My Soul For You

by Morgana Phoenix

  “On the contrary, my bossy little friend. Every Disney princess has asked for a hot man to sweep her away and they all got their wish. Besides, it’s for fun. There is no way your name will get picked out of all of those.”

  She was right, Katie thought, surveying the bowl of papers. There were thousands of names and wishes in there. The odds of her name getting picked were miniscule.

  “I still think it’s inappropriate to ask for mindless passion with a teacher,” she grumbled, turning away.

  Ashlee looped her arm through Katie’s. “But that’s the beauty of this. You can ask for stupid, silly things, because it won’t come true.”

  Katie laughed. “You’re right.”

  “Of course I’m right. Now let’s dance!”

  Ashlee dragged Katie onto the dance floor. The music pounded through them as they laughed and spun around in time to the heavy techno. Others bumped into them, but no one seemed to care. In no time flat, Ashlee had two men vying for her attention. Katie, not quite as eager to be the middle of any sandwich, left her friend for some air and walked through the open French doors to stand beneath a carpet of night.

  Ice shimmered like tiny fragmented pieces of glass dancing in the cold breeze. The chill swept over exposed areas and cooled the damp skin. She raised her arms and swept her hair off her neck and back, letting the air kiss the nap. Music spilled through the doors onto the terrace. It seemed to drift with the breeze and get carried far into the distance and over the courtyard below. She closed her eyes and smiled.

  “Beautiful night, isn’t it?”

  Startled by the deep, baritone timbre, Katie spun to face the newcomer. Her unbound mane of chestnut brown tumbled, a riot of curls around her shoulders and spilled down her back. She stared into the shadows as they unfolded and the figure emerged from their depths like a ship cutting through open waters. She started.

  Had she possessed even a shred of imagination, she would have chalked that moment up as an illusion, her wild and vivid fantasies running rampant, only … she could hear the soft clip of his shoes on the ice-slickened floor. She could see the white tendrils rising into the air with every breath. She could almost feel the heat coming off him with his magnetic scent. He was very much not her imagination running away with her.

  He was breathtaking in a suit cut from the blackest fabric. It was sewn to mold over those wide shoulders, hug his tapered waist and encase his long, toned legs. He wore a tie, as black as his suit and the silk shirt underneath. It was as though he were created by night itself. His hair was slicked back yet a patch had fallen almost recklessly over that beautiful brow.

  “Kaleb?” She shook herself of the fog drifting restlessly around her, impairing her judgment. “I mean, Mr. O’Reilly.”

  Lips that had plagued her dreams for nearly two months lifted at the corners. The smile shone in his tawny eyes. “Hello, Katie.”

  She darted a glance behind him. He was alone. Her tongue dragged nervously over her lips. She tasted lipstick and nearly blanched.

  “What are you doing here?”

  He lifted and dropped one shoulder in a shrug. “Same thing as you I expect.”

  “You were invited?” she guessed.

  Straight, white teeth flashed in a brilliant grin. “Weren’t you?”

  Of course she was. It was by invitation only.

  “Sorry. I just wasn’t expecting to run into anyone I knew here,” she murmured honestly.

  “Neither was I.” His gaze moved over her, running down the length of her frame in a way that made her feel hot and flushed all over again. “You look beautiful.”

  Unable to withstand the heat in his eyes, she lowered hers to his tie. “Thank you.”

  “You also look very cold.”

  His observation made her laugh. “That’s because I am.” She met his gaze. “I was just about to head inside. Are you here with someone?”

  He shook his head and she felt a spear of relief. “I’m not one for this kind of thing. My stepmother was the one invited. She asked me to go in her place.”

  “And you did,” she observed. “That was nice of you.”

  He barked a laugh while simultaneously taking a fluid step back. He motioned for her to follow him inside. “One does not say no to Joyce.”

  They hurried inside, out of the winter night and back into the solid wall of heat and sweat. Katie grimaced as it clung to her skin, making it clammy.

  “Would you like a drink?” he asked.

  “Yes. Please.”

  With a hand placed lightly and very politely on the small of her back, he guided her away from the dancers and minglers to the bar at the far, back corner. There was a spatter of high chairs and even higher tables along the front. Most were full, but they were able to find one near the corner where the music wasn’t nearly as loud.

  Kaleb signaled for a waiter before turning to her. “What would you like?”

  The waitress arrived, her smile pretty against her round face.

  Katie spoke to her when giving her order. “Apple martini, please.”

  She didn’t need to look at Kaleb to feel him studying her. Maybe he was expecting her to order water, and normally she would have. She wasn’t much of a drinker, but Ashlee was right about one thing, they were there to have fun. One glass of alcohol wasn’t going to turn her into a hopeless drunk. Plus it might help with her nerves, which had begun to jitter since her encounter with Kaleb.

  He ordered a beer, which somehow seemed very sensible and very much like him. Whatever was on tap, he told the girl.

  “Can I see some ID?” the girl said, still smiling politely.

  Kaleb shifted forward slightly to retrieve his wallet. Katie hesitated.

  The dress didn’t give a whole lot of places to keep things. When she had dressed and opted not to bring a purse, she hadn’t expected to have company when she would be required to present anything.

  “Miss?”

  Katie sighed and deliberately avoided Kaleb’s gaze as she reached into her bodice and removed her driver’s license. She handed the card, still warm from her body heat, over to the girl, who continued to smile as she took it.

  Kaleb raised an eyebrow when she dared a peek in his direction. She quickly looked away.

  Satisfied, the woman passed both back to Kaleb. “I’ll be right back with your order.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who owned a fake ID,” Kaleb said, passing her card back to her without looking at it—thankfully. The picture was hideous.

  Katie took it and stuffed it back into place between her breast and the dress. “And you’ve suddenly met one now?” she asked.

  He leaned back in his seat. “The last time I checked, the age to legally consume alcohol was nineteen, eighteen in some provinces, Alberta being one of them. Not seventeen.”

  Without flinching, she met his gaze steadily and arched her own eyebrow. “As someone at the top of her class in business law, you would be correct. So when you see a seventeen year old, you be sure to let them know.” She grinned mischievously. “I’m sure they’ll be riveted.”

  His tongue rolled over his teeth as he fought back a grin. “I’ll be sure to do that.”

  The waitress arrived with their drinks and set them down on the table. She offered them her brilliant smile and hurried away.

  Katie lifted her glass and took a sip. The sour flavor had her taste buds tingling. It was perfect. Just fruity enough to mask the bitter tang of alcohol.

  “So where exactly does one get a fake ID?” he wondered.

  She raised her eyes off her glass to meet his. “Why would you think I would know?” He blinked those dazzling eyes disbelieving of her innocence and she chuckled. “Sorry to disappoint, Mr. O’Reilly. But my license is as real as humanly possible.”

  Something flickered over his features, something fast and unreadable. She wondered if it was a trick of the light. But then he was speaking and she forgot all about it.

  “You’re eighteen?”r />
  She took another small drink. “I am.” She set her drink down. “I’ll be nineteen in February.” He looked so confused that she laughed. “I missed a year of school after my parents were killed,” she explained slowly.

  Kaleb looked down at his beer. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  Katie shrugged, hoping to appear as though the topic didn’t still burn holes through her. “It was a long time ago.”

  Sucking his bottom lip between his teeth, Kaleb glanced up at her again hesitantly. “Can I ask what happened?”

  “Um…” She took a deep breath, held it. Then let it out slowly. “It was a home invasion. I was eight. I saw them die.”

  “Jesus!”

  Katie nodded. “Yeah, it was horrible. I remember being really scared and I didn’t speak for a whole year. They kept me under observation in the hospital. By the time I was free to go, it was too late for me to move on, so I had to retake grade three.”

  Remorse shone brilliantly in his eyes, it pinched creases between his brows. “I’m very sorry.”

  Katie shrugged and went back to her drink. “Yeah. Me too.”

  He lowered his gaze to watch the slow rap of his fingers on the table. Pianist fingers, Katie thought.

  “My mom died when I was five,” he murmured. “It was a drive-by shooting. I was in the backseat.”

  Katie gasped. “Oh my God. I’m so sorry.”

  Golden eyes rose and fixed on her face. He offered her a humorless smile. “I guess we have something in common.” His grin broadened. “Although I wasn’t expecting…” He took his drink up, brought it to his lips.

  “What?” she asked, laughing.

  “That you would be eighteen.” He drank deeply and set his glass down. “I’ll be honest. I’m feeling pretty conflicted right now.”

  Katie burst out laughing and just like that, the overshadowing memories of ruined innocence vanished.

  “Why’s that?”

  He said nothing and she only laughed harder.

  “Are you worried I’ll corrupt you?” she teased.

  He smirked and it was unbelievably reckless and dangerous. “More that I want to corrupt you.”

  Heat swam up into her cheeks and she realized with some embarrassment that she was flirting with him and he was flirting back.

  “So how come you’re here alone?” she asked, steering the conversation to somewhere safe.

  He took a swig of his beer. “Why are you?”

  “Oh, I’m not.” She jerked a thumb over her shoulder towards the bumping and grinding crowd of dancers. “I’m here with Ashlee.”

  Kaleb’s gaze moved over her head and scanned the sea of bodies. It was impossible to miss Ashlee. Her gold mane kept catching the light with every wild swing of her head.

  “Ashlee.” Kaleb nodded slowly. “I remember her.”

  Very few people ever forgot Ashlee. She was just too … vivid.

  “She convinced me to come tonight,” Katie said.

  Shadowed eyes lowered until they settled on her. “I’m glad she did.” He seemed to catch himself and dropped his gaze to his drink. “I’m not one for parties, so it would have been a very long night if I had no one to talk to.”

  “I don’t mind parties, I’m just too lazy to follow through,” she confessed.

  “Follow through?”

  She nodded. “The idea is always fun, then you have to get ready, find the right dress, the right shoes … makeup.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “It’s a lot of work and I’d rather just stay at home in my shorts.”

  Kaleb laughed, the sound deep and husky. “I can see how that would be stressful.”

  “There you are!” Ashlee came stumbling up to their table, holding tight to the hand of a boy clearly in his early twenties. “I was looking everywhere for you.”

  Katie shared an amused glance with Kaleb before facing her friend. “Just giving my feet a rest.”

  Ashlee’s ever observant gaze swung over to Kaleb and widened. “Hey, Mr. O! What brings you here tonight? And don’t say your feet.”

  Kaleb chuckled. “Just enjoying the music and the company.”

  “No kidding!” Ashlee flicked a glance at Katie, a look that said very clearly that this turn of events was awesome. If she’d been closer, Katie would have kicked her. “Well, this is Zach…” She yanked her friend closer for them to see.

  “It’s Harold, actually,” he said with a sheepish grin.

  “That’s what I said.” Ashlee patted his chest. “Can you get me a drink? Something full of alcohol.”

  With a grin at her, Harold disappeared towards the bar.

  Ashlee bit her bottom lip as he walked away and rocked back on her heels. “Boy has a gorgeous backside.” She suddenly seemed to realize the company she was keeping and winced. “You’re not a teacher tonight, right?”

  Kaleb put up his hands. “Nope. Just a man looking to enjoy the evening.”

  Ashlee smirked. “Excellent.” She gave Katie an eyebrow wiggle. “Well, I’m going to find my new friend and dance some more. You two have fun.”

  With a wink, she skipped off to join Harold.

  Katie turned back to Kaleb. “I wish I could say she’s not normally like that, but … yeah.”

  Kaleb laughed. “She’s interesting.”

  “Ashlee is the very definition of interesting,” Katie agreed, laughing.

  They drank in silence for a moment.

  Kaleb broke it. “I’m going to go out on a limb and assume she’s not eighteen.”

  Katie saluted him with her drink. “You would assume correctly.” She placed the rim of her martini glass to her bottom lip and grinned at him from around it. “You’re not a teacher tonight, remember?”

  He was staring at her drink like he wanted to snatch it from her hand and … no, she realized with a start. He was staring at her mouth and it wasn’t because she was wearing Lustful Red lipstick number twenty-six. Or maybe it was. Whatever the reason, he was studying her lips like they were chocolate dipped strawberries and he was starving.

  “I’m trying very hard to remember I am a teacher though,” he said at long last. “Or this evening will have to end quickly.”

  She set her drink down and stuffed her hands into her lap. “Why’s that?”

  He swallowed his answer with a very long gulp of beer. When he set the mug down, it was with some force and he seemed agitated.

  “Why aren’t you dancing?” he blurted almost accusingly. “There are tons of men here. You shouldn’t be sitting here.”

  Katie couldn’t help it, she raised an eyebrow. “Are you bored of my company already?”

  “No!” he practically shouted. “No, of course not. I just … you look incredible tonight. You should be out there for everyone to see.”

  Deliberately, she twisted her head and studied the room. There were many beautiful girls there and even more than a single helping of handsome men. They were all laughing and chatting as the music pulsed around them and lights shone off their stunning outfits. It was definitely not the sort of night to be sitting off to the side. Except, Ashlee was the plunge into the mayhem type. Katie didn’t mind just watching.

  “I suppose I could,” she mused. “But only if you join me.” She turned to him once more. “You don’t have to dance with me, but if you find a partner, then I’ll find one too.”

  He just stared at her.

  “What?” she said when he remained silent for several long heartbeats. “I would feel bad,” she explained. “I mean, you’re the one who encouraged me to go have fun, but if I do, then you’d be here alone.”

  “I don’t mind.”

  “I do,” she argued. “You look much too handsome not to find a beautiful girl to go home with tonight.” She chuckled, wincing a little. “Am I allowed to say that?”

  His eyes were penetrating, deep and intense. “I have no idea. Do you dance?”

  She started at his unexpected question. “Sometimes. I mean, I can.”

  H
e drummed one finger on the table rapidly as he studied her. Then, like if he didn’t do it now, he never would, he lunged out of his seat and thrust out one hand towards her. “Will you dance with me?”

  Chapter Six

  She said yes, because what else was there to say? Turning him down never even crossed her mind as she slipped her hand into his. Long, warm fingers curled around hers, holding her securely at his side as he maneuvered around the tables and joined the other dances in the center of the room.

  The song wasn’t slow, but it wasn’t the heavy techno they’d been hammering out for most of the night either. The tempo was soothing and rhythmic enough to feel comfortable when he spun her out only to reel her into his chest. His hand rested lightly on her waist. Each finger seemed to sear through the material of her dress to burn flesh. He pulled her another inch closer. Their fronts brushed. Katie felt it throughout her body like a caress. Her fingers trembled as she slid them up the side of his arm to curl around his shoulder.

  “Is this all right?” he asked softly.

  Cotton-mouthed, Katie nodded. “Yes.”

  They swayed, barely moving on the outskirts of the dance floor. The entire room could have caught on fire, but they wouldn’t have noticed. Time had all but stilled to a stop.

  “It can only be one dance,” he told her, or himself.

  Katie bobbed her head in agreement. “Okay.”

  The fingers on her waist flexed. They tightened. “Say something.”

  Unusually dizzy, Katie had to really focus to think of something to say. She swept a nervous tongue over her lips and felt her heart rocket in her chest when his attention dropped to follow the gesture.

  “You … you never told me why you’re here alone,” she choked out.

  She could have sworn his nostrils flared before he jerked his head to the side. “A date would want to stay and enjoy the night. I was hoping to leave sooner.”

  Her heart sank. “Oh. So you’re leaving then?”

  The muscles along his jaw were tight when he answered, “I should.”