Book #2 - Cycle of Rebirths - Apple | Barnes and Noble | Amazon |
Charlotte was a high-school music teacher when Nicholae Dragomir found her and charmed his way into managing her career. She’s happy with minor fame until she meets Simon, a mysterious Englishman she’s irresistibly drawn to.
Simon lost his wife Caroline in 1530 to a devastating curse—she’s reincarnated every generation with no memory of him and he spends his days trapped as a statue. If they don’t fall in love again by her twenty-fifth birthday, the search starts all over.
When Simon hesitates to divulge his past to Charlotte, it sends her straight into Nicholae’s arms—a vampire in Lady Juliet’s clan—and a path of destruction. Simon, Agent Seven, and Adam must save Charlotte in time or she and Simon will be cursed forever.
This story is intended for readers over the age of 18 due to adult situations.
Chapter Two
She was about to
go into the room storing their belongings when someone called her name. Tall, dark, and handsome with a charming lilt
to his voice.
She’d never met
someone with gray-green eyes before—at least under this light in the bowels of
the concert hall—and his attention had been so intent. A shiver ran up her spine as she watched him
leave.
“Oh my god, Ms.
Taylor, he was majorly hot!”
“And that accent!”
She turned around,
adopting her teacher’s voice. “Alright,
girls. That’s enough. Everybody to the bus! We have to get you back to the
school by two-thirty.”
Her apartment
building had suffered a mysterious collapse recently, waking her in the middle
of the night to evacuate. Luckily, she
had a unit at the opposite corner from the damage so it was still stable enough
to go inside, but the fire department made all tenants move out in a day before
red-tagging the building. She was barely
able to afford the tiny apartment, but really didn’t want to move back home to Oklahoma
The apartment was
drafty in winter, the hot water usually ran out, and the next-door neighbors
fought all the time, but it was home.
All the furniture had been bought at thrift stores or yard sales except
her bed and the only appliance she owned was a microwave, but it was the first
place she’d lived in and paid for alone after college.
It choked her up a
bit to say goodbye to the little place so suddenly.
Thankfully, her
boss gave her a day off with pay.
She boxed up all
the sentimental things, fast as she could, grabbed clothes from the closet, and
stuffed it all in the car.
Her phone rang the
next morning. She sat at her desk
grading end-of-semester reports when the switchboard put the call through. “Room 203, Ms. Taylor speaking.”
“Ms. Taylor, this
is Nicholae Dragomir. We met recently. Is this a good time?”
She had a mental
gasp. What could this man be
offering? When she gave him her card,
she never expected him to call. “Well, I
was grading papers…” Keep it cool. “But I have a free period at
twelve-forty-five, if it’s important.”
“No rush.” He said it like time was a luxury in his
world. “I must confess I am not used to
seeing female conductors. They are not common where I come from, you see.
You’ve been well taught. Forgive me if this is too forward, but I have two
tickets to the opera for Friday night. I was going to take my mother, but she
cannot attend. I would be deeply honored if you would join me?”
Is he asking me on a date? “Mr. Dragomir—”
“Nicholae, please.
I understand the hesitation of a single woman in a large city.” His tone was calm and soothing. “We could meet at the theater, if you would
be more comfortable. I would greatly enjoy the company of one educated such as
you. Will you consider it?”
She certainly felt
flattered. His genuine charm couldn’t be
denied, and it was sweet of him to think of her safety. “I…call me back this afternoon, and I will
have your answer.” She twisted the phone
cord around her finger. Why was she even
considering this? A date with a strange
man, and at the end of the school year?
Papers didn’t
grade themselves.
He chuckled. “Very well. I look forward to it. Good day, Charlotte
Shaking her head,
she picked up where she left off reading, but the invitation mulled about the
back of her mind all morning.
At 12:45PM on the
dot, Nicholae walked into her classroom.
Her eyes widened in surprise as she hurried the last two girls out the
door. “What are you doing here?” she
hissed.
“Calling on you.” He was either oblivious to her fluster or
enjoyed it. “You said you would have
your answer at this time. These are for you.”
Smiling, he held out a bouquet of pink daisies.
So sweet.
Wait, no!
She took the
bouquet and tossed it on the desk, putting her hands on her hips and scowling
at him. “As in call back on the phone!
I can’t have male visitors unannounced! I’ll get in trouble with my boss.”
“I was discreet
coming in, I assure you. I would not want to cause you trouble, Miss
Charlotte.” Nicholae stepped forward,
tilting his head in an innocent way like a puppy. “I meant no offense.”
She huffed out a
breath, weighing options. “If I agree to
go, will you leave now?” It was
difficult to look away from his eyes.
“You have my
word.” He even gave her a little bow.
“Fine. Leave the
details, and I’ll meet you on Friday.”
He smiled. “Excellent!”
Nicholae stepped toward the door adjacent to the parking lot, stopping
to lean close to her ear. “It will be a
pleasure, Ms. Taylor.” His breath
tickled her neck.
She suppressed a
shiver. “Good day, Mr. Dragomir.”
He nodded and
left.
She sighed in
relief once she was alone and turned to the desk—had to make sure to bring the
daisies home. The flowers were innocent
no matter how forward Mr. Dragomir had been.
Attending the opera with a mysterious
European…wouldn’t Mom have a field day with this?
****
Nicholae stood by
the door to the concert hall dressed in a very sharp suit.
His eyes lit up
upon spotting her, sweeping over her from head to toe and back again. She felt visually caressed, and that she
should’ve worn a dress with less cleavage to meet a stranger. But C-cups weren’t easy to hide on a
five-foot frame on any day.
He reached for her
free hand and kissed it. “I am a lucky
man to have such a lovely companion tonight. Shall we?” he asked, offering his
arm.
She placed her
hand on the crook of his elbow. “Indeed.
I’m looking forward to the performance.”
“Are you familiar
with this opera?”
“Only with a
couple of the arias. I used to participate in singing competitions in high
school. I’ve been meaning to ask you—where are you from?”
“Eastern
Europe , originally, and a bit of everywhere. My family, they like
to roam. I have seen much in my life.”
She held her skirt
up a couple inches to walk the stairs to their section. He had box seats. A box cost a pretty penny! Wonder what he and/or his family did for a
living—or were they ‘old money’?
“We did something
similar, though only in summer, starting out seeing the rest of the U.S. Atlantic ?”
He held open the
door to the box, then allowed her to pick a seat first. “It depends on my mood, I guess you could
say. There are many opportunities available here, of course, but this country
is still also so young. There are times I miss the feel of…history.” The rows below were still filling as people
hurried to their seats before the curtain call. “Can you see well enough?”
She turned to him
and smiled. “Oh, yes. I’m fine. It’s
really all in the hearing, though, yes? Music is just as able to reach the
blind, or the deaf…because you can feel it.”
He hummed in
agreement. “Never let passion fade from
you, sweet Charlotte. It will serve your work well, just as life.”
The lights flashed
off and on, indicating everyone should take their seats, and the orchestra
started to play the introduction…
****
She clapped as the
final curtain closed.
He touched her
arm. “Perhaps we could go for coffee or
dessert, and discuss the performance?”
She hedged. “I…”
“Tomorrow is
Saturday, so you do not have work, yes? It is not so very late, yet.”
“You’re right,
it’s not…but not tonight. I actually have someone waiting for a call.”
“I see. Well,
permit me to walk you to your car, then, and we will say goodnight.” They moved out of the box into the crowded
hallway. “I hope you enjoyed the opera?”
“I did, very much.
Thank you for inviting me, Nicholae. I hope your mother feels better soon.”
“You’re so
thoughtful. I’m sure it is merely a cold or something. You know, I have tickets
for the summer concert season…perhaps tonight will not be our only outing.”
She smiled
enigmatically. “Perhaps…”
He certainly
intrigued her. Handsome enough. Appreciated history and culture. It would be nice to go out with someone who
had more than twenty dollars to their name, too.
But…
Her friends and
family back in Oklahoma
It took a while to
escape the crowded theater, but they made it to the parking lot. Charlotte
“Of course. It was
a lovely evening, Charlotte
She dropped her
eyes, blushing.
He smiled and
backed away a few steps before turning and leaving.
She exhaled to
release the tension, then unlocked her car.
Nicholae made
lunch plans with her the next day.
She had a hard
time saying no where he was concerned.
“You mentioned
longing to travel. What if I could help make that happen?” he asked. He’d taken her to a fancy café that served
things like steak tartar and Nicoise salad.
“What do you
mean?”
He set down his
fork and caught her gaze. “Let me ask
you this: do you prefer teaching, or would you rather perform? Guide someone
else’s talent, or make the world adore yours?”
“How would you do
that?”
“I’m a patron of
the arts, Charlotte
“I think so…”
“Play for me when
we get back. Then we’ll talk more. Now, where was I?”
He continued his dissertation
on Russian musical influences.
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