The Witch and the Vampire King (Immortal Love Series Book 2)

by Anna Santos

  It was as if he was teasing her. He had spent the afternoon sitting beside her, propped on the edge of her desk, or lurking behind her while she was reading or reaching for the books on the shelves. He seemed to be taunting her, and she was trying hard to behave and not do something silly like kissing him and begging him to kiss her back.

  Jessica swirled her chair around, forcing him to straighten. “Do you want more coffee?”

  “No, I'm good.” He stepped back and Jessica gulped at the intensity flickering inside his blue eyes. His lines were tense, though.

  Dizziness made her sit back on her chair as she closed her eyes and held her head.

  “What's wrong?” His hands rested on her shoulders. He squeezed and a wave of pleasure rolled through her. “You’re bleeding!”

  When she opened her eyes, he had rushed to get a tissue to place against her nose. After a few moments, the tissue was already red.

  “We should call a doctor,” he urged.

  His worried expression warmed her heart as hope misled her to think that maybe he cared for her. Yet, she couldn't help thinking that there was something important that she needed to tell him.

  “I'm just tired. It happens sometimes.”

  “Maybe you should go home and rest,” he said, removing the tissue and placing a new one. Jessica's placed her hand on his as their eyes met, and the need to tell something that was on the tip of her tongue. Diverting his eyes, he said, “I think it stopped. But you have blood on your top.”

  “I should go home to change clothes,” she mumbled.

  His jaw clenched before he spoke, “You should rest instead of going out with my son.”

  “It's not a date. We are friends.”

  “I never said it was a date,” he spoke softly, and she felt silly for explaining herself to him.

  Of course, he didn't care if it was a date or not. Why should he?

  “It's just a movie.”

  He removed his hand and gave her a clean tissue. “I'm sure that whatever you have planned is a lot more important than this new project.”

  Jessica arched an eyebrow as he walked to his desk and sat down. Was he trying to manipulate her into staying? She checked her nose for blood. It had stopped and the tissue was clean.

  “Eric is eager to see this movie. I can't simply cancel it. Plus, I need to get out of...” She shut up before disclosing more than she wished.

  “I'm sure that Eric will show you a good time.” His voice came out strangled and Jessica's heart felt heavy in her chest.

  “You could join us.”

  “That's ridiculous. The last thing, Eric needs is his old dad ruining his night.”

  Jessica pouted. “We are just friends. Maybe you would feel more comfortable if we invited Shane and Anna.”

  “I have too many things to do here. I have your map to draw and to finish my cover design.”

  “You are always making excuses not to leave the palace,” Jessica accused him.

  The king raised his head to look at her as she shrunk in her seat, disturbed by his intense gaze directed at her.

  “There's nothing for me outside the palace. You are young and you should live your life, but I don't need your pity.”

  A door opened and footsteps were heard, preventing Jessica from saying what she thought about his unwillingness to find a new purpose to live. Plus, she was annoyed by his assumption that she pitied him.

  “Jessica, are you ready?” Eric's voice was heard behind her.

  She turned her chair to greet him. “Hi, Eric.”

  Eric's eyes then landed on the king who seemed concentrated on what he was writing. “Hi, dad.”

  “Good afternoon, Eric,” he grumbled as he spared him a look.

  “We need to go now, Jessie, because I want to show you the new houses before we get to the restaurant. We've just installed the new kitchens. You will love it.” The prince stopped next to her chair.

  “I was trying to convince your dad to join us, but he doesn't want to leave the palace.”

  “It's everything okay with you?” Eric asked, looking at the tissue against her nose.

  “Yes, don't worry. It was a false alarm. I'll have to go home to change clothes, though. Will you give me a ride?”

  “Of course.”

  Jessica got up, threw the tissue in the trash can, and shouldered her backpack.

  Eric hesitated before leaving. “Are you sure you don't want to come with us, dad?”

  “I have too much to do here,” he mumbled.

  “Have a pleasant night, then.”

  Eric turned around and offered his arm to Jessica as his voice filled the library. “You will love the new granite we purchased for the kitchen. It looks perfect with the backsplash. I'm still going to convince you to buy a house to live here permanently.”

  * * *

  THE KING

  The king had tried to keep his distance, but her scent surrounded him day and night in the library. He found himself rifling through her papers, smelling them and reading what she had written. He began spending time with her and, against his own best judgment, found himself exploring her family’s grimoire. He helped her with her research and left his own work on hold.

  Loneliness hit him harder when she wasn’t around. He had waited for her to show up on Saturday. But she didn’t. He buried himself in work to keep his mind from returning to her memory, but his eyes often landed on the empty chair where she sat every day for the past week.

  Sunday came without him being able to sleep. Then the sound of laughter downstairs bothered his enhanced hearing and warned him that his family was there. Eric had told him something about that, the previous night, but he simply grumbled and didn’t pay any attention. Now all his senses were piqued by the blonde, sexy witch downstairs who was surrounded by his family as some watched a movie and others played cards.

  When he arrived downstairs, Eric, Shane, Kevin, and Sebastien were playing poker in the living room. Standing in the doorway of his office, he saw Anna and Jessica sitting on the big white sofa from across the widescreen television where a movie was playing. They were sharing popcorn and talking about the actors. He had no idea of what kind of movie it was, but the girls seemed excited.

  “Grandpa!” Anna saw him first. She jumped from the sofa to hug him and place a kiss on his cheek

  He hugged her back and kissed her back as he smiled at her. “Good morning, baby. What are you all doing here?”

  “Didn’t Eric tell you? We are here to spend the day with you. If Mohammed won’t come to the mountain, the mountain must come Mohammed.” She smiled cheekily. “It was Jessica’s idea.”

  The king looked at the witch, sitting in the middle with her legs crossed and a bucket of popcorn in her lap. She paused after putting a handful of popcorn in her mouth, almost choking on it when she turned her head to watch them. His lips stretched into a smile, involuntarily. He quickly cleared his throat and looked at his granddaughter.

  Anna asked, “Are you hungry? Rose isn’t here. We gave her the day off so she could be with her children. But we are planning to cook in a bit, once the boys finish the poker game.”

  “Yes,” he said.

  Jessica rose from the sofa and scrubbed her hands to her jeans. “I’ll make you breakfast,” she said and didn’t wait for his answer because she rushed from the library without even looking at him.

  The king frowned and looked at Anika who complained, “I was going to say that.”

  His granddaughter pouted, and he patted her head. “Jessica knows how I like my coffee,” the king explained as he edged to the sofa and sat where Jessica used to be.

  Anika paused the movie and sat beside him, putting the popcorns on the coffee table.

  “You look tired. Have you been sleeping?” she asked with a worried expression.

  “I’ve been concentrated on a new work.”

  “A new cover?”

  “Yes.”

  “Jessie said you were excited about a story y
ou found in her grimoire.”

  Before he could answer, Kevin sped into the library and stopped in front of him. “Good morning! We are playing poker in the living room. Do you want to join us?”

  Anika grabbed his arm, excited. “After lunch, we are going to play board games. We brought monopoly, scrabble, and trivial pursuit. Have you ever played them?”

  Kevin flexed his arms and tapped his foot. “That’s just boring. Shane and I are planning to work on the new muscle car I bought. I found a rare Mustang Boss 429 with all the original pieces, but the engine needs some work.”

  “I don’t understand anything about cars,” the king said.

  Kevin scratched the back of his head. “You can’t say such a blasphemy, grandpa. Cars are awesome!”

  “I had a motorcycle. I don’t have any idea where it is now.”

  “Anyway, you can work on your car tomorrow. Today is to spend time with the family and we are going to play board games,” Anna said. Then she lifted her hand and made a sign for him to be quiet.

  Kevin rolled his eyes and then smiled widely. “Poker? I can use the money.”

  “Let’s go, kid.” The king rose and followed Kevin to the poker table.

  Minutes later, Jessica arrived with the king’s cup of coffee and took a seat next to him, watching them play. Anika was already next to Shane and, for the next hour, the king wiped them clean.

  Shane got up when he ran out of poker chips. “I’m going to take care of the barbecue.”

  “I’ll check the meat and Jessica can peel the potatoes,” Anna pitched in.

  “I can show my new project to grandpa. I can even let you drive,” Kevin said.

  The king relaxed in his chair. “It’s been ages since I have driven.”

  “The fresh air will do you good, Dad,” Eric said, getting up. “I’ll help Jessica in the kitchen.”

  The king frowned as his jaw clenched. “Maybe, we should all help in the kitchen and with the barbecue and go for a ride in the car, after,” he suggested.

  “It’s a gorgeous summer day. We could set the table outside in the backyard and I could make dessert if anyone else peeled the potatoes,” Jessica suggested.

  Minutes later, the king was alone in the kitchen with Jessica while the rest had exited to the garden to look for a table and chairs in the storage building.

  Jessica had her head inside the huge fridge, and the king was inspecting a potato that he had between his fingers. After putting all she needed to make a chocolate mousse over the kitchen island, she edged closer to the king.

  Her voice shattered the silence inside the kitchen, the only other sound to be heard was the others talking in the garden. “Have you ever peeled a potato?”

  The king looked at her. “No. But how hard can it be?”

  Jessie leaned forward and grabbed a knife from the butcher’s block. “I’ll show you how it’s done and then I’ll have to do the dessert. You can always wait for Eric. He’s good at it.”

  The king arched an eyebrow. “How do you know?”

  “He always helps me when I cook. Are you looking at what I’m doing?”

  “Eric doesn’t eat food. And you eat here. Where do you cook that he can help you?”

  “Anna’s house, of course. Besides, Eric eats raw meat. It has protein and vitamins that vampires also need to be stronger.” Jessica continued to rotate the potato as she peeled it.

  “Were you sick?” The king asked.

  Jessica frowned and looked at him as she stopped what she was doing. “Why?”

  “You didn’t come yesterday to work on your book. I thought you might be sick since you bled.”

  “I wasn’t sick.”

  “Then why didn’t you come?”

  She put the knife down and breathed out. “Are you watching how I’m peeling the potato?”

  He ignored her question. “What could be so important that made you neglect your work?”

  “I didn’t ignore my work. But on Saturdays, I go practice with Anna. Plus, yesterday, I had a session with other witches. We prayed to the goddess and…I needed to clear my head. Do you want a potato peeler instead?” She asked, holding her hands on the counter and staring at the open door to the garden. Then she looked at him again. “You should let Kevin show you his new car. He’s really happy and he needs a father figure to feel loved. He sees Eric more like a friend. Kevin respects you and wants to make you proud. If you showed more interest in his hobbies and life, maybe he would spend more time home than with Sebastien’s pack.”

  The king caressed his beard with thoughtful eyes. “Kevin seems happy.”

  “He’s not unhappy. He’s easy to please. But he needs a father figure in his life. I get that you favor Annabel because she resembles your late wife, but Kevin is also your grandchild.”

  “Did he tell you that?”

  “He doesn’t need to. I know him. He’s feeling lonely since he woke up from the coma. He’s also being more reckless than before. I don’t know if it was the near death experience or it’s just a phase, but he’s different from what he used to be.”

  The king nodded his head in agreement. “I’ll talk to him. And I’ll try to show interest in his hobbies.”

  “It won’t kill you to go for a ride in his car.”

  “Maybe not. But, I’m rather fond of real horses. Muscle cars make too much noise for my liking. When I was younger, I liked to race chariots. It was fun. Today, kids have no idea of what it is to create a bond with an animal that will carry you around.”

  Jessica brushed the loose hair from her face. “Well, cars are faster than horses. Besides, everybody has their own hobbies. You like drawing and books. Kevin likes fast cars, bikes, and playing his guitar.”

  The king’s lips curved into a smile. “He inherited something from Isobel. She loved music.”

  “Did she play an instrument?”

  “When she was born, the harp was really popular. But then she learned the piano when it first appeared in Florence. She still played the harp from time to time, but the piano became her favorite.”

  “I’ll ask Kevin to play after lunch.”

  “What do you want me to play?” Kevin asked, entering the kitchen. “The table is ready, we just need plates, glasses, and a tablecloth. But I don’t see any potatoes peeled or any dessert made. You are just chatting.”

  Kevin stopped next to them with a smile plastered on his face.

  “I need your uncle to teach the king how to work faster,” Jessica said, playfully.

  “I’ll call him as soon as you show me where the dishware is.”

  Chapter Twelve—Jealousy

  JESSICA

  The king wore leather pants that hugged his muscled thighs and a white cotton shirt half covering his sculpted chest bathed by blond, curly hair. His shoulder-length hair was tied into a bun behind his head. His squared face and dimpled chin were on display. As Jessica sat across from the king in the improvised picnic table outside, a smile took over her expression and caressed her soul. Happiness bubbled inside her stomach every time he smiled, plus she was glad that he was spending time with his family. She was pleased for his happiness.

  Everybody seemed to be having a great time as the conversation became louder and the laughter was constant.

  Fighting the desire to lean across the table and run her fingers through his beard and down his neck, she kept listening to the king's low and deep voice as he shared one of his many stories about the wars he had been to.

  Fiddling with her glass, she saw it was empty, and her special tea was in the kitchen. She got up to get it and left the sounds behind as she entered the palace.

  Opening the fridge, she grabbed the bottle of tea. After pouring a glass, she spun around only to be startled. “Oh, my god! What are you doing here?”

  The king's hand grabbed the bottle before it shattered on the kitchen's tile.

  “I came to see if you needed any help with the dessert,” he answered after storing the bottle in the fridge
. “Do you think the mousse is set?”

  “I was about to find out. Step aside if you please.”

  As Jessica tested the consistency of the chocolate mousse, the king leaned against the kitchen island. When she turned around he was sipping her drink.

  “This tastes like dirt!” He protested. “How can you drink this?”

  Jessica rushed to take the glass from his hands as if it was poison. Her cheeks flared red.

  “What is that?” He questioned.

  “Tea,” she replied nonchalantly.

  “What is it for? Cleaning the toilette?”

  “Funny,” she said and then pursed her lips. “The mousse still needs ten more minutes. Let's join the others outside.”

  The king grabbed Jessica's wrist and prevented her from leaving. “There's something I need to talk to you about.”

  Frowning, she asked, “Now?”

  “It doesn't need to be today. Tomorrow, maybe.”

  “Is it something serious?''

  “Yes. It's extremely serious, and I don't want to address this matter, lightly. We need to discuss something that concerns us both.”

  His words piqued her curiosity. “It sounds serious. Now, I want to know what can we possibly have to talk that is that serious. Did King Francesco call? Is that the serious matter? You can tell me.”

  “We still haven't heard from him. I guess I shouldn't have touched on this matter, today.”

  “Are you mad because I didn't come yesterday? Is this one more lecture about responsibilities and taking the translation of my grimoire seriously? Or have you changed your mind and want me far away from your precious library?”

  The king pursed his lips and clenched his jaw with folded arms as he gripped his elbows. “It’s nothing like that.”

  Her outburst had made her heart race and, suddenly, she had to fight the vertigo that assaulted her vision. Before she realized, the floor was spinning and her hands were searching for support. Strong arms secured her around her shoulders as her face rested against the king’s chest. She closed her eyes, losing track of time and space.

  The king's voice reached her mind and led her back to reality. “What happened?”

  The pad of his fingers pressed her cheeks as she opened her eyes and her vision focused on his blue eyes. “I don't know. I felt dizzy.”