One offered a lazy smile and introduced himself. "My name is Carter. I work with Mr. La Caz here, and this is Mr. Porter." Carter was bald and tanned. My eyes moved to Mr. Porter; he was short and chubby, not like any vampire I would have expected. He had to be in his fifties. I figured I could deal with him and make him sign whatever I wanted.
Then my eyes moved over to La Caz and my heart shuddered in my chest. His hazel eyes were staring at me with such intensity; it was as if he was trying to reach into the depths of my soul, seeing my deepest secrets. Several seconds passed and I was still mesmerised by his penetrating stare; I just didn’t want to look away. His eyes were like a shade of moss in autumn, mixed with brown and green.
Apart from his unbelievable eyes, La Caz had sandy hair, a long face, and wasn’t pale at all. He looked young, unlike any vampire I had ever seen. I guessed that he was in his mid-twenties; dressed in a black well-fitted suit, white shirt, and black tie. He hadn’t moved once, and I found myself blushing. I could sense my energy rising around me.
"My name is Jennifer, and this is Julia, our most experienced consultant." Jennifer’s voice brought me back to reality. I exhaled and looked at the other creatures in the room, trying to ignore him, but it felt like some strange energy was pulling me towards him.
“Yes, as my colleague mentioned, I’ll be the person who will be your point of contact if La Caz Pharmaceutical decides to work with Paranormal Personnel,” I explained, sounding like I had a sore throat. My heart was beating way too fast. He was still staring at me, as if he was purposely trying to make me feel uncomfortable.
He was almost as intimidating as my grandmother. Several weeks ago, me and another colleague gave a presentation in front of his board of directors. Apparently, a rival agency met with them the day before, but La Caz chose to meet with us instead. I was certain that he was ready to make a decision today; whether he was going to sign with us or not was still up in the air. It was up to me to close the deal.
"That sounds good. So far, our HR department has been taking care of the recruitment, but in the past few months, it has become overwhelming, so we decided that it’s time for us to outsource," Mr. Porter said, smiling. “The business has been growing. We are the largest producers of paranormal medication, and only recently we started working on something extremely unique and special.”
“I know you employ a lot of people, Mr. Porter, so your demand for staff must be high,” I said quickly, getting back to my steady, confident voice. “We can take the weight off your shoulders, interview candidates, do inductions, and still make it profitable for everyone involved.” Jennifer took notes next to me, and I was glad she wasn’t interrupting me.
Once I was on the ball, I knew that I could win them over.
“We are currently working on a Lucrative Shot, an injection that would allow vampires to avoid drinking from humans,” Mr. Porter continued. “We need at least fifty night workers to go ahead with production. If we decide to work with you, then we must ensure everything will go smoothly.”
I was a little shocked, hearing that they came up with something so innovative, but I needed to keep my opinions to myself. This was just business after all.
“We’re good, Mr. Porter. We can find you people. There are a lot of jobless paranormal creatures around London and we work fast," I assured him. When I wasn’t looking at Mr. La Caz, I was confident and ready to turn any objection. I was on fire. “We have been working with Mills Lane for a few years now,” I continued, “and supplied a lot of vampires to them. We can find fifty workers in no time at all.”
Mr. Porter looked impressed. Mr. Carter was nodding. And I didn’t dare look at La Caz.
“Let’s say that we need fifty vampires by next week,” Mr. Porter said.
I smiled and shifted in my chair. “Of course, Mr. Porter. As I said, if we promise something, we will deliver.”
“Our HR director is precise in what she wants,” Mr. Porter added.
“At least sixty percent of our clients are vampires. We also have a lot of creatures from Eastern Europe.”
“We don’t like dropouts, Miss Taylor. We don’t want our business to be affected by people who can’t be bothered to come to work.”
“Mr. Porter, I’ve been in this business for more than two years, so I’ve learned what kind of clients would let us down. As I mentioned before, if we promise something, then we will deliver it,” I said, feeling that my arguments were good. Now, I just needed to close them, and the deal would be done.
“What about your margin, Miss Taylor? Can we discuss that now?” La Caz asked, distracting me from what I was planning to say next. I wasn’t expecting him to say anything. The sound of his low and melodic voice sent a long cold shiver down my spine. Every tiny hair on the back of my neck stood on end. When I looked at him, I felt like there was no one else in this room—just us—and I somehow felt protected. I tucked my hair behind my ear, my hand shaking.
A long silence swept through the room while I struggled to find my voice. No one in my entire life had ever made me forget what I was going to say next. I swallowed hard and lifted my eyes to answer him.
Everyone was waiting for my response, but I couldn’t break eye contact. I felt drawn to him, as if some magnetic current was pulling me close to his body. My skin buzzed with magic and I knew that trouble was coming. Oh God, this would be the most embarrassing moment of my life if I were to blow this meeting.
Finally, Jennifer rescued me. “From temporary workers, we take twenty-five percent of the hourly rate. In regard to any permanent staff, we would take a percentage of the year’s salary. It’s difficult to say right now how much would be required, but the margin from any salary may start from thirty percent.” She finished by flashing them one of her alluring smiles.
Thank God for that. I was certain that I was going to be sick. I glanced at La Caz again. The corner of his lips lifted in a smile, but his eyes were still focused on mine. Magical currents travelled up my arms, lifting my skin into tiny goosebumps. If I wanted to win this contract, I needed to pull myself together and stop thinking about his gorgeous smile.
“Don’t you think that twenty-five percent is too high, Miss Taylor?” La Caz asked, directing this question to me. There was a hint of amusement in his tone. He was challenging me again, and I had no choice but to continue staring at him like an idiot. Was he using his vampire prowess, or whatever they used, to torture me? Why?
I sucked in a long deep breath, and then I heard his thoughts:
What is happening? I can’t control myself. I want her and her blood.
I nearly fell out of my chair, thinking that surely, he couldn’t have just thought about me that way. Sometimes I could hear people’s thoughts, mainly when I was really scared or nervous, but this ability always tended to cause more harm than good. I hated being in people’s heads, and so far, I hadn’t met any other elf who had similar abilities.
Right then, all I wanted was to get the hell out of there, but the meeting wasn’t finished yet.
All of a sudden, the glass Jennifer was holding cracked slightly. No one noticed except me and La Caz whose hazel eyes widened with amazement.
Beneath the layers of my clothes, sweat began dripping down my chest. I wasn’t sure if I could continue. Excess magic was accumulating inside me way too fast. Everyone was still waiting for my response, but I wasn’t able to carry on. I glanced at Jennifer with a wide-eyed expression. She had to take over.
“I’m sorry… I think I need to go to the ladies’ room for a minute,” I muttered, placing my hands on the table, slowly standing from my chair.
Jennifer looked at me with confusion, narrowing her eyes. She obviously didn’t understand what was going on.
Neither did I.
“Miss Taylor, please allow me to show you the way,” La Caz offered, getting up so swiftly everyone in the room flinched. To hell with that. I wasn’t planning to pass out in front of him.
“No... I’m fine,” I mumbl
ed, but he was right beside me in an instant. When I inhaled again, I smelled mint leaves and cedar notes. His scent made me a little flustered. We’d only just met, but I’d never before been so overpowered by anyone so fast.
“Miss Griffiths, please continue,” La Caz said to Jennifer when I was nearly at the door. “Mr. Porter, I trust you to wrap this up quickly. I’ve heard enough. I’m ready to work with Paranormal Personnel. Just get us a good margin, so both sides will be satisfied.”
I couldn’t look at Jennifer. I didn’t know what was going on with me. I had to get away from that room, from him. “I’m fine, Mr. La Caz,” I said, but my voice trembled. “I can make it to the rest room by myself.”
It was clear he wasn’t planning to listen to me. He shut the door, then took me by my elbow. His touch sent a tremor through me; I felt a trickle of magic running down my back. Strangely enough, I felt that I was safe with him and he wouldn’t hurt me. The receptionist jumped out of her seat when she saw us, but La Caz waved her off.
“No, Miss Taylor. I need to make sure that you don’t pass out in my lobby,” he said, and before I realised what was going on, we started walking towards the door located behind the reception desk.
Five minutes later, La Caz marched me directly into the ladies’ room. My mind was spinning, but I knew I had to tell him to leave me alone. Thank God no one else was here. I looked at myself in the mirror and wanted to scream with embarrassment. My face was flushed.
He stood there, still staring at me with those hazel eyes, like he knew what I was going through. My heart was pounding fast, but I wasn’t going to show him he had any kind of effect on me. I hated that he’d noticed he was most likely the cause of my magic spiking out of control again.
“Are you all right, Miss Taylor?” he asked, adding softness to his voice. Was he seriously concerned about my well-being?
I was still intimidated by him, but I had to admit that he was handsome, even for a vampire. I really didn’t know what was going on with me. This meeting was supposed to go smoothly.
I stammered. "I need a minute alone if you don’t mind, Mr. La Caz."
"Call me Nathaniel."
"Okay, Nathaniel," I hissed, breathing hard. "Maybe you’re not aware, but you are in the ladies’ rest room. I don’t think any other woman would be happy if she walked in here right now."
"No one comes in here except the receptionist."
I just want to have her here and sink my teeth into her delicious neck. Her blood will taste divine. I heard his thoughts again. Then he shook his head and I heard him again. What are you thinking? Control your urges.
"Don’t touch me!" I yelled, stepping away from him, losing my balance for several seconds. I was so nervous; I couldn’t stop hearing his deepest desires.
His pupils dilated, then he stepped back slightly, staring at my hands. "I can assure you, Julia, that I have no intention of hurting you," he said in a business-like tone.
"Don’t give me that bullshit. I just read your thoughts," I said, feeling much braver. It was my little secret that I wasn’t supposed to share with anyone else. However, he didn’t seem to be taken aback by the fact that I knew what he was thinking. I wiped the sweat from my forehead and turned around to face him. My fingertips were tingling with flames.
"What are you? I can most certainly say you’re not a witch or a vampire," he said, stepping closer to me. Now his face was only a couple of inches away from mine and, oh boy, I could see his eyes so well right then. Desire rushed to my core, and heat flew through my veins. But I knew he wasn’t going to admit that he wanted me.
"My father is an elf and I have some of his abilities," I whispered. Then he smiled and whatever I was seeing in his eyes was long gone. I covered my head with my hands. I truly wanted to disappear. "Nathaniel, normally I don’t behave like that. Would you just leave me alone, so I can start thinking about what I’m going to tell my regional manager?"
"You have me on board, so don’t worry. Your regional manager should be happy with you today. I’m sure your colleague will negotiate a good deal for both of us," he said, putting his hands in his pockets. "And, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you, but I’ve got to admit, you do smell unbelievable."
“All right, fine. Just give me a second," I told him, not used to such complements.
He gazed at my lips again, but after a moment, he nodded, then left me alone. I had to rinse my face with cold water. At least my heartbeat was slowing down and I felt like I could breathe somewhat normally again. Nathaniel La Caz was definitely not a regular vampire. He couldn’t be—this was just impossible. The way he made me feel was dangerously frightening.
Chapter three
The prophecy.
I tried to remind myself that Nathaniel was rich, powerful, and he wanted to drink from me—there was nothing more to it. I took a few deep breaths, attempting to calm down. My magical abilities were still out of control; I needed to cast some kind of spell soon.
It was one of those moments when my excess magic needed to be released, otherwise I might become unpredictable. Nathaniel was waiting for me by the entrance to the lou. I told myself that I wasn’t attracted to him, that it was only my energy messing with my head. I needed to know what he was planning, what he wanted from me.
“Do you really want to work with us?” I asked, putting on my best business face, looking directly into his eyes.
He brushed his lips with his thumb and smiled. “Of course, I had a few other offers, but no one was as persistent as you. I believe we will make an excellent team.”
“That’s great. Shall we go back to the room? I need to check whether Jennifer negotiated the right margin,” I said, then started walking away from him. My colleague looked satisfied when I walked inside, and I felt a bit better.
“Mr. Porter, Mr. Carter, is it all wrapped up?” Nathaniel asked. “Have we agreed on the margin?”
“Yes, Miss Griffiths has agreed to twenty percent on top of the hourly rate for temporary workers. We will negotiate the rest at a later time,” Mr. Porter explained, and Jennifer nodded with a smile.
“Fantastic. I think the ladies should to head over to the HR department and sort out all the paperwork,” Nathaniel said. “You both need to be introduced to our HR director. Miss Taylor, please tell the receptionist to take you to her."
I was avoiding La Caz, focusing on Jennifer and the other two vampires. “I sincerely apologise that I had to leave in such a rush," I said, attempting to control my breathing, looking at Mr. Porter and Mr. Carter.
"Not to worry, Julia. I’m sure everything will go smoothly next time," La Caz said. I could have sworn that I heard a hint of laughter in his tone. Jennifer was moving her eyes from me to La Caz in confusion, no doubt wondering how we were already on a first name basis. I had to look at him; this time his gaze was even more intense, and I felt myself blushing, yet again. It was time to end this meeting.
"We’re looking forward to working with you," Jennifer said, obviously feeling my tension. She stood, then began shaking their hands.
"It was nice meeting you, Miss Taylor," Nathaniel chimed in, then he lifted his hand to shake mine. I hesitated for a split second, but I had no other choice than to touch him. His musky, very manly scent, was overwhelming. Our eyes locked for several seconds and I was sure he felt buzzing electricity when our hands touched. His skin was warm, not cold, as I was expecting. My suspicions that he wasn’t a real vampire began to grow. They didn’t smell like he did, and weren’t warm-blooded.
I pulled away from him, avoiding every attempt to glance into his eyes, then shook hands with the others, and left the room with Jennifer as fast as I could. Carter gave the receptionist orders to take us directly to the HR director. Once we were in the lift, I wanted to bury myself underground and die. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. No man—let alone, a vampire—had ever affected me in such a manner. I didn’t know what to think about it, or what to do, for that matter.
I knew Jennif
er wanted to ask me what the hell was going on, but the receptionist was in the lift with us, so we had to wait. The meeting with the HR director went well. She was a mermaid like Jennifer. She talked a lot and gave me the impression she would be tough to work with. We signed the contract and discussed her expectations of us. An hour later, I left her office feeling worn out.
“Right,” Jennifer began, placing her hands on her hips and stopping in the middle of the underground car park. “What just happened up there?”
“To be honest with you, I have no idea,” I told her, suddenly feeling exhausted.
“Don’t give me that crap, Julia. You went all pale and I thought you were going to pass out,” she said. “I told you he was hot, but you didn’t listen, then you couldn’t hold it together.”
“It wasn’t about him. I don’t know; I think I had a panic attack,” I lied, checking my bag for some painkillers to ease the oncoming headache. My mind still wasn’t working right, but we were finally out of there and hopefully, I wouldn’t have to see Nathaniel La Caz ever again. At least my body had stopped buzzing with magic for the most part, on the outside anyway.
“He was into you, Julia. He ran right after you, and I could see the way he was stripping you with his eyes in that meeting room. God, I was getting all excited there myself. No wonder you had to leave.”
“No, La Caz has no interest in me at all. He just wanted to see if I was all right,” I stuttered in embarrassment, then stopped to look at her. “I’m so sorry I left you there by yourself. I fucked up and you saved our arses. You deserve to get promoted, not me.”
“Come on, don’t fool me. I didn’t do anything. He was going to sign with us even if we started singing, “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” He didn’t care what we could offer him. He wanted you and that’s why he went ahead with the agreement," she said, smiling widely.
I sighed, knowing that I was too tried to argue with her right now.
Love with Fangs (The Witching Hour Series Book 1) Page 2