Sacred Desires (Samuel #1)

by Joanna Mazurkiewicz

  Then the phone goes silent and I stare at it for several seconds, trying to gather what Rhonda is asking me to do. She can’t possibly think that Dimitrious can turn up at the door, pretending to be someone else. They both are completely mad. I stay in the room for another five minutes before I walk through the living room.

  "Who was that?" Samuel’s shout from the kitchen brings me back to reality. I turn around, plaster a smile on my face and walk back to talk to him about another visitor.

  "A friend that I haven’t spoken to for a few years. Apparently he’s back in London and he wants to meet up," I say, trying to sound surprised and annoyed at the same time.

  Samuel smiles and then embraces me in a hug. "Well, there you are. It looks like you aren’t at all alone in this world. Tell him to come down here for dinner, so you can introduce us.”

  “Are you sure? I thought you had arranged for your friends to come over tonight,” I ask innocently.

  “Of course. I want you to be comfortable,” he assures me.

  “All right," I say, thinking that Dimitrious must have predicted that Samuel would invite him over; this whole thing seems just too easy.

  "Now, let’s get back to business. Fucking is in the cards, darling," he adds with a devilish smile, scooping me into his arms. I giggle, pretending that I’m excited about a long morning in bed, but deep down I’m already feeling anxious about tonight.

  Samuel lifts me up and walks back to the bedroom. Then he undresses me and starts whispering what he is going to do to me. Half of my mind is with him; the other half still can’t quite comprehend what Rhonda and Dimitrious expect me to do. Anything can go wrong this evening. If Dimitrious will take the body of another human, what guarantee does he have that Samuel won’t recognise his strength and his soul? I don’t understand this and I know that I shouldn’t care. At the end of the day I'm here to do the job, and the seduction game is going smoothly. Dimitrious and his lost memories aren’t my concern.

  While I think about tonight, Samuel is on top of me, kissing me and caressing my body. Last night he proved to me that he knows how to pleasure women. I shouldn’t feel guilty for using him and trying to recreate my previous life with John. Wealth, expensive clothes, fabulous food. All these are too tempting and I don’t want to be ordinary again.

  After we make love I fall asleep. When I wake up I’m alone, snuggled in soft sheets. I check my phone and see that I have another text message from Rhonda. She gives me a few background details about Chris, whom Dimitrious will play this evening. There are a few things that I have to memorise, but everything else depends on my great acting skills.

  For the rest of the day we relax in his penthouse, watching TV, talking and eating delicious seafood that Samuel prepares for both of us. I try not to think about the evening ahead, but my anxiety crawls its way through me. I feel nervous facing Dimitrious again, especially after what we both witnessed last night.

  In the evening the food is delivered and a catering staff arrives. Samuel quickly delegates all the work between everyone. I stay in the living room, admiring the mesmerising view from the penthouse. November this year is so cold and wet.

  “They should be fine in the kitchen without me, so let’s take care of you, Gorgeous Red,” Samuel says, appearing in front of me after some time.

  “I’m fine, darling. You have a lot to do, right?”

  “Come on, I have a present for you.”

  In his study he hands me a large beautiful wrapped box. I frown, pretending that I shouldn’t be too excited; playing humble helps. I open it slowly, knowing that it’s something really special. Samuel has a good taste. Inside there is an ivory dress worth at least a few thousand pounds. I recognise the designer mark and quality of material.

  He smiles, waiting for my reaction.

  "It's stunning. Thank you.”

  Samuel then approaches me and holds the dress up in front of me. I let go of a small gasp when he turns me around so that I can see myself in the mirror. #

  I know well enough that Samuel will die soon, but I admire him for wanting a different life for himself.

  "Put it on, let’s see how gorgeous you really are," he suggests. I think about giving him head, so he won’t be looking at any other girl this evening.

  This pale cream dress exposes my horrible red hair and green eyes, but I keep these thoughts to myself. I'm over thirty and without Botox and my fake boobs I don’t feel that I have the advantage over men like I used to. If I had my old look, Samuel would be dead by now.

  Thinking about this, I change quickly, reapplying some makeup and making sure that I’m showing enough cleavage. After spending at least half an hour getting ready, I go back to the living room.

  "You look beautiful, darling, and if we didn’t have people in the apartment I’d be fucking you right now, over and over," he says, then grabs me and kisses me furiously, smudging my lipstick.

  By the time he is finished with me, I'm flustered and sweaty. I go to the bathroom and take another pill to make sure everything goes smoothly tonight. I hate myself right now and I hate Dimitrious for not letting me keep my old appearance.

  Rhonda texts back saying that Dimitrious will show up at eight and that I have to throw myself at him. I roll my eyes, texting her back to get lost. I like winding her up.

  Then I put on super-sparkly heels and glance over at my reflection in the mirror one more time. At least this whole plan is going as it should. A few more weeks and Samuel will be mine, completely and utterly lost in my feminine charm, like Curtis and Edwards were.

  "Does your friend know how to get here?" Samuel asks, sipping champagne. He looks amazing wearing a navy designer shirt and black pants. I lick the strawberry from his drink, sucking it all over and not taking my eyes off him. This works amazingly well: his pupils go vertical and his expression tells me that he wants to get me out of this dress.

  "Yes, I texted him the address and he is looking forward to meeting you," I tell him, swallowing the strawberry and giving him the most innocent smile.

  "Poppy, you're driving me mad. I really want to fuck you on this very expensive sofa."

  I laugh, feeling empowered and ready to push this further. I lean over to him and growl directly into his ear, running my hand over his thighs. He grabs my wrist and our eyes lock. My heart starts pumping more blood to my veins. There is something in his eyes that I don’t like, the hollow darkness. His hand begins squeezing mine harder. Then I see it—a flashback, a memory that doesn’t belong to me. A dark street in the middle of the night. Samuel is standing next to a dark-haired woman who is sobbing. He slaps her hard.

  “You didn’t do what you were supposed to, whore!” he shouts and hits her again. She cries out and falls on the wet ground, trying to cover her face. He exhales loudly and squats near her, moving her hair away from her face. Those pale blue eyes are so scared, petrified of him.

  “She didn't want to come … please, Mark, I—”

  “Shut up, dirty bitch, and serve your master,” he snarls, spitting into her face, and then clenches his hand around her throat, lifting her up abruptly. Tears are running down her red cheeks as she tries to stay on the ground. He turns her around, slamming her against the wall, and rips her skirt away, unzipping his own trousers.

  “You’re just a worthless human and I’ll slice you up, but before that I need to feel your tight pussy.”

  The vision blurs out and I’m back in the room, staring into Samuel’s brown eyes. He releases me quickly and places a soft kiss on my forehead. The charming and flirtatious man is back and I wipe the sweat off my brow, feeling like I need more air. Is it possible that he hurt a woman before? I don’t want to believe it but that flashback seems so real. Rhonda and Dimitrious were right. Samuel has a very dark side. Now I understand why he is Fallen, why he was banished from heaven, and I wonder what I have gotten myself into.

  My thoughts are quickly dissolved when I hear a feminine laugh in the hallway. A very beautiful woman walks into th
e living room. Normally no one can compete with the way I look, but sometimes there are other women that have been blessed with more beauty, stealing the moment and other men away. The one in front of me is just one of those. I have to pull myself together if I want to survive, so I plaster a fake smile on my face, forgetting about the flashback.

  "Oh, Poppy, let me introduce you. This is Tarryn,” he says, pointing at a tall skinny woman. “And this is Angelo and Vincent. My dear friends from the city."

  Tarryn has her palm on Samuel’s arm and she is thinking about the last time he paid any attention to her. I’m surprised because her thoughts seem pure and friendly. On the other hand, Angelo and Vincent are both sleeping with her. Right now they are both imagining me sucking their cocks rather than making a good first impression. Yeah, they are all very attractive and well dressed, but I know their kind. None of them will be able to intimidate me.

  "It's such a pleasure to finally meet you guys," I say and lean over and kiss both of the men on their cheeks. "My name is Poppy Kowalsky."

  Tarryn is a dark-haired supermodel and she likes Samuel more than she can admit. I have to keep an eye on her; she might be a problem.

  "Oh yes, where are my manners? Come on, guys, let’s have a drink. Me and Poppy have been seeing each other for a couple of weeks. Her old friend is going to join us soon."

  "You dirty old bastard, so that’s why me and Angelo couldn't get hold of you in the past two weeks. You see an attractive woman and we lose you for weeks," Vincent chuckles.

  Samuel laughs, moving his hand over my bare back.

  A young waiter brings champagne and I stand by Samuel to make sure that the bitch keeps her hand away from him. She is skinny with super long legs, wearing a ridiculously short dress. That’s why I went ahead with surgery, so I didn’t have to feel insecure about women like Tarryn. She seems just perfect.

  "Vincent, shut your mouth. I have been busy with the business and Poppy has been entertaining. Right, darling?"

  "Of course. We’ve been spending so much time in the city, but I'm glad to finally meet you guys. Samuel has been telling me how much he enjoys your company,” I say.

  “Poppy, I think it’s time to leave the men to themselves," says Tarryn, placing her hand over my elbow and dragging me towards the window. "So tell me, what do you do? I’m curious to get to know you better.”

  She uses the same perfume that I like, a very expensive one. Can she be any more annoying? Even now she is genuinely interested in getting to know me better.

  "I work from home as a marketing assistant. It’s handy at times, but I don’t meet many people.”

  My response is short and to the point. If I were my old self I would have told her that it was none of her business.

  Then we hear the bell going off again, and one of the caterers is rushing to open the door. My stomach drops a little, because I know that Dimitrious is standing on the other side and I have no idea what to expect.

  Calm down, Poppy. Rush to the door and hug me. We need to look convincing. We have been friends for over fifteen years. Don't mess this up.

  I freeze on the spot, hearing his voice in my head. Samuel is staring back at me, a smug smile trickling over his handsome face, and I wonder if he is planning to kill me. I have no idea what’s going on inside his head. Tarryn is still talking, but I'm not listening to her anymore. My body involuntary moves before my brain registers what is going on.

  "Chris, oh my God," I shout and throw myself at the stranger that is standing at the door. For starters he is blond, quite good-looking and very tall. His arms move around my waist and he hugs me hard. I know that behind this stranger it’s handsome Dimitrious and my stomach does another flip.

  The familiar scent overwhelms me and heat embraces us tighter. Once I pull away, I can take a closer look at him. He went for a typical British look. Dimitrious's gaze hovers over my body for a moment before he smiles. Behind me someone clears his throat.

  When I turn around I spot Samuel, and his eyes are on Dimitrious. The warmth is gone. Now there is only wariness and suspicion. Maybe Samuel didn’t expect him to be so forthcoming with me.

  "Poppy, you devil, you didn’t tell me that you got yourself a new boyfriend so fast. I thought that you were done with dating?" Chris says with that strange deep laugh. His eyes sparkle with mischief and he lifts me up again and spins me around, knowing that Samuel isn’t entirely comfortable with this.

  "Well, Poppy didn’t tell much about you either. I think she likes keeping secrets from both of us," Samuel mutters and takes my hand when Dimitrious finally puts me down.

  “That's our Poppy, secretive but very loyal."

  "So who do we have here? Another handsome man,” Tarryn says, appearing next to me unexpectedly.

  Dimitrious takes her hand and kisses it. She starts giggling, obviously happy with the new attention. I start to explain to Samuel how Chris and I met and that we haven’t seen each other for ages. I know that jealousy is the key to successful seduction and now I finally understand what Dimitrious is planning. Samuel needs to feel threatened by him. That way I don’t have to work so hard.

  Soon after the introductions and small talk, waiters start handing out more drinks. After a few minutes Samuel calls everyone to the table. I take a seat by him, Tarryn and Angelo. Vincent and Dimitrious are sitting right opposite us.

  "So Chris, Poppy has been telling me that you’ve been abroad for a while?" Samuel asks, slowly creeping his hand down to my thighs. Dimitrious’s eyes are on me again. I need to stop considering my own feelings and do what I have to. I’m here for me, not him. After all, I want my old life back and I’m prepared to do anything to reach my goal.

  Fourteen

  "Yes, I spent some time in Asia—Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and a few other countries. Now I’ve got a small contract working alongside Poppy. This should tide me over until I find something more stable,” Dimitrious says in a deep confident voice and I nearly choke on my champagne. Neither Rhonda nor Dimitrious have mentioned this. Lucky for me no one notices my discomfort, but Samuel stops eating, staring at Chris with a hint of surprise.

  “Darling, why haven’t you mentioned it?” he asks me.

  “She didn’t know. It was sort of a last-minute offer and I decided to take it.”

  “Yes, a complete surprise,” I agree, faking a smile.

  “It looks like you’re very well-travelled, so why now? Why did you decide to come back to the country and open the business during this unstable climate?” Vincent asks with open curiosity.

  “It's time to settle and think about relationships and family. I have seen enough, travelled to many beautiful places, but I'm ready for a permanent home," he says and then gives me a wink. Samuel narrows his eyes and then nods to the caterers, so they can start serving food.

  "So you're single then?” Tarryn asks with her flirtatious tone, thinking that he is good enough for her. Her thoughts are very clear: she is bored and wants to find a new man.

  “Chris likes to party too much. We haven’t seen each other much since my last divorce, but we always had fun when you were in town, right?” I ask, smiling. Samuel squeezes my thigh harder and I give him a sharp glance, wondering what the hell is he doing. He must be jealous, but I like this game. We only just started dating, but he is already sensing some connection between me and Chris, probably thinking that there was something between us in the past. I’m not going to give him an answer now. He can sweat a little.

  While the catering staff serves the starter, Vincent starts throwing out some jokes, relaxing the atmosphere a little. I sense the tension between Dimitrious and Samuel. For some reason my new boyfriend isn’t too keen on Chris.

  I dig into the starter, thinking about Dimitrious and the way he is looking at me. Maybe that whole memory from his past made him think about his current life. I don’t know what he does besides checking on me. Rhonda says that it’s none of my business, but I’m curious.

  Dimitrious joins Vincent in
telling us more jokes, and for a good half an hour we are all laughing. Samuel mentions that he dines with his friends quite often.

  "Samuel, Poppy mentioned that you aren’t from London?" Dimitrious asks, probably intentionally switching the subject to a more serious one. Samuel can’t talk about his own past, and I want to hear what kind of life he created for himself amongst humans.

  “I was born up North in a small town by the coast. My parents died when I was in my teens," Samuel explains. "My father was from Morocco."

  “Morocco seems exotic,” says Dimitrious.

  “How about you, Chris, where are you from?”

  I don’t hear Dimitrious reply, my thoughts trailing back to the previous night. Maybe this is the first time Dimitrious saw the real memories about his life, when he was a respected Watcher. I'm not supposed to care for his feelings, but I'm curious to find out if he really had fallen in love with a human woman.

  He doesn’t like me and I really want to cut off his head.

  I nearly choke on the food, hearing Dimitrious in my head. A bead of sweat drips down my back when I meet his disturbing gaze. I tell him to stay out of my head, because I won’t be responsible if this whole plan fails.

  I’m glad when Angelo starts talking about his business venture. Tarryn joins in, telling us about her modelling career. During the second course Samuel makes a few snappy comments about Chris’s and my relationship, trying to wind Chris up, but he fails miserably. I find Samuel quite irritating at times but I’m scared to see his real dark side.

  "Poppy likes adventures and sailing. When we were younger we did a lot of silly sports together,” Dimitrious says as we all move to the living room. All the stuff in Samuel’s penthouse is so vintage and fabulous. It’s a shame that Dimitrious wants to kill him, because I could easily like living here and throwing some amazing parties or raising a family.

  Samuel narrows his eyes again, turning to look at me. "Hmm, I had no idea. So you’re the adrenaline junkie, darling?" he asks.

  I hate any kind of sports where my heart rate picks up, but I have to keep up this ridiculous act in order to survive. "Yes, that kind of thing turns me on, darling. Chris and I had a lot of fun in the past."