Passion Follows Pain (Passion Series Book 3) Read Online Free Page A

the little dog trotting happily along by her side and Lucian almost envied the dog for being able to be that close to her.
    He waited until she’d disappeared around the corner before heading down the street himself determined that tonight he was going to speak to her.
    Using the other houses to conceal his presence, he rushed down the street until he was well ahead of her and crossed to her side of the road before settling down to a more sedate pace as he tried to give the illusion that he just happened to be out walking too.
    Her reaction when she first saw him took him by surprise. She froze momentarily before appearing to almost shrink before his eyes. Her eyes widened and he could see the fear in them, he could smell her fear. The rat at her feet decided it didn’t like the look of him and began to yap, in some annoying high pitched bark. He glared at it which was enough to silence the damned thing for now, and again he raised his eyes to the timid woman before him.
    “Are you alright?” He asked her but she didn’t answer him, she just stood, frozen.  Fuck she was literally rigid with fear? What the hell was wrong with her?
    He stepped closer and stopped when she seemed to shrink back from him even more. Her reaction wasn’t something he was familiar with and it took him by surprise. Women generally fell all over themselves to be with him, just one of the perks of being vampire. This girl’s reaction was not quite what he’d expected. Ok, he could see from observing her over the week that she was shy, nervous, not exactly a social butterfly, but one look from him and the girl was nearly catatonic.
    Slowly he approached her again until he was right in front of her, and could see the tremors running through her body. He reached out and hooked a finger under her chin, raising her face to his and his stomach clenched painfully when he saw what he could only describe as sheer terror in her eyes. God, what amazing eyes she had. They were big and round and startlingly blue; a beautiful shade of baby blue, blue as the sky on a brilliant summer’s day, they were stunning.
    “What’s your name?” He asked her softly and he saw her swallow, watching the movement of her throat and the pulse in her neck leaping wildly. Why was she so scared? “Please, I won’t hurt you. I simply want to know your name. I’ve seen you coming out to walk this dog each evening. My name is Lucian Andreas, I live across the road from where you are staying. You’re living with Mrs Appleby aren’t you?”
    He waited, watching her to see if anything he was saying was reaching her. Finally, finally her eyes shifted marginally until they almost met his, almost. “A..Arissa. My name is Arissa.” She said so softly, it was a mere whisper and her lips, those luscious full lips of hers barely moved as that beautiful name passed by them. She had such perfect lips, plump and with that naturally pouty look that made him long to lean forward and kiss her.
    “Arissa.” He tried the name out for himself, before releasing her chin. He desperately wanted to spend more time with her, simply staring at her, but he suspected he’d just about tested her limit of endurance so far, so he stepped back. This was so unlike him to walk away but there was something about her that tugged at him on an emotional level unlike anything he’d ever experienced. Of course he still wanted her, the hard ridge of his cock straining against the fabric of his jeans proved that. Fortunately the dark hid his body’s reaction to her since he felt certain she would have been screaming rape if she’d seen he was hard for her. Well, scream or pass out cold at his feet. Either reaction was possible.
    “Good bye Arissa.” He said softly and stepped back from her, but then a powerful desire struck, a need to taste her, so strong, he couldn’t ignore it. Softly he called her name, watching as her eyes met his and before she could look away, he locked on her, bending her mind