I followed the sounds until the white tile turned into a dark carpeting and bright lights gave way to smaller, dimmed ones. I came to a doorway, where laughter and conversation bellowed.
The door was cracked, so I peeked in, careful not to be seen. I couldn't see much, but I did see part of an intricately decorated chandelier and the corner of a table which appeared to be etched with gold decorations.
Footsteps sounded from inside and I jumped back, ducking down an adjoining darkened hallway. A couple waiters walked past silently, carrying platters of empty plates. I followed them a little ways, but stopped.
She was nearby.
I sniffed the air. It was definitely her. I'd know that sweet aroma anywhere. I crept down a dimmed hallway until I came to an empty restaurant. Judging by the air, she was close and she wasn't alone.
Following the scent led me to a booth in a back corner.
Victoria sat with the same well-built guy—a jaguar. He was holding her hand and gazing into her eyes.
Inside me, my wolf howled. I struggled to keep myself from growling. I moved a little closer, careful not to be seen.
Her face and arms were scratched and bruised.
What had he done to her?
My wolf clawed to get out—not that he could no matter how much either of us wanted to shift. I restrained myself from attacking the kid.
Maybe whatever had happened to her hadn't been at his hands. Victoria didn't seem uncomfortable around him. In fact, she seemed entirely too comfortable.
I studied her cuts and bruises. They didn't appear too bad, as if she'd been through something life-threatening. Maybe a tumble.
Oh, how I wanted to ask her what had happened but that would have to wait until tomorrow if she would even be willing to tell me. The way she'd run off earlier made me nervous about her opening up to me again.
Footsteps sounded, heading toward their table from another direction. I headed back the way I came from without any fewer questions that when I'd started. Having seen her, I had even more.
"There he is!"
I spun around. The chef I'd knocked out pointed to me.
Two men twice his size ran at me.
I had nowhere to go.
Chapter 19
Victoria
"Are you sure you're okay?" Carter asked.
I glanced up from my laptop and nodded. "Really, it's just a few scratches. I'm fine."
"Promise me you won't go jogging in the woods." His eyes filled with concern. "You could've really gotten hurt."
"I promise I won't go running in the woods barefoot again."
His mouth crooked. "How about you won't go in alone?"
"I like running in nature."
"What are you going to do when it starts to rain for days on end?" He reached across the table and took my hand, rubbing his thumb across my knuckles.
My heart fluttered. "I'll get a poncho. Maybe some boots."
"We have a state of the art gym here, you know."
Why didn't that surprise me? "I like the outdoors."
"What if I go jogging with you?" He flipped my hand over and traced my palm, tickling it. "I can double as a protector and a workout buddy."
"Maybe, but sometimes my runs are spontaneous like today. I promise to wear shoes, okay?" My feet still throbbed, reminding me what a dumb idea going barefoot had been.
"I can be flexible. Call me next time." He stared into my eyes.
A familiar scent drifted my way. Something woodsy and rugged—entirely out of place for the Jag. Something inside me pushed me to find out what it was.
I ignored my loud inner voice and squeezed Carter's hand. "I'll try."
He tilted his head. "Try?"
"Maybe I'll buy mace or something."
"You'd be better off with bear spray around here."
A server came to the table and topped our glasses. "Would you like more appetizers? An early dinner, perhaps?"
Carter ran his finger across my hand. "What do you think?"
"An early dinner sounds great."
We ordered, but I couldn't get my mind off the rugged aroma. My inner voice was practically screaming at me to investigate. It was probably the same one that had told me to go for a run without any shoes. I ignored it.
"There he is!" someone cried from the other end of the restaurant.
I let go of Carter's hand and peeked around the corner. I couldn't see anything, but it sounded like people were fighting.
"What's going on?" I turned back to Carter.
He shrugged. "Someone probably broke one of the rules."
"What do you mean? What's going to happen?"
"He'll probably get kicked out. Or worse." He shuddered.
"Worse? Like lose his membership?"
A strange somber expression crossed Carter's face. "Something like that."
It sounded like someone was being dragged away. I tried to look around the other booths and tables, but couldn't see anything. "Does that happen often?"
He shook his head. "Most people don't want to do anything to risk their membership."
"How much does it cost?" I asked.
"What? Oh, I wouldn't know. Family discount, remember? How's your psych paper coming along?"
"Better than the last. And Massaro replied to my email saying he got the first one."
"Oh, good." He took my hand again. "Hey, I have an idea. Do you want to take the dinner back to my place? I need a break from all this studying."
"Your place?" My inner voice again fought me. It clearly thought that was a bad idea.
"Yeah, you've never been there. I'd love to show you around."
My heart thundered in my chest. Was he planning to take things to the next level? And more importantly, was I ready for that? Especially with everything going on? My inner voice answered each question with a loud, resounding no.
He traced my palm again. Chills ran down my back.
"Do I make you nervous?" he asked.
I shook my head and pushed my conscience down. It needed to chill. Carter was a good guy and I was an adult, capable of making my own decisions.
"Then let's go. I'll tell Yurika to give you the night off. You deserve it after what you've been through today."
"Thanks."
Carter squeezed my hand. "You like nature, right? You'll love my garden. I based it off the famous ancient hanging gardens."
I stared at him. "Really?"
"Yeah. It's hard to say how close it came, but I like to think it's accurate." He winked.
"Now you've got me curious."
"I'll tell Renaldo to box up our meal and then I'll pop in and talk with Yurika. Just keep working on your paper and don't worry about anything." He kissed my hand and walked away.
I tried to focus on my paper, but couldn't. Luckily, this one wasn't due the next day.
My mind wandered to Carter's place. Did he have his own house? How else would he have his own replica of Babylon's hanging garden?
I glanced around the restaurant. If his family owned the Jag, then it wasn't surprising. They probably lived in a mansion with plenty of servants.
Would Carter take me into the garden and run his finger along my palm again? Maybe gaze into my eyes and kiss me under a flowering tree?
My inner voice screamed at me to go back home to study.
"Shut up," I muttered. Now I was talking to myself. Great.
It continued pushing me to stay away from Carter's place.
Had I been a nun in my forgotten life? Why else would my mind be so much against a relationship with Carter? He was caring, gorgeous, and incredibly fun. Not to mention the fact that he liked me and made me feel sane. I'd be crazy not to be thrilled.
I turned back to my paper and focused on that. At least the voice in my head had quieted itself. I needed to find a way to make it go away. All it seemed to want was my misery.
It wanted me to feel crazy. I wanted to be sane. I would win the war it was waging because I was in control of myself.
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I managed to get a few more paragraphs written before Carter returned with takeout boxes. He smiled. "We're all set."
We packed up our laptops and textbooks and headed outside to his car.
"Where do you live?" I asked once he pulled out of the lot.
"Not too far. Dad wants me close, so I am." He turned onto the main road and punched the gas.
"He drives you nuts, doesn't he?"
Carter groaned. "You have no idea. In fact, he's the reason I wanted to get out of there so bad tonight. He was eying me and I could tell he wanted to pull me into the meeting he has planned. Thank God for homework, right?"
"I guess."
He slowed and turned right onto a gravel drive. We went up a hill and around through the woods before finally stopping in front of a mansion bigger than the one I shared with fifty other students.
"I hope my maid cleaned up. If not, I apologize for the mess. Tidying isn't my strong suit."
"It's no big deal." I wouldn't bother if I had someone to pick up after me, either.
Carter got out and opened my door. He led me to the front door, where I half-expected a butler to let us in. He put his palm up to a black box next to the door. Something clicked and the door opened automatically.
"Welcome to my humble abode." He gave a slight bow and ushered me inside.
Everything sparkled, reminding me of the Jag. The entryway had a high, open ceiling and showed off an enormous living room to the left and a beautiful spiral staircase to the right.
I gasped. "This is gorgeous."
He kissed my cheek. "I'm glad you like it. Would you like to eat outside or in the dining room?"
"Uh…" I glanced around, imagining the dining room to be just as elegant as everything else.
"How about the garden?" he asked. "I could use some air. Then I can give you the grand tour."
"Sure."
He looped his arm through mine and led me through the living room. I stared in wonder. Everything was so fancy, it seemed to belong in a museum. Actually, the house felt like one. It was hard to believe Carter lived there.
We went out through a sliding glass door. I gasped at the sight. His garden was bigger and more gorgeous than I had ever imagined the ancient one being. Beautiful and unusual plants hung down as far as I could see.
"This way." He laced his fingers between mine and we followed what felt like a maze until we reached a picnic bench. It had a lovely lace covering, plates set out, and two tall lit candles on either side of a bottle of champagne.
Carter gestured for me to sit and then he scooted next to me.
A man in a black suit came over and emptied the food from the boxes onto our plates. Then he popped open the champagne and poured it into glasses.
"Do you need anything else, Master Jag?"
"No, we're fine."
"Very well." He bowed and walked away.
I turned to Carter, my eyes wide. "Why do you spend so much time at the club when you could be here?"
"Usually, it's lonely here. Not today, though." He tipped my chin and pressed his soft, warm lips on mine. "Now it's the perfect getaway. Let's eat before the food gets cold."
My pulse raced. This was all too much. But I wasn't about to complain.
As we ate, I took in the scenery. Flowers and buds of every shape and color surrounded us. It felt like a magical kingdom rather than a garden just outside town.
I'd been hungrier than I thought and emptied my plate when Carter was only about halfway through. I sipped my champagne and enjoyed the sweet aromas surrounding us. The bubbly drink helped me to relax further and seemed to repress that annoying inner voice, and that was probably the best part.
Carter set his fork down. "How do you like my garden?"
"I could live here." I laughed awkwardly. "Okay, that was weird. Sorry."
He grinned and ran the back of his fingers along my jawline. "Not at all. I love how you adore nature—even if it does get dangerous."
"It doesn't. I just like adventure." I grabbed his hand and kissed his fingertips.
Carter held my gaze and leaned closer, leaving barely an inch between us.
My breath hitched.
"As do I." He pressed his palms against my face and moved them back, combing his fingers through my hair.
My skin felt on fire. I longed to feel his mouth on mine again.
The inner voice urged me to pull away.
Shut up, nun.
I reached for his arms and ran my hands up them, enjoying every ripple of his muscles. He flexed and I leaned closer, able to smell his cologne and hair gel. I could see a few faint freckles sprinkled across his nose.
His fingers cupped the nape of my neck and he leaned closer, brushing kisses in front of my ear and trailing down to my neck. I gasped and instinctively raised my chin, giving him easier access. His lips tickled my skin, sending a fire through me.
I moved my hands up to his face and guided his mouth to mine. He wrapped his arms around my back and pulled me closer, kissing me with an intensity that made me shudder.
He purred.
Wait. He purred?
I pulled back and stared at him. "What was that?"
My inner voice urged me to run. I didn't budge.
Carter made the purring sound again. "You light me on fire, Victoria."
The way he said my name sent a warm shiver down my spine. I leaned in and pressed my mouth on his. He forced my mouth open and pulled me even closer, so that I could feel every curve of his muscular frame.
The annoying voice screamed at me to leave. It only made me want this all the more. After all I'd been through, I deserved some fun and relaxation.
Carter pulled back and trailed kisses to my ear. "Do you want to take this inside?"
Toby's face appeared in my mind's eye.
I leaned back, surprised.
"We can stay out here," Carter whispered. "It's perfectly fine with me." He nibbled on my earlobe.
A gasp escaped my mouth.
"You like that?" He ran his fingers down my bare arms, giving me the chills.
I ran my fingers through his hair. It was so soft. I pulled on it.
He purred again and ran his fingers up my arms and to my back. He tugged on the zipper, pulling it down.
My inner voice screamed and yelled. Images of Toby from my dream ran through my mind—of him gazing into my eyes with nothing other than undying love.
I pulled back, gasping for air.
Carter let go of my zipper and stared at me, his eyes wide. "Is this too fast for you? I'm sorry. We can slow down. I'd never pressure you to do anything you don't want."
I struggled to breathe normally. Though I was looking at Carter, all I could see was Toby. I shook. The harder I tried to stop, the worse it became.
Carter pulled me close and held me in an embrace. "I'm so sorry. What did I do wrong?"
"I… I don't know what's the matter with me. I'm sorry."
He kissed my forehead. "Don't be. I know you can't remember anything—I should have gone slower." He drew in a deep breath. "It's just that after one kiss, I couldn't control myself. You're intoxicating."
Toby's image flashed in my mind again.
"It's not you."
Chapter 20
Victoria
The cold plastic bent in my grasp as I clung to my iced black coffee. I'd gotten next to no sleep again. Carter had been so upset by my stupid freak-out that he'd insisted we relax by watching a movie in his personal theater. He kept his arm around me the entire time and hadn't placed his sweet lips on me even once.
Then when I was back at the Waldensian, Landon and Sasha bombarded me with questions about Carter and the Jag. When I finally climbed into bed, my dreams terrorized me with images of deadly wolves and hatchets aimed at my head.
I sipped my drink and took a seat next to Grace.
She arched a brow. "What happened to you?"
Absentmindedly, I rubbed a scratch. "Just clumsy, I guess."
Her eyes widened. "You must be a level ten on the clumsy scale."
"It would appear so." I pulled out my laptop and textbook.
"So, what happened?"
"I tripped in the woods."
"Ouch." She cringed and then went on to tell me a story about crashing her bike while camping.
I kept watch for Toby from the corner of my eye. It was nearly time for class to start, and he usually arrived early. A prick of worry tugged at me. Hopefully nothing bad had happened to him.
Of course it hadn't. I wasn't going to turn into a worry wart—or was I already one? I sighed, wishing I knew something about myself.
By the time Grace's story was over, it was a full five minutes past the start of class.
"Where's Professor Foley?" she asked, glancing at her fitness watch.
Others were whispering about him, too. At least I wasn't the only one worried.
Five minutes turned into ten, and then fifteen.
One guy put his stuff away and stood up. "I'm leaving."
Several others followed.
My twinge of concern was growing by the minute.
"Someone should check his office," a guy said.
A group of girls agreed and left the room.
I took a deep breath. Something seemed wrong. Even though I didn't know him very long, showing up late was out of character.
"What do you think?" Grace asked.
"Maybe he's sick or something."
"But wouldn't he tell someone?" she asked.
My stomach twisted in knots. I remembered running off the day before after lunch. Had I upset him when I'd done that? He wouldn't skip class to avoid me, would he?
The more I thought about it, the worse I felt. He'd gone out of his way to be nice to me—more so than anyone else other than Carter or Sasha. He had paid for my meal and then offered to help me over lunch. My stomach churned acid.
What if his absence had something to do with me?
Or more than likely, I was being paranoid and full of myself. Why would the professor not showing up have anything to do with me?
Everyone whispered theories, and to my relief, some of them were far wilder than the ones running through my head. I was pretty certain he hadn't been abducted by aliens or eaten alive by any wild animals.
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