by Rose Pressey
Chapter Twenty-One
I woke the next morning with a start. My heart was racing. Had I been dreaming? Maybe it was the stress of everything that was going on around me. I lay there for a minute staring at the ceiling until my heart rate had returned to normal. Once I’d calmed down enough, I jumped up and hurried into the shower, then slipped into my jeans and a warm yellow sweater. I had to make it to the kitchen before Nicolas. I especially had to make it down there before Isabeau. She’d only make another mess.
How had I been able to perform the cleaning spell so well last night? It had to be a fluke, right? When I stepped out into the hall, Isabeau’s door was still closed. Maybe she’d decided to leave? Could I get that lucky? Probably not, but a girl could dream. The house seemed eerily silent as I made my way downstairs. It was like the calm before the storm. Why did I feel as if I was waiting for the bomb to drop?
Trying to keep quiet while I rushed through the rooms toward the kitchen was no easy task. When I reached the kitchen door, I let out a deep breath. The kitchen was still clean and no one was up yet. Of course it was six a.m. so I wasn’t surprised that they were sleeping in. I wished I was still in bed too. But I’d signed on to run this place as a bed-and-breakfast. I doubted my guests would appreciate eating breakfast at twelve just because I wanted to sleep in.
I flipped the switch on the coffee brewer, then filled the cat’s food and water dish. The coffee couldn’t brew fast enough because I needed it now more than ever to help me get through the morning. I intended to serve breakfast in the sunroom this morning. It was a bright and beautiful fall day and the leaves were starting to turn. The view of green, orange, red and yellow leaves was spectacular. Although with all the windows, I worried that if the ghosts were out there, Nicolas or Liam would spot them right away.
I needed to find out if Isabeau knew anything else about the spell that had brought her back. Not that she’d tell me if she did. Why was she being so difficult? I decided to try my hand at an omelet this time, along with waffles and bacon. I’d just assembled all of my ingredients when noise sounded from the parlor. Lately any little noise made me jump. I was completely on edge.
I wiped my hands on my apron and moved toward the library. When I saw Nicolas standing in the room, I stopped in my tracks. His gaze locked with mine. The hungry look in his eyes suggested that he didn’t want waffles to satisfy his craving. Nicolas rushed toward me. I didn’t protest when he pulled me close to his hard chest. His fingers burned into my tingling skin as he caressed my cheeks. Without saying a word, his warm lips met mine with an urgency that I’d never experienced before. His mouth covered mine hungrily as his lips moved over mine with ease. His tongue traced my lips, then he explored my mouth. My own eager response to his touch shocked me.
When I thought I might collapse to the floor, Nicolas gently eased his mouth from mine. I finally caught my breath.
He wrapped his arms around me. “I’m sorry. I just couldn’t help myself. I’ve been thinking about you since last night.”
Did I admit that I’d been thinking of him too? Did I admit that Liam had almost kissed me last night and that I’d come close to allowing him?
Nicolas touched my cheek again. “There’s something special about you, Halloween. I’ve been drawn to you since I first laid eyes on you.”
Wow, I hadn’t expected that. Before I could answer he placed his lips on me again. Every time he kissed me it knocked all the air right out of my lungs. I’d never been kissed this way before. Nicolas moved from my lips to my neck as he placed feathery kisses against my skin. My heart thumped harder.
Suddenly Nicolas pulled away. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have kissed you.”
He looked confused as I searched his eyes.
“What’s wrong?” I asked as I touched his arm.
“There’s something I need to tell you.” His tone was apologetic.
My heart rate spiked again. What was he going to say? It couldn’t be good news, right? Not with that kind of expression.
Nicolas turned away. Leaning over, I looked at his face. I let out a loud gasp and stumbled back, bumping into the bookshelf.
“I’m sorry,” he said, finally turning to look at me.
“Your mouth.” Those two words were all I managed to get out.
He just stared at me with his sharp white fangs poking out over his bottom lip.
“What are those?” I asked pointing at his mouth. “Why do you have fangs?” I moved around the bookcase and backed further away from him.
Nicolas’ eyes shone the brightest blue I’d ever seen.
“Hallie, I’m a vampire.” His voice was soft but alarming.
His words didn’t register on my dizzied senses. I shook my head. “And you’re just now telling me this? Did you think this was something you can hide from me? Did you think this is something you should hide from me?”
He shook his head. “No, I didn’t think I should hide it from you and I wanted to tell you from the moment we met.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me?” I stood there blank, alarmed and shaken.
“There was never a right time.” He ran his hand through his thick hair.
“How about when we had breakfast? Or how about at dinner when I asked questions about you? Heck, you could have written it on the note with the flowers. P.S. I’m a vampire.”
“It wasn’t that simple,” he said.
“I think it was,” I said in disapproval.
“I’m sorry,” he said with sincerity in his eyes.
“If you’re a vampire then why can you go out into the sun?”
“That’s all a myth. Obviously, we can go out into the sun.” Nicolas radiated an energy that drew me to him like a magnet.
“But you drink human blood?” I shivered at the thought.
“I’m not going to lie to you, Hallie, we do need it. We crave it.”
My neck felt barer by the second.
“I’ve never met a real vampire before,” I said.
“I didn’t want to have feelings for you, but I can’t stop them. I have strong feelings for you. I’ve tried to deny them… we shouldn’t be together.”
His admission made my insides tingle with excitement.
“None of this makes any sense. Why do you say such things?” I paced restlessly across the room.
He inched closer and I moved back a couple steps more.
“It’s frowned upon for you to date me.” There was a spark of some indefinable emotion in his eyes. A war of emotions raged through me.
“Why? It’s frowned upon by whom?” I asked in frustration.
“The Underworld doesn’t want it. You could have your right to perform magic taken away permanently.”
My eyes widened. “How do you know?”
“It’s not a coincidence that I came here.”
I felt as if I might faint. So he was an axe murderer after all. I should have listened to Annabelle.
“Your magic was putting off a strange vibe. I had to find you before someone else did. Unfortunately I was not fast enough because Liam showed up too.”
“It’s not a coincidence that he’s here either, is it?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No, it’s not.”
“When did you become a vampire?” I had to know.
He shook his head. “That’s not important.”
“It is important to me,” I said.
“It was a long time ago.” He looked away.
“What are we talking here? A hundred years, two hundred years?” I focused on his face.
“It was around the Civil War. I just got caught up with the wrong crowd. We don’t need to discuss me right now. Like I said, you are in danger.”
Nice way to change the subject. “Why am I in danger? Did one of you come here to kill me?” I asked.
His eyes widened. “Of course not. Well, I can’t speak for that witch Liam, but I did not. I came here to help you.”