October had never meant anything for me in the past. There had never been any costumes or candy. No parties or scary movies. There was just the attic. And before that, there were foster families that couldn’t have cared less about Halloween or the little kids who desperately wanted to participate. I remember one year I saw a commercial where a kid had put holes in a sheet to dress up like a ghost. I had taken my thread worn sheet off my bed, found some scissors, and got to work. I remember going down the stairs and showing off my creation proudly, excited that I would have a costume to wear that year like all the other kids.
My foster parents were not amused that I had ruined one of the only sets of sheets in the house. My foster dad pulled his long, faded, brown belt free from his pants and whipped me so hard, and so many times, that I could barely walk for the rest of the week.
I never tried to celebrate Halloween after that.
I had a feeling that this year would be different though. My guys wanted every part of me. They wanted all the ugly, broken pieces inside of me that I was ashamed of and tried to hide. Every day they lured those broken pieces out of me, and every day they took those pieces and slowly sewed me back together.
“Eva, We’re going to a haunted house tomorrow for Halloween,” announces Lexi as she bursts into my dorm room, startling me from my thoughts. I can’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. Damon and Mason think that I’ve moved all the way into their apartment, and I suppose that I have since most of my things are there. Unbeknownst to them though, I’ve kept my dorm room. Since I’m on scholarship, it doesn’t cost anything extra and it gives me a place to do my homework and pretend that I’m a normal college student, instead of the enigma that I actually am. It also gives me a chance to breathe and a place that Lexi and I can hang out without interruption. In case you were wondering, dating three different men, especially men as dominant as Damon, Mason, and Beckham, is no easy task. Sometimes I need some time to myself.
I suddenly get hit by a piece of clothing. Lexi is digging through my closet. She’s appointed herself as my official wardrobe consultant, and she takes it verrrry seriously.
A mini skirt finds itself in my lap. I hold it up dubiously.
“Um Lexi, you did say a haunted house right? As in, I need to wear proper clothing so I can run for my life if I need to.”
Lexi starts laughing so hard that she lets out a snort.
“We’re not just going to any haunted house, Eva. We’re going to ‘Blood Manor.’ It’s where everyone goes. You can’t just wear normal clothes.”
I roll my eyes and go back to my homework knowing that I’m not going to win on this. If Lexi decides that we are dressing up, then that’s what we’re going to do. My phone distracts me from my homework when it starts buzzing.
“Hello,” I say, my voice coming out more breathily than I intended. I can’t help it though when Beckham Stone is the voice on the other end of the line. Every inch the golden prince, Beckham lights up the movie screens and my life. To say that I love him is the understatement of the century.
“Hello angel,” he says, and I can’t help but squirm in my seat as my body flushes. “What are you doing?”
“Just some homework with Lexi,” I say, trying to keep my voice casual. Lexi smirks over the pile of clothing she’s looking through. She knows the effect the guys have on me and loves to give me a hard time about it.
“Want to go to a movie premiere with me?” he asks.
I drop my phone in surprise and then hastily pick it up when I hear laughter through the phone. I should be used to dating such high profile men, but for the most part they’ve sheltered me from the chaos that their celebrity status brings to their lives. Going to a movie premiere with Beckham would be a huge deal in breaking the anonymity we had managed to keep thus far.
“You want to take me to a movie premiere?” I ask.
“It’s not one of my movies, I would give you more notice for that. It’s one of my buddy’s films. It will be a good practice round for when I take you to my next one.”
“When is it?” I ask, unable to hide the excitement in my voice.
“Tonight,” he says nonchalantly, as if he doesn’t know that he’s dropping a huge bomb on me.
“Tonight?” I parrot back at him, panicking.
Lexi grabs my phone from me suddenly.
“You do have dresses for her to choose from right?” she says in an annoyed voice. I can’t hear what Beckham says, but Lexi starts dancing around so the news must be good.
“We’ll be at your apartment in an hour,” she says, hanging up on Beckham without letting me say goodbye.
“We’re going to a movie premiere!” Lexi says excitedly before I can say anything. She begins to dance around even more. “Your boyfriend is the absolute best. Beckham is definitely my favorite.”
She pauses and pretends to think hard for a moment.
“Well, he’s my favorite for today,” she qualifies. “Mason or Damon definitely still stand a chance if they throw me some concert or football tickets. You can let them know that.”
I can only look at her affectionately. Everything about this new life of mine is strange and exciting. Having such a fierce and loyal best friend is an unexpected blessing.
I finish up my homework while Lexi finishes picking out my outfit...and hers since she claims that borrowing my clothes is a perk of her job. I’m always finding outfits in my closet with price tags so ridiculous that I’ve had to stop looking at them. The guys love spoiling me, and I’m just happy that Lexi can benefit from it as well so I don’t feel as guilty about everything they give me. I’ve continued to waitress, much to Damon’s displeasure, since they try and give me everything I could ever think of, let alone need. It’s solely so that I can buy them at least a few things with my own money to let them know I care. Complain all they want, I know when I come to their apartments with ingredients to make dinner, they’re as happy as can be.
I gather up my homework and put it in my bag, locking the door carefully behind us as we leave to head to Beckham’s. Looking around I have to pinch myself. I’ll never get used to the fact that I’m in New York City. We walk through campus to where Beckham has a car waiting for us, and I can’t help but try to look everywhere at once. We have to walk through the campus Frat Row to get to the back entrance of the college that leads out into the City. The houses are having a Halloween decoration competition, and each house is decorated more sinister than the last. I jump when a skeleton pops out of a coffin in one of the yards, and Lexi hurries us past a yard that’s decorated with hundreds of spiders of various sizes. I haven’t walked through at night yet, but I’m sure it’s amazing. Despite the fact that it’s still light outside, I can’t help but get a shiver while walking down the street. The feeling that someone’s watching me causes me to look cautiously around to see if I can spot anything. Not seeing anything or anyone out of the ordinary, I shrug it off, passing it off on the spookiness of the decorations. That, combined with my track record for attracting psychos, has made me paranoid.
We get in the car and Lexi chatters to the driver the whole way as I admire the buildings we drive past. As we get closer to Beckham’s building, I can’t help the butterflies that start to build in my stomach. No matter how much time I spend with them, I never get used to the way that the guys make me feel.
When we get to the lobby, Lexi sends me up the elevator by myself, claiming that she’s going to grab a coffee at the Starbucks next door first. The fact that she winks at me when she says it means that she’s giving me a little alone time with Beckham before she makes an appearance. It can be a little intense when I’m around them.
Sure enough, I’m grateful for the alone time when the doors open and Beckham is standing in front of the elevator with a bouquet of peonies. The flowers are stunning, but they can’t compare to the gorgeousness of him. Far taller than even my 5’8” frame, he resembles a god from a Greek myth. Tan skin and blonde hair streaked with deep, gold strands, everyt
hing about him is gorgeous. The sky blue eyes staring down at me lovingly are my favorite part about him though. I sigh a little, and his grin grows even broader.
Catching me off guard, he pulls me into his arms, setting the flowers on the entry room table behind him so he can use both hands to hold me close to him. He draws me into a kiss that never ceases to make my head spin. I love the way he kisses me, as if I’m something tender and precious that he will never get enough of. I feel the press of his tongue against my lips, and I automatically open my mouth to let him in. He rubs his tongue against mine, making me moan.
I can’t get close enough to him. I want to be consumed by him until you can’t tell where I begin and he ends. He breaks the kiss and moves to my neck, his lips making their way slowly down in a way that never fails to give me goosebumps. I’m just about to suggest we skip the premiere when he abruptly pulls away, a smirk on his face filled with confidence at how good he makes me feel.
Eva
“I’ve got a surprise for you,” Beckham says, pulling me along on my now unsteady legs.
The haze that he left in the wake of his kiss abruptly dissolves when I see the rack of gorgeous cocktail dresses waiting for me in his bedroom. I can’t help but let out a squeal when Mason’s stylist, Dez, emerges from behind the rack.
“How’s my favorite muse?” he coos at me, while scooping me up in a bear hug.
I try to cover my laugh when I hear Beckham growl at Dez’s close proximity to me. Dez of course responds by winking at him and pulling me closer against him. Similar to the last time I had seen him before the Grammy’s, Dez is wearing bright, vivacious colors. Today he has on a cobalt, silk blouse unbuttoned to show off his flawless cocoa skin. The shirt is tucked into yellow slacks. Pure Dez.
“What are you doing here?” I finally ask after Dez sets me down and starts scrutinizing me and thumbing through the rack.
“I had a few clients attending tonight’s premiere and some hoity toity Halloween parties tomorrow night, and Mason mentioned to me that you were going to this as well. So here I am. My girl was not going to go to her first movie premiere without me dressing her.”
I beam at him and watch bemused as he goes to work. He holds several dresses up to me that he promptly tosses on the floor. By the time he finally holds up a glittery silver dress, I’m sitting on a couch watching Hocus Pocus.
“What do you think?” he asks Beckham, seeing that I’ve temporarily lost interest due to the Sanderson sisters’ antics.
“I think it’s not your color,” he responds wryly, taking a bite of a sandwich.
Dez ignores him and walks over to me, pulling me off my couch.
“You can watch Hocus Pocus anytime. Let’s get you ready,” he says, before shooing Beckham out of the room.
I’m not sure why I’m getting the star treatment instead of Beckham, the actual movie star, but I enjoy spending the next hour getting primped and prodded within an inch of my life while I listen to Dez regale me with the latest gossip. Between his stories, and the rest of Hocus Pocus, the time seems to zoom by and I’m surprised when Dez finally declares me “Perfect.”
Lexi comes into the room clutching a glass of champagne and clothed in a silky green dress that showcases her every curve. It compliments her vibrant, strawberry blonde hair perfectly, and I can tell she is feeling good as she struts around the room.
Beckham walks back into the room as well and I temporarily lose my train of thought. He’s dressed in a pair of fitted grey slacks and a black dress shirt that’s opened on top. It’s a simple outfit but he manages to make it look positively sinful. I can’t wait to take it off of him…
I stop devouring Beckham long enough to realize that I’m having the same effect on him judging by his hungry expression. I’m sure I blush ten shades darker. He looks like he’s imagining a million things he wants to do to me and I’m pretty sure that I want him to do them all.
“Alright love birds, let’s get out of here before I witness something I won’t be able to unsee,” says Lexi, threading her arm through mine and pulling me towards the door.
Dez walks out with us and we make plans for lunch before he leaves to go back to California. He throws Beckham another wink as he prowls to a car that’s waiting for him.
A limo pulls up that Beckham claims has come as a courtesy from his production company, and off we go. While Lexi Snapchats away, Beckham slides closer to me.
“You look gorgeous angel,” he whispers in my ear as his hand begins to slide up my leg.
He traces the edge of the hem of my dress and I start to feel tingles. I sneak a quick glance at Lexi on the side bench, but she’s not paying attention, her eyes glued to her phone.
“Beckham,” I whisper as his hand starts to move under my dress. His tongue trails down the side of my neck. His fingers start to trace the edge of the thong that Dez made me put on underneath my dress, and I forget how to breathe. Suddenly the limo screeches to a halt and we all go flying forwards. My knee knocks into Beckham’s temple and he gives a grunt, somehow still managing to cushion me with his body before I can hit anything hard.
“What the hell was that?” snaps Beckham, helping both Lexi and I back into our seats.
He presses a button and the partition slides down that separates the driver and our seats.
“Apologies sir. Some crazy guy just ran in front of the limo,” he tells Beckham, sounding flustered.
We all settle back into our seats, the earlier mood broken. We chat softly for the remainder of the drive, my nerves amped up from our near crash and anticipation over the premiere.
We sit in a long line of cars waiting for our turn to arrive at the entrance. While we wait, Beckham tells us what to expect.
“Be sure not to look directly at the camera lights. There’s going to be what feels like a million,” he says. “I made that mistake my first premiere and I almost ran over one of the actresses since I couldn’t see where I was going. My handler will be waiting at the entrance to take us to the various outlets I need to talk to so we’ll just follow her lead.”
I take a deep gulp. I wasn’t expecting to have to talk to “outlets.”
Beckham smiles at my panic. “All they will expect from you is the name of the designer you’re wearing. Although knowing how people usually react to you, maybe we should skip the interviews before you become national news.”
I roll my eyes, but inwardly agree. For whatever reason, people have very strong reactions to me. They either seem to be obsessed with me, or they hate me. I shudder as images of the attic and the Reverend slide through my mind.
“We don’t have to go to this if you don’t want to,” says Beckham, stroking my cheek softly.
I must have a haunted look on my face because he looks really concerned.
“I’m excited. Just got lost in some difficult memories,” I say softly. I cringe at the look of guilt on Beckham’s face. None of the guys have forgiven themselves for not being there when I was taken by the Reverend. Nothing I say seems to help so I try not to bring it up very often.
The door to the limo opens up and Beckham’s face schools into a plastic smile. I used to be jealous when I thought of all the women that he constantly had to get up close and personal with on his movie sets, until the first time I saw him smile in one of his films. There was such a stark contrast between the smiles he reserved for me, and the fake ones that he used for his job, that all my insecurity washed away. That didn’t mean I didn’t want to stab all of the girls, or that I could stomach watching any of the said love scenes, but I considered it progress.
Beckham purposefully helps Lexi out of the car first. While Lexi basks in attention like this, crowds could be overwhelming for me. Having both of us as his date was a concession Beckham had made for Mason and Damon so that all the attention wouldn’t be on me.
The first thing I notice when I get out of the limo is that most of the crowd is dressed up in an assortment of Halloween costumes. I realize that this is a pr
emiere for the new horror film I’ve seen trailers for everywhere when I see the giant banner that frames the side of the hotel that we are walking towards. I realize that I stupidly never asked Beckham what movie we were going to see in my excitement that I was going to an actual movie premiere.
We begin the long walk down a black carpet that stretches the length of the walkway and that perfectly matches the scary feel the organizers were obviously going for. There’s a haunting soundtrack playing that I can barely hear over the roar of the crowd. A crowd that is going absolutely crazy over the appearance of Beckham. Lexi and I stand back while he greets the crowd and signs some autographs. A fan dressed as Princess Leia yells something and points over to where Lexi and I are standing. Beckham takes a look towards us and then winks slyly at the fan. Lexi and I burst into laughter when the girl about faints. I don’t blame her though. Beckham still has that effect on me and the man has seen me naked.
We continue to walk the carpet, stopping now and then so that Beckham can give some autographs. There are cauldrons set up along the black carpet, smoke drifting from their depths. Special effects create images of bats flying back and forth across the carpet. We’ve almost made it to the end when that itching feeling floats across the back of my neck again. I turn quickly around, searching the crowd to see if I recognize anyone. I almost trip on the carpet when I think I see Eric staring right at me from a spot in the crowd. When I actually focus and try to get a closer look, he’s gone. I look across the crowd trying to see if I can spot him, but there’s no sign of him. Did I imagine him?
I forget all about maybe seeing Eric when Beckham pulls me into the building. My jaw drops. The entire lobby of the hotel is decorated like a haunted mansion. Cobwebs and black nets adorn the ceiling. The lights are dimmed and covered with something to make them look old and dusty. Waiters dressed as corpses carry around themed food like “witches’ fingers” and “mummy corn dogs”. It’s all delightfully campy and a far cry from the formalness that I imagined a movie premiere would possess.
Wicked Souls: A Limited Edition Reverse Harem Romance Collection Page 32
