Passions Read online

  Spinning to face him completely, she crossed her arms tightly over her churning stomach. “Listen, I’m really sorry about everything I’ve said over the past two nights. I know I’ve probably offended you, and I didn’t mean to.”

  Gavin’s expression shifted from amused to calm with a hint of something Chloe recognized as akin to admiration. “It’s alright. I can only imagine what you must be going through.”

  She let out a tight breath and smiled. “Yeah, my aunt didn’t exactly tell me about you in her will. Otherwise, I might have been a little more prepared.”

  A shadow passed over his face, and he was no longer smiling. “I heard about Mary Anne. You have my deepest condolences.”

  Chloe shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “How did you know?”

  “I hear a lot through these floorboards,” he said, tapping his heel on the wood to prove his point. “I heard about your aunt’s passing when the realtors came to inspect the home. That’s when I first heard you’d be moving in.”

  A sickening feeling came over her stomach. “How much do you hear?”

  Gavin shrugged and his lips pinched together. “Not much. I can tell when you’re walking around and having conversations on the downstairs floor, but nothing else.” Why did Chloe not believe him? “And now it’s my turn to apologize for my deplorable behavior earlier. Do forgive me?”

  Chloe could only guess that he was referring to earlier when his eyes had turned a nasty blood red and he cleaned her cut finger. She scraped the bandage against her sleeve, not liking how sore and tender it still was.

  “It’s totally fine. I should have been more careful with the knife.”

  Gavin didn’t reply but turned his gaze away to focus on some undefined spot on the wall. A tendon jumped in his jaw as he gritted his teeth together in what she could only describe as a deep self-loathing. He probably hated the way that he lost control, even for a moment. Regardless of whether he acted on such a temptation or not, he probably didn’t like the fact that he was tempted at all.

  It brought her back to what he’d said before about trying not to be a monster. Watching him stand there in her kitchen, handsome features and all, it was easy to imagine him as anything but a monster.

  Chloe turned away and poured herself another cup of coffee. After glancing over her shoulder to make sure he wasn’t right behind her, she turned and walked into the living room to turn on her laptop.

  “I’m going to try and write a little tonight,” she announced, unsure why.

  “Wonderful. You haven’t written anything in a while.” The cheer in his words was notable.

  “Nothing besides that little short story yesterday.”

  She heard Gavin’s heavy footsteps lumber out of the kitchen and into the living room.

  “That was rather devious of you, by the way.”

  Chloe grinned and perked up a bit at the offhanded compliment. “Why, thank you, sir,” she replied in a horribly attempted British accent.

  Once more, Gavin did not take offense and chuckled instead. At least he had a sense of humor, she thought. Maybe this cohabitation wouldn’t be so bad.

  While her computer was waking up, Chloe felt herself become hyperaware of Gavin and where he was in the house. First, he wandered across the fireplace to the window and stayed there for a while before sitting on the couch.

  She wasn’t quite sure why he lingered in the living room. There were a million places that he could be if he wanted to. But, instead of slinking down into the basement or hunting for rabbits out in the woods, he chose to be with her, somehow just content to be in the vicinity.

  “So, you knew my aunt?” Chloe asked, referring to their previous conversation. He might have been fine with the silence, but she was not.

  “Very well, actually,” he replied.

  When she opened up the word document for her novel, she heard him rise and draw closer.

  Chloe tried not to read between the lines of his response, but it was too tempting. “How well?”

  Gavin was standing behind her now, his hands slung in his pockets. “We talked a great deal on many topics.”

  She turned her head until her chin grazed her shoulder as she looked down to his knees, unwilling to meet his eyes and be trapped there. “Just talked?”

  It took Gavin a moment, but then he realized what she meant and laughed. “Yes, I can assure you, all we did was talk.”

  Chloe inwardly let out a relieved sigh. If her aunt had gotten seriously intimate with a vampire, no wonder everyone thought she was losing her marbles.

  Turning back to the word document, she refreshed herself with the events that took place in the chapter before. It felt like weeks since she’d sat down and cranked out a few paragraphs about her characters’ love story.

  But, as she began reading, she was painfully aware of how close Gavin was. He had taken another step forward and she could practically feel him leaning over her shoulder to read along.

  His scent roiled around her once more, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood at attention. Her skin tingled pleasantly even though she couldn’t feel his breath on her neck. In fact, he had no breath at all. It was quiet except for the muted din of crickets coming from outside, and all she could hear was the sound of her own breathing.

  It had never occurred to her that Gavin wasn’t really alive. He was a vampire, the living dead. He would have no heartbeat, no breath, nothing to make him validly living except for the fact that he moved and behaved as any living being.

  Chloe had read in some mythologies online about vampires having no soul. But she already knew that couldn’t be the case for Gavin. He was too caring and considerate not to have a soul.

  The longer he stood there, the more intense her anxiety became. His nearness would make her come undone if she didn’t break away. But she had almost no desire to. The moment felt so unnerving that she was willing to ask him anything as long as it would break the silence.

  “When you were fixing the cut, I couldn’t move.”

  The way it came out was more of a statement, but she meant it as a question.

  “Yes, I am sorry about that as well,” he replied with a sigh. Now she felt a hot gust of air blow on her exposed neck. Chloe tried to hold in her shivers. So he did have breath, but he didn’t breathe. How was that possible?

  “You did that to me?” she asked meekly. She wasn’t reading anymore, merely staring at the bright computer screen, trying her hardest not to make any sudden movements.

  “I did.” She felt his face inch closer. “I knew if you had the chance to run, you would have. And I wanted the chance to help you.”

  Chloe swallowed. “And now?”

  Gavin seemed to lurch minutely at the question. “I’m not doing anything now. I only use that particular skill when I’m… Well, it makes it easier than having to run after a meal. I’ll just leave it at that.”

  She knew exactly what he meant.

  “But, I promise,” he continued, “that I will not use such powers on you again.”

  He relaxed as bit as he seemed to flow back into the task of reading. Chloe twitched her fingers, testing if he was lying to her about his sway over her body. They moved at her bidding, so she shakily reached out for her coffee mug.

  She brought it to her lips, being extraordinarily careful not to spill. Just after one sip, she realized her mistake. The coffee was bitter, lacking the sweetener that she always added. In all the excitement, she forgot all about doctoring up her coffee so it was at least palatable.

  Chloe’s nose wrinkled at the taste. Gathering what strength she could from her need to have her cup of coffee, she stood from the chair and swerved past Gavin to retreat once more into the kitchen.

  Gavin stayed in the living room, but only for a moment.

  While she mixed in her usual dose of sugar, the spoon clinking against the inner walls of her mug, she sensed more than heard Gavin approach.

  Standing there, her hands gripping her mug so
tightly that the warmth seeped into her palms, a dangerous idea came to mind.

  Chloe wondered if Gavin was putting on a show for her. He was so nice, so amiable and pleasant to be around that this couldn’t be the truth. The only downside to his company was how undone he made her feel.

  One common trait amongst all the myths about vampires she had learned was that they were masters of seduction. Women vampires were temptresses, and the men were dashing gentlemen up to the very end until they revealed their true intent for midnight lovers.

  Would Chloe become one of those victims? Would the mask fall a second too late? What if, in the same way that he had manipulated her body, Gavin was distorting her mind to make her believe that what she saw was true? What if that handsome face was no more than a façade?

  She wished that thoughts were like pencil sketches. Then, she could erase what didn’t sit well with her and create a new image. But this new revelation couldn’t be wiped away. There would always be that kernel of mistrust unless she was given a reason to believe that living in the same cabin with a vampire was completely fine; Or, as fine as it could be.

  Chloe lifted her chin, and she heard an uncertainty in Gavin’s steps. Could he feel her emotions in the same way that a predator could smell fear? Could he read her thoughts and know what it was she suspected?

  Then, there was stillness. Chloe looked and saw him standing at the dividing line between the kitchen and the living room, staring at her with a perplexed look. He didn’t seem angry or upset at all. Perhaps it was the shift in her stance that made him hesitant to trespass closer.

  Hardly knowing what compelled her to ask, she said, “What?”

  He shook his head as if coming out of a deep sleep. “Nothing. I…” Gavin paused, seeming pensive as he gazed at her. “You resemble someone I knew.”

  Chloe blinked. “Who?” Her fingertips pressed into the ceramic of her coffee mug, feeling the jagged ridges of the paint lines.

  Gavin didn’t answer. But he did take a few cautious steps forward.

  Watching his slow swagger, Chloe forgot what it was she had been so concerned about. Yes, Gavin was handsome. And yes, he was a vampire. But wouldn’t he have killed her long ago if he had really wanted to? He said so himself when she first found him in the living room the night before.

  The idea was comforting and just the rational thinking she needed to fight away the mistrust she had felt moments before. Gavin wasn’t her enemy here. He was her friend, someone who could keep her company at night while the rest of the world forgot that she had secluded herself away in this cabin. He was also someone to share her passion with. He obviously knew a lot about writing and literature. That was enough to earn her veneration.

  The tension she’d felt for days about Gavin vanished. In its place was the surety that she’d, at last, found a new friend. It was a new life, a new adventure, and a new friend who happened to be a vampire.

  Gavin came excruciatingly close, but Chloe wasn’t afraid anymore. She trembled, but it wasn’t from fear that he’d kill her. It was from the anticipation of what he might do instead.

  She’d been so focused on his green eyes that she didn’t see his hand reach out and snatch something from her robe pocket. She jerked back and watched him examine the small blue notebook.

  It was one of many Chloe kept. One was in her purse, another by her bed upstairs, and another waiting on her dresser to be slipped into her jeans pocket when she went out. As a creative person and aspiring writer, she found it an effective habit to keep a notepad and pen on her at all times. She’d nearly forgotten that her robe pocket still contained any such supplies.

  Gavin, his brows angled curiously, flipped open the thin plastic cover and began leafing through the ruled pages. Chloe watched him and sipped at her coffee, resisting the eager smile that wanted to burst forth.

  She knew that some of the ideas contained in that particular notebook were from a few days ago when she came up with an alternate scene idea for the novel she was working on right now. They were changes that Gavin didn’t even know about. Would he like them?

  The answer came when Gavin made a face and began ripping out one page at a time. Chloe nearly choked on her coffee when he wadded them up in his fist and tossed them onto the counter.

  “What are you doing?” Chloe shrieked, feeling as if she’d been indirectly defiled by the way he was destroying her ideas.

  “These ideas are no good for your story,” he simply said, still perusing through the contents of the notebook.

  “Why not? I thought that hardware store scene would have been perfect!” Chloe defended, immediately setting down her coffee to try and salvage the tattered piece of paper from the counter.

  “It’s not realistic. You’re forcing your characters together in a situation that would never happen.”

  Chloe was taken aback that Gavin presumed to know her characters better than she did. “And why would you say that?” she asked, smoothing the pages on her thigh.

  Gavin flipped the notebook closed after tearing out almost every page with words written on it and looked up at her with a magnanimous expression. “Because, Ben Johnson is a banker, and he’s already admitted that he knows little about the things that most men seem to know. This includes knowing how to repair a broken sink drain. Therefore, he would not immediately offer his help to Alleia.”

  Set back on her heels, Chloe was amazed. She’d completely forgotten that her male protagonist was a pretty useless excuse for a man when it came to repairing things. If she had added that scene, her readers would have immediately picked up on it. Either that, or she would have seen the mistake while revising the manuscript, and it might have thrown the book completely off.

  Taking a bite of humble pie, she crumpled up the papers again. “You’re right. How could I have missed that? I sometimes think of scenes that I’d like to add in my stories and just jot them down for later. But you’re completely right. This scene isn’t for Ben and Alleia.”

  Chloe raised her hand to toss the useless ideas into the trash when a hand clamped shut over her knuckles. The lack of frightening force was new to her and she relished the way his warm fingers gentle wrapped over hers.

  Chloe flinched and looked up to meet his gaze again.

  “If you like the idea, maybe you could save it for another novel,” he suggested. “I’m sorry if I gave you the impression it couldn’t be used at all.”

  The way he wadded up the papers to begin with had certainly made her feel as if her inspiration was worthless, but, she accepted his apology with a nod and began flattening the pages out again.

  “You said you wanted to write tonight?”

  Chloe nodded again and pocketed the somewhat repaired pages before taking up her mug again.

  “I know I just proved that my assistance may not be viable, but permit me to help?”

  She couldn’t help but give him a tight-lipped grin. “I never did give you that answer about helping with Ben’s part, did I?”

  Gavin returned the smile, but he wasn’t bashful about exposing his pearly teeth. “No, you haven’t. But I wasn’t going to bring it up.”

  Chloe’s smile weakened a bit at the sight of his sparkling fangs. It was the only trait about Gavin that suggested he wasn’t human, besides his pale skin, of course. And even though she had seen them before, they were quite daunting.

  He noticed that her attention had been drawn towards his mouth and quickly pressed his lips together to hide them. “Are they as terrifying as you thought they would be?” he asked, a twinge of self-consciousness in his voice.

  She shrugged her shoulders together as if to fight off a cold breeze. “They’re not as long as I imagined.”

  Taking a step back, Gavin swept his arm out and then back across his stomach before bending low in a deep bow. “You have my word as a gentleman that I will never harm you.”

  When he rose back up, Chloe was on the verge of giggles. The bow, combined with his British accent and heart-stoppin
g good looks, was too much to bear in one sitting. A sparkle came to his eyes as if he found her struggling face amusing.

  It was what pushed her over the edge, and Chloe let out a string of giggles that she almost couldn’t control. She covered her mouth and nose with the plush cuff of her robe to muffle the sound, but there was no hiding the one thing about her that she hated.

  It was a genuine laugh, intermittent with moments where she couldn’t breathe and strings of bubbling giggles. She hadn’t laughed so hard in weeks, and she knew why. She’d never had a reason to feel happy until now.

  Gavin waited patiently for her to settle down, his own facial muscles tight to suppress the urge to grin. But soon, even his control snapped, and she saw the fangs glisten in the kitchen light.

  Funny how they both were trying to hide the one thing they must have hated in themselves, but in the end, it didn’t matter. Chloe didn’t totally mind his fangs, and he obviously didn’t mind her dorky laughter.

  She cleared her throat once her giggling had stopped and quickly walked away feeling discomfited. Gavin followed as she sat back down at the desk.

  “So, what will we put Ben and Alleia through today?” he asked, clearly trying to change the subject for her sake.

  Chloe thought it strange how now they were suddenly a team and this was their project. She wasn’t alone anymore. It warmed her soul to know that Gavin was there to help.

  He was so unlike Brent. Not only was Brent never really there when she needed him, but he hated her laugh and purposefully tried to not say anything funny to coax it out. Why hadn’t she met Gavin sooner in life? Then, maybe she wouldn’t have made so many awful mistakes.

  Chapter 11

  Chloe tried to hold perfectly still as she applied the black mascara to her upper eyelashes, her face pulled into an unattractive look like most women had while applying eye makeup. It had been a while since she’d had to bother about things like a beauty regimen, but tonight was special. At least, she would try to make it special.