She stands and smiles at me as I approach. “Good morning Mr. Garai.” Her voice is small and tentative. I make her nervous yet excited. The combination is intoxicating coming from her. I find her so refreshing from the others that I surround myself with.
I begin to see how she is making me see the world in a different light. Things feel different when she’s around, more vibrant and full of possibilities.
I smile back and come to a stop just in front of her breathing in her delectable scent. She smells like sunshine and rainwater dripping from a fully bloomed rose after a storm. Again, she intoxicates me.
“Well it appears Amanda is indisposed for the next few days so I am afraid you’ll have to deal with me, Miss Kostas.” I say then grin at the look of utter loss on her face.
“Oh. Uh, well I’m sure you will be much too busy to deal with me, Mr. Garai. I could have HR appoint me to someone underneath you so I won’t be a bother to you, sir.” Her voice quivers as she speaks and I have another pang of remorse. I just want to tuck her under my wing and protect her from the vitriol of the world.
She is vastly becoming an integral part of my existence and that thought unnerves me. I’ve always been alone and I prefer it that way. But she calls to some ancient part of me. She is so familiar and when she’s around I feel a little less anger and a little more hope.
“Oh, that won’t be necessary, Miss Kostas. Follow me.” I turn for my office and open the doors. She quietly falls into step behind me and I gesture for her to have a seat. She sits and looks at me expectantly and her innocent eyes burn.
I pick up the phone and call HR. “Yes, this is Garai, my PA is absent for the coming days and I will need a replacement ASAP.”
Greta sputters. “Uh…uh yes, sir Mr. Garai. I’ll have someone up there immediately.”
“Also, I have a new employee starting today and I will need the welcome packet along with any necessary paperwork brought directly to my office.”
“Yes sir, would you like for me to personally do the introduction and complete the packet sir?”
“No. That won’t be necessary. Thank you.”
I place the phone back on the desk. “See how easy that was?” I smile.
I feel the shift in her body weight in the chair as her breathing increases and her heart rate spikes.
I lean closer and smile. “I’d say this will most likely be an adventurous first day, Miss Kostas.” I muse.
She blushes furiously but it doesn’t have the normal effect on me, which would be a raging burn in my throat and tense muscles ready to coil. Instead it is oddly comforting and soothing.
“You can call me, Adonia if you prefer, Mr. Garai.” Her voice barely audible.
“Is that what you would prefer, Adonia?” I like how her name sounds in my voice. It feels like a possession, like she’s mine.
She nods. “Yes, sir, if you don’t mind.”
“Well then, Adonia it is. I rather recall giving you the same request last evening.” I say watching the green of her eyes burn bright as an emerald.
“Oh, I couldn’t do that here, Mr. Garai. It wouldn’t feel appropriate, sir.”
I smile. “As you wish, Adonia.” I fold my arms over the desk. “However, I would appreciate if you did call me Khai outside of the office, if you wouldn’t mind.”
Her eyes grow wide then the excitement of my words flushes her cheeks. “I would like that, Mr. Garai.”
“I would as well, Adonia.” Just then a knock at the door pulls her eyes from mine and she stares at her feet dangling in front of my desk.
“Yes.” I snap.
The door opens and a short young girl stands in the doorway carrying notebooks and various supplies. “Excuse me sir, my name is Margaret and I am temping as your PA, Mr. Garai.”
“Very well, Margaret. I assume you can assimilate yourself into the position without anything from me?”
“Oh yes, sir. I’ll just get started, call with anything you need, sir.” And she turns on her heel and pulls the door behind her.
I sigh. In her hast to break the sexual spell her brain was under she neglected to deliver the welcome packet and materials.
I press the intercom. “Margaret. I believe you have some paperwork I requested?”
“Oh my, yes Mr. Garai. I apologize, I’ll bring it right in.”
Seconds later she appears at my desk dropping the small mountain of paperwork.
Holy fuck.
This could take all damn day to complete. Perhaps I will assign this task to Greta.
I look up and catch the amused look on Adonia’s face. “Second guessing that thought of helping me wade through that, huh?” She asks giggling.
I can’t help but laugh back. “Something like that.”
She smiles wide. “Really, Mr. Garai I can take this down stairs, you shouldn’t be wasting your time doing this type of work, sir.” She stands from her chair and reaches for the packets.
I rest my hand on her arm and feel a surge of something powerful shoot through my chest. In that contact I can see every thought, dream and memory she has ever had. But what makes me gasp are the memories buried deep beneath—ones that flash me in a much earlier time.
Picture after picture of me laughing and touching her. The look in my eyes is pure happiness. There are thousands sifting through my brain. She looks equally astonished but doesn’t move to break the contact. I can see that it is just as soothing for her as I.
I look into her emerald eyes. “I think perhaps that speaks for itself.” I say wrapping my hand around hers. “I’d prefer we did this paperwork someplace more private. There are many questions I have for you, Adonia. Would you come with me?” I suddenly feel anxious for the first time in my existence. I am giving her an opportunity to say no to me and if she does I know I will honor her wish but it will crush me.
There is no hesitation in her thoughts or her reply, “Yes.” She whispers and I feel every tendon and muscle in my body coil then relax.
I smile genuinely happy for the first time in a long time and scoop the papers from the desk and reach for her hand. She folds her tiny palm into mine and the touch is exquisite. It calms every cell in my body.
“Have my calls forwarded to my home office, Margaret and clear my calendar for the remainder of the day.” I call over my shoulder as we make our way to the elevator.
Adonia is smiling up at me with a look of fondness. “I guess I can call you, Khai now.” She whispers.
I surprise myself by laughing. “Yes, I’d much prefer it actually.”
Her hold tightens in my hand and I am conscious of the tension I keep in our grip. I could easily break every bone in her delicate hand and not realize it.
I pull out my phone and dial Peter.
“I’ll be returning home immediately.”
“Yes, sir.”
I slide it back into my pocket and reach for her hand again. The feeling of that bond is already emblazoned in my mind and I know I will never want or let it break.
I zone every other thought from my mind and just concentrate on the flow of emotions coming from her touch. Every pure thought she’s ever had is rushing before my eyes.
Her innocence is proven to me and it gives me a strange sense of possession over her again. She’s mine in every way she could be.
When the doors open I ignore the looks of shock on each face as we walk hand-in-hand. Peter is waiting; I open the door and escort her inside.
Inside the cabin the electricity becomes vibrant. She looks over at me through her long lashes. “Do you feel that too?” She asks apprehensively.
I smile again. “It’s kind of hard to miss.”
She smiles back and nods relieved that I feel the same. We ride in silence each soaking in the extraordinary bond already in place between us.
I can read that she has never had any type of bond with a man before and that makes me relax all over, because I, too, have never had any type of connection with anyone previous to her.
&nbs
p; It’s new to the both of us.
We stop outside the house and I pull her to the curb. Her mouth forms an O when she takes in the enormous row house and the massive red door. Its no surprise that red is my preferred color.
I open the door and let her precede me. She stutters to a halt when she eyes my grand foyer. To some it can be over the top opulence but it reminds me of the grand palaces in Greece when I was a child.
I feel her apprehension at being around such wealth. I want to sooth her. “It’s just marble and tile, nothing important.”
She looks at me shocked. “This is like a palace, Khai. I had no idea.” She runs her hands through her hair then over her face cupping her mouth. “I just…wow, I mean I’ve never been around anything like this before.”
She’s clearly overwhelmed. I squeeze her hand “Really, Adonia, it’s nothing important, trust me.”
She shakes her head and trains her eyes down her frame and over her clothes. A feeling of shame flows through her mind and I am instantly angry.
I pull her hand closer to me. “Don’t ever think like that again. You are the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen and had the honor of knowing.”
Her eyes widen and I realize my mistake—I’ve read her thoughts and responded to them aloud.
Fuck.
The grip in her hand loosens and I feel the hold breaking. Pure panic erupts inside and I feel desperate.
I feel her body shift slightly and begin to pull away. I step closer and use my other hand to cup her face. “No, don’t. Please don’t be frightened of me, Adonia. I can swear to you that it will never be my intent to ever harm you.”
I can’t lie to her. I can’t say that I will never harm her because I know what I am and I lose control easily. But I know that honestly I would die before I hurt her. And that thought coming from the selfish creature that I am solidifies what she means to me.
She is everything.
A hundred emotions swirl through her mind but the one that dominates her thoughts and feelings is trust. She trusts me and that makes the dead heart I carry feel alive again.
“Come. I’d like to just sit and talk with you, if its what you wish.”
She grips my hand tighter and I smile as I lead her to the living room. I am used to the grandeur I surround myself with. There was a time that it filled voids I had and relieved some of the tedium but having her here and standing within it I feel a strange wave of shame. These things aren’t really important to me yet I bathe my life with them.
Money and prestige.
Her reaction is expected—shock, awe, and the feeling of being overwhelmed. I pull her to the decadent sofa perched in front of the floor to ceiling glass wall. We have an unobstructed view of all of Manhattan.
She whistles. “I certainly don’t see this out my window everyday.”
I grin at her. “Yeah, it’s not too bad.” I turn to face her. “There is something about you Adonia that has captured me. You’ve utterly beguiled me and I can honestly say that no one has ever heard those words come from my mouth. I am a solitary person and have enjoyed that existence up until now.”
I sit against the sofa and concentrate on her thoughts. They are filled with confusion and indecision but also hope that my words are sincere. She runs the images of me through her head and I get the longing and happiness each time she recalls them.
I beguile her, too. I smile.
For the next several hours we just sit and talk. She wants to know of all the places I’ve been and the places that are my favorites. I don’t like the feelings I have when I realize she’s never really had much in the way of possessions growing up and her life has been hard. She’s never been outside the states of NY and NJ.
There is so much of the world I want her to see. “Take a trip with me. Let me show you the world, Adonia.” I blurt while she is telling me about her first experience coming to Garai Enterprises.
She blinks several times and her jaw drops. “You can’t be serious, Khai. You barely know me. Why on earth would you want to spend money on me like that?”
I scoff. “Well, first of all, I have plenty of it, but secondly I feel like I’ve known you my entire existence.” I say probing intro her eyes, “How do you feel?”
This is the million-dollar question that I am aching to know. She stares into my eyes for several moments then averts her gaze to her hands in thought.
A blinding smile comes across my face when I read the true thoughts from her heart.
She wants it. She wants me.
Confusion colors her tone and I squeeze her hand. “I have a very good sense of people’s thoughts that’s all.”
She smiles shyly. “Well, I guess you know my answer then.” The blush on her face makes her skin shine luminescent.
“Where do you want to go?”
She smiles as she looks up from her hands. “I don’t care, Khai as long as it’s with you.”
Instinctually I lean in and pull her lips to mine but neither of us is prepared for the result.
Every nerve, cell and muscle in my body tenses with the intensity of emotion. It is like I explode into a million pieces and they are still inside burning. She pulls a little closer and when her tongue runs across my lips I jump from the sofa and land across the room. It’s the single most crushing emotion I’ve ever felt. I am scared what I could do to her at that moment because I can feel myself losing control.
The hurt in her eyes is nothing I ever want to see again. I take several deep breaths then realize she was probably terrified of my display. I had jumped nearly twelve feet from the sofa.
Slowly I walk back to her side but she is reserved and more withdrawn. Shock and more over rejection is marring her emotions.
I grasp her hand. “Trust me beautiful, it has nothing to do with you. I just got a little carried away for a moment.”
Her eyes are burning green when she asks, “How did you do that?” She points at the spot I had just been.
Fuck.
I can’t lie to her but also I can’t risk losing her either. I stare at her several moments trying to reassure her with my eyes. “Adonia, it’s complicated. Just trust me, I mean you no harm. Believe me. Please.”
She regards me several minutes while I read her thoughts. She’s struggling with the rationality of the entire situation. Her brain is in overload trying to assess every part. She wants to believe me and trust me. Then I realize something else about Adonia Kostas—she goes with her heart and when she makes a decision she sticks with it.
Finally she looks up. “This is ok?” She asks rubbing our linked hands.
“Yes. More than ok, actually.” I reply, smiling.
She finally smiles again and relaxes against the sofa cushion. We talk more and I let her in little by little into my world.
When the sunsets and night falls over the sky she stands from the sofa. “I should be getting home.” She pulls her sweater tighter as she thinks about the cold apartment.
“Don’t go back there, Adonia. Stay here. I have plenty of room. I believe there are about six additional bedrooms for you to choose from.” I grin.
“I can’t stay here, Khai. How would that look to everyone?”
“I don’t give a fuck what people think, Adonia. I would prefer if you stayed with me and I am afraid I must insist.”
She tries not to smile but fails miserably. “I don’t have any of my things here.” She says putting her fists on her hips.
“That’s simple. We’ll go buy something.”
She shakes her head. “No, I’m not letting you waste money on me.”
I grab her hand. “I’m afraid it isn’t up for discussion at the moment. Come with me.”
I pull her through the house feeling excited about being able to buy her things. Peter opens the door and we slide into the back.
“Head over to Neiman’s.” I order.
She drops her jaw. “No! You are not spending that kind of money, Khai.”
I actually roll my eyes at
her, which is an extremely uncharacteristic trait for me. “Will you please let it go, Adonia? Trust me when I say money is no issue.”
She looks at me indignantly. “Well, maybe for you it isn’t but I don’t like the way it makes me feel, ok?”
I read her thoughts and realize she truly is offended. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. Just… let me buy you some things. It will make me happier than you know to gift you things I would like for you to have.”
She thaws slightly at my words but turns her head to gaze out the window. I give her the space she needs but not having her talk to me is maddening. My self- control is spent.
I pull her from the back when we reach the store. We are attacked as soon as we hit the floor. I’ve never been in the ladies department in any store. Truthfully I haven’t really ever paid attention to women’s fashion. How they look to me is never an allure it’s the draw of the blood and nothing more.
But with Adonia, it’s different. I want to see her in the finest clothes, things that are as beautiful as her.
We pick a personal stylist—Mena—to help us choose pieces. Adonia finally gives up and sits; sulking in the corner while Mena continues to pile things on the rack.
Finally we have collected enough clothes to replace her wardrobe and then some. I request shoes to match each ensemble and I secretly request several items of jewelry to be wrapped and brought directly to me out of her sight.
I bring Adonia some champagne as they tally the bill and wrap the clothes. She begrudgingly accepts the bubbly and broods in the corner. My plan is to feed her a few drinks in hopes that she will thaw at the notion of me spending money on her.
Mena saunters over and announces the bill and I could literally pinch her head off.
“You are all set, Mr. Garai. I’ve charged your AMEX the total-- $22,445.”
Adonia gasps and jumps to her feet. “What the fuck, Khai! No fucking way!” She screeches.
I sigh and shoot a look of mortal death to Mena because frankly, I want to take her into the dressing room and painfully drain her body.
She has the decency to look contrite and apologize then stalks back toward the counter.
Adonia is nearly out the door before I catch her arm. “Please calm down.”
The Last Vampyre Prophecy Page 6
