He, however, was not going to be patient. Aiden interrupted Mr. Castle, his frustration very clear as he leaned over and whispered. "I thought you said Victoria was invited to this dinner?"
"Oh, yes." Mr. Castle smiled and didn’t appear to notice Aiden’s aggravation. "You will meet her soon."
"Now." Placing his hand on Mr. Castle’s shoulder, the words hissed angrily from Aiden’s gritted teeth. "Or I will invest my money elsewhere. If you cannot produce what you promise, then I assume your business sense will be similar. You can produce everything you offer, can you not, Mr. Castle?"
"Of course I can, Mr. Bristol." Mr. Castle nodded as he looked around the table, the nervousness apparent in his voice. "Why don’t we all go around the table and introduce ourselves to Mr. Bristol and tell him about our books." He motioned toward the nearest author. "We’ll start with you, Mr. Perkins."
The intros then started, the two writers before Ashleigh taking their time in telling who they were and shamelessly promoting their books like they were the greatest ever penned. This wait was making Aiden very angry, his hand going to his lips and a slight scowl creeping onto his features. His attitude was quickly turning sour, his eyes always taking quick glances toward the door then over at the empty chair.
Ashleigh was about to speak, but a young woman walked in and everyone’s attention turned to her.
"Sorry I’m late." Carol, one of the romance novelists Ashleigh had met in the workshop today, walked in. She was dressed in a tight, pink dress, a small giggle escaping her lips as she checked out the handsome Aiden. She apparently was trying to impress him.
She looked like a beauty queen performing in a pageant, her hair large and perfectly sculpted. It didn’t move when she sat down. The way she carried herself showed her great manners and fine breeding.
Aiden did look her way, but he didn’t seem impressed. Ashleigh watched his stare wander to her breasts, which were jumping out of her tight dress, then turn away from them in disgust.
"Continue." Mr. Castle motioned toward Ashleigh, but most people weren’t listening because of Carol’s interruption. Her very sexy attire captured most of the men’s attention, who were checking her out instead of turning back to the conversation.
"My name is Ashleigh Brown." She purposely spoke softer because she knew no one except the people near her would hear. They were all still talking amongst themselves, James speaking loudly to Carol, making his flirting known to everyone at the table. “But I write under the pen name of Victoria Allure."
She smiled when she didn’t get a reaction, her eyes falling on Kurt, who seemed to be the only one listening. "My newest novel, Love Bites, is number two in horror this week. And four in romance."
A small laugh escaped her lips as she spoke because Aiden still watching Carol, his apparent disgust thick on his face. "I’m very excited about this, and I’m hoping to get to number one soon. The second novel in this series hit number one in the first week, so…"
More people had turned to her now. Soon, they were all quiet and giving her their attention. "I’m hoping this newer one will hit it as well."
"Here’s to getting another number one, Ashleigh." Kurt was holding his glass in the air. Ashleigh accepted his toast by hitting his glass.
"Thanks, Kurt." Ashleigh took a drink. She motioned to Kurt, a more playful tone to her voice as she became more comfortable speaking in front of the group. "And I know you’re just waiting to kick my butt out of number one."
"I know when I am beat, Miss Brown." Kurt smiled. "And being beat by a beautiful, talented writer like yourself is an honor."
"I am very jealous of you as well, Ashleigh." Another author spoke. "Times Daily is right when they describe your books as ‘a bite of pure sin with the aftertaste of throbbing erotica’."
"Throbbing erotica, I don’t agree with." Ashleigh shook her head.
Kurt leaned closer to her, his voice light. "I would say ‘carnal delight’ instead."
"Oh, come on. ‘Carnal delight’ sounds as cheesy as ‘throbbing erotica’."
Aiden held a glass to his lips, his stare turning to Ashleigh. "I didn’t catch the title of your book, Ashleigh." He seemed to be trying to get a grip on the conversation, yet his mind was clearly distracted.
"Love Bites." Ashleigh was happy that others were asking so many questions about her books, so she didn’t have to look at him.
"Oh, yes." Carol leaned forward in her chair a little so she could look down the table at Ashleigh. "I remember reading that excerpt you sent me last year. Oh darlin’."
Waving her hand, Carol took a sip from her glass before speaking. "I loved that line—‘His irresistible smile hid the sins of a million lifetimes, yet she wanted to taste the sin that lingered on them.’ That made me want to taste him too." Her laugh was more obnoxious than most. "And you claim you’re not a number one romance writer."
"Okay." Ashleigh looked over at Kurt. "I think Kurt wants to speak now. He’s a great horror writer, right Kurt?" She could feel Aiden’s eyes on her, his fingers gripping his cup with more force than necessary to hold it. She was waiting for his anger, her hand on her glass shaking a little as she brought it to her lips.
"You wrote the Nightwalker series?" Aiden’s voice showed his surprise, as he took over the conversation. “And you and Caleb neglected to tell me?”
"Yeah." Ashleigh nodded, but didn’t meet his eyes.
"Interesting." Aiden stood up. He held his glass in his hand, tapping on the side of it with his fork. "Can I have everyone’s attention, please?"
When they were all looking at him, he waved his hand casually. Everyone stopped mid-motion. Some were holding forks to their mouths, others drinks to their lips, as their motionless eyes stared at Aiden. He sat down without looking at them, like it was nothing out of the ordinary.
He glanced over at Mr. Castle, who rose and walked over to the other end of the table, pulling up a nearby chair and squeezing in between a few people.
Aiden waved his hand again, his lips clinging to the top of his glass as he sat back down. The people started eating again, as if nothing was wrong. But they weren’t speaking to each other, and they still had a zombified look in their eyes.
Ashleigh wasn’t affected by his spell and was now looking around at all the faces at the table. Her glass kissed her lips, Ashleigh afraid to let it pull away and show the fear that was hiding behind its wide rim.
"I’ve cleared you a space." Aiden wore a very big smirk as he gestured in broad hand movements toward the chair near him. "Now come sit with me."
"I’m okay here." Ashleigh set down her glass and instead grabbed her fork. When she was about to scoop up some mashed potatoes, her plate flew across the table, smashing into the glass Mr. Castle had left near Aiden. The shattering sound made her look up sharply, her fork still poised in the air.
Aiden was sending her a very devilish smile, his hand held out to her, his palm slightly turning as he moved his wrist. Her glass moved away from her as well, stopping to rest inside the palm of Aiden’s open hand. "But we have much to talk about."
Letting out an annoyed sigh, Ashleigh picked up her silverware and walked over to the other end of the table, sitting down next to Aiden. Before she had a chance to readjust her plate and silverware, she felt her chair slide closer to him, making her jump.
"So, you are the mysterious Victoria Allure. Now I know the reasoning behind Caleb’s call earlier." Aiden watched her begin to eat again, his eyes checking out the ring on her finger.
"I’m not Victoria. I’m Ashleigh."
"You’re scared of me, aren’t you?" Aiden chuckled, a very satisfied smile on his face as he watched her curiously. "I dare you to look at me when you speak."
"A dare, eh?" Ashleigh couldn’t help but laugh at the seriousness in his velvety tone. "Dares aren’t fun unless you’re the one giving them."
"I like the way you think."
"Well, you do like my books." Ashleigh stuffed a big spoonful of potatoes in h
er mouth, hoping her avoidance would make him back off.
"I do." Aiden nodded his head then scanned the guests that were still eating. "Are you hungry?"
"Mmm hmm." She cut off a piece from her steak as she chewed her potatoes.
"Would you like me to get you something to eat?" He motioned toward Carol. "I bet she tastes disgusting, but him…" He pointed at a fatter man sitting at the table. "I bet his blood is sweet."
"I don’t know anything about stuff like that." She glanced at him briefly, Aiden catching a glimpse of her baby blue eyes. "Caleb says women taste the best because they like chocolate, but I don’t believe him. He was laughing when he said it."
"It’s true." Aiden laughed, taking advantage of the light conversation to get closer to her. "I will not eat anyone who’s consumed fish. I hate the taste it gives to the blood."
"Seriously?" Ashleigh giggled again, a big smile on her face as she turned to him. This time, she had let her guard down and looked directly into his handsome face. "I think you two are weird."
"I’ve tasted a lot more than you…" Aiden playfully pointed a finger at her chest, lightly kissing the surface of her squishy breasts. "So I am much more educated on the subject."
"So Caleb is right?" She looked back at him, her hands poised in the air as she prepared to cut her steak. A few curls that framed her face bounced slightly as she turned her head back to her plate. "They really do taste better?"
"Here, I’ll show you." He stood up and took her hand in his, making her drop her silverware. She was still chewing a piece of steak, his abrupt yanking on her hand almost making her choke. "We have a buffet here, so why not take a taste?"
"You’re not going to kill them, are you?" Making a sour face, Ashleigh tried to take her hand from his, but she couldn’t. His were smooth and soft, unlike the rough surface of Caleb’s calloused fingers.
"No." Aiden laughed as he walked up to Carol. "We’re just taking a taste." He lifted her hand and put it near his face. "They won’t even know. I’ll break the skin for you." He pierced her wrist with his fang, leaving one puncture wound. Though it was small, it produced a large droplet of blood. "Taste this." He moved it closer to Ashleigh. Carol didn’t flinch during the whole ordeal, she just continued eating like the others at the table.
"Okay."
Watching her bend over, Aiden licked his lips when he saw her stick out her tongue. She licked the surface of Carol’s skin, taking the drop on her tongue. Ashleigh stood up as she tasted it, a curious look on her face as she tried to distinguish a certain flavor in the blood.
"I don’t taste anything different." She gave him a weird look then watched him lick another, very small, drop of blood had that pooled near the small wound.
"She tastes bad." Aiden grimaced as he took Ashleigh’s hand again and led her over to the fat man. "Let’s try this one." He bit the man’s wrist then offered it to Ashleigh. She licked off the drop of blood then laughed. "Tastes better, right?" Aiden watched her smile, her tongue going to lick her lips.
"Actually, I can’t tell."
"You have to be careful of old people." Aiden motioned toward Mr. Castle. "They often have medicines in their blood that can ruin the taste or make you sick." He picked up Ashleigh’s hand and held it to his lips, a devilish smile springing up on his very excited face. "Can I taste you?"
"No." Ashleigh shook her head. "That hurts."
"I'm sorry I lack the ability to dull the pain. Even vampire as great as I cannot do such a thing. After all, I am not the Count." Aiden kept up his smile, his eyes watching her turn back to him sharply. “But I bet you let Caleb taste you whenever he wishes."
"No." Ashleigh walked back over to her seat. "He’s only done it once or twice. He says he doesn’t want to hurt me."
"Hurt you?" Aiden sat back down as well. "I would never hurt you."
Ashleigh quickly changed the subject, putting her hands in her lap as she looked around the table at the other guests who were ignoring them. "So, you wanted to ask me about my books?"
"Not really. I already know about your books."
"Then why did you want to meet me?" She watched Mr. Castle drink from his glass. "You can wake them up right?"
"I wanted to meet the woman behind the best vampire series ever penned and take her as my wife."
Ashleigh stood up from her chair, but when she went to walk away, Aiden grabbed her hand. "I’m marrying Caleb."
"You don’t want to marry Caleb." He stood up too, this time slipping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer to him. "He’s not as great as I."
"I want to marry Caleb." Ashleigh was pushing away from him, her back shoving as hard as she could against his arms and putting whatever distance between them she could. Her eyes were aimed at the ground, the nervousness apparent in her voice. "You don’t even know me."
"I will." Aiden leaned in to kiss her.
"Hey!"
A loud voice interrupted him, Ashleigh using the distraction to weasel out of his arms. She smiled at Spencer’s familiar face, quickly reaching down to the floor and grabbing her purse before walking over to him.
For once, she was glad he had followed her here and took back all the times she had cursed him for never leaving her alone. Even if he was in love with her and flirted with her constantly, he was harmless, unlike Aiden, who wasn’t satisfied with a kiss on the cheek and just the pleasure of her company.
"Spencer." She released a relieved breath, a look of gratitude on her face. She gave him a big hug, her arms wrapping around his shoulders as she whispered in his ear. "Get me out of here."
Spencer glanced at Aiden then back at Ashleigh as she pulled away. Spencer looked like he wasn’t going to stay and wait for Aiden to give him orders, instead, he was going to run.
In a quick action, he grabbed Ashleigh by the waist, a small yelp escaping her lips as he picked her up off her feet and slung her over his shoulder. He took off running, his pace so fast one couldn’t see which way he had gone. That didn’t stop Aiden from following, though.
Ashleigh’s eyes were closed, her teeth clenched as she tried to forget about her churning stomach. She could hear him breathe heavily, but she wasn’t sure if it was because he was growing tired or he was afraid.
Now, after two days of travel, switching planes, and finding flights to where she wanted to go, Ashleigh was at the Monterey, a very expensive hotel in the grand city of Kingston. It was a huge city, one of the biggest she has ever visited.
In the lobby was a large chandelier, the ceiling cut away to make room for its massive girth. Everything about this place was huge, and it was the fanciest hotel she had ever stepped foot into. Spencer was with her, a sour expression on his face showing his dislike in having to end his time with her.
They were to meet up with Caleb, who was playing a concert here tomorrow night. He and the band were supposed to be flying in tonight but hadn’t yet checked into the hotel, according to the man at the counter.
It was easy to see when the band arrived, the sound of screaming fans coming closer and closer as they followed the group down the hallway. They seemed to have already checked in and were heading toward the doors. Ashleigh pushed through the group forming near the entrance, waving her hand as she tried to get one of the security guards’ attention.
She wasn’t normally pushy and had never fought so hard to get to something as she did now. She needed Caleb, to see his face and feel his arms around her.
The thought gave her added strength, but still the screaming fans were strong, and in a group as large as this one, she wasn’t able to push through them. She quickly took out her phone and tried to call Caleb, something she had tried to do all day without success. It was late, maybe ten or so, and she had been waiting for him in the lobby since she had gotten here at three.
Spencer was now standing next to her, watching the large crowd disperse when Armageddon went outside and into a waiting car. "Looks like they’re already here."
"Where do you thi
nk they’re going?" Ashleigh was holding her phone to her ear, trying again to call Caleb. "And why isn't Caleb’s phone on?"
"Wanna follow them?" Spencer had his arms crossed casually over his chest, a calm look on his handsome face. "I bet they’re going to Twizted Sin. It’s a club for our kind." He studied her disappointed face, a small smile starting on his own. "What? Are you scared?"
"Kinda." Ashleigh nervously rubbed her arm that was covered in her green army jacket. "I’m not one of you."
"You smell like us. Like Caleb."
"I smell like Caleb?" Letting out a playful laugh, Ashleigh picked up her suitcase and walked out the entrance with Spencer. "Why’s that?"
"I was just kidding. That jacket smells like that shit he smokes all the time." Spencer waved the subject away with his hands. "We can’t smell stuff like that. We can sense it, though. And if I bit you, your blood would taste like ours."
Spencer walked with her to the parking lot, where he put her bags in the back of a car he had rented. He drove to a different hotel he had rented a room in, letting Ashleigh grab something to eat then let her get ready to go out to the club, which had a strict dress code.
Now, walking with Spencer toward the club, Ashleigh was rubbing her bare arms because she was cold. "So, this is Caleb’s hometown?"
"Yep." Spencer, who was now wearing a nice suit, nodded. "Are you ready to catch Caleb cheating on you?"
"Come on, Spencer, he wouldn’t…" She paused as she looked at the line in front of the club. "Would he?"
"He’s a rock star, those kind of guys can’t stay faithful. He’s probably got two or three girls hanging on him right now."
"Are you sure?"
"Every time I’ve seen him, it’s been like that."
She changed the subject. "I found out my mom moved to Kingston." Making a sour face, she thought of her mother. Ashleigh glared at the people standing in front of her as they waited in line. “She would have to come and ruin my life.”
"Don’t get along with mommy?" Spencer laughed as he took in the scowl that was forming on her face.
Blood Kisses (Nightwalkers Book 1) Page 14