The Mortal One (The Mortal One Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B

continued to press against my skin, not quite breaking the surface. I wasn’t sure what he was waiting for, unless he was expecting me to start screaming. We’d be waiting for a while because no matter how much I wanted to, I knew nothing would come out. Whenever I was really scared, my voice failed me. It wasn’t a very good survival tactic, but there it was. I wasn’t sure if there was anything to say at this point. I was hoping it would be quick and painless. I couldn’t get the idea out of my head that I’d be left in an alley for the Italian police to find. They probably wouldn’t even try to identify me or call anyone because I was a tourist. Was a Jane Doe still a Jane Doe in Italy?
    Something or someone made a sound at the other end of the alley. A dumpster lid flew open or a box was thrown around, causing a loud crash to reverberate through the alley. I glanced at the sound and felt Niccolò pause. I let out a soft gasp when I realized that it was the old man from the pottery store.
    Before I could scream, several things happened. He pressed himself down the front of me, sandwiching me between his hard body and the equally hard brick wall. Then the vampire’s mouth descended onto mine, kissing me with a crushing intensity lasting for at least half a minute. Somewhere during the kiss, I rose up on my toes to meet his lips.
    The commotion at the other end of the alley stopped. He withdrew from the kiss as quickly as it had begun. I watched him take a step back and lick his lips to savor the taste. I backed myself against the wall to steady myself and pressed my palms flat against the cold brick. The kiss left me breathless. Not because it was from a vampire, but because it was powerful. No one’s ever kissed me like that. If Chris had, I might have fought to stay with him.
    I fought the urge to run my fingers through his short waves and press my lips against his again. I also fought the urge to turn and run in the opposite direction because I was attracted to a vampire.
    “That was not meant to happen.” He looked past me, purposefully avoiding my gaze.
    I took in a very shaky breath. What was that?
    “The shop owner you saw earlier hadn’t seen you walk past again. He was checking to see if you were okay. He would have called the police if he thought you were in danger. It was the only way to be convincing.” Niccoló looked away as he didn’t believe what he was saying, either.
    “Oh,” was all I could manage out. I couldn’t get my mind to make any coherent thoughts. It made sense he didn’t want to get caught, but a kiss? I wasn’t complaining, which should have meant that I was completely insane.
    Normal people don’t want to be kissed by a vampire who’s about to kill them!
    “You are one of the strangest mortals I’ve ever met.”
    I needed to get better at keeping my thoughts to myself. The fact he could read my mind was getting annoying and more than a little embarrassing.
    “You’re one of the strangest vampires I’ve ever met.” I countered.
    He laughed again. “I’m the only vampire you’ve ever met.”
    “True,” I hesitated. “But how can you want to kill me in one moment and kiss me the next?” I probably should have kept my mouth shut. I didn’t want to remind him of his original plan.
    “I don’t have a response for you. We couldn’t get caught, and, your skin felt so warm….” He trailed off. “You’re different somehow.”
    “Thanks, I think.” I decided to push my luck. “How…how am I different?”
    Niccolò paused to deliberate over an answer. There was silence for what seemed like several minutes while I leaned against the wall and waited for him to answer me. “I haven’t kissed a mortal on the mouth since I was one myself,” he spoke matter-of-factly. “The only kisses are ones which bring their death and thus my survival.” Once again he was quiet for a few moments before speaking again. “The taste of your mouth was exhilarating,” he