A Glimpse of the Dark Side: Adult Paranormal Erotic Romance Collection (18 page)

At night, there were small twinkling lights that
adorned the garden. These lights strongly resembled the stars in
the sky. She had heard Erick told Simon that he loved the garden at
night because he was reminded of their heavenly home. So she
surmised that Erick and Simon must have grown up in a lovely, vast
place, away from the city, where the view of the stars would not be
hampered by heavy smog at night. It must also be the reason why he
and Simon were such good friends, because they had grown up in the
same place.

As they continued to discuss wedding plans,
Simon and Dreama had started exchanging discreet looks between
them. Even though they were quite discreet, they did not go
unnoticed by both Hollianne and Erick. In fact, these two were
exchanging some looks of their own as Hollianne's matchmaking
tendencies kicked into overdrive.

Erick knew what she was thinking and smiled
indulgently. He knew it was a waste of time to ask her to let
nature take its course. Many times, Hollianne professed to be
nature's best friend, and there was no stopping her once she was on
a mission to help two people get together.

THEY WERE ALL having a wonderful conversation
about inconsequential things, really, when Dreama's cell phone
rang. Glancing down, she saw that it was the hospital.

"I'm so sorry, but I must take this," she said
as she stood up and quickly stepped out into the hallway.

While Dreama was taking her call, Hollianne
looked at Simon with a somewhat mischievous look on her face.

"So Simon," she began. "When are you going to
ask Dreama out on a real date?"

"Now, Holli," Erick said. "Please don't make
Simon uncomfortable, or he will stop agreeing to come visit
us."

Simon laughed at the two of them. "I appreciate
you trying to run interference for me, Brother," he said. "But this
is one time that Holli has it right. I have been thinking all night
of how I can ask her out before she leaves here."

"Wonderful!" Holli cried with no small measure
of glee in her voice. "It's not that hard, Simon. Just ask her. I
know she'll say yes!"

"You do, eh? Now, just how are you so positive
that she will say yes?"

"I...uh...I just know," Holli said. "I can't
give away all of my secrets, you know. But I can tell you that you
won't regret it if you do ask her."

Dreama suddenly hurried back into the room. "I'm
so sorry, but I'm going to have to leave. That was the hospital.
Apparently, my new patient is awake and causing quite a ruckus. I
need to get there as soon as possible."

"Oh, Dreama," Holli exclaimed. "I wish you
didn't have to go but, of course, we understand. At least you got
to enjoy your dinner first."

"And a wonderful dinner it was! Thank you so
much for inviting me, and I promise that we'll get together later
this week to go over more wedding plans."

Simon saw his chance slipping away. "Dreama, let
me walk you out," he said.

"Oh, Simon, that's not really necessary," she
said but then she caught a look from Holli. "However, that would be
nice. Thank you."

After hugging Hollianne and Erick, she and Simon
headed back down the large, long hallway. Eli was waiting at the
front door with her coat. Dreama never could understand how Eli
knew these things. It was almost as if he was psychic at times.

Simon helped her into her coat and they walked
outside to her car.

Just before he opened the car door for her to
get inside, Simon turned to face Dreama.

"I know you need to leave," he said, almost
panicking as he felt his throat constricting in his nervousness.
"But I wanted to ask you if you might be free some evening this
week. I thought we might go out for dinner or something. If you're
really busy, maybe we can meet for a drink." By the time he
finished, he was already wincing. It wasn't the best delivery he
had ever done. What must she think?

But Dreama's smile was brilliant as she looked
up at him. "I would love that, Simon," she said. "Let me just check
my calendar and see what my schedule is like. Also, I've got to see
how things go with my new patient, but I should at least be able to
manage a drink, if nothing else."

"Great!" Simon smiled back. "I'll wait to hear
from you."

Opening the door for her, he stepped back as she
got into the driver's seat.

"Be careful going home," he said. "And I really
enjoyed getting to see you tonight."

"Me, too," Dreama said. "I'll call you
tomorrow."

"I look forward to it," he said just before
shutting the car door.

After she started the car engine, she gave him a
little wave before driving away.

Simon watched her as she drove down the long
driveway until she was out of sight. He was kind of glad that she
couldn't see him now because he didn't want her to see the huge,
goofy smile that he was wearing as he returned to the house.

AFTER THE INCREDIBLE evening that Simon had
spent with Dreama the night before at Erick and Hollianne's, he was
more convinced than ever that she was the woman he was meant to
have.

Of course, Holli had pumped him for details when
he had re-entered the house after seeing Dreama to her car. Since
he knew it would do no good to try to ignore her, he confessed that
he had asked Dreama out and that she had said yes. They just needed
to figure out how to work it around her schedule right now, and
whether that schedule would allow her time for dinner or only a
drink. Either way, he was happy that she seemed interested. Holli
couldn't almost contain her excitement, telling him that if he
hadn't made his move that night she would have made sure there
would be another dinner as soon as she could arrange it, to give
both of them their chance.

He had also made another decision, now that
Dreama had agreed to go out with him.

There was going to be no sneaking around. He was
proud to be seen with Dreama and wanted the world to know that he
was dating her.

Of course, he might be putting the cart before
the horse here, but somehow he didn't think so.

That's why he had thought through the whole
thing about Raven and had reached a conclusion.

Simon had decided to tackle the problem of
telling Raven that she wouldn't be his date for Erick and
Hollianne's wedding as soon as possible.

He figured that it would be simpler to do this
in a very non-public venue so he had invited her over to his house
for dinner that night.

KARL, EVER THE perfect chef, had created a meal
using many of Raven's favorite dishes.

When she arrived, dinner itself went well and
was, of course, delicious. Karl had prepared a particularly
flavorful seafood casserole with a salad and freshly baked bread as
sides. For dessert, they had strawberry shortcake made with fresh,
newly picked ripe strawberries and topped with homemade whipping
cream.

But when he finally decided to tell her the
unwelcome news, he never expected her to react quite the way she
had.

Raven started screaming at the top of her lungs
right in the middle of his living room. He was stunned at the
bizarre tantrum before he finally realized that he had to stop
her.

Standing up, he crossed the room to where Raven
stood still ranting and raving and put his rather hands on her
shoulders. She moved to throw herself at him but his arms were like
steel.

He looked her directly in the eyes.

"Raven, stop this right now," he calmly
commanded. "You are behaving like a child. You're only embarrassing
yourself. What would your father think when he sees you like
this?

Raven was momentarily struck silent. The
expression on her face was a combination of outrage and anger. She
had been used to getting her way and was enraged that nothing was
going to plan.

She was sure that once that bitch of a sister
had the opportunity to be with Simon, she would grab it with both
of her greedy hands. Why did she get everything that Raven wanted?
It never occurred to Raven that she only felt desperate of wanting
something when she saw that Dreama wanted it, too, or that if it
had been a person, that someone liked her more than Raven.

Glaring at Simon, she did at least manage to
stop yelling. But Simon had heard more than enough of the words she
had yelled at him in her rage.

"I cannot understand why you would think Holli
had a way with this when you're not even in the arrangements to
begin with. And you don't even
like
the woman. You have made
that fact abundantly clear ever since you met her. Why do you even
dislike her so much? You don't even know her before she became
Erick's fiancee. Was it because Erick fell in love with someone
like her, instead of someone like you?"

Raven looked like she had been slapped. "How
dare you?"

He shrugged his shoulders "I've known you enough
time to find this reason logical. Maybe you wanted Erick for
yourself. I don't know. But whatever reason that you're so angry
over this, you must get a grip. Do you hear me?"

Slowly, Raven nodded while still staring at
Simon in complete amazement. He had never spoken to her that way.
They both know that everything that he'd said was true. Raven knew
for a long time that her behavior had become unwelcomed in many
circles, and that it was just her father's clout that was
protecting her from the backlash. But no one had ever faced her and
told her exactly how bad she was.

She wasn't sure that she liked it, but
strangely, she appreciated Simon more because of it. She had never
met a man who could measure up to her. It made the possibility of
losing him to Dreama more intolerable.

And therefore, unacceptable. She had to find a
way to turn things around her way. This wasn't over by a long shot.
But for now, she would have to drop it.

She plastered the most pitiful expression on her
face. Looking tearful helped, too. "I... I'm sorry," she finally
whispered. "I'm not sure what got into me. You're right, of course.
I was making a big deal out of something that really isn't."

Simon was looking at her strangely. "Good," he
said. But he still looked... unconvinced. How could he not be? This
expression had never failed her before. "You must know that I don't
enjoy speaking to you that way, but it was necessary that you know
the truth."

"I still don't know why Hollianne wouldn't want
me at the wedding," Raven pouted.

Instead of following that thread, he asked,
"What's so wrong with her that you act this way?"

"I honestly don't know what it is," Raven
replied. "She just grates on my nerve."

"But that makes no sense, Raven. There has to be
a reason that you don't like her."

"She's just so perfect or something. No one is
that sweet!"

"Maybe Hollianne is that sweet simply because
all the things she's been through had made her realize that being
bitter will not change anything but make things worse for her."

"Oh no, I don't believe that. By acting sweet, I
believe she'd set a trap for Erick!"

He actually looked disagreeable. She couldn't
understand that he could still be so ignorant after being such a
smart lawyer!

"You can't actually believe she's not putting an
act!"

"He fell in love with her, Raven, all on his
own. If you know Erick as I do, you would also know that he will
never fall for a trap. Hollianne is a great person, that's it. And
it's time that you try to accept that."

And that was when Raven realized that after all
his politeness, Simon Draco hadn't liked her at all; and that her
hope that he would one day see that she was the perfect woman for
him would be an almost impossible feat.

Who is it,
she seethed.
Who is the
woman that he's in love with? It is the only explanation. There is
someone else, and she's the reason why I can't seduce him. She's
the reason why he can't see how great we are together!

RAVEN REMAINED SULLEN and silent throughout
Simon's admonishment. He could tell that she hadn't totally caved,
but at least she had calmed down. But he had a hunch that he would
not like whatever thoughts were racing through her head at the
moment.

He was right.

Raven was thinking that her sister would be at
Erick and Hollianne's wedding, too. She had noticed lately that
Simon had been looking at Dreama the way she had been hoping he
would look at
her.
Aside from that, Raven had once been so
sure that once she got Simon in a wedding environment, she could
make him turn to her in a different way. Finding out that he would
walk the isle with Dreama holding on to her arm had made her
realized that her sister would be reaping what she had planned to
reap for herself!

Dreama was not going to get Simon. Raven had
decided that a long time ago. If Raven couldn't have him, her
sister certainly wasn't going to walk off into the sunset with
him.

It wasn't as if Dreama had actually been looking
at Simon that way, though. Raven had to admit that Dreama didn't
show any interest in Simon at all other than as maybe an older
brother or something. But who knew what could happen at a wedding
where they would both be looking gorgeous with so much romance
around them?

Well, Raven might shut up for now, but she was
more determined than ever to get into that wedding. She just had to
figure out how.

"Fine, Simon, I said that you're right. I over
reacted and I apologize. Now, please, can we talk about something
else?"

"I would love to talk about anything else,"
Simon said. "But I need you to promise me that you're not going to
do anything stupid regarding this wedding."

"What on earth are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about. I don't want
you to show up at that wedding and cause a scene. If you do
anything to ruin Erick and Holli's special day, believe me, you
will be sorry. And this isn't even about you anymore. Remember that
your father had been working hard to get Erick to support a big
event that will help a lot of people in grief-stricken areas for
the Holidays?"