Not If You Were the Last Vampire on Earth by Cara Coe Read Free Book Online

imagination could run as wild as our aliases.
    I sucked in a breath and touched my shoulder length hair. My fingers ran over scratchy knots.
    “I’m tall for a woman,” I started. “Or used to be when there was a group to be compared to. I’m kind of a mishmash. My mom was black and my dad was white so I have a mix of features. I’m tan. All the time. My hair is a rat’s nest of frizzy black waves. My eyes are brown. I’m wearing a yellow AC/DC tank top I swiped from some girl’s bedroom. And combat boots because they’re easy to walk in and last longer than running shoes.”
    “Did you paint the AC/DC girl’s life?”
    “Yes.”
    “How tall is tall for a woman?”
    “Five seven.”
    He was quiet.
    “Hello?” I asked to check if he was still on the line.
    “Shhhh. I’m picturing what you look like.”
    “Uh, okay.” I felt a little awkward.
    “I’m five eight,” he broke in suddenly. “And a half.”
    “Is the half necessary?”
    “It’s a strong half.”
    “So it’s my turn to ask a question…” I thought for a moment. “What’s your favorite mode of transportation?”
    “I have a car I’ve been restoring for years. Even before The Sweep. It’s a 1991 z28 Camaro. I’ve collected quite a few spare parts to keep her running all these years. Also, I prefer motorcycles to get around. I have a pretty sweet ride I’ve been using for a couple years now.”
    “Men and their cars,” I chide.
    “I’m half Asian.”
    “What?” I was taken aback by his sudden switch in topic.
    “My dad was white. My mom was Korean. You can see it in my eyes. They have a hint of her slant. I wish I had more. They were the most beautiful thing about her. So expressive. My sister was lucky to inherit them. I did get her long eyelashes, though. I have dark hair, all black. I keep it short. I like to wear T-shirts and shorts most of the time. Houston is hot almost year round. Except in the hospital. No amount of tampering will stop the cold from blowing in here. I’ll wear jeans if I’m on my motorcycle. My lips are full, like my dad’s. And I got his large hands, too. I like using them. Probably why I love fixing cars. My skin has color to it but not as dark as yours from what you described. And as I said before, I’m an inch and a half taller than you so if we were standing face to face with our eyes closed, my lips would be brushing your eyelids. That’s why I told you to be quiet. That’s what I was picturing for a moment.”
    It was hard to breathe. Every word he spoke, the visual pieces he stacked in front of me, and the sensual images he pushed into my mind with his eyes and his large hands and his lips on me stole more and more of my breath until I thought I would burst.
    “I didn’t ask you,” I told him breathlessly.
    “And you wouldn’t have. But I needed you to know.”
    I took in a much needed drag of air, not sure how to respond.
    “Today was another first round day for my set ups so I have to get back to the lab,” he said, breaking the silence.
    “Okay.”
    “Call me tomorrow, okay?”
    “Okay.” My responses felt robotic.
    “Or it doesn’t need to wait. I’ll be around tonight.”
    I gulped. “Um, okay.”
    We’ve never done a night time phone call.
    “Okay. Bye.”
    “Bye.”
    A night time phone call? It seemed so…personal. What was happening?
    The phone slid from my ear before it started doing that angry hang-me-up-damn-it beeping after a few moments of neglect. I replaced the receiver and flopped back on the couch. My mind was a mix of jumbled thoughts.
    But I needed you to know .
    The words sounded so intimate. I felt my pulse twitch when he spoke them. He used his faraway voice when he said it and I closed my eyes as I felt it. For a moment it seemed like we were in the same room. I had ached to reach out and touch him. Thanks to his blabbermouth, I could now imagine where my fingers would go. They could play with his dark strands. Or feather over his long lashes. Or