by Celeste Raye
“Look at this place. Look at you. I don’t think that this is such a bad place to be. I feel safe here with the high walls and security. I don’t know why you have it, but I’m glad you do. If Sam trusts you, then I do.”
He deflated a little bit at the last part because he wanted to believe that she was feeling the same sort of way that he was, thus why she was so sure of everything. Now he realized that it wasn’t that at all. It was actually the fact that Sam knew him well.
“Well, I am glad you’re at ease.”
“Yet, you’re not, and I feel bad because this is your house.”
Neil paused and closed his eyes again. He was trying to project a feeling of ease and lightness, but apparently, he wasn’t doing a very good job of it.
“You are different, Audra.”
She smirked and shook her head.
“You’ve heard that before?”
“Many times, and funny enough, it’s mainly from men. Ben used to say that all the time before we got married. He was actually charming, before I realized that he had another side.”
“And you wonder that about me, if I have a dark side?”
Audra nodded, and her blue eyes met his for a moment. “I already know that you do. I just don’t know how it presents itself.”
Her eyes flickered back to the sky in front of her, and she didn’t even cover her eyes to the dying sunlight. The silence stretched on.
“You’re a bit dark yourself.”
She tittered with laughter and smiled back up at him. “I guess I am. Though would you expect anything less?”
“I suppose not.”
Another bit of silence and then she asked him if he wanted to swim for a while with her. Audra had stood up, and her tank top was short enough to see a small expanse of her taut stomach. His eyes traveled along her body and took note of it all.
“Yes, that sounds like a good idea.”
He followed her into the infinity pool on the edge of the ridge overlooking the city, and she turned her back as he pulled some of his own clothes off. Neil was down to his boxers when he got into the water and Audra finally turned back around from the view in front of her.
“This is a magical place.”
“You think so?”
She agreed with a nod of her head and a certainty in her eyes.
“I think you’re magical too.”
Chapter Seven
She couldn't believe the view in front of her. It must have gone down hundreds of feet. She felt like it was a mile above the city and usually, Audra didn't care for heights, but she wasn't bothered. It was just too pretty to be worried about the fact that she was on the edge of a precipice that could kill her. That was no fun.
“What do you mean by magical?”
“Well, I don't mean in the literal sense, obviously. Just that you, and this place, coming to help me at just the right time. It all just seems more than coincidental, don't you think? I don't know... Don't let my happy mind upset you. I'm sure I'm just talking nonsense. But I am thankful to be here and for your help. I don't know where I'd be without you. Most likely Sam and I would be holed up in some hotel somewhere. It would have been nothing good like this.”
After everything that happened with Ben, Audra was starting to realize that she couldn't waste her whole life being afraid. She was scared of Ben, and for a good reason. Audra knew what would happen if he got a hold of her again. It wasn’t hard to fathom at all. She had seen him do much of the same to other people. The only difference was that this time, she would be the person strapped down to a table in an unmarked area.
She just finally told herself that she couldn't sit there and simmer on it all day. Audra was in one of the prettiest places she’d ever been, and Neil was kind. Maybe it was to be her last hurrah before death found her. Audra was bound and determined to make the best of it.
Maybe Neil was right. She did have some dark thoughts on occasion.
“I will always help Sam. He knows that, and that is why you're here. It’s not magic.”
“Can I ask why?”
“He saved my life many times, and I saved his. Your brother is quite courageous and always does the right thing. How can I do anything less than help him now when he’s trying to save you?”
Audra liked that answer. It was honest, and she had always seen her brother in the same light, though she was, of course, a little biased about it. Sam had always been there for her when she was younger, so she had always looked up to him.
“That's a good answer. You are good at that.”
Neil moved a little closer to her, and she was finding it a bit more complicated to think straight. His shirt was off, and she could tell through the clear water that he didn't have much on elsewhere. He had on only a pair of boxers that were far too tight in her opinion, and as much as she wanted to take advantage of the situation that she found herself in, Audra also knew that moving too fast would not be advisable. There was far too much on her mind for that to be a good thing.
“What is it about you, Audra? You say that the guys tell you this all the time, so what do they say?”
His hands were touching her waist on either side ever so lightly. He was only inches away from her now, and she could feel the back of the pool trapping her.
Audra had to swallow hard. He was so intense and earnest. “They never usually have an answer. Just that I'm different. That's what I always hear, how different I am. You said the same thing, so tell me, what is it that makes me so different?”
The seriousness in his eyes was more than Audra could handle. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to deal with him when he was so close, and his eyes were pinned to her lips like he wanted to see how they tasted.
“I don't know.”
Audra smiled again and shook her head. “See. That's what they all say.”
“Maybe your husband was right to keep you locked up. If you have that sort of effect on everyone.”
Audra could tell that he did not like the idea of it. Neil bit out the words, and she chose not to take offense about the whole idea that Ben was right to do what he did. She knew that he didn't mean it like that.
“You seem upset.”
It was like her words seemed to get through to Neil finally. He backed up a few inches and then a few more to give her a little room to breathe. He wouldn't meet her eyes.
“I didn't mean to upset you.”
“You didn't. Do you really want to know what the difference is?”
Audra nodded her head in agreement, but at the same time, she swallowed a little bit harder in preparation. Maybe she didn't want to know.
“You give off some kind of pheromone or something that makes a man lose himself. I don’t know how else to describe it. I want to take you now, even though I don’t know you, not to mention that you’re my oldest friend’s sister and I promised him that I would keep you safe. When I’m around you, I have to keep you safe from myself because all I can think about is how good you would feel stretched out underneath me.”
She hadn’t wanted to know that. Audra was breathing heavier as he talked, and now, she was throbbing in the cool water of the pool. What was she supposed to say to that? Were there words suitable?
“Like I said. I think sometimes it’s best that you don’t ask questions.”
He stalked off, and Audra watched water drip off his back at his quick departure. The man was rich, handsome, and from being around him for more than two minutes, she’d realized that he was used to getting what he wanted. He had a way with his words and most likely women. Why was she bothering him so much?
Neil’s words came back to haunt her, and she replayed them in her mind. Audra stayed in the pool until she was a pruned all over and she had to get out. The sun was down completely, and there was now a chill in the air, not too unlike how she had felt when Neil explained to her why she was different. Was it true? Did she really drive men insane because of her scent? It seemed far-fetched at best.
She tried to dry off a
s best as she could while she was outside. She didn’t want to track water in the house, but her hair was long and taking a while to dry off. It kept getting her wet and she was freezing. Finally, she went in and stood by the door to find a couple of towels waiting for her.
Audra wrapped her hair in one and put the other one around her. She went to the room she was staying in, and only then did she worry about what she was going to wear. When she saw the clothes on the bed, Audra breathed a little better. Neil thought of everything, even if she put him in a state of madness, as he described.
The clothes were far too big, and she settled on the shirt only. The shorts kept falling off of her, and Audra knew that part of her wanted something more from Neil. Ever since meeting him, sure, but since he’d uttered the words he did earlier, now it was all Audra could think about.
She went to find Neil and heard a noise in the kitchen. He was making dinner, and she asked him if he needed any help. Audra watched his eyes move over her form like they had before. His eyes noting that she didn’t have anything on underneath his shirt. She knew it was his because it smelled like him.
“Do you need any help?”
His eyes darkened, and his expression changed for a moment before he tightened up and asked her to cut some vegetables. They were on the other side of the kitchen, and Audra wondered if her scent was driving him crazy right then?
Chapter Eight
Neil could tell an immediate shift in Audra’s demeanor. She was smiling a little more generously, and her eyes were as bright as the sunshine had been that day. She kept looking over at him and turning away when he looked back. There was also a change in the now infamous scent. He should not have said those things, but they were true.
When they finished cooking, they sat down and ate together at the table, but when Neil returned from getting some more things to put down, he noticed that the chairs were closer together. Instead of sitting across from him like he planned, Audra decided that she wanted to sit right next to him. There was not much space in between the chairs, and for one reason or another, that bothered Neil. He had said too much, felt too much, and now he was teetering on the brink of going over a line that he couldn't get back from.
“Come sit down, Neil. You don't want it to get cold.”
Neil did as she suggested and smiled back at her when she gave him one that was full of happiness.
“Did you enjoy the swim?”
“I did. This place makes it easy to forget about all of my problems. I really do like it here.”
“I have lived here for a long time.”
“How long?”
It had been centuries, but he would never say such a thing. She did not know what he was, and he wasn't going to ruin the moment by getting into it. It was a secret that he kept close to him, but for one reason or another, Audra was one that he wanted to tell everything to. He wanted her to know the real him and to accept him as he was.
“Let's just say that I have lived here awhile.”
“You don't like answering questions about yourself, do you?”
“It doesn't bother me too much. I just don't have much to say, I suppose.”
“Are you single?”
Neil almost choked on a piece of meat he was eating. Why was she asking such questions?
“Yes. I guess you can say that I am.”
“So, you've never been married?”
“No. I haven't.”
“Well, it is probably for the best. Take it from me, marriage isn't all it's cracked up to be. I think sometimes, it makes relationships worse.”
Neil knew that she was thinking about her own marriage and he could only imagine how bad it was for her. Neil had done some research on Ben, and he had learned enough. He had learned that Ben was not the type of person that should have someone like Audra. She was a prize, and he was a troll from all accounts that Neil had heard.
“I guess I will have to take your word for it. I have never even got close to marriage. I don't think I've ever actually fallen in love with someone.”
Neil bit the inside of his cheek and tried to figure out what the hell he was doing. He did not know why he was giving out such information. Neil didn't like to be vulnerable in any way, and emotions were a vulnerability as far as he was concerned. It was something that he tried to stay away from.
“I don't know why I find that difficult to believe, Neil. You are a great guy, and I can imagine that you have had your share of women.”
Neil chuckled for a moment, only because she really had no idea. He had had scores of women. But at the end of the day, he had felt nothing but pleasure from them. He did not regret the acts that he had done with them, of course, but Neil never had one of them stay around. He always felt like there was something missing.
“You could say that. It doesn't change anything, though. Being with a woman and loving her are two different things. Pleasure is simple.”
He found himself tortured, sure that there was a physical drive that just couldn't be seen playing on him. He didn't want to be so bothered by her. Everything that he had said earlier was true. Neil knew that the last thing he should be thinking about was getting with Sam's sister. It was wrong on so many levels, and he didn't need anybody to tell him that. He already knew.
So why was he leaning towards her, like he wanted to kiss her?
“Are you going to kiss me, or are you going to wait a little while longer, until it's too late?”
Audra's words spurred him on, and he finally broke the last few inches that separated the two of them and pulled her closer as his lips met hers. Hers were pliable and molded to his own. He knew she wanted this almost as much as he wanted it. He could feel the need bubbling over inside, and Neil wanted to believe that it was because of him. Because there was something between them that made it feel so right. There had to be an explanation for this feeling. It wasn't easily understood, but still present.
His hands went to her thigh and ran upwards, finding that she had absolutely nothing on underneath the shirt.
“Where are your shorts?”
He growled at her and pressed against her need. Audra gasped and whimpered out loud.
“They were too big.”
“You shouldn’t have come out like this.”
He was angry at her for making him feel such madness, knowing that he couldn’t fight it. He wanted to, but he knew that he was unable. Didn’t want to be able either. Audra made a slight sound.
“Are you mad at me?”
Neil wasn't mad at her, but he was angry at himself for allowing it to happen. He knew that Audra was off limits, and still he pressed forward. Now she was practically on his lap, and he sat her back in the seat. The last thing that he needed to do was something like this. This would never work out. He knew that. As much as he wanted to believe otherwise.
“No, I am not mad at you. But we can't do this.”
“What about what you said earlier?”
“It was all true, but it doesn't change anything. What is going on between us isn't right. I can't do this to Sam.”
“And what about me? What about your needs? What if I want this to happen? It doesn't matter what my brother wants. I can make my own decisions, and I want you. Right now.”
“You don't know me, Audra. There is a lot you don't know about me. I do have a dark side.”
“You had to, or Sam wouldn’t have brought me here. The only way to keep me safe from Ben is to be with someone who is even darker than him. But I know that you wouldn't hurt me. Am I wrong about that?”
She was just so confident that Neil was unsure of how to respond. It was like she could see through him and knew things about him that he had never told her. Things about him that she shouldn't know. Once again, the truth was on the tip of his tongue, and Neil suppressed it. As much as he wanted to believe that she could handle it, the truth was that she probably couldn't. It was too much. The only reason Sam knew the truth was because he had seen it with his own eyes. Even then, it had take
n him a while to get used to the idea.
“No, I would never hurt you. I will always do my best to protect you.”
“And what does it matter how dark you are to other people? As long as you'll never hurt me, I don't care what is in your past or what other parts of you there are. This is the only part I'm worried about.”
This time, it was Audra that moved forward and kissed Neil. His eyes closed to it and the taste of her set his soul on fire. It was the only way he could explain it. She was more than different. As far as Neil was concerned, Audra was perfect.
There was a war going on inside of him, and after a few moments of kissing Audra, he pushed her away.
“We can't do this, Audra. As much as I want to, we can't. I think I'm going to go up to bed.
Chapter Nine
Audra remained at the table for several moments, unsure of what to say or do. She was still shaking from the kiss with Neil, and he had just left her like he felt nothing. It took her several minutes to pull herself together, and Audra was still having complications with it. She was trying to shake him off, but it felt impossible. Audra could still feel him all around her.
When she finally got up, Neil was nowhere around. She passed by the bathroom and heard the shower going, so she figured that's where he was. She wanted him to go swimming with her again, this time without clothes. There was a lot that she wanted, but Neil was making it impossible. He refused to see what was right in front of him, and if he did see it, he was fighting it for one reason or another. It didn't make sense to her.
Audra decided that she was going to make the decision for him. He wasn't moving fast enough for her, and she wasn't sure if he was going to leave it the way she wanted him to. As much she wanted to act like everything was okay, Audra knew that it wasn’t. Audra wasn't going to be whole again until they were together in all ways. Until that time, she was going to be filled with a desire that felt like she was missing a piece of her.
So, instead of letting him think that he had won for the moment, she went to his bedroom and made sure that he couldn’t ignore her anymore. She laid down on his bed, knowing that he would be there soon. Her mind went to how he had looked in a towel, dripping wet, after he had been in the pool. She could still see him perfectly in her thoughts, the image etched forever in her brain.
