The Lady Is a Vamp Read Online Free PDF

answer at first. He didn’t take her directly up to bed though, but set her down in a chair at the kitchen table and busied himself getting her a drink. Livy hadn’t felt much like doing anything the last week and had spent more and more time in bed. He’d expected her to mostly remain there while he worked at convincing Jeanne Louise to turn Livy and save her life. But really, it occurred to him now that she would be more likely to agree to do what he wanted if she spent time with the child and got to know her. No one could spend more than a few minutes with his Livy and not fall in love with her, he was sure. She was a lovely child, clever and sweet and so very precious. Everyone must see that.
    Surely it couldn’t hurt their cause for Jeanne Louise to get to know and love the child? It seemed like a smart plan, and Livy’s interest and desire to spend time with Jeanne Louise could only help. But he was concerned about Livy. She’d been so weak and apathetic lately. This sudden desire to be up and about was unexpected, and a bit worrisome. He’d heard of cases where the dying had sudden bursts of energy and seemed to be feeling better just before the end and Paul feared he was running out of time.
    “Jeanne Louise is pretty, Daddy,” Livy announced suddenly as he poured her a glass of orange juice.
    “Yes,” he agreed absently, but it made him think of the woman presently chained up in what used to be his office in the basement. She wasn’t what most people would classify as beautiful. Her face was a bit round, but her eyes were large and exotic and when she smiled her face was transformed. He’d noticed that the few times he’d seen her smile at Argeneau Enterprises. They were very rare occasions. He had seen her probably a thousand times in the cafeteria over the last few years, but suspected she’d never even noticed him. Mostly she seemed distracted, and frowned over notes as she ate. But every once in a while someone would join her, either one of her coworkers or one of her family members, and she’d smile in welcome, her face lighting up like a Christmas tree.
    It was that smile that had always fascinated Paul. The way it transformed her from a plain, serious-looking woman to an unexpected beauty. It made him think she should smile more, that he’d like to see her smile more, make her smile more. But he’d never had any excuse to approach her. And in his heart he’d felt unfaithful for even wanting to. He hadn’t been long a widower when he’d started at Argeneau Enterprises. Jerri had died just a little more than a month before that, hit by a drunk driver on her way home from work. It had left Paul alone, lonely and juggling work and being a single father. And then he’d finally felt he’d finished his grieving and had mastered being a single father, and had planned to take a vacation, the first he’d had in three years. It was supposed to be a tour of Europe for him and Livy during her summer break. He hadn’t had a vacation the last couple years and had managed with some persuasion to get his supervisor to allow him a two-month chunk and . . .
    And then Livy had gotten sick. She’d been having headaches the last month or so of school. He’d taken her to the doctor to check it out the week before their trip, just to be sure all was well. Paul hadn’t expected anything really to be wrong. He’d thought perhaps she was dehydrated. That could cause headaches, and it was summer, hot and sweaty. The doctor had agreed that was probably the case and had run a battery of tests—blood work and scans. The Thursday before the trip, she’d asked him to take Livy for another scan. That had been slightly concerning, but she’d assured him she just wanted to double check. So Paul had bypassed sleep to take her in during the day. The next morning, the Friday before they were supposed to leave on their trip, his world had crashed down around him.
    Paul had been starting his car in the parking garage