“The fight she had put up to run from him had deflated, and in his arms, she couldn’t help but melt. Although she tried to fight it, he was making her aroused, his hands caressing her now bare hips. The defeating feeling made her sick, but she couldn’t overcome the power that he held over her. His voice was soft and seductive, ‘Tonight you will become mine.’
“He turned her around to face him, his action like the quick snap of a football. He lightly cupped her shoulders and she fell backward onto the bed behind her in surprise. She tried to sit back up, but he had swooped down on her before she had the chance.
“He was not pausing now that he had her, his body covering hers and warming it. His thick member forcefully parted her legs. He was hard to resist, this gorgeous killer. The alluring seed of the devil lay in his emerald eyes, his body perfectly defined.
“His lips went to her neck, his hands roughly scaling her legs and shoving up her dress. His longing for her was apparent, the hunger of his passion showing in the heaviness of his kisses."
Ashleigh paused. "Okay, that’s it."
"Very interesting." The woman smiled but didn’t seem as happy as she was pretending to be. "Thanks for stopping at the most climatic part."
"You’re welcome." Ashleigh laughed nervously, shutting some of the windows she had opened on her laptop. She looked at a message that had popped up from Caleb
Hungry babe?
Aiden’s here. One of the investors I guess.
He wants 2 fuck u :P
Ashleigh tried not to laugh, but it came out in a devilish smile as she typed him a reply.
But I’m engaged ;)
The woman spoke again. "Tell us about the story this passage comes from."
Ashleigh briefly read Caleb’s response.
He doesn’t care. He has a cravin 4 u worse than blood.
Then, she answered. "A series I’m working on. It’s about a young girl being pursued by two knights from opposing kingdoms."
"You speak of him wanting to bite her. That sounds a little like vampirism. Tell us more about that."
"There are no vampires in this story. That was a typo, sorry."
Ashleigh typed another message to Caleb.
Wat should I do?
I’ll talk 2 him.
"Miss Brown. Can we speak with you please?"
Ashleigh looked up sharply when someone called her name. One of the men with Mr. Castle motioned for her to come over.
"Sure." Nervously shutting her laptop, Ashleigh was afraid to speak with Aiden. He scared her, and she didn’t want to be alone with him.
She packed up her things, slinging her large laptop bag over her shoulder. It was tattered, the surface of it covered with a few patches. Cute patches, like pink skulls and big eyed kittens. She had a few buttons on it as well, most about Armageddon, a large one pinned on the base of the strap with the words from “Blazed,” one of Caleb’s songs. Caleb and Kris had also written on it, their signatures scribbled on the surface several times.
Walking with her head down, she went to the door. She held tightly to the strap of her bag, her pink fingernails striking against the black fabric.
"Miss Brown, I’d like to introduce you to our visitors here." James stood next to Ashleigh, all of the men’s attention on her. They were dressed in designer suits and were taller than her. This was quite intimidating, and she couldn’t help but feel extremely nervous.
He motioned toward Aiden, who was sending her a devilish smile. "Mister Bristol is thinking of investing in our company. We would like him to meet some of our great authors, so he can see what makes New Castle the best publishing company in the business." He turned to Aiden. "Mr. Bristol, this is one of our best-selling romance authors, Ashleigh Brown." A playful, arrogant chuckle escaped James’ lips. "We are very lucky to have such talent in our family."
"An author?" Aiden’s eyes narrowed on her for a few seconds, but his glare quickly faded. "It’s nice to meet you, Miss Brown."
"But we have already met." Ashleigh forced a smile for him, making sure to avoid his eyes as she held her hand out to him, showing off the very large diamond she had gotten from Caleb. "I attended a party at your house a few weeks ago."
"Oh?" Aiden’s eyebrows rose slightly as he shook her hand, his grip tighter than it should be and not as friendly as it appeared to the others. "You’re Caleb’s girlfriend." Ashleigh tried to pull back on her hand, but he wasn’t ready to release it. "I do remember you. So, you’re an author. From what Caleb has told me I was under the impression you were just an editor."
"I do help with some editing here as well." She knew she had to be cordial to him and kiss his ass because her bosses were present. He knew this too, and from the large, cocky smile on his face, he was going to use that to his advantage. "I like helping out my fellow writers, and it’s nice to have a bonus check."
"You won’t have to worry about that when you marry Caleb. He and his family are very wealthy, but you know that already." Aiden glanced down at the ring on her hand then up at her face. "Congratulations on your engagement, by the way." He sent her a small smile before turning to Mr. Castle. "I would love to pick the brain of some of your best sellers, Mr. Castle."
Aiden smiled, a cool arrogance in the graceful movement of his hand. Aiden was snobbish in every sense of the word and made sure to let everyone know how important he was. "We could invite them to dinner, perhaps?"
"Oh, of course, Mr. Bristol. I would love to introduce you to them." Mr. Castle was all smiles as he looked at James and then Ashleigh. "Would you join us for dinner tonight, Miss Brown?"
"Of course, Mr. Castle." Ashleigh nodded. "I would love to."
"Would it be possible to meet New Castle’s best kept secret, Victoria Allure, as well?" Aiden laughed, his gaze going to Mr. Castle, who hanging on his every word. "Or does she not attend your workshops? I was hoping to run into her, but have yet to do so."
"I’m sure we can arrange something." Mr. Castle smiled, but it quickly turned into a stern expression when he turned his head to James, "Can you make sure Miss Allure is present for tonight’s dinner?"
"Of course." James nodded his head quickly, his voice shaky as he hopped at Mr. Castle’s feet like a faithful puppy.
"Miss Allure is one of our best kept secrets." Mr. Castle chuckled as he turned back to Aiden. He glanced over at Ashleigh, who he knew was Victoria, holding his hand out to her in a friendly gesture. "It was nice speaking with you, Miss Brown. We will see you tonight at Red."
"You too, Mr. Castle." Ashleigh shook his hand, trying to smile even though she was very nervous. "It was nice to see you again."
"Remember my, dear." Mr. Castle was smiling at her, but she could tell it wasn’t a friendly one. "Cocktail attire."
Ashleigh nodded her head but didn’t speak. She could feel Aiden’s eyes on her, even though he was pretending to listen to Mr. Castle ramble on about something. It was as if she could read his thoughts.
There was naughtiness in his smile, his tongue ever so subtly peeking from his lips as it made a pass over the top of his teeth. She could tell they were false, his overbite a dead giveaway of the fangs he was hiding underneath. He had a hand poised near the bottom of his nose, his fingers stroking his skin ever so lightly.
"I would like to meet your horror writers. Maybe we will run into Miss Allure there." Aiden could see her watching him as he spoke, his brow lowered slightly, his devilish smile growing. "I very much enjoy a good horror story."
"Oh yes." Mr. Castle nodded, motioning for Aiden to follow him. "Let us check in on them."
James stayed behind to whisper to Ashleigh. "Impress him, Miss Brown." When he walked away, Ashleigh frowned. She didn’t trust Aiden, and she knew exactly what it would take to impress him once he found out who she was, something she was not willing to do.
Dressed in a black cocktail dress, Ashleigh’s long hair was pulled up into a loose ponytail, a mountain of curls falling from the base of it and down her bare back. A few red fl
owers were placed at its base, giving the style a very elegant look. She glanced at her phone and read a message from Caleb
Vid chat?
Ashleigh giggled and quickly walked over to her laptop sitting on the desk near her. She opened it, music starting to play as a call was displayed on the screen. She pushed the answer button, a giant smile on her face as she awaited seeing Caleb. It was about midnight where he was, so he had time to speak with her.
"Hi Caleb!" Ashleigh waved at the screen, leaning over and flashing some of her cleavage.
"Hey babe." Caleb was sitting on the bed, his laptop a few feet away from him. He was holding his guitar, a devilish laugh escaping his lips. He was shirtless and wasn’t wearing pants. She couldn’t tell if he was naked because his guitar was sitting in his lap.
"You’re such a tease." Getting close to the screen, Ashleigh laughed as she sat down in the chair near her. "Are you naked?"
"Maybe." Caleb looked up from the strings of his guitar, a very flirty, deep tone to his voice. The angle of his head made his brow kiss his eyes, making his stare extremely sexy. He turned back to his guitar as he played a few cords.
"So, how was your concert?" Her voice showed her excitement, her hands folding neatly on the top of the desktop. She wore a diamond bracelet on her wrist, one that Caleb had given her. "I bet you were amazing."
"Oh, I could show you amazing." Caleb snickered. "And look at my girl tonight. Why are you so dressed up?"
"I have to go to dinner with Mr. Castle and some other authors." Her smile quickly turned into a frown. "It was Aiden’s suggestion. Caleb?" She watched him move on the bed, Caleb quickly swinging his guitar off his lap to reveal something she very much wanted to see in person. The glimpse of it made her loose her train of thought, "Oooo…stay right there, and let me see more of that."
"Come here and you can." He laid down on his stomach, his face now closer to the laptop screen. "And then you can have this every night. Show me your tits, babe." He motioned for her to pull down the straps of her dress. "All the guys are out clubbing tonight, so make it worth my while to stay home and talk to my girl.”
"Okay." Ashleigh laughed as she slowly pulled down one of the straps of her dress then the other. Her large breasts tumbled out of the front, Ashleigh holding the sides of them and squeezing them together playfully. Her pink fingernails kissed the quarter sized ring around her nipple. She heard a hiss escape Caleb’s lips followed by a naughty laugh.
"Ooo…yeah!” Caleb’s voice was a little strained when he tried to yell, and she could tell his throat was a little sore from doing so much yelling at his concert earlier. “Take it off, Miss Brown!”
Her eyes caught a very small glimpse of Caleb holding a tight fist to his mouth as he watched. She teasingly inched her skirt up her leg with her fingers, showcasing the ring on her finger that embodied his claim on her.
A devilish laugh escaped her lips as she watched Caleb’s reaction to her little show, Ashleigh exposing the skin on her knees then her thighs. She was very good at this, something Caleb had grown to love about her.
"Oh yeah." Caleb licked his lips when he saw her panties. She wore black, silky bikinis with the words Rocker Girl written in sparkly silver lettering. "There’s my girl."
"Hey." Bending down, she gazed into the screen, her face sideways as she smiled at him. "Where’s my music?"
"No free hands." Caleb laughed as he wrinkled his nose.
"Please?” Ashleigh’s voice came out light and sweet as she stood up again. "I can’t strip without it.”
"All right." He sighed as he reached over and grabbed his guitar. Ashleigh hummed along when he started to play one of his songs. Her voice was deep, her hands caressing her hips as she rocked to the beat. "Oh yeah, you’ve got it, babe."
Her fingers played with the waistband of her panties, teasingly pulling at them as she swayed. She slowly began to slide them down her hips. Her eyes fixated on Caleb’s very focused expression, as he stared at her hips. This kind of visual pleasure wasn’t enough, though. She wanted Caleb, the real Caleb.
She slowly unveiled the treasure he was waiting for, her panties pulled tight around her hips. She closed her eyes as she continued to hum, imagining Caleb’s hands doing the work instead. His rough, calloused fingers brushing against her skin.
She heard another hiss of delight escape his lips, the sound of his voice helping create the illusion. "Ooo…I want some of that. Yeah."
Her good mood quickly deflated, her voice coming out sad and slightly damp. "This isn't fun anymore. I miss you, Caleb." She made a sour face then stopped the tease. She pulled up her panties then worked on readjusting the straps of her dress.
She watched his sad smile, a deep sigh releasing from his lips. "I miss you, too. How ’bout you come and finish my tour out with me? You’d have time to work on your books and stuff while I’m busy, and we'd see each other every day. It'd be perfect."
"I think I might have to." She glanced at the clock, a very annoyed tone creeping into her voice. "Damn it. I have to get going." She sat down in the chair heavily as she grunted. Placing her hand on the screen of the laptop, her voice showed her sadness. "I love you, Caleb."
"I love you too, babe." Caleb’s playful smile was all she could see as he picked up the laptop and held it close to his face. "You have my concert schedule. Come surprise me someday." He set the laptop back down on his lap, a sadder tone entering his voice. "And stay away from Aiden tonight."
"I’ll try." Ashleigh frowned as she took her hand away. "I’m scared of him, Caleb."
"Don’t be." Caleb sighed, his eyes turning to something else in the room then back at Ashleigh. "I sent Spencer to come and watch over you, just in case. I also talked to Aiden, and he said he'd leave you alone, but…" Caleb paused, his expression souring. "I didn't tell him you're Victoria. I just said to lay off my girl, or I'd kick his ass."
"Thanks, Caleb. But…" She let out a tired sigh. "How do I avoid him? I have to be nice to him because my bosses want him to invest. I wish I could skip this whole dinner."
"He’s not going to invest. He’s just looking for Victoria." Caleb’s jealousy was apparent in his snippy tone and very narrowed eyes. "When he finds out who you are, he’ll be clawing at the table trying to get to you. He’s got the worst crush on Victoria, and he could care less whether you’re my girl or not. He’s gonna try and get you naked as fast as he can."
"Caleb." Ashleigh tried to sound upbeat, but she couldn’t hide her own fear. "I’m not going to cheat on you."
"It’s not you I’m worried about." Caleb’s intense blue eyes turned to her, the makeup around them smeared and smoky. "He’s an Elder. He can make women do whatever he wants. I—"
"I think I'll be okay. Spencer will be hanging around and there’s going to be like twenty people there. I won’t be alone with him."
"He doesn’t need you alone."
"Maybe I should skip and say I’m sick."
"You can’t avoid him. If he tries anything, Spencer will deal with it. Spencer's my hunter, so he doesn't have to answer to Aiden. I’ll deal with Aiden later if he misbehaves. I promise." Caleb sighed then looked over at someone who had entered the room. He then quickly pulled the sheets over his naked body, his voice soft and slightly broken. "Just go and try to squeeze some money out of that tightass."
"Caleb." Ashleigh’s voice made him look up. "I love you."
"I love you too, babe." Caleb forced a smile. "Call me if you need me, okay? If I don't answer, Robert will have my phone, and he can help you."
"Good morning, Miss Brown." Robert's voice could be heard in the background.
"Good evening, Robert." Ashleigh tried not to laugh as she watched Caleb shoo Robert from the room.
"I said leave me alone," Caleb grunted. "I'm having private time with my girl."
"We leave in two hours." Robert turned to Ashleigh. "Pardon the interruption Miss Brown, but Master Mason must get some rest."
"All right." Ashleigh gigg
led as she looked to Robert and then an annoyed Caleb.
Chapter Ten
Ashleigh was a little late getting to the restaurant, but it was okay because none of the guests of honor had arrived. The authors were seated at the large table in a private dining room, all of them talking happily among themselves. There were only three of them there, not a large crowd like she was expecting.
She sat down in an empty seat toward the middle of the table, the chairs near the other end left open for the heads of the company and Aiden’s staff.
The waiters brought them all drinks, Ashleigh quickly taking one in hopes that it would take the edge of her nervousness. When the people next to her started asking about her books, she simply did a redirect and asked them the same question. They seemed to like talking about themselves, so this proved to be a helpful diversion.
A few minutes later, the heads of the company came in, but it wasn’t until a half an hour after that Aiden arrived with Matt, whom Ashleigh remembered as the burly hunter that served as Aiden’s body guard. They all began light conversation, but Aiden’s eyes showed his unease. He scanned the faces at the table, even the men. Ashleigh tried her best to avoid his eyes and was doing a very good job at it.
They ordered dinner then the introductions began. Mr. Castle went around the table, pointing out the most notable names there, including Kurt Henderson, who wrote the popular vampire series, Silver Moon. Ashleigh had met him in a conference a few years ago, and they had discussed their take on vampires. He knew who she was, and she delighted in finding a great friend in a fellow horror writer. He was sitting next to her, which made surviving this dinner slightly easier.
Ashleigh could see the anger building behind Aiden’s fake smile. His impatience with meeting Victoria seemed to be overwhelming him, his eyes glued on an empty seat near the far end of the table. She wondered if he thought it was for Victoria, the idea of his inner annoyance making her smile. She liked watching him squirm.
Blood Kisses (Nightwalkers Book 1) Page 13
