“You okay? You look a little pale.” Kate inquires.
“I’m fine,” I lie.
“I’m off to fetch your breakfast,” she says, closing the door behind her.
I change into a short-sleeved shirt, pull on sweat pants, and place my black frizzy hair in a bun. I need to go running so I can clear my mind. I head to the training room. A few warriors work on the workout equipment. Hopping on the treadmill, I press the green button. Picking up speed, adrenaline rushes through my body. I haven’t worked out since I’ve been here. My mind drifts to Eric. How could I agree to go to this auction? And why would Eric book a one-bedroom hotel? What is his goal? To give me anxiety? No, that’s silly. He hasn’t asked me about myself or showed any kind of interest in me at all. Maybe, I’m reading too much into this. He might not feel the same way as I do. Is he sexually attracted to me? Eric’s emotions are hard to read. He might be gay. Hitting the stop button, I jump off the treadmill and head back to my room. When I reach my bedroom, my workout clothes and hair are drenched so, I shower, change into a pair of clean clothes, and straighten my hair. Grabbing my breakfast, I begin to eat. The food tastes good on an empty stomach. As time goes by, I begin to feel anxious the closer it gets to us leaving for the plane. I slide the lovely gown over my body. The dress hugs my body, perfectly accentuating my cleavage. The clock ticks three p.m., and Eric gently knocks on the door. I check my makeup in the mirror, and Eric knocks on the door again. I have never been so nervous about a date in my life, if this is a date. Slowly, I open up the door. Butterflies flutter behind my rib cage. Eric is wearing a custom-made black suit with a black tie. His hair is freshly cut, and he smells like Gucci cologne. My breath hitches at the sight of him. He is the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.
“You’re beautiful.” His eyes twinkle. I grin like a schoolgirl.
“Thank you,” I say, blushing.
“I have something for you.” He pulls out a medium black box and opens it. I trace my fingers on the diamond necklace. It’s beautiful. As Eric places the necklace around my neck, I feel his fingers brush against my neck. Every cell in my body becomes aware of his touch, making my cheeks heat up.
A servant drives us to a private airport. I didn’t know there was one on the island. As we board the plane, I check out the inside; it has a sofa, sitting area, and a bed in the back. I sit across from Eric who looks incredibly dashing in his suit. The plane accelerates off the ground, and my ears pop. I hate plane rides. Eric sips his champagne.
“So… what kind of box are you trying to get?” I ask, trying to ignore the sexual charge I feel for him.
“The Paradox box. It has a map in it that could lead us to the book.”
Eric sips on his champagne.
“Tell me something about yourself, Sarah,” his voice is warm. Taken by his question, I don’t know how to answer.
“What do you want to know?” I whisper.
“How did you get the scar on your stomach?” I didn’t want him to find out what I did to Jessie; if he did, he might not look at me the same.
Should I tell him that I had cancer? Does he know what that means? I wait a few minutes before responding.
“I had cancer.” I can hear the sadness in my voice.
“A human disease,” he states.
I nod.
“What is cancer?” he asks as his eyes widen. Wow, he really doesn’t know anything about humans.
“A tumor grows in the body,” I answer.
“Is it deadly?”
“Mine was,” Memories of Jessie pop up in my mind.
“Ghouls can’t get human diseases; we live a very long time, as long as we are not injured.” I peer up at him. He looks so young, like in his mid-twenties.
“How old are you?” I ask.
“Seven hundred and twenty-five years old.” My mouth drops to the floor.
“Yes, I’ve lived a long time.” He flashes me a devilish grin.
I can’t believe what I heard; he is old but doesn’t look like it. The pilot makes an announcement saying we will be landing in ten minutes. I lean across the table rubbing Eric’s face, and it’s smooth as baby skin; it’s incredible. The muscles in his face tense and his eyes flash lust. Slowly, he removes my hand from his face.
I lean back in the crisp leather seat. There is another question I need to ask him. How do I ask without offending him?
“Why did you rent a one-room?” I blurt out.
My eyes dart to his as I fish for an answer.
“Is that a problem?” He watches my reaction.
Yes, it is. I can’t sleep in the same room with you. “No.”
I scold myself inwardly for lying. A part of me wants to spend the night with him, but then again I don’t want to. I’m afraid that if I get close to Eric, I might not be able to control myself. The plane lands, and Eric grabs our bags. Leaving the plane, we enter a black SUV. Eric throws our bags in the back, and I climb in to the passenger seat trying not to ruin my dress, strapping my seatbelt on.
“You ready to go?” Eric asks, turning the key in the ignition. The engine hums to life.
“Yes,” another lie. I’m scared shitless of what’s going to happen between us. I pray that I don’t make a fool of myself.
Instead of going to the hotel first, Eric takes us to a dark castle. Cars stop at the front entrance with its stone staircase. The castle is all black and has a gothic feel to it. Gargoyle statues hang on the roof. It’s not a place I’d stay in; it’s far too scary for me. Eric jumps out of the SUV and opens my door. He offers his hand, and I grab it as I step out. Eric tosses his keys to a short ugly creature. The creature’s skin is green with patches of thin hair sprouting from his scalp. His nose is long and pointy with warts on it. He is wearing an all-black suit and appears to be some kind of butler. He is the ugliest thing I have ever seen. I stare at it in shock. I know that it is rude to stare, but I can’t help it. The creature bows towards us and acknowledges Eric as King.
“He is a troll,” Eric says, reading my facial expression.
“What else exists out there?” The words come out faster than I intend.
“Everything you can think of.”
“What about fairies and mermaids?” I ask. He loops his arm with mine as we enter the front wooden doors.
“Yeah, but they are not what modern society says they are; they are both evil.” I snort at his answer. I would ask him more about other creatures out there, but learning about ghouls is enough for me to handle in a lifetime.
The butler hands us a brochure that directs us to the basement. When we arrive there, we sit in plastic chairs in the back section. The place is crawling with different creatures. I spot a group of people dressed in long black robes. They are mingling in the back corner of the basement. I nudge Eric’s right arm and point to the crowd.
“Why would humans be here?” I ask. He turns to look at me.
“Those are witches and warlocks,” he answers. Studying the group of people, they look no different than humans to me.
“How do you know?” I cast a curious glance in their direction.
“I can smell the magic in their blood.”
I continue to scan the crowd, and I spot a table filled with different varieties of food. Thank you, Jesus. I was so filled with anxiety earlier that I skipped dinner.
“I’ll be back. I’m hungry.” Without giving Eric a chance to answer, I jump out of my seat and head to the table. I fix a plate of celery, carrots, and a handful of green grapes. The food might not fill me up, but it will ease my hunger pains. There is some food that looks funny and has a weird smell to it, so I don’t bother touching it. I pour a cup of apple cider and make my way through the cluster of people. A short girl with red hair stops and examines me from head to toe. She scrunches up her nose.
“Can I help you?” I ask.
“You are a normal girl,” disappointment tinges her voice.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I say a little more harshly than
I intend. The woman puts her finger to her chin as if she is thinking hard.
“I just thought…you look just like…I could have sworn you were someone else,” she says sadly, continuing to study me. Before I can respond, Eric presses his hand to my lower back, sending chills down my spine.
“Is there a problem?” Eric asks, his voice is deep and stern. The red-haired girl bows toward him.
“I’m sorry King Eric. I just thought your date was someone else; my apologies,” she says. I want to tell her that he is not my date, but Eric doesn’t address it, so I let it go. We retake our seats and the auction begins.
Another troll stands at the podium, auctioning off different objects I’ve never seen before. He auctions off spell books, but not the one Eric needs. There is also a time traveling necklace, which I didn’t know existed. And the prices on these objects are outrageous; some of the stuff goes from one million to hundreds of millions of dollars. I’ve never seen so much money going down the drain. When I glance at Eric, his eyes are intense and focused on the auction. He is truly beautiful. It’s almost enough to make me drool. A blue box with foreign language written on it pops up on the big television. Eric holds up his card with his number on it.
“Thirty Million,” he calls out.
Another person bids forty million and the next person shouts forty-five. Then Eric shouts, “fifty.” I can feel the tension rolling off his body as he tries to fight for the box. Eric shouts, “eighty.” A brunette-haired woman shouts a billion dollars. The crowd murmurs in disbelief, and the troll quickly sells it to her.
“I’m sorry you lost,” I say, rubbing his tense shoulder. He frowns as he stands up.
“Come, let’s go.” He ignores my comment. The various creatures begin to leave the building.
In the car, I hit the on button on the radio and listen to a pop song. Neither of us is saying anything. Eric grips the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turn white. He stares at the road up ahead, brooding. I fiddle with the hem of my dress becoming nervous. I don’t know if I can control myself around Eric. I desire him. If I throw myself at him, will he reject me? Eric will never tell me how he feels and I will never ask. I’m not going to make myself look desperate. He keeps his emotions so contained, I can’t read his body language unless he is disappointed.
The Four Seasons Hotel comes into view. Eric drives to the entrance. He kills the engine and we hop out of the SUV. The bellhop carries our bags, and Eric tips him five dollars. We stroll to the counter. The lady at the front desk eyes us, and a smile stretches across her face.
“Welcome back, King Eric,” the clerk says cheerfully.
“It’s a pleasure to see you,” she says handing him the key. Her eyes rake over Eric’s body, taking in his beauty. Jealousy tugs at me, and I glance away hoping it will help. It doesn’t.
“Make sure you have food coming to my suite, Stacey.” he murmurs.
I have to admit, Stacey is drop dead gorgeous. Chocolate brown hair pushed up in a high ponytail, and her black eyes are wide as a full moon. Her complexion is the color of honey. Is anyone in the ghoul’s race ugly? Jeez.
“I will,” she answers and bows. We head to the elevators, and he presses the appropriate button. Twirling my hair, I stand on the opposite side of the elevator.
“Is she a ghoul?” I ask.
“Yeah.”
The elevator comes to a halt, and the door opens. A couple steps in, holding hands. They look like they are in love. The woman pushes her lover against the wall and begins kissing his lips. Their passion is so intense I can feel their sexual energy. I’m jealous because that should be Eric and me. We step out of the elevator and Eric ushers me to the suite. Butterflies dance in my stomach. I haven’t been this nervous since I took my medical exam for the state. Eric opens the door. The room is nice: there is a kitchen, a living room, and a balcony looking over the ocean. I open the bedroom door and discover two beds. I glance at Eric as he is bringing our bags into the room.
“I’m going to change into my pajamas,” I say.
“No. We’re going to the beach,” he says, setting the bags on the dresser.
“I didn’t pack any swimwear.” I wish he would have told me that this was a vacation. Eric reaches for the phone on the nightstand, dials a number, and hands it to me.
“Tell Stacey your size and to put it on my tab,” he says.
The phone rings three times before she answers.
“How can I help you, King Eric?”
“This is Sarah, Eric’s friend,” I say.
“Oh.” I hear the disappointment in her voice.
“Eric wants you to buy me a bikini and put it on his tab, please?” I say, putting emphasis on please.
“What size do you wear?”
“32B and size 7 in undies.”
“Okay, gotcha. I’ll be there in a few.” She hangs up the phone.
Eric disappears from the room, and I pace the floor. Why is Eric doing all this? Initially, I thought this was a business trip, but now he wants to go out and have fun. I’m confused by his behavior.
Stacey knocks on the living room door, I rush to it and open it. She stands there with a box wrapped in red ribbons. I snatch the box from her, tell her thanks, and close the door behind me.
When I turn around, Eric is perched on the beige couch, shirtless with a pair of black swimming trunks. Ignoring him, I rush to the bedroom, tear the box open, and find a two-piece purple bikini, made out of silk. This is too small for me to wear; why would she pick this out? I check the tag on the material and it’s the right size. Ugh! Sighing, I toss the bikini on the bed. Eric knocks on the door causing me to practically jump out of my skin.
“Are you okay?” he asks through the door.
“I’ll be out in a minute.” I peel the gown off my body and drape it over the chair in the corner, then step into the small bikini. Brushing my hair into a high ponytail, I study myself in the mirror above the desk. I look like a model on the cover of Playboy. My butt cheeks are hanging out of the bottoms, and the top barely covers my nipples. Darting to the bathroom, I snatch a fresh white towel from the granite counter and cover my hips. Slowly, I open the door. Eric stands nearby and turns as I step out. He checks me out and whistles. My cheeks are flaming.
“You’re a knockout.” Eric’s voice is seductive, making me blush.
“You ready to go?” I ask, trying to keep my excitement contained.
He nods.
We walk to the elevators and Eric presses the down button. The ride to the lobby is quiet. I don’t know what to say to him because we don’t have anything in common. We both come from different backgrounds. As the elevator doors open, Eric strolls ahead of me, and I see a nasty scar on his back that forms a perfect letter “X”.
“What happened to your back?” I blurt out. He stops in mid-step and turns toward me.
“We’re going to the bar outside on the beach,” he says instead of answering, his eyes glowing bright red. I have to get used to them doing that.
Outside, the sea smell lingers in the air. The sun sets on the ocean and the sky is hues of orange and purple. The waves crash against the rocks, people chat, and music hums in the background. My toes squish into the golden sand as we stroll to the bar. I hop on a stool and Eric sits next to me. The bartender greets us. I order myself a Sex on the Beach, and Eric orders himself an Adams beer. My nipples harden against the thin fabric while I gawk at Eric. He shouldn’t be looking yummy in those trunks; the indent of his abs is distracting. Or is it because I haven’t had sex in a long time? The wind tickles my face, and I sip on my fruity drink.
“Do you come here often with other women?” I fish for an answer.
“I don’t take females on trips unless I’m interested in them.” Good. Where did that thought come from? I shouldn’t care if he does.
“Since when have you been interested in me?” I snort.
He doesn’t answer; gulping down his beer instead.
I start with a differ
ent approach. I want to see where his head is at.
“Why did you bring me here?”
He peers at me through dark lashes. “Because you’re a fascinating creature.” The bartender places another beer bottle on the counter in front of him.
I don’t know whether or not to be flattered.
“How did your mother die?” he asks, changing the subject.
My mother and I didn’t have the best relationship. She was never around, and Jessie raised me. My mom was always gone with Tom, my stepfather, on business trips. I never saw her. But, she left Jessie with a big allowance to take care of the household while she was away. Money was more important than taking care of us. At one point, I hated her because I felt like she abandoned me. When she died, I didn’t cry.
“Car accident.” I hate having this type of conversation.
“What happened to your parents?” I ask him.
“They died in a war.”
The three lines deepen on his forehead. I can tell he’s caught up in his own memories. I didn’t mean to ruin the moment. Though he’s already opened up to me about being a ghoul, I still want to know him on a more personal level.
“Why do you need three kings to rule?” I’ve never heard of such a practice.
“My father wanted it that way. Before he passed away, he told us that we need to work together and not try to overthrow each other.”
“Do vampires have kings too?”
“No, they have six covens,” Eric says, peeling the label off his beer bottle.
“Have you ever been cliff diving?” he asks, changing the subject.
I shake my head. I never thought about jumping off a cliff; that sounds reckless.
“It will be fun. Come, let’s go.”
“Oh no! I’m not jumping off any cliff.” I’m not about to kill myself.
“Yes, you are.” He calls for the bartender and orders a shot of Jack Daniels.
“Eric, I’m not jumping,” I pout. The bartender sets the drink on the bar, and Eric gently puts the glass to my mouth.
A Ghoul's Kiss Book 1 Page 5
