Hidden Worlds

by Kristie Cook

  “Because it would be really unfair to do that.”

  “Um, can we please talk about something else?” She turned away from me, and I saw her looking at Owen. Not what I was hoping for.

  “Sure, for now. What made you decide to take the job at the hotel?”

  Her shoulders tensed up a little again. “Oh, I needed a job and my dad was able to get it for me.”

  Jess leaned over the table toward me. “Because Allie’s dad is super rich and bought the place.” Whoa. This was the new owner’s daughter? I wasn’t sure what to make of the information. “What? It’s true.”

  I must have missed an exchange between the girls. Was Allie trying to keep it a secret? Most girls would brag about something like that.

  “Your dad bought the Crescent City Hotel?” Jared sat up straighter. He seriously needed to keep his cool.

  “Yeah. The deal went through earlier this year.” Allie downed her drink. Something about this conversation was stressing her out. I wanted to find out what it was. I doubted she knew anything about the hotel. It was something else.

  I wasn’t about to ask her about it. I’d just have to find out another way. She set down her empty glass.

  “I guess you liked it?”

  “Maybe a little. What was it?” She ran her finger over the edge of the glass.

  “Want another?”

  “No, don’t worry about it. I can get one for myself if you’ll tell me what it is.” I could practically see the wheels turning in her head. She was the type of girl who worried about guys buying her drinks. She was afraid that meant she owed them something. Such bullshit. Buying a drink for a girl was just an opening. Where it went after that depended on her.

  “I’m getting up anyway. Besides, if you don’t know what it is, you’ll have to let me keep buying them for you.” I enjoyed the look of annoyance that flashed across her face. I pushed back my chair without giving her a chance to argue.

  “Don’t worry. She’s not always so uptight.” Jess’ voice surprised me as I ordered some more drinks. I hadn’t expected Jared and Jess to follow me. That left Allie alone with Owen—not the plan—definitely not the plan.

  “I’m not worried about it,” I said offhandedly, wanting the bartender to move faster. This was taking far too long. Owen was laughing. What could she be saying? At least she didn’t look as amused.

  “Levi’s good at, uh, breaking through tough exteriors.” Jared ordered them a couple of shots.

  “She’s worth it,” Jess said as I walked away. I couldn’t read Jess. One moment she was egging her friend on and the next she was talking her up. I ignored the comment and kept walking. I’d been away from the table long enough.

  “It looked like you two were having a good conversation. Did I miss anything?” I shot Owen an annoyed look. He was seriously beginning to piss me off.

  Allie glanced up at me. “Nothing worth repeating.”

  Owen smiled. “Well, Allie was telling me that she isn’t interested in you.”

  Hmm, well at least they were talking about me.

  I took my seat and leaned in close to her, letting her know what I thought of the statement. “It’s because she’s sworn off men. But I think I’ll just have to be the exception.”

  She took a few sips of the new drink. “What in the world would make you think that you would be an exception?”

  “One, you’re attracted to me, and two, I can be very persistent.”

  She tightened her grip on the glass. “I am not attracted to you!”

  “Like hell you’re not,” Jess said before bursting into laughter. She hadn’t even sat down yet.

  “You know there could be a few females alive that aren’t into you, Levi,” Jared mocked. I was ready to knock that smirk off his face.

  “It’s always a possibility, but that’s not the case this time. She likes me, she just won’t admit it.” I scooted my chair closer to her.

  She sighed and closed her eyes. She seemed pretty stressed out, and I wanted to do something about that. I put an arm around her shoulder. It felt nice, natural.

  I moved close enough that I could kiss her, but I resisted. It wasn’t time yet. She moved to turn away but I caught her chin, making her look up at me. “Stop looking away. I love green eyes.”

  “Does that line usually work for you?”

  “Usually. I’m guessing it’s not going to work tonight.”

  Her lips quirked into just a hint of a smile. “Not a chance.”

  “I’ll just have to get more creative.” As frustrating as her resistance was, it was also a nice change of pace. It would make finally getting her in bed all the more worth it.

  “You do that.” Her look was teasing. She was definitely challenging me.

  “So, what do you think of New Orleans so far?” Owen asked her, having to pull her attention away again.

  Jess answered. “It’s been fantastic. It’s so awesome to get away and meet new people.”

  “And what about you, Allie?” I asked, finding I actually cared about her answer.

  “Well, considering we’ve been here less than twenty-four hours, it’s hard to have much of an impression, but I like it so far.”

  I leaned in again. “You’ll have to keep me posted as you have more time to form an opinion.”

  “I’ll be sure to keep you updated.”

  I thought there might be a promise in her words, but that might have just been wishful thinking. The game of chase was fun, but I was ready to move things forward.

  “You girls want to see the rest of the Quarter?” Jared was just looking for an excuse to get Jess to leave with him. The conference guy from earlier was watching her. She didn’t seem to notice. Jared definitely had her attention.

  “Yes!” Jess squeaked. “We haven’t seen anything but here and the hotel.”

  “You interested?” I whispered in Allie’s ear. I liked how it made her shiver a little. I definitely had an effect on her.

  “Sure. Why not?” She finished off her drink and stood up. She tugged down on her skirt. I had to resist the urge to reach out and stop her. The skirt was fine the way it was.

  I put an arm around her, leading her out. I shot Owen a backward glance to let him know to stay away. “I guarantee you’re going to love New Orleans.”

  She slipped away from me. I held in a frustrated sigh.

  “Is that right?” She sounded distracted, and I noticed her staring at her friend and Jared. Was she worried about her?

  We walked down St. Peter Street and crossed over into Jackson Square. Allie seemed entranced by it. I noticed her eyeing the wrought iron railings. That was the second time I’d noticed her admiring architecture. Maybe we had that interest in common.

  We maneuvered through the square, past the usual crowd of musicians and artists showing off their work.

  “Care to have your fortune read?” a palm reader called out.

  “No, thanks.” Allie waved her off.

  I let my arm brush against hers. “Are you sure you don’t want a glimpse into your future?”

  “I prefer surprises.” Her response seemed at odds with how uptight she’d been most of the night. I sensed there was a lot more to her I still wasn’t seeing.

  “Same here,” Jess agreed. “This is too cool. It might be even better than Washington Square Park.”

  Washington Square? So they were New Yorkers.

  “Of course, this is just where all the tourists hang out. There are much cooler places, hon. Maybe I’ll show you sometime,” Jared crooned.

  “Like where, your apartment?” Allie raised an eyebrow. She had a nice sense of humor.

  “Why, you want to see my place?” he threw back at her.

  “In your dreams.”

  I laughed. She had some nerve. I couldn’t resist touching her. I came up from behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. She fit perfectly. “Would you change your mind about that if you knew I was his roommate?”

  “Why would that change m
y mind?” She pushed away. I reluctantly released her.

  Maybe I needed to give her space so she’d come to me. Her game was wearing on me, but it was only going to end one way. With her in my bed.

  I tried to pay attention to everything else going on, but then, of course, Owen had to go talk to her again. Pushing my annoyance aside, I listened in. They were talking about a crow on the fence. She seemed to find the bird creepy, and I wondered what she’d think if she knew what I was. When I heard them talking about going home, I had to intervene. She was thanking Owen for giving her a heads up.

  “The heads up on what?”

  “I was simply suggesting she pry Jess away from Jared if she wants to get her home tonight.”

  “What’s the hurry? The night is young.” I smiled at her, resisting the urge to punch Owen. If I wasn’t good at controlling myself, my eyes would have changed.

  “We have our first day of work tomorrow.”

  “Your first day of work at your father’s hotel. Can’t you skip out?” I was definitely not ready to say goodnight, and it was looking unlikely she was coming home with me.

  “No! I am not missing my first day of work. I’m not like that.”

  If I couldn’t have her that night, I’d just have to try again. “Really? Maybe I can learn more about you tomorrow night? Maybe over dinner?”

  “Not a chance.”

  “Oh, that’s right; you think you’ve sworn off men.”

  She pretended to ignore me, but I saw the tiny curl of her lips. “Jess, let’s go!”

  “Now? Seriously?” Jess whined.

  “I’m sure you can meet up with your friend another time.”

  Her friend? Allie had a bit of edge, didn’t she?

  “What’s the rush all of a sudden?” Jared asked, glaring at Allie.

  “Owen decided to point out the late hour to her.” I knew Jared would appreciate it as much as I did.

  “What the hell, man?” Jared lunged at Owen, his eyes turning black. I hoped the girls didn’t notice, and I put myself between my friends. We’d have to settle this later.

  “Let it go, Jared. I’m sure we’ll have plenty of opportunities to see them again. We’ll walk you girls home.” I wasn’t happy to see Allie leave, but I also wanted another chance. It was time to cut our losses and regroup.

  When we reached the hotel, Allie waved. “Goodnight.”

  “I’ll be seeing you,” I said before walking away. I’m sure she had no clue how true my words were—there wasn’t a chance in the world I was letting this girl go.

  Chapter Four

  Miraculously, Jared didn’t kill Owen. Jared was usually reasonable, but if you cock blocked him, you needed to be ready for his wrath. They’d stopped fighting long enough to go to sleep, but that didn’t mean Jared wasn’t still angry the next day. I poured myself a cup of coffee and watched as they stared each other down in the kitchen.

  “Are you guys going to survive if I leave for a few hours?” I wasn’t in a rush to go anywhere, but I didn’t have a choice.

  “If you’re going to stalk that girl from last night, I’m going to have to intervene.” Jared laughed.

  “I’m not stalking anyone.” Even if I did want to see her again. “My grandparents are in town. I’ve been ordered to attend a family lunch at my parents’ house.”

  “Oh. Lucky you.” Jared popped open the top on a can of Coke. “I’d offer to join you, but I’d rather go to the dentist.”

  “Your family isn’t that bad.” Owen seemed relieved Jared had moved on from threatening his life. “If you need company, I’ll suffer along with you.”

  “I appreciate the sacrifice, but that’s not going to fly with Georgina.” My grandmother was pretty intense, and a family lunch was limited to family. No exceptions.

  “Call us when you get out.”

  “If I get out,” I mumbled as I walked to the door. “Try not to kill each other while I’m gone.”

  Jared laughed. “I’m over it. We’ll go out later and find someone else.”

  “Yeah, maybe.” I left before he could question me. I was already late to see my family. I didn’t feel like explaining to my friends that I didn’t want to find another girl. Until I got Allie into bed, no one else was going to cut it.

  I parked my black BMW along the curb in front of my parents’ large white house. With a wraparound porch and tall columns, it fit the southern style you would expect to see in the Garden District. After sitting in the car longer than necessary, I got out and headed to the front door. There was no reason to further delay the inevitable, and hopefully the afternoon would go by quickly.

  My mom opened the door before I could ring the bell. I still had a key, but I never used it anymore. “Hey, honey.” The stress on her face could only mean one thing. Georgina had already arrived.

  “Hi, Mom. Sorry I’m late.”

  “It’s fine.”

  “It’s fine?” My grandmother strode into the entryway. Tall and always impeccably dressed, my grandmother was nothing like most women her age. She was so full of energy and ready to jump on any mistake, she could intimidate any woman or man. My grandfather was included in that. I guess some might find it comical that the former King of the Society was terrified of his very human wife.

  “Hi, Grandma. Sorry about that.”

  “It’s all right, Leviathan. You learned your manners from your mother. I can’t blame you.” She gave me a light hug while glaring at my mom.

  “It’s not Mom’s fault.”

  “Sure. Maybe not this time.”

  Mom gave me a “don’t make it worse” look. I nodded. She was right. Nothing I could say was going to make it better. Besides, she’d start in on me soon enough.

  “Where’s Dad?” I assumed he was in his study, but I figured it was worth asking. Escaping from Georgina’s eye for a few minutes was usually worth facing my father alone.

  “He’s working. Let’s talk.” Georgina took my arm and led me toward the living room. My mother didn’t follow. I didn’t blame her.

  I took a seat in a beige arm chair. Georgina sat down caddy corner on a matching couch.

  “How was your trip?” I decided to start with the niceties. That would give her less time to grill me about my life.

  “Don’t bother, Leviathan. We both know why I’m here.”

  I grinned. “To spend time with your adoring family?”

  “I take it you haven’t made any more progress with finding a mate?” She leaned forward slightly.

  I exhaled loudly. “What’s the rush?”

  “What’s the rush? As though you don’t know the consequences if you fail to have an heir.”

  I pictured what I’d get to do with Allie to make an heir. I quickly pushed that thought away. I was only a few feet from my grandmother. “I’ll have a kid eventually.”

  “You’ve met someone.” Her lips curved into a small smile. “Out with it.”

  “What?” I sat up with a start. Had I said something out loud?

  She cast me a warning glance. “Don’t lie to me. You were day dreaming about someone.”

  “I don’t day dream.”

  “I expect to meet her soon.” She folded her hands in her lap.

  “There’s no one to meet.” I didn’t even have a real date lined up with Allie, and I was thinking about getting her into bed, not binding her to me as my lifelong mate.

  “If there’s no one, would you like me to introduce you to a few candidates? I know of several young women who might be worthy of your hand.”

  “No!” I shot up out of my chair. There was no way my grandmother was playing matchmaker. “I’ll pick my own mate.”

  “Then do it.” She stood and hugged me again. As she turned to leave the room, she whispered, “You’ll know it if you find her.” Her voice was low, but she wanted me to hear. I didn’t need to listen to any of that again.

  I suffered through lunch. My grandmother only criticized my mother’s cooking once, but the conversation
was awkward and no one wanted to be there. My father barely said two words to me. I knew he was still pissed about me missing the meeting. As soon as I finished, I excused myself from the table and went up to my childhood bedroom.

  The room was sparsely furnished and decorated, exactly the way it had been when I was a kid. My father didn’t believe that boys should bother with anything but the basics. Toys and posters would only get in the way. I walked past my king sized bed, still covered in the blue comforter I’d grown up with, before stopping in front of my dresser. I pulled open my sock drawer and searched around until I found the small ring. I’d freaked out when my father gave me the ring that was intended for my mate. Seven years later and the ruby-covered ring still scared me. I ran my fingers over the stones, stuffing it in my pocket when I heard a knock on the door.

  I turned to face my mom in the doorway. “Hey, Mom.” She was the one member of the family I actually got along with.

  “You doing all right up here? You were really quiet at lunch.” Her warm eyes studied my face. She was worried about me.

  “Am I ever talkative at these things?”

  She strode over to me. “No, but you’re going to be king soon. You’re going to have to get better at controlling your feelings.”

  “And I need to find a mate. Isn’t that what the theme of the day is?”

  “No. You don’t need to find a mate.” She gave me a long look.

  “I don’t?” That was news.

  “You need to find the right mate.” She patted me on the shoulder. “Think about that.”

  “Is it okay if I leave?”

  “Sure. Just slip out the back.”

  “Thanks.” I gave her a quick hug before taking the back stairs two at a time. It wasn’t until I was in my car that I realized I hadn’t put the ring back.

  Chapter Five

  I owed Jared. Short of stalking the hotel to look for her or talking to my contacts, I had no immediate way to see Allie again. Lucky for me, Jess had happily slipped her number to Jared. All it took was one phone call, and the plans were set. From what I gathered, Allie hadn’t been part of the planning, but that didn’t worry me. She could play hard to get all she wanted. At the end of the night, she’d be coming home with me.