Arousal

by A. C. Rose

  When Sam pulled up in front of my building, I sat staring into space before I made the move to get out. I tried to absorb the energy of the back seat, and all Nicolai and I had shared there earlier, before reality started to rain on my parade. If things did not go well tomorrow, I may never see this car again. Or Nicolai. The thought of that made my heart hurt.

  I was reflective as Sam opened the door and helped me out. I looked at him thoughtfully. “Thank you for everything, Sam.”

  “My pleasure, Ms. Monroe.” He seemed concerned, like the night he dropped me off at home after Nicolai was a no show for our date. Was that last night?

  “I hope I see you again.” I wanted to hug him and thank him for always treating me respectfully, despite my obvious messing around with his boss in the back seat.

  He looked puzzled. “I am sure I will see you soon.” Why was everyone sure but me?

  With that, he tipped his hat and got back in the car. I made the long, lonely walk to my apartment. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I wished it was Sunday and I worried it would come too soon. Finally, I opted for a warm bath and a glass of wine.

  I filled the bath with sea salt instead of bath salts, because I heard it cleansed spirits and cleared “auras.” I hoped it would clear my head, but it actually activated a review of many of the questions I had rolling around in my mind all night.

  How much could I love him in only five days, or even six? Did I feel bad for him because he said he was lonely? Was his grandmother making him think he loved me? Do I care about him enough to accept a destiny so far from the life I had planned? Would I have to run a household in Transylvania?

  I was completely lost in my head, drying off and getting into my robe, when the pouch from Grandmamma flashed through my head. I reached for my purse on the kitchen counter and turned on the light. I found it wedged between my wallet and makeup case. As I was about to take a look, the buzzer rang. Who could that be? Something told me to slide the pouch into a hidden zipper compartment in my pocketbook and look at it later.

  “Mr. Petre is here, Ms. Monroe,” my doorman said. My heart leapt. Nicolai had come to me early. But how did he get here, if Sam dropped me off a little more than an hour ago? Maybe he took a helicopter to the 34th Street Heliport. It didn’t matter. I was glad he was here. Somehow, when we were alone, it was easier for me to believe.

  “Thanks, Bill,” I answered. “Please send him up.”

  I waited anxiously by the door. When I opened it, I was stunned to see Vlad standing there, leaning against the door frame. I pulled my robe tight around me.

  “Vlad?” I said, not hiding my shock and disappointment. “I thought you were Nicolai.” I really wanted to ask what the hell he was doing here, but I tried to be polite.

  “My cousin sent me.” He looked at me with a come-fuck-me look in his eyes, so I had to wonder why Nicolai would send him. Had Grandmamma died?

  “Why?” I sensed trouble. Something in the pit of my stomach didn’t feel right. “Is your grandmother okay? Is Nicolai okay?”

  “Relax, Allison. I want to help you.” With that, he strolled in, stopping to kiss my hand. What the fuck?

  “Help me with what, exactly?” What was it with these Romanians and their hand kissing, and why did they know my destiny—and my address? I wondered if I should put my grandmother’s crucifix on.

  “Please, sit. I want to talk to you,” he said, motioning for me to walk ahead of him.

  He followed me into the living room. When I sat on the big beige leather couch, he joined me. It was inappropriately close since I was in my robe, so I moved to the chair across from him.

  “Please, how is your grandmother?” I asked, feeling nervous that he was there to deliver bad news about her. “Is she all right?”

  “She’s holding her own at the moment, thank you. Nicolai is spending precious moments with her as we don’t know how many more she has.” He sat forward on the couch, elbows leaning on knees, like he was about to watch a soccer game. I didn’t want to be rude, because he was Nicolai’s cousin, but I couldn’t understand what he was doing here, sitting on my couch, with me in a bathrobe. I debated about whether I should excuse myself and get dressed, or try to get to the bottom of his visit and escort him to the door.

  “So, to what do I owe this visit?”

  “Aren’t you going to offer me a drink?”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” I couldn’t help feeling he was up to some kind of mischief. Maybe he was sent to test my devotion to the count. Maybe he was a vampire.

  “Have a drink with me and I’ll explain.” He eyed me as I got up to go to the kitchen and get the bottle of wine and another glass. My wineglass was sitting on the coffee table already.

  I came back and poured him a glass. I didn’t feel right being in my robe, so I excused myself to put back on the dress I was wearing earlier. When I came into the room, he had taken off his jacket and was sipping his wine.

  “My cousin adores you,” he said, holding his glass up in a toast. “But something has come to my attention today at Grandmamma’s, and since I know you are concerned I think you deserve to know. “

  “And Nicolai sent you to tell me this?” Now I was getting nervous.

  He ignored my question and pulled out his phone, flipping to a photo of something. He handed it to me. “It came to my attention, through my grandmother’s staff, that she put a spell on you and Nicolai.”

  “A spell?” I refrained from laughing but, honestly, that would have been my first natural response. “What kind of spell?” Was this the part where the hidden cameramen jump out and tell me I’m being punked?

  “A love spell,” he said. “Read it.”

  The words were written in cursive, and they looked to be part of a book made with parchment colored pages. It read:

  To help a man move heaven and earth for love, show him a ticking clock and tell him he has six dates to inspire a woman see she loves him and to make her his. And repeat this prayer:

  Bring these lovers together soon,

  When the moment is opportune.

  Let fiery passion them consume,

  And bring consummation at full moon.

  Stir arousal, so romance can begin,

  Melt resistance and invite love in.

  Give him strength to penetrate her shield;

  Give her desire to fully yield.

  Tho’ she may not know they are meant to be,

  Let awareness grow and become reality.

  “Is this a joke, Vlad?” I took a big sip of wine and followed it with a deep breath. “You came from Connecticut to show me this?”

  “My grandmother is a very powerful wi … woman.” Was he about to say witch? He leaned back on the couch. “It’s only that I know you have concerns about whether these feelings you both have are real, so I thought you should know.”

  I was starting to lose my patience, but I realized that his odd visit might be an intervention. My heart was once again filled with doubt.

  “Why would this matter, anyway?” My tone started to reflect my aggravation. “I don’t believe in spells. I don’t even really believe in fate. Why should I care?”

  “Because my grandmother tried to influence my cousin and control your future,” he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “I think she made this whole thing up to manipulate him to take over her crazy legacy and to suck you into her plans. There was no dream. There was no prophecy. She knew your grandmother, and she’s trying to hijack your life for her own purposes and my cousin, he never stands up to her. He simply does her bidding.”

  It felt like my throat was burning. I couldn’t find words. My head was pounding too. I wrapped my arms around myself, and rocked, trying to tune out his voice.

  “Oh, don’t worry, my cousin is the marrying kind now,” he continued. “He will take care of you, but you will never know for sure if he truly loves you, or if he was manipulated to believe he does. I mean, who falls in love so fast?”
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  That was like a knife in the heart. I took another sip of wine and suddenly felt so sleepy. Too sleepy to ask any questions or talk anymore. I wanted to curl up in a ball and disappear.

  Abruptly, a wild downpour of rain started beating on my window. Lightning and thunder followed. A flood warning came through on my cell phone saying there was a hurricane watch with strong winds. He got the same warning on his phone and looked at me.

  “Well, we are not quite family yet, but can I stay on your couch?” He seemed to think it wasn’t an unusual request.

  Are you fucking kidding me? I wanted him to go away, but somehow in my tired, pain-filled haze I couldn’t find my words. My voice was swallowed into the deep pit of despair. Vlad’s words echoed all my fears and insecurities that I was being played. And I could never really know if Nicolai loved me.

  “Don’t you have friends in Manhattan?” I asked. My words were slurred. The day must have been catching up with me.

  “Nope. I just have you, Allison.” He sounded so creepy, but I didn’t care. Was he the bad cousin, I wondered, or the good one? Perhaps he was here to ring the words of truth to save me from making a mistake.

  The last thing I remembered was tossing him a blanket and pillow and going into my room, locking the door.

  Every instinct in me told me to call Nicolai, but I was too freaked out. And so tired. I was afraid to disturb his time with his grandmother. I didn’t want to bring up the Vlad thing and start a war between them. I was confused about all that Vlad said. I didn’t know who to believe. I reached into my night table for my grandmother’s crucifix and grasped it in my hand. What did I do with my purse? And the velvet pouch from Grandmamma. I couldn’t remember. Exhausted, I drifted off to sleep, still in my dress.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  I woke to a beautiful day. I guess this was the day my destiny would unfold. I automatically put coffee on and slipped into the shower and then back into my robe. I forgot Vlad was there. And I didn’t even notice he had apparently taken his clothes off or that he was naked on my couch, dead asleep. Not until the door buzzer drew me out of the shower.

  “Mr. Petre is on the way up,” said the doorman. “He said you are expecting him.”

  Fuck. He’s early. I brushed my teeth really quick and then I panicked. I wanted to run over and wake Vlad up, but Nicolai was at my door in no time. I opened it and he scooped me into his arms, happy to see me. He looked so handsome. He could have been the photo illustration for a story on why a billionaire boyfriend would be perfect if he didn’t have many family issues.

  “My love, Grandmamma had a remarkable turn-around so I rushed back to you as soon as…”

  His gaze caught his naked cousin.

  “What the fuck is he doing here?” He was in full warrior mode, standing up tall and surveying the environment. “Why is he naked?”

  “He said you sent him.” My head was pounding. How much did I drink last night? It was all a blur. But I also wondered why Vlad was naked.

  “I did no such thing.” His tone was incredulous and his eyes filled with suspicion. “I would never…”

  Nicolai stomped over to Vlad and shook his shoulders. Then he rolled him off the couch with one hand. The younger man hit the ground with a thud and a groan, his skull just missing the coffee table.

  “Hey, man, what the fuck?” he shouted but seemed groggy. It took him a minute to realize Nicolai was in the room.

  “Yeah, what the fuck?” Nicolai sounded menacing. “You’re naked. She’s in a robe.” Did he actually think I had sexy times with his cousin? Ugh.

  The two men stared each other down. This could be the way all their family gatherings ended up for all I knew, but I felt like I was in a bar brawl. I had a hard time watching it, fearing it would turn violent. I also didn’t want to cast my eyes on Vlad’s man parts.

  Nicolai stood over his cousin, who was now naked all over my rug. Jeez.

  “I came to talk to her.” He was still on the ground and he sounded pissed.

  “I told you not to.” Nicolai was being so aggressive. Seeing him so furious was troubling.

  “I was trying to help, man!” Vlad wiggled away, pulled the blanket off the couch, and wrapped it around him. He grabbed his pants and ran into the bathroom to dress.

  Nicolai turned his attention to me and lashed out like a controlling father reprimanding a teenager. “Why did you let him in?”

  “I thought it was you,” I said, agitated that he’d turned this into my fault. “I took a warm bath, stepped out, and the doorman said Mr. Petre was here and, thinking it was you, I let him in. He said he wanted to help us.”

  “How did he want to help?” Nicolai ran his fingers through his hair and took a few breaths. Then he moved from the living room toward my kitchenette and leaned both hands against the counter.

  “Maybe he was trying to save me from making a mistake,” I shot at him. “He told me about your grandmother’s love spell and her control over you, and he said my grandmother knew yours. Is any of this true?”

  He cupped his chin and lips the way he does when he is thinking. I could tell he was trying to control his breath and measure the words that came out of his mouth. “Why did you even let him near you to tell you these lies?”

  “Excuse me? He’s your fucking relative.” Now I was shouting. “Why did he even have my address? You brought him into my life. Don’t you dare blame me for this family drama.”

  “But you let him in the door.” He was insistent that I did something wrong by opening my door.

  “What are you implying?” Now I was incredulous. My heart was racing, and not in a good way. I wanted to smack someone.

  “That maybe you wanted to let him in, maybe find comfort with my younger cousin. He’s good looking and rich, but not as loaded with baggage.” He looked like he was the wounded one.

  “That is one of the most offensive things I have ever heard, from anyone.” And hurtful too. It was surreal that he was accusing me of cheating or, worse, gold-digging. He pursued me, professed to love me, asked me to be with him, and got me involved with his family. He broke down my wall with his promises to love and honor me. And now this? “I can’t even believe you would consider that as a possibility after all we have been through. You don’t know me at all.” My heart was aching.

  “What would you think if you came to my house to sweep me off my feet and found me with your cousin, naked in my living room, and me with a towel around my waist?” He spoke a little softer now and looked into my eyes this time.

  “I see your point, but he practically barged in here last night, saying he wanted to help. He filled my head with some story about how I would never be able to tell how you truly felt about me because your grandmother had cast a powerful spell on us both.” Tears were close behind my words. “He showed it to me on his phone.”

  Nicolai reached for his cousin’s jacket and pulled out his cell phone. He clicked it open to the photo gallery and looked at it in disgust. “My grandmother told me about this spell,” he said, shaking his head in disgust. “She said she was thinking of doing it and on the same day, I called to tell her I had met you. She never did a spell. Her nurse told me she didn’t have the energy to complete it on her own. He doesn’t have his facts right.”

  “Oh my God, why did he do it? He’s your cousin!” I was appalled and confused. How could he come here and hurt me like that? Hurt Nicolai.

  “Da, he’s my cousin who squanders money, can never stay true to a woman, and isn’t able to handle the responsibility.” He started pacing around the kitchenette. “I guess he’d rather sabotage his own family than see me happy with you. He was fucking with you. With us.” His face was etched with pain.

  “How I was I supposed to know?” I dropped my head into my hands. A sense of gloom filled my heart, and my apartment, as I realized I had been messed with by another Petre. “I only let him in because he is your relative.”

  He walked to my front door and played with the lock.<
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  “The locks have to be changed now,” he said. “No, I have to move you out of here.”

  “You’re not moving me anywhere.” I was fuming.

  “Vlad has started an attack.” He reached in his jacket for his own cell and started dialing. “I have to alert my security team. You have to be in a secure location.”

  “No, I don’t want you keeping me safe,” I shouted. “In fact, I don’t care if you have a title and all the money in the world. I’m tired of you spending every hour of the day seducing me and trying to get me to be your wife. I would never marry a man who yells at me, fights with his cousin, and has one insane idea about relationships after another. This day will change both our lives because this chapter is now closed. I am aroused … with anger.”

  “Allison.” He sounded like he was calling after an angry teenager.

  I turned and headed to my bedroom, locked the door, and got dressed. When I heard the two men speaking loudly at each other, I sat on my bed to gather myself. When things quieted, I walked into my living room, hoping both of those crazy cousins were gone.

  Nicolai was still there, with Vlad’s phone in hand, looking dazed. Vlad had apparently left. I looked at my open door and realized he must have bolted.

  “I’m going out, Nicolai. Lock the door when you leave.” I grabbed my purse and keys.

  “You’re not going anywhere.” He moved to block the door.

  “Are you serious?” I said, pushing him aside. “I said I’m going out. English translation: I am going somewhere, and you are not invited.”

  “Don’t leave.” He looked dejected. I’d seen that pained look before. I turned away before his sadness swayed me to stay.

  “Don’t you dare try to control what I do.” I was starting to crumble inside, feeling his emotional pain in my own heart. But I had to get away. “I am furious with you.”

  “Let me come.” I felt those words in my body. A part of me wanted to go to him, but I fought it.