Blood Kisses (Nightwalkers Book 1) (14 page)

"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 flowers 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 giggled as she looked to Robert and then
an annoyed Caleb.

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.

He,
however, was not going to be patient. Aiden interrupted Mr. Castle, his frustration
very clear as he leaned over and whispered. "I thought you said Victoria
was invited to this dinner?"

"Oh,
yes." Mr. Castle smiled and didn’t appear to notice Aiden’s aggravation. "You
will meet her soon."

"
Now
." Placing his hand on Mr.
Castle’s shoulder, the words hissed angrily from Aiden’s gritted teeth. "Or
I will invest my money elsewhere. If you cannot produce what you promise, then
I assume your business sense will be similar. You can produce everything you
offer, can you not, Mr. Castle?"

"Of
course I can, Mr. Bristol." Mr. Castle nodded as he looked around the
table, the nervousness apparent in his voice. "Why don’t we all go around
the table and introduce ourselves to Mr. Bristol and tell him about our books."
He motioned toward the nearest author. "We’ll start with you, Mr. Perkins."

The
intros then started, the two writers before Ashleigh taking their time in
telling who they were and shamelessly promoting their books like they were the greatest
ever penned. This wait was making Aiden very angry, his hand going to his lips
and a slight scowl creeping onto his features. His attitude was quickly turning
sour, his eyes always taking quick glances toward the door then over at the
empty chair.

Ashleigh
was about to speak, but a young woman walked in and everyone’s attention turned
to her.

"Sorry
I’m late." Carol, one of the romance novelists Ashleigh had met in the
workshop today, walked in. She was dressed in a tight, pink dress, a small
giggle escaping her lips as she checked out the handsome Aiden. She apparently
was trying to impress him.

She
looked like a beauty queen performing in a pageant, her hair large and
perfectly sculpted. It didn’t move when she sat down. The way she carried
herself showed her great manners and fine breeding.

Aiden
did look her way, but he didn’t seem impressed. Ashleigh watched his stare
wander to her breasts, which were jumping out of her tight dress, then turn away
from them in disgust.

"Continue."
Mr. Castle motioned toward Ashleigh, but most people weren’t listening because
of Carol’s interruption. Her very sexy attire captured most of the men’s
attention, who were checking her out instead of turning back to the
conversation.

"My
name is Ashleigh Brown." She purposely spoke softer because she knew no
one except the people near her would hear. They were all still talking amongst
themselves, James speaking loudly to Carol, making his flirting known to everyone
at the table. “But I write under the pen name of Victoria Allure."

She
smiled when she didn’t get a reaction, her eyes falling on Kurt, who seemed to
be the only one listening. "My newest novel,
Love Bites,
is number two
in horror this week. And four in romance."

A
small laugh escaped her lips as she spoke because Aiden still watching Carol,
his apparent disgust thick on his face. "I’m very excited about this, and
I’m hoping to get to number one soon. The second novel in this series hit
number one in the first week, so…"

More
people had turned to her now. Soon, they were all quiet and giving her their
attention. "I’m hoping this newer one will hit it as well."

"Here’s
to getting another number one, Ashleigh." Kurt was holding his glass in
the air. Ashleigh accepted his toast by hitting his glass.

"Thanks,
Kurt." Ashleigh took a drink. She motioned to Kurt, a more playful tone to
her voice as she became more comfortable speaking in front of the group. "And
I know you’re just waiting to kick my butt out of number one."

"I
know when I am beat, Miss Brown." Kurt smiled. "And being beat by a
beautiful, talented writer like yourself is an honor."

"I
am very jealous of you as well, Ashleigh." Another author spoke. "
Times Daily
is right when they describe
your books as ‘a bite of pure sin with the aftertaste of throbbing erotica’."

"Throbbing
erotica, I don’t agree with." Ashleigh shook her head.

Kurt
leaned closer to her, his voice light. "I would say ‘carnal delight’
instead."

"Oh,
come on. ‘Carnal delight’ sounds as cheesy as ‘throbbing erotica’."

Aiden
held a glass to his lips, his stare turning to Ashleigh. "I didn’t catch
the title of your book, Ashleigh." He seemed to be trying to get a grip on
the conversation, yet his mind was clearly distracted.

"
Love Bites
." Ashleigh was happy
that others were asking so many questions about her books, so she didn’t have
to look at him.

"Oh,
yes." Carol leaned forward in her chair a little so she could look down
the table at Ashleigh. "I remember reading that excerpt you sent me last
year. Oh darlin’."

Waving
her hand, Carol took a sip from her glass before speaking. "I loved that
line—‘His irresistible smile hid the sins of a million lifetimes, yet she
wanted to taste the sin that lingered on them.’ That made me want to taste him
too." Her laugh was more obnoxious than most. "And you claim you’re
not a number one romance writer."

"Okay."
Ashleigh looked over at Kurt. "I think Kurt wants to speak now. He’s a
great horror writer, right Kurt?" She could feel Aiden’s eyes on her, his fingers
gripping his cup with more force than necessary to hold it. She was waiting for
his anger, her hand on her glass shaking a little as she brought it to her
lips.

"You
wrote the
Nightwalker
series?" Aiden’s
voice showed his surprise, as he took over the conversation. “And you and Caleb
neglected to tell me?”

"Yeah."
Ashleigh nodded, but didn’t meet his eyes.

"Interesting."
Aiden stood up. He held his glass in his hand, tapping on the side of it with his
fork. "Can I have everyone’s attention, please?"

When
they were all looking at him, he waved his hand casually. Everyone stopped mid-motion.
Some were holding forks to their mouths, others drinks to their lips, as their
motionless eyes stared at Aiden. He sat down without looking at them, like it
was nothing out of the ordinary.

He
glanced over at Mr. Castle, who rose and walked over to the other end of the
table, pulling up a nearby chair and squeezing in between a few people.

Aiden
waved his hand again, his lips clinging to the top of his glass as he sat back
down. The people started eating again, as if nothing was wrong. But they
weren’t speaking to each other, and they still had a zombified look in their
eyes.

Ashleigh
wasn’t affected by his spell and was now looking around at all the faces at the
table. Her glass kissed her lips, Ashleigh afraid to let it pull away and show
the fear that was hiding behind its wide rim.

"I’ve
cleared you a space." Aiden wore a very big smirk as he gestured in broad
hand movements toward the chair near him. "Now come sit with me."

"I’m
okay here." Ashleigh set down her glass and instead grabbed her fork. When
she was about to scoop up some mashed potatoes, her plate flew across the
table, smashing into the glass Mr. Castle had left near Aiden. The shattering sound
made her look up sharply, her fork still poised in the air.

Aiden
was sending her a very devilish smile, his hand held out to her, his palm
slightly turning as he moved his wrist. Her glass moved away from her as well,
stopping to rest inside the palm of Aiden’s open hand. "But we have much
to talk about."

Letting
out an annoyed sigh, Ashleigh picked up her silverware and walked over to the
other end of the table, sitting down next to Aiden. Before she had a chance to
readjust her plate and silverware, she felt her chair slide closer to him, making
her jump.

"So,
you
are the mysterious Victoria
Allure. Now I know the reasoning behind Caleb’s call earlier." Aiden
watched her begin to eat again, his eyes checking out the ring on her finger.

"I’m
not Victoria. I’m Ashleigh."

"You’re
scared of me, aren’t you?" Aiden chuckled, a very satisfied smile on his
face as he watched her curiously. "I dare you to look at me when you
speak."

"A
dare, eh?" Ashleigh couldn’t help but laugh at the seriousness in his
velvety tone. "Dares aren’t fun unless you’re the one giving them."

"I
like the way you think."

"Well,
you do like my books." Ashleigh stuffed a big spoonful of potatoes in her
mouth, hoping her avoidance would make him back off.

"I
do." Aiden nodded his head then scanned the guests that were still eating.
"Are you hungry?"

"Mmm
hmm." She cut off a piece from her steak as she chewed her potatoes.

"Would
you like me to get you something to eat?" He motioned toward Carol. "I
bet she tastes disgusting, but him…" He pointed at a fatter man sitting at
the table. "I bet his blood is sweet."

"I
don’t know anything about stuff like that." She glanced at him briefly, Aiden
catching a glimpse of her baby blue eyes. "Caleb says women taste the best
because they like chocolate, but I don’t believe him. He was laughing when he
said it."

"It’s
true." Aiden laughed, taking advantage of the light conversation to get
closer to her. "I will not eat anyone who’s consumed fish. I hate the
taste it gives to the blood."

"Seriously?"
Ashleigh giggled again, a big smile on her face as she turned to him. This time,
she had let her guard down and looked directly into his handsome face. "I
think you two are weird."

"I’ve
tasted a lot more than you…" Aiden playfully pointed a finger at her
chest, lightly kissing the surface of her squishy breasts. "So I am much
more educated on the subject."

"So
Caleb is right?" She looked back at him, her hands poised in the air as
she prepared to cut her steak. A few curls that framed her face bounced
slightly as she turned her head back to her plate. "They really do taste
better?"

"Here,
I’ll show you." He stood up and took her hand in his, making her drop her silverware.
She was still chewing a piece of steak, his abrupt yanking on her hand almost
making her choke. "We have a buffet here, so why not take a taste?"

"You’re
not going to kill them, are you?" Making a sour face, Ashleigh tried to
take her hand from his, but she couldn’t. His were smooth and soft, unlike the
rough surface of Caleb’s calloused fingers.

"No."
Aiden laughed as he walked up to Carol. "We’re just taking a taste." He
lifted her hand and put it near his face. "They won’t even know. I’ll
break the skin for you." He pierced her wrist with his fang, leaving one
puncture wound. Though it was small, it produced a large droplet of blood. "Taste
this." He moved it closer to Ashleigh. Carol didn’t flinch during the
whole ordeal, she just continued eating like the others at the table.

"Okay."

Watching
her bend over, Aiden licked his lips when he saw her stick out her tongue. She
licked the surface of Carol’s skin, taking the drop on her tongue. Ashleigh
stood up as she tasted it, a curious look on her face as she tried to distinguish
a certain flavor in the blood.

"I
don’t taste anything different." She gave him a weird look then watched
him lick another, very small, drop of blood had that pooled near the small wound.

"She
tastes bad." Aiden grimaced as he took Ashleigh’s hand again and led her
over to the fat man. "Let’s try this one." He bit the man’s wrist
then offered it to Ashleigh. She licked off the drop of blood then laughed. "Tastes
better, right?" Aiden watched her smile, her tongue going to lick her
lips.

"Actually,
I can’t tell."

"You
have to be careful of old people." Aiden motioned toward Mr. Castle. "They
often have medicines in their blood that can ruin the taste or make you sick."
He picked up Ashleigh’s hand and held it to his lips, a devilish smile
springing up on his very excited face. "Can I taste you?"