Five

Zach’s eyes bulged comically. “For pity’s sake, woman, we haven’t known each other long enough for that.”

  I smiled, liking his outrage. Most guys I had known would have either stood up and walked away, or tried to change my mind. I needed to clarify, though. “What I meant to say was that I’m waiting until I get married.”

  He caressed my cheek softly. “That’s good to hear.”

  I hadn’t ever gotten that response before. Celibacy before marriage was a bit out-dated, but I didn’t feel ready to give my body to a man, especially if I wasn’t certain I loved him. I wanted my first time to be fantastic instead of a moment I would regret. I glanced at him shyly. “Are you?”

  His gaze shifted away from mine as his biceps tensed under my fingers. “I wish more than anything right now I could tell you what you want to hear, lass. I am afraid, however, I can’t.” His lips curved slightly. “Try not to hold it against me.”

  I shrugged. “It’s no big deal. I was just curious.”

  His smile elongated across his face. “Speaking of—weren’t you going to answer some questions for me?”

  “If I have to.” I sat up. “Look, I don’t like my scar. I know it’s ridiculous to act the way I did earlier, but I’m not comfortable showing this to the world.” I raised the flap of fabric covering the ghostly flesh that had haunted me since the sixth grade.

  He spoke softly as if trying to calm a skittish colt, “Good thing I am just one man.” He traced my marred flesh gently, sending a bout of heat into my belly. “You are beautiful, Rayla. No patch of skin can change that fact. If any man thinks otherwise, he doesn’t deserve you.”

  Unnerved, I turned away from him. “I think we should go see what everyone else is doing.”

  He clasped my shoulder. “I would rather watch the sun rise with you in my arms, but that can wait.” When he got to his feet, he pulled me up with him. “Would you like to explore Roger’s ridiculous palace with me?”

  I grinned. “Nothing better, but, first, I need a lady’s room.”

  Zach took me to a side door. I was relieved to bypass the fray at the pool where splashing, giggling, and the occasional curse word floated over to us.

  “Here we are. That is, if I remember right. This place is worse than Neuschwanstein.”

  I wanted to ask him about the fairytale castle that had fascinated me since I was a little girl, but my bladder had other ideas. I found it funny that he had named my absolute favorite.

  Eager to change out of the hideous thing I was wearing, I asked Zach to get my bag for me. When I opened the door a few minutes later, Zach had my belongings in hand. I gave him a rare flirtatious smile and shut the door firmly behind me. I could have looked worse, but I took some time to brush my hair and put on lip gloss. When I entered the hallway, he was gone.

  I roamed the corridors for a few minutes before I realized I could easily get lost in this vast estate. Where had he disappeared to?

  Duh, he was probably changing in another room. I needed to be more patient. I traced my steps back to the hall I had come from. At least, I thought it was the right corridor.

  Most of the doors were locked. When I checked another knob, it turned. I smiled and let myself in.

  Of all the rooms I had seen in Roger’s house, I liked this one best. Simple elegance was what I would christen this little corner of heaven. I could imagine a blaze roaring in the sumptuously chiseled fireplace. My finger glided along the dips and valleys of one of the engraved capstones. Five overlapping rings made up the odd kaleidoscopic design. Four of the rings intersected into a cross, the adjoining loops made an X that was connected by four arches. The center ring was raised and intersected each of the other circles as though it was the most important. The image looked symbolic, maybe even Celtic, but I had never seen it before.

  The desire to curl onto one of the tufted leather chairs with a good book tempted me more than I could resist. I hit the switch nearest the mantel and brought my fantasy to life.

  Zach could come get me. I was tired of looking for him. I searched the ancient looking tomes stacked to the ceiling on wall-to-wall bookcases to see if I could find anything interesting. Some of the titles were either in a foreign language or nonexistent. My fingers brushed the spine of a small volume stuck out farther than the others. I pulled it from the shelf.

  The leather was smooth as if thousands of hands had done what mine were doing now. I rubbed the cover one last time then rifled through the pages. The handwritten text had been scrawled in a slanted script.

  How old was this book? It looked like a journal. I had always wanted to see what sort of things someone from another time would write about.

  The leather chair I’d been dying to fill groaned before relaxing beneath me. I was engrossed the moment I started reading:

  I find after five lifetimes spent in that other realm, my heart has grown cold and unfeeling. What sort of cruel fate would bring me to love my captor just to rip me away from him? Oh, that I could see his shining eyes. I would gladly die to feel his body pressed to mine once more, but, alas, those days are gone. I am left alone in this world without friend or family.

  They think to appease me with riches. I have had those in abundance and more. How can I go on?

  Keys jangled in the hall. I panicked, shoving the book into my bag moments before the door swung open.

  I couldn’t put it back now without having to explain why I had taken it. Besides, I really wanted to read it now.

  I would return the book later. Borrowing wasn’t stealing, right?

  I expected Zach, but the fresh-faced young man staring bewilderedly at me didn’t look a thing like him. The stranger’s lips curved in a winning smile. He swept sandy bangs from his midnight blue eyes. With one finger poised, he gestured for me to hang on. He looked up and down the hallway then shut the door softly.

  Mischief danced in his expression when he walked past me to the fireplace. To my surprise, he flipped the switch, plunging the room into near darkness. At least the curtains weren’t closed. My eyes slowly adjusted. I should have felt uncomfortable being alone with him, but his baby-face kept me from being too worried.

  There was a bit of a rasp to his tenor voice. “Roger would slit your throat if he saw you in here.” A flashlight erupted in his hands. “How did you manage to get in, anyways?”

  When he raised the light to my face, I shielded my eyes. “Uh, I turned the knob.”

  “Is that all?” He lowered the flashlight and chuckled. “Roger never leaves this room open. It would have been much more interesting if you had been a spy.” He smiled, but his eyes searched mine a little too intently.

  “I guess I just got lucky,” I said sarcastically, making my way to the door. He was right on my heels. I turned toward him to defuse the unexpected tension between us. “What’s your name?”

  He grinned down at me. “Alex.”

  He was too close. I was beginning to get nervous, but why? He didn’t look like much of a threat.

  Cocking his head, he inched a little nearer. “What’s yours?”

  I shifted my gaze from his intense stare. “Rayla.”

  “I should take you to Roger to see what he wants to do with you, but you seem pretty harmless to me.”

  “Who are you, his bodyguard?” I joked.

  His face scrunched up in disgust. “Just because I’m scrawny doesn’t mean I’m weak. Besides, I’m working on that.”

  “I didn’t mean—”

  “Rookie mistake.” His teeth gleamed when he flashed a smile. “I get that a lot.”

  I didn’t know how to handle his statement delicately, so I changed the subject. “Hey, have you seen Zach around anywhere?”

  He gave me an exaggerated sigh, and his bangs lifted in a feathery puff. “Am I ever going to find a woman that isn’t already taken?”

  Try as I might, I couldn’t hide the grin that spread across my lips. “I wouldn’t say I’m exactly taken, but he is my date. I need to find him.”

&nbs
p; His eyes gleamed with a new hope I was sorry for putting there. “I’m not sure I’ve met him.”

  I assumed Zach had been coming here for ages by the way he maneuvered the place. “He’s Roger’s friend.”

  Alex sniffed and shook his head. “I haven’t heard of him, but I can help you find him if you want me to.” When I reached for the knob, his hand sped past mine. “You’d better let me—just in case.” Once in front of me, he inched the door open like an inspector in an old murder mystery.

  Mimicking his movements, I crept carefully into the dimly lit hallway. He had sort of a school-boy charm with his ruddy cheeks and promising features. He would be gorgeous one day.

  “Thanks for not ratting me out, Alex,” I said for his benefit.

  He glowered, not really at me, but through me. “I wouldn’t give Roger the satisfaction. He has been impossible ever since Mom and Dad left.”

  I would have never guessed in a hundred years this boy was Roger’s brother. Theatrics were the only thing they seemed to have in common. I glanced sideways at him. “Shouldn’t you be with your parents?”

  He closed his eyes slowly before his lips pursed, making white lines appear around them. “I will absolutely lose it if one more person says that to me. Do you think I’m fourteen or something?”

  Actually, he wasn’t far off if I was being honest. I had pegged him for sixteen at the most. How old was he? “Um, I didn’t mean to offend you. You do look young.”

  “For the love of Mary! I’m a sophomore at Notre Dame! Damn it!” He hit the wall sideways with his fist. “I’m probably going to be forty before anyone will take me seriously.”

  “I…”

  “Never mind. You aren’t the first. You won’t be the last. Where did you say you saw Zach last?”

  I hadn’t actually, but I decided not to be nitpicky. “Here.” I pointed at the restroom. “I thought he was probably in the vicinity, so I started searching. That’s how I ended up in the study.”

  Alex’s expression turned grave. “Let’s just hope Roger doesn’t find out.”

  I touched his shoulder to stop him from walking away. “You’re serious, aren’t you? I thought you were joking before.”

  His eyes held a sadness I understood completely. There were some things that just couldn’t be changed no matter how much you wanted them to.

  “I wish.” He looked me up and down, a grin slowly forming on his lips, making me a little uncomfortable. “Look, if I were you, I wouldn’t come here again. Stay on campus. Finish school. Don’t get involved in this.”

  I scrunched my face in confusion. “You mind repeating that in English? I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.”

  He smirked. “Good. Keep it that way.”

  With that said he started down the corridor again. That had to be one of the strangest conversations I had ever had. What in the world had he been implying? If Roger was into something bad, I didn’t want Cassie to get involved with him. Chase was enough bad for a lifetime.

  I groaned, stopping short. I had ditched my best friend. I hadn’t thought about her once since she left me earlier. Zach had a way of making me forget anyone else in the world existed.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Alex.

  “Forget Zach,” I said.

  “Now we’re talking.” He spun the other direction. “I could show you my—”

  I groaned inwardly. “Sorry, I still need to find him, but I have to find someone else, first.” I had no desire to deflate his hopes, but I didn’t want to encourage him, either. I had enough men to deal with already. “Have you met Cassie Lambert yet?”

  “If you mean that hot little thing Roger’s been mauling for the past hour, then yeah, briefly.”

  I gasped. Zach could take care of himself. I had to get to Cassie as soon as possible. She and I had an understanding. “Will you take me to them?”

  He cocked his head at me. “I shouldn’t, but she seems too sweet for him.”

  We walked through a maze of corridors before he finally stopped. “They’re in there,” Alex whispered. “You’re on your own. I did not show you how to get here.”

  He left without making a sound. I pounded on the door.

  “Go away,” Roger yelled.

  “Cassie, are you in there?” I tried the handle. It wouldn’t budge.

  “I need to go,” Cassie said. At least I thought that was what she said.

  “Not now,” said Roger heatedly. “You can’t leave me yet.”

  When Cassie finally opened the door, her hair and make-up were a mess and her suit was lopsided. She wouldn’t look at me, and her cheeks were slightly ruddy as if she were embarrassed.

  “You can stay if you want to,” I said softly so Roger wouldn’t overhear. I didn’t want to ruin things for her if she had changed her mind.

  “No,” she whispered back. “I want to come with you. Do you think Natalie is ready to go?”

  Why was she so eager to leave? The heat of anger filled my neck. “Did he hurt you?” I hissed.

  She swayed a little. “I’m okay. Can we go?”

  I shot Roger a dirty look when she opened the door further. Cassie’s eyes flew wide before she nodded slightly toward him as though I had a line in this scene I wasn’t saying.

  I looked directly at his smug face; however, I did not return his smile. “I’m sorry to have to steal Cassie from you, but we have to leave.”

  “Stay the night,” he suggested coyly. “I have everything you could need here.”

  Sure he did. Wayne Manor, indeed; this place was more like Dracula’s lair. “I’d prefer to sleep in my own bed, if you don’t mind. Besides, we have a curfew.” Parietals bothered most students in my corridor, but not me. I liked having an excuse to ditch a bad situation.

  “I know a few people at St. Mary’s.” He lay back against the pile of blood-red pillows, placing his hands nonchalantly behind his head. Then he stretched his long legs out on the tousled sheets, setting one ankle on top of the other as though he owned the world. “It shouldn’t be a problem.”

  I narrowed my eyes and pulled Cassie into the hall. “No thanks,” I shot over my shoulder.

  Roger was behind us in seconds. “Really. All the halls have an understanding about parietals.” He gave me his charismatic smile. “It’s like the army: Don’t ask, don’t tell.”

  He was seriously creeping me out. Even the military couldn’t be that out-dated. How had I ever considered him charming?

  He grabbed Cassie’s hand. “Don’t you want to stay? I thought you were enjoying—”

  “Rayla’s right,” she cut in. She couldn’t have been more crimson if he had dumped a bucket of red paint over her head. “I don’t want to get into trouble. We’ve only been here a couple weeks.”

  The anger on his face turned momentarily to expectation. “I’m having a party next weekend.” He ran a finger up her arm. “I want you here.”

  Cassie’s gaze lingered on the floor. “I don’t know if I can, but I’ll see.”

  “There you are,” said Zach from behind us. His gaze darted to Roger’s bedroom. A slight frown pulled at his lips. “I’ve been looking all over for you. Don’t you guys need to get back by two?”

  “We were just coming to find you,” I said, dismissing Roger with my gaze.

  Cassie didn’t need any encouragement to bolt ahead of us. We left without any fanfare, thankfully.

  Alex had me curious, though. Who was Roger Wayne, and why did I have the distinct impression I should have found somewhere else to be tonight?