Cursed Kiss (Paranormal Romance) Read Online Free Page A

on Eastern Standard Time. She wasn't hungry, but she was eager to see Luka again and find out what she was doing here. And he'd never actually told her what Taldom's blood was.
    A few minutes later Pablo ushered Clare into the dining room. Her step faltered in wonder. It was vast, the expansive ceiling supported by rows of honey-colored beams. One wall held a huge tapestry. The rest of the room was paneled in golden wood that glowed in the flickering candlelight cast from a candelabra on the table.
    Luka sat at the head of the table. As they walked closer, she realized his eyes were closed and he appeared tired and drawn.
    A shock of recognition stabbed her chest. His pale skin and shadowed eyes were horribly familiar. Her father had looked the same at the start of his illness. If Luka were sick, that explained why he avoided publicity and people thought he was reclusive.
    Pablo hurried across to him, crouched at his side, and took his hand. "Wake up, amigo . It's dinnertime." There was something between these two men, something more than a working relationship. Clare stepped back, feeling like an intruder.
    Luka's eyelids lifted and he glanced around, disoriented. He pushed himself up in his chair and checked the clock above the fireplace. "You took your time."
    Pablo shrugged sheepishly. "I visited the kitchen on my way to fetch Clare."
    "Ah. I see." Luka rubbed his eyes, then stood politely and indicated the chair to his right. "Please, Clare, join me."
    "Thank you."
    Pablo pulled out the chair for her and, as she sat, Luka poured her a glass of wine. After tugging on a cord in the corner of the room, Pablo joined them.
    A few minutes later, a petite young woman with blonde hair wheeled a trolley through the door and served them with soup. Then she placed other covered dishes on the table. "Will that be all, sir?" she asked, glancing at Luka.
    Luka fixated on his wineglass as if he didn't want to look at the woman. "Yes, Lila. We won't need you again tonight."
    She shot Pablo a sultry glance. "Enjoy your dinner, sir."
    He flashed an intimate smile as she left.
    Lila and Pablo were obviously attracted to each other. But Clare suspected there was something going on between the two men as well. What complicated love lives they must have.
    If Clare were right in her guess that Luka had some kind of illness, those around him would end up being his caregivers. She recalled looking after her father during the final year of his life, and then shook away the horrible sensation of helplessness the memory brought back. To watch someone you loved dying was soul destroying. She wouldn't wish that on her worst enemy.
    Quashing the disturbing memories, she focused on the present. "You never told me what Taldom's blood is. I'm very curious. My grandmother kept it a secret."
    Luka had eaten little of his soup and appeared grateful to have a reason to set it aside. "Tell me, Clare, have you ever heard the word Taldom?"
    She was hardly in the mood for word games, but it was in her interests to keep the man happy. "I don't think so."
    Unhurriedly, he checked her wineglass, then refilled Pablo's and his own. In the candlelight, the motif on his gold signet ring resembled the Moray dragon logo.
    Clare angled her head for a better look. "What's that symbol on your ring?"
    Luka glanced down at the image. "It's from my family coat of arms." He held up his glass. "Do try the wine. This cuvée is twenty-five years old. The delicate, silky tannins and strong presence make it an ideal accompaniment to our main course."
    Luka sipped his wine and watched her over the rim of his glass as Pablo served her with roast lamb. Something was off here. She wasn't sure what, but a sense of foreboding slipped through her.
    "What's going on, Mr. Vlad? Why have you brought me here?"
    Luka ignored his meal, leaned back, and studied her. "Taldom is a place, Miss Moray."
    "So that's where my Taldom's blood comes from?"
    He nodded.
    "Great. Where is it?"
    Luka rubbed the