Bound to Remember, a Paranormal Romance (Book 1 of the Spellbound Series)

by Lola James

  Dearest Benjamin,

  I have been here in Poland for nearly one year now. The people in power are pure evil; it is as if Hades himself appointed them. I am glad you are not here to see all the murders; but worst of all, I feel bad that I cannot help everyone, for there are so many. I am sorry to write such a depressing letter but I want you to know that it is not safe for you to be here. I hope that all is well for you and Catherine. Please send her my love. I have not asked much of you, but please keep her safe. I will return when my help is not needed. I must go now but please take care, love.

  Sincerely,

  Joanna

  I guess he did love her like a sister. I folded the letter back and noticed a picture of Ben and another woman. I assumed this was Catherine. She was beautiful, and I smiled as I thought how in love they looked. I sighed at the thought of feeling that way with someone, particularly Ben. As I picked up the letter and two pictures, I noticed a diamond ring that was loose in the small box. I pulled it out, staring at the large oval diamond surrounded by rubies. The ring was classic. I slid it onto my left ring finger. Perfect fit, I thought as I admired it in the faint light.

  CHAPTER SIX

  “It is a beautiful ring,” Ben sat up in bed. I jumped, and the box fell to the floor.

  “Geesh, Ben! You scared the living daylights out of me.” I held my hand to my chest.

  “Sorry! I did not mean to frighten you.” He waited as I calmed myself with exaggerated breaths.

  “No, I’m sorry. I am really bad, going through your stuff.” I tried to pull the ring off my finger, but it was stuck.

  “No worries. You would not be human if you were not curious,” he laughed.

  “No, no, no; I can’t get the ring off.” I was frustrated at myself for putting the damn ring on.

  “Let me see your hand.” He took my hand in his and looked at it from different angles. “It appears to be a perfect fit.”

  “It’s stuck.” My cheeks flushed with embarrassment as a tear fell down my cheek. He twisted the ring a few times, but it didn’t move.

  “Well, not to worry; we can get it off later.” He let go of my hand as he repositioned himself in the bed.

  “You loved her.” I looked over at him as I wiped my tear away. We both knew I meant Catherine.

  “Yes.” He turned away from me as he lay down. “Busy afternoon, I see.” He looked at me over his shoulder. He hates me now.

  “I sort of woke up to get some water and found the box.” I lay down with my back to him.

  “Catherine never received it. She died before I was able to give it to her.” I turned and wrapped my arm around his body. He didn’t react. Yep, hate.

  “I’m sorry, Ben.”

  “No; maybe I should tell you, and then you will understand. I met Joanna and Catherine at the same time. They were friends and they lived together in this house. One afternoon, Catherine went to work to cover a shift for someone, and she was attacked. Joanna sensed her fear, and tried to save Catherine. Joanna was protected by the daylight spell that the witch had put on her, but the spell was removed, and she burned up when she left the house. I was here in the house, asleep. I woke up with my best friend gone and my girlfriend dead.” Ben turned to look at me.

  “Who do you think killed them?”

  “The only one who would know that Joanna had a daylight spell and that she would try to rescue Catherine.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Let me guess. Hades.” I sighed.

  “Antonia, this is not a joke.” He sat and faced me.

  “I believe you, okay.” I picked up the box and put the letter and the pictures back inside. “I think it’s weird that Joanna and I have the same last name,” I commented as I put the box in the drawer and lay down.

  “Can we talk about this after the sun has set?”

  Yep, still hate. I sighed, turned off the lamp, and lay down. Between Joanna’s letter and Ben’s story about Catherine, I was officially exhausted.

  When I woke up, Ben was standing over me, fully dressed.

  “What time is it?” I yawned as I wiped my eyes.

  “Fifteen minutes to seven. If you give me your keys, I can get you some clothes.”

  “No, I brought some clothes with me; can you get me my bag?” I asked as I stood up.

  “Will do,” he answered and vanished, but was back in a flash.

  “I’ll never get used to that. Thanks.” I shook my head as I took my bag. He smiled and over-exaggerated his walk out of the room.

  “Uh, there are towels in the closet in the bathroom,” his voice said somewhere in the hallway. With both lamps on, I was able to look around the room. There were vaulted ceilings and a long dresser on the opposite end of the room. I looked down at my hand; the ring was still there. I threw my bag over my shoulder and walked into the large master bathroom.

  I turned on the shower and looked at myself in the mirror as it fogged up with steam. I thought, I met this man four days ago, slept in the same bed with him twice in two days, I’m taking a trip to Utah with him to see a witch, and I’m wearing his dead girlfriend’s ring. Oh, and to top it all off, he’s a vampire. I shook my head, thinking this was a dream that I would wake up from soon.

  I hopped in the shower and let the warm water hit my face. I showered quickly, remembering my conversation with Ben about Joanna. After drying off, I looked in the dresser for one of Ben’s shirts to hang low over my hand and hide the ring. I was dressed in no time and pulled my wet hair into a ponytail. When the intoxicating smell hit me, I went downstairs and into the kitchen to find Ben at the stove.

  “Have a seat; I hope you like chicken.” He looked over his shoulder and smiled.

  “Of course! Who doesn’t?” I looked around and saw fruit in a bowl and bags on the countertop. “Where did you get all this?”

  “While you slept, I went shopping.” He poked at the food that sizzled in the skillet.

  “Do you remember the conversation we had last night, about Joanna having the same name as me?”

  “Yes.” He never took his eyes from the food.

  “Well?”

  He poured the skillet of chicken and vegetables onto a plate before he walked over and sat down beside me.

  “I asked if you were related to Joanna, the first day I met you, and you said no. I asked you without you knowing.” He touched my hand to keep me calm.

  “But how? When? I would have remembered that!” I didn’t need to be calmed; I needed answers.

  “Vampires can use hypnosis on humans. I can ask you questions without you ever having a memory of it.” He kept his hand on mine, and I felt calm as I thought about what he had just told me.

  “What did you ask me without me knowing?”

  “I asked you about Joanna, I made you promise not to tell anyone of me being a Vampire and I made you forget that you tried to have sex with me.” His eyes were sincere, but his last statement was false. I knew I did not try to have sex with him. I may have wanted to, but I didn’t try.

  “I did not try to have sex with you.” I shook my head and rolled my eyes. Then it hit me if he asked me that without me knowing what else has he done. “Have you done anything else without me knowing?” I swallowed hard and wrapped my hands around my neck.

  Anguish bathed his face, “Antonia, I have never nor will I ever harm you!” His serious words were paired with his honest eyes. I dismissed the thoughts and took a bite of the food. My taste buds rejoiced as I chewed the delicious morsel.

  “I didn’t mean it, that way – I just let my imagination get the best of me. Now tell of this attempted sex.” I did my best to change the subject with my mouth full.

  “Antonia, do you remember the day that we kissed, and you wanted to talk in my living room?”

  How could I forget? It was just yesterday, I thought as a smile crawled across my face. “Yes, you said you wouldn’t touch me, and I said what if I want you to. I remember.” I took another bite.

  “I did it for your own good
at the time; you did not know what I was.” He pulled his hand back and looked away.

  “If I remember that conversation correctly, you kissed me afterwards. But you have kept your distance from me ever since.” I pointed my fork at him.

  “I thought that you would not want me after I told you . . .”

  “That you were a vampire? Sorry, but you’re wrong. Call me crazy, but that attracted me even more.” I put my hand on his knee and he turned to look at me.

  “Really? You are crazy, but I understand. I should have stayed away from you, but instead I was drawn to you.”

  “I can believe that,” I said as I leaned closer to him and his lips touched mine. He kissed me softly and gently, almost as if I were fragile. His cold hand touched the side of my face as my head relaxed in it. My toes tingled with excitement, and I smiled.

  My smile stopped our kiss and we lingered in that moment, letting ourselves absorb it, before he pulled back. I looked up at him, wondering if he could feel what I already knew; that I was falling for Ben, and he was falling for me. I felt like I was floating in the air, my heart skipping beats as I thought of Ben and me, together. His hand caressed the side of my face.

  I smiled, then Ben smiled and showed the dimples that made me melt. I shook my head to revive my faculties.

  “Now, about the ring?” I looked down at my hand.

  “If anyone asks, I gave it to you.” He took my plate to the sink as I put on my jacket.

  “Just like that? You know, people are going to think you gave it to me, like, to marry me.”

  “Is that a bad thing?” He smiled as he walked out the door to the garage.

  “Yes, I mean no, but — fine,” I said, to myself, giving up as I grabbed my bag and followed him out to the garage. He had the truck started before I could buckle my seat belt.

  “This is an emotional rollercoaster,” I commented as he opened the garage door and backed the truck up.

  “Why would you say that?”

  “This ring pretty much sums up an emotional rollercoaster.”

  He stopped the truck, and I felt his hand touch the side of my face.

  “The truth is, Antonia, I had to fight off my desire for you until that moment in the kitchen. You are perfect in every way! Your warm brown eyes show the goodness of your soul, your soft touch can heal the deepest wound, and you have an ageless and classic beauty that defies time.” He kissed my hand.

  “That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.” His words nearly made me swoon.

  “I only speak the truth.” He touched my hand with the ring on it. I looked down at the gorgeous symbol.

  “Now, if I can only make it through tonight, without the suspicious eyes” I sighed, frustrated.

  “I think you will be fine,” he put the truck into reverse.

  ***

  I avoided the locker room and Dawn’s observant eyes and gave Ben my locker combination while I hid in the relief room. I thought I was unnoticed but when the fragrant, tempting smell of one of the most intoxicating scents I knew hit my nose, paired with the lusty, piercing green eyes that appeared from behind the door, I knew the jig was up.

  "What are you doing in here, Kevin?" I was beyond annoyed with Kevin and his sexual innuendos.

  "I came to talk to you." He sounded concerned and genuine for once.

  "Okay; talk before Ben gets here." I folded my arms across my chest. Kevin’s eyes flew to the ring I’d meant to hide.

  "You married him?"

  My cheeks flushed; I hid my hands behind my body and leaned back against the wall. "No, and it's none of your business, Kevin."

  Kevin moved closer to me and leaned over until we were eye to eye. He strained his neck forward so that his lips met my ear. His warm breath next to my earlobe sent a tingle down my spine. I was defenseless, with my hands behind me and my nose at his shoulder, inhaling his cologne that sent me back to our days in med school. Part of me wanted to kiss the part of his neck that was the closest to my nose, but another part said leave him alone.

  "Antonia, your friend will lead you into more danger than pleasure, so please stop seeing him."

  Kevin's words were as piercing and straightforward as his eyes, and they alarmed me on so many levels. For one thing, Kevin never called me “Antonia”; for another, since when did he care? And finally, I felt the same way deep down that Ben was dangerous. I felt his warm, soft lips brush my cheek, making my body hot inside. He backed away, turned, and walked out, leaving me breathless.

  I shook my head to rid myself of the images of Kevin and me. As his words played repeatedly in my mind, “more danger than pleasure,” I slid to the ground to sit on the floor. I was still there, breathing deeply, when Ben came in and rushed to my side.

  "Are you okay, Antonia?" The concern in his voice registered penetrated my mental fog, so I nodded to let him know that I was fine. As he helped me up, I looked at him, still confused by Kevin’s words. An ominous feeling came over me; I shook it off and took a step toward the door. Ben's cold, gentle hand clamped over mine as I gazed into his eyes.

  "I'm fine," I lied in a steady but convincing voice as I pulled my hand away from his. I opened the door and took another deep breath in the hallway as the cool air conditioning hit my face.

  I turned toward the nurse’s station and saw Dawn's jovial face come around the corner. I forgot about the ring as I searched for Kevin, until Dawn said, "T, what is that on your hand?" loudly enough to tip off the entire emergency department.

  Still in a daze, I put my hand on my head to bring myself back to the moment. "What? Oh, this is a ring," I rambled. Dawn's eyes widened with excitement. But it was her jumping up and down that made me realize I’d been exposed.

  The rest of my night was consumed with questions about Ben and the status of our relationship. Most of my answers were vague, offered solely to make everyone leave me alone. The one person I wanted to see had vanished. I couldn’t find Kevin the rest of the night, or the following morning, and I dared not ask about him. My talk with him would have to wait until I returned from Utah.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Stepping off the plane in Salt Lake City, I could feel the night air refreshing me. The difference in the atmosphere was evident even at the airport.

  I had the entire morning and plane ride to convince myself that Kevin’s words were just another phase of his jealousy. I was less concerned with Kevin and more with the outcome of this trip. Ben and I were walking through the airport when he suddenly stopped me.

  "I want you to trust me, Antonia, even if you do not understand."

  "I do; why do you say that now?" I lied, but I was confused, what with his timing, and Kevin’s strange words.

  "I — you seemed like — just know that I do care about you, Antonia." His heaviness thawed as he kissed my hand. He wrapped his arm around me and we continued our walk through the airport.

  We were outside of the terminal in no time, and I spotted Annie looking around anxiously, biting her nails, and dressed in her usual solid black. We started toward her and I waved my hand at her as soon as I caught her eye. "Annie!"

  Her bright blue eyes lit up. "Toni! You look great." She jumped up and down while she hugged me.

  "You too; I am so glad to see you." We stayed in each other’s arms as I played with Annie’s freshly cut hair. Annie usually kept the long, wavy mess of her jet-black hair flowing and free.

  Ben cleared his throat to remind me that he was still standing there. We released each other from our heartfelt embrace and I gave Annie another long look. Then I turned to face Ben.

  "Annie, this is Ben, my . . . friend." I searched for the right words.

  "So nice to meet you, Annie," Ben offered as he extended his hand. Annie raised one eyebrow and took his hand into hers. The second she touched his hand, her face turned white.

  "I didn't believe it, but she was right," Annie whispered as she pulled her hand from his. She frowned and waved for us to follow her. We trailed Annie
to her car, which was only a few feet away from where we stood. I climbed in the back seat to give Ben more room.

  "You still have Magic, I see." I laughed at our private joke about Annie’s 1974 Karmann Ghia. It was the color of rust in college, and hadn’t changed! I bet she even kept her book of spells in the glove box, just like old times. Annie giggled at the joke.

  "Of course, she is a witch," Ben stated, as he looked back at me, oblivious to the joke. That just made Annie laugh even more. I put my hand on his arm.