Catherine (Echoes of Ossiria #1) by Vivian Lane Read Free Book Online Page B

allowed to roam freely, learning the mansion’s nooks
and crannies as well as doing research in the library.   Like many extremely old and large residences,
the house had a few secret passageways like the one she was hiding in now.   She was betting on him running past to take
the stairs and not pay attention to her heartbeat in the wall.  
    If his footsteps
slowed, then she’d move.
    She watched him
fly past, leather duster billowing behind him.   Waited a minute, then opened the door panel and cautiously peeked out,
only to be grabbed by her collar and yanked out of the passage.
    William pulled her
out of hiding by her sweater, but the struggle wasn’t over.  
    They came to a
stalemate, her back hitting the wall as she pressed a sliver of wood against
his t-shirt, over his heart.   He glanced
down at the pointy object, then at her defiant glare.   “Clever girl,” he murmured.   “Dust me now, and you have your freedom.”
    Option 1) Plunge
the stake through his heart and get the hell out of Dodge.   Alicia wouldn’t stop her.  
    Option 2) Drop the
stake and be at his mercy for whatever he planned to do to punish her.  
    He kissed her,
leaning forward enough to press his lips to hers, the point of the stake making
a dent in his shirt and skin.   All she
had to do was push and he’d be dead, but…
    Her arms wrapped
around his neck, instead.   He growled
into her mouth and pressed her body against the wall.   It was her first grown-up kiss.   His hands were on her waist.   She jumped up to wrap her legs around his
hips.   He plunged his tongue into her
mouth, grinding his erection into her private parts.
    What am I doing, what am I DOING? I’m dead
or unconscious…   I’m dreaming.   William conked me on the head and I’m
dreaming…there’s no way this is real.   How does he taste so good?
    Her right hand
clutched the back of his neck, her nails slightly digging into his nape, the
stake somewhere on the floor.   Her left
hand clung to his coat.   She wasn’t
afraid he would drop her—she wanted to keep him close.  
    “ Ahem. ”
    They froze,
waiting for the sound to have been a fluke.   Imagined.
    “Yes, I’m still
here,” Alicia said, rolling her eyes.   “The girls were getting antsy. Should we go without you?”
    Catherine slid her
legs down his body and hid her face in his coat.   He cleared his throat and turned to
Alicia.   “We’ll be right there.”
    She shrugged and
teleported away.
    Catherine sidled
away from him and started walking to the stairs.
    “Cat…”
    “Don’t. It was a
fluke. I’m going to straighten up, and I’ll meet you at the car.”   She ran the rest of the way down toward the
bathroom by the kitchen.
    Why did I let
him kiss me?   Why did he let me almost
stake him?   This place is stealing my
sanity…
    After making
herself presentable, she walked to the foyer to join the other girls.   One of them handed her the purse and coat
she’d dropped when William tossed her over his shoulder.   The driver was standing by the passenger
door.   William was waiting on the other
side of the limo, at the front.   There
were six girls plus Alicia to sit in the back.   She was glad he wasn’t among them.
    Alicia gave her a
sideways glance as she took her seat, but didn’t comment.   It wasn’t anyone’s business what she’d seen
upstairs.  
    Catherine sat
primly while the demon girls chattered and speculated on which club they might
be going to.   It was oddly comforting and
disturbing that they sounded like the college girls she’d been surrounded by
mere weeks ago.   They wanted to go where
it was “cool” and meet hot males.   They’d
primped their scales or feathers or whatever to perfection and put on their
most alluring clothes.   The couple she
knew had been nice enough, though they clearly didn’t understand the “weird
human girl”.  
    Maybe she could
stick with Alicia all night.
    In front of a
building with a red door and