Scarlet Wakefield 01 - Kiss Me Kill Me Read Online Free PDF Page A

sometimes.”
    I’m watching her, amazed that anyone could actually complain about being touched by Dan McAndrew, when I hear him say “Hi,” and it takes me what feels like hours to realize that he’s talking to me.
    I look up and meet his eyes. Then I faint. But just for a fleeting moment. I get such a quick grasp on myself that I don’t think anyone but me noticed that I actually lost consciousness.
    “Hi,” he repeats. “I don’t think we’ve met, have we?
    I’m Dan.”
    It’s all I can do to get any words out at all. I can barely remember my own name.
    “I’m Scarlett,” I manage.
    “Great name,” he says appreciatively. “It suits you.”
    “Really?”
    I must be goggling at him. I’ve always felt that Scarlett was a real curse of a name. In my eyes, you either have to be a redhead or fantastically beautiful, like Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind, to be called Scarlett.
    I’m not a redhead. My hair’s medium brown, not particularly interesting. And let’s just say that we can rule out the fantastically beautiful part as well.
    But Dan McAndrew is smiling at me, his gray-green eyes are sparkling. At least I can tell that he’s not setting me up for a fall, saying something nice just to see if I’ll believe him, before cutting the ground out from under my feet.
    Which means  .  .  . which means  .  .  .
    Behind his shoulder I see Ross clicking at a Zippo lighter that isn’t working. He shakes it angrily, and tries again. No go.
    “You try, mate,” he says, chucking it to Dan. “You’ve got the magic touch.”
    “Do something, Ross!” Plum adds petulantly. “I’m dying for a ciggie.”
    Dan shakes the Zippo, gives it one sharp tap on the fountain’s edge, and flicks the wheel. It catches.
    “Thanks,” Ross says, taking it from him. “Here you go, Plum.”
    He bends toward her, lighting the cigarette that she dangles at the end of her fingers, making him come into her space, do all the work. I admire her technique. Ross lingers a little too long, staring at her beautiful profile, before he sits back again.
    “Plum, you shouldn’t smoke,” Dan says, sitting up again. “And you shouldn’t either, Ross. It’s disgusting.”
    “Oh, stop nagging, Dan. You’re worse than my bloody mother,” Plum snaps, not even looking at him.
    “Yeah, Dan, pack it in,” Ross agrees.
    Dan’s forgotten about me for the moment; his attention has been drawn elsewhere, and I have to admit, I’m almost relieved. Having Dan McAndrew look at me, really look at me, his gray-green eyes focusing on mine, was so intense I had trouble breathing. I’m grateful for a respite.
    “Sorry about making you cough,” Simon says to me.
    I don’t have any problem looking at Simon, because I don’t fancy him. He’s pink and white, like a Battenberg cake with yellow icing on top, which is his hair. His eyelashes are so pale yellow that they practically disappear into his face. He’s staring at me intently, but I can’t quite remember what he’s referring to.
    “Oh, that’s okay,” I say.
    He clears his throat. “Um, are you coming to the party on Saturday?”
    This is way too much for me.
    “I don’t know anything about it,” I confess. No point pretending to be cooler than I am.
    “It’s at Nadia’s,” Simon says. “Her parents are away.”
    “Her parents are always away,” says Venetia, giggling.
    “I’m beginning to believe you don’t actually have any parents, Nadia!”
    I sneak a glance at Nadia. She’s frowning and biting her lip, so cross with Venetia that she’s forgotten to care about messing up her lip gloss.
    Venetia’s too insensitive and busy laughing at her own joke to notice that she’s upset Nadia.
    “When are we going to have a party at your house, Venetia?” Plum says with a little smile.
    This must be a nasty dig, because Venetia stops laughing so suddenly it’s as if Plum has flipped a switch in her back. Having dealt with Venetia, and underlined her power in