Escaping The Beast: A Darkhills Romance (The Darkhills Series Book 2) Read online

  He had bought her new running gear and even humoured her by running with her one night. She’d been a sweaty, out of breath mess by the end of it, while he remained utterly unaffected. Thankfully, he’d been too much of a gentleman to make any comment on her disgusting state. He’d cooked for her every morning and every night and he’d even sat with her to watch a kids' movie. They hadn’t exactly snuggled, but she’d definitely felt a closeness to him that had just been so completely right.

  Last night she made her decision to abandon her plans to either ask for permission to leave or make a run for it. It was one presentation. It wasn’t worth the risk of sabotaging the strange, budding relationship that she had with Lucian. Before going to sleep that night, she’d fired an email off to her tutor explaining that she was unwell and would be presenting via video call instead. It was a standard way to participate in her course with many of her classmates undertaking internships overseas, so she knew it wouldn’t be an issue.

  Katherine pulled on one of her new running outfits, smiling at the memory of Lucian’s barely concealed appreciation when he had seen how the leggings fitted to her body like a second skin. That was one thing she liked about him the most. He clearly noticed her and found her attractive, the couple of heated moments they had shared confirmed the fact, but he never made a lecherous comment or let his gaze linger for too long and he never tried to cop a feel. It was clear that if she wanted any more of what he had given her the night of her rescue, she would need to make the first move.

  And boy, did she want to make a move, but acting too quickly would ruin her chances of getting him to see her as anything more than just a sex kitten. She would gain his respect, get herself on a level playing field with him, and then when she asked for her freedom, it would be all that much harder for him to say no.

  She slipped her new headphones into her ears, tapped her watch to start the running program, and opened her door. She paused when she saw a note left on the floor outside her room. A note and a set of car keys.

  Surely he wasn’t giving her a car?

  She bent to pick up the items and caught the sound of Mr. Jones’ feet as he made his way along the balustrade.

  “Good morning, Mr. Jones, do you know if Lucian leaves gifts for all his guests?” Katherine asked the butler cheerfully.

  “Lord Nightingale does not often have guests but is a generous and kind master,” he replied in his usual monotone.

  “Master? He’s your employer, surely?” Katherine frowned.

  “He is my Lord and I serve him as best I am able,” he replied, “your breakfast, Miss. Daxton.”

  She juggled the letter and keys in her hand and took the silver tray from him. Today, she had a Mr. Jones special of slightly burned toast and berry jam, her usual glass of juice, and her much anticipated single rose. She had thought she didn’t like the colour orange but the striking rose with its bright amber petals with red edges was possibly the most stunning flower she’d ever seen. It looked like a bloom made of flames and the scent was heavenly.

  “Thank you, Mr. Jones, this looks great, berry jam is my favourite,” she smiled kindly at him. He nodded and turned to leave, “hey, what are you doing today? Would you like to join me for breakfast?” She asked. The lonesome man never seemed to interact much, and there was no other staff on-site, as far as she was aware.

  He turned with a frown.

  “Lord Nightingale wishes for me to take a few days as rest. I will do as he instructed and return to my quarters. Good day, Miss. Daxton.”

  “Oh, OK. Well, enjoy your time off,” she called out awkwardly as he shuffled his way down the stairwell.

  Katherine suspected there was something not quite right about Mr. Jones. He was monosyllabic, never spoke to her unless he was working, and was hardly ever around. He always felt a little vacant. Katherine wondered if he were under some kind of spell. He called Lucian, ‘master’, which was beyond strange. Then again, perhaps the gentleman had some form of autism and struggled when interacting with others. Katherine reminded herself to be kind and patient with him. He seemed content enough in his position, perhaps she would ask Lucian more about him later that evening when they’d have dinner.

  She stepped back into her room and set down her breakfast tray. The rose, took pride of place next to the other blooms in the vase, the white roses had been refreshed but she’d kept her growing collection of colourful flowers. She couldn’t wait to ask Lucian what the meaning was behind today’s flower, especially as it had changed her opinion on the colour. Sure, she could easily look it up for herself online, but she liked finding out from him.

  She sat down on the chaise and took a bite out of her toast, turning the car keys over in her hand, the fancy logo shined on the key fob.

  What are you up to, Lucian Nightingale? She pondered.

  She slid her finger along the fold in the letter, snapping the wax seal, and sought her answer. She nearly choked on her toast as she read his words.

  Dearest Katherine,

  I understand your presentation is today. Please take the vehicle parked out the front of the mansion, there is money within the glove box, should you need to stop for gas.

  Please return to Tumbricane tomorrow, do not rush to make the journey tonight after your presentation; I do not wish for you to drive tired.

  Good luck with your presentation, please know that you have my absolute confidence in your ability to ‘smash it’.

  Yours,

  Lucian

  Katherine re-read the letter again. Then once more just to be certain.

  She couldn’t believe it, he was letting her go. Well, temporarily. He expected her to come back but he was letting her leave. Not only that, he was loaning her a car and money so she could make the journey. Happiness and excitement buzzed within her before a slither of doubt crept in. Lucian must have an ulterior motive. Perhaps this was some kind of test, a trap he was laying for her to see what she would do if given the option to leave. What would happen if she got in the car? Would he bring her back again and this time lock her in a dungeon for real?

  She shook the ridiculous notion from her head. Lucian had been nothing but encouraging and gentlemanly since her arrival. He had also promised her honesty.

  With a deep breath, she made her decision. She would trust him.

  She finished her berry jam toast and juice in record time and quickly packed a bag. With everything she needed for her presentation and a night stay back at her apartment, she headed for the door. Katherine stopped and rushed quickly back to the desk, penning Lucian a quick note and propping it up against her roses, ready for him to find, suspecting that he would come by her room to check she had left.

  Lucian,

  Thank you, I’ll see you soon.

  Katherine, X

  She looked at the little cross and frowned, it didn’t quite do her feelings justice. She rolled her eyes at herself. It was a thank you note; how much emotion did it need?

  With a happy skip in her step, she hurriedly made her way down into the great hall and then out of the main doors.

  A huge, shining black SUV sat proudly on the gravel drive. Katherine’s mouth dropped. This wasn’t just a car, this was a beast of a machine. She climbed up behind the wheel tossing her bag into the passenger seat. She quickly checked the glove box and shut it again immediately. The large wad of bills that had greeted her made her eyes widen. There was enough there to buy another car, not just fill up with gas.

  She shook her head and smiled wryly. She suspected that Lucian was someone who always went above and beyond. It made her smile knowing that, for once, someone else was as organized and thorough that her. If not more so. She turned the key in the ignition and let out a small laugh at the way the engine rumbled steadily, she could feel it vibrating beneath her foot on the pedal, slowly she eased her way out of the driveway, careful not to overdo the acceleration on the difficult forest roads.

  Katherine glanced down at the clock on the dashboard; in just ov
er five hours' time, she would be back at her apartment. She smiled broadly as she said another silent thank you to Lucian in her head. She would deliver her presentation; no, she would smash it, just like he said. Then, she’d grab a night’s sleep in her own bed and set an alarm to make sure she got back on the road bright and early, tomorrow morning. The small flip her stomach made had nothing to do with the bumpy forest road, and everything to do with the thought of returning to a certain charming vampire.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Lucian

  Lucian awoke with time to spare. The sun had just begun to set and while normally he didn’t sleep this late, he allowed himself a moment to stretch out in the cool bed. He rarely dreamed but during the day he had been plagued by images of Katherine. He had been careful not to make any advances while in her company for the last few days, and it appeared his mind had reached its limit. Even after giving into his lascivious thoughts and stroking himself into a bittersweet release in the middle of the day, he had still been teased and taunted by her presence in his dreams. It was as though his subconscious resented not having her near.

  He would see her again soon enough, he told himself. A small thrill of excitement bubbled to the surface as he lay there. He was looking forward to seeing her in action. Seeing the Katherine that everyone else saw, he was curious to know if she behaved differently with him. If she was as argumentative with others as she was with him. That brought a smirk to his lips. He loved her challenging nature. It puzzled him all the more that she still put up with all her father’s behaviours. Perhaps it was as simple as she had said; he was family.

  Lucian thought back to his formative years, his family had been of the aristocracy and were by all accounts respectable. He certainly never had to make amends for any black sheep of the family. But then he remembered his decision to leave his family estate, his very presence had caused rumblings of discontent and rumours of witchcraft and deals with the devil. He left everything he loved and all that he held dear; the younger generations of his family who called him uncle rather than great uncle, who begged him to teach them piano and let them ride his horse. He had left them without a backward look and never made contact again. Those great-nieces and nephews would have long since aged and died, Lucian mused sadly.

  He supposed she was right; when it came to family, no sacrifice was too great. Even the never-ending sea of loneliness in which he floated aimlessly.

  Shaking himself from the blackness of his thoughts, Lucian rose and headed to the kitchen to heat through a quart of A positive. While he had told Katherine he wouldn’t feed from her, he preferred to not tempt himself unduly. Her scent was fiercely enticing and he saw no reason to run the risk of him being tempted to have a small taste. He wouldn’t. Not unless she wanted him to. The thought sent a shiver of desire through him. A sudden flash of him sinking his teeth into her neck while he was buried to the hilt inside of her, burned into his mind, branding him with its intensity.

  Lucian shut his eyes and breathed deeply to suppress his wayward desires. He refocused his mind and grabbed the warm packet of blood from the microwave, biting into it fiercely. The satisfaction of having bitten into something, even if it was just a silicone pouch, went some way to tempering his needs. He drained the liquid and tossed the pack away in the trash. The sustenance filling him with renewed strength and vigor. His thoughts sharpened and his focus returned in full. He glanced out of the tinted windows that lined one wall of his apartment. The sun had set, leaving a weak glow to the sky that was becoming outshone by the bright speckles of artificial light from the city below.

  He had approximately one hour to get to Katherine’s university if he were going to have the opportunity to see his beautiful darling in action. With that thought, he padded to his shower, eager to meet with her again.

  ◆◆◆

  After breathing in the sights and sounds of the city streets, Lucian slipped easily into the college building, the security guards fell effortlessly under his thrall and waved him in with a complimentary guest pass to allow him access to the rest of the campus. The receptionist didn't even need any enthrallment to give directions to the lecture hall, the flash of his easy smile was all it took.

  Lucian could hear another student talking from down the hall, and he took the stairs up to the next level so he could slip into the back of the small lecture theatre and watch Katherine discreetly. He snuck in and took a seat far apart from the rest of the audience. He scanned the crowd and as expected he found Katherine exactly where he thought she would be. His studious little darling sat alert in the front row, listening intently to her peer who stood upon the stage.

  Lucian had feared he may have mistimed his arrival and had missed her turn until he focused in on the way her foot bobbed up and down repeatedly. She was nervous, so she had not yet presented. She needn't be concerned, he had heard her rehearsals from behind the closed door to her room. Katherine would impress. She always did.

  Lucian settled in and listened to a few more students present their hypothesis, smiling politely as a few stragglers looked over at him. He ignored their whispered speculations about which law firm he was recruiting for. While he did hold shares in more than one firm, he honestly couldn't care less about their recruitment processes.

  Finally, it was Katherine's turn to take to the stage. Lucian sat up in his seat and focused all his attention on her as she loaded her presentation and made a few friendly remarks to the audience to fill the awkward moment. When the title slide appeared on screen, she took a breath to compose herself and began.

  She was eloquent, succinct, and persuasive. Her belief in her hypothesis was evident as she passionately presented her arguments and outlined how she would examine the evidence. Lucian smiled as she fielded the smattering of questions from her tutors and fellow students with confidence. He did not think it was due to any bias on his part, but she had outshone her peers with ease.

  She smiled awkwardly as the crowd politely applauded her. Lucian was on his feet clapping loudly, wearing the broadest grin before he realized he had moved.

  Her eyes darted to his and shock registered on her face briefly before she looked away and offered a smile and word of thanks to another student as they passed on the stage. She took her seat once more, peering around to shoot daggers at him before returning her focus squarely to the stage.

  Lucian sat back down and frowned. He was no stranger to her anger, and there was no mistaking that she was ready to tear into him. Doubts crept into his mind. She was not pleased to see him. Perhaps she thought she could avoid returning to him. Maybe she didn't want to return to him.

  He fidgeted in his seat, suddenly uncomfortable with his decision to attend the presentation. He looked around the room, as far as he could see no one else had any family or friends in the audience. He had perhaps gotten a little over-enthusiastic and had misjudged the situation. Before he could consider slipping back out, the last student finished their presentation to half-hearted applause and the crowd of students began gathering their belongings.

  His eyes found Katherine's again and she gestured with her head in the direction of the exit. She wanted an opportunity to confront him, it was evident from the firm line of her lips. Lucian nodded and exited the hall to descending the stairs to await his fate in the hallway.

  As she exited the lecture hall with her backpack slung over her shoulder, she was walking in step with another student and nodding along to whatever was being said to her.

  “Katherine,” Lucian began, only for her to walk straight past, shooting him another look laced with fury.

  Lucian sighed and turned on his heel to follow her. She glanced over her shoulder to give him a look that told him now was not the place for their conversation, however, her friend noticed and also turned and smiled at him.

  “Hi, you a friend of Katie’s?”

  “Yes.”

  “No,” Katherine replied and frowned at him.

  Her friend laughed and smirked.

&n
bsp; “Oh it’s like that, OK, well a few of us are heading to The Shamrock for a celebratory drink or two. You should join us," she batted her lashes at Lucian.

  “Lucian doesn’t drink,” Katherine answered for him before he could open his mouth to respond.

  “Well, they serve soda,” her friend countered.

  “Katherine is right, I don’t usually drink but I can make an exception for such a worthy cause; it’s not every day you smash a presentation.”

  “I know, right? So, you’re British. Do you know that is my favourite accent, are you on an international study year here, or headhunting or something?” The woman laughed, pulling a piece of her hair out from its tie to play with it absently.

  “I’ll be along in a bit, Em. I just need a minute to speak with Lucian, privately,” Katherine dismissed her friend, stepping over to stand beside him. The cool, calm poker face was back in place which in itself told him a lot. She was feeling put out and didn’t want it to show.

  Her friend pouted. Lucian supposed she believed it was coquettish, perhaps it worked for others.

  “We won’t be long, but Katherine is right, there are things that we need to discuss,” Lucian smiled, putting his hands in his pockets.

  “OK, fine. But don’t be too long, I’ll keep a seat warm for you,” she flashed him an impish grin before half skipping to catch up with another group of students.