Promise of Souls

by Holly Hampton

  Promise

  Of

  Souls

  HOLLY HAMPTON

  Promise of Souls

  Promise of Souls Series Book 1

  Copyright on 2020 by Holly Hampton. All Rights Reserved.

  In no way, it is legal to produce, duplicate or transmit any part of this book in electronic, digital or printed format without the proper and express consent of the author or copyright owner. The recording of this publication is strictly prohibited. Storage and republication of this book are also prohibited without the express consent of the author or publisher.

  All copyrights, not held by the author or publisher, are used with the consent of the original copyright owner.

  This is a work of fiction, Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the product of the Author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance of actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Introduction

  Part I Larni

  Max

  Larni

  Max

  Larni

  Max

  Larni

  Max

  Larni

  Part II Max

  Max

  Larni

  Max

  Larni

  Max

  Larni

  Max

  Larni

  Epilogue Max

  Thank You.

  About the Author

  Introduction

  Souls that were promised for each other will always find each other.

  When Maxwell “Max” Buttons, a young billionaire, saw Maddison Morgan, an auctioneer in a party, he became determined to change his life and become hers forever. Maddison Morgan had secrets she did not want to share - secrets that Max accepted despite not knowing them. He only held to the one truth about Maddison - that she wanted to be called Larni by those who loved her.

  But when Maddison suddenly disappeared along with her secrets, Maxwell blamed himself for letting his Larni disappear and without knowing who she really was.

  Years later, still holding on to the memory of the first woman, he ever loved, he found a real Larni - Larni Johnson. He did not understand but despite her difference from Maddison Morgan, his heart was drawn to her. Like a soul who had found the one he was promised to.

  But is she the soul promised to him? Or is it only his misery that blinds him?

  This is a Steamy, Short and Sweet Romance of discovering and believing in love. If you love short romances with hot love scenes, a sweet story and a satisfying Happy Ever After, then the Promise of Souls is the story made for you.

  Content Warning: This story is written for Adult Readers Only. Some scenes are sexually explicit and are intended for mature audiences.

  Part I

  Larni

  No one will recognize you. I kept telling my reflection on the mirror, but my eyes still stared back at me with worries. I took a deep breath and looked away from the mirror. I’m overthinking. How many raven-haired, blue-eyed women are in the city of Denver? There must be hundreds. No one would think that I was Larni Johnson, would they? I blew a loud breath to calm my nerves. Why do I have to be at this charity party anyway?

  My boss, Mrs. Rose Sinclair, hosted one of her extravagant charity parties. Rich people from around the world would come to this party to donate their millions. The party was for a good cause, but when she said that I had to host the auction, things turned bad. I belonged to the sidelines, not in the centerstage. No. It was not because I had stage fright or I could not do a good job. It was because I did not need cameras flashing in my face.

  I was not overreacting. I was only being cautious. No one should see me. No one should know that I am Larni Johnson, daughter of Lieutenant James Johnson, a soldier wrongly arrested for murdering a senior officer and for selling military supplies to the enemies. My father worked with the murdered lieutenant colonel in the Arms and Weapon Division in the Pentagon. The prosecuting officers in the Arm Forces claimed that he was the mastermind for the smuggling of military supplies. They alleged that the murdered senior officer discovered my father’s agenda and thus, my father murdered him.

  My father denied all the allegations. He claimed that it was him and not the murdered officer who discovered the crime, but the evidence was used against him. Some people threatened to kill him and me if he would not admit to the crime. My father did not want to admit to anything. He wanted to prove his innocence, but he made sure I was protected. He had someone forge new documents and arranged for me to leave Virginia.

  To protect my life and his, no one should know that I was Larni Johnson. I had been living in a fake identity as Maddison Morgan for the past two years. I could not find a job that required me to face different kinds of people, so I only worked as a volunteer for the Rose Sinclair Children Foundation.

  My work was fine. I did not have to mingle with other people until my direct senior could not host the charity auction. Of all her staff, she recommended me. I should have said no, but who says no for a charity? All I had to do was to introduce the person to be auctioned and slam that hammer.

  “Snap out of it, Larni!” I said aloud. I gathered all my courage as I repeated, “Nothing could go wrong.”

  I grabbed my purse and walked out of the restroom. Mica Rice gestured for someone to come quickly. I walked to her fast, but I tripped when someone appeared in front of me. My face fell flat on his sturdy back. I lost my balance and hugged him by the waist to reclaim my balance. The man quickly turned and helped me regain my balance. My eyes widened when I saw the face of the man who held me. Max Buttons. Everyone who dreams of their own fairy tale knew who he was.

  The chocolate brown-haired man with gray eyes was the new face of GQ, Men’s Health and many magazines obsessed with successful, handsome, and sexy men as their cover. The thirty-year-old billionaire was the Fresh Prince of Colorado. He just inherited his grandfather's estate and became the CEO of the Buttons Groups of Companies, a multi-billion company that had businesses in almost every industry in the world. But they were more popular for the chains of hotels they managed around the world.

  “Are you okay?” he asked in his deep husky voice.

  “Yes. I’m sorry,” I said while looking down on the floor.

  My face burned with embarrassment. I might not be into rich and handsome young CEOs, but hey, no one wants to meet one in a disastrous way like I did. He probably thought that it was a cheap way of trying to win his attention.

  “Maddie, come on. We’re starting the auction,” Mica said as she walked closer to us. Her mouth dropped in awe when she recognized Max Buttons. She smiled flirtatiously and said, “Oh, Mr. Buttons. Ready for the auction?”

  Max bent down to see my face and asked, “Are you going to be auctioned, too?”

  “No,” I said in a meek voice. I cleared my throat and said, “I’m the auctioneer.”

  Max’s eyes lit up and a boyish smile appeared across his face. “Interesting,” he said. He looked at Mica and said, “Yes, Miss. I’m ready for the auction.”

  “Excuse us,” I told Max and grabbed Mica back to the stage.

  “Maddie, do you know who that was?” Mica asked me with excitement. “He’s Max Buttons on the flesh and he has his eyes on you.”

  “No. I made an embarrassing mistake in front of him. Hence,…” I paused when I caught Max still looking at me. The smile on his face did not fade. I looked away and continued, “He’s only mocking me.”

  “Well, whether he likes you or not, it doesn’t matter. You’ll always be not interested anyway,” Mica teased.

  But she was right. For two years since I became Maddison Morgan, I had never a
ccepted any offers for a date. My life had always revolved around the small flower shop that I worked-in, in the morning, the charity in the afternoon and my house at night. I needed to keep my activities lesser to avoid being located by the people who wanted my father jailed.

  I looked at Max again and he still had his eyes on me. My throat dried and something tickled my heart. My temperature rose and my cheeks turned pink when our eyes met. No one had looked at me like he did – like I was the only woman he wanted. Snap out of it, a voice crushed my daydream and I returned to reading the script for the auction. Max Buttons liked a lot of women. He never had a girlfriend. All he had were flings and dates. He might be mature for his age as a businessman, but certainly not when it came to women.

  Max knew how to use his masculinity to charm the women. He always looked so elegant despite the fact that his sculpted chest was about to rip his dark blue undershirt. He had shoulders that were as broad as an ocean. Bet, many women had clung on those, I thought sarcastically. His jaw was a bit rounder but sexy – George Clooney sexy. He had a Grecian nose with refined nostrils. His lips were uneven, but his lower lips were thick and kissable. What the hell am I thinking? He was Max Buttons. Whether I was Larni Johnson or Maddison Morgan, he was still way out of my league.

  “W-wait,” I uttered. “Max Buttons is on the auction?”

  “Wanna bid?” Mica teased.

  I frowned at the only friend I made in the past two years. The subjects for the auction in the party were not valuable things, but available bachelors and bachelorettes. The bidders would bid to be their date in tonight’s party. This kind of auction was one of the activities in the foundation that raises a lot of money. Many of these rich people bid to about half a million just to get a date from auctioned men and women. I did not know what they would get from bidding exactly, but their bids were great help.

  Bid? With what? I asked. There were dozens of divorcees and single ladies who would want to be Max’s date tonight. And if rumors were true, the date would probably end up in the morning.

  “Maddie, you’re on,” Mica told me.

  I took a short glance at Max and he caught me looking at him. My face turned red and I walked to the platform hurriedly. The room became filled with gasp when I almost fell flat on my face again. Jesus, Larni! I looked around and saw Max. He had the most worried among the others in the crowd. My heart thumped like a dozen of galloping horses as we looked at each other. I did not believe it when they said that the world seemed to stop when you realize you fell in love. Then, why did the world seem to stop at that moment?

  “Maddie!” Mica called.

  I looked away from Max, but my heart had not stopped racing. Mica gave me a sign to look at the script. I nodded and forced a smile to the crowd. “Well, anyone would fall if you see the list of who you’ll be bidding for?” I said to recover from the embarrassment I caused.

  The crowd laughed at my joke. Their laugh turned into cheers when I narrated who the participants to the bid were. Max Buttons name garnered the highest cheer of all. Even Mrs. Sinclair who had been widowed for twenty years danced when I called his name.

  “Who do you want me to call first?” I asked.

  “Max Buttons,” the women called in unison.

  “But, we are saving the best for last,” I told the bidders.

  Mica and I panicked when the women in the crowd objected. Mica glared at me and mouthed, “You should have stuck to the script.”

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered back.

  “Call him,” Mica told me.

  I raised my hands to calm the crowd. I looked at Max and he flashed a wide smile at me. My heart skipped beats again and it took me a while to declare, “Mr. Max Buttons, please.”

  The women in the crowd cheered widely as the young CEO walked to the platform. My knees weakened when he kept his eyes on me. My body became feverish when he stood next to me. I scanned the script to look for his introduction, but he grabbed the microphone from my hand.

  “What are you doing?” I snapped.

  He flashed a cheeky grin at me and gave me a wink. The female crowd clapped and cheered as he moved at the center of the platform. Mica kept frowning on the side as the auction had become like a circus. My senior officer would be furious when we return to the office in the morning. My only hope was to raise a higher fund than we expected.

  “I have a proposal to Rose, the head of the Rose Sinclair Children Foundation,” Max started.

  Mrs. Sinclair stood from her seat and showed some dance moves. Everyone laughed when she said, “If it’s not a million dollars, it better be a wedding proposal.”

  Max laughed at the old woman’s reply. His smile was so genuine that he looked more handsome. He looked at me and flashed a charming smile. He looked back to Mrs. Sinclair and said, “One million it is.”

  The crowd laughed at his choice. Mrs. Sinclair frowned playfully and asked, “What is the proposal, Mr. Buttons?”

  “A date with the auctioneer,” Max answered.

  The eyes of everyone in the crowd looked at me. The women glared at me while many of the men agreed with Max’s choice. I walked to Max and tried to grab the microphone, but he kept it away from me. I glared at him and whispered, “Mr. Buttons, please. Stop playing around.”

  “I’m not playing around. I needed a date, you needed to raise funds,” Max replied with his never fading charming smile. He looked at the crowd and asked Mrs. Sinclair, “Would you agree to that Rose?”

  “It’s not my decision to make,” Mrs. Sinclair said with a teasing smile at me.

  “Can I bid against it?” a blonde woman wearing tons of diamond asked.

  “Yes, please,” I quickly answered.

  “But, I will still top it,” Max warned. He looked at me and said, “Shall we make the call, Ms. Auctioneer.”

  I looked at the crowd and they were buzzing. The women seemed pissed that they did not get a chance to bid. The other people in the crowd urged me to accept the proposal. Mrs. Sinclair approached the platform and reminded me to think about the children. A million dollars? It could finance half of the pediatric extension ward that our organization planned to donate to the Rocky Mountain Children’s hospital. But, what exactly did he expect from the date?

  “All I want is a date. After the party, the date ends,” Max assured me.

  “Fine,” I agreed reluctantly. I grabbed the mic from him and told the crowd, “For the sake of the children, I would endure a night of hell with Mr. Max Buttons. But, don’t forget to write the check first.”

  The crowd laughed at my comment. Max’s assistant handed a check to Mrs. Sinclair. The old widow’s mouth dropped in awe. She walked next to Max and danced happily. She pulled Max and showered him with kisses. The young CEO pulled away from him and kidded, “Mrs. Sinclair, I’m going out with this beautiful auctioneer not you.”

  “Maddison is a really good girl,” Mrs. Sinclair told Max. She looked at me teasingly and said, “And, I’m pretty sure she’s still a virgin.”

  The crowd clapped their hands after Mrs. Sinclair certified the acceptance of the check. Reporters rushed to the platform and took our pictures. My whole body trembled with worry as by tomorrow, my face would be in the society page of every newspaper in Denver. I turned around and quickly walked away from the stage.

  “Get back there, Maddison,” Mica said. “What is wrong with you? You accepted Mr. Buttons offer.”

  “I did not sign up for this, Mica,” I reasoned.

  “This is for charity, Maddie,” Mica reminded me. “Just think about how many children we can save because someone like him wanted you.”

  Now I have to be thankful that he wanted me? I wanted to retort to Mica, but she was right. I just have to make it clear to Max. The date is only for the party. No extensions. He made a donation through me. He did not buy me.

  #

  Max

  I watched Maddison Morgan as she continued to call for bids. The bidding time became short when only a few women
placed their bid for the men. A mother even had to bid for her son. I looked at my watch. After the auction, she would be my date for three hours. There was something Maddison did not know. I was a master in extending dates. Sometimes, I extend them for a couple of hours or a couple of days. But with this raven-haired, beautiful young woman, I might extend the date as long as I could.

  Maddison was not strikingly beautiful and sexy. She was the type of girl I would pass by and would not take a second look at. But when she hugged me from my back, acting like she had lost her balance, I became intrigued. Her eyes were as blue as the sky and she had a tiny button nose. Her lips were a bit thick, but her mouth was small. She looked like porcelain china dolls but with blue eyes.

  Maddison did not have the skinny or slim body build. She had a bit of a curve and healthy breasts. Her gown was a bit shabby but it did not hide her nice tits. I wondered if I could get my hands on them before the party ended. With the one million dollar I placed on her, I should be getting more than her breasts. I thought with a smile.

  The auction ended and Mrs. Sinclair announced the start of the party. I sat on my table and crossed my legs. Maddison looked at me again. She had been looking at me, but her stare was different this time. She stared at me with angry eyes. I smiled confidently at her. I could turn those angry eyes into eyes full of desire in just a couple of hours.

  “Let’s be clear,” Maddison started when she arrived on my table. “The date is only until here. You should not touch me or I’ll slap you. Your hands stay with you all the time. Understand?”

  I chuckled as she looked like a preschool teacher reprimanding her student. I raised my hand and nodded. “But, how can we dance if we don’t hold each other? Especially the tango?” I asked.

  “I don’t dance,” she replied.

  I stood and grabbed her to the dance floor. She tried to pull her arm from my hands, but I held her tighter. She gasped on my chest when I pulled her close to me. I paused for a moment when I felt the warmth of her breath on my chest. My clothes were thick, but her warmth went through deep inside my chest. My heart stopped for a few seconds and I stood there, staring down at her face. It was the same feeling I had when our eyes locked before the auction started. She was not strikingly beautiful, but in my eyes, she blossomed like a heavenly flower that I did not want to let go.