Fireworks for July: A Holiday Bites Vampire Paranormal Holiday Romances Read Online Free PDF

wanted the vampire.”
    “Grace,” said July. Her stomach knotted with anxiety. “Grace who?”
    “Grace Canton.”
    Her Great Aunt Grace? No way. July swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. “That’s my...aunt. She raised me after my parents died in a car accident.” Aunt Grace couldn’t have been the woman he’d fallen in love with. She hadn’t had an adventurous bone in her body. She’d been the epitome of no frills, no thrills, and certainly no fun. “But how? She was a spinster...a scholar.”
    “Medieval history?” asked Carter, but he already knew the answer. “Yeah.” He tapped his temple. “Like I said, she was smart. She found him, you know, and he played with her—a cat with a little mouse. He gave her a binding necklace. It’s a necklace with two parts. You have one half—he has the other.”
    “What does it do?”
    “Grace made a deal with Chance,” said Carter. “He made me. It was bad enough to be a vampire, but then I lost my freedom, thanks to Grace. I can’t escape.”
    “She betrayed you.” July couldn’t believe the secret Aunt Grace had kept from her. She’d said, Maybe he’ll find you. But July knew that she hadn’t been talking about the man she handed over as a sacrifice, she’d been talking about the vampire.
    How could her aunt have done such a thing? And then used her expertise and scholarly pursuits to cover up her true obsession: finding this Chance. As cold and distant as Aunt Grace had been, July never she’d been capable of malice. Until now.
    “Yeah. She hung me out to dry. Then Chance betrayed her . Gave her the key to my lock, and then messed with her head. No matter how hard she searched, she would never find him again. And I would never be able to find her to take my revenge.” Carter smoothed the frown lines on her brow. “That’s how he fucks with people. It’s torture knowing freedom is out there, but no way for me to get it.”
    “How do we free you?”
    Carter shook his head. “You don’t. I can’t touch the necklace. Part of its magic. And it would do me no good if I could. Grace’s half may be the key, but Chance wears the lock, and going up against him would mean instant death. The minute Chance knows you have that key, July, he’ll kill you. He probably never thought about Grace giving that necklace to anyone. He figured she’d probably die and be buried with it rather than part with the damned thing.”
    July cupped his face. “But Carter, don’t you think it’s some kind of fate? I ended up here and meeting you. What are the odds?”
    Carter stared at her. “You’re right.” He sat up. “What made you come to Vegas?”
    “I won a contest.”
    Carter went white, which was a feat considering how pale his skin already looked. She hadn’t noticed that before.
    “You’re so pale now.”
    “I’m a vampire.”
    It dawned on her, from the books she’d read, that he might be hungry. She reached out and touched his shoulder. “Do you need … er, breakfast?”
    He encircled her wrist. “We don’t have time for that, July. You need to leave.”
    “Oh.”
    He kissed her, urgency in his action. “I’m not trying to be a jerk. I don’t think you’re here by accident. Chance must’ve arranged for you to come here.”
    “And for you to meet me?”
    Carter snorted. “I doubt if he meant that to happen. Get dressed, doll. We need to get you outta here.”
    July hurried to get dressed and threw everything into her suitcase. Carter dressed quickly, and then led her out of the hotel room. “I’ve gotten you on a six a.m. flight. By the time you get through security, you shouldn’t have to wait long to get on the plane. Don’t come back here, July.”
    July’s stomach squeezed, and she thought her heart would explode. She cared about Carter, and the strong feelings made her hate Aunt Grace. How could her own flesh and blood given up such a strong, noble man? After all, he was risking his own life to get her safely out of