Under the Mask: A Multi-Genre Collection

by Monica Corwin

  The vampire bowed deeply and though Hunter was no empath, he could feel stark relief and hope from his friend. “An absolutely pleasure, Amber. Though I believe you are mistaken on your last name. I’m Jasper de Devon, Duke of Devonshire, at your service.”

  “Is that your lame way of flirting with me? By telling me I am Amber de Devon?” She laughed, and something inside of Hunter relaxed at the sound.

  Everything is going to be okay. Anya smiled at him as he heard her voice in his head.

  He quirked an eyebrow at her. A telepath as well? Are there nae limits to ya?

  Only the ones you give me, she told him.

  Hunter smiled at her and held his arms open in invitation. Samhain may be well over and done for the year, but the magic in it put in his life would last forever. Of this he was certain. He’d found his perfect mate and found himself well on the way to winning her heart just as much as she was winning his. Not only that, but his best friend was finally free from a curse he’d suffered near a hundred years and staring his mate in the face as well.

  Could this night get any better? Anya asked as if hearing his thoughts. More than likely she had.

  Motion caught the corner of his eye, and he turned his head in time to catch Amber dragging Jasper into a passionate kiss. A soft glow surrounded them as the remnants of the curse lifted.

  It just did, he told her before drawing her into a kiss of his own.

  About the Author

  When D. F. Krieger was banned from writing contests at her school, she immediately set it in her head that she would become a professional writer. Since then, she has thrown away her plans of world domination through books, but she still enjoys writing. Her tastes run from classy urban witches to dragons, space pirates to shape shifters. By the time she pens her final book with a hand ravaged by age, she hopes to introduce her readers to many alternate worlds, lines of thinking, and captivating characters.

  You can find D. F. on the East Coast, hiding away from the real world with a gleam in her eye and a plot in her head. She resides with her husband, kids, and pets; who all kindly put up with her random bouts of laughter (over things she can't explain) and journal collecting fetish.

  For more information:

  D-F-Krieger-177107165643929

  www.dfkrieger.com

  Invitation From a Dream Lover

  Tierney O’Malley

  Invitation From a Dream Lover © 2017 by Tierney O’Malley

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  For Tom

  Life is beautiful because of you.

  I love you always.

  About Invitation From a Dream Lover

  She wanted to unmask him, but would she like what he’d been hiding.

  Their lives are connected with the affinity to appreciate the past.

  Maddie McEntyre is passionate about history. She loves anything that touches the past. When she met Kade, the extremely desirable hunk who shares same interests with her, she quickly fell in love with him. However, she couldn’t shake off the feeling that Kade is more than he portrays himself to be.

  Their desire is too consuming to deny…

  Kade Laughlan is entranced with the beautiful Maddie and tries to get her attention by sending artifacts where the delectable curator works. He dreams of sharing his life with her. But what is his chance of winning her heart once she finds out about his strong sexual appetite cavorting with the glitterati under the mask?

  Chapter One

  Maddie’s friends had been wondering why she still worked as a curator for a small museum when she should be opening her own art studio. What they didn’t understand was her passion to care for anything that held history. Like artwork passed down from one generation to the next, old documents that had been stored in ancient libraries for centuries, or relics that may have been found. And she wanted to share them to the public, through exhibits.

  At the age of thirteen, her parents took her to Europe. There, they visited different castles, ruins, and walked on cobbled stones. While different docents explained who once lived in the castle or who wore what, she found herself touching anything she could reach. She even placed her ear against the castle walls hoping to hear voices as she stood in its hallways and imagined who walked there. She would never forget that trip. It was the best time of her life and without a doubt, the most memorable one.

  When they went back to United States, her suitcases were packed with brochures, her camera loaded with pictures she had printed. Some were even framed. But among her collections, her favorite one was an old church they happened to find when Dad took a wrong turn and they got lost. They found themselves on a dirt road surrounded by a sheep-dotted green field. An old church sat in the middle. Its walls were reduced to rubble, but the tower that held the bell was still there. For a long time, she stared at it wondering why it was left to decay and what happened to the people who went there. It’d been such a beautiful ruin—dark, weathered, mysterious. A sole witness to the times that passed. She hung a photo of it in her bedroom and always stared at it before going to sleep.

  Then during that time, it dawned on her that she was in love with anything touching the past. She wanted to know everything behind anything old. Now, she was surrounded by it—everyday.

  “You’ve been staring and smiling at that bell. Care to share why?”

  Maddie sighed and glanced over at her friend Carly looking so great in her short spiky hair, dark red lipstick, tight leather pants, and ankle length boots. The first time they’d met, Carly mentioned right away that she was a lesbian and asked Maddie if she had problems with that. Of course, she said no. Carly’s sexual preference was none of her business.

  Carly’s honesty was just one of the many beautiful characteristics that she loved about her. “Do you really want to know or you’d rather that we close the building and have dinner at Fifth Av.”

  “Oh, god. I thought you would never ask. My stomach is so empty it hurts,” Carly whined.

  “You just had a bag of shortbread cookies.”

  “Cookies are not real food.”

  “How is it that you could eat and not gain weight?”

  “It’s called metabolism, Maddie. Will you just put that bell down?”

  “You know, this is an old German bell that was used in 1648,” Maddie explained.

  “I know.”

  “Story was,” Maddie continued, ignoring Carly’s long sigh. “That a warrior and a zealous agriculturist named Karl hung up this bell outside his castle gate, saying that anyone who needed his help could ring the bell—”

  “…And everyone who worked with him made use of the bell and Karl helped them talk to the king of the land about their grievances. Gave you that info, Maddie.”

  Maddie grinned. “And I’m eternally grateful.” Carly had been working for her at the museum for three years now. She’d never met anyone who could find information online so fast and so quick. As a researcher, Carly provided Maddie information that most of the time wasn’t even available through even a Google search. A computer whiz and easy to get along with, she was a sister Maddie never had. “You didn’t read the whole article though.”

  “I don’t need to. That’s your job. To read and authenticate all the information I’m giving you.”

  “And I love you for finding me all this wonderful history. You’re the best.”

  “I’d be the best if I could figure out who our donor is.” Carly shut down her computer. “Who in the world could he be?”

  “Part of me really wanted to find out, but at the same time, it’s nice that I don’t. Mystery has its appeal.”

  “Hmm…and that mysterious donor keeps you awake all night, wondering if he is tall, handsome, exotic and lick-able.”

  “What? I don’
t think about him.”

  “Yeah, right. See? You’re blushing.”

  Maddie threw her pencil at Carly. “What can I say? His handwriting is sexy.”

  Carly laughed. “He probably has skin like a crocodile and farts like an old dog.”

  “Eeeww!” Madie turned off her computer. “I imagine he has blue eyes, dark hair, smiles a lot, tall, loves to wear faded jeans that hang right around his hip bones. He likes to watch movies at home and can cook.”

  “Oh, god. Did you just describe the character in that book you found at the garage sale?”

  “Close.” And he could make her so hot by devouring her breasts while his fingers played with—Maddie snapped out of her erotic thoughts. “Okay, let’s go get dinner.”

  “Good. Do you think hunky, hunk is gonna be there?”

  “Who?”

  “Oh, come on.” Carly rolled her eyes. “You know who I’m talking about. Dark hair, blue eyes, over six feet tall. Celtic Tattoo on his neck. Oh, wait. Didn’t you just describe him?”

  “Did I mention anything about a tattoo? No. So, wrong. I wasn’t thinking about Kade.”

  “If you say so. Do you think he’s going to be at Fifth Av tonight?”

  “Most likely. Hanging out at Fifth while drinking seems to be his favorite pastime.”

  “Who cares? He pays for our drinks all the time.”

  Kade with a K. That was how he introduced himself to Maddie and Carly. The first time she saw him, the woman inside her went frantic. Who wouldn’t? The man looked so beautiful in a rugged way. Talk about lick-able. His shirt fit him like a glove, showing the contours of his body, his hair on the long side with the tips curled out as if they were blow dried. And his face…the kind that she could look at and never tire of. But something told Maddie that Kade was more than just a beautiful specimen. He looked like a man who would get what he wanted when he wanted.

  Yeah, she had a thing for guys with tattoos, but Kade…his eyes spoke beyond naughtiness. Every time he looked at her, he made her feel naked. He could make love to her with his stares. “He could be tied with the mafia or has illegal business dealings, Carly.”

  “Or maybe he is a Celtic warrior who lived in one of those old castles you admired and came back to life looking for his soul mate. You.”

  “I believe in stories that have facts to back it up. Celtic warrior coming back to life? Nope.”

  “But his tattoo, man. It looks ancient.”

  Maddie sighed. True. Since she’d seen the upper part of his tattoo, she’d been curious to see the rest of it. Carly’s computer program didn’t yield anything about the tattoo without the whole image. “I really want to see it.”

  “Just ask him.”

  “What? No way.”

  “Maddie, he’s trying to befriend you. Accept him and that’ll be your opening to ask about his tattoo.”

  “No.”

  “Why are you afraid of him? He could be just a Microsoft millionaire who loves to wear wrinkled shirts and super expensive shoes to match his very expensive and antique looking watch.”

  “I’m not afraid of him. It’s just—he looks like someone with many secrets.” And he spelled danger, she wanted to add.

  “Well, find out his secrets then.”

  “Like what?”

  Carly pretended to be holding a Popsicle then began licking it slowly.

  “Stop! You’re crazy.”

  “Too bad, he’s not my type, otherwise, I would do anything to see if he taste as good as he looks.”

  “We shouldn’t befriend him just because he bought us drinks.”

  “Maddie, if you keep thinking like everyone is a murderer, you will never find your prince, except in your ancient historical books.”

  “Who says I’m looking for a prince?”

  “Yeah, right.” Carly took her leather backpack from under her table. “I’ve caught you so many times, Maddie. Daydreaming.”

  “Oh, shut up.” If she were daydreaming, it was always about the anonymous donor who had caught her attention. His packages were always hand delivered and addressed to her full name. Miss Madeline McEntyre. Kind of weird.

  “Ready? I could eat a cow right now.”

  “Yup.” Maddie hlanced at the clock and wondered if Kade would be at the Fifth Av.

  Chapter Two

  At five thirty in the afternoon, a long line of customers outside Fifth Av had already formed. Maddie didn’t think they’d get in for another hour or two, but their friend, Max, waved at them.

  “Oh, there’s Max.” Carly waved back. “Let’s go.” She grabbed Maddie’s hand and started pulling her.

  “There’s a line, Carly.”

  “I can see that, but Max waved us in. God, I love him.”

  Maddie winced as the people ahead of them protested. She mouthed sorry to the woman who glared at her as if she just stole her husband. “This is embarrassing, Carly.”

  “Come on. They’ll do the same if they know Max.”

  “Hello, darlings.” Max gave Carly and Maddie air kisses. “Next time call. Okay?”

  “Promise.” Maddie smiled.

  “You both look like you haven’t seen sunshine for eight hours.”

  “God, you have no idea. And we are thirsty for something delicious.”

  “Well, you came at the right place. Follow me.” Max, the head honcho at Fifth Av, gave them the table in the corner with the view of the Puget Sound. The low hanging dimmed lights and votive candles on the tables gave the whole place a very romantic ambience. One of the many factors why Fifth Av had been so popular among the young and young-at-heart.

  They had just sat down when the waiter appeared with two glasses of wine. “Compliments of the gentleman over there.”

  Carly looked over at the bar then saluted.

  Maddie didn’t have to see who it was. She knew. “What? Is he waiting for us?”

  “Seems so. God, he’s delicious.”

  “He’s just a man, Carly.”

  “A very, very handsome man.” Carly took a sip of her wine. “Oh, my. This is good.”

  “I think we should put a stop to this.”

  “What? If Kade wants to pay, let him.”

  “Carly, he might think that we come here with hopes that he’ll buy us drinks.”

  “Well, I was hoping actually.”

  “You slut!” Maddie whispered then shook her head at Carly.

  “You know I would be all over his sweet ass, if he only showed interest in me.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  “Serious. I’d switch just to have a taste of him.”

  Maddie laughed. “You’re crazy.”

  “And you’re crazy to deny the idea that he is interested in you.”

  “Come on, Carly. I bet he’ll hump anything or everything with a hole.”

  “Oh, shit. That’s nasty.”

  Both of them laughed.

  Carly took another sip of her wine. “Don’t be alarmed. He’s coming this way.”

  The moment Maddie and Carly walked in the restaurant, Kade saw them right away. He’d been hoping that they would show up again. And they did. Maddie looked so fucking enchanting in her green spaghetti strapped blouse tucked into a white skirt with a brown belt. Her hair was piled up, no jewelry, and just minimal makeup that made her look even more beautiful. As he stared at her, he began imagining he was slowly undoing her hair, lowering her straps while he kissed every exposed part of her shoulders. Damn. How many nights had he stared at the ceiling thinking about her—what she was doing, if she stayed up late every night, and what it would be like to feel her breathe on his face while she slept. The woman was seriously stuck in his brain.

  Kade motioned to the bartender for another glass of wine.

  The first time they’d met, Maddie smiled briefly at him and then paid more attention to her fries and magazine on ancient pottery than she did on him. That had been the first for him. But her lack of interest was what made him want to know her better. He wanted to
be the recipient of her smile again, he wanted to look into her light-brown eyes, wanted to touch her skin that must have been exposed to the sun. He wanted to know what she was thinking, what she tastes like. And her passion about history heightened his obsession with her. He fucking wanted her.

  Aside from his father, Kade had never known anyone who would be interested in a rusty arrowhead or a piece of wood so old, it looked like a charcoal until Maddie. Her eyes lit up when he mentioned his travels around the world. She asked questions just like his father would and laughed like an angel when he told her the story about him getting stuck inside the coin-operated bathroom in Paris. But when he mentioned the incident about his mother ending up in a hospital during one of their trips in Peru, Maddie got teary-eyed, which she tried to hide and failed. Kade loved listening to her talk because when she did, she unknowingly shared her dreams and wishes to see anything that had to do with the past. If his dad were still around, he would have loved Maddie. They would probably spend hours just looking at dad’s collections.

  Yeah, his dad practically turned their home into a museum full of his ‘wondrous finds’ he had called them. Kade enjoyed them all. He even renovated the west part of their house to store all the artifacts and hired someone to catalogue them. But his favorite was the book about ancient tattoos that his dad had given him and the last one, too. When Dad left for Greece, he never came back. It took him years to accept the fact that his dad was gone for good. Leaving him a huge lonely house and a massive fortune.

  Kade smiled thinking about the package that he’d sent where Maddie worked. He would kill to see her reaction when she opened it.

  Carly waved at him.

  He liked Maddie’s friend. She was pretty and outspoken about her sexuality. He liked her frankness. For a minute, he waited for Maddie to look at him. She didn’t. Sighing, he picked up his glass then headed toward the women’s table. “Hello, ladies.”