She was looking out the window the whole ride sitting as far away from him as humanly possible. He didn't blame her though. If he was in her shoes he would've asked to change seats immediately. He cleared his throat before he spoke. "I'm really sorry miss. You caught me off guard."
She continued to look out the window. "Kelly."
Jace barely heard her and was shocked that she even said anything to him. He was expecting her to completely ignore him. "Excuse me?"
"Kelly. My name is Kelly."
"Kelly, I can't tell you how sorry I am. That's not me at all. I would never put my hands on a woman like that. Ever."
She turned and looked at him; he heard a hint of anger in her voice. He couldn’t blame her though. “I said it was okay. I'm fine. Really."
Jace felt hurt. What was this alien feeling inside him? He was The Flame. He didn't give a shit what anyone thought. Why did he care if she forgave him or not? The only problem was he did care, more than he wanted to admit. "Look, Kelly, I don't know what else I can say to make you believe me. I was sleeping and you caught me off guard. I didn't mean to hurt you."
Kelly turned to face him and smiled at him softly. "I know you didn't. It was my fault really. I never should have kicked you like that. I tried to wake you, but you wouldn't move. I guess we're both at fault here. I should have better manners…."
"Jace"
Her smiled widened. "Jace. What a nice name. Well, what do you say we start over?"
Jace returned the gesture. He couldn't remember the last time he smiled at a woman. It had been a while. Lately, he was never in the mood to be happy. His mother was terminally ill and it didn't feel right to him to be going out and having a good time while she lay dying in bed. He wasn't thinking of that now and it made him feel guilty that he was starting to enjoy talking to Kelly. Her smile was infectious and he couldn't help but to smile back at her.
"I'd say starting over is a good idea."
Kelly stared at him and squinted her eyes a little. “You look familiar Jace. I feel like we've met before."
Jace shifted in his seat. Here it comes. He would have loved to tell her that she didn't, but fact of the matter was, she had. Cesar had frequented the strip club where she worked and he had to literally carry the man out on more than one occasion for his drunken and rowdy behavior. Jace was the only who could physically control Cesar. It wasn't easy to hold down an almost six foot two hundred and twenty five pound man. Especially when he was high and drinking. Jace was just a bit shorter then Cesar and didn't weigh much less than him either.
But, Jace couldn't bring himself to tell her that he had seen her dancing in the club before and what was worse, he would sometimes stand in the back of the club watching her at the bar. She would have definitely thought he was some sort of crazed creepy maniac and was stalking her. So, he lied. "No, I don't think we've met before."
He always wondered why she worked in such a disgusting place. It didn't bother him that those girls had to strip to make money, hey, everyone has to earn money to live. It was the club itself that was horrid. It was run by a toad of a man who didn't give two shits about the women he employed. He treated them like trash and allowed his customers to do the same.
Kelly didn't belong there. Jace knew that right away. The first time he saw her there, she was sitting at the bar after a set with her nose in a book. Who reads in a place like that? She was definitely out of place. Yes, he could tell she didn't belong in a place that seedy.
When he saw her boarding the bus with her wide brown eyes staring up at him, he was rendered speechless. Why was she traveling on the same bus as him? He was curious, but at the same time he didn't want to be distracted by her. His plan was to ignore her. Little did he know he would be sitting here doing the total opposite. Well, he couldn't ignore her now. Not after he almost choked the life out of her, now could he?
Jace was starting to feel uncomfortable. He was feeling guilty about leaving his family home alone and this girl was distracting him. The way she looked at him with such intent, it was more than he could handle. His first instinct was to shut down and be the man that The Flame was. Not the groveling man he had become sitting on this bus with her. He had to keep his game face on. She would be nothing more than a distraction to him. She was a gorgeous distraction, but still a distraction he could do without.
He sat up in his seat and stared straight ahead. It wasn't going to be easy to ignore her, but he had no choice in the matter. He leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes pretending to go to sleep.
Chapter Four
Kelly arrived at the studio an hour before her scheduled interview. Today was the day the network was going to have contestants sign contracts for the new reality game show, The Haunting. This has to be the most ridiculous thing she had ever done. She was not a person that loved to be in the spotlight despite her occupation. The only reason she applied for the job in the first place was because she needed money and needed it fast. Being on her own in a big city had proved to be more difficult than she’d bargained for.
It was good for a while to get her on her feet, but she wanted more out of life. She wanted to be something more than just an exotic dancer with a beautiful body. She wanted to make a difference in the world and becoming a doctor was more important to her than anything. This show was a once in a lifetime opportunity to get the money she needed to pay for medical school.
The receptionist at the front desk asked her to sit in the lounge to and wait to be called in. Kelly was directed to the end of the hall, she paused in the doorway. There were people already waiting in the huge room. She took a moment to analyze the others who she assumed would be her competition. What a sad looking bunch of souls.
One woman in particular caught her attention. She stood by the window scratching at her bruised arms and she couldn't stop fidgeting. Her straight brown hair looked oily and her skin was covered in acne. It appeared she hadn't bathed in weeks.
The man on the far side of the room wore one of the most expensive suits she’d ever seen. The suit was black with thin white pinstripes, his shirt was buttoned all the way up. The tie he had on was so tight around his neck even she felt suffocated. A stiff man with an obvious chip on his shoulder. It didn't seem like he was desperate for money. So what was he doing here?
There were two other people sitting on the opposite ends of a black leather couch. A young man not more than twenty years old and a woman with shoulder length curly red hair. Freckles adorned her pale skin and her face looked sullen. She was a beautiful woman and Kelly wondered what would make such a beautiful woman look so defeated.
If this was to be her competition then this was going to be the easiest money Kelly ever made. When she walked into the room everyone turned in her direction. She decided now was a good time to start intimidating them and to let them know her confidence would not be wavered. "What? Can, I help you?" Her eyes focused hard on each of them. Her idea must have worked, no one said a word and their glares faltered.
Kelly took a seat in the back of the room and realized there was one person missing. Over the phone the producer had said there would be six people staying in the house. Counting herself there was only five here so far. She guessed the last person would arrive shortly. Whoever it was didn't matter to her in the slightest. No one was going to win that money but her.
Twenty minutes had passed before the secretary came into the room to let them know the producer would be starting the group interview. When the woman turned to leave the last contestant walked through the door. Their eyes locked, both equally shocked to see the other. Great. Just fucking great. There’s no way she could intimidate him.
The receptionist was practically drooling all over him. She flashed a smile, tilted her head to the side, and flipped her straight blonde over her shoulder. She apologized for her clumsiness while she ran her long manicured fingers across the fire tattoo on his arm. What a pathetic excuse for a woman she was. Kelly was irritated with this woman and the way she
threw herself at him. But, why would she even care in the first place?
Then she remembered how it felt to sit on his lap. Heat rose to her cheeks and she wanted to throttle the woman who was making an ass of herself. Kelly had never felt like she wanted to hurt someone before, until now. What was so special about this insignificant woman that bothered her so much? Was this what jealousy felt like? Couldn't be. Why should she be jealous? He wasn't her boyfriend. He wasn't even her friend.
She thought they might have been for a moment when he apologized to her, but he quickly became the cold person she’d bumped into before boarding the bus on the way over here. What the hell was that about anyway? Had she said something wrong? No, it wasn't her. It was him. He was the one acting like someone with a multiple personality disorder. Why she forgave him for what he did she didn't know. One thing she was positive about, he wasn't going to scare her out of winning that money.
The scene playing out in front of her suddenly took an amusing turn when Jace gave that receptionist the same look he had given her when she bumped into him at the bus terminal. That ice cold stare would make anyone feel like a tiny bug waiting to be squished by his enormous foot.
With that analogy in her mind she looked at his feet. He did have really big feet. She wondered if the saying about men who had big feet were true. You know, big feet, big below the waist. Jeez, why couldn't she keep her mind out of the gutter when it came to him? He wasn’t her type at all. She hated cocky guys. They were so full of themselves. Oh hell, what did she know about her type? Of all the men that came into the club not a single one was her type. The men Tina set her up with weren't her type either. She was starting to think she would never find Mr. Right.
One thing was for sure. Jace was definitely not the man for her. The receptionist must have come to that same conclusion because she left the room in a huff. Kelly felt a sense of satisfaction in knowing he didn't give the time of day to that little tart.
No one in the room made eye contact with Jace. His presence demanded respect and that's exactly what he got. These people were so pathetic. She was in no way going to lie down while Jace stepped all over her to win that money. Although, laying down with him sounded like a pretty good idea to her.
Wait a second. If you keep thinking like that, you will most definitely lose that money. He will take full advantage of your wanton behavior and run right over you to get what he wants. Oh, but those sparkling blue eyes of his and that ripped chest looked yummy enough to take a bite of. No! Kelly you have to keep focused on the task at hand. Win that money for school! It was obvious he had no interest in her anyway. She certainly wasn't going to beg him for anything.
Jace sauntered over to the black leather couch and placed himself between the redheaded woman and the young kid. When he sat the other two quickly moved as far to the edge of the sofa as they could. He didn't even look in Kelly's direction. It was like they had never met a few hours ago. The least he could do was acknowledge her existence. He had no problem acknowledging her while she was sitting on his lap, now had he? You want to play hard ball buddy? Then that's exactly what we're going to do.
The producer and two other men entered the room with a stack of papers in their hands. They walked to the desk at the front of the room and slammed the piles on the table. The producer hopped up on top of the table while his assistants sat in the chairs next to a writing board behind the desk.
"Welcome everyone. You will be the first ever contestants on The Supernatural Network’s new reality game show called The Haunting. Before I continue let me introduce myself. My name is Alec Sanders and I am the producer and the host of the show. I will only be in the house with you for the first few minutes of your twenty-four hours.
"I wanted to go over a few things with all of you. I know I spoke briefly to you over the phone, but there are some more details we should discuss. If you agree to all the rules and still want to be on the show, I have your contracts here for you to sign. Any questions so far? No. Okay."
"The object of the show is for one person to win one million tax free dollars by spending one day and one night in a haunted house. Well, it's a bit bigger than a house. Let me give you a little history of the place before any of you make your final decision. It's actually quite huge, a mansion in fact. Waverly Manor was built in the 1890's and was abandoned in 1972 by John and Caroline Waverly. John inherited the estate when his father Theodore passed away in 1961."
"John and Caroline lived there for 10 years before abandoning the house. In a later interview with John, he spoke of many supernatural occurrences that had taken place, things like hearing voices and seeing figures. Doors would slam in the middle of the night. They even had an infestation of house flies in one room they couldn't get rid of."
"Caroline went insane and was eventually committed to an insane asylum due to all that was going on in their home. Many years later when paranormal activity become popular and high quality equipment was made, the so called ‘experts’ in the field started investigating these allegations. Nothing was found or any instances documented."
"This, of course, hasn't stopped the many stories that have been told about the old home. Rumors have also circulated about people disappearing when visiting the estate. Most of you are from the area and have probably read the articles in the newspapers and heard them on the news on television. For example, there was a landscaper who disappeared fifteen years ago. He was sent over by the bank to spruce up the place in order to sell it, he was never seen again. Same with a young couple who were hired to appraise the estate. And the saddest story of all- was about the ten year boy who disappeared around ten years ago while playing near the house."
Kelly watched Alec Sanders speak with such pride and excitement about the mansion. He talked as if it were his own. He was a little bit too enthusiastic for her taste. She listened to him speak for fifteen minutes straight before Jace spoke up.
"Look Mr. Sanders, I'm really not here for the history lesson. I just want to sign my contract so we can get on with it already."
Alec Sanders' happy demeanor quickly subsided when he looked at Jace. His smile was replaced by an evil glare. If looks could kill Jace would have disintegrated on the spot. He shuffled through the papers on the table and then spoke to Jace through gritted teeth. Kelly was a little frightened at the producer's reaction. He wasn’t professional at all.
"The Flame, is it? Look, Mr. Flame why don't you just let me do my job. I don't come to your hood and tell you how to sell drugs on the street corner. Now do I?"
Jace lunged at Sanders with lightning speed and grabbed him by the collar of his crisp white button down shirt. "Let me make this perfectly clear. I may be desperate enough to come on this fucking show, but don't think for one damned second that you can talk to me however you want. If you disrespect me like that again I will break your fucking jaw and you will never be able to talk again."
The room fell silent. Everyone held their breath waiting to see how this turn of events would pan out. The two on the couch sitting next to Jace had scrambled to the other side of the room where they cowered in the corner.
Alec's assistants had jumped up to intervene but Alec waved them off. He didn't even flinch. He gave Jace a threatening look of his own. "Is that a threat Mr. Dalton?"
"No, that’s a promise."
Kelly quickly walked to the front of the room and place her hand on Jace's delectable hard muscled arm. "Jace, don't."
Jace turned to her and then back to the man he had in his grip. "Just give me my contract to sign." Jace let go of Mr. Sanders and was given the contract and a pen.
Kelly removed her hand and stepped back to give Jace some room. Why did she interfere? That could have been her chance at winning. Jace would have been thrown off the show and been replaced with someone else. She could have won that money so easily.
Jace signed the contract and walked around Kelly. He didn't make eye contact with her as he left the room. Kelly was left standing in the middle of the
room looking like an ass.
She looked over to Alec Sanders who was straightening his shirt and tie. His hair was disheveled from having been shaken around by Jace. He ran his hands through his short brown hair and motioned for her to sit.
For some reason she wanted to go after Jace, but her better judgment told her it wouldn't have been a good idea. She sat on the empty couch thinking about what Sanders had called Jace. The Flame....Why did that name sound so familiar? She had a gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach that she knew or had seen Jace before.
Sanders waited until she was seated and then continued. "I guess now would be a good time for everyone to sign your contracts since most of you are just itching to be on the show." He peered over at the woman next to the window who was still scratching at her skin.
What an asshole! Who the hell was he to judge other people? Kelly never drank or did drugs, but she sure wasn't going to condemn someone for their bad decisions. Who did he think he was? She was getting annoyed with Sanders. Thank goodness he wouldn't be staying in the house with them because she surely wouldn't take much more of him. She should have let Jace ring his neck.
One by one they all signed their contracts. Kelly was anxious for the whole thing to be over. Even if she didn't win the money, it would be an experience she would never forget.
Chapter Five
Jace stormed out of the studio. He had to get out of there as soon as he possibly could. It wasn't Sanders that bothered him. It would have been great fun to be able to beat him to a fucking bloody pulp. His problem was Kelly. When he saw her sitting in the back of the room his stomach felt like it had hit the floor. No one was told the identity of the other contestants so he had no idea she would be here.
He thought after the bus ride he would never see her again. There would be no more distractions between him and winning that money. Now she would be in the house with him all day and all night, he couldn't possibly ignore her. He could only hope the mansion would be big enough for him find a secluded corner where he could be by himself.
The Haunting Page 3
