by C. C. Wood
Yesterday, after we ate dinner and Ava left, Rhys stayed behind and helped me wash dishes. Then we lounged on my sofa and I showed him some of my favorite television shows. He was still trying to figure out his new television and the streaming services I’d set up for him.
When it was ten, he declared it was time he went home. I walked him to the front door and he surprised me by lifting my chin with the side of his hand and placing a light kiss on my lips.
“Go to dinner with me tomorrow.”
It was an invitation, but not a request. I didn’t respond for a moment. I still wasn’t sure I was ready to open myself up to him again.
“Savannah,” he prompted, his face inches from mine. “Go to dinner with me.”
Again, it wasn’t a request. His voice had dropped, insistent and nearly a growl.
Deciding I liked this side of Rhys, I nodded as I looked up at him. His answering smile was crooked, a little cocky, and completely unfamiliar. He looked young and maybe even a bit dangerous. The combination was incredibly sexy.
“I’ll be here at seven,” he stated.
I watched him cross the street to his house and disappear inside before I shut my door. Then I looked at Satchel and clapped my hands in excitement. She jumped and stared at me irritably.
“Mommy has a date with her stupid hot neighbor tomorrow.” I thought about my words then. Maybe it was time to stop calling Rhys stupid hot. It sounded a little like I was calling him stupid and hot.
Satchel wandered over to the couch and leapt on top of it, settling down with her back to me. Apparently she didn’t share my excitement.
Today had flown by because I’d been working at the Bean. Ava offered to help me pick an outfit for tonight, but I had a feeling anything she chose would be more revealing than I was comfortable with. Plus I needed a little time alone before I went out to dinner. Restaurants were tricky for me. They were swarming with emotional ups and downs, couples and families that looked happy enough on the outside but were frustrated, angry, or sad on the inside. It was difficult to maintain my mental shields with so many feelings washing over me. Especially after I’d spent an entire day at work around other people.
I glanced at the clock and decided I was glad Ava had sent me home early. It was nearly six-thirty now and I was still struggling to decide what to wear. On one hand, I had several pretty, flowing maxi dresses that would be comfortable yet lovely for a first date. On the other, I had a flirty black dress that I hadn’t worn in years and had completely forgotten about until I’d found it shoved in the very back of my closet. The fit and flare style flattered my curvaceous figure without being too revealing, but it was by far the sexiest thing I owned. It showcased my breasts and legs while hiding what I considered to be my overly ample hips. It was the only piece of sexy clothing I owned and I was torn.
This dress didn’t say, “Let’s take things slowly.” It cried, “Look at me! I’m so sexy!”
Since I couldn’t choose, I opted to try on several before I decided, starting with the black dress. I shimmied into it and zipped it, smoothing the material down my hips. As soon as I turned toward the mirror, I knew this was what I was going to wear. The other dresses were pretty, but I wanted to look special on my first real date with Rhys.
Decision made, I slid my feet into my only pair of black pumps. I took a few experimental steps, happy that my ankles didn’t turn as I walked. I so rarely wore heels that it was a toss up if I would stroll gracefully or stumble around like a baby deer.
I took the time to touch up my lipstick and tuck a few essentials into a small red clutch. Satchel watched me from the center of my bed then meowed softly, as though she were pleased.
“Thanks, baby,” I replied, pretending that she was giving me a compliment rather than luxuriating in my bed.
The butterflies in my stomach intensified when my doorbell rang. I took a deep breath and checked my hair and dress one last time before I went to answer. I was glad I’d gone with the black dress when I saw what Rhys wore. Though we hadn’t spent a lot of time together, he usually dressed as though his clothing were an afterthought. Jeans, t-shirts, boots or sneakers, and that was it.
Tonight he wore a dark blue suit that seemed tailored to his frame, emphasizing the breadth of his shoulders and the length of his legs. The color of the suit also emphasized the blue of his eyes.
That thought gave me pause. The first time I met him, his eyes were black as pitch, with no color visible around his pupils. But every time I’d seen him after that they were blue.
I didn’t have time to consider that for long because Rhys said, “You look beautiful.” His eyes skimmed over me from head to toe and I felt my skin heat in their wake.
“Thank you,” I murmured.
“Are you ready to leave?” he asked.
I nodded and stepped out onto the porch, locking the door behind me. When I turned, Rhys reached out and took my hand. The skin of my palm warmed at the contact and I thanked him as he helped me into his SUV.
Once we were inside the vehicle and on our way, I asked, “So where are we going for dinner?”
“The Driskill Grill,” he replied.
I stared at him in surprise. The Driskill Grill was a fantastic restaurant inside the Driskill Hotel. It was a lovely spot and a place where a man would take a woman he wanted to impress. I definitely wouldn’t feel overdressed there.
Rhys glanced at me. “Is that a problem?”
He looked so concerned that I felt guilty for my reaction. “No, no, not at all. It’s just that I’ve always wanted to go there but for one reason or another I never have.”
He smiled. “Then I’m glad to be the one to take you.”
As he drove over the South Congress Bridge, I stared out the window. “Can I ask you something?”
“Savannah.” His firm tone of voice brought my eyes around to him. He took a moment to look at me. “You don’t have to request permission if there’s something you want to know about me. Just ask.”
I nodded. “Your eyes. The first time I met you they were black, but now they’re blue. I was wondering why.”
Rhys looked surprised. “They were black the first time we met?”
I nodded. “You didn’t know?”
Shrugging, he replied, “They were black…before. But they’ve been blue for over a year now.”
“What happened to change their color?” I asked.
“My brother died.”
Those three words were loaded with a wealth of pain and guilt. I wanted to ask more, but now wasn’t the time. Instead, I said, “I’m so sorry.”
He didn’t reply as he steered the SUV through downtown. When he pulled up in front of the Driskill, the valet opened my door and helped me out of the car. A few moments later, Rhys was beside me. His expression was so closed off that my heart sank.
“I’m sorry I asked,” I murmured. “I didn’t realize it would bring up painful memories.”
The stoical mask cracked as he looked down at me. “You couldn’t have known, Savannah.”
I shrugged as he took my hand. “Yes, but this is our first date and I don’t want to ruin it.”
His fingers squeezed mine. “I don’t think that’s possible.”
I was too distracted by my thoughts to fully take in the elegant hotel as we made our way into the restaurant, but I managed to snap out of it long enough to appreciate the restaurant. It was dark and dimly lit, the carpet and walls a deep burgundy. Even the ceiling was elegant, covered in beautifully detailed gold panels. We were led to a table that held a single flickering candle in the middle.
All at once I became aware of the buzz of emotion around us. I’d been so distracted by my thoughts that I hadn’t taken the time to erect my mental shield in preparation for the onslaught.
Determined to get a handle on myself, I looked around and said, “This is beautiful, Rhys. Thank you for bringing me here.”
He smiled. “Would you like a glass of wine?”
“That sounds lovely,”
I agreed, knowing I wouldn’t take more than a few sips. Alcohol made it impossible for me to keep my guard up in such a crowded place.
As we looked over the wine list, more people were led into the dining room, adding to the clamor in my mind. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, reaching desperately for my mental shields. But they were nowhere to be found.
A thin sheen of sweat spread across my shoulders as I tried to focus, but I was losing the battle.
“Savannah? Are you okay?” Rhys asked quietly.
I shook my head, breathing hard. I could feel the swell of emotion from the couple to our left. The woman was heart broken and the husband was disdainful of her. While I couldn’t hear their thoughts, his contempt of her was harsh and cutting, piercing my skull viciously.
The group of men behind us were gloating over some business deal they’d just closed. I could feel their pride and satisfaction that they had managed to screw over their client. All around me, I could see smiling faces and hear laughter, but beneath their facial expressions, there was a seething mass of emotions and most of them were unpleasant in one way or another.
I took a deep breath and tried something that worked from time to time. I reached out around me, searching for one person who was happy or content. Sometimes that was all it would take for me to shore up my defenses.
Unfortunately, it was too late. My breath came faster and faster. I could vaguely hear Rhys and another man speaking, but it didn’t penetrate the haze of feelings that enveloped me.
“E-e-xcuse me,” I muttered, pushing myself to my feet. “I don’t feel well.”
I vaguely remembered stumbling from the restaurant, pausing in the hallway outside and planting my hand against the wall to steady myself. I tried to suck in slow, deep breaths to slow the spinning in my head, but nothing worked. Black dots danced in my vision and I couldn’t focus my eyes.
I felt a hand on my shoulder. “Savannah?” Rhys asked.
“I-I think I’m going to—” I couldn’t fight the darkness any longer as my legs collapsed beneath me.
I never felt the arms that caught me before I hit the floor.
A small weight settled on my chest, followed by a deep purr. I wanted to reach up and stroke Satchel’s back, but my arms didn’t cooperate. Something cool and damp swept across my forehead and down my cheek. I tried to turn my face away from it, but the slightly rough fabric followed me.
I moaned and twisted my head the other way.
“Wake up for me, Savannah,” Rhys commanded, his voice low and hoarse.
I groaned again, finally able to lift a hand and push the cold cloth away. “I’m awake,” I whispered.
“I need you to open your eyes.”
“Don’t wanna,” I complained.
“It’s important, Savannah,” he insisted.
“Fine.” With a sigh, I forced my eyelids open and stared up at his face. “See? I’m awake. Now let me go back to sleep.”
A ghost of a smile pulled at his mouth. “I can’t let you do that.”
“Why not?” I asked grumpily.
“Because you fainted outside The Driskill Grill and I had to carry you to the car. I nearly took you straight to the hospital, but I called Ava first to find the closest one and she told me that you would be fine. That sometimes you did this when you had to deal with crowds.” His stare held a hint of reproach.
“I thought it would be okay,” I told him. “I haven’t gone out in a while, so I forgot how overwhelming it can be. Then I asked you that stupid question that upset you and I didn’t take the time to mentally prepare myself.”
He leaned back and sighed. “I wasn’t upset, Savannah.”
I raised my eyebrows and stared at him. “Oh, really?”
Rhys shook his head. “Stop trying to distract me.”
“Distract you?”
“You’re being sweet and, what’s the word? Cute. You’re being cute.”
“I’m not being cute,” I argued, still lying on my back but now scowling at him. “I’m a grown woman. Only children and animals are cute.”
I could tell he was biting back a smile, but he managed it. “Whatever you say.”
I grunted at him. “This is a ridiculous discussion anyway.” I started to push myself up into a sitting position, but his hands came to my shoulders. “I want to sit up,” I stated.
“I know, but you should probably wait a few minutes and give yourself time to settle. You went down hard and fast at the restaurant.”
“I need caffeine and sugar,” I said. “If you’ll help me up, I’ll make myself a cup of tea with whiskey and honey.”
“How about this? You lie here, tell me where everything is, and you can sit up when it’s ready.”
“Is that a request or an order?” I asked.
“Take it as you like it.”
Once again his age was showing in his speech patterns. I didn’t know a single man who talked the way he did. “Fine.”
He smiled at me and brushed my hair out of my face. “Definitely cute.”
I rolled my eyes, which made him laugh. I liked the sound of it and the way his eyes lit up from within when he found something entertaining. Little by little, Rhys was opening up to me.
It dawned on me then that I didn’t know his last name. I thought about that as I lay on the sofa, staring at the ceiling and petting Satchel. I knew very little about him as a person, yet I felt a connection between us. We fit as though we were made to be together. His presence was so comforting, I felt very little of the nerves that plagued me during the beginning of the few relationships I’d had in college.
The fact that I couldn’t read Rhys’ emotions probably played a part as well. I did often wonder what he was thinking and feeling, but I felt no pressure to meet his unspoken expectations or bend over backwards to please him.
A few minutes later, Rhys returned with two steaming mugs and sat them down on the coffee table. “Ready to sit up?” he asked.
“Yes,” I stated firmly.
He smiled again and reached down to help me into a sitting position. My head did one long, lazy spin before my equilibrium settled and I felt somewhat normal. Satchel jumped down off my lap and pranced away, her tail twitching with pride.
Rhys sat down next to me and handed me one of the mugs. I blew on it and took a small sip. Surprisingly, the ratio of whiskey in the tea was perfect.
“You make excellent tea,” I commented, taking another sip and letting the hot, alcohol-laced liquid warm me.
“I’ve had quite a bit of practice.”
“What’s your last name, Rhys?” I asked, taking another sip.
“The name I’m using now or what I was called when I was made?”
He didn’t seem upset by my question, so I said, “Both.”
“Right now, all my identification says I’m Rhys Carey, but when Gaius, my creator, made me, I was called The Dark One or Rhys the Dark.”
“Because of your eyes?” I asked.
He nodded.
“What was your brother called?” I asked.
Rhys drank down a large swallow of his tea and I wondered if he’d put whiskey in his as well. “The Slayer.”
My brows rose. “That doesn’t sound good.”
He huffed out a bitter laugh. “It wasn’t.”
I let the topic drop and we drank our tea in silence for a while. When I finished mine, I set the mug to the side and looked at him. “As far as first dates go, I think this one was a little rough.”
He grinned at me. “I’d have to agree. Maybe we should consider dates that are less stressful for you,” he suggested.
“The only date that would be less stressful is if we stayed here at my house.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do.”
I studied him, uncertain of his sincerity. “Are you sure?”
“I’m not interested in what restaurants we go to or movies we see. I’m interested in you. I want to know you.”
I liked the way he said it. “Ok
ay, then we’ll spend time together at my house.” Satchel returned to the living room and sat at Rhys’ feet, batting his shin with her paw. “And I think Satchel would like that too.”
Rhys smiled down at my cat. “I’m looking forward to it.” When his eyes returned to mine, a shiver went down my spine. “We’ll start tomorrow.”
“You could stay and watch a movie with me tonight,” I invited.
He shook his head and stood up. “You need to rest. Tomorrow is soon enough.”
I rose and followed him to the door. “Thank you for taking care of me tonight,” I murmured. “I’m sorry our date was ruined.”
He paused, his hand on the doorknob, and looked down at me. “I don’t think it was ruined. Though I wish you’d had a chance to eat at the restaurant that you’ve always wanted to try.”
“Maybe another time,” I stated, knowing that it probably wouldn’t happen.
“Maybe.”
We stared at one another for a long moment, neither of us moving. There was a look in his eye I didn’t recognize, but it made me feel warm all over. Or maybe that was the whiskey in the tea.
When he leaned down and kissed me gently, I knew that the heat in my belly had nothing to do with whiskey and everything to do with Rhys.
Chapter Thirteen
Rhys
I gasped for breath and sat straight up in bed. Sweat soaked my body and dampened my hair. My heart hammered against my sternum as though I’d been running for my life. As the dream faded, I shoved my hands through my hair and rested my elbows on my bent knees. My chest heaved as I struggled to catch my breath and fought against the nausea that roiled in my gut.
The bloody, torn remnants of the dream shifted behind my eyelids. It had been clearer than my other nightmares. The gruesome images stayed in my mind even after I woke up, though I wished they would vanish as they had before. In all the time I’d lived, I had never seen anything like the broken bodies of women and children that filled my mind. Such evil was beyond my comprehension.
I rolled out of bed and staggered from the bedroom into the kitchen. I filled a glass with cold water from the tap and drained it in several huge gulps. The nightmares that had plagued me for weeks were coming more often now. Almost nightly. Instead of vaguely unsettling, they were dark and violent, filled with images of blood and pain. This was the worst of them so far, but I was almost certain that it was only the beginning.
