Shadows of Knight: Book 1 of Dark Shadows - a Romantic Suspense Trilogy

by M E Whiter

  “Um, I guess that will by alright.” Crap! I just know he’s going to grill me, for not being completely truthful with him, when he interviewed me in the hospital.

  He hits the mute button on the phone, and starts talking to Detective Beckett again. “Will seven suit you? . . . Good. See you soon.” Sebastian hangs up the phone. Without pausing, he flops down on the sofa, next to me, as he makes yet another call.

  I make sure to eavesdrop on his conversation this time, my anger, growing by the minute. After all, I'm the one who received the damn note. It’s my safety that’s been threatened. He could at least have the decency, to ask what I want to do about it, first, before he starts making plans.

  “Good evening James . . . Sorry to disturb you, but I need you to book a jet, for tomorrow morning . . . Good . . . As early as possible?” He listens for a moment. “My lake house . . . I will also need a car . . . Yes, the usual. Yes, Miss Day will be escorting me . . . Could you get them to forward the flight details when they have them? Thank you James. I will see you in the morning.” He hangs the phone up and puts it back in his pocket, as he stands up.

  “Sebastian, will you please tell me what’s happening?” I plead, my patience breaching it’s limit. When he doesn’t answer me straight away, it nudges it even further. Ugh!

  He walks through to the adjoining wine cellar, returning a moment later, carrying a bottle of red wine. I can’t see him, when he walks over to the bar, behind me. But, I can hear the clinking sound of glasses, soon followed by a cork popping. A moment later, he comes back, carrying two glasses half-filled with red wine.

  I glare at him, when he hands me the glass, and then sits down beside me. “Sebastian, what is going on? I demand, the pitch in my voice, sounding agitated.

  “Someone has threatened you, while you are staying in my home. You cannot stay here, until I can be sure it is safe. So, I need to take you somewhere, where no one will know where we are.”

  “Why do we need to go away?”

  “I am having Damon upgrade the security system on this apartment. Which means, it will not be safe staying here, until it is completed.”

  “So, where are you taking me?” I ask, feeling conflicted with him taking control again. I don’t know whether to be grateful, for him wanting to keep me safe, or to be angry that he’s doing it without asking me first.

  “You will find out when we get there.”

  “Will you at least tell me, for how long?”

  “A few days, perhaps longer.” He reaches out and places his hand over mine. “Rachel, please do not worry about this. I will do everything in my power, to ensure you are kept safe. Just trust me.”

  I take a deep sigh, I need to calm down. I’m getting myself too worked up, over everything that’s happening.

  “Sebastian, I can’t go away. My cousin Mary, is due back soon, and I promised to stay with her.” I wish she was back now. I really need to see a familiar face. She’s always been like a big sister to me. I know having her around, would make me feel a hell of a lot better.

  Chapter Seventeen

  FRIDAY, 22nd August

  Rachel

  “THEN LET US hope, it will not take that long,” he says, withdrawing his hand.

  “I don’t know, Sebastian. Maybe, I should just stay here, check into a hotel for a couple of days.” I’m telling him this, as I’m thinking off the top of my head, not really caring if it sounds practical.

  “Rachel. I hope you know me well enough by now, to realise that when I make promises, I always keep them. I promised you, I would keep you safe, and that is what I intend to do. Please, do not fight me on this.”

  Ugh! “Alright Sebastian, I’ll go. But, only for a couple of days,” I reply, waving my hand up in resignation. “What time do we leave?”

  “I am expecting James, to forward me the flight details shortly. But, I think we should pack tonight, just in case we have an early flight.”

  “In that case, I should go and pack now,” I say, putting down, my untouched glass of wine.

  “Not just yet. There is something I want to say to you first, Rachel.” His features soften a little, but his blue eyes turn a shade darker. It makes me edgy, as I’m starting to learn, it’s not usually a good sign.

  “Oh, what’s that?” I ask, turning slightly to face him better.

  “I just wanted to explain something to you. I know the other night, things almost got out of hand, when I kissed you.”

  “Sebastian, it’s alright, you don’t have to explain, I understand. I’m just a guest here. You don’t want to start something, that has no prospect of going anywhere.” I tell him, shrugging it off, trying to sound, like it didn’t mean anything. I don’t want him thinking I have any expectations, beyond him offering me his protection.

  “Rachel, that is not it, at all. What I was trying to tell you, is that I vowed to keep my distance, while you are recuperating from your injuries. But, having you so close and yet not able to touch you, has made it impossible to keep,” he whispers, reaching out for my hand, and squeezing it, as if proving his point.

  “What are you saying, Sebastian?” I ask, hardly able to breathe. I can’t tell yet, if this is good news or bad news.

  He gazes deeply into my eyes. “From the first moment I saw you, when you fell into my lap, and I looked into your beautiful eyes, I have not been able to stop thinking about you.” He reaches up, and pushing my hair back behind my shoulder, he gently caresses the side of my face. I lean into his hand, relishing the sensual pleasure, of his touch on my skin.

  I let out a sigh. “You’re not the only one Sebastian. I haven't been able to stop dreaming about you, either.” I reply softly, surprised by my own admission.

  “I would very much like to hear, in detail, what your dreams were about,” he smirks, a wicked gleam twinkling in the dark blue depths of his eyes.

  “I bet you would,” I retort, gently removing his hand away from my face. “But, what happens in a dream, stays in a dream.” I cringe inwardly, having heard the words leaving my mouth, knowing how corny they sound.

  “You know, I tried going after you that day, in the gallery.”

  “You did,” I reply, shocked at his admission. Even though, my heart is thrilled, hearing I had such an effect on him.

  “Yes. I wanted so badly, to know your name and find out who you are. I certainly never expected to get it, the way it happened, running you down with my car.” His voice sounds grim, saying those words, but then a grin appears on his face, and I know he’s trying not to ruin the mood.

  “Yes. It certainly got my attention.” I raise my eyebrows at him, smiling.

  “My point is, I had no right taking advantage of you the other night, when I kissed you. It was inexcusable of me, considering your vulnerable condition, when you are still recovering from your injuries.”

  I place my hand, over the one he used, to caress my face. “Sebastian, you didn’t take advantage of me. You didn’t do anything I didn’t want you to.”

  “I’m glad to hear you say that. I did not want to press my advances, until I knew for certain, that you are as attracted to me, as I am to you.”

  He slowly leans forward, until our noses are almost touching. Then, running his fingers through my hair, he pulls me closer. The exhale of his breath, warms my face, just before his lips close over mine. Kissing me with tenderness.

  He deepens the kiss, his warm tongue sliding past my parted lips, rubbing up against my tongue, with slow erotic strokes. Mmm! He tastes of cranberries and grapes, from the wine.

  Wrapping his arms around my shoulders, he pulls me tighter, crushing my breasts against his solid chest. My nipples swell instantly, aroused by the warmth of his body. He ends the kiss, his lips sucking and nipping a trail down the side of my neck, until he reaches the sensitive spot just below my earlobe. Throwing my head to the side, all sense of self-control goes up in flame, as I give myself over to the delicious torture of his voracious lips ravishing my sensitive skin.r />
  Before losing all sense of time, Sebastian pulls away, creating some space between us, and leaving me feeling extremely hot and bothered, once again. His heavy gaze is glistening with lust, when our eyes meet, “Rachel, you taste so sweet, I cannot get enough of you, but I think we should stop now.”

  “Why?” I ask, trapped in a haze of lust.

  He sighs, “Because Tom will be here shortly." Crap! I completely forgot about him.

  Pulling myself together, I smooth down the creases in my top, after being crushed by his chest. I then run my fingers through my hair, in an attempt to smooth out the tangles, and to disguise the fact that, we’d just been making out, on the sofa.

  I stop fussing, when he traces his finger over my pouting lips."God Rachel! I want you so much. I would like nothing more than to ravish every inch of your delectable body. But this isn’t the time,” he says, his voice sounding low and husky.

  Wow! My mind is mentally visualising, what I can only imagine he means, by wanting to ravish me. I’ve never had anyone say things like this to me before, and I have no idea how to respond. I just know, at this moment, all I want, is for him to take me, and ravish me just like he said, my injuries be damned.

  “Yes, I guess you’re right,“ I sigh, feeling a little more than just frustrated.

  A SUDDEN BUZZING noise interrupts the moment. Sebastian reaches for his phone and read the message on the screen, then puts it away again. I have no idea why, but butterflies start fluttering around inside my tummy, when he looks at me again, the corner of his mouth creases up, into a sexy smile.

  “Our flight takes off at nine thirty in the morning. So, we will need to be ready to leave here by eight,” he tells me, moving to stand up. “I think we should go get packed, before Beckett arrives."

  “How long does the flight take?” I ask, taking his outstretched hand, to help me up.

  “About an hour. Do you want me to help you pack?”

  “No, I think I can manage, thank you.”

  He bends down and kisses me lightly on the cheek, before he turns and walks off, leaving me standing there to admire the receding view of his perfectly sculpted behind, as he leaves the room. Tucking the crutches under my arm, I head for my room, my imagination creating an image of just how incredibly hot it would be, to see him totally naked.

  When I finish packing my bags, I decide to leave the crutches behind. They could prove more of a nuisance than any help, especially when I need to climb the steps in and out of the plane.

  Louise had bought me a collapsible walking cane, just before I left hospital, the first time. I’ve already been practicing using it, during my sessions with Judy. So, I will use it instead, now, that I’m confident my injured knee, is strong enough to carry my weight, without too much problem,

  Just as I’m laying out the clothes I will wear in the morning, over the chair, I hear Sebastian's voice outside my room. It sounds like he’s talking to someone in the hallway. I then hear him knock on my door, a few seconds before opening it, "Rachel, Tom is here."

  When we enter the family room, Detective Beckett is standing in front of the fireplace, warming one hand over the crackling fire, Sebastian must have started, while I was packing. His other hand, is holding an open bottle of Budweiser, close to his chest.

  “Good evening Miss Day,” he says, turning to face us. “You’re looking a lot better now, that the last time we met.” While I take a seat on the sofa across from him, Sebastian walks over to the bar.

  “Thank you,” I reply, folding up my walking cane, and placing it on the coffee table. Sebastian comes back, carrying a beer for himself and a glass of white wine for me. I take it from him and then he walks over and joins Detective Beckett in front of the fire.

  “There are some more questions I’d like to ask you, Miss Day,” Detective Beckett starts, turning to look at me. “If that’s alright with you?”

  “Yes, alright,” I reply, feeling my pulse beginning to beat faster. When he proceeds asking me questions, it’s immediately evident that Sebastian has intimated to him, that I haven’t told him everything. By the time, Detective Beckett finishes with the questions, he now knows the full version of events as I’d told Sebastian, as to the real reason for my being here in Vancouver.

  The deep furrows on Detective Beckett’s forehead, shows me he’s not happy that I had lied to him, but thankfully, he doesn’t rake me over the coals, with a lecture, on the consequences of lying to the police.

  Instead, he tells me, “Now we know the full story, it puts a new emphasis on the case. We could now be looking at a case of fraud or internet scamming. The thing that puzzles me, is that in this instance, it doesn’t follow the usual pattern, that typically occur in these cases.”

  “And what would that be, Tom?”

  “Well, from what Miss Day has told us, no attempt has been made to exhort money from her, which is the prime goal of most of these scams.”

  “I see what you mean,” Sebastian says, shooting me an enquiring look.

  “No, nothing like that has happened,” I tell them, in answer to the unspoken question in Sebastian’s expression. “In fact, it’s been quite the opposite. So far, I’m the one who’s benefitted from whatever this is. I haven’t had to pay for anything much, including my airfares, accommodation, sightseeing and most of my meals.”

  “Yes. This is a new one on me. It doesn’t make any sense. Which makes it all the more vital that we find this Connor Black. So, we can find out what kind of case we are dealing with. Well, I’d better be off now.” He drinks the last of his beer and then puts the empty bottle down on the coffee table.

  Sebastian hands the package containing my handbag and the note over to Detective Beckett before he escorts him to the front door. “Yes, I’ll get this tested as soon as possible.”

  “Good. Please let me know, if you find anything. You have my number.”

  Detective Beckett turns to me, “Goodnight Miss Day. Don’t you worry too much, we will get to the bottom of this. You go and enjoy your weekend.”

  “Goodnight and thank you. I appreciate that. I just hope you find something useful, when you test the contents of the parcel, that will give you a lead.”

  I remain on the sofa, while Sebastian escorts the detective to the front door. It’s comforting to know that the police are going to take this case more seriously, now they have some new evidence to work on.”

  When Sebastian returns, he walks through to the kitchen. “Rachel, will left-over lasagne suit you for dinner?” he asks, opening the fridge.

  “Yes, that’s fine. Can I do something to help?”

  “No, this won’t take long to heat up, in the microwave. Would you like some more wine, you didn't touch your last glass?”

  “Yes please. Would you like me to pour it?”

  “No Rachel. Just sit over there and look beautiful,” he replies, the most adorable grin spreading across his lips. Oh my! I think I just wet myself.

  Chapter Eighteen

  FRIDAY, 22nd August

  Rachel

  AFTER DINNER, I clear the table, while Sebastian loads the dishwasher. I've only been here four days, but it already feels like a normal routine, doing household chores with him, as if we were a real couple.

  Sebastian turns off the kitchen lights, ”It is still early yet, so what would you like to do?” he asks, coming to join me on the sofa.

  “I don’t know?” I have no idea what handsome, wealthy CEO types like to do in their spare time. But, there is one suggestion I can think off. “Do you play chess?” It’s one game that I used to be quite good at. I love the adrenaline buzz, that comes with trying to anticipate your opponent's next move correctly, and then use it to try and outsmart them.