Dual Hearts (Seduction Series Book 1)

by Emily Vincent

  “Hey, Elisha. What’s up?” she asked.

  I moved closer to her desk, a smile plastered on my face. “Just needed a break from studying,” I said with a laugh. “Is Chris available?”

  “Ummm…well, I don’t know. He had to run out for a bit and then I was in the basement when he came back and so I’m not really sure if he’s here or not.” She was rambling, which was never a good sign.

  “Well…can you buzz him?” I asked. I laughed nervously, because usually she would be right on top of that, but this time she seemed pretty hesitant.

  “Oh…sure!” she mumbled. She went and worked with fumbling with her phone, as if she didn’t recall how to operate it. I frowned as she was working her fingers on it. She looked at me and smiled and then went back to looking her phone over. I nearly asked if she just wanted me to knock on his door, but then she seemed to get a hold of him. “Um…Elisha is here,” she stumbled. She then whispered something, like I wasn’t even in the room. A few awkward glances my way and I felt for sure that something was up. Again, I started to wonder how these negative things and it didn’t make sense to me. I was beyond the worry of Chris cheating on me, but there was something fishy happening. “Okay. I’ll tell her.” She hung up and looked at me. “He said he’ll be out in a minute,” she said.

  I smiled, but my smile wasn’t all that genuine. I couldn’t get past the fact that it wasn’t working. “Thanks!” I said.

  I waited around for probably fifteen minutes, before his door opened. I glanced in his direction and he let the door close behind him, then came out to see me. “Sorry about that, babe,” he said. He moved in closer and I puckered up as he planted a kiss on my lips. “I would have been out here sooner, but I had a few things to catch up on.” His eyes seemed shifty and I felt strange standing there in that moment.

  “No worries,” I said. “I just wanted to tell you what just happened. Do you have a minute?”

  He nodded. “I do. Do you want to go downstairs for something to eat?” he asked.

  I agreed and so we headed downstairs and took a seat in the cocktail lounge. We waited until we were able to order, before he asked me what was going on. “I got an email from Xander,” I said.

  He arched an eyebrow. “You did? What did it say?”

  I gave him the gist of what Xander told me, mainly about how he knew that Chris was the one for me and that he didn’t want to have to stick around and read the tabloids, so thought it was best that he left. When I was finished, Chris opened his mouth.

  “Wow!” he said. “Did you respond back and tell him that you were open for a friendship?” he asked.

  I nodded and told him what I could remember from our email exchange, not leaving anything out. Chris didn’t seem jealous or anything, just intrigued.

  When we were finished with that part of the conversation, the waiter brought us our drinks and food and we settled into easy conversation, talking more about how things could workout with being friends with Xander, as long as we were all in agreement.

  Periodically, he would reach across the table and touch my hand, or give me a sweet and sexy smile, and I would fall in love with him all over again. He then inquired about school. “How are things going with classes, baby?” he asked.

  I beamed. “Absolutely perfect,” I said. “I can’t complain, but I know in my heart that I’m doing what I am supposed to be doing. I’m happy with my decision to give up working in acting for this job. It’s where my heart always was, I just didn’t see it there.

  “Good to hear,” he said. “And how do you feel about our relationship?” he asked.

  I didn’t know why there was so much third degrees, but I would answer any question for him. “I feel that what you and I have is absolutely perfect. You are the one that I am supposed to be with. I can’t explain how much I truly believe that. I love you, Chris. Nothing is going to change that.” I then hesitated and had to ask why he asked. “So, why’d you ask about that?” I inquired.

  He laughed. “No reason other than I wanted to make sure when I went into this next part, you didn’t laugh in my face.” He winked at me, but I was a little confused.

  “The next part?” I asked.

  He snickered. “I didn’t plan on doing this here. In fact, the plan was that I would invite you over to my place and make you a romantic meal. We would enjoy that and then have a sexy night together. Then after we made love over and over again, I would ask you a question.”

  I pondered over that and tilted my head, still wondering if I was losing my mind. “What question would you ask me?” I asked. My voice was quivering as I contemplated how this was really going down.

  He smiled and then I watched as he got up and moved closer to me. As he went down on his knee, I covered my mouth. This couldn’t be happening. “Chris…are you kidding right now?” I whispered.

  From the corner of my eye I spotted several people taking pictures and knew that this moment could very well land in the next paper. But Chris didn’t seem at all phased as he looked at me. “When I think about my future, you are always right beside me. I can’t change the past, but I can brighten our future and hope that in the end we are living it together. You know how much I love you. I feel you love me the same, so to me it was a no-brainer that I needed to pop this question. So, Elisha Lornal, will you marry me?”

  His smile was so wide and his eyes were latched onto mine. Even though I didn’t expect the question to be popped right then, I couldn’t deny how much I wanted exactly what he said. So, I nodded and I heard the words come from my lips. “Yes, I’ll marry you,” I said.

  He tore the ring from the box and put it on my shaking finger, then stood to his feet and pulled me up after him. Our lips locked and, from then on, I couldn’t let a minute go by without expressing my deepest love for this man. We had to get through some hurdles, but that only made our love that much stronger. I felt safe in Chris’ arms and nothing was going to change that. The best decision I made was moving to Las Vegas and my life was now complete.

  “I love you, Elisha,” Chris muttered into my hair. “I love you so goddamn much, and I can’t tell you how happy, and how grateful I am.”

  I smiled, letting a few tears roll down my cheeks before I finally nodded. “I love you too, and I cannot wait to be your wife.”

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  Seduction Series Preview

  BOOK #2

  Prologue - Preview

  The aroma of coffee filled the air of the small café. I took a sip from my mug as I picked up the magazine from the table. Right on the front page was Elisha and Chris graced the front of the magazine. They were all smiles, celebrating the newly engaged couple. I could stare at the picture and smile with ease, now, as the pain wasn’t quite as prevalent.

  I cared about Elisha greatly, but it was Chris she belonged with. By the pictures, that was obvious. I pushed the magazine away and took a drink of my coffee, then heaved a sigh and glanced at my watch. I only had fifteen minutes to get to my job interview. The Magnolia Hotel was right across the street, so I didn’t have to race.

  When thinking about my life and where it was headed, I didn’t think I would work somewhere that was called, The Magnolia, but it was one of the hottest hotels in the city, and the job was going to be something that could propel my career to the next level. I would be head security officer, managing one of the new and upcoming stars of the next generation. So, the name of the hotel didn’t really matter much.

  After finishing off my coffee, I tossed down a tip and got up. “Thanks, Bessie!” I called out, tossing a wave over my shoulder.

  “Good luck, Xander!” she called out.

  One could say that I went to this café often, maybe a little too much, but I liked the service and enjoyed the atmosphere. I l
eft the café, while on a mission. I looked both ways and crossed the street to get to the hotel. The hotel had the name, The Magnolia, lit up in lights and there was a picture of a magnolia right next to it. I snickered and shrugged. “Doesn’t matter, Xander… just focus on the interview.”

  I entered the hotel and made my way to the desk. I pulled on my suit jacket so that I looked professional and didn’t look like I just woke up and threw it on. The man behind the counter looked up and smiled. “How may I help you today, Sir?” he asked.

  “Yes… my name is Xander Wolfe, and I have a nine o’clock interview.”

  The guy’s eyes lit up. “Sure thing, Mr Wolfe. Have a seat, and they’ll be with you shortly.”

  I nodded and took a seat in the lobby. I don’t know if it was just a false sense of security or what, but I wasn’t even nervous. I waited for them to come and it was only a few minutes before I spotted a man heading my way. He smiled and nodded and held out his name.

  “Good morning, Mr Wolfe. The name’s Jacob Connors.” He shook my hand.

  “Good morning. Please call me Xander,” I said.

  He motioned for me to follow him to an office and when we got inside, I grabbed a seat across from him. “I’m the head manager and take care of all the hiring, and I promise this will be pretty painless,” he said. “For starters, I’ve looked over your resume, and I’m impressed. I see that you did a stint with Class Enterprises. Tell me about it.”

  I took a deep breath and went into talking about my past and then why I left there. Then I went over what I was expecting to gain out of a job there. Throughout the hour-long interview, I felt at ease, filled with confidence, and ready to get the job. When I was done talking, and he had no more questions for me, I expected for him to tell me that I would hear back from him in a few days.

  However, that wasn’t what was to come. “Everything sounds good and looks great. So, if you have no questions, then I would like to officially offer you the position as head security.”

  My mouth hung down for a bit. That was a lot easier than I could have hoped for. I shook my head. “No questions. Wow. Thank you!” I shook his hand, and he nodded.

  “I’ll get you to HR, and they’ll have you fill out some preliminary background work. Cammy Jaymes doesn’t officially start her gig until next month, so you’ll get acclimated here before then.

  My head was spinning. “I’m sorry… who’s Cammy Jaymes?” I asked.

  His eyes widened. “Um… well, you might know her best as C Jay.” I shook my head, and he chuckled. “Perhaps you should do some research. That’s the star that is going to be at the hotel. She’s up and coming, but she’s also been around the block a few times.” He chuckled. “The name doesn’t even ring a bell?” he asked.

  I shrugged. “Guess, I don’t really follow the latest stars, but I’m sure I can do the research on it. “Thanks again for this opportunity.” I stood up, feeling a bit over my head, but still anxious to get started.

  “Welcome aboard at The Magnolia,” Jacob said. He stood up and motioned me back through his door, where he took me to HR. I thanked him and watched him walk away before I opened the door and walked into the office. As I was walking in though, a woman was walking out. She wasn’t paying much attention as she was engrossed in her phone, so she bumped right into me. She looked up, startled to find someone standing there.

  “Oh… I’m sorry,” she said. Her face lit up, and she looked me over like she was surveying a brand new car that needed all its features checked out. I blushed, feeling a bit awkward in that situation.

  “No worries!” I said. “Have a good day, ma’am.” I nodded and walked past her.

  “Uh yeah… you do the same.” I could sense that her eyes were still on me and I smiled. If I was in the mindset of looking, then perhaps I would have stared a little longer myself, but I didn’t have time to get my head out of the game.

  I walked up to the desk, and the woman looked up at me. “Good morning. And how may I help you?”

  “The name is Xander Wolfe, and I was told to come in here and fill out some paperwork.”

  “Yes, Mr Wolfe, I’ve been waiting for you.” She smiled and pulled out a folder, where she removed several papers from it. I was excited for the next phase in my life and looking forward to what that had to offer.

  Chapter 1 - Preview

  One Month Later

  The first month on the job went rather smoothly for me, but then again it was more about getting to know the job than anything else. There was a lot of prep with everyone getting things around for Cammy Jaymes to take the city and the hotel by storm, but I didn’t have to focus too much attention on that. I would meet her soon enough, and so I just worried about getting trained on the policies and procedures of the hotel.

  The night before I was to meet her, a group of the guys decided that we needed to go out and just have a guy’s night at one of the local clubs. I was in desperate need for that, as it had been months since I had been out with the guys, so I agreed to meet up with them.

  What started out as a typical night out with the boys, turned into so much more, because after an hour of being there, drinking and having a good time, I spotted her. At first glance, I recognized her. I had seen her coming out of the HR office on the day of my interview. She turned her head slightly and our eyes connected. I smiled and nodded, and she held a big grin on her face, and while I thought she was beautiful on that day, I remembered thinking how I wasn’t ready for anything to happen. And tonight, I had a feeling that maybe I was readier than I thought.

  I went about doing my best, just trying to ignore her, but my eyes kept going back to hers. She was dancing with some girlfriends of her own, but that didn’t mean that she didn’t tend to sway her eyes my way. “What’s got your attention?” Michael one of the guys from the security staff asked me. When he saw where my eyes were, he laughed. “And never mind…got my answer.

  I snickered and shrugged, taking a drink of my beer like I didn’t even know what he was talking about, but the truth was, the way she looked at me…had me all sorts of flustered.

  “Go ask her to dance,” he said, egging me on.

  Thinking he was full of it, I was about to tell him so, when I noticed she was heading our way. My first thought was…damn, she’s sexy when she walks. However, then I had to remind myself that she had to be a worker at The Magnolia because I saw her first in the HR office and if that was the case, then should I really be trying to pursue a fellow employee. I didn’t really have time to answer that inner question in my mind because she was at our table

  “Hey there!” she said.

  “I smiled and nodded. “Hey!”

  “Couldn’t really help but notice that you’re checking me out.” She winked at me, and I was hooked from that moment.

  “Well, maybe I was, and maybe I wasn’t.” I took a drink, and she chuckled. “I couldn’t help but notice that you were checking me out,” I pointed out.

  She laughed loudly. “Maybe I was, and maybe I wasn’t.” She winked at me and then grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. Just like that, she was dragging me to the dance floor, leaving me breathless and confused.

  She turned to me and started swaying her hips in front of me, and I couldn’t help but stare. Forget not being ready if she was offering, then I was ready. I no longer cared if she was an employee there or not.

  “You have some hot moves!” I said, hollering over the loud music.

  She moved in closer. “Baby, you ain’t seen nothing yet.” She turned around, so her ass was against my body and she moved in front of me. I instinctively reached out and held her hips as she shimmied in front of me. There was no doubt that this woman could bring out the bad boy in me and that’s something I would never expect to hear myself say. While usually a more laid back and timid guy, I didn’t usually press the boundaries, but there was something about this nameless woman that had me saying yes, please.

  After one song ended and another began, we to
ok it down a notch. She turned around and wrapped her arms around my neck, and we slowly moved to the music. “What’s your name?” she asked.

  “Xander…” I said. “Xander Wolfe. And yours?”

  Her eyes twinkled under the disco lights. “Chakira Johnson,” she said.

  I smiled. “Chakira… you don’t look like a Chakira.”

  She frowned. “What does that mean?” she snapped. I was a bit taken aback by her rough tone, but I pushed the thought to the side.

  “Nothing really…just an observation. It’s nice to meet you.”

  She then calmed down and smiled. “Likewise, Xander.”

  Then I mentally made a note not to bring up the fact of her name again that night, because this evening was likely to go very well for me. The thought that maybe we could wind back up at my room in the hotel quickly entered my mind.

  Chakira seemed like she would be into that, too. Yet, as the night went on, every time I went to suggest it, something stopped us in our tracks. When I thought I better make my move or miss out totally, I leaned into her ear, and she tilted her head up to hear me.

  “Wanna get out of here? We can grab a bottle of bubbly and toast to new beginnings,” I said.

  The one thing I did learn from past failed relationships was that I couldn’t lag behind. If I wanted something, I needed to go for it. Her face lit up as if the thought intrigued her. She tilted her head and looked at me. “Who knew a big macho man like yourself could be so romantic,” she said.

  I grinned, and that’s when she let me down easily.

  “Unfortunately… I do think we should hold off on that.” She reached up and ran her fingers down my chest. “I’m sure we’ll see each other around though. Maybe a raincheck?” she winked at me and turned away.

  She had no idea how my body was reacting to a simple wink, so I definitely thought a rain check would be nice. “See you around, Chakira,” I said.