Kiss of Temptation: The Kavanaugh Foundation, Book 3 Read Free Page A
Author: Crista McHugh
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figure out what was so special about her. How could one woman affect him this way and make him want to abandon the moral code he’d clung to for centuries?
Maybe Morwen would have the answer.
Daniela glanced down at the GPS map on her cell phone and made a right. The Pensione Preziosa stood just ahead, tucked away on a quiet street a few blocks from St. Peter’s. A shiver coursed down her spine. It seemed to be the perfect place for someone to lure her into so he could kill her. No one would see her. No one would hear her scream.
She retraced her steps back to the main road. Why should she trust this stranger? For all she knew, he was in league with Colette and wanted to capture her so she could be their midnight snack. She stopped when she remembered Morwen’s advice from their conversation an hour ago. If he wanted to harm her, he would have done so already. More importantly, he knew where the Staff of Octavius was. In the current war between the vampires and the Foundation, every weapon could turn the tide, and she didn’t want to be the person who cost them the battle.
Her gut told her something was different about the stranger. He seemed too strong, too quick to be a mere mortal. But then, her gut often made her wary of strangers.
Daniela remembered the first time she’d met Morwen. The Head Witch set off every type of internal warning bell she had, but over the last eighteen years, the woman had grown to be Daniela’s mentor and closest friend. Perhaps the same would hold true for the man whose kiss still made her sex ache just from the memory of it.
She stared at the keychain and traced the words engraved on the plastic. If he was waiting for her, would she throw him out or throw him into her bed? A brief fantasy of his lips trailing down her neck played out in her mind. Her nipples tightened as she imagined how his tongue would swirl around them. Perhaps he’d even catch the stiff peaks between his teeth and nibble on them until she cried out.
A whimper rose in the back of her throat. She needed to soothe the throbbing between her legs before she went insane.
Without a second thought, she rushed to the pensione, hoping she could find some relief once she got to her room. Too bad a locked door prevented her from getting what she wanted immediately. The key didn’t work on the outside door, so she rang the bell and waited.
When she glanced behind her, something darted between the buildings and her breath caught. Could Colette or one of the other vampires have found her already? She peered into the shadows. The second the bloodsucker jumped from its hiding place, she needed to be ready to attack. Magic flowed through her veins, gathering in her hands and coiling around her fingertips like a snake poised to strike.
“Can I help you, signorina ?”
A yelp broke free from her mouth and a spark erupted from her fingers as the magic discharged. Daniela hastily stamped out the tiny flame licking at the doormat and prayed the elderly woman standing in the doorway hadn’t seen it. “I have a key to a room here.”
The woman’s eyes narrowed as she inspected the writing on the keychain Daniela dangled in front of her.
Oh shit, I’m in trouble now. I wonder if I can erase her memory before she calls the police and has me charged with arson.
Then the woman’s face unexpectedly brightened. “Ah, you must be the young woman Padre Luc said was coming.” She wrapped her arm around Daniela’s shoulders and invited her into the pensione like a long-lost daughter. “You poor girl. The stories you must be able to tell after everything you’ve been through.”
“Excuse me— Padre Luc?” Her stranger was a priest? What kind of classes were they teaching in the Vatican to turn him into that kind of kisser?
The woman laughed. “Forgive me, signorina . Even though he’s left the priesthood, I still think he’s a man of God, always rescuing you poor lost souls from the streets.”
Daniela
Maybe Morwen would have the answer.
Daniela glanced down at the GPS map on her cell phone and made a right. The Pensione Preziosa stood just ahead, tucked away on a quiet street a few blocks from St. Peter’s. A shiver coursed down her spine. It seemed to be the perfect place for someone to lure her into so he could kill her. No one would see her. No one would hear her scream.
She retraced her steps back to the main road. Why should she trust this stranger? For all she knew, he was in league with Colette and wanted to capture her so she could be their midnight snack. She stopped when she remembered Morwen’s advice from their conversation an hour ago. If he wanted to harm her, he would have done so already. More importantly, he knew where the Staff of Octavius was. In the current war between the vampires and the Foundation, every weapon could turn the tide, and she didn’t want to be the person who cost them the battle.
Her gut told her something was different about the stranger. He seemed too strong, too quick to be a mere mortal. But then, her gut often made her wary of strangers.
Daniela remembered the first time she’d met Morwen. The Head Witch set off every type of internal warning bell she had, but over the last eighteen years, the woman had grown to be Daniela’s mentor and closest friend. Perhaps the same would hold true for the man whose kiss still made her sex ache just from the memory of it.
She stared at the keychain and traced the words engraved on the plastic. If he was waiting for her, would she throw him out or throw him into her bed? A brief fantasy of his lips trailing down her neck played out in her mind. Her nipples tightened as she imagined how his tongue would swirl around them. Perhaps he’d even catch the stiff peaks between his teeth and nibble on them until she cried out.
A whimper rose in the back of her throat. She needed to soothe the throbbing between her legs before she went insane.
Without a second thought, she rushed to the pensione, hoping she could find some relief once she got to her room. Too bad a locked door prevented her from getting what she wanted immediately. The key didn’t work on the outside door, so she rang the bell and waited.
When she glanced behind her, something darted between the buildings and her breath caught. Could Colette or one of the other vampires have found her already? She peered into the shadows. The second the bloodsucker jumped from its hiding place, she needed to be ready to attack. Magic flowed through her veins, gathering in her hands and coiling around her fingertips like a snake poised to strike.
“Can I help you, signorina ?”
A yelp broke free from her mouth and a spark erupted from her fingers as the magic discharged. Daniela hastily stamped out the tiny flame licking at the doormat and prayed the elderly woman standing in the doorway hadn’t seen it. “I have a key to a room here.”
The woman’s eyes narrowed as she inspected the writing on the keychain Daniela dangled in front of her.
Oh shit, I’m in trouble now. I wonder if I can erase her memory before she calls the police and has me charged with arson.
Then the woman’s face unexpectedly brightened. “Ah, you must be the young woman Padre Luc said was coming.” She wrapped her arm around Daniela’s shoulders and invited her into the pensione like a long-lost daughter. “You poor girl. The stories you must be able to tell after everything you’ve been through.”
“Excuse me— Padre Luc?” Her stranger was a priest? What kind of classes were they teaching in the Vatican to turn him into that kind of kisser?
The woman laughed. “Forgive me, signorina . Even though he’s left the priesthood, I still think he’s a man of God, always rescuing you poor lost souls from the streets.”
Daniela