Eternal 2: Eternal Obssession

by Ann Lory

  “I’ll have what she’s having.” It looked like her partner was also foregoing watching his diet tonight.

  The waiter nodded before disappearing.

  Taking a deep breath, Kelly leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs. There was a perfect view of the Eiffel Tower from here, and she gazed at it, thinking she would definitely have to visit the structure before she left. She hadn’t gotten to see it the last time she was here, as that had been a disaster. She’d gotten separated from her French class, and everything she owned had been stolen, everything. Luckily, she had kept her passport safe, but the entire situation had been absolutely miserable. She’d had to call Cassie’s parents to wire her money and, despite her teachers’ and chaperones’ efforts when she’d finally rejoined them at their hostel, no one in Paris had been the least bit helpful to a teenage girl in trouble. Now she had to smile at the experience, bad though it had been. She’d vowed to always dislike this country, though that hadn’t kept her from wanting to dance here.

  Kelly stretched, her hands in the air behind her, as she worked the kinks out of her back and neck. Her gaze drifted up to a tree that stood just on the other side of the outdoor restaurant. Startled, she watched as a big dark hawk appeared to stare at her. Its black eyes bored into hers, and she could have sworn a feeling of recognition filtered through her mind. The bird inched along the branch as if listening to their conversation.

  Bringing her arms down and shaking off the fanciful thought, she spoke with Chris about their practice the next day, but her eyes returned to the hawk from time to time, even though she tried to ignore it. He ‑‑ she was certain it was a he ‑‑ almost seemed to be smiling at her, as if he knew something she didn’t.

  The waiter brought their meals and glasses of wine, and she inhaled the aroma that wafted up to her. It smelled wonderful, and she sighed at the first bite. Absolutely delicious! The chicken seemed to melt in her mouth, and the red wine sauce warmed her from the inside out. She relished every bite, and when she finished, she slowly drank her wine. For the first time in months, she felt completely relaxed.

  Kelly closed her eyes and imagined herself on top of the Eiffel Tower, envisioning what it would look like at night with all the lights shining throughout the city. It would surely be amazing. Opening her eyes, she leaned forward in her chair.

  “What do you say? You, me, and the Eiffel Tower?”

  Chris nodded. “That sounds good. Is it a date, then?”

  Kelly grinned, reaching over and placing her hand over Chris’s. She jumped when the hawk let out a loud cry, scaring everyone around them. Jerking her hand away from Chris, she somehow felt she had been scolded. Glaring at the bird, Kelly berated herself for being silly. She covered Chris’s fingers again, keeping her eyes on the hawk’s eyes.

  Chris looked behind him, then at Kelly. “What are you looking at?”

  Kelly blinked, surprised. “I-I was... that is...”

  Chris chuckled. “Come on, I’ll pay for this, and then we’ll walk back to the hotel. We have a long week ahead of us before our first performance.”

  Kelly stood while Chris put money on the table. Then, hand in hand, they strolled to La Villa Maillot. Kelly watched nervously as the hawk followed them, but she quickly forgot about him when she reached the lobby and found her luggage, containing all her blessed necessities, had finally arrived.

  * * * * *

  Kelly sighed, exhausted, as Vincinni yelled at the company to perform the last number again. He had made one of the young women cry already, and Kelly’s heart went out to her.

  The orchestra started the music once more. Chris lifted Kelly into the air, the swirling white of the other dancers flashing around them, and they moved until the song ended, and she bowed gracefully.

  Vincinni applauded as he came out of his chair, then made a few comments to the other dancers. The director seemed pleased overall as he sent them to the hotel to rest for the performance the next evening.

  Kelly didn’t waste time changing. She grabbed her tote bag, slinging it over her shoulder, and walked toward the exits. Once outside in the night air, she immediately spotted the hawk in yet another tree; she swore he had been trailing her all week. She stalked over to the tree without really knowing what possessed her to do so and gazed up into the shadowed limbs.

  “What are you doing here? You keep tagging along after me, but the last thing I need is a pet bird.”

  The hawk cocked his head.

  Kelly extended her fingers toward him. He hopped down from branch to branch to land by her hand. She touched him, tentatively at first, then stroked his soft feathers. A rush of warmth filled her palm and, suddenly, a flash of Jacques appeared in her mind’s eye. The vision shocked her, and she stumbled backward, whispering his name.

  The hawk stared at her, his beady black eyes penetrating through Kelly. She shivered, knowing she must be losing her mind. She wanted Jacques so badly that she was even seeing him when she talked to a bird.

  Kelly jumped as an arm went around her waist.

  “Hey, you okay?” She hadn’t been aware of Chris approaching. He looked at her worriedly as she trembled against him.

  Forcing herself to smile, Kelly nodded. “I’m fine, I didn’t hear you, is all.”

  “Sorry I scared you.” He kissed her temple.

  Kelly shrugged and watched as the bird stretched his wings and launched into the night sky. She continued to look after the hawk until he had disappeared from sight, blending into the dark, then yielded to her partner’s tug.

  She and Chris started down the street; she thought he was probably as content as she to walk on such a gorgeous night. Abruptly, Kelly felt a shiver race up her spine. She saw a man across the street. She couldn’t clearly view his features from where he stayed in the shadows, but he seemed tall and lean, and she could feel his focus on her. Kelly knew it wasn’t Jacques, though; she could sense that somehow.

  Kelly felt strangely drawn toward the stranger; she needed to go to the man, but Chris stopped her.

  “Kelly? Where you going?”

  “Give me a sec, Chris.”

  He released her arm, but followed her instead of remaining on the sidewalk. She hurriedly crossed the road and approached the figure, her body seeming to have a will of its own. This was wrong, she knew it somehow, but her body refused to listen. A pressure built in her mind as she tried to fight the urge, but was unable to.

  The man stepped forward, and she gasped, her gaze meeting his black eyes. Frightened, she tried to move back, immediately recognizing him for what he was, but it was like a wall had gone up behind her, and she had nowhere to go.

  “Dominique?”

  She frowned. She hadn’t intended to tell the man anything, but somehow found herself answering him. “No, I’m Kelly.”

  The man smiled, and she fell into his gaze, struggling against it, realizing too late what was happening. His assault on her senses was swift and too powerful to dissuade. He pulled her into his embrace, his cool lips settling against hers in a brief kiss. His hold on her was gentle, like she was porcelain, but the gesture was possessive. Vaguely, she realized Chris was still there behind her as the man in front of them spoke.

  “Return to your room, and do not remember our meeting. I will court you, my love, and you will be mine once more. As for you,” he motioned to Chris, “you will forget, too. Escort her back and see that no harm befalls her this night.”

  His hand ran over her throat, as if he had every right to touch her, his fingers resting for a moment at the pulse there. She leaned her head back, longing to feel his mouth against her flesh. The desire was intense. He kissed her lightly over her vein; then in a swirl of smoke, he was gone.

  Kelly felt dizzy for a moment, and Chris said he did as well, but they recovered after a moment. “What the heck are we doing over here?” she asked her partner dazedly. “We were across the street, weren’t we?”

  Chris lifted his shoulders in confusion. “I have no clue. I t
hink rehearsals are catching up with us. Vincinni is driving us to the point of exhaustion so that we don’t know what we’re doing.” They laughed. Then his arm went around Kelly, and they resumed their carefree conversation as they returned to the hotel.

  Chapter Four

  It was five minutes before curtain time, and Kelly was more anxious than she had ever been. She could feel Jacques in the audience. She just knew he was there, watching. She should be happy about that, but her stomach was doing flips and her skin tingled. What if she saw him later? What if she didn’t? Both fears weighed heavily on her heart.

  Chris came to her side, looking handsome in his pristine white costume. The sleeves billowed slightly, but not too much to interfere with their dancing, and his white tights fit his muscular legs like a second skin. His thick brown hair was tousled artfully, and his deep brown eyes twinkled with excitement. He was not much taller than she was, so she laid her head against his shoulder, careful to not get makeup on his shirt.

  “Are you ready?”

  “I’m ready,” she said softly.

  The music began, and the lights dimmed in the theater. The other dancers weaved their way onto the stage. Kelly took deep breaths and did a final stretch, jumping quickly into the air and landing lightly.

  Turning, she tucked her hand into Chris’s and gave it a slight squeeze. “See you out there.” Then she swept in front of the audience.

  * * * * *

  He had never had the opportunity to see her dance when they’d met in San Francisco, and Jacques now regretted it.

  Her sunny hair was in a loose bun, white flowers tucked in the golden mass. The pale glittering gown she wore swayed around her hips and feet, teasing him with peeks of her satin slippers. Her arms and fingers glided into the air and she swayed with the music. Could anyone’s fingers be more delicate than hers? She moved with grace, her body seemingly weightless. She was beauty in motion and magnificent to behold. She amazed him.

  As she twirled, Jacques heard her heart pounding; her breathing was rushed with excitement... and fear? Leaning forward, he clutched the banister, his face moving into the light spilling from the stage.

  * * * * *

  Kelly pirouetted, her senses on overload. She could feel eyes focused on her. Though there were hundreds of people watching her, she knew one pair that penetrated her to her very soul. Her gaze moved up to the nearest balcony... and she saw him. His wavy hair framed his face, those bottomless black eyes somehow reaching into her to brush her heart with emotions. After all these long months, he was there with her.

  She stumbled.

  Chris caught her around the middle, covering her misstep; she glimpsed his concerned look, but he quickly masked it. Her cheeks burned, but she continued to dance, trying to ignore Jacques. It was a struggle, but she was determined. Heart pounding, she ensured her performance was flawless for the remainder of the show. When the curtain came down, Chris turned to her, ignoring the cheers that filtered through the thick material.

  “Are you okay? I felt your tension out there, your slip.”

  Kelly brushed a hand over the crown of her head, smoothing her hair. “I’m fine. I think just the idea of where I was dancing and finally getting here overwhelmed me for a moment.”

  He grinned and kissed her temple, giving her a quick squeeze. “Our public awaits, Kelly Matthews. Nothing stands in our way now.”

  Smiling widely and hand in hand, they both glided back out as the curtains slid open again. Chris bowed and Kelly curtseyed deeply. Flowers decorated the stage even as Kelly accepted a large bouquet from an audience member. She blew the man a kiss and waved at the crowd. After a final bow and curtsey from the troupe, the dancers exited.

  Kelly hurried away from everyone. “I’m going to go change, Chris. Where is the party going to be held?”

  He shrugged. “Vincinni has new plans. We’re going to some castle outside of Paris, where there is a vineyard and all that. It’s supposed to be very nice; everyone is meeting there. The limos are out back ready to take us when we’re ready.”

  “Fine. I’ll be ready in fifteen.”

  Reaching her dressing room, Kelly slammed the door shut. Pins flew in all directions as she shook out her hair. She had messed up, stumbled in front of everyone, and it was all Jacques’s fault! She must have looked like a fool to him, to the audience. Scowling into the mirror, she saw her eyes were a deep sapphire, shiny with anger. What did he think he was doing, showing up at her performance?

  Jacques. She couldn’t believe she had actually seen him. Furious though she was and despite the brief glimpse she’d had, she couldn’t help but realize how breathtakingly handsome he still was. Her hand flew to her chest, the heartache reminding her of its presence there. No matter how mad she was, or how much Vincinni would yell at her for her mistake, she missed Jacques. She wanted to run into his arms.

  Was she insane?

  She tossed her head, then grabbed the slinky black dress hanging in her wardrobe. Sliding the outfit on, she pulled it into place over her body, then frowned at her reflection. The jerk had up and left her without so much as a farewell. Not even a thank you for rescuing his worthless hide. Now he was suddenly back in her life, watching her dance and throwing her whole world out of order once more.

  She slammed her fist down on the vanity. “No way, buddy! Not this time.” Whirling around, she stalked from the dressing room and out the back door, where she greeted fans and reporters, answered questions, and was the perfect prima ballerina who would make Vincinni proud.

  Finding her way to the limo at last, she saw Chris was already there, holding the door open for her. She thanked him, climbed in, and they rode in silence out of the city. Chris was likely reflecting on their welcome reception by the theater-goers tonight; unhappily, her own thoughts returned to the object of her wrath.

  Jacques wasn’t getting off the hook so easily. She was going to find him and give him a give him a swift kick in the ass. When she was done, she would walk away from him and never look back.

  Mind made up, Kelly decided to call Cassie first thing in the morning, when it would be night in San Francisco, and find out where the scumbag lived. She’d rent a car and get clear directions. Then, after the performance tomorrow night, she’d drive to his home.

  Plans in place, she passed the time making desultory conversation with Chris. After almost an hour, the chauffeur pulled up a winding drive to a castle that sat at the top of a hill. Kelly studied the edifice from her window as they approached. The structure was huge and stood four stories high on the two outer sections, and five stories tall at its center. Towering steeples peaked from each rounded corner of the castle, as well as the center, and stretched toward the sky. There were so many of them, it almost looked as though there were a castle within a castle.

  The chauffeur assisted her out of the limo, and Chris offered his arm as he led her to the lowered drawbridge. She looked down into the surprisingly clear waters of the moat, then sighed with pleasure as they entered a large, brightly illuminated courtyard where there was lush green grass and scattered white lawn tables and chairs. On the opposite side of the yard was a gazebo leading into what appeared to be a garden. Although she didn’t see the rest of the dance company, she thought she could hear the faint sound of voices and music nearby.

  Their feet crunched under the gravel as Chris escorted her toward a large, oak door that was probably the entrance to the main part of the castle. Before they reached it, the door opened and a plump woman with rosy red cheeks stood smiling at them.

  “Bonjour,” she said cheerfully, albeit with a faint British accent.

  “Bonjour. We’re here for the party.”

  The woman beamed and continued in English. “Ah, you must be Kelly Matthews. I heard you danced beautifully tonight.”

  Kelly nodded. “Thank you, madame.”

  When Chris loudly cleared his throat, the woman clapped her hands together. “Oh, pardon me, but I am afraid Mr. Devereaux was so spell
bound by her beauty and talent that he had no eyes for anyone else.”

  Kelly froze.

  “It is forgivable then,” Chris teased, taking the woman’s hand.

  Tension filled Kelly’s shoulders, fear rumbled through her stomach, and hope clutched at her heart. Could it be? Was Jacques the host of this party?

  The woman laughed delightedly, stepping back so that they could enter. “Come in. It’s so good to meet you both.” She closed the door behind them.

  Kelly gaped in awe at the main hall. It was incredible. Portraits in golden frames lined the walls, overlooking two long staircases that wound their way up on either side of the hall to the second floor, where green ivy draped over the balcony as if they were reaching to touch the floor below. Chandeliers with glowing candles swirled above them from high, arched ceilings. The gray marble floor was polished and gleamed.

  “This is amazing,” she whispered.

  The woman chuckled. Kelly turned to look at her. “Yes, it is. Mr. Devereaux is proud of his family’s home.” She beamed at them. “My name is Marian LeBoeuf. My husband Quintin and I met in England, my home; then I came with him when he returned to France to work for Mr. Devereaux, who will be down any moment now. I believe the others in your party are awaiting your arrival behind the courtyard.”

  Both Kelly and Chris moved back outside. Chris excused himself to meet the other dancers as Kelly looked toward the garden; she had the sudden urge to be there, to walk the paths and smell the flowers. Glancing over her shoulder to make sure no one was watching, she swiftly slipped across the yard to the garden entrance.

  Once she stepped past the gazebo and onto the stone path, she gave herself up to the beauty surrounding her. She could see the main hall of the castle through a giant cut-glass window with the design of a swan in a lake; it was breathtaking with the garden lights glistening against the artistic masterpiece.

  Kelly followed the path, admiring every plant that lined the walk, including roses of all colors overflowing brilliant verdant bushes. Kelly leaned over and breathed in the fragrance of a single red rose that seemed to have bloomed ahead of the others; its petals were opened wide and full, where the others were still closed. She couldn’t help but smile at its loveliness.