by V. Vaughn
She doesn’t reply as she practically sprints to the kitchen. I scurry behind her to keep up and continue trying to win her over. “Have you worked for the Harts a long time? They’re such interesting men, and to think they write romance.”
When we get in the kitchen she flips on the lights, and I squint in the harsh brightness. Bertha opens the fridge, and the plate I saw earlier scrapes over the shelf as she pulls it out. I say, “If that’s for me, I can heat it up. I’m sure you have other things you need to do.”
Bertha doesn’t even try to be polite as she glares at me. Without speaking, she yanks the microwave door open, and my dinner hits the glass turntable so hard I’m surprised it doesn’t break. After she attacks the buttons, I say, “I’m not sure what I did, but I’m sorry.”
She gives me an incredulous look, and if I were smart I’d keep my mouth shut. Silverware rattles as she yanks open a drawer and sets me a place at the granite island. Clearly I’m not, but I have a need to be liked, so I push on. “I swear I won’t do it again, but you’ve got to tell me what I did wrong.”
A wine glass clinks down on the countertop as she says, “It’s too late. You never should have come here.”
What on earth does she mean? Is she jealous of me? I can’t imagine why, but perhaps it’s because I make things harder for her. I say, “I don’t want to be a burden. I can cook for myself, and I know how to do laundry and clean. So you don’t have to wait on me.”
The microwave beeps, and she removes my plate to set it before me. “Clever girl. You can get your own wine.” She leaves the kitchen as fast as she came in. I wonder why she hates me so much, and what she meant by saying I shouldn’t have come here.
I focus on my heart to see if she’ll give me a clue, but I get nothing except the sound of my stomach growling. I take a bite of chicken to discover it’s dry, and when I taste the potatoes, I find they don’t have much flavor either. I stab and lift a wilted green bean up with my fork as I think about how I made Alexander unhappy this morning. And now I’ve managed to anger Bertha. The only person I have left to upset is Sebastian. I sigh as the vegetable squishes between my teeth. And when I glance toward the sound of footsteps, I see I’ll get a chance, because Sebastian walks in.
Chapter 6
Sebastian enters the kitchen dressed in black cargo pants, sturdy boots, and a black leather jacket that says badass in all the right ways. It’s as if he’s been transformed into a special-ops hero in one of his books, and suddenly I see why he appeals to my heart. I snap my jaw shut before he notices I’m gawking.
He says, “Margaret. Good. I’m glad you’re eating. I neglected to tell you about dinner.”
“It’s fine. Bertha fixed me something.”
His lips do an almost-smiling thing before he says, “Alexander and I are going out. Are you enjoying the books?”
“Very much so. Thank you.” I think about how I tried to access the Internet earlier and ask, “Can I have a password for the Wi-Fi? There doesn’t seem to be a good cell signal here, and I was hoping to call my mother and let her know how I am.”
He frowns. “Yes. I’m afraid that will have to wait until morning. Our cable is out. But I’m sure it will be fixed by tomorrow.”
“Oh. Okay.” I try not to lick my lips as I imagine finding him in a nightclub. Although I’m not sure any exist around here, and I’m curious where he and Alexander are going. “Have fun tonight.”
“Fun.” He pauses as if he’s considering the word before he says, “Yes. I’ll see you at nine a.m. in the study.” I nod in reply. As soon as he leaves, I resist the urge to peek out the window to see what kind of car he drives. I noticed a garage placed separately from the house when I arrived yesterday. I also recall how I texted my mother in the driveway when I got here, and the message read sent. I decide I’ll try again.
After my meal, I clean up after myself and retrieve my phone from my room to go outside. I grab a winter parka that covers my hips, and I huddle into the warmth of the hood as wind blows off the ocean and stings my cheeks. I decide to get in my car for my call. Since I can’t even tell my mother what town I’m in, my side of the conversation is brief. She’s a nurse at our local hospital, and she entertains me with patient stories. I know she misses me, but she sounds happy that I love my new job. After we say our good-byes, I take a moment to check social media.
I scroll through a news feed and decide I won’t need to keep up with anything I see. My circle of friends is small, and once I graduated from community college, I was ready to leave them behind for new adventures. So I made up a cover story about going to Europe for a job and cut all ties. Except one. I text my best friend, Kristi. New job is awesome. Smoking-hot bosses too.
I notice my message is read immediately, so I wait for her reply. What?! Pictures or it didn’t happen.
I can’t. NDA, remember? How are the freshmen? Kristi got a job teaching English at a high school not too far from home, and the majority of her classes are the ninth graders.
Horrid little brats who need a slap upside the head. And I’m just the woman to do it.
I chuckle to myself, because she is. Miss you.
Me too.
I click off my phone, and my car door creaks as I climb out. The night sky is jet black, with the nearly full moon glowing brightly as I walk back to the house. The sound of the ocean crashing on the rocks of the property makes me decide I’m not ready to go inside yet, and I decide to explore. I wander over the grass toward the water. Large rocks that are haphazardly placed separate the yard from the ocean, and as I get closer, I realize they drop off like a cliff for about ten feet. There are more down below. The jagged edges are covered in seaweed and barnacles, and I imagine it would be slippery footing. The ocean rushes toward me, and waves crash and spray into the air as if they’re putting on a show.
I lower myself to sit and dangle my legs over the edge of the cliff to watch the naked display of nature’s power. The cold stone seeps through my yoga pants quickly, and I tug my long jacket under my bottom as I lift my hood up to preserve warmth. I gaze over to my right, and movement catches my eye. The wrought-iron fence that protects the Hart property stops at the cliff, so if anyone really wanted to come onto the land, I suspect they could approach by climbing the rocks. But a figure that might be male is coming toward the barrier instead, and I wonder if I should be afraid. He jumps up, and his foot barely taps the top of a spiked support before he lands inside. Oh my god! The fence is at least twelve feet high, and I blink, wondering if I’m seeing things. I scramble up to my feet, and my phone falls out of my pocket to clatter on the stones. I freeze, because whoever just hopped onto the Hart property is coming my way.
I’m going to die. Something evil is coming to kill me, and my mind flashes to the vampire story I had to proof and recite for Sebastian. It was about two brothers who lived in a castle. They were searching for their soul mates. One of the brothers found her in human form, and the story ends when he bites her so she can become a vampire too. My imagination put me in the scene, and I’m sure I’m a snack for the man until I recognize him.
Alexander asks, “Margaret, what are you doing out here?” As he gets closer, I notice he’s wearing a similar outfit to what Sebastian had on earlier. Holy crap, did he really just jump twelve feet?
“I came out for a signal to call my mom, and when I was done, I decided to watch the waves.” I squat down to retrieve my phone, and my hand shakes as I pick it up. I’m not afraid of Alexander, but I am freaked out by what I just saw. I think about how easily he lifted the boxes earlier today. I shake my head at myself. He’s probably one of those guys who do parkour, like I’ve seen in videos. They bounce off buildings and do crazy stunts no average person can. I ask, “What are you doing out here?”
“I like to watch the water too.” He tilts his head at the ocean. “Shall we?”
“Sure.” When we sit, Alexander is close enough to me that our arms brush. “I thought you and Sebastian were going out.�
�
“We did,” he says. I assume it must have only been for one drink since they’re back so soon. He’s looking at the waves as he says, “I never get tired of this.”
“I don’t think I could either. I’d like to see this during a storm.” I think about how he almost kissed me earlier, and I turn to gaze at him.
The moonlight highlights the angles of his face. I imagine tracing my finger along his cheekbone, and he turns to me too. He says, “When a storm blows through, it’s incredible. The water sometimes comes up this high.”
Our legs touch, and neither of us moves away as I say, “I’d love to see it.” I lean in a little closer to him as light sparkles in his eyes. The hum of my desire buzzes through me, and I drop my gaze to his mouth. His breathing is shallow, and I think he’s attracted to me too.
“Then you shall,” Alexander says as he leans in. He tips my chin up with his finger, and it’s cool on my skin. He whispers, “We can’t do this. You’re here for Sebastian.”
It’s true I shouldn’t kiss the brother of the man I’m working for. I know better, I really do, but something inside me takes over. I think about the books I read today. The stories were about attraction that can’t be denied. I never knew they could be right, because I want Alexander with a need so great I can’t stop myself. I whisper back, “I don’t care.”
I reach out to grab at his leather-clad shoulder and kiss him. His lips are as cool as his finger was, but I have plenty of heat for both of us as I open my mouth to Alexander. The kiss is tender nibbles that don’t last nearly long enough before he pulls away.
He shakes his head. “I really shouldn’t be doing this.”
I lick my lips to taste him, and the flavor is metallic. I frown as I wonder what he drank. His gaze is intense, and it makes my insides quiver while my chest heaves. I want more, and I reach up and place my hand on his cheek. His skin is cold, and I say, “My gosh, you’re freezing. We should probably get inside.”
Alexander grabs my hand and tugs me against him as his other arm wraps around my waist. This time he plunges his tongue into my mouth, and I fall into our kiss as though I’ve jumped off the cliff. I reach up, and his hair is silky in my fingers as I slide them through his locks. I moan a little when his hand splays on my back. I press on his chest and wish there wasn’t a heavy leather jacket in the way of the firm muscles I want to touch. I’ve never been kissed like this, and it makes me feel alive.
“What are you doing?” Sebastian’s voice booms, and I jerk away from Alexander as if I’ve been shocked. I look up at the figure that towers over us, and his gaze makes fear turn the blood in my veins to ice.
“Has it really been so long you don’t recognize a kiss, Sebastian?” asks Alexander in a playful tone. But the edge to it makes me think he’s not playing.
Sebastian doesn’t acknowledge his brother and says to me, “Get in the house, Margaret, and wait for me in the study.”
I rise to my feet as I say, “Yes, sir.” I don’t look at Alexander as I walk away quickly. It’s as if I’m twelve years old and got caught making out with the boy in the hospital room next to me. Damn it! Have I just managed to lose my job on my first day? The heavy front door of the house thuds ominously as I shut it behind me, and I welcome the warmth of being inside as I make my way to the study. My feet thud over the floor as I pace the room while I wait, and I form my argument. I signed off on a lot of rules, but not one of them had anything to do with a physical relationship with Sebastian’s brother. And since Alexander didn’t hire me, technically I didn’t do anything wrong. And what about Sebastian asking me if I found a sex scene in his book arousing? I clench my fists, and my nails dig into my palms as I prepare for battle. But the moment Sebastian appears in the doorway, all my courage disappears as I stare at the man in black who’s so furious with me his pale skin is flushed.
Chapter 7
“Give me your phone,” says Sebastian as he stalks toward me.
I open my mouth to protest, but I think better of it and stop myself before words come out. I’m in way over my head here, and maybe it’s not a bad thing if I get fired after all. While I wanted this to be an adventure, I didn’t realize it would come with the price of my identity. I squint at him as I struggle not to slap the phone in his hand.
Sebastian says, “You can email your mother to stay in touch, but be warned I will be reviewing all correspondence.” Sebastian walks over to his desk, and his chair creaks as he sits down. I guess this means I’m not fired, yet.
My phone clatters on the desk when he sets it down, and he leans back in his seat to temple his fingers and place them against his mouth. He stares at me long enough that I begin to fidget. He says, “Sexual attraction is a difficult thing to resist, Margaret.”
What the hell? I glare at him because I’m not sure if I should be mad that he thinks I can’t control myself or happy that he understands why I kissed Alexander. “My brother is a very attractive man.” Sebastian sits up. “But you should know something about him before you get carried away. He’s also very dangerous.”
Oh, this guy is a piece of work. I say, “If your brother is a player, then I agree things could get awkward if we were to have a relationship that was merely a one-night stand. Still, that’s a huge assumption based on what you saw. It was just a kiss.”
Sebastian gets up and walks over to me as he says, “I doubt it.” His voice gets lower, and my heart finds it sexy even though my mind is angry. “You’re a young woman with a strong sex drive. It’s natural for you to want to be with Alexander in a physical way.” Sebastian reaches out and lifts up a lock of my hair. My skin prickles with desire as moisture pools between my legs. It’s so wrong that I’m attracted to the brother of the guy I was just with. Stop it, heart. I stare up at him, and he moves even closer before he lets the strand slip through his fingers and says, “It’s time you knew.”
“Knew what?” My voice comes out softer than I intended, and I hate that it shakes a little from the way he makes me tremble with wanting.
“First, I need you to understand the nondisclosure you signed is more than enforceable by law.” He steps away from me abruptly and says, “The fact is, if you reveal what you know about this house and Alexander and me to anyone, I will kill you.”
I inhale sharply. Who is this guy? I ask my heart. But she doesn’t answer with anything but love for the man. I say, “I wouldn’t.”
“Hmm.” Sebastian walks over to his desk and lifts up my phone. I watch as he swipes his finger across the screen and taps on it, and I wonder how he knows my password. I’m surprised when he smiles, and it hits me he must be reading my texts and likes the one where I said he and Alexander are smoking hot.
Anger surges in me as the heat of my embarrassment flushes my face. “That’s an invasion of privacy, you know. And how do you have my password?”
He ignores my questions. “I’ll allow you to email Kristi too.” He smiles at me. “But no pictures.”
He threatens to kill me, treats me like I’m his daughter who got in trouble, and pretends this is funny? My temper flares. “Allow me? Allow me!” I stomp over to his desk. “News flash. I’m not your possession. I will work damn hard at my job, and I appreciate all the perks that come with it. I screwed up, and if you need to punish me, then dock my pay. But I do not belong to you, and you don’t get to allow me basic human rights.”
Sebastian hisses at me, and I stare in shock at his transformation. His eyes blaze in an unnatural way, and when he opens his mouth, I gasp. He reveals two long, sharp fangs, and my adrenaline finally kicks in to snap me out of my trance. “Oh!” I squeak before I turn and run away. But I only get two steps before Sebastian magically appears before me. He grabs my arms to stop me, and I struggle to get free.
His grip is tight enough that I might have bruises, and he says, “Margaret! Relax. Nobody is going to hurt you.”
I stop fighting, because I’m no match for him. A small whimper escapes my lips as I gaze up at him and
realize how stupid I’ve been. I discover he’s human again. The clues rush through my mind. The dark house. Pale skin. Sebastian’s super speed, and the way Alexander just leapt over the fence. I whisper, “You’re vampires.” My stomach lurches as if I’m going to be sick.
“Yes.”
My legs turn to rubber, and my knees give out, before Sebastian catches me and scoops me up in his arms. I lean against his chest, and my heart nearly bursts with warmth. This man would never hurt us. The intensity of my emotion makes tears prick at my eyes. He carries me over to the couch, and when he sets me down, I don’t want him to let go. I reach out for him, and his hand is cool in mine as I grab on and say, “Don’t leave me.”
My words surprise me, and when Sebastian sits on the edge of the sofa next to me, I blink and wonder if I’m in shock as I say, “I’m not sure why I just said that.” He gazes at me with sadness in his eyes. I feel his pain, and hot tears roll down my face, because it was my heart talking, and I imagine what it would be like to leave the man you love behind. I think Sebastian picked me for this job because he was in love with the girl who belongs to the heart I have too, and he wants her back. When Sebastian places his hand on my cheek, I lean into it and ask, “What was her name?”
He jerks back. I’ve startled him, and I think it’s time for me to reveal my truth too. I say, “When I received my heart, I got more than just a vital organ.” I place my hand on my chest. “I feel her, Sebastian. She makes me experience emotions she would. I think a piece of her soul came with the heart.” Sebastian frowns in what I think is pain. “She loved you deeply, Sebastian.”
His eyes glisten with moisture now, but his weakness disappears in an instant, and his face gets hard as he says, “I see.”
He’s mad? Oh no! Does he think my donor wants his brother now? I grab his hand. “I kissed Alexander. She didn’t.” I sit up, and cotton is soft in my hand as I clutch at his shirt. “It’s like I’m two people. My heart wants you, but the rest of me is attracted to Alexander.”