Blood In The Stars

by Jennifer Shea

  Daria scanned the crowd again but with everyone around her crossing the street, she knew she wouldn’t find the culprit. She let out a pathetic sigh, feeling an ocean of pity for herself. What the hell was going on lately? Was the world out to kill her?

  She power-walked to her building and as she headed west to Dearborn Street, she noticed the man moving south to the same intersection seemed awfully familiar.

  “Daria?” he called out.

  “Jason! What a surprise.” She didn’t know how it was possible, but in his dark blue suit and patterned tie, he looked even better today than last night. The tailored suit showed off his broad shoulders and narrow hips, while the thin yellow stripes on the tie brought out his eyes. He smiled and her stomach cartwheeled.

  Yet worry lined his brow as his cold fingertips grazed her hand. A delightful shiver rose up her arm at his touch. “Did you sleep okay last night? After everything that happened?”

  She swayed closer, wanting him nearer, forgetting about her awful morning, and basking in his care and worry. “I slept well.”

  Relief flooded his face and his fingers linked with hers. “It’s so nice to run into you. Do you work around here?” She pointed to her building and he laughed. “I’m in the same building. Funny how we never saw each other before.”

  Well, she certainly wasn’t going to shun the coincidence. She’d had enough bad luck these last few days and felt she deserved a few good turns. Normally she would have indulged in the reasons why they never met, but not today when she needed to run to her meeting. She wished she wasn’t in such a hurry, but if she wanted to make partner before thirty, work had to come first . . . except she wasn’t as certain she still wanted to make partner.

  She gave him an apologetic smile. “I can’t chat. I’m almost late for my meeting. Can we talk later?” Daria didn’t want him to think she was blowing him off. She really did want to talk. But later, after her meeting, when she wasn’t so anxious and in a rush.

  “Sure.”

  “Thanks!” About to run off, she turned back abruptly and pressed a kiss to his cheek, then laughed as she rubbed the lipstick off with her thumb. She gave him a little wave and ran into the building.

  It was so unlike her to show affection like that. But she was glad she kissed him. Life was short. Why hold back when she might die the next minute?

  Ten minutes later, she sat in a large conference room going over notes with Miller Lang, her coworker. Since she and Miller were the only two associates hired in the last three years, everything was a competition in terms of projects and accounts. They ate lunch together occasionally, but only out of professional necessity. Sometimes Daria wondered if his dislike for her was all in her head. But she doubted she imagined that Miller often glared down his thin nose at her. After all, he dripped of old money, and in comparison, she was a peasant.

  Miller shifted his owl eyes back to their ledgers and flicked invisible lint off his sleeve. Then he threw her a look of disdain and pointed out a typo in her proposal.

  She frowned. No, it wasn’t her imagination. He hated her. Well, the feeling was mutual.

  She marked the mistake on her paper and mumbled a ‘thank you.’ But she didn’t feel thankful at all. If she didn’t get promoted to partner, it would be because Miller got it instead.

  The miserable hours continued as they pored over the documents. Everything had to be ready for Mr. Burke by the evening. Finally, as the edits neared an end and they had split the workload to a manageable state, her cell phone vibrated. Daria fished it out of her purse.

  Hi Daria, it’s Jason. Lunch?

  Her heartbeat sped up in anticipation. What a great idea. Things were definitely looking up and she could use the break. A casual lunch meant more time to hang out. And really, she didn’t need to eat. She could stare at him for hours and not feel hungry. Daria smiled and quickly tapped a few buttons on her phone.

  Sure. Lobby in 15.

  Miller glanced at his watch. “We should work through lunch and just get this done.”

  What a thick skull he has. She managed to keep a groan from escaping, but the expression on her face said it all.

  “I take it you don’t want to eat with me?” he asked with a raised brow.

  “It’s not that I don’t want to eat with you,” she began slowly, “but I have plans.”

  “Maybe we can all go together then.”

  Wow. Did Miller just invite himself to go to lunch? She’d have to be blunt. “Okay, I don’t want to eat with you,” she said baldly, not bothering to mince words. “It’s kind of a date.”

  “What type of guy asks a girl to a lunch date on a Monday?” he smirked. “Besides, I think you should start bringing your lunch. We have a lot of work ahead of us if we get this account.”

  She bristled at Miller’s insult of Jason and protested, “It’s a spur of the moment lunch date.”

  She ignored the other half of his ridiculous suggestion. Ugh. Volatile conversations with Miller fit their normal interaction. Most of the time, it took every ounce of professionalism for her not to sock him.

  He didn’t respond, but began to gather up the papers. It appeared he finally took the hint. But when they returned to their offices, it wasn’t long before she saw him slinking around outside. And there really was no other word for it, the way those long limbs of his shuffled from one foot to another.

  Maybe if I ignore him, he’ll go away.

  She had no sooner exited her office than he fell in step beside her. She strode to the elevator, not making eye contact in any way. The last thing she wanted to do was encourage pests. She continued to ignore him even when the elevator doors opened to the lobby.

  Daria spotted Jason immediately. Her heart pounded in her ears. Would it ever beat normally when she saw him? She hoped he could make her feel this way forever.

  He flashed her a big smile that reached all the way to his eyes and left her weak. The dress shirt didn’t hide his strong shoulders or the muscles in his arms. She longed for an excuse to touch him. Was he this sexy earlier this morning? He seemed hotter every time they met. Her stomach fluttered as she waved at him.

  “Hey! Been waiting long?”

  “Hi.” Jason’s eyes shifted to Miller, standing behind her. “Is he . . . ?”

  “I’ll be joining you for lunch,” Miller replied.

  “No you’re not,” she bit out, whirling around to glare at Miller. “I need a break from work.” There was no way in hell she was going to let Miller tag along on her lunch-date with Jason.

  Miller shrugged. “So do I.”

  Of all the nerve! She was about ready to strangle him when she felt Jason’s hand on the small of her back, turning her attention away from Miller.

  “That’s okay. Miller and I are actually old friends.”

  Her brows shot up. “You two know each other?”

  Miller nodded. “You should have told me who your date was with earlier.”

  If she hadn’t been standing in a public lobby, she would have punched him. Blood rushed to her face.

  Jason laughed good-naturedly and gave Daria a warm smile. “I promise Friday will be a much nicer date,” he winked.

  She threw him a grateful smile.

  Miller groaned and ran his hand through his sandy blond hair in impatience. “Let’s go. I’m starving.” He led the way out of the building. By mutual agreement, they grabbed lunch down the street at Potbelly’s, a deli with customized sandwiches.

  Ten minutes later, in between bites of her lunch, Daria asked, “So how do you two know each other?”

  Jason and Miller exchanged a glance.

  “Our families are acquainted,” Miller provided.

  Daria stared at Jason with new eyes. His family knew Miller’s? Was he some Midwest blue blood, too?

/>   “Old family friends,” Jason added. “Miller’s known me since he was a kid.”

  “He?”

  “We,” Jason amended. “Since we were kids.”

  Miller threw Jason a look that Daria didn’t understand, before querying, “How do you two know each other?”

  She thought he sounded suspicious. Miller’s big eyes never shed much insight into his personality. They were mostly expressionless, fathomless pools of chocolate brown nothingness. Until he looks down at you.

  Jason turned to her in silent inquiry. She shrugged and nodded. “Matchmaking service,” he replied.

  Miller choked on his drink and shot Jason another weird look. But Jason was smiling at her. She blushed while he murmured, “I wish we’d been set up earlier.”

  He had eyes only for her as he said those words. The world fell away. She didn’t notice the bustle of customers ordering food, the chatter of those in neighboring booths, or the shout of the staff as they called out the orders. She saw and heard only Jason with his warm eyes, gentle smile, and loving gaze.

  Dear Lord. She had just met the guy and she was already falling for him. The realization was a punch in the stomach. What was she doing, falling for someone she barely knew? This was how she had gotten hurt in the past. Men always tricked her into thinking they cared.

  Yet as she stared into his golden eyes, she knew she was beyond help. She wanted to fall for Jason. She wanted to believe that a gorgeous, considerate man with fabulous manners might actually like her. She wanted to believe that the emptiness in her heart could be filled, that it had begun to feel less hollow since she’d met him.

  “Damien’s coming tomorrow,” Miller announced, jerking her away from her reverie. Jason stiffened immediately. “The big project Daria and I are working on is to secure the Hellerman Foundation account.”

  “They are one of the largest private foundations in the country,” Daria added.

  “He’s a demon.” Jason spoke in a low voice.

  “That’s right.” Daria wondered why Jason glanced at her in surprise. “They call him the Demon of Wall Street.”

  Jason sipped his drink before answering. “That’s definitely one thing people call him.”

  Miller rolled his eyes. Strange, but he and Jason seemed to be sharing a private joke. Maybe they knew Damien. But no other details were mentioned, and as lunch wound down, she forgot to ask. A few minutes later, they left the shop and began walking back to work. The flux of pedestrians had thinned out as the lunch crowd returned from their break.

  They were still two blocks from their building when suddenly both men halted.

  Daria slowed a beat. “What is it?”

  Jason suddenly lunged at her, pushing her back several feet and holding her in his arms to prevent her from falling. Before she could ask him what happened, she heard a loud crash.

  “You okay?” he breathed.

  She looked behind him, eyes widening at the shattered scaffolding, a mess of metal and steel wires where she had stood seconds before. Nausea washed over her and her arms and legs turned to jelly as reality hit her with the force of a tornado. She slumped against him. My God. That almost killed me.

  Jason held her closer, supporting her weight. The heat of his body next to hers, the hard lines of his chest under her hands, and that scent of meadows—she recognized it as the man who saved her in her dream. But that was a dream. Wasn’t it?

  She inhaled deeply and smelled the same aftershave from that night, a faint hint of shampoo, and the freshness of a moonlit evening.

  The intensity of his stare warmed her from deep within, and that familiar fluttery cavern in her stomach began to grow at his nearness. He brushed aside her hair, a hand gently cupping her cheek as he gazed into her eyes. She saw, heard, and felt only Jason.

  Comfort and security flooded through her. Their bodies fit together like two puzzle pieces and his embrace felt natural and right. She had thought the same that other night as well, when he carried her everywhere. Sure, she’d been busy feeling embarrassed, but part of her had reveled in the attention. She belonged in his arms.

  The strange hollowness in her chest had more than filled. It had disappeared entirely, replaced with the possibility of attaining something she had never had.

  Love. It was what she’d thought of as she sat on that disgusting bathroom floor with the fire closing in. She had never fallen in love. She had never loved someone and no one had ever proclaimed his love for her. After years of chasing after success, she had missed out on that one emotion. But maybe she could have it with Jason.

  “You’re not hurt, right?”

  Daria shook her head cautiously, almost mechanically. “How did . . .?” She tilted her head back and gazed up—and up. Nothing about the building revealed anything.

  Her breathing quickened and belated goose bumps broke out on her arms. She watched Miller frown and Jason’s face darken with anger.

  “Maybe you should take the rest of the day off,” Jason suggested as she straightened and reluctantly pulled away from him.

  Miller nodded. “Agreed.”

  “No!” she cried. “We have a meeting with Burke in the afternoon. I have to be there!”

  She could not miss that meeting. This was her big chance to ingratiate herself with the partner. If she screwed this up, she could kiss her chance at making partner good-bye.

  The two men exchanged another glance. She didn’t know what transpired, but something happened because when they turned back to her, they seemed to have come to some new agreement.

  “Wait for me after work and I’ll walk you back home,” Jason urged.

  “I’ll be fine,” Daria argued. Just an accident. Maybe the scaffolding hadn’t been tied down. They didn’t just fall from the sky, after all. Still, a peculiar foreboding crept under her skin, sending a second wave of goose bumps all over her arms.

  Too many dangerous ‘accidents’ had happened lately. Maybe taking time off after they landed this project wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

  “I don’t need anyone to walk me home,” she said with less conviction.

  Jason’s hand clamped down on her elbow in a firm but gentle hold. “I insist. I’d feel better if I escorted you. Please.”

  “That’s probably the best.” Miller was nodding.

  What was going on with them? They acted as if she’d get herself killed before the day was done. Of course, Miller didn’t know about last night. But Jason did. And no one knew what happened this morning. Maybe she projected her nervousness to both men.

  Would she really be safer if someone walked with her? She stole a glance at Jason. At least they’d have more time together. She welcomed any excuses to hang out. She nodded in agreement.

  “Text me when you’re ready,” Jason said. “I’ll wait for you.”

  Anxiety shone bright in his eyes and a small ache blossomed in her heart. The scaffolding must have shocked him more than it had her.

  When they got to the lobby, she hoped for a few moments alone with Jason. Instead, Miller surprised her by saying, “I need to catch up on a few things with Jason. Can you set things up for the meeting?” He attempted to smile at her.

  At least it looked as if he tried. She had never seen Miller smile before and from what she could tell, he was definitely out of practice because it came across between a smirk and a grimace.

  Maybe they needed some kind of private, ‘guy’ talk. Either way, she wasn’t wanted. She squeezed Jason’s hand and whispered, “Thanks for saving me. Again.” With a little wave, she went to the elevators.

  “I’ll wait for you here,” Jason reminded her.

  “Why did she say again?” Miller demanded as soon as Daria had disappeared into the elevator.

  “There was an incident last night.”

&nbs
p; Quickly, Jason explained about the fire after their first date and Miller shook his head in disbelief. “They’re everywhere,” he observed. Then after a pause, “You’re here later than I thought.”

  “And I didn’t know you two were at the same firm,” Jason admitted.

  Miller shrugged. “With three children born at the same time, I was assigned Daria. As you were.” He scanned the surroundings, as though afraid of prying eyes or ears. “Why are you here?”

  “To protect her.”

  In the early hours of the morning, Candy had heard of a poltergeist, sent to sabotage Daria’s shower and start her kitchen fire. While he hurried to take care of the poltergeist, Candy had raced through the downtown area to find Daria, missing her by mere seconds as an imp pushed her into the street. If Candy hadn’t grabbed Daria in time, she’d already be dead.

  The creatures sensed Daria was the auspicious one. They smelled her in the air, tasted her in their imagination, and hungered for the hidden powers within. More would descend upon Chicago soon, if they hadn’t already. As it was, Jason barely had time to react to the falling scaffolding earlier.

  He and Miller had sensed the goblin at the same time. But it was too late as the demon had already cut the ropes. Thankfully he was near enough to push her away. In that moment, he had wanted to fly to the top of the building and destroy that goblin. Then he would be like his father and brother. Daria’s presence had stopped him from killing the creature.

  “I have no doubt you’ll protect her,” Miller began slowly, “but everyone knows what happened to the last one you protected. Alice, right?”

  Jason’s lips thinned. Regret darkened his face as a torrent of mixed emotions swept through him. He hadn’t heard that name in centuries. Hadn’t really allowed himself to think about her, either.

  A vision of laughing green eyes and hair the color of sun-kissed wheat escaped the vault of his memories and entered the forefront of his mind. We’ll always be together, won’t we, Jason?