Wicked After Dark: 20 Steamy Paranormal Tales of Dragons, Vampires, Werewolves, Shifters, Witches, Angels, Demons, Fey, and More

by Mina Carter

  "Overwhelmed. What overwhelmed you?" he asked.

  She shook her head. She couldn't tell him about the feeling she had when he touched her or the almost memory that his contact had invoked. "I don't know," she lied. She turned to leave.

  "Jane," he called.

  She turned back to him. "Yeah?"

  "I'm glad you came over tonight. I hope that we can do it again sometime."

  She nodded and walked back to her house. Once inside, she leaned against the door. She stared down at her wedding ring, and she suddenly realized why she had continued to wear it that long. Protection. Subconsciously she was using it to protect herself from a relationship she just wasn't ready to have with anyone.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  JANE WALKED HOME from the bookstore Friday afternoon. Matt would be picking her up soon for their weekend getaway. She checked the mailbox and retrieved a few envelopes, mostly junk mail.

  "Hello, Jane," Sebastian said as he went to his mailbox.

  She was beginning to wonder if he was going out of his way to be outside the moment she arrived home after work. "Hi, Sebastian."

  "Do you have any plans tonight?" he asked.

  Jane was taken aback by his question. She wondered if he was going to ask her out on a date. But, unfortunately, she would never find out, because she was going to the lake house for the weekend. "I'm going to be leaving in an hour or so. I'll be gone the entire weekend."

  "Oh," he said. She could hear the disappointment in his voice, which surprised her.

  "I'll be back Sunday afternoon."

  "Okay. Well, enjoy your weekend."

  "Thanks. You too." She walked to the house and upstairs to pack a small bag of clothes and essentials. She packed an assortment of clothes, as she was unsure of what the weather at the lake house had in store for the weekend.

  At five o'clock on the dot, Matt rang the doorbell. Jane was quick to answer it. "Ready?" he asked.

  "Yes."

  He took her bag and carried it to the car, stuffing it in the trunk before he hopped into the driver's seat. Jane buckled her seat belt as he started the engine.

  As the car pulled away, Jane stared in the side mirror at Sebastian's house. She realized she was going to miss him. Even though she knew absolutely nothing about him and had just met him, she strangely felt close to him. And a little piece of her wished for the weekend to go fast so that she could get back to Bedford Valley and get back to Sebastian.

  * * *

  Jane and Matt stood on the boat dock overlooking the large lake. The sky was various shades of purple and pink and looked like a perfect oil painting.

  "The sunset is so beautiful," she said.

  "It really is," Matt agreed.

  Jane glanced up at him and smiled. A strong breeze from the water blew past them, and she shivered.

  "Cold?" Matt put his arm around her and ran his free hand up and down her chilled arm.

  From the close proximity, Jane could smell his cologne. She instantly tensed.

  "What's wrong?" he asked.

  "Your cologne."

  He stared down at her with a puzzled look on his face. "You don't like it?"

  "No. It's not that." She bit her lower lip not knowing what to say.

  "Jack wore it," Matt stated.

  She nodded.

  "I won't wear it again if it bothers you."

  "No," she said quickly. She inhaled the scent again. "I've missed that smell."

  They both turned their attention back to the sunset and the water. After a few minutes, Matt said, "I'm really glad you came."

  "Me too."

  He turned to face her, his hands on her arms. "You've been so distant since Jack died. I just have a bad feeling that I've done something to make you not like me."

  She shook her head and closed her eyes as she felt the tears welling up in them. "Matt," she started, but he didn't let her finish.

  Matt leaned down and gently kissed her. His kiss was so much like Jack's that she had a hard time keeping a grip on reality. She closed her eyes and kissed him back.

  His mouth became eager on hers, his tongue parting her lips. Suddenly, she opened her eyes and pulled away from him. "Matt, we can't do this," she said breathlessly.

  He stared at her. "Why? Tell me," he pleaded with eager eyes.

  "You look like him. You act like him. You smell like him," she said softly. "It's so hard for me to be around you."

  He pulled her back into his arms. "Don't hate me because I look like him," he whispered against her ear.

  "I could never hate you," she said, her voice breaking. "I'm just not…ready." She put her face in her hands. "I'm not over Jack."

  He nodded slowly. Then he pulled her hands from her face and held them. "Then I will wait until you are ready." He pulled her hands together and placed a kiss on both of them. "I would wait forever if I had to," he whispered.

  She smiled.

  "Are you two coming in for dinner?" Margaret called from the patio.

  Matt called back, "We'll be there in a minute, Mom." He glanced at Jane. "Are you ready for Uncle Don's tall tale?"

  "Wouldn't want to miss it," she responded, grinning.

  Matt took her hand in his and led her up to the two-story log house. Five bedrooms and a half bath were on the second floor. The downstairs contained an open floor plan with a large kitchen, living room and a bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub.

  As they walked through the French style patio doors, Margaret beamed at them. "There you two are. How was the sunset?" she asked, winking at Matt.

  Jane felt her cheeks warm. It was as if they had been caught in some forbidden lovers' tryst. "It was beautiful," Jane said.

  "Yeah, it was," Matt chimed in.

  "I hope you two are hungry," Margaret said. "Uncle Don is frying some of the big fish he caught in Alaska, and Aunt Stacy is making her famous potato salad."

  Jane was famished. "Sounds great," she said.

  * * *

  Jane sat beside Matt at the dinner table. To his right were his mom and then her brother Don and his wife Stacy. "The fish is delicious, Don," Jane commented.

  "Why thank you, my dear," he said with a wide-toothed grin. "Wait until you hear how I caught those fish. Jane, your dreams will be full of the biggest fish you've ever seen!" he exclaimed. Don was about as tall as he was wide, and his belly shook as he chuckled.

  Jane smiled. "I'm sure they will."

  As Don recounted his fishing story, the rest of the table hung on his every word. The story was obviously a tall tale, but Don was quite the storyteller, and he made it seem so real. His wife Stacy rolled her eyes periodically when the story grew too far-fetched.

  "I have tried to catch the same fish for over ten years, and this year I finally got 'em." He put his hands up to gesture the size of a humongous fish. "Snapped my rod clean in half one summer!"

  The table laughed at the exaggerations, and Don sat back in his chair with his chest out, proud of the story.

  After the meal, the wine began to flow freely, and Jane found herself having a great time. She hadn't smiled or laughed that much in a long time. Periodically, she would catch Matt staring at her. He had a look on his face that she could remember quite well on Jack.

  At around eleven, Don was snoring loudly in one of the armchairs in the living room. His wife tugged on his arm, and he awoke with a start. "What? Huh?" he asked, confused.

  Stacy stood and tugged on his hand to help him up. "It's past our bedtime," she joked.

  "Yes. Good night, all," he said before walking up the stairs.

  Margaret yawned and said, "Well, it seems all the old people are hitting the sack, so I better join them." She gave Matt and Jane a hug. "Goodnight, you two. See you in the morning."

  When they were alone, Matt turned to Jane. "So how did you like Uncle Don's story?"

  "It was great," she said, laughing.

  Matt stared at her. "I love your laugh."

  Jane grabbed her wine glass from the coffe
e table and took a sip. She didn't know what to think of Matt's compliment and the looks he had been giving her. She returned the glass to the table. "Maybe we should think about going to bed too."

  Matt nodded. "Okay. I'll walk up with you."

  They ascended the stairs together. Their bedrooms were right next to one another. Matt lingered in the doorway as Jane entered her room. "Goodnight, Jane," he said. "Sweet dreams."

  "Goodnight, Matt." She closed the door slowly.

  She changed into pajamas and climbed into the soft bed. She was exhausted, and it didn't take long for her to fall asleep. That night she didn't dream about enormous fish. Her dreams were of Sebastian Alexander.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  THE NEXT MORNING, she showered and returned to her room before everyone else had awakened. She wanted to go for a hike, which had been something that her and Jack had always done when they visited the lake house. The woods and trails in the surrounding acreage were beautiful, and she looked forward to reconnecting with nature every time she visited the area.

  She put on a pair of black Capri yoga pants, a tank top underneath a light blue zip-up jacket, socks and white and blue sneakers. When she was finished getting dressed, she could hear the house coming alive. The smell of bacon and eggs wafted into her room, and she inhaled deeply. Her stomach growled in response to the smell.

  She opened her door and retreated down to the kitchen. Don was doing all the cooking while Stacy set the table and Margaret popped bread into the toasters. "Hungry, Jane?" Don asked while flipping some eggs in a skillet.

  "Starving," she said.

  "Good morning, everyone," Matt said, walking into the kitchen. He was dressed in a white long-sleeve shirt, black track pants and sneakers. He glanced at Jane. "I think we had the same idea for this morning. Hike?" he suggested.

  She nodded. "I was going to ask if you wanted to go."

  He smiled. "We'll go after we eat some of this delicious food."

  "Okay," she agreed.

  Breakfast tasted as good as it smelled. Jane was used to smoothies or toast and coffee in the morning, so Don's cooking was a real treat. When they were finished eating, Matt asked, "Are you ready to go?"

  Jane stood. "Yep."

  "Be careful and be back in time for lunch!" Margaret called after them as they left the house.

  There were numerous trails in the woods, some more arduous than others. Matt picked one of the most difficult ones that had a steep climb to the top of the mountain. The trail was worth the effort, however, because the view at the top was extraordinary.

  After walking for at least a half an hour, they took a break near the top of the mountain. "It's beautiful up here," Jane commented, looking beyond the trees at the view.

  "It's even better up there," Matt said. "Race you to the top!" he yelled, running up the rocky trail.

  Jane smiled and chased after him. Matt was fast, and he made it to the top way before she did. When she was almost to the crest of the mountain, she tripped on a rock and fell backwards. She struck the ground with such force on her back that the wind was knocked out of her, and she struggled to breathe.

  Matt rushed down to her. "Are you okay?"

  When she finally caught her breath, she could feel the pain in her lower leg. "I think I did something to my ankle."

  Matt carefully propped her leg in his lap. His fingers tenderly touched her skin, and she yelped in pain. "I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I think you might have sprained it."

  "Oh, great!" she exclaimed. They were over a mile from the house. "How am I going to get back?"

  "I'll carry you," he suggested.

  "Like hell you will," she said sternly. She put her hands on her hips, standing her ground.

  He tried to suppress a chuckle, but wasn't very successful. "I forgot about your temper," he mumbled. He stood and extended his hand. "Let's see if you can put any weight on it."

  Jane put her hand in his and allowed him to pull her up. He hooked his arm around her waist, and she gingerly put her foot down to the ground. The pressure sent a shooting pain up her leg. "Ouch!" she cried.

  "Okay. Since you won't let me carry you, you'll just have to hop the rest of the way." He chuckled. "Like a little bunny," he added.

  Jane glared at him.

  He clasped his hand across his mouth. Then he said, "Sorry."

  With a strong arm around her, Jane hopped along as he walked. "Well, I did want to enjoy the scenery. I guess I can do that a little bit slower now."

  Matt laughed, and Jane poked him in the ribs, which only made him laugh harder.

  It took them over an hour to make it back to the house. When they finally reached the back patio, Matt helped Jane into a chair. The moment she sat down, Margaret came rushing out of the house. "What happened?"

  "Jane hurt her ankle. Mom, can you get an ice pack, please?"

  "Sure." Margaret went back into the house and emerged a few minutes later with an ice pack and a thin washcloth wrapped around it. She pulled over a small ottoman and said, "Put your foot up here, Jane."

  Jane raised her leg, and Margaret placed the ice pack under her ankle as Jane rested her foot on the ottoman. "Thank you, Margaret."

  "No problem, dear. Would you like some lemonade?"

  "That would be great."

  "I'll be right back." Margaret walked into the house once more.

  Matt kneeled down beside Jane and looked over her ankle. "You know I did finish a few semesters of medical college."

  "I don't think you ever told me why you quit."

  His fingers gently probed her skin. "It was Jack's thing. I thought it was my thing too, but I quickly learned it wasn't. I was trying to please our old man, but it wasn't making me happy, so I quit and pursued law enforcement." He assessed her ankle. "I think with some ice and rest you'll be fine by tomorrow. I don't think you did any real damage."

  She sighed with relief. "Good. Thank you, doctor," she said with a smile.

  He grinned. "You're welcome." He sat down on the chair beside her.

  Margaret returned with two glasses of lemonade, and she set them down on the small table between Jane and Matt. "Stacy and I are making sandwiches for lunch. We'll bring them out when they're done."

  "Thank you, Margaret." When she was gone, Jane turned to Matt. "Your mom is so nice. You're lucky to have her."

  Matt nodded in agreement.

  Jane stared off into the distance. "I wonder what my mom was like."

  Matt reached over and took her hand in his. His thumb tenderly skated over her knuckles. "Maybe someday you will remember and find her."

  "Yeah. Maybe." His words were comforting, but it had been over two years since the accident, and Jane hadn't had even a shred of memory come back to her. The possibility of her memory returning at any point was beginning to seem less and less probable.

  * * *

  After dinner, Don suggested that everyone play charades. Jane was more of a spectator because of her ankle, but she had fun nonetheless. Don stood in front of the fireplace and acted out a word that looked like he was having a seizure. "Elephant!" his wife called out.

  Don pointed to her and said, "Bingo!"

  Matt stared at them with his mouth agape. "Wait. How did she even guess that?" he asked, flabbergasted.

  "Twenty-six years of marriage," Don said, winking at Matt.

  Everyone laughed. "Okay. Okay." Matt stood. "My turn." He took a look at the piece of paper with a word written on it. He held up one finger.

  "One word," Jane said.

  Then he tapped two fingers against his arm. Don said, "Two syllables."

  Matt's fingers made the figure of a heart.

  "Love!" Jane said.

  Matt smiled and nodded. He began to gesture for the second part of the word, but Jane blurted out, "Lovebirds!"

  "Bingo," Matt said.

  "Wait. How did she even guess that?" Don asked, mimicking Matt from earlier.

  Matt shrugged and Jane blushed. "Lucky guess," she s
aid.

  "Okay. Enough of this game," Don said. "Let's have a drink and a toast to a wonderful weekend."

  The corks popped on the wine bottles frequently throughout the rest of the night. Don had brought enough wine to last four weekends let alone just one, and he intended for everyone to drink the majority of it.

  It was getting late, and Margaret announced she was going to bed. Don stood and said, "Well, Stacy, we better get to bed and let these little lovebirds have their time alone."

  Jane flushed at his words.

  "Don, I think you've had too much to drink," she scolded. Sorry, she mouthed to Jane as they walked past her.

  Matt turned to Jane when they were alone. "How does your ankle feel?"

  She took another sip of wine and said, "I can't feel a thing."

  He chuckled. "I'm sure Uncle Don's expensive wine has something to do with that."

  She set the glass down and yawned. It had been a long day, and she was tired. "Will you help me up to bed?" she asked.

  "Of course."

  He stood and scooped her up into his arms. Jane began to protest, but Matt whispered, "Shh! You'll wake everyone."

  Jane rolled her eyes and allowed him to carry her up the stairs and into her bedroom. They crashed on the bed together with him on top of her. Jane giggled loudly and then clasped her hand over her mouth, afraid of making too much noise and waking everyone up.

  Matt stared down at her, smiling. "I don't think I've ever seen you drunk before."

  She grinned. "I haven't been drunk in a long time."

  Matt's fingertips traced her jaw line. "Jane," he whispered.

  Before she could say anything, his lips were crushing down on hers. The kiss was deep and full of need. Jane suddenly put her hands on his chest and pushed him away. "We can't do this."

  "Why?"

  Her head was fuzzy, and she couldn't think. She wanted to tell him a million things, but she couldn't pull just one complete thought to the surface.

  "You can pretend with me, Jane. You can pretend that I'm him."

  His words made her heart hammer against her ribcage. She could very easily pretend that Matt was Jack and that Jack had never died, but it was wrong. Before she could protest, his lips were on her neck, her face and her lips. He kissed away the tears that spilled down over her cheeks.