Frost Kisses (Bitter Frost #4: Frost Series) (22 page)

Ignoring the plate of hot food before me, I read through the introduction, though I basically knew it all.  She came from the affluent Diamond Suburbs, was the only child to Mick and Fay Murray who both happened to work on the very Committee she’d just received notice from.

“Okay, so you guys already know that part,” Sarah said as she guided the page further down. “Here’s the interesting part.”

I smiled as I envisioned the life that had been plotted out for her. She was to attend Arcadia University where she would meet her future husband in the Elite Society. Both would go on to work for the Committee and live in the Diamond Suburb.

“Oh, Sarah. I’m so excited for you.” I finally picked up my little burger and sank my teeth into it.

“I knew you’d be. This is exactly what I wanted.  Exactly what I was hoping for.”

“Do you know how lucky you are to receive a Life’s Plan that is just as you wanted it?”

“I know. I never would have thought.”

I turned to Liam who’d sat silently through the exchange, his mammoth burger almost half gone. A wistful smile warmed his face as he looked at me. That look of love that came so often still warmed me just as much as it did on our very first date. He slid his hand around my waist and pulled me closer and I knew where his mind had wandered to; his own Life’s Plan. 

He was set to marry a girl he’d known all his life. It could hardly be anyone else but me. Everyone agreed we were the perfect match. He would someday take his dad’s place as Governor of Arcadia, but would start at the Committee. He, too, was slated to live in the luxurious suburb of Diamond.

How many times had he told me his Life’s Plan had to include me? Countless. And every time he did, my heart raced a little faster. Life would indeed be perfect; a beautiful home in an exclusive neighborhood, a loving and gorgeous husband, and my best friend living nearby. What more could I hope for?

I couldn’t resist leaning into him for a warm snuggle. He wrapped his arms around me, kissed my forehead and chuckled in that soft way he had when he knew I was feeling amorous.

“Cool it, you guys,” Sarah snapped. “I’m still here, in case you hadn’t noticed. Besides, this is my Life’s Plan we’re happy about, remember? You’ll have your chance in a few weeks, Kama.”

Yes, I wanted to scream. And I hoped I wouldn’t have to wait long. While some people waited weeks, as Sarah had, many got their Life’s Plan within days of their eighteenth. No doubt mine would greatly resemble Sarah’s and Liam’s. We were basically cut from the same cloth, even if our childhoods were slightly different, and our destinies were bound to include one another.

The sensation returned again, drawing my attention away from the table and pulling me out of the diner like a magnet. I looked out the window, looking for the source of my distraction.

Across the street, simply standing there, tall, dark and strangely out of place, was a young man of such intensity, the hair on my arms rose. He was like no other man I’d ever seen, confident, sure and so attractive in his gloom. His fashion sense was from another world, or at the very least from another town.

While the occasional blue jean was seen here and there, most young men of Arcadia wore stylish and elegant slacks. But this intruder dared to wear not only jeans, but black jeans that seemed to have seen their share of battle. Instead of a shirt, he wore a dark leather tunic that added to his mystique and aura of danger.

I was drawn to him in a way I’d never thought possible. It was magnetic. I felt my heart quicken and my pulse race. He was like a warrior straight out of those romantic fantasy novels I’d heard about. Extremely handsome, a bit exotic with his tan skin and jet-black hair. But his sapphire eyes held mine in a gaze that spoke lifetimes.

Kama, the desired one.

My fork stopped midway to my mouth. I froze as the strange and dark voice entered my mind. I glanced at Sarah. Happily chomping on her burger, she had not heard a thing.

Glancing sidelong at Liam, I could see he had not heard anything either.

I have found you, yet again…

What? Me?  Who are you? What is this? Where was that voice coming from?

Him.

I forced the coleslaw into my mouth before the others noticed my sudden odd behavior, but I almost choked on it. When I finally managed to swallow it down, I turned to Liam.

“I think I just saw Tula across the street,” I said as I laid down my fork and prepared to rise. “I owe her two dollars, so I’ll run out to give it back to her.”

He stood, and while he looked completely perplexed by my sudden need to leave the diner, he said nothing.

I hurried out and headed in the direction of the mysterious man with raven hair. Breathless before I even began to run across the street, I felt an urgent need to meet this man. But I could see before hitting the curb that he’d already disappeared.

My disappointment surprised me, as if I’d missed something important, something that could change my life. My heart felt heavy as I looked up and down the street. There wasn’t even a trace of him until I arrived at the very spot I’d seen him.

A perfect deep purple orchid. It had to come from him. No orchid of such color grew in Arcadia. It was the only proof I was not completely going nuts. He had been here. I had seen him. This mysterious man with the burning blue eyes was here and knew my name. Who was he?

Chapter 1

T
here was something rather self-indulgent about passing out invitations to my own birthday party, so I let Sarah do most of the talking and handing out as we strolled through the school halls. She was great at getting people together and she had a way of making any event seem grand.

“Here you go, Heidi. This is a special invitation to Kama’s eighteenth birthday. Liam was nice enough to allow us to throw this great bash at his house, that’s right, the Governor’s Manor. We sure do hope you can be there.”

I’d known Heidi since the third grade and while we weren’t close friends, I did enjoy her quiet and reserved company.

“Hey, isn’t that the gang from your old neighborhood?” Sarah said as we moved on.

At the far end of the hall, I saw Jocelyn and Matthew.They’d both lived in the Ruby District their whole lives.

With all of our parents working in industries other than the Committee, we had a lot in common and it brought us closer.

However, as Sarah reached out to hand them their invitation, I could’ve sworn they both cringed. Was the thought of attending my birthday bash so unappealing?

“I’ll see if I can make it,” Jocelyn said.

I immediately knew it meant she’d do anything to ensure she had something else to do.

“Me, too,” Matthew added. He carelessly shoved the invitation into his pocket.

Part of me wanted to question their lack of interest, but I also didn’t want to dwell on it. I was in a good mood, it was a beautiful day and my birthday was just around the corner. I turned to follow Sarah to the cafeteria, putting them out of my mind.

“There’s Liam,” Sarah shouted as we entered the cafeteria. “I’ll go grab a slice of pizza and come meet you guys.”

I stood there for a moment, taking in all of Liam – his blond hair, smooth skin, earnest green eyes, full lips, and his tall muscular physique. Physically, he was beautiful, but everything else about him made me love him more. He’d already taken his seat at the table reserved for the children of Committee workers. I glanced sidelong at the students who watched me make my way to the table I didn’t yet officially belong to. If not for Sarah and Liam, I wouldn’t be allowed there.

“How are you doing, Kama?” Liam rose to give me a quick kiss. “I got you the minestrone soup and turkey sandwich.”

Ever since he’d taken to getting my lunch every day, he never erred. He had a way of knowing what I wanted every day. “Perfect, just like always.” He was perfect, just as always, and every girl in school knew it.

Most of the senior class was in love with him, and those who didn’t love him, envied him.  He had everything -  looks, wealth and a personality to warm the coldest heart.

It was amazing how, out of all the pretty, pretty girls he could have chosen, he’d chosen me, and I was forever grateful for his love and affection.

“You spoil me, Liam Seer,” I whispered as I came up close and raked my fingers through his mass of golden curls. How was it possible for a guy to be so devilishly handsome and so positively angelic at the same time? To think he was to one day be Governor of Arcadia, the most powerful person in our state. It was in his Life’s Plan.

“Your smile, warm kisses and your eternal love are all I ask in return.” His eyes filled with love and he grinned a silly grin. “I’ve missed you.”

Taking my seat, I smiled and glared at him. “Liam, you saw me yesterday.”

“Yeah, but you ran out on me so fast. I thought you would come back in but you just left.”

“I know,” I said, looking for a solid explanation. “My head must be in the clouds these days, what with my birthday, Life’s Plan and all that. I’m really sorry.”

“I thought you would at least call afterwards.”

“You're right. I really should have. I can’t apologize enough.”

“You said you owed Tula money, but I didn’t see her outside when you ran out. Are you sure she was really there?”

I heard a hint of suspicion in his question and didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t possibly tell him of the mysterious man who called to me from across the street, who entered my mind with his thoughts and who disappeared, leaving behind an orchid. Nor could I tell him of how the entire episode left me feeling.

My heart had raced the whole way home. I’d been completely unaware of my surroundings as I strolled down Main Street, and had only managed to find my way home on auto-pilot. My mind had been filled with the image of his face and the strong sense of… of what? Attraction? Desire?

I hated keeping this from Liam. We’d been best friends for so long and had shared so many secrets, it felt unnatural, a betrayal, not to tell him. The only secret he’d ever kept from me over the years was his growing love. By the time he finally asked me out two years earlier, he’d been harboring strong emotions for three whole years.

He was quiet for a long moment. His hand reached for his sandwich, but his gaze was focused somewhere in the distance. I watched his Adam’s apple rise and fall a few times before he finally turned to look me in the eye.

“I’ve known you for ages, Kama. I know you inside and out. You didn’t go out there to see Tula. You’re careful with your money and you never borrow money from anyone. So what did you go out there for? What did you see?”

I kissed him, partly to reassure him of my love for him, partly to buy me a moment of time to find a suitable answer. My lips lingered over his and I felt him relax. “I’m going to be turning eighteen in a few days. I’ve been a wreck as I try to imagine what my Life’s Plan could be. I’m scared. What if it’s not what I desire? What if I’m one of those who don’t get the plan they want? What if you’re not in it?”

“You have nothing to worry about.”

“Listening to Sarah and her perfect plan, just the way she wanted it… I was happy for her, I really was, but it made me realize just how devastated I’ll be if my plan doesn’t turn out to be what I desire.”

“Kama, you’re worrying over nothing.”

“You don’t know that. Nobody does.” I looked at the steam that rose from my bowl of soup. “I just couldn’t stand being in there hearing about Sarah’s plan another minute. I know it sounds selfish, but I am worried, Liam.”

“Look at me,” he said as he took a firm grip of my jaw and turned me to face him. “I’ll do all that I can to make sure you get exactly what you want. After all, what you want is what I want.”

“I know you have a certain degree of power, Liam.  But even with the Governor as your father, you can’t dictate to the Committee what they chose and for whom.  It’s a lot bigger than that. They’ve studied and tested and studied again to make sure they give everyone the perfect plan for them. You can maybe make a suggestion or two, but you can’t change the course of their plans.”

“There are always exceptions, and you and I are one of them. Our plans have to include one another. Everyone says so. If that Committee doesn’t have me in your Life’s Plan, the whole city will be on their back.” He chuckled in that reassuring, boyish way he had, then looked at me, his eyes set in a dead serious stare. “Besides, I love you, and nobody can change that.”

“I love you, too, Liam.” I couldn’t help but grin. He was so adorable and he had a way of always making everything bright. Forgetting all about my lunch, I leaned in to kiss him, my lips forceful and possessive over his. 

He returned the kiss, quickly becoming passionate and heated. I had to pull back before we were thrown out of the cafeteria for indecency.

“Come over tonight, Kama,” he said, his voice suddenly throaty and deep. “Come home with me tonight. I need to spend some time with you, alone.”

I hushed his lips with the tip of my finger. “You know we can’t, Liam… not until we’re…”

His face hardened, not with anger but with hunger and concern. “What if you're right?”