Mrs. Stephens waited for me as I stepped off the elevator with a worried look on her face.
“Mr. Adams, this envelope you had me mail weeks ago has come back marked ‘return to sender’. I wasn’t sure what I should do with it.” She held up the thick package.
“Did you double-check the address of Jim Whitfield’s daughter, Mary Whitfield?” I asked, frowning.
“Yes, sir. I contacted the post office, and they have no forwarding address. The college she was enrolled in also had no way of contacting her once she withdrew from her classes,” she said in a rush.
Damn. “Thank you very much. I’ll take the envelope and see what I can do to try to track her down.” My fingers closed around the padded manila package.
“I can’t say that I blame her for disappearing. The media was brutal to her father, and she was treated like a pariah. I understand wanting to lie low while everything dies down. Her whole world changed in a negative way, and she lost everything. Maybe it’s best to leave things alone? Let the poor girl mourn her loss,” she scolded me.
“I understand what you’re saying. This envelope wasn’t about hurting her . . . it was about trying to help her and make things right.” I knew what happened wasn’t the young woman’s fault. My reaction in anger had cost her something she shouldn’t have had to pay. I needed to make it right.
Mrs. Stephens looked ashamed. “Oh, I didn’t know.”
My fingers tightened, crunching the paper in my hand. “Yeah, I feel bad for her. She did nothing wrong at all, and she shouldn’t be punished. And I’m sorry the immediate actions taken by me wound up hurting her.”
Mrs. Stephens reached out and gripped my shoulder. “You’re a good and decent man.”
“I try to be. And with each passing day, it becomes more and more my goal.”
“It’s her.” She gave me a squeeze.
“What’s her?” I tilted my head, examining this woman who’d worked for me for years and had never spoken so forwardly before.
“Celesta. She is why you want to be better. You feel something for her, and you want to be worthy of her love.”
I scoffed.
“Don’t deny it. I’ve lived a long time. I’m a wise old woman who sees things because I take the time to notice. But I’ll let you in on another little secret I’ve noticed. . .. She’s totally taken by you. She feels something for you as well. And she sees the good in you.”
A chuckle slipped out. “You’re a hopeless romantic, Mrs. Stephens. And I’m a centuries’ old vampire who knows nothing about love.”
Shaking my head, I turned and walked into my office to the sound of her laughter. Shutting the door, I sat behind my desk and pondered how to solve this new issue. I turned the package over and over in my hands. I needed to locate Jim Whitfield’s daughter. I owed him that much for his years of hard work prior to the scandal. But it seemed the girl had vanished when the dust and dirt settled, literally.
Determined, I picked up the phone and dialed an old friend who also happened to be a top-notch private detective.
“Marcus,” I greeted when he answered his phone.
“Toven, it’s been a while. How have you been?”
“Pretty good.” I lowered my voice, “I have a job for you.”
“Lay it on me,” he encouraged.
I drew in a deep breath. “I’m trying to find a girl.”
“That’s new,” he said, snickering. “I’ve never known you to have problems finding women.”
“Not like that. It’s the daughter of a former employee. I’m trying to send her some important documents that’ll be very beneficial to her. Unfortunately, it seems she’s moved and left no forwarding address. She withdrew from the university she attended. I’m at a loss. A basic search has turned up nothing. And it’s imperative for me to get her this package.” I grabbed a pen from my desk and began scratching marks on the blank notepad next to me.
“Text me her name, last known address and any other information you have,” he commanded.
“Will do. I have a related matter I’d also like you to investigate for me, very discreetly of course.”
“OK, what is it?”
“The girl’s father, Jim Whitfield, worked for me for over ten years. He was an accountant for my development company. Last year, the accounts came up missing a lot of money, and he was the logical suspect. However, my people have been unable to discover any trace of where the money went or who took it. Something in my gut tells me the accountant is too obvious of a choice. I’d like you to dig into it. I’ll give you access to anything you need.” My pen continued to move across the paper.
“OK. I’ll need your records and all employees who could’ve even remotely gained access to the accounts.”
“I’ll send everything over shortly.” Turning, I typed on the keyboard, calling up all the information Marcus required.
“I’ll get to work as soon as I get it.”
“Talk to you soon.”
“Yeah, man,” he said.
I disconnected then buzzed Victor’s office.
“Victor, I need you to come to my office as soon as you can,” my tone left no room for argument.
“I’ll be up there in about five minutes.”
I hung up and quickly sent all the information to Marcus. If anyone could find the elusive girl and missing money, Marcus could.
Victor strolled into my office without so much as a knock—the liberties he took were irritating.
“What did you need to see me about, Toven?” He stood by my desk, electing not to sit in the chair. It was a power play I knew well. He thought he’d intimidate me by forcing me to peer up at him.
I spun my chair to face him directly. My fingers steepled together in front of my face as I regarded him. “Victor, why has there been no progress in locating my missing funds?”
“I . . . uh . . .. I’m not sure. I’ve had them search everywhere.” He held his arms out, palms up, in a gesture of innocence.
“Perhaps your evidence as to who stole my money was incorrect.” I quirked one eyebrow up at him in question.
“Impossible,” he declared and sat across from me, no longer trying to retain the upper hand by towering over me.
“Possible. If he’d taken the money, it would’ve been found by now. I’ve combed through every account, asset and belonging he owned. He did not steal my money.” I slammed my fist against the surface of my desk to reiterate my words.
He flinched. “Perhaps he just hid it well.”
“Perhaps . . . but if it doesn’t turn up soon, I will launch an investigation into other suspects. I won’t sit back and allow someone to steal from me without repercussions.” I leaned back in my chair, surveying him for any signs of guilt, which there were none.
He nodded. “I understand that. And in your position, I’d look for my money under every rock.”
“Do you have any updates on the new housing project?” I changed the subject.
“Yes, I worked briefly with an up-and-coming interior designer for staging the model homes. Once construction is completed, I’ll hire her again for a couple of weeks to actually decorate each model. We’re running about two days ahead of schedule because the weather has been better than expected. And we’re under budget,” he bragged, pleased with himself. No doubt expecting me to be pleased with him too.
“Victor, you better not be cutting corners in order to come in under budget. I’ll line up the inspectors when the time comes so I can make sure there’s no danger of anything going wrong before families can move in.” I glared at him.
“I’m not cutting corners. I’ve just been diligent in finding good deals on quality materials. And I’ve already spoken with some building inspectors for the project, so you need not trouble yourself.”
“I will handle the inspectors, so leave that to me. I won’t have another fiasco due to subpar materials ever again. Do I make myself clear?” I asked evenly.
“Crystal. Was there anything else yo
u needed from me before I head out to the site for a few days?” He leaned forward.
“No.”
He strode from my office as arrogant as ever.
Asshole. I seethed as he left. His tone of voice set something off inside me. I’d known Victor for a long time. We’d worked together for many years, but something had changed. It wasn’t something I could put my finger on, but it was something I felt in the fabric of my being. My trust in him was misplaced now. I needed to watch him more closely.
“Mrs. Stephens,” I said as I pressed the button to connect me to her.
“Yes, Mr. Adams?”
“Please check my schedule a couple of weeks out and see when I can spare a few days to travel to New Mexico to do a surprise inspection of the new housing development.” I’d personally make sure he wasn’t undercutting the materials.
“Yes, sir. I’ll have a list of possible dates for you in a little while.”
“Thank you.”
Sitting at my desk, I couldn’t seem to help myself. I pulled up my social media accounts. I already had several hundred followers on each account. It astounded me that someone with no online presence could gain traction so quickly. Celesta was amazing and very good at her job. I was going to offer her a permanent marketing job once our contract was completed. I needed her on my team . . . for a multitude of reasons. I’d just have to learn to set aside my personal feelings so it would be safe for her to continue to work for me, assuming I’d be around to still run a company or make music in a few weeks.
I scrolled down the wall of my Facebook page and halted when I came to a photo of the two of us. In it, I was oblivious to everything around me, totally consumed by her. I needed to get a copy of that image to keep for inspiration in my music room. Celesta had linked the news articles featuring our dates on a couple of the accounts. I just needed to find out who to contact to get an unmarked copy of the picture. Following the link, I got the contact information of the person who wrote the article and fired off a quick email request.
My mind wandered to Celesta. I wondered what she was doing. Maybe she’d be done by lunch time, so I could take her home with me because I planned to swing by B.I.T.-10 when I left the office. Maybe I’d get lucky and catch her finishing up. We could do something fun. Spending so many hours away from her was pure torment. Losing control around her wasn’t an option and staying away from her wasn’t feasible either. I needed her presence like I needed air, blood, music.
4
Celesta
After a quick breakfast alone, William dropped me off at B.I.T.-10’s downtown location. I could hardly believe less than a week had passed since I first rode in this elevator, scared out of my mind at the prospect of working for a vampire. My perceptions couldn’t have been more wrong. Toven had been nothing but a gentleman, carefully keeping himself in check every step of the way. He was much more intense than any person I’d ever met—living or dead. However, I had a feeling that had more to do with his personality than his affliction.
I strode from the elevator up to the receptionist’s desk.
“Celesta, how are you?” she greeted me.
“I’m good. How are you?”
“Great thanks. Circe saw you had an appointment with Sandra today and asked that you stop by her office first. Sandra doesn’t have anyone else booked in the spa all day, so it should be fine.”
“Sure. Is Circe available now?” I glanced in the direction of her office.
“Yes, go right in. She was anxious to check in with you.”
I stepped down the corridor to Circe’s door and tapped lightly.
“Come in,” came the muffled reply.
I pushed the door open and stepped into the room.
“Celesta, come in, come in. Shut the door behind you. I’m so happy to see you. Have a seat,” she gushed enthusiastically. The regal woman floated gracefully to one of the seats in front of her desk.
I settled in the seat next to her. “Hi,” I giggled.
“Sorry for my high school girl outburst. I’ve just been a bit worried about you, so to see you stroll in here confident and happy makes my heart a little lighter.”
My brow wrinkled at her confession. “Why were you worried about me?” I asked in confusion.
“Because even though you committed to doing this and you hid your nerves well, I could still tell how anxious you were before the gala and after accepting your contract. I wasn’t a hundred percent sure how to prepare you for Toven since he’s a new client. I’ve known Toven for a long time, but not in this capacity. So, I worried.” She shrugged.
“Worried I’d renege on the contract?” I teased.
“No . . . well, maybe a little bit. But I really was worried you were getting into something you really didn’t want to get into.” Circe seemed genuinely concerned for me, which surprised me a lot.
“I hope you can see I’m doing just fine. I know I’m still early in my contract, but I think I’ve done good work for Toven so far. We made the gossip pages a couple of times already, and I’ve established an online presence for him. It still needs work, but I think we’ve made tremendous progress in a short amount of time,” I rambled nervously. I didn’t want to disappoint Circe.
She leaned toward me and lowered her voice, “And the other?”
“Other what?” My brow furrowed.
“Any . . . umm proclivities I need to note for future prospects for Toven?” Her eyebrows jiggled at me.
“Ummm . . .. Oh, you mean sexual proclivities?” Heat stole up my neck and spread to my cheeks. “No, I have none to report.” The thought of future prospects for Toven made me sick to my stomach.
“You mean he has no tendencies or preferences? Like bondage or going all bossy alpha on you or public sex or anything?” she asked with a wink.
I looked down at my lap, embarrassed to admit that we’d done nothing so far. “I wouldn’t know about his preferences or tendencies . . ..”
Circe gasped at my admission and lay her hand on my knee. “How is that possible? You’ve been with him for five days now.”
“I don’t know. I haven’t shot him down or anything. He just hasn’t let things go there . . . yet. I was worried that maybe something was wrong with me. But he seems to like me. And when he kisses me, oh God, it’s like the world stops and shrinks down to just his lips on mine. I didn’t know kisses could be like that.” Warmth spread across the surface of my skin as I recalled his kisses.
♪ Boom Clap by Charli XCX
“Wait a minute, Toven hasn’t had sex with you in any way, but he has kissed you?” Circe flopped dramatically against the back of her chair.
“Yes. Is that odd?”
“Very. Vampires rarely restrain themselves for any length of time when it comes to sex. And because there are always willing partners, there’s no need for them to try. And Toven doesn’t kiss. Anybody. Ever. He hasn’t kissed anyone on the lips in at least a hundred years. I don’t know when he stopped, but I do know that he has always resisted kissing.”
“Oh,” I whispered.
“Yeah.”
We sat there contemplating the significance of a kiss for several long moments.
She finally broke the silence and asked, “Was being tasted as bad as you thought it would be?”
My hand nervously clutched my unbitten neck. “I wouldn’t know about that either.”
Her eyes grew wide. “He hasn’t bitten you yet?”
I shook my head.
“He originally told me that tasting and sex weren’t necessary caveats in his contract. I told him they had to be included for liability reasons. I never expected he’d abstain from both. I’m stunned. So, what has he been doing? Calling a different service?” She looked appalled at the prospect.
“All I’ve seen is him drinking from a bottle.” I frowned. He wouldn’t, would he? “I don’t think he’s calling anyone. But I haven’t been with him twenty-four-seven. There have been some days when we spent the whole day together, and he eit
her didn’t drink at all or he had a bottle.”
“I see.”
“Circe, what does all this mean? No tasting or sex, but breath-stealing kisses.” I held out my hands, palms up ready to receive her answers.
She shook her head. “It’s rather confusing even to me, who’s seen everything imaginable in the business, and as someone who’s known Toven for a really long time. I don’t know what to tell you. But my gut says it all adds up to you meaning something to him. I’m not sure what you mean. But you’re in a place that no one has been in nearly two centuries—Toven’s life and more importantly, his heart. I’ll be interested to see how things progress between you.” She laced her fingers together and leaned back, studying me intently.
“Me too. I’ve never wanted someone as desperately as I want him. It’s absolutely maddening, and I’m so sexually frustrated. If you have any advice on how to make him just as desperate for me, I’m all ears. I know you’ve known him for a long time. Maybe you have some insight.” Circe exuded sexiness and seduction. If anyone could help me, it was her.
“Toven and I do have a history. But we haven’t really talked in a long time. He isn’t the same man I first knew.” She tapped her finger against her lips, deep in thought. “I think he’s a better man now. I’m not sure what I knew of him in the past would be of any help to you. And considering you’ve already accomplished something no other woman has—me included—I’d say you shouldn’t change yourself. Whatever you’re doing, and who you already are, is enough. It seems it’s just going to take time. And honestly, in matters of the heart, it’s probably best that it takes time to build properly so it has the strength to withstand all obstacles.” She laid her hand on my knee and gave it a comforting squeeze. “So, on a different note, I saw the pictures of the two of you at the French restaurant and at the McDaniels’ party. Do you guys have any other major outings planned that I need to know about so we can order special attire for you?”
Blood Song: Refrain (Blood Song Series Book 2) Page 2