by Jen Pretty
"That's good. What time does your plane land? I'll send a car for you," he said.
I flicked on my lamp and eyed the ticket. "Two o'clock. You don't have to send a car, though, I can take a cab." If I was going to be a New Yorker, I should probably learn how to take a cab, anyway.
"Don't be ridiculous. I'll have a car there. I'd like to see you anyway," his voice had taken on that haughty tone. I was just about to ask if there was someone else in the room when I heard the crinkle of him covering the phone and the dull murmur of his voice speaking to someone.
"Sorry," he said back into the phone in a low voice.
"It's okay. I should let you go; I have been packing and stuff all day, and it's late."
He sighed. "It's much later here."
I couldn't remember how to do the math, but I knew he was in a later time zone. "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Oh, Harlow. Did you open the boxes yet?"
Shit. "Yes. Well, most. I ran out of time."
Julian grunted. "Okay, see you tomorrow."
I hung up and set the phone down on the table. Then paused, my hand on the drawer that contained the last box Julian sent me. The small one. He hadn't sent me anymore since I got back from Jackson, and I was thankful. It was weird getting things in the mail I didn't order myself.
I pushed out of bed and grabbed the small box, stuffing it in my carry-on suitcase. It could be tomorrow Harlow's problem.
I tucked back into bed and closed my eyes. This time I nodded right off.
"Harlow, get your ass out of bed."
"Screw you, Rory," I yelled back at my first lieutenant. I peeked an eye open and discovered it was three am. I still had an hour before I had to be up. That's when I remembered I was no longer the gargoyle huntress of Humber Falls.
"We are leaving in 10 minutes. If you want to stink the whole way to New York, that is up to you, but I would suggest a shower." The humour in his voice was unnecessary.
I stumbled out of bed and flung open my bedroom door. The long t-shirt I slept in, didn't cover much, but I was more dressed than he usually was.
As I passed him, his freshly showered scent met my nose and accentuated my less than flowery smell. Luckily there was still lots of hot water as I hurried through a shower and pulled on the clothes I left out to wear. I had packed all my hunting gear. Instead, I wore a light sundress with my boots, making me look like a delicate flower that will stomp you into the ground. I laughed and then hurried out to raid the coffee pot.
Linc had a hot mug in his hand as I walked into the kitchen. He pressed it into my hand and then gave me a surprising hug. His strong arms held mine tight to my body for an awkward moment before releasing me.
"Be careful and don't forget your amulets," he said. Then he turned and went back to his workshop, the buzzing of power tools caught my ears a moment later. That was Linc. I ran back to my room and grabbed my amulets and sculptor stone off the back of my door and pulled them over my head.
Then I strolled back to the kitchen, sipping my mug of perfect coffee.
"Times up," Rory said, passing me on his way out the door. A cab hovered on the street, its trunk popped up. Rory tossed his bags in and then turned back to look at me. He raised his hands in the universal 'what the hell' motion, then came storming back into the house.
"Let's go, Harlow. We'll be late."
"Calm down," I said, before chugging the hot coffee. My mouth and throat burned, but I downed it all and then grabbed my big suitcase and carry-on. Rory hustled me out the door muttering about finally getting out of the boring one-horse town. I wanted to take offence at that, but the town was pretty dull. And there was only one horse. The horse's name was Whinny, and he pulled Santa's sleigh in the Christmas parade every year. They even put antlers on him. It was hilarious.
The cab drove us to the airport, and we moved through the terminal like a pair of elephants. Okay, I was an elephant. Somehow Rory made it look easy to slip through between all the hordes of people. I was continually bumping people and apologizing. Not that it did much good. I got grumbles and grumpy looks from everyone. This wasn't the great start to my new life in the big city I was hoping for. We weren't even in New York, and everything overwhelmed me.
Finally, Rory stopped and pulled his ticket out of his pocket, handing it to a woman in a beautiful outfit that matched her old-fashioned looking hat.
"Have a nice flight," she chirped. Rory passed her then stopped to wait for me.
I had to go through every pocket and compartment on my suitcase before I found my ticket, but at least I hadn't left it back in Humber Falls.
"Have a nice flight," the woman said, in a slightly less excited tone.
I grabbed my bags and hustled through, following Rory, who at least waited for me.
The flight was long and boring. I drank a bunch and slept for half of it. The half I remember was still dull.
The big city appeared out the window between one blink and the next. The tall buildings shone beyond the smog. The city was dirty, even from up here. Then the plane started dropping. I watched out the window as the ground rose to meet us. My nails dug into the armrests as the feeling of falling took over. My drunk brain was sure we were dropping way too fast.
"Harlow, stop!" Rory said from right beside me.
I bit my lip to stop swearing and turned away from the window. Rory laughed, but an old lady across the aisle stared at me like I was a crazy person.
When the wheels touched down with a jerk, I breathed a sigh of relief.
We made our way through the crowds in the airport, grabbing our suitcases and luggage. At the curb was the longest freaking limo I had ever seen. The tinted windows and the soft hum of its engine screamed wealth. I looked down at myself. I was grubby, and my clothes were wrinkled. Freaking Julian. I should have insisted he not send a car for me. This wasn't a car, it was a monstrosity.
I pulled my hoodie tight to my neck; it was definitely colder here than back home.
"Hello, Miss Harlow?" the driver said, looking at his phone and then back up at me again. He must have had a photo. I'd never met this driver before. I nodded, and he grinned.
He popped the trunk before taking my bags and stuffing them in. Rory and I slid into the back of the limo. There was enough space for a couple baseball teams or at least six sumo wrestlers.
Rory snickered. "Your man has money."
"He's not my man," I grumbled.
"Well, what is he, then?"
I didn't know what to say about that, so I kept my mouth shut. I thought about the small box in my suitcase. He was my something, I supposed. Julian and I had a weird relationship, though.
Luckily the car moved, and the sights of the city out my window distracted me. Rory let it drop. Good man.
The city was just as I remembered. Tall and crowded and dirty. I checked the tops of the buildings and noticed all the gargoyles that hadn't been here the last time I was in the city. It was comforting to see them even though the city itself was anything but comforting.
The limo cruised past the office building I knew Julian was in. I recognized it from the last couple of times I had been in New York. It was tall, dark and made with glass. I pressed my head against the window and tried to look up at the top floor.
"He's not up there, Miss Harlow," the driver said from way at the front of the limo.
I glanced up at him and saw his face in the rear-view mirror. "Where is he?" I called.
"He is waiting for you at the new hotel, ma'am."
"The new hotel?"
The driver chuckled. "He bought it recently. Instructed me to take you right there. It's a surprise."
Great. I love surprises. Not.
CHAPTER FOUR
The hotel wasn't just any hotel. It was a huge L shaped building with a fountain in the centre of a circular driveway. The sign on the front said Harlow Suites. "I'm not drunk enough for this."
"You are plenty drunk, Harlow," Rory said with a laugh.
"Not enough for that!"
I pointed to the giant sign.
Rory's laugh echoed through the luxury automobile.
I shoved him off the seat, but he kept laughing, rolling on the floor of the car until the car rolled to a stop and the driver jumped out to open our door.
I slid out and marched through the luxurious front doors. Striding up the red plush carpeting to the front desk.
"Where is Julian?" I shouted at the receptionist. Her eyes got big and round like saucers in her little face. Her button nose crinkled as she picked up a phone and muttered into it.
She set the phone down and turned back with a forced smile. "He is in the penthouse suite."
"Top floor?" I asked, pointing over my shoulder at the elevator.
"You need a key card," she said fumbling through a drawer and producing a key card for me. I snatched it off the counter and spun around, bumping into Rory's chest.
"You coming?" I asked, flashing the card at him.
"Wouldn't miss it for anything." His smile was way bigger than necessary.
I strode onto the elevator, smashed the penthouse button and bounced on my toes, waiting for the doors to shut.
"Use the card," Rory said.
I looked at the little flashing light beside a card reader on under the row of buttons. "For crying out loud." I scanned the card, and the light turned green before the doors closed, and the elevator car climbed.
I stared at the numbers over the door, my heart rate rising with the numbers. When the doors slid open, my heart skipped a beat at the sight before me.
Julian stood in a black suit that contrasted perfectly with his tanned complexion and dark hair. He held a single red rose, and his dark eyes rose to meet mine in slow motion.
I almost passed out before I remembered how to breathe. He took a step forward and held out the rose like we were on The Bachelor. I accepted just like the silly girls on TV. His hand came up to brush a piece of my hair out of my face. His fingers were warm, and I melted into the light touch. Damn. Wasn't I angry about something? I couldn't remember what it was.
He ran his hand down my arm and took my hand, pulling me off the elevator, so I was a breath away from him. I tipped my head back to look up at his handsome face.
"I came," I said, stupidly.
He smiled slowly. Making his face look even more beautiful and taking my breath away again.
Rory cleared his throat from behind me, and I turned to look at him.
He waved, like an idiot.
Julian pulled a key card out of his pocket and handed it to my lieutenant. "Your room is one floor down."
"Super, thanks. I guess I'm just going to go, then."
Thankfully, he did, but his words broke the spell and I remembered what I was mad about. As the elevator doors shut, I stepped out of Julian's touch and glared at him. "You named your hotel after me?"
He grinned and lowered his head, so his face looked dark in the shadow. "I named them all after you."
"All of them?"
He just nodded like it wasn't a creepy thing to do. It was creepy. Super creepy.
"Come on, I made dinner," he wrapped his arm around my shoulders, leading me to the door on the opposite side of the hall. It was the only door on the floor.
Inside, the suite was magnificent. The building was as tall as any other building in the city, and the penthouse had windows on every outside wall. I walked up to the closest window, and a wave of dizziness washed over me.
"Whoa," I whispered.
The room itself was open and airy with natural light from all the windows. The low furniture left the view unobstructed. The sun was getting close to setting. Making the sky pink and purple above the buildings.
I looked down and saw the cars and people like ants scurrying around the buildings like a river around rocks.
Julian's warm hand slid up my back, and I turned to face him again. Okay, so he named all his hotels after me. He was so beautiful I couldn't remember to stay mad.
"Come sit down," he said in a low voice before turning me back to the room. There was a small table with covered trays in the middle. It smelled delicious. It wasn't pizza but it still smelled good.
Julian lifted the lids to reveal a spiral of pasta with some unrecognizable stuff on it.
"It's tagliolini with lobster and black truffle," Julian said, pouring a glass of wine for me. At least I hoped it wasn't cranberry juice like last time he fooled me.
"I've never had lobster," I said, taking a sip of what I confirmed was wine. I set the glass down and picked up my fork. The lobster looked alien. I wasn't exactly sure what a black truffle was. I hoped it wasn't something an animal pooped out or something. I knew rich people ate weird stuff.
I took a small bite and decided it was eatable.
"So, how have you been?" Julian asked cautiously.
I could tell he wanted to talk about something particular, so I looked up and stared at him, chewing my pasta and lobster.
He sighed. "The Demon Division wants to see you first thing in the morning. They have news about the loose demon." Julian knew what the demon said about being my father. Rory knew, too, but I swore him to secrecy. My mother still hadn't turned up after her disappearing act in Jackson. I was thankful.
"They can talk. Doesn't mean I will go running off after him." I drank the rest of the wine in my glass. Julian lifted the bottle and refilled my glass.
"Sure, Harlow." His grin said he knew me better than that. Damn it. Why did I have to give a crap about people? If I didn't, I could probably get to Mexico with the money in my bank account and live for a long time before I needed to find work. I could live the life I wanted instead of the life they had given me.
I ate my fancy dinner and tried to think about what the life I wanted would look like. I could go to college. Or buy a chip stand and make fries all day. I could open a pizza parlour. The reminder of how far I was from Len was not good. I pushed that thought away.
"Okay, fine. But if a demon kills me, I am coming back to haunt the Demon Division bastards. Swear to God." I pointed my finger at him for emphasis.
Julian chuckled and reached across the table to take my hand. "I'll probably be pissed, too. I'm not ready to lose you again." He kissed my knuckles, then slid his eyes up to mine. "Did you open the packages?"
Great, we were just having it all out today. "Most. I muttered, taking my hand back so I could take another bite of the lobster. I was envisioning putting lobster on a pizza. It would probably work.
"What do you mean, most of them?" he asked, sipping his wine. He was still on his first glass. Lightweight.
I stood and rummaged through my suitcase, pulling out the small box. "I didn't open this one."
He grinned and rose from the table to join me. His warm hand wrapped around mine as I held the small box. "Why didn't you open this one?" he asked.
I didn't know how to answer without sounding weird. It looked like a ring box, but I didn't want to assume anything. We barely had a relationship, assuming he gave me a ring would be weird. Probably.
"I don't know," I whispered. He stood in front of me, barely a breath of space between us.
"Open it," his voice was soft but commanding. I glanced up, and his face was still open, but his tone made my fingers move against my will. I picked at the pretty wrapping until the paper tore away. It was a box from a jewellery store. I knew it. Damn it.
I opened the small box and pulled out a velvet-covered box. At least it was blue and not white. Don't engagement rings usually come in a white box? Julian's hands took over for me when it became obvious I wasn't going to open the small box. He pulled the top up to reveal a pendant. Hallelujah.
It was a reddish stone hanging from a chain. "I saw this and thought of you. You are always wearing those amulets, but never something pretty." He pulled the necklace out of the box and placed it on the table before turning me around. His arms came around my neck, and he dropped the pendant on my throat, then clipped it behind my neck while I held my hair out of the way.
The stone was cold at first but quickly warmed against my skin.
Julian turned me toward the window overlooking the city. It was full dark now, and I could see my reflection in the glass. The pendant was on a shorter chain than my amulets, so it sat just in the impression at the bottom of my neck between my collarbones.
"It's beautiful," I whispered, watching his face in the window's reflection.
His lip ticked up in a half smile. I had forgotten how sexy that was and leaned back into his warm chest. His arms came around my stomach, holding me to him as his chin rested on my shoulder.
"It's a red opal, just a trinket. Nothing compared to you." His voice was deep and full of honestly. I couldn't remember anyone saying that before. Maybe a couple of guys in the throes of passion, but not in a moment like this. One with meaning and power.
I swallowed hard and bit my lip. I would not cry because a boy gave me a compliment. Damn it.
Julian laid a kiss on my shoulder and then turned me to face him. "Let's finish dinner and go see what the old demons want."
I nodded and followed him back to the small table.
We ate in comfortable silence, and I felt the peace that only he could provide. Of course, he could control my emotions, but I was too calm and relaxed to care. That was a problem for tomorrow Harlow.
CHAPTER FIVE
I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. My hair was a rat's nest, and the clothes I had worn on the flight to New York clung to my skin with grime. I rolled off the bed and stumbled, half-blind into the bathroom. After an epic battle with the complicated shower, it eventually relented and sprayed hot water in a stream type spray. The pressure was a bit much, but the temperature was right, so I let it burn my skin to a bright red, while I soaped and conditioned my hair into submission.
My brain insisted we curl back up in bed and let the world burn, but the sound of Julian moving about in the living room and the scent of coffee drew me out of the quiet bedroom.
I found Julian in dress pants and an unbuttoned dress shirt, reading a newspaper in a leather armchair. His broad chest and abs were on full display, and he looked like a naughty businessman. Delicious.