Wicked Nights
Page 2
“Got it, boss lady.” Ken didn’t sound intimidated.
Franco made a right turn onto the wide street leading to the park’s entrance. Small shops marched on either side of the road, and even at night heavy traffic lined up at the entrance. A high wall with multicolored lights hid most of what was inside, but the arched entrance was a three-dimensional collage of traditional fantasies. She allowed herself a moment of nostalgia. A pirate ship. When she was eight years old, she’d wanted to be a pirate captain, which completely mystified her nine-year-old sister who wanted to be a microbiologist and her ten-year-old brother who’d decided on a career as a corporate lawyer.
As Franco eased into the line of vehicles entering the park, Donna spotted a candy store amid all the other shops vying for business from people entering or leaving. Sugar. It always improved her mood, and her mood needed a hell of a lot of improving if she was going to broadcast from here for five nights.
Park attractions didn’t all open and close at the same time, making Live the Fantasy a round-the-clock deal. Lucky her that the Castle of Dark Dreams ran their fantasies from dusk till near dawn so she could broadcast live during her usual hours of midnight until four in the morning.
“Stop. Let me out here. I’ll get a bag of candy, then meet you inside at the castle.” Castle of Dark Dreams. Not a very creative name, but then she didn’t expect anything too challenging in the scary department, in spite of what listeners reported. It took a lot to scare her. Like falling ratings. Next to her family, her show was the most important thing in Donna’s life.
She climbed from the van and walked around the front to the driver’s side. Franco lowered his window and grinned at her. “You know, this might not be too bad.” He gestured at the surrounding area. “Galveston has some perks. Sun, sand, the Gulf, and a chance to live out a few cool fantasies.” His grin turned sly as he started to raise his window. “Maybe even a few sexy ones, like meeting a lust-crazed female creature of the night.” He raised his window the rest of the way before she could make good on her butt-kicking threat.
Donna did some mental teeth-baring. No use yelling at him, because he’d already driven away. Besides, she needed to conserve her energy in the South Texas heat and humidity. She supposed it was probably pretty comfortable by Texas standards, but June in Galveston wasn’t like June in New York City. She’d feel a lot better once she had a blast of sugar to pep her up. Fine, so the candy wasn’t to pep her up. It was a comfort food to assure her that somehow she was still in control of her universe.
She stepped into the Sweet Indulgence candy store and felt the first tingle of anticipation she’d experienced in over a week. If she had to go to battle in the Castle of Dark Dreams, she’d go armed with sugar in her bloodstream. She breathed deeply. Ah, the scent of bliss—sweet, smooth, rich. Exactly the traits she’d like to find in a man. Sure, the few men she’d met who’d fit that description had bored her silly, but she’d find the right one eventually.
“Donna Nolan? This is so amazing. You’re actually standing in my store.” The woman behind the candy counter bounced up and down with enthusiasm. For her? Donna glanced over her shoulder. Must be. No one else was in the place.
“Uh, yeah.” Donna smiled. People didn’t usually recognize radio personalities. This was a real feel-good moment, and boy, did she need one. Come to think of it, how had the woman known her?
“I saw your photo on the program’s Web site, and I listen to you every night, so I knew you were broadcasting from the Castle of Dark Dreams all week. I’m a huge fan, and I’ve wanted to meet you forever.” The woman stopped bouncing long enough to push her long red hair from her face and smooth her fingers over her black sleeveless top that ended somewhere north of her navel.
“Glad you like the show. I bet with a little sniffing around I’ll uncover some paranormal phenomena in the castle.” Or not. Candy. She needed lots of candy. “I’d like a—”
“You don’t want to be here, and you don’t think you’ll find squat in the castle. All you want to do is get this week over with so you can fly back to New York.” The woman offered her a knowing smile as she watched Donna out of amber eyes that almost compelled Donna to lay out all her problems, eyes that promised she’d understand.
Startled, Donna stared at the woman. “I’m that obvious, huh?” Donna leaned her elbows on the glass counter and sighed her complete unhappiness over the coming week.
The woman’s laughter was a light tinkle of amusement, and for the first time Donna really looked at her. Flame-colored hair, perfect features, exotic eyes, and a lithe body. She made Donna feel like the before shot on an extreme makeover show. What was the woman doing working in a candy store?
“Don’t feel bad. I have a . . . talent for reading what people mean no matter what they’re saying.” She leaned a little closer to Donna, and her smile widened. “And I work in this store because I own it. I like interacting with people and supplying something that makes them feel good.”
For just a moment, Donna had the crazy idea the woman wasn’t talking about candy. “You know my name, but I don’t know yours.” Donna smiled even as she wondered about the woman’s ability to answer unspoken questions. Her listeners would call it telepathy, but Donna called it coincidence.
“I’m Sparkle Stardust.” She met Donna’s gaze with unblinking intensity. “Why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you? It helps to talk things out.” She reached into her display case and pulled out a bonbon. “Have one on the house. Notice how sweet, smooth, and rich it is.”
Donna nibbled on the candy. Mmm. Good. Satisfying, but not a wow.
Tell everything? How could she share her problems with someone she’d just met? But against all reason, Donna felt a sudden overwhelming compulsion to blab. She hoped it wasn’t the free bonbon talking.
“You’ll be sorry you asked.” She offered Sparkle a weak grin. “I don’t have anything against Galveston or the Castle of Dark Dreams, but the timing stinks. I have some heavy family issues waiting back in New York. I can’t afford to spend a week here looking for the weird and unusual.”
“What kinds of issues?” Sparkle’s gaze never wavered from Donna’s.
Keep your mouth shut. This is family business, and Sparkle’s a stranger. Her brain sent the message, but her mouth happily deleted it. “My mom and dad are in the middle of a divorce, and it’s freaked me out. I mean, they’re perfect for each other. They like the same food, the same hobbies, even the same colors, for crying out loud. Why would they want to divorce each other? I need to be home helping them through all the emotional stuff.” She finished off the bonbon.
Donna was on a roll now. “Then there’s my sister Trish.”
“Here, have some more candy.” Sparkle handed her a piece of dark chocolate.
“Thanks. Trish is working on hubby number three. She always picks guys who’re works-in-progress, and then thinks she can change them. She never does. She’s only known this new one for two weeks. How can you think you love a man after only two weeks? At this very moment I should be sitting in her living room pointing out all of this loser’s faults before she marries him.”
“Hmm. The whole family thing must be causing you lots of stress.” Sparkle looked raptly interested.
Someone who understood. It felt so good to unburden herself. Donna barreled on. “My brother should be on a cruise with his wife this week, but he had to postpone it until I get back to New York. I was supposed to stay with the kids and the dog during the day, then Trish would take over so that I could get some sleep before I went to work. I should be there so they can have a good time. Nate and Carol never go anywhere, and now I’m afraid he won’t bother with the cruise at all. Their lives seem so . . . not there. I mean, before they got married they went places and did things. Now all they do is work, take care of the kids, and sleep.” She paused for thought. “Not that they complain, but how can anyone be happy living like that?”
“What’ve you learned from this?”
“What’ve I learned?” Donna bit into the chocolate as she thought about her answer. “Long-term relationships are a crap-shoot, so why take a chance? I—” She stared down at the chocolate. “What is this?” Someone must’ve poured the whole bottle of brandy into this piece. Just to check, she put the rest of it into her mouth and savored the deep dark flavor as it slid down her throat. “Mmm. This is—”
“Intoxicating, sinful, and decadent?” Sparkle said each word with slow relish.
Donna stared at her. “Well, yeah. Exactly.”
Sparkle looked like a cat about to pounce on a field mouse. “The same words could describe men. Which one would you choose for a sizzling night of sex, Donna? Mr. Sweet-smooth-and-rich, or the intoxicating, sinful, and decadent hottie? I’d take the hottie every time. But then, that’s just me.” She shrugged. “Want another piece?”
Donna shook her head. “I can feel my arteries clogging even as we speak.”
When had the whole candy thing become about sex? And why had she unloaded her truckload of emotions on someone named Sparkle Stardust! “Why did I tell you all that?”
“Because you couldn’t help yourself?” Sparkle again met Donna’s gaze, but her expression was now open and innocent. “So why’d you pick this week? Couldn’t you have done the castle show some other time?”
Donna stared down at the jelly-bean selection. “I made a promise on the air, and I always keep my promises to listeners. It’s one of the reasons my show’s survived for seven years.” She’d told her enough. Sparkle didn’t need to know about the ratings.
Sparkle nodded. “Do you believe in the night creatures all those women whined about?” She frowned. “Why would anyone complain about having earth-exploding sex?”
Donna thought about Sparkle’s question. Donna till Dawn was popular from coast to coast exactly because Donna didn’t brush off questions like the one Sparkle had just asked. Donna had a few guests and callers who needed to spend some quality time in a mental health facility, but most were incredibly fascinating. Those were the ones who made the whole program experience worth wading through the ridiculous. And whether wacky or fascinating, she treated each caller with the same respect.
“Okay, let’s take vampires for example. I think some people believe they’re vampires. And I think some people might have medical conditions that could kind of resemble what we think of as vampires. But no, I don’t believe vampires or other supernatural creatures exist like the ones we’ve seen in movies and on TV.” The more she stared at the jelly beans, the more she wanted them.
Sparkle smiled as though Donna had said exactly what she’d expected. “I’ve heard all those people calling about the castle.” Sparkle looked thoughtful. “They sound like ordinary women who’ve had extraordinary experiences. I didn’t get any head-case vibes.” She shrugged. “Of course, I’ve never spent a night there, so I can’t say if any of the stories are true.”
“I’m spending five days and six nights there, so if I meet any creatures of the night, I’ll let my listeners know.” As if.
Definitely the jelly beans. Donna needed a variety of flavors to soothe and smooth each pothole in her road to broadcasting tranquillity. She’d get a whole pound, and she wouldn’t share.
Once again Sparkle fixed her with an unblinking stare that made Donna want to swallow hard and back away. “Have you thought about all the possibilities for Live the Fantasy? What secret fantasies burn in you, hmm?”
Donna shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. . . .”
The corners of Sparkle’s lips turned up in a small sly smile. “Sure you do. For example, think about pirate possibilities. You could be the evil captain of a pirate ship who captures hot men and then demands that they give you long pleasure-filled nights filled with exotic sex acts. You’d only release them when they completely satisfied your . . . appetite. That could be a very, very long time.” She slid her tongue across her lower lip in a strangely feline gesture.
Pirates? Was it just a coincidence that Sparkle had zeroed in on her childhood fantasy? Just a coincidence that Sparkle had deftly manipulated it into a very tempting adult fantasy? She didn’t know. “Park commercials don’t say anything about sexual fantasies.”
Sparkle frowned. “Well, they should. If I’m going to pay big bucks to play in that park, there’d better be a sexy man attached to my fantasy.”
Donna needed those jelly beans. “I’ll take two pounds of the jelly beans. Mixed.”
“Two pounds?” Sparkle bent down to scoop up the candy, but not before Donna saw her grin. “You have something in common with Eric the Evil.”
“Eric the Evil?” Donna didn’t care about Eric the Evil. She wanted her jelly beans.
“He’s the McNair brother who plays all the bad guys in the castle.” Sparkle handed her the bag of jelly beans.
“Oh, yeah. I have a file on my laptop about all the brothers.” A very small file. Her Web search had turned up no trace of the McNair brothers before they took over the running of the castle. Donna paid Sparkle, then opened the bag. Life as she knew it would end if she didn’t have one right now.
“You both love candy. That’s good. I think everyone should feed their senses whenever they have the chance. And taste is so sensual, so fulfilling.” Sparkle gave a small shiver to emphasize her point.
Sensual? Fulfilling? Donna had never thought of taste in quite that way, but she supposed everyone had his or her own vision of taste. And right now, taste was a lime jelly bean.
Donna bit down on the candy, and as she savored it she considered Sparkle’s take on her pirate fantasy and admitted it had possibilities.
Donna was walking toward the door when she heard Sparkle’s final words of advice.
“Be open to new experiences, Donna. You might find more than you expected in the Castle of Dark Dreams.”
No problem. She was always open to new experiences. Except with lust-crazed creatures of the night. She drew the line there.
Donna had finished the lime jelly bean and was peering into the bag to choose her next victim. Cherry? Sounded good to her. Cherry was a cheerful flavor, and she needed tons of cheeriness to get her through this week.
She was so fixated on picking out her cherry jelly bean that she didn’t see the person who passed her on his way into the store. But she knew he was male because she felt him.
Surprised, she forgot about the jelly bean. He hadn’t touched her, so how could she feel him? She paused, riveted. No, that was wrong. It had been more than just touch. All of her senses were clamoring to report their impressions when they couldn’t possibly have anything to report. But they wouldn’t be denied.
Touch insisted his passing had been a slow sensual slide of fingers across her body. Scent promised his essence was erotically stimulating and all that was heated male. Hearing was convinced he’d whispered carnal promises in passing. And taste stated emphatically that his kiss would reveal the flavors of hot male and dark chocolate. Chocolate?
This was so dumb. Explanation? It had to be all that sinful, intoxicating, and decadent stuff Sparkle had been hawking.
Sight would prove that all of her other senses needed a black jelly bean to ground them in reality. She’d just turn around and there’d be a little old lady standing at the candy counter.
She turned.
He was tall, with long black hair that lay across his broad shoulders and skimmed his back. A black sleeveless T-shirt showcased muscular arms to go along with the rest of his well-defined torso. And would you look at that butt. Incredible. She always enjoyed watching a buff male bod in walk-away mode. Faded jeans didn’t hide his strong thighs and legs.
Sight had betrayed her. On the other hand, if he was an example of the Texas male, maybe this week might have an up side.
Donna started to turn away. She wanted out of there. Fast. The
whole candy-store experience was too weird, and while she was an expert on weird, she only wanted to deal with it during working hours.
Just before stepping outside, Donna’s gaze met Sparkle’s. There was something so cunning, so . . . expectant in the woman’s amber gaze that Donna felt a chill ripple through her even in the warm Texas night.
Okay, enough. She was outta here. Donna left the store and headed for her fun week at the Castle of Dark Dreams.
2
Before ordering his candy, Eric went to the door to watch Donna Nolan walk away. So she liked his butt. He smiled. Not a nice smile. She wouldn’t like that he could read every one of her sexy thoughts. And New York’s queen of late-night radio would pretty much hate all of him by the time he finished with her.
He narrowed his gaze on the rhythmic swing of her shoulder-length blond hair that matched the sway of her hips in those white shorts. Sort of hypnotic, and her round little behind just led naturally down those long tanned legs. Probably an artificial New York tan. He wondered how much of a fake the rest of her was.
When she got inside the park, she’d probably stop for a minute to stare at the dramatically lit castle with its impressive moat and drawbridge. Everyone did. Too bad he hadn’t stocked the moat with gators.
“I’m sensing all kinds of negativity here.” Behind Eric, Sparkle sounded amused.
He turned and strode back to the counter. “I wish I knew who the jerks were that called in about the castle so I could rip their throats out one at a time.”
“Don’t you think you’re overreacting a little?” She fiddled with the chain at her neck as she studied him. “I think you need some caramels tonight. All that chewing will work off some of your aggression.”
“Do you know what caramels do to a vampire’s fangs?” His demon radio hostess had carried a scent of lavender with her that was sensually arousing, or would’ve been on any other woman. He’d barely noticed it on her.