A Glimpse of the Dark Side: Adult Paranormal Erotic Romance Collection (9 page)

Kane had been watching her ever since that
night. He wanted to know more about her. No, that wasn't right. He
needed
to know more about her; as much as he could discover.
It was too soon to approach her and it would help his cause if he
knew a few key things that would draw her in.

It wouldn't be difficult for him to gather
information on her. In a matter of just a few minutes, he had
discovered all sorts of details about her. Now, he only needed to
find out if what he believed was true.

Obviously, the fastest way to find out what he
needed to know was to meet this woman in person. He wasn't ready
for a face-to-face meeting just yet, however. She might very well
see him for what he was, and that couldn't happen until he was more
prepared.

So, he would continue to keep an eye on her for
the time being. For now, he must rest for awhile; and then he would
be ready to resume his watch tonight.

With that thought, he took his leave.

AFTER A GRUELING hour, Secret bid Adele goodbye
and closed her door in relief.

Why do I even keep her on as a client?
she wondered.
Do I really need her money that badly?

Oh, she knew it wasn't actually the money that
made her continue allowing Adele to come to her. It was Secret's
uncontrollable empathy; especially for those in pain. Adele's pain
was so strong that it was almost tangible; and Secret simply
couldn't turn her back on the woman, no matter how much she might
want to do just that.

She found it frustrating and infuriating trying
to help Adele because she categorically refused to see the truth.
At first, Secret had entertained the thought that Adele might just
be hiding the truth from herself because she couldn't cope
otherwise. In the many months of reading for her, though, it had
become clear that the way Adele saw things was actually what she
truly believed.

Adele saw that Sam's new wife was holding him
almost against his will and was preventing Sam from coming back to
her. How Sam's pregnant wife was able to hold a man the size of
Sam, in place against his will, was something that Secret hadn't
been able to figure out, and Adele glossed over that little point
anytime she was presented with it.

It was becoming exceedingly clear that Adele
needed help that Secret wasn't qualified to give. That was another
sore point, however, because Adele refused to seek professional
help. The only help Adele saw herself needing was what Secret
provided her in readings.

Things were getting worse, though.

Adele was beginning to become somewhat verbally
abusive to Secret; and that wasn't something to be tolerated. As
badly as she felt for Adele, Secret would never allow herself to be
treated badly. That would never happen again.

For the moment, Secret put the problem of Adele
out of her mind. She would figure something out when it became
necessary. Now, she just wanted to head upstairs to her bathroom
and sink into a sea of warm bubbles in her claw-footed tub. Just
thinking about it made her smile and start to relax.

Locking her door, she headed up the staircase to
her sanctuary.

This house was the best thing she had ever done
for herself. Once she had decided to give up the street readings in
New Orleans, she had started looking around for some place that
would work as both her home and a reading parlor. She must have
looked at fifty houses before landing upon this one.

It was built around the turn of the 20th
century; but had been extensively remodeled so that everything
important such as plumbing, electrical wiring, and insulation had
been upgraded by the time she saw the house.

The house wasn't huge by any stretch of the
imagination, but it was more than enough for her. Downstairs
boasted a small foyer at the front door that held the staircase
climbing up to the second floor and expanded into a hallway. Just a
few feet down this hallway was the doorway to her reading parlor.
It was once a formal living room, but she had found it to be the
perfect place to receive and read for her clients.

Down a few steps from this doorway was a powder
room. She wasn't sure when this had been added because she didn't
think it had been a part of the original house design. But again,
it was something that worked to her advantage.

A kitchen, dining, and den area made up the
entire back of the house. . Set up all in one long room, she found
this to be the best place in the house. It was perfect for relaxing
or entertaining, not that she did a lot of that though. Then, of
course, there was her beloved deck, which looked out from the start
of her colorful, lush backyard to the line of trees at the end of
it.

Upstairs held the master bedroom with an ensuite
and walk-in closet. French doors led to a small balcony just off of
her bedroom where she often sat with her morning coffee. There were
also two more bedrooms and a bathroom. She used one of these as an
office and the other, she kept as a spare room, in case she had any
overnight guests. There were shiny hardwood floors throughout,
accented with rugs of all shapes, sizes, and colors.

Secret loved her house and counted herself lucky
that she had found it when she did. Her realtor had called her as
soon as the house was listed. They went to see it that very morning
and she made an offer instantly. This house called to her. It was,
quite literally, home.

As she set up her candles and music for her
bubble bath, she thought again of the strange feeling she had
experienced when letting Adele into her house. She had been so sure
that someone was watching her. Rarely did she get those feelings,
but when she did, they were never wrong. Just because she hadn't
seen anyone didn't mean that there was no one there. All it meant
is that they were very well hidden.

Shaking off the disturbing thoughts, Secret slid
slowly down into the warm, fragrant bubbles and felt as though she
was transporting to heaven. Sighing contentedly, she laid her head
back against the cool tub and closed her eyes. This was definitely
her favorite part of the day.

Dipping her fingertips into the bubbles, she
moved them up her arms and across her chest as she bathed. Slowly,
she continued the movement over her breasts and stomach. As the
palms of her hands lightly grazed her nipples, a little current of
excitement coursed through her body. She could feel the instant
hardness in response to her touch.

How long had it been since a man had touched her
body in this way? Obviously, too long, if something as simple as a
bath had her reacting like this.

Trying to ignore the fire she accidently ignited
within, Secret continued to bathe. But it was pointless. She burned
with a need that could not, would not, be ignored.

Moaning, she gave in to the sensation of pure
lust while her hand made its way down her body, to the place that
demanded her touch. Letting her knees fall apart, her fingers
quickly and deftly found the right place to grant her release.

The second her fingers made contact, her hips
arched upward eagerly to meet them. Swirling in circles which
became rapid quite quickly, the point of no return hit her like a
tsunami. Crying out over and over, she rode the wave that carried
her up and over to the side of unadulterated pleasure.

Eyes still closed, Secret let her breathing slow
before treating herself to another session.

By the time she was both clean and satiated, the
water had cooled considerably and the bubbles had dwindled down to
nothingness. On the other hand, she did feel much better. Her
tension abated, and she was now in the mood for a glass of wine and
dinner. Suddenly, she felt like getting out of the house for a bit.
Maybe she would call Marielle and see if she would like to meet her
somewhere for dinner.

As it turned out, Marielle was at loose ends for
the evening and thought dinner out sounded wonderful. They agreed
to meet at La Peniche in the Marigny neighborhood. It was only a
few blocks to Bourbon Street, so they could hit a bar or two after
eating.

Deciding on a gauzy, red sundress with spaghetti
straps and matching red sandals, Secret was dressed in no time.
That was another advantage of living in such a casual location. The
only time people really dressed up here was for a ball of some sort
or for a private, special occasion. Even couples that came to New
Orleans to get married didn't always dress formally.

Bare-legged and with her hair flowing freely,
Secret headed out to her car. She was nearly halfway there when
that sensation hit her once more. That chill creeping up and down
her spine made her halt. Whoever was watching her was very focused.
There was an intensity emanating from the presence that she didn't
like. She wanted nothing more than to race back inside her house
and lock herself in, but she had to wonder if mere locks would
protect her from whoever this was.

Taking a deep breath, she chose not to let this
ruin her night and she continued on her way to the car. Trying to
appear normal, she unlocked the car and got inside. She was
relieved that the engine turned over instantly. In the back of her
mind, she almost feared that whoever was so focused on her might
have taken steps to trap her at home. The relief was so great as
she drove away, that she almost felt a bit silly for her panic.
Almost.

SHAKING HIS HEAD in amazement, Kane watched
Secret as she picked up on him once more. He had to give her credit
for the courage she displayed. Most women would have turned and run
back into their homes, firmly locking the doors behind them.

Not this one, though.

She continued on her way after a momentary
pause. He could tell that she was nervous, but he could also tell
that she wasn't experiencing any great terror at the thought of
being observed. Rather, she was simply uneasy and mildly curious
about who would be so fixated on her.

La Peniche wasn't exactly large enough for him
to remain invisible to someone with Secret's abilities. It was a
lovely restaurant, but not a place to be discreet. She would ferret
him out in no time.

He would simply have to follow her to whatever
bar she and her friend decided to pass away the time in after
dinner. It would be much easier to remain unseen and undetected in
a bar full of people. She might still be able to tell that she was
being observed, but it would be almost impossible for her pick out
who was observing. That is, unless she was a lot better than he
thought.

Going to the bar where Secret had been the last
few times he had followed her, he sat down in a booth to wait. He
ordered a glass of red wine and watched as the throng of people
inside the place expanded. That was one of the reasons he found
this place to be exactly what he needed. With so many people packed
in, he was able to accomplish whatever he needed to with absolutely
no notice taken of him. That's also what made him reasonably
certain that Secret Lavalle wouldn't be able to spot him too
easily.

As it turned out, he didn't have to wait very
long for Secret and her friend to make their way inside. They came
in the door laughing, looking very relaxed and happy. Many men's
heads turned in their direction.

The women made their way straight to the bar and
exchanged a few words with the bartender. Kane knew that this man
was a friend of theirs, simply from the conversation he had
initiated with him. Neil was a friendly sort of fellow, but then he
had to be in order to be a successful bartender. It was clear that
all of Neil's customers liked him. He always found time to talk to
them, whether he was busy or not. It seemed he had found a way to
mix drinks, serve them, and talk to the customers all at the same
time.

Neil was had been full of information about
Secret Lavalle and, once Kane asked had asked him nicely, Neil was
quite forthcoming about her. Now, all Kane needed to do was wait
for the right moment to approach her. Tonight probably wasn't going
to be that right moment, so he would simply continue to observe
her. But he was always able to change his plans on a second's
notice.

As he sipped his wine, Kane watched Secret and
her friend, who, he had learned, was named Marielle. They took a
booth toward the back and did everything they could to fend off
would-be one night stands. It was a ritual they were used to, as
very attractive women. The men came, one after another; sometimes
even in pairs... Yet, Secret and Marielle kept sending them on
their way.

Kane watched in amusement as each man went
slinking away with a dejected demeanor. The really interesting
thing was that the ladies didn't really seem aware of the effect
they had on the male patrons of this bar. He might have felt some
sympathy for them if he didn't find them so amusing.

So, that was something else he found intriguing
about Secret. She didn't cheapen herself, or let these performing
monkeys take advantage of her, which showed that she thought much
more of herself than a stranger's plaything. With every passing
minute, he became even more convinced that he was right.

Just then, he saw a troubled look appear on her
face and she started to glance around. He had been staring too
intently at her again. That's when she always seemed to feel him.
He needed to use more caution when watching her.

"WHAT'S WRONG, SECRET?" Marielle asked when she
saw the look on her friend's face.

"I'm not really sure, Mari," Secret replied.
"Lately, I've been feeling like someone is watching me. It's
happened at home before, but I just felt it again."

"In here?"

"Yes, in here."

Marielle started to crane her neck and look
around to see if anyone was overtly staring at them. Secret reached
across the table and grabbed her hand.