Zen and the Art of Vampires by Katie MacAlister Read Free Book Online Page B

with a hand pressed to my side, I limped my way down the street toward the waterfront. Perhaps I would get a glimpse of the woman if she was still looking for bookstores.
    I had just made it across the park when Mattias popped up out of nowhere. He didn’t see me, but I knew that, exposed as I was, he soon would. I had to get away, but he was in a position that allowed him to look down the three streets that met at the park. I whirled around, scanning for anywhere I could hide, my gaze sharpening on a dark curve at the far edge of the park, where it butted up against a cliff. People were still streaming out of the park, but couples were using the darkness along the tree-lined end to engage in a little romantic snogging.
    I hunched over and tried to use people to shield me as I made my way to the trees, intending to hide behind one of them until Mattias left. But as I glanced over my shoulder toward him, he was looking in my direction; he started forward hesitantly, as if he wasn’t sure he had seen me.
    â€œDammit,” I muttered, excusing myself when the couple nearest me broke off what was surely a marathon lip-lock session to glare at my interruption. “Sorry. Go on with what you were doing.”
    The woman snorted and, grabbing her partner by the hand, dragged him off. Just beyond them, Mattias was heading straight in my direction.
    Another couple left the security of the shadows, giggling and laughing about something as they passed. A shadow separated from the wall behind them, a male shadow who appeared to be alone.
    â€œPia?” I heard Mattias call as he approached.
    â€œThis is so cliché I can’t believe it, but desperate times and all that,” I muttered to myself as I gathered up my mental strength and stopped the man who was walking past me. “I sure hope you speak English, and I really hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but here goes.”
    At my touch, the man stopped, turning toward me, his face deep in shadow. Eyes the shade of blue known as teal, like a Siamese cat’s, seemed to glow at me. I prayed I wasn’t about to get tossed in jail for assault, grabbed his other arm, and more or less flung myself on him, chickening out at the last second and kissing the very edge of his cheek where it met the corner of his mouth.
    â€œPlease don’t yell or anything like that,” I murmured against his skin, my lips tingling at the sensation of soft stubble.
    â€œYar!” a man said next to my ear.
    I jumped and stared with shock at the face that appeared just behind the man. Like Karl and Marta, he was nearly translucent.
    â€œI likes a bit o’ the cash, meself, but ye’re missin’ the dock there, lass,” the ghost said. “Yer aim’s off.”
    The victim of my pathetic but desperate plan stiffened in my arms but didn’t shove me away or yell or even try to kiss me back (more’s the pity—I’ve always been a sucker for blue eyes). He did, however, look a bit taken aback at what was surely an expression of utter and complete befuddlement visible on my face.
    Mattias loomed up in my view, but he couldn’t reach me, blocked as he was by the people between us. “Pia?”
    I slunk down a few inches lower, shifting my grip on the man I held so that my fingers clutched soft, curly hair. I threw in a rapturous moan as I kept my lips glued to his cheek, my attention moving from him, to Mattias, to the ghost who continued to leer at me.
    Mattias peered at us for a moment, then gave a little shake of his head and moved off. At that moment, hands that felt like they were made of steel grabbed my wrists and pushed me backward.
    â€œI appreciate the offer, but I am not interested,” the man said, his voice deep and lyrical, with an Italian accent that seemed to skitter over my skin like electricity.
    â€œI am,” the ghost said, winking. “You can snog me any day.”
    â€œUm,” I said, not