With a Kiss Kim Dare Free Read

  With a Kiss

Past Kim Dare

Resplendence Publishing, LLC

http://www.resplendencepublishing.com

Resplendence Publishing, LLC

2665 Due north Atlantic Avenue, #349

Daytona Beach, FL 32118

With a Kiss

Copyright © 2011 Kim Dare

Edited by Christine Allen-Riley and Jason Huffman

Cover art by Les Byerley, www.les3photo8.com

Electronic format ISBN: 978-i-60735-420-eight

Alert: All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without budgetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

Electronic Release: October 2011

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and occurrences are a production of the author'south imagination. Whatever resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places or occurrences, is purely coincidental.

To those who believed I would finish this volume,

fifty-fifty when I doubted that myself.

You know who you lot are.

Chapter One

Liam didn't terminate running every bit he reached the edge of the pavement. Stumbling off the curb he raced on, headlong into the road.

Car horns blared. Headlights blazed around him. Belongings upward 1 manus to shield his optics, Liam spun around, frantically searching for whatever manner to escape the New year's day's Eve chaos. He barely heard the angry shouts from the drivers as more and more cars squealed to a end on the busy road.

Squeezing between 2 car bumpers, Liam scrambled toward the opposite pavement. A dumbo oversupply of people immediately closed in around him. The New year's day'due south celebrations had brought everyone onto the streets. Information technology was impossible to run. All he could do was keep pushing frontward, clawing his fashion a trivial closer to the hospital with each step he took.

Rain pelted down, soaking into Liam'southward jeans and plastering his thin white t-shirt to his skin. None of New year's day's revelers seemed to intendance about the downpour equally they swarmed toward the firework display due to start on the other side of town. A dozen men cheerfully forced their way through the crowd. They swarmed around Liam. He flinched away from raised fists and beer bottles as drunken manus gestures swung wildly toward him.

A terrified endeavor to back abroad from one human sent him crashing into another. Twisting around, Liam held up his hands, desperate to pacify. "I'm sorry," he babbled, stumbling away from them all as quickly as he could. "I'm so sorry, I…"

He looked frantically over his shoulder. The crowd behind him thinned out just plenty for him to make his escape. Spinning abroad from the gang of men, Liam took his hazard, turned tail and ran.

The wind whipped at his face up as he dodged between the laughing groups of men and women, all of them ready to celebrate and all of them heading in the opposite direction to him. Lifting a hand, Liam swiped at the raindrops running down his face and into his eyes, but he didn't dare end.

He couldn't terminate. He couldn't plow around and calmly follow the crowd toward the firework display.

The hospital and Marcus—those were the only 2 things he could think near at present—the merely things that offered him any chance of keeping his sanity through the New year's Eve celebrations and on into Jan the first.

Finally, the huge grayness edifice came into view on the opposite side of the road. Liam raced toward information technology, forcing his shaking legs to keep moving when they threatened to collapse.

Brakes squealed over again, another set of drivers cursed. Liam didn't even look over his shoulder. His trainers pounded against the tarmac equally he threw himself toward the infirmary entrance with every chip of free energy he had left.

A security guard stood merely to the left of the door. He straightened up and reached for his radio when he caught sight of a mad man hurtling toward him, but Liam had too much momentum to come up to a sudden cease. Arms flailing, shoes skidding through the puddles, he finally brought himself to a halt only a few feet from the guard.

The older human's eyes narrowed slightly, bushy gray eyebrows almost meeting beneath his h2o-proof cap. A moment passed, and a slight smile touched the older man's lips. He pressed the push on his radio once more. "Scratch that, Tony. Simulated alarm."

Another man's vocalisation crackled through the radio, as well depression for Liam to be able to make out the words.

"Yous're eager tonight, Liam," Mr. Clark said, slipping dorsum into his usual jovial manner equally easily as some other human being might flip a switch.

Liam tried to force a grinning. The gustatory modality of blood flooded his mouth. He automatically lifted his fingers to his split lip, as he saw the guard'south smile dice and his frown render.

"Ran faster than my feet could keep up with, Mr. Clark," Liam mumbled.

The other human nodded, simply he didn't put any noticeable effort into pretending he really believed that.

Liam dropped his gaze. Edging around the baby-sit, he backed into the hospital. Hunching his shoulders and keeping his caput down, he rushed along the deserted hospital corridors, following the path that had go 2nd nature to him over the last few months.

Water pooled around his feet as an lift carried him upward to the third floor. Endmost his eyes, Liam wrapped his arms effectually his torso. The cold was sinking into him now that he stood still. A shiver danced along his spine every bit he prayed for the lift to travel faster.

He was but about able to keep on forcing air into his lungs, just he couldn't make his breaths follow annihilation like a steady rhythm. Panic clawed through his insides, sending more than and more adrenaline pumping through his veins until he trembled with information technology.

Finally, the lift chimed its arrival at his destination. The doors slid slowly open. There was barely plenty room for Liam to squeeze through the gap between them before he exited the lift and hurried along the corridor.

Sis Pritchard's caput jerked up as Liam'due south sodden trainers squeaked against dull gray flooring. A frown flitted beyond her forehead every bit she glanced at the lookout man pinned to her compatible.

Reaching the nurses' station gear up halfway downwardly the corridor, Liam looked from Sister Pritchard to the door leading into the private room at the end of the hall and back once again.

"Please?" he whispered.

The matronly lady ran her gaze over Liam, taking in every detail every bit she silently debated the fate of a visitor who seemed completely incapable of abiding by proper visiting hours. Liam held his breath. His grip on his own arms turning white knuckled every bit his fingers dug into his biceps.

Finally, the sister nodded. Relief swept through Liam, damn about washing away the last tiny bit of strength he had left. Somehow he managed to accept a few steps frontward.

Reaching out, he wrapped numb fingers effectually the door handle. In that moment, information technology was almost incommunicable for him not to think dorsum to the first time he'd visited that room.

* * * *

Half-dozen months earlier…

"I merely talk to him?" Liam looked from the adult female behind him, to the sleeping form in the infirmary bed and back again.

"That's the general thought," she said, lifting her attention from her clipboard for a moment and glaring at him as if he'd but made a very improper proffer toward her. "It is what you volunteered for after all!"

Liam turned back to the slumbering homo. "I know, I but…" Well, for one thing, he'd assumed that when he agreed to spend i afternoon a calendar week visiting lonely hospital patients, he'd be talking to someone who was able to talk dorsum.

"If there's a problem," the administrator began, each word more clipped and impatient than the last.

Liam shook his head. "No, it'southward fine."

One curt nod and the woman strode away, pulling the door to the pr

ivate room closed behind her.

For several long seconds, Liam stood in the middle of the highly polished flooring without the least thought what to do with himself. Pushing his easily deeper into his pockets, he rocked back on his heels and studied the comatose patient.

"Just talk to him," Liam murmured. The words sounded far too loud in the otherwise hushful room. The simply noise that broke the silence was the beep of a heart monitor.

Taking a deep breath, Liam took a step forward, determined to make the best of the situation. "Hi. My name's Liam Bates. I'm a volunteer visitor with the hospital. Do yous mind if I sit down downwards?"

To Liam's complete lack of surprise, the coma patient made no response. Pulling upward a chair, Liam perched uncomfortably on the edge of the bright ruby-red plastic. Hell, he didn't even know what to phone call the guy. Standing up, Liam peeked out through the small glass aperture in the door. The nurses' station he'd walked by a few minutes before was deserted.

Liam turned back to the room'due south other occupant. His attention brutal on a wire container hanging from the footboard of the hospital bed, and so on the paperwork within it. "I'm…um…only going to await in your records for your proper name," he said as he crept forward and picked up the file. "Don't worry. I'm not going to read any of the confidential stuff or anything. I simply desire to know what to phone call you lot."

The file was well over two inches thick. Liam frowned as he carefully flicked open up the cover to examine the get-go page.

"Marcus Corrigan," he read aloud, earlier dutifully closing the bulging file and returning information technology to its proper identify without snooping any farther.

"It's um…it'south a nice proper name," Liam hazarded as he sat down again. "It suits you." It might have been a bloody stupid affair to say, but at least it was truthful. A handsome proper name for a very handsome man…

Against all logic, the guy didn't actually appear sick. It looked like he was just sleeping, as if he might open his eyes at any moment. Pushing that idea away, Liam took the opportunity to study the man's features without whatever fear that he might be caught.

Long black hair framed his face, standing out in stark contrast to the well-baked white hospital pillowcase, just someone had plainly shaved him recently. There wasn't the slightest hint of stubble forth his jaw. High cheek bones and an aquiline nose gave Marcus an almost aristocratic appearance, but his lips were pink and total, just begging to be kissed.

Liam cleared his throat, a slight blush rising to his cheeks. He was checking out the coma patient. That was just incorrect—on and then many levels.

"So, um…I guess I'd all-time tell y'all a bit most myself, since it seems like we're going to be spending quite a bit of fourth dimension together." He leaned back in his chair, trying to look casual, confident and completely at ease, but rapidly leaned forwards again, resting his elbows on his knees as he knotted his fingers together.

For a full infinitesimal, Liam stared down at his intertwined knuckles. "I guess there's non really much to say. I'one thousand kind of deadening."

He glanced up at the other human through his lashes. Marcus…Mr. Corrigan…No, Liam finally decided, he'd call him Marcus. Marcus didn't look bored. There was no expression whatsoever on his confront.

Liam chuckled slightly to himself. "Well, at least I don't have to worry about you falling asleep on me." He took some other deep breath. "Okay, allow'south effort this once more. I'm Liam Bates. Twenty-eight years erstwhile. I used to work just across the route from here. I waited tables in the cafe opposite the infirmary for about three years, but at present that we've moved in together, Ralph doesn't like me to…"

Liam'due south eyes opened very wide as he mentally cursed himself. The last affair he needed in his life correct then was some homophobic jerk who…

His thoughts slowly faded away every bit he blinked at Marcus' sleeping form.

There wasn't going to be any visible reaction to anything he said. Liam looked over his shoulder. No ane else was in earshot.

"I guess it really doesn't matter if you know I'm gay, does it? Information technology'south not like you're going to make a complaint or ask for a different visitor." Liam pushed a hand through his hair, disordering the mousey blond strands. "Y'all know, information technology's lucky you lot probably tin can't even hear a word I say, considering I'one thousand making a complete balls-upward of this visitor affair, aren't I?"

Rise from the chair again, Liam strode across to the window that practically filled the wall on the contrary side of the room from waist height all the way up to the ceiling. It looked down over the gardens surrounding the infirmary and would have been a overnice view if the patient were in any condition to see it.

"Anyway, like I was maxim, Ralph asked me to manus in my notice at the buffet. He'due south got a proficient job. And he's right, there'southward no need for me to wait tables for a pittance. I just…"

Liam frowned through the window. Turning his back on the view, he leaned against the window sill and put all those airheaded thoughts out of his caput. "I should be counting my blessings, correct?" he said. "A rich young man who wants to spoil me is a proficient thing!" Liam forced a smiling, but maintaining it for even a few seconds made his face ache.

Marcus made no comment.

"And he's a skillful guy likewise," Liam pressed on. "He doesn't spiral around on me or annihilation like that. And he's working on his temper, and so—" His hand froze halfway to his correct cheek every bit the door swung open.

A young cherry-red-headed nurse backed into the room, pulling a trolley full of medications and dressings along afterward her.

"How-do-you-do."

The nurse twirled around, knocking over several of the medicine bottles on her trolley as she backed away. Her optics went to Marcus for a moment, before swinging wildly toward Liam. "Bloody hell—for a moment I thought he'd actually woken upward!" Leaning back against the bland cream paintwork next to the door, she patted her chest every bit if trying to yet a racing middle.

"Lamentable, I'grand ane of the volunteer visitors," Liam began to explicate.

The nurse waved him into silence. "Not your fault. Our Mr. Corrigan here has always given me the heebeegeebees. There's something well-nigh vampires that just makes me want to cover my neck whenever I'm around them," she added, the Irish annotation in her accent softening as she pulled herself together.

"Vampires…?" Liam echoed.

The nurse finally seemed to recover enough to stride away from the wall without fainting. "They didn't tell you? Well at present, isn't that typical? They're supposed to, y'all know?" she added, as she turned the trolley around and pushed it closer to Marcus' bed.

The routine was obviously well established. While her hands moved on automatic, the nurse's words continued to flow without hesitation. "Regulations state that anybody who has any contact with a patient has to be informed of their species, unless the patient is human of course—no one minds humans."

"He's a…" Liam stared at Marcus every bit if he was seeing him for the first time.

Of class he knew all about vampires, who didn't? And, yep, he had always been aware in a very general sort of style that he probably spoke to a dozen people who needed to drink blood every day, but that wasn't the same as actually knowing the man he stood next to had fangs.

Liam watched in silence as the nurse—Sophie Roberts, according to the hospital ID clipped to her uniform—fussed around, taking down the empty Four hanging from the metal stand side by side to Marcus' bed and replacing information technology with a purse of blood.

A purse of…

"Is that blood?" Liam took a stride back, pressing his backside against the window ledge, equally if the stuff might leap out of the bag and attack him at whatsoever moment.

The nurse looked over her shoulder. "It is indeed. Fauna claret rather than homo, of course—bovine to be exact."

"Oh…"

"Can't let the poor little parasite starve to expiry while he'southward too ill to be whatever danger to anyone, can we?" Nurse Roberts asked. She picked upwardly a metal bowl from the trolley and placed information technology on Marcus' bed.

Lurking uncertainly on the other side of the room, Liam watched her deftly r

emove a bandage from the vampire's hand and toss it in the bowl. Blood stained that part of the cloth that had been wrapped around the meridian most part of Marcus' alphabetize finger.

Rapidly cleaning the wound, the nurse replaced the dressing. Her every movement made it articulate she wanted to have as little physical contact with Marcus as possible.

Within a minute, she'd bustled back out of the room, once more leaving Liam on his ain with the sleeping human being…with the sleeping vampire. Stepping forward, Liam took groovy care to brand no sound, to go on all his movements calm and controlled, every bit if he might rouse the other man to attack if he weren't very careful.

He lowered himself into his chair with the same intense attention to detail, not quite able to drag his eyes away from the bag of blood hanging to a higher place him. Animal claret, he reminded himself. It was nothing to be scared of. But at the same fourth dimension it became about impossible to stop his eyes post-obit the intravenous line down to where the needle disappeared into Marcus' arm.

Liam glanced at Marcus' face for a moment, so back to the blood supply draining steadily into his vein. Estrus rushed to his cheeks.

"Deplorable. I…" Liam cleared his throat. "I guess I didn't handle that very well, did I? I'm not normally so… I mean, I don't have any problem with vampires. You lot're just like us; y'all just demand to drinkable blood occasionally, right?"

Marcus said cipher.

Liam ran his hand downwards his confront. Damn, but it was a good thing the other man was completely oblivious to his presence. Whatever witting guy would have probably given him one hell of a back hander ages agone. Liam's hand automatically strayed toward his cheek. The trample was gone at present. It had barely even been worth mentioning from the start, but now it had completely faded away and…

"The nurse made it sound like you've been here a while," Liam blurted out, desperate for whatsoever topic of conversation that would distract him from a day he'd much rather forget. "Is this something that often happens to vampires?" He frowned slightly. "No. Stupid matter to say. That's like people thinking any time a gay man is sick, it has to be HIV. Although—"

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