Paranormally Yours: A Boxed Set

by Alisha Basso

  Jan sighed. “Do you think we’ll ever get a life?”

  Tessa grinned at her. “If you would pay more attention to Josh, you might get a life.”

  “Please. He has no interest in me. He’s too gorgeous to even notice someone like me.”

  “Oh, come on, Jan. You are so pretty, and I promise I’ve noticed Josh giving you some serious looks. I say go for it,” said Tessa.

  “You really think he likes me?”

  “Yep. No doubt about it. So, are you up for dinner tonight?”

  Jan frowned. “I’m not sure. I’m pretty tired.”

  “Oh come on. The diner’s on the way home. We can grab a couple of burgers again. Or maybe a sandwich. We have to eat,” urged Tessa.

  “Oh, all right. I guess it won’t take long. We’ll get a bite then go home and hit the sack.”

  The women locked up and headed for the diner. They decided to eat light since it was late, so they both had grilled cheese sandwiches and glasses of tea. They were finished in less than thirty minutes. They left the diner and started toward their apartment building, both of them a little apprehensive about passing the alley where they had heard and seen something. As they drew closer to the alley, by unspoken agreement, they moved as far away from it as they could without going into the street. They both breathed sighs of relief when they passed the dark passage without incident. They had almost made it to their building when they heard footsteps behind them.

  “Great,” Tessa whispered to Jan. “We get past the alley, and now someone’s behind us.”

  “It’s probably just someone out for a walk. Just act casual.”

  They tried not to hurry or appear afraid as they neared their apartment building. Just a few feet away now. Not far.

  “Excuse me,” they heard a voice say.

  The two women slowly turned around, afraid of what they might see. Tessa was hoping that if the man was up to no good, it was just robbery he had on his mind. When she was fully turned toward the man, she gasped in surprise. Standing before her was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Describing him as handsome just wasn’t enough. His dark hair, dark eyes, and olive skin were what she noticed first. Then, she took in the whole picture. His tight, black t-shirt and black jeans showed off his perfect, muscular body. She was grateful for the street lamp because she could see him perfectly in the light.

  “Could you ladies tell me where to find the museum?” he asked in a voice with a very slight accent.

  “Well, sure we can,” said Jan. “We both work there.”

  “How fortunate for me,” he said, flashing perfect white teeth.

  “But the museum is closed for the night,” said Tessa, her sudden attraction to him causing a slight tremor in her voice. “It closes at seven on every day but Friday and Saturday. It’s open until nine on those two days.”

  “Oh, I’m disappointed,” he said. “But I imagine I’ll have ample time tomorrow since it’s Friday.”

  “Yes, but come a little early. There’s lots to see,” said Jan.

  “I believe I will come early. Will I be blessed with the company of you two lovely ladies?”

  “Well,” said Tessa, “we usually work with artifacts, so we don’t often get to see the public. But if you’ll let us know when you’ll be there, we can be sure to come out and say hi. Maybe give you a private tour.”

  “That would be lovely. I’ll plan to be there at seven. That will give me two hours. I look forward to seeing you then.”

  “Me, too. I mean, both of us look forward to seeing you,” said Tessa.

  “It was nice meeting both of you,” said the stranger.

  “Wait,” said Jan. “None of us even introduced ourselves.”

  “We’ll save that for tomorrow,” he said with a grin.

  When he had walked away from them, Jan said, “What an odd man.”

  “What a gorgeous man!” said Tessa. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone so beautiful.”

  “He was definitely easy on the eyes,” agreed Jan. “But didn’t you feel like something was a little off about him?”

  “No, not really. He’s just a little mysterious. That makes him that much more appealing.”

  “Oh, you’ve got it bad,” teased Jan. “You’re seriously in lust.”

  Tessa grinned and punched her friend lightly on the arm. “A girl can dream, right?”

  ***

  As Nikolas walked away from the two women, his mind was filled with confusion. He wanted the dark-haired one. And it wasn’t just her blood he wanted, although that exotic scent called to him. He yearned for more. He wanted all of her, her body, heart, mind, and soul. His mind was in chaos; he hadn’t felt this way since he had been turned. His lust for blood was always strong, but he had felt no need for anything more. Now there was a strong pull toward the dark-haired woman. He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t found out her name or given his. For some reason, he wanted to make her wait for the information, as if he was prolonging something, teasing her. He felt his loins tighten at the thought of her lovely face and her slender, fit body. What was wrong with him? The blood lust was strong, but the more human lust was much stronger. This just couldn’t be. He was a vampire, not a man. He didn’t deserve or want anything from a woman except her blood. And he tried to avoid even that when he could.

  He knew tonight the blood of an animal wouldn’t be enough. He ached for human blood. The full moon, plus the confusing feelings for the woman, made his yearning worse than usual. He only hoped he could control himself and not kill again tonight. It was going to be a tough fight. Then he remembered the older vampire who had told him about the tunnels had also told him about how there were some women who would let a vampire take blood for a price. He laughed without humor. A blood prostitute? This was a strange world he had been reborn into. Almost dizzy with the need for blood, he tried to recall where the other vampire had told him he should go for relief. He walked toward an apartment building almost as if his senses took over when his memory failed him. He found himself climbing the stairs to an apartment on the fourth floor of the building. Nikolas knocked on the door and waited. He was about to turn away when the door opened and a woman with auburn hair and red, smiling lips beckoned for him to come inside. Looking around, he saw everything was red…the furniture, the curtains, the tiled floor. The woman took him by the hand and pulled him into a bedroom that was also decorated in deep crimson. Still smiling, she lowered herself onto the bed, taking him down with her. He could feel the gauzy material of her red negligee under his hands as he pulled the fabric away from her breast. He knew if he drank from her neck, he would pierce an artery and would go too far. The taste of her skin immediately excited him, and he sank his fangs into her flesh, drinking deeply. By some miracle, he was able to stop before he took too much. Sated, he fell back onto the bed, feeling the rush of the new blood coursing through him. A part of him wanted to take more, take until the life was drained from the woman in red. But the part that still had the remnants of a conscience was glad he had stopped.

  Nikolas lay there for a few more minutes before finally rising and pulling money from his wallet. He tossed the bills on the bed and turned to go. Before his hand touched the doorknob, he turned back to the woman.

  “Why do you do it?” he asked.

  She looked at him for a moment, then answered. “I used to be a prostitute and I hated every minute of it. But this? This is better than the best sex I ever had. I would do it for free.”

  He chuckled softly. “Don’t tell anyone else that. You can’t make a living that way.”

  Nikolas turned back to the door and walked out. Soon he was back on the street. His blood lust was satisfied for now, but he couldn’t get a certain dark-haired beauty out of his mind. He had a feeling she was the only one who could truly satisfy his every need.

  Chapter Four

  The next day, Tessa was deep into her job, cataloguing the relics and writing up her notes for the curator. She hoped he would finally let
her put them on display since she had worked so hard on this collection. She knew the public would be fascinated by such artifacts, and she felt a sense of pride when she thought about others seeing what she had lovingly taken care of.

  “Hey, he’s here!” Jan called to her from the door of her office.

  “Who’s here?” she asked curiously.

  “That man we met on the street last night. Remember? We were supposed to show him around.”

  “Is it already seven o’clock?” she asked in surprise.

  “Almost. Now come on, let’s go join him. You thought he was really cute, so you need to come on out and talk to him. Brush your hair first. You look tangled.”

  Tessa grinned at her friend and took out her brush. When she had brushed her hair until it shone, she followed Jan out to the lobby of the museum.

  “Ah, there you are,” said the man from last night. If possible, he was even more beautiful than he had been last night. She could see him fully in the light now and realized the street lights hadn’t done him justice. Today, he was wearing khaki slacks and a light blue polo shirt that made his olive skin look even more delicious. Tessa had a sudden urge to touch that skin, to kiss those full lips. Her stomach did a little somersault, and it was all she could do to pull herself together and speak to him.

  “I’m glad you could visit us today, Mr….”

  He smiled. “My name is Nikolas Petrou. You can call me Nik.”

  Jan said, “Nikolas? Are you Greek?”

  “I am. My parents came over from Greece many years ago.”

  Tessa said, “You have a slight accent. I like the way it sounds.”

  She blushed furiously, appalled at what she had said. What had gotten into her? It was way too forward to tell a man she had just met that she liked the sound of his voice. But, oh how she did like it! His good looks and lovely voice were enough to melt even the coldest ice princess. And she was far from one of those.

  “I’m pleased that you like it,” he said with an impish grin. “And may I ask your names?”

  Jan said, “I’m Jan Kelley, and this is Tessa Garrett.”

  Nik said, “It’s very nice to meet both of you. Now, may I have a tour of your museum?”

  “Of course,” Tessa said with a smile. “Right this way.”

  Jan was the expert on Egyptian artifacts, so she gave Nik the grand tour of that area, speaking animatedly with her voice and her hands. Tessa wondered if he would get bored, but he seemed to be listening with interest. That gave him a few points with her because she appreciated a man who enjoyed ancient history. Most guys she had met recently cared for nothing but how they could get ahead now and in the future. The past didn’t interest them at all. That puzzled Tessa because she knew you could learn a lot from the past.

  “And that’s our Egyptian exhibit,” concluded Jan.

  “That was very nice, thank you,” said Nikolas. He turned to Tessa. “And what is your specialty in?”

  “Unfortunately, my artifacts aren’t on display yet,” said Tessa.

  “Oh? And why is that? What are these mysterious artifacts?”

  “Well…my expertise lies more in the paranormal realm.”

  “Paranormal? What does that mean?” he asked.

  “Let’s all have a seat on that bench over there, and I’ll explain it to you,” suggested Tessa.

  The three of them sat down, and Tessa noticed Nik sat very close to her. Her heart sped up just a bit, and she turned her head slightly away from him so he couldn’t see the blush that was creeping up her face.

  When she felt a little more composed, she said, “Paranormal artifacts are objects that possibly have some kind of power. Different ones are rumored to have different types of power.”

  “I see,” said Nikolas. “And do you believe in the paranormal, Tessa?”

  “I…I’m not sure,” she said nervously, aware of the nearness of his body. “Sometimes I get strange feelings when I handle the relics.”

  “And have you ever tested one of these artifacts?” asked Nikolas.

  “What? What do you mean?”

  “Come on, surely you’re curious about them. Haven’t you tried one of them out to see if it might really possess the power it’s rumored to have?”

  “No, Nik, I’ve never tested them. That would be playing with fire.”

  He smiled. “I would have thought you were more adventurous than that, Tessa. So why aren’t these artifacts displayed? I have a feeling it would be a very popular exhibit.”

  Tessa sighed. “I think so, too. The curator is a little afraid of the artifacts, even though he’s fascinated by them. I believe he’s afraid someone might touch them and something might happen.”

  “Why not keep them under glass? That would keep people from touching them.”

  “I’ve suggested that. I think I’m about to wear him down,” Tessa said with a smile.

  “It looks like the museum is closing soon. Would you ladies be able to sneak out a little early and join me for dinner?” asked Nik.

  Tessa looked at Jan, then back at Nik. “We’ve worked late all week. I think we deserve an early night.”

  “I agree,” said Jan. “Let’s do it.”

  “There’s a diner two blocks down,” said Tessa.

  “A diner? I was thinking more along the lines of a nice Italian restaurant I know, Antonio’s. I haven’t been there in months, but I’m sure it’s just as good as it’s always been,” said Nik.

  “I think that would be a nice change of pace. Thank you, Nik,” said Tessa.

  “The pleasure is mine. The restaurant is this way. It’s only a few blocks away,” he said, pointing in the opposite direction of the diner.

  “Oh, I know that place,” said Jan. “I’ve never been there because it’s a little pricey, but everyone says it’s great. I think I can splurge this one time.”

  Nik frowned. “This is my treat.” When they protested, he said, “No, I insist.”

  Tessa shrugged. “Okay, if you’re sure.”

  “Of course I am,” he said, showing white teeth as he smiled.

  The three of them talked over dinner, mostly just small talk, and everything seemed to be fine until Tessa noticed that Jan had been looking at Nikolas strangely. Tessa was puzzled by this because she couldn’t find anything wrong with this man. He was as interesting and nice as he was good-looking, but Jan frowned several times during the meal.

  “Well, ladies, I’ve had a great time, but I’m afraid it’s time for me to say goodbye. I have a lot to do tonight, so I need to go. Thank you so much for the lovely evening,” said Nikolas.

  “I had fun, too,” said Tessa. “Thank you so much for dinner.”

  “Yes, thank you,” said Jan, only after Tessa kicked her lightly on the side of her foot.

  They parted ways outside the restaurant, and when the two women were out of earshot, Tessa grabbed Jan’s arm to stop her.

  “What was that all about?” she demanded.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Jan, not looking directly at Tessa.

  “Oh, yes, you do,” said Tessa. “Why were you giving Nik those looks all night? He was perfectly nice to us, bought us dinner, kept us entertained. What is it about him you don’t like?”

  Jan finally looked at her. “I don’t know, Tess. There’s just something about him that isn’t quite right. Almost as if something is missing in him. I don’t know how to explain it or make you understand what I mean. But there’s something.”

  Tessa sighed. “I don’t get it, Jan. He seems perfectly fine to me. And he’s gorgeous! I have to admit, he makes my heart beat just a little faster.”

  “I’m sure it’s nothing, Tess. It’s just my mother says I have some kind of sixth sense like my grandmother, and I have been able to sense a lot of things through the years. When I have a bad feeling, it’s usually for a reason. Who knows, maybe I’m just jealous because you’ve met this nice guy and….”

  Tessa was staring at Jan. “W
e’ve been friends all this time and you’ve never told me about this sixth sense thing of yours?”

  “I thought you would laugh at me,” Jan admitted.

  “Jan, I work with paranormal artifacts. How can you think I would laugh at you?”

  “I never really thought you believed in the artifacts. I thought you just found them interesting.”

  Tessa smiled. “I’ve told you they give me a funny feeling sometimes. Maybe the two of us can look through them sometime and we’ll see what you feel.”

  “I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” said Jan, doubtfully.

  “Nonsense. Tomorrow night. It’ll be fun.”

  ***

  Nikolas took a deep breath of fresh air as he walked away from the restaurant, diluting Tessa’s scent that lingered in his senses. He had barely been able to get through dinner without grabbing her and sinking his fangs deep into her throat. What are you doing, Nikolas? He knew he was walking on dangerous ground being anywhere near her. He didn’t understand this obsession he had with her, but he knew she somehow belonged to him. Before he was a vampire, he would have pursued her. There was no way he would have let her get away. Being a vampire, though, he had many disadvantages, and the biggest one was his desire to drain the blood from the woman he cared for. Cared for? Where did that come from?

  Sighing, Nikolas continued down the sidewalk, fighting the urge to drink human blood. He had succumbed to the hunger too many times lately, one of those times ending in the death of an innocent. No matter how much she had wanted to die, it wasn’t his place to make that happen. No, he had to fight it. Knowing there was no way he could bring himself to feed off another rat, even though that was the easiest way to feed without danger of being exposed, he sought for a better answer. He walked past the zoo and stopped. Why hadn’t he thought of this before?

  Easily scaling the high fence surrounding the zoo, he quietly dropped down to the other side. He stopped at the tiger cage and stared through the bars at a beautiful white female. She came to him willingly, and he sank his teeth into the paw she extended. When he was sated, he let go of the animal’s foot, and stepped back. The tiger was a little unsteady on her feet, but she was clearly okay. He had felt bad about killing the rats, but they were so small, they didn’t have much blood. It was hard for him to stop once he started. The big cats, on the other hand, were strong with lots of blood coursing through their veins. He felt kind of sick about what he had done, but it was better than losing control with a human. His blood lust was curbed for now, but he could feel it seething, just barely under control. Only human blood could truly satisfy him, and now he knew he craved one human’s blood over all others.