Blood From a Stone by Cynthia Lucas Read Free Book Online Page A

i es he had i n m i nd. H e supposed he cou l d fi nd a ho t el so m e w he r e or g o back and d i g up so m e m o r e of h i s m oney fr om t he g r a v e y a r d and j ust hang out ti l m o r n i n g , s i nce he d i d not r equ ir e s l eep. Y eah, he w ou l d f eel e v e r y m i se r ab l e m i nu t e of t he co l d, but i t w ou l dn ’ t k il l h i m … t hat w as a ce r t a i n t y .
    I t w as h i s fir st n i g ht bac k among the living , and he ’ d a l m ost f o r g o t t en about t hat add iti onal littl e g if t t hat w as pa r t of h i s cu r se. H e r equ ir ed littl e or no s l eep, s i nce t hat w as a l l he d i d f or decades i n be t w een Aw a k en i n g s. Y es, he cou l d en j oy a l l t he f ood, sex, boo z e, and sensa ti ons t hat t he w o rl d had t o o ff er f or about a m on t h, but ne v er a g ood  n i g h t’ s r es tf ul s l eep  fille d w it h s w eet d r ea m s of co l o r , beau t y and t o k now t he f ee l i ng of w a k i ng fr om such b li ss. T he s i m p l e co m f o r t of k no w i ng t hat j ust because y ou w ent t o s l eep, i t d i dn ’ t m ean be i ng co l d and dead as a r ock f or fift y y ea r s!               A nd t hen t he r e w e r e so m e o t her t h i n g s t hat w e r e o ff -
    li m it s t oo… li k e f a lli ng i n  l o v e.  What g ood  w ou l d  th at do w hen he ’ d do no t h i ng but l ea v e beh i nd y et ano t her d i sappo i n t ed f e m a l e p i n i ng a w ay w it h a b r o k en hea r t . Wasn ’ t t hat w hat had g o tt en h i m i n t o t h i s m ess i n t he firs t p l ace?
                  L uc k y f or h i m , l o v e w as not and had not e v er been o n h i s ‘t o do’ li s t , a lt hou g h t h r ou g hout t hese se v e r al Aw a k en i n g s, he had at l east g r o w n t o ha v e so m e sense of co m pass i on enou g h t o ac k no w l ed g e t hat i t w ou l d not be ri g ht t o l o v e s o m eone and l ea v e t hem i n such a m anner as w as d i c t a t ed by h i s c ir cu m s t ance.
                  A s f or t he cu r se, he ’ d r ac k ed h i s b r a i n and h i s so u l f or
    any poss i b ilit y w h i ch m i g ht be t he cu r e o v er and o v er a g a i n i n e v e r y  Aw a k en i n g . I n despe r a ti on,   he ’ d  e v en tri ed o n ce  or t w i ce t o f a l l i n l o v e, k no w i ng i t w as a l l w r on g , b u t p r o ceed i ng none t he l ess, i n t he hopes t hat t he o l d ‘o n l y l o v e ’ s k i ss can b r eak t he w i c k ed cu r se’ bu ll sh i t m i g ht w o r k . B u t , o f cou r se he hadn ’ t r ea ll y been i n l o v e and i t hadn ’ t w o r k ed e i t he r .
                  I ns t ead he ’ d f ound on l y one co l d and u n y i e l d i ng
    tr u t h: i t had f o ll o w ed h i m f or fi v e cen t u ri es ac r o s s t he ocean t o A m e ri ca. A nd t hat tr u t h w as s i m p l y t hat t he r e w as no w ay t o b r eak t h i s cu r se, and i f t he r e w as, i t w as li k e squee z i ng b l ood fr om a s t one…. lit e r a ll y , i n h i s case.
    A nd i t w as so m e t h i ng he had t o a l w a y s k eep i n m i nd w hen he m et so m eone he i n iti a ll y f e l t a ttr ac t ed t o, li k e t h i s g ir l W ill o w . S he cou l d ne v er m ean an y t h i ng t o h i m , and he needed t o m a k e su r e he w ou l d not m ean an y t h i ng  t o her e it he r . B ut he fi g u r ed s i nce he a lr eady had her nu m ber and g o tt en t o k now her j ust a littl e b it , w e ll …. i t m i g h t l ead t o a d i nner or t w o and m a y be a f ew  n i g h t s t o g e t her i n  b e d so m e ti m e du ri ng t he next m on t h i f she w as g a m e. H e w ou l d j ust m a k e i t v e r y c l ear fr om m i nu t e one t hat i t w as no t h i ng s e ri ous…he w as abso l u t e l y not l oo k i ng f or a r e l a ti onsh i p and encou r a g e each of t hem t o see o t he r s so t he r e w as n o a t t ach m en t .
    “ S A M S ON ! H e ll o ! ” H e  w as  j