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Soul Mate
Copyright © 2011 by Jane Rochester
ISBN: 978-1-61333-145-3
Cover art by Fantasia Frog Designs
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC
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Soul Mate
Jane Rochester
A 1 Night Stand Story
Chapter One
“I don’t think I can do this.” I clutched my cell phone in one sweaty palm.
“Nora. Take a deep breath.” My best friend, Anna, laughed in my ear. “I bought you this so you could have a good time. Who knows? Maybe you’ll meet Mr. Right?”
Yeah. Sure. “I don’t belong here, Anna. I’m not rich. This guy’s going to get all the wrong ideas about me.”
Anna went silent on the other end for a moment, and then her breath blew static into the phone. I flinched at the noise. “Stop being ridiculous. Get out of the car and go meet him. Have a fling. You’ve been single forever, and I’m trying to fix that.”
Almost against my will, I opened the car door. “Just because wedded bliss agrees with you doesn’t mean it needs to be thrust it on everyone else. I am perfectly content as I am.”
She seized on the word as soon as she heard it. “Exactly. Content. You should be happy. Content is for old women with forty cats.”
“All right.” I took a deep breath and released it slowly. “I agreed to this. And I can back out of the whole thing after dinner if I want to.” She sighed into the phone. “But it doesn’t matter, because I’m going to be totally wild for one night. I can do this.”
“That’s my girl. Knock him dead.” She giggled again. “I so wish I could be there. But call and let me know how it turns out!”
“Sure. Talk to you later.”
She hung up, and I tossed the phone into the small, beaded clutch I’d brought. I dug out the crumpled printout of Madame Eve’s email and reread the instructions again.
Go to the Castillo Hotel and Resort Washington DC. Inside is the Skyline Grill. Give the waiter your name, and he will seat you in the proper place. If you arrive before your companion, please relax. Have a drink, and enjoy yourself. The rest is up to you.
I thrust the paper back into the bag and snapped it shut.
“Relax. You can do this,” I muttered, and smoothed the short black cocktail dress down my thighs. The Castillo Hotel and Resort Washington DC loomed before me, the picture of elegance. One night in a basic room would cost me a month’s pay. I’d checked when Anna told me she’d set me up on a particularly special high-end date with Madame Evangeline’s service.
I knew Anna’s bank account was vast, but after doing a little research, I decided the dating service alone had probably cost more than I cared to think about. And she wanted me to stay at the hotel, even offered to pay for the room, but my pride wouldn’t allow me to take her up on that. Not even as a thirtieth birthday present. So I’d gotten dressed in my finest at home, about an hour away in Winchester, and driven over. Of course, it also made me feel like I had control over the whole date.
I checked my reflection in the tinted glass as I approached the doors. The black dress hugged all the right curves. I tried not to notice the ten pounds I hadn’t managed to get off after the summer. My hair was also starting to come out of the French twist I’d put it in. I knew it wouldn’t last long, but I’d hoped to make a good first impression.
The doorman opened the door. “Welcome to the Castillo Hotel and Resort.”
“Thanks.” I smiled. “I’m headed for the Skyline Grill. Can you tell me how to get there?”
He nodded and motioned to the glass elevator that ran up the inside of the massive foyer. “Just take the elevator straight to the top floor. It’s to your right as you get off.”
“Thank you.”
Another deep breath and I punched the button on the elevator. The doors opened, the polished brass door shining in the low light. Again, I wondered why I’d decided to go along with this. I never should have allowed Anna to mix the cocktails the last time I’d seen her. I’d ended up drinking far too much and spilling my guts about how lonely I was.
I clutched my purse tight, trying to force my hands to cease trembling. A date. Dinner. One little meal with the mystery man. It didn’t have to go any farther if I didn’t want it to. At least I had the assurance that everyone was background-checked and cleared before Madame Eve set up the dates.
The bell sounded and the doors opened to reveal a carpeted hallway that ended at a set of double doors and a dark wood podium. A tuxedoed host stood behind it, wire-rimmed spectacles perched at the end of his long nose.
“Do you have a reservation, Madame?” He glanced at my clothes, and I felt a little awkward. But there was only indifference in his gaze.
“My name is Nora Camden.”
Immediately, a smile bloomed on his thin face. “Ah, yes. Please, follow me.”
Two walls were floor-to-ceiling windows, affording beautiful views of the Capitol. He slid a menu into the crook of his arm and led me into the dimly lit restaurant. The tables were small, set with fine china and linens, and most of the patrons were couples.
He headed toward a wall, opening a frosted glass door and moving aside for me to enter. I pulled my eyes from the view and stepped into the room.
A single table, set for two, sat in the center of a room with three walls of windows. It was like we stood on the rooftop, without the wind and noise. Soft music piped in from speakers I couldn’t see, and a single red rose in a crystal vase glowed in the light of a small votive candle.
The host moved forward, pulling out my chair. I sat. He flipped the crisp white napkin out and laid it across my lap, then held out his hand.
“If you please, I’ll put your purse on the shelf against the wall.”
Mute, I handed it to him, and he placed it onto a small shelf I hadn’t noticed.
“Your server will be Gloria. She will be here in just a moment to bring you something to drink. I’m sure your companion will be along momentarily. If you need anything else, there is a service button on the table.”
I nodded, glancing at the small, remote-like device next to the candle. “Thank you.”
He smiled again and left.
I looked around and gulped. What had I agreed to?
Chapter Two
She looked lovely in the candlelight. Her hair escaped and curled around her neck with a grace I hadn’t seen in a long time. Old-fashioned females were hard to come by these days.
I frowned as her brow furrowed with worry. I stood in the corner of the room, leaning against the one solid wall. Invisibility was an unfair advantage. One I’d promised my brother, Callum, I wouldn’t use. I lied, of course. He had to know I wouldn’t go into any situation without checking it first.
Espec
ially since this whole evening was a waste of money. If I hadn’t managed to find my soul mate in four hundred years, I doubted Madame Eve could do it in a few weeks. No matter how good she was.
I shook my head, and my date stiffened. She turned, one hand brushing the locks of hair at her neck. My curiosity, something I’d thought long dead, perked. I hadn’t stirred a breeze. Not enough of one for her to feel it. Could it be that she sensed my presence? I reached out with my mind, brushed across her thoughts. But her barriers were strong, and I got only the impression of nervous energy and an intense self-consciousness.
I took two silent steps forward, until I could extend an arm and touch her hair if I wanted. She smelled of something floral, roses and lavender, and woman, and beneath that, the ever-alluring scent of blood.
It was good I’d fed before coming. Otherwise, things might not have gone so well. Even so, my gums ached with the need to release my fangs. Every year it became harder to control that urge. And her scent intoxicated me.
I took another step closer, and she jumped, her eyes narrowing. She spun in her seat, squinting in the darkness as if she could actually see something.
“Get a grip. There is nothing there. You’re imagining things again,” she muttered.
The door opened, and the waitress entered, carrying a bottle of something in a silver cooler. I slid out the door as it closed and made my way, unseen to the host’s podium. If I did this, I would have to follow the rules. That much had been made amply clear by Madame Eve, who’d used polite words to explain it. My brother told me he’d bleed me dry if I screwed this up.
It was time to make an entrance.
When the host ushered me into the room, my date was sipping something bubbly and golden. An Italian sparkling wine, from the scent of it. It didn’t seem to have relaxed her though.
She rose, set her glass down and held out a hand. “Hello. Are you…Angus?” Her hand trembled a little.
“I am. You must be Nora.”
She attempted a nervous smile. “It’s lovely to meet you.”
The moment my fingers brushed hers, fire traveled up my arm. I barely held in an oath. She managed to keep her reaction contained to a quick, breathy gasp. I grasped her hand more firmly and brushed my lips across the back.
I straightened, trying to sort out the strange riot of emotions she caused. But I still caught the laughter in her words.
We sat, and the waitress offered me a glass of wine. I took it, absently sipping the sweet liquid, but I barely tasted it. It was impossible that Madame Eve had managed to find the right woman. Impossible.
“You sound as though my name is a surprise.” I said, accepting a menu.
Nora looked up, with a tiny smile pulling at the corner of her mouth. “Not your name. I just didn’t picture Angus MacInnes looking quite like…you know.”
I leaned forward. “No, I don’t. What do you mean?”
“Please.” She rolled her eyes. “A guy as hot as you knows exactly what he looks like.”
A laugh escaped. She slapped a hand across her mouth, then lowered it and turned red. “I’m sorry. I’m sure that violated some sort of blind date rule.”
“No, no. You’re right.”
The waitress left, and the moment she did, Nora’s whole demeanor changed. I could hear her heartbeat accelerate. Slowly, as if I were comforting a spooked animal, I took one of her hands from her menu. Partly because I wanted to feel her skin against mine, partly to see what she’d do.
“Nora.” I squeezed her fingers lightly. “Please, don’t be nervous.”
She cleared her throat. “I’m not exactly the type of girl who does this.”
“Date?”
“Well….” My eyes moved to her mouth, where her teeth worried at her lip. A brief fantasy about those lips made me shift in my chair. “Yes, that. And the atmosphere. You should know I’m not wealthy. A friend paid for this as a birthday present.”
I tore my eyes away from her mouth with considerable effort. “I’m not worried about your money, or lack thereof. And I was also given this as a gift.”
Some of the tension seemed to leave her at those words. “Really?”
I nodded. “My brother has decided I need to settle down.” Or he’ll have to imprison me.
“My best friend has the same idea.”
“And what do you think? Are you looking for happily ever after?” The words came off a little flippant. But I wanted to hear her answer. Something inside me, in a part of myself I didn’t want to look at too closely, wanted her. Felt something soft and tender for this woman I’d barely met.
Her posture stiffened slightly. This conversation had taken a serious turn I hadn’t intended.
Her eyes moved to the windows. “Happily ever after is nice, but I don’t know if it exists.” The waitress returned, and Nora smiled. “This is too heavy a conversation for a blind date. What are you going to have?”
Chapter Three
I wasn’t sure how long I could stay there. The temperature in the room seemed to have risen twenty degrees the moment Angus’ hand touched mine. Every time he moved, I was intensely aware of it. When the waitress approached and took our order, my heartbeat slowed to normal. The moment she collected the menus and left, it rose again.
He was too handsome. Short black hair, the beginning of a five o’clock shadow, and a jawline that could cut glass. His eyes…they seemed to drive right through me. Into me. They saw things no one saw, and it made me feel strange. Connected to him. Like magic danced between us.
That wasn’t supposed to happen. I didn’t believe in that sort of thing. Love at first sight. Soul mates. Impossible dreams.
And then another thought struck me—hard.
Magic.
“Do you know Anna Halifax?” I asked, abruptly.
Angus tilted his head. “Everyone knows of her.”
“Not everyone.”
His gaze slid away from mine. “Well, in certain circles, she is quite popular.”
I stood, throwing my napkin on the table, tears burning my eyes. “I’m going to strangle her.”
“What’s wrong?”
I didn’t see him move, but suddenly he was there, his warm hands cupping my elbows. I stared at his silk tie. The pattern of swirls blurred.
“Please, let me go. I’d like to die of embarrassment in private.”
He moved one hand to cup my chin. “Not until you tell me what’s wrong. Have I done something to upset you? I know I can be a little intimidating at times.”
I shook my head. “No. It isn’t you. I think my friend is trying a little too hard is all.”
His brow furrowed. “I don’t understand.”
Tears and humiliation clogged my throat, even as I enjoyed the feeling of his fingers against my face. I couldn’t believe Anna would stoop so low as to using magic. I pushed away, heading for my clutch.
“Wait.” His hand tugged on mine. “You think Anna Halifax has bewitched me?”
I spun, my heart pounding. Had he heard what I was thinking?
“Yes.” A squeak escaped and I sank into the chair I’d leapt from. Angus reluctantly let go of my hand. “How can you do that? And how would you know Anna’s a witch?”
He returned to his seat, his shoulder’s lifting. “I told you. In certain circles, Anna is quite well known. And I can assure you, she could not have possibly bewitched me.”
Hope sprung in my chest, though I tried to ignore it. “How can you be sure?”
“Because her magic has no effect on my kind.”
“Your kind?”
He sighed, and his shoulders seemed to slump a little. “Because no witch’s charm, not even Anna’s, can affect a vampire’s emotions.”
Vampire.
Well. That explained a lot. A few years ago, it would have sent me screaming. After spending time with Anna, it was about as shocking as finding out he was vegetarian. “I don’t understand.”
“You don’t? I’m surprised you’re still standing
here. But if Anna is your friend, then you’re well acquainted with my world.” He leaned forward again. “But how I wonder? You’re not fae, or a witch.”
I tapped the side of my head. “Psychic. Sometimes. Mostly with ghosts and tarot. But it’s never consistent. Anna’s been trying to help me get it under control for awhile.”
Angus smiled, and looked at me again. Like he saw me for the first time. “Well. I’ll be damned.”
Before I could ask what he meant, the waitress returned with our meal. He turned the conversation to small talk. The weather. Jobs. Apparently his company owned several different businesses and he traveled to places that made my mouth water.
Watching him might have also contributed to that. The longer we talked, the more often he brushed his fingers against mine. Like he looked for excuses to touch me. And I found ways to help him out. Each time he touched me, it was like a drug. I craved it.
My mind kept wandering to his mouth and the thick muscles of his arms as they moved under his tailored shirt. I wondered what it would feel like to feel them around me. Now that I’d gotten a preview when I tried to leave, I couldn’t get the image from my mind.
I was in way over my head.
Chapter Four
I didn’t think the end of the meal would ever come. Desire and excitement rushed through me, making me feel like a teenager again. And that had been a very, very long time ago. For the next fifty years I’d be eating my words about Madame Eve and her abilities. Callum would see to it, and I would endure it with great pleasure. Because this slender, enticing female in front of me was it. My soul mate. The threads connecting us grew thicker by the minute.
Judging by the fantasies that danced in her mind when she let down her guard, she would be willing. Please, God, let her be willing. I’d found her. A feat on its own. But if she refused me, it was finished. I’d already reached the end of my tether. A vampire without a soul mate turned into the Soulless. A succubus at best. At worst—well, that didn’t bear thinking about. Callum had promised to put me out of my misery before that happened.
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