Paranormal Erotic Romance Box Set (8 page)

We drove down a long, straight drive and turned into the
circular drive in front of the entrance to the hotel. Brandt turned off the
car, yanked the keys out of the ignition and tossed them in the air.

“They allow dogs here?” I said.

“Um, I don’t think so. Why, do you have a dog?”

“No, but I can hear them.”

“You must be hearing things, Sophia. I don’t hear
anything. There are no dogs. Now, I’ll just be a moment. Stay right there,
okay?”

“Wouldn’t dare move,” I said.

But I did.

I got out of the car and walked the driveway toward the
rose garden on the west side of the hotel. The roses, huge and vibrant in every
color you can imagine, smelled strong as I approached the cast iron gate that
enclosed the area. I peeked over the gate and lovely, dark winding paths with
ancient looking moss-covered pottery and benches adorned the area. I looked
back toward the front of the hotel and Brandt hadn’t come out yet, so I lifted
the latch to the gate and went inside.

The paths were sandy gravel and my feet crunched along as
I wound my way through the garden. There was a large stone table in the center
of the garden and across from that, a large statue of a beautiful woman. I
stared at her exquisite face and pulled some vines aside at the base of the
statue hoping to discover the name of this compelling woman.

“That is Adelaide,” a deep voice said.

I jumped and turned toward the voice. Walking out of the
out of the dark toward me, was an extremely handsome man. He wore a dark suit
with the jacket slung over his shoulder. His tie was loosened and he smiled at
me as he approached.

“I’m sorry,” I said, “I don’t know if I’m allowed here.”

“Sure you are,” he said and winked. “Were you trying to
escape?”

“Escape? No, I saw the roses. That’s our car over there.
My husband is checking us in.”

He looked over my shoulder at Brandt’s car and frowned. He
had the most vibrant blue eyes, almost violet, and framed by long, glossy black
lashes.

“Ah,” he said as he stared at Brandt’s car. “I’m James
Verrazano.”

He held out his hand and finally looked away from the car
and into my eyes.

“I’m Sophia,” I said and took his hand, “Sophia
Pears--Therrault. Sophia Pearson-Therrault.”

“Pleased to meet you,” he said and leaned in toward me and
kissed my cheek.

I moved my head back from his and let go of his hand.

“I’m sorry. I’m too friendly for my own good at times.
Please excuse me,” James said and bowed.

“It’s okay, I’m just tired,” I said and turned back toward
the statue. “So, this is Adelaide. Who was she?”

“Well, Adelaide was a princess in the Nauset tribe. She
resides here with some notable others,” James said and brushed some dead leaves
from Adelaide’s stone shoulders.

“She’s beautiful,” I said.

“Yes, she was and still is one of the most beautiful
Indian princesses in history.”

“Do you work here?”

“Yes, I do,” he said. “I’m the caretaker.”

“Surely this is your day off,” I said. “You look much too
put together to be doing any sort of care taking today.”

“I never have a day off,” James said and chuckled. “I’ve
been trying for many years, but it never seems to happen.”

“Tell me, do they allow dogs here? I’ve been hearing
barking since we pulled in.”

“No, they don’t allow dogs here.”

“There, the barking!” I said and pointed toward the hotel.
“Do you hear that?”

“Oh yes, they’re the dogs from the gardener’s house.
Guests are not allowed to have dogs, if that’s what you mean.”

“I knew I wasn’t hearing things,” I said and looked back
at Brandt’s car. “So, you’re from the Island?”

“I’m sorry,” James said, “I think I’m keeping you. You
better go find your husband. If you were mine, I’d want to keep you with me
forever.”

“Yes, I probably should,” I said.

“It was very nice meeting you, Sophia,” he said and took
my hand again in his.

I heard Brandt calling for me and I turned and saw him
walking around the drive.

“I’m gonna go,” I said. “Thank you for talking to me about
Adelaide.”

I looked again at the beautiful Indian princess and back
at James.

“Better run along now,” James said and laughed. “Poor boy
looks absolutely frantic.”

“Yes,” I said and sighed as I ran through the gate toward
the parking lot.

“Sophia!” Brandt said as he paced the driveway. “Sophia,
where are you?”

“I’m right here!” I said as I approached Brandt.

“Jesus Christ!” Brandt said as he came toward me. “I told
you to stay! I was worried sick.”

“I was only over there in the rose garden,” I said. “Did
you think I left?”

“What were you doing in the rose garden?” Brandt said and
looked over my head at the garden.

“Looking at roses,” I said and looked over and saw James
standing at the gate.

James leaned over the cast iron and made a funny face at
me. I giggled and waved at James as Brandt grabbed my arm.

“Oh, come on,” I said and wrestled my arm away from Brandt’s
grip, “that’s just James.”

“Who the fuck is James?” Brandt said and gripped my arm
again and dragged me toward the trunk of his car.

“Are you jealous?” I said.

“You are one strange kid,” Brandt said and shook his head.
“Come on, I need a nap.”

Brandt popped open the trunk and pulled our luggage out.

“But I’m not tired,” I said and grabbed my suitcase from
his hand.

“But I am,” Brandt said and grabbed my suitcase back.

“But I am not.”

“Then I will take a nap and you can do whatever the fuck
you want,” Brandt said and started up the steps toward the foyer of the hotel.

“Oh, I will,” I said and looked back over at James and
smiled.

“Thou art to me a delicious torment.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

I followed Brandt into the foyer of the hotel and looked
up at the massive, glittering chandelier that bathed the grand room in amber,
glowing light. The highly polished marble floors were so slippery, I shuffled
my feet across the lobby area so I didn’t fall in front of the beautiful girls
behind the counter checking the guests in. A bellhop met Brandt and I in the
lobby and took our luggage as he pointed out the areas of the hotel we needed
to explore.

“You must experience the ballroom,” the bellhop said.

He led us to the entrance of the grand ballroom adorned
with rows of round tables and chairs, a parquet dance floor, massive stage area
and another star-like chandelier.

We then walked by a beautiful restaurant on our way
outside to the pool area and the bellhop told us to peek inside.

“You must experience the Battleroy Cafe,” he said as he
took us through French doors that led outside.

The pool area was tiled in red clay and the pool, lined in
dark concrete, gave the impression that it was bottomless. Around the pool,
chaise loungers upholstered in burgundy canvass, held a bevy of sunbathing
beauties. Brandt stared at the other women like a Peeping Tom and didn’t bother
to hide his interest from me. There was a tiki bar near the pool and another
stage area and beyond that, another gate that led to the sandy dunes out to the
private beach.

“You must experience the beach,” the bellhop said and took
us through another set of French doors and down a carpeted corridor toward our
room.

“My husband will be experiencing a nap,” I said.

Brandt gave me a dirty look, pulled out his wallet and
handed the bellhop a couple of dollars while he unlocked the door to our room.

I was shocked that the Battleroy Hotel was actually as
grand as Brandt promised it was. When we entered the massive suite, I was
struck by its beauty. Done with Italian Renaissance flair, the room contained a
common area before the bedroom with stunning views of the Atlantic.

“It’s beautiful,” I said as I looked up at the high open
ceiling with its exposed beams that seemed to disappear into the universe.

“Told ya,” Brandt said and gave me a friendly punch on the
arm. “Well, I’m going to hit the hay.”

Brandt opened the double doors to the bedroom and jumped
on the king-size bed in the center of the room.

“Thank you,” I said to the bellhop and fished into my
purse and gave him two more dollars.

“Thank you,” he said and walked toward the door. “If you
need anything, just let me know.”

I glanced into the bedroom and Brandt jumped on the bed
like a kid and I walked toward the bellhop who stood at the door.

“Hey,” I said to the bellhop, “I was wondering if you
could tell me about James Verrazano.”

“Sophia, come look at this!” Brandt said from the bedroom.

“Ma’am?” the bellhop said and opened the door.

“Sophia!”

“Oh never mind,” I said and nudged him out the door. “I
just met him and was wondering. Thank you for your help.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the bellhop said and shut the door.

“Sophia, get in here!”

“What are you hollering about?” I said and walked into the
bedroom.

Brandt stood at the bathroom door and opened it wider.

“Look at that bathtub!” he said and whistled. “You should
take a bath while I’m napping.”

“No, I’m fine. I think I’ll walk around, unless you want
me to nap with you?” I said and sat on the bed.

“Nah,” Brandt said and kicked off his shoes. “Nap means
nap, Sophia.”

Brandt stretched out on the bed and smiled at me.

“Okay, well, I suppose I’ll get a magazine and go sit by
the pool,” I said and fixed my hair in the mirror.

“Good,” Brandt said and yawned. “Just be back here in an
hour. We have to have our dinner and then back here for the honeymoon.”

“Spectacular,” I said. “I’ll see you later.”

“Yup,” Brandt said and turned on his side.

I grabbed my purse and left the room. I wandered through
the corridors of the Battleroy and was struck with the familiarity of a place I
had been.

“Maybe in a past life,” I said as I looked at my
reflection in the shiny copper of the elevator doors.

I watched a young couple holding hands as they walked
slowly through the lobby discussing the architectural elements of the room. I
followed behind them and listened to their conversation. I hoped to hear the
husband speaking to the wife as Brandt spoke to me. He did not.

I left the intellectual couple and walked outside and
watched another beautiful couple frolicking in the pool. The man gripped the
woman around her waist and slid her up his body and out of the pool holding her
in the air like a goddess as they stared into one another’s eyes. The man gave
her a gentle kiss as he brought her back down into the water and they laughed
as he lifted her back up. The sun shone against their damp skin and they played
in the water like a couple of dolphins in love. I hated them with everything
inside of me.

I went to the back gate and took off my shoes and walked
up a soft sand dune. I stood at the top of the dune and looked out at the
Atlantic Ocean. The surf rolled in, white and foamy like a cappuccino, and I
wondered if it was strong enough to carry me out. Perhaps my parents would
forgive me if I had a near-drowning episode? Perhaps Katt would get over her
rightful anger with me and we could go back to the way things were before I
allowed Nellie or Brandt in my life?

I slid down the dune and plopped myself down in the sand,
leaning against the base and closed my eyes. I inhaled the cool, mist-filled
breeze and listened to the waves roll in and out like a deep breath. I waited
for a sign, something to tell me what to do and where to go.

“It’s very peaceful, no?”

I knew exactly who stood over me before I even opened my eyes
and looked at him.

“Yes,” I said as I opened my eyes and shielded them from
the sun as I looked at James, “I was just thinking the surf sounds like
breathing.”

“Do you mind if I join you? I’m not interrupting your
meditation, am I?” he said.

“Not at all, please sit,” I said and moved over a bit to
make room.

“So, what were you doing?” James said as he dug his hand
into the sand and brought a fistful up and poured it into his other hand. “You
seem very deep in thought.”

“Waiting for a sign, I suppose,” I said and watched the
sand running through his long fingers like an hourglass. “And here you are.”

“Hold out your hand,” James said.

I held my palm up and he poured the cool sand into my hand
from his own. I spread my fingers a bit and the sand found its way through like
a sieve and rained down on his pants.

“I’m sorry,” I said and brushed at his leg, “I’ve made a
mess.”

“It’s okay,” James said and put his hand on top of mine
and pressed my hand down on his thigh, “it’s only sand. So, what’s this sign
you’re looking for? Perhaps I can help?”

“Oh, I don’t think so,” I said and chuckled. “Seems the
mess I’ve made is not limited to sand.”

“Maybe your mess is as unimportant as a few grains of sand
spilled on my pants?”

“I wish,” I said and brought my legs up and hugged my
knees as I looked out at the sea. “But, the truth is, I’ve made a terrible
mistake and I’m afraid what I’ve done will neither be forgiven by some nor be
easily corrected.”

“Wow,” James said and rubbed his chin, “that does sound
serious. I’m sure you didn’t do anything like rob a bank. You sure don’t look
like the criminal type.”

“Hey,” I said and nudged him in the arm with my elbow, “I
could so rob a bank. You have no idea just how dangerous I am, Mr. Verrazano.”

“You say my name real nice,” James said and brushed some
sand off my cheek.

“Thank you,” I said.

“So,” James said and got close to my face, “what did you
do? Tell me right here.”

James turned his head toward me and tapped on his ear
lobe. I leaned into him and inhaled. He smelled of clean spice: vetiver,
ylang-ylang and lemongrass. I brushed my lips against his earlobe and he took a
deep breath. I wanted to suck it into my mouth, I wanted to run my lips up and
down his neck, I wanted him to fuck me.