all sorts of naughty things. I gave myself a mental head slap. Obsessing over the enemy’s mouth was so not a good idea.
    Then he leaned even closer. Shit. He was going for my throat and I couldn’t even move. Didn’t want to move. Vampires weren’t supposed to posses that kind of power. Vampiric mind control was another myth Hollywood drummed up. Vamps didn’t need mind control to subdue their victims. The only power they needed was strength and speed. They just grabbed and bit.
    But he didn’t bite. Instead, his breath caressed my ear, my neck. Was he? He was! He was sniffing me. Then I felt his lips move gently back and forth over my skin, just above my carotid artery. Heck, he was tasting me, for crying out loud. Those lips of his were made for sin and they were most definitely doing really sinful things against my throat. My legs went a little rubbery and I actually had to grab on to his rather impressive biceps in order not to end up on my ass.
    This was ridiculous. Badass vampire hunters did not go all gooey over a vampire no matter how sexy he was, which was