Blood Kisses (Nightwalkers Book 1) (12 page)

"Charlotte."
Robert walked up to a very beautiful woman, her very straight, black hair long
and shining with a silky sheen. She looked like a celebrity and was dressed
like one too. She was darker skinned, but had brilliant green eyes. "This
is Ashleigh."

"Hi,
Charlotte." Ashleigh forced a smile, but her nervousness wore thick on her
face. She was wearing plain clothes and felt very awkward here. Being among all
these famous people was harder than she thought. "I've heard a lot about
you from Caleb." She didn't mention Kris, who's only comments about
Charlotte included the word “whore.”

"Hey."
Charlotte stood up and gave Ashleigh a friendly hug, something Ashleigh wasn’t
expecting from a stranger. "So, Caleb finally dragged your butt out here,
eh?" Pulling away, she took Ashleigh’s hand in hers. "I’m glad to
finally meet you. I’m Sam’s wife. I’m also one of the makeup artists for the
band." She motioned to Robert. "I’ll take her from here."

Seeming
slightly sick, Ashleigh walked along with Charlotte, looking like she wanted to
bolt. "I’m a little nervous around all this stuff."

"It’s
okay. I was too, at first." She paused at a dressing room with a large
sign hanging on the door advertising the band’s name. "Let’s go in here
and talk. The boys will be busy all night, and we can’t go out and watch the
rehearsal." Opening the door, Charlotte motioned for Ashleigh to enter. "You
want me to do your makeup?" She playfully ruffled Ashleigh’s hair. "Maybe
give you a new cut or something?"

“That’s
okay, I don’t need a—“

"Sure
you do." Charlotte sat her down in a chair near the sink. "Now, let
me see." She studied Ashleigh for a few seconds then smiled. "I have
the perfect cut for you." Charlotte put a cape around her then began running
the water. "Caleb told us you were an editor for New Castle."

"Yeah."
Charlotte pushed Ashleigh’s head back, the warm water running over her hair.

"Do
you get to edit any of Victoria’s books?" She grabbed a nearby bottle of
shampoo and squirted it in Ashleigh’s hair. "I just picked up her new one.
Love it."

"Me
too."

"Did
you get number two?" Charlotte began massaging Ashleigh’s scalp, her dark
skin covered in soft white bubbles.

"I
have that one too." Ashleigh laughed as she gazed up at the ceiling. "It
was the first book to—"

"No,
honey, I wasn’t talking about books." Running the water over Ashleigh’s
hair, Charlotte began rinsing out the suds.

"Oh."
Ashleigh’s voice lowered a little, some of her happiness draining. "Then
what were you talking about?"

"Caleb."
Charlotte chuckled as she washed the rest of the soap out while admiring Ashleigh’s
long hair. "He told us he was going to do it."

"Are
you—?" Ashleigh sat up when Charlotte tapped on her shoulder, wrapping a
towel around her head and rubbing at her wet hair. Ashleigh wasn’t sure if she
should mention anything about vampires, so she didn’t know how to ask Charlotte
about it without giving away Caleb’s secret.

"I
am." Charlotte laughed again. "Let’s go over here." She walked Ashleigh
over to a styling chair. Her voice was a little muffled as she grabbed a case
near her and opened it. She took out her scissors and started to cut Ashleigh’s
hair.

"You
are?" Ashleigh watched Charlotte’s reflection in the mirror, her eyes
following the path of the scissors. She didn’t want her hair cut, but it looked
like Charlotte would’ve done it, even if she refused.

"Yep.
I’m only your common vampire though. Not like Caleb. He’s an Elder."

"Yeah."
Ashleigh looked down at the cape that covered her fingers, a small frown
filling her face. "So you have a choice whether you want to do it or
not."

"Yeah,
but don’t be sad about it, honey. There’s just one more, and after that,
everything will be fine. I wish I could be in your shoes. Caleb hasn't taken
interest in any girl this much, and deciding to make you
completely
his, that's awesome. You're a lucky girl."

"I
don’t know if I really want to be a vampire." Ashleigh gazed into the
mirror, watching Charlotte cut away at her hair.

"I’ll
help you. It’s not like we expect you to like it at first. I hated it, but now
I’m okay with it." Her eyes were focused on Ashleigh’s hair as she spoke. "The
vampire part of being with Caleb won’t be hard. It’s all this paparazzi and fan
stuff that gets to you."

"I’m
not ready for that, either."

"That’s
why I’m helping you. Tonight, you’ll go to your first fancy party with a bunch
of celebrities, and all the girls will be looking at you to see who you’re
wearing. All that fun, shallow stuff."

"That
doesn’t sound fun."

"Don’t
expect to spend a lot of time with Caleb, either, because everyone else will
want to." Charlotte laughed. "So, you and I will get to know each
other well. Do you drink?"

"Not
really." Ashleigh made a sour face as she looked at her reflection, the
hard truth of being the girlfriend of a famous rock star setting in.

Ashleigh
was now at the after party with Charlotte, but spent most of her time standing
around sipping drinks. She was feeling a little tipsy after a few of them, and had
only seen Caleb from afar. Armageddon had taken home two awards, so the press,
as well as everyone else, wanted to speak with them. From the side lines, she
saw him pose for a million pictures with his band mates, all of them dressed up
perfectly.

She
didn’t get to walk in on the red carpet with him, even though she was dolled up
like all the other celebrities. He had to be there earlier to practice, so
didn’t arrive with everyone else. Instead, she walked in with Charlotte, who
kept a close eye on her.

Charlotte
was trying very hard to include Ashleigh in any way she could, but there were a
lot of times Charlotte’s party girl personality took over, and she left Ashleigh
to strut her stuff out on the dance floor. Right now, Charlotte was drunk, and
although Ashleigh could feel a buzz, she knew better than to get drunk at this
award party and make a fool of herself. Charlotte was dancing with other men
there and seemed to know everyone, or at least pretended like she did.

There
were many chances for Ashleigh to go over and speak with Caleb, but the large
crowd gathered around him made her hesitant. This lifestyle would take
a lot
of getting used to for a private person like Ashleigh. This kind of attention
wasn’t her, and she hated every second of it.

Now,
sitting on the sidelines, she watched Caleb converse with a young couple. The other
man was taller and stockier but equally handsome. Caleb was wearing a very
casual dress—designer jeans, T-shirt, and sports coat. This other man was
dressed in a very expensive suit. But Ashleigh’s eyes didn’t linger on him,
instead, she studied the woman with him, who was greeting Caleb.

It
was the sexy woman from the video. The sight of her made Ashleigh’s blood boil,
a deep anger rising in her chest, making her breath quicken. This was the woman
who had tried to steal her identity, the woman who claimed to have written
Nightwalkers
.

Caleb
shook her hand, a giant smile on his face. They were laughing about something,
the woman blending in well with the others. He was supposed to be on Ashleigh’s
side, and he was talking to this woman—who was tarnishing her name—like they
were old friends.

This
was it for Ashleigh. She was in a sour mood as it was because she felt very out
place here, and on top of that, she had seen
way
too many women hugging Caleb or giving him kisses. It was not a good
day, and the drinks in her were making her a little more emotional than normal.

She
quickly drank what was in her glass and headed for the exit. She had come with Charlotte
and had been dropped off by Robert at the party, so she didn’t have a car. But
that didn’t stop her from making a retreat and calling someone she never would
if she were sober.

Dialing
his number, Ashleigh went out into the hallway where there were less people,
standing up against the wall as she waited for him to pick up.

"How’s
the red carpet?" Spencer’s words were snippy and rude.

"I
hate it."

"Awww…."

"
Victoria
is here."

"I
told ya." Spencer snickered. "She’s with Master Bristol, right? And I
bet Master Mason is all over her. No offense, Ashleigh, but she does pass for
Victoria more than you do."

"Did
you follow me here? Because if you did, I need a ride home." She walked
over to an empty couch near her and sat down. It was covered in red fabric, and
although it was soft, it wasn’t comfortable.

"Actually,
no." Spencer sighed. "But maybe I should’ve. I could’ve charged you a
night in my hotel room as cab fare."

"Ha,
ha, ha. Funny." Ashleigh laughed sarcastically, a very sour note to her
voice. "Who’s Master Bristol?"

"Didn’t
you see him? Big, snobbish, rude guy? That’s Master Bristol. He’s the one that
brought her as his date. He’s owns a record company. That’s why he’s there. I
heard he tried to buy New Castle Publishing just because he wanted to find you,
but the owners wouldn’t because it’s a family business."

"Great."
Letting out an annoyed sigh, Ashleigh checked out her very nice heels, not a
scuff or mark on them. "I feel so flattered that people want to stalk me."

"Caleb
is the same way. He doesn’t love Ashleigh Brown. He loves Victoria."

At
those words, Ashleigh’s face slipped into a deep frown, her insecure thoughts
taking over and getting the best of her. "You’re probably right."

"Sorry
you’re gonna get dumped tonight."

"Thanks,
Spencer, that’s makes me feel a million times better." She glared at the
space in front of her.

"Glad
to help. So, now maybe you’ll give me a chance."

"No
way." Standing up, Ashleigh started to walk down the hallway. "I’m
done with all this mess, and I’ve decided that I’m killing off all the vampires
in my next novel. I’m switching to demons or werewolves or something. I’ve had
it with you and your kind." She quickly hung up her phone, heading toward
the coat check in.

"Ashleigh!"
Charlotte ran up behind her. "What are you doing out here? I’ve been
looking for you all over. You haven’t said hi to Caleb since we got here."
She grabbed Ashleigh’s hand, and as much as Ashleigh wanted to resist, she
couldn’t. "Come on, I’ll part the crowd for you, and we can go and say hi.
You have to congratulate him on his win!"

"Okay."

Charlotte
had a big smile on her face as she pulled Ashleigh back into the main party
room. She walked toward Caleb, who was still talking to Master Bristol and the
fake Victoria. "Caleb!" Waving her hand, Charlotte shoved past the
people standing around him. "Congrats on your win, honey." She gave
him a hug, leaving Ashleigh standing next to her.

Ashleigh
waited for her to pull away from him then went up and hugged him too. "Congratulations,
Caleb." Her hug was more limp than usual, and when she went to pull away,
Caleb’s arms tightened around her.

"Thanks." He gave her a small kiss then whispered into her ear.
"I missed you. Why didn't get your cute ass over here and hang on me all
night?"

"I'm
sorry. I thought you were busy—all those people talking to you and everything."
She felt strange being in his arms here and could feel everyone’s eyes on her. "You’re
a popular guy."

Caleb
smiled as he pulled her close for another hug, whispering in her ear. "Ready
to go celebrate?"

Ashleigh
laughed but quickly closed her eyes when she saw a few flashes of light in her
face as photographers took their picture.

"Get
ready for your close up, babe." Caleb pulled away and then motioned for her
to smile at the cameras.

"Okay."
The thought of her photo in a paper or magazine made her sick.

"My
friend’s having a private party after this." Caleb’s voice was soft in her
ear as he leaned closer to her. "He’s got an apartment in The French
Towers." He slowly looped his arm in hers and escorted her toward the
exit, Master Bristol and the fake Victoria following behind.

"If
she’s going, I’m not." Ashleigh spoke with a very fake smile on her face,
trying to keep up a happy mood for the cameras now taking her picture.

"Just
let her ride it out. Aiden will take care of her when he finds out, anyway."
Caleb waved to the photographers, Master Bristol and the others getting ahead
of them. Everyone wanted to get a picture of Caleb, especially now that a new girl
hung on his arm.

It
took several minutes to get outside, and once they reached the red carpet at
the entrance, they were bombarded with the press. Caleb didn’t stop for them,
instead, he yanked on Ashleigh’s arm and pulled her as quick as he could to the
limo waiting at the end of it. They hopped in the car, their eyes still seeing
spots from all the camera flashes.

Charlotte
was talking to Victoria excitedly about “her” books. Ashleigh’s body melted
into Caleb’s when he wrapped his arm around her, her own arm going quickly
around his waist.

Aiden
studied Ashleigh, a very suspicious, nasty look in his eyes. "And who’s
the new girl, Caleb? I have never seen her before."

"Her
name’s Ashleigh." Caleb squeezed her before giving her a kiss on the
cheek.

"Hey,
maybe you two know each other." Charlotte’s voice was loud, one of her
hands resting on Victoria’s. "Ashleigh is an editor at New Castle. She
said she edited your latest book, Victoria."

"Really?"
Aiden’s eyebrows raised at her words, his eyes burning into Ashleigh’s and
making her not want to gaze anywhere in his direction. "An editor?"

"I’m
sorry, dear, I don’t recognize you." Victoria cackled, her fingernails
perfectly manicured. She was prettier than Ashleigh, and much more slender. Ashleigh
found Victoria’s good looks very intimidating, and even though she knew
Victoria’s lies would catch up with her someday, she still hated the woman. "Once
my manuscript leaves my hands, I have no idea who looks at it."

"Well,
first of all, Hannah would look at it." From her slight laying position on
Caleb, Ashleigh’s voice was surprisingly light.

"I was speaking of my editors, sweetheart." Victoria laughed,
one of her hands resting on Aiden’s knee. She was in a great mood, and her
smooth voice was intoxicating. "Of course I know Hannah."

Ashleigh glared at Victoria as she spoke. "You only have one
editor." Victoria tried not to glare back, but there was a small waver in
her smile. "And I know you've had the same one for all your books."

Caleb
leaned over and kissed Ashleigh's cheek. He spoke softly in her ear. "Just
drop it, babe. Ignore her."

"An
editor, that’s an interesting change for you, Caleb." Aiden smirked, an
evil presence in his eyes that wasn’t found in Caleb’s. "I thought you
only dated celebrities. Why the downgrade?"

"Upgrade.
And it just kinda happened. Like fate." Caleb chuckled. He looked over at Ashleigh’s
sour face, a loving expression in his eyes. "And I’m glad because I’ve
never been more in love."

“Aww….me
too.” Ashleigh’s face filled with a tender smile as she gave him a kiss, both
of them gazing at each other as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her voice
was soft as she spoke a line from the next
Nightwalkers
manuscript. Caleb had loved the excerpt when he read it. "‘Blinded by
the light of your loving words, I shall never fear the dark’."

Their
noses touched as Caleb gave a very devilish grin. "‘Or the intense
yearning in my chest that calls only for you. The yearning that can only be
fulfilled by the hand of the devil’." They both laughed, the others in the
car regarding them strangely.

"I
didn’t know you were such a poet, Caleb." Aiden’s eyes narrowed.

"I’m
not." Caleb laughed, giving Ashleigh a brief kiss, then pulling away and
cuddling her instead.

After
that, Victoria went on about her latest book and all the sales it was getting. It
didn’t take long to get to the apartment, Ashleigh feeling a little dizzy when
she got up from the short ride. All the drinks she had at the party were
catching up with her. She hung on Caleb when they entered. They took the
elevator to one of the top floors, Caleb and Ashleigh walking toward the back
of the group.

It
was a very nice building, the hallways wide and well-furnished. Bellhops and
door men could be found everywhere. There were a lot of people inside, most of
them young. The music was loud and inside the apartment was beautiful. Priceless
artwork covered the walls, a few statues greeting them near the large, open
entryway.

Caleb
led Ashleigh over to the couch, letting her sit down as he got some drinks. More
drinks. Something Ashleigh didn’t want. He was carrying a case of beer when he
came back, setting it on floor next to the couch. He took two out, handing one
to Ashleigh as he sat beside her.

He
wrapped his arm around her, leaning closer to her ear. "We’re kinda
splurging tonight cause of my wins. So, since you're not used to
these
kind of parties, you might want to
drink a lot of that." He had a very cocky expression on his handsome face,
his hair and eye makeup still perfect after the long night of partying. "It’ll
help." He kissed her cheek. "This won’t be any worse than anything
you write in your books."

Ashleigh
scanned his smiling face. She knew something bad was going to happen, and even
though she was already feeling drunk, she took a long sip from her beer.

Caleb
chuckled when he saw her expression, playfully patting her leg. "Stay
here." He stood up and walked over to Aiden, Ashleigh watching his every
move.

Caleb
spoke with him for a while, both of them laughing and joking. Then, a woman
brushed Caleb’s shoulders, and the small action ignited a very heated, unnecessary
one in Caleb. He grabbed her arm and yanked her forcefully back.

Slamming
her into a nearby wall, he pinned her there. Ashleigh quickly found herself not
knowing where to look because once Caleb ignited the violence, the others
joined in. Aiden grabbed another person, but he sank his fangs into them
immediately. The man he held screamed out in pain as Aiden sucked.

Caleb’s
head was hiding in the woman’s neck. A look of great terror was on her face as
she tried to push him away but couldn’t move. He had paralyzed her with his
magical gaze. Ashleigh stared into her terrified eyes, unable to look away. It
was just like back in the diner. Her gentle Caleb was just like Spencer. A
murderer. She looked away, the thought making her want to cry.

People
were running around screaming now, but the music was so loud no one outside the
apartment could hear it. The vampires’ moods turned playful, the energy they
got from their first feeding making them more jumpy and quick. They ran around
the room, taking a taste from many of the guests, this feeding ritual becoming
more of a game than killing for survival.