Rivals: Episode One Read online

  “Gee, thanks for the encouragement.”

  “That’s what I’m here for.”

  My phone started to buzz across Rachel’s nightstand. I reached out for it and looked at the screen, seeing a number I didn’t recognize.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, is this Kimberly?” It was a man’s voice. Deep and gravelly. I arched an eyebrow. “Yes, and this is?”

  “Gaige Grayson.”

  I stayed quiet, the name not ringing a bell.

  “The guy you hit today.”

  Oh shit, fuck, tits.

  “Oh, hi. I, uhm, just want to apologize again,” I noticed Rachel give me an inquisitive look. I held up a finger and mouthed that I’ll explain later. “I’ve had a really hectic day but I promise I’ll call insurance tomorrow and get it sorted.”

  “That’s not why I called.”

  “Oh?” I said, genuinely surprised. What else could this man be calling me for?

  “I wanted to ask you out for drinks tomorrow night.”

  I could feel my cheeks flush red. “Oh, right.... Wait, drinks? With me?”

  Rachel looked even more confused now, her eyebrows scrunching together.

  “This is Kimberly Nolan, correct?”

  “Yes,” I said, my pulse starting to quicken.

  “Ok, good. Then yes, with you. Don’t worry, I’ll pick you up so you don’t have to worry about any of the other rear-ends on the road.”

  This guy had jokes. “You’re so considerate. I, uhm, can I call you back?” I asked, feeling uncomfortable with going out with this guy. Something inside of me wanted to just blurt out a yes and throw caution to the wind. Growing up, I never had much attention given to me, but when a man of this caliber wants to take me out on a date, well it’s hard giving a flatout no. But, he could also have been some crazy-ass murderer ready to throw me in a refrigerator so I needed to at least think about it.

  “Sure, you have my number.” With that, he hung up.

  Rachel looked at me and raised her hands. “So?”

  “I can’t even think. It was the guy I rear-ended and he wants to take me out for drinks.”

  “Wait you rear-ended someone?!” she asked.

  “Yeah, and it was Lamborghini.”

  “Jesus christ! You’re lucky he’s only asking for drinks and not your first-born son.” There was a mischievous glint in her eyes now. “So was he hot?”

  “Unbelievably so,” I said, letting my thoughts drift back to the first moment I laid eyes on Gaige. His powerful stance, his broad shoulders, the way his smile favored the left side of his bearded face. “But why in the world would he be calling me? I must have looked like a frazzled mess when I stepped out of my car, and he looks like the type that wants stick-thin dumb blonde bimbos with tits the size of beachballs. I’m not sure if you’ve seen me recently, Rachel, but I’m no where near stick-thin. Like, not even in the same ballpark.”

  “Maybe he’s into the curvy girls. Not everyone wants someone they could snap in half with a particularly rough sneeze.”

  I twirled the phone in my hands, biting my lower lip. “I don’t know, Rachel, it’s just weird.”

  “You’re just going out for drinks. And if he’s driving a fucking Lamborghini then I don’t think he’s the type that would also butcher you or sell you off to some foreign sex trade.”

  I shrugged. “Maybe that’s how he makes his money?”

  “Whatever, if you don’t go then I’m going to go for you. No, no, better yet? I’m going to call your mom and tell her that you’ve been lying to her about the juice cleanse she’s been riding your ass about.”

  “Don’t you dare,” I said, turning to her. “I’ll never hear the end of it. I swear, if she sends me one more article about the next miracle weight loss formula then I’m going to just delete my whole email account and live off the grid.”

  “A little on the drastic side, but I get it.” Rachel chuckled “So what is it going to be? Endless motherly nagging or a blissful night with Prince Charming... Lamborghini,” she said, covering the last part with a cough

  I gave in with a sigh. “Only because you’re practically holding a gun to my head.”

  “Mhmm, I’m sure that’s the only reason you’re going.” She tossed a pillow at my head. “Look at you, almost having sex with your billionaire vamp boss and now going on a date with another extremely rich stud. Wherever you’re finding this luck, you better share some of it with me.”

  “Yeah, we’ll see,” I said, throwing the pillow back.

  “Oh my god!” Rachel said, lighting up with an idea. “You should... no never mind.”

  “What?” I said, knowing that Rachel didn’t need too much prodding to speak her mind.

  “No forget it, just something you would probably never do. But if you were super cool and super adventurous then... well, I mean I think you would be the first person in the world to have a threesome with a vampire and some other dude.”

  “Rachel!” I laughed at her outrageous ideas. “As if that would ever happen.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  KIMBERLY

  I woke up the next day with a racing heart. At first, I didn’t know what it was from. For a second I was scared I was having a heart attack. But then the memories of yesterday flooded into my mind and helped me recall the dream I had just woken up from. And the odd thing about it all?

  The fact that it wasn’t a nightmare I had just woken up from like I would have expected. I mean, I was almost taken by a powerful vampire. But no, instead my dream landed on the complete opposite side of the spectrum actually. It came back in brief flashes that grew foggier with each moment that passed. Skin smacking against skin. Moans. Xavier thrusting into me. Controlling me. I felt myself getting wet at the images my mind conjured. Scenes between me and Xavier that were both forbidden and passionate on levels I hadn’t even thought possible.

  And those were just my dreams.

  I had never really dreamt this vividly about a man before. Certainly not one I had just met. In fact, most of the times, my “sexy” dreams consisted of purely just celebrity men. No one I could attain or actually find myself on a date with. A lot of that I blamed on my self-confidence and the way I was treated in middle school. Ever since then, I was always the bigger girl. I never quite fit in with everyone around me, who was noticeably smaller than my larger frame. On top of that, we all know kids are fucking vicious. The bullying was relentless.

  And so yeah, that definitely affected me. But now?

  Well, now I was imagining my vampire billionaire boss ramming me from behind while he grabbed onto my curves with lust filling his eyes.

  Take that, fucking bullies.

  And that’s when my alarm went off. The phone vibrated across the floor with the stupid jingle that was close to making me pull my hair out. But it helped me get up from bed just by how annoying it was, so I was honestly scared to change it.

  The phone went silent the moment my thumb slid across the screen. I checked the time and saw I still had a couple more hours before I needed to be at Xavier’s for today’s list of duties. I didn’t know what would happen if I

  bumped into him again, but I certainly didn’t want to find out so soon after I was almost fired for it.

  I can’t lose this job.

  And it was true, I couldn’t. It was paying me way more than it should and that meant I could actually pay off my student loans in a reasonable amount of time. I’d also be able to save money to run my own publishing company. I wanted to pave my own path and be a beacon to other girls like me, who may have been beaten down so hard by others that their true potential risks never being discovered.

  And so I was going to go back to work and get shit done, because I didn’t want to go back to temping.

  I pulled up the grand driveway, still finding myself in absolute shock as to how beautiful this place was. I felt like I was never going to get over it. The cars were still parked outside, gleaming with the morning Miami sun. I could hear th
e cicadas roaring around me as I stepped out of my beat-up car and walked up the front steps. The white and blue dress I was wearing picked up ever so slightly by the hint of a wind.

  The door opened to the foyer, bright and airy and still breathtaking as well.

  What, did I expect it to get uglier some how?

  I had a feeling nothing Xavier was involved in could be considered ugly. Just from the way he decorated his home, it was clear that he had a vision for what was truly beautiful.

  I looked towards the spiral stairs, the sleek black steps leading up to a second floor landing that looked like it wound halfway around the foyer and probably branched off into his millions of hallways. A thought creeped into the back of my mind.

  I have a chance to... well, know how vampires really live.

  I took a step towards the stairs. My hands felt clammy all of a sudden as beads of sweat formed at the lines of my brows.

  No, no. I can’t do this.

  I shook my hands, trying to calm my nerves down as I turned and walked towards the black marble table holding the folder with my name on it. I grabbed it, once again with shaky hands, and flipped it open.

  “Good morning, Kimberly.”

  “Ahh!” I shrieked, never expecting to hear a voice come from above me. The folder fell out of my grip and fell to the floor, spilling the papers. My heart immediately started racing as I dropped down and frantically put the papers

  back in the folder. I stood up and turned, only to be greeted by Xavier standing about three feet away from me. I let out another shriek. He was wearing a simple black t-shirt and jeans and had on a devilish smile.

  “Feeling a little jumpy today?”

  “Sorry, Mr. Thorn. I’m just not used to...” my voice trailed.

  “Vampires?” he asked, his eyes pinned on mine. It was like he was reading my whole history in just one powerful gaze. I wanted to look away and down at the floor but it was like I was mesmerized. The longer I looked into his eyes, the more relaxed my body became. My walls were falling and my heart was calming.

  “Yeah,” I sort of muttered, a little ashamed.

  “Don’t worry, not many humans are used to us being around. Even less of them would willingly work for a vampire.” He cocked his head. “Unlike you. I had no trouble in hiring you, which surprised me. Normally, my other assistants have needed more convincing. But you? You seemed to have jumped in head first.”

  I nodded, not sure where this was going but already feeling like I was breaking the rules. We weren’t supposed to be talking during the day, it was in the handbook!

  “I enjoy a woman with courage and curiosity. Especially when those traits are attached to a woman as beautiful as you.”

  If he had smacked me over the head with a mallet, it would have had the same effect. I felt as if my head was suddenly spinning like an old vinyl record.

  “Sorry, I’m just not used to people using beautiful in reference to me,” I said, feeling myself blush as Xavier’s gaze somehow became more penetrating.

  “That’s a shame. You, Kimberly Nolan, are stunning. The moment I laid my eyes on you, I felt my existence shift. If I’m being blunt, it was hard for me to control myself the other day. My desires focused solely on you, a feeling I had yet to experience with anyone else.”

  I should have been scared hearing that, I should have started trembling in my sandals and wanting to run out as fast as I could. Instead, I was feeling a warm pressure build between my thighs. A moisture immediately formed as that pressure spread out to my belly. Xavier Thorn was someone I wouldn’t even dream about because he was that far out of my league. Set aside the huge wealth he had at his disposal, his looks alone were enough to set him apart from ninety-nine percent of the male population.

  “Come, have some breakfast before you start the day.” He turned and started down the foyer. I looked around, still unsure as to what twilight zone I had stepped in to.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  XAVIER

  I could sense her excitement in the air. It was like a sweet honeysuckle filling my senses, making it even harder for me to control myself. My fingers closed into fists as I led her down the expansive hallway and into the kitchen. I pushed a button on the wall to my right which immediately began drawing the window- shades and turning on the lights. The sunlight was beginning to make me itch, but it would be hours until sun-poisoning kicks in. Either way, I didn’t want anything detracting from my moment with Kimberly.

  She stood with a hand on the top of the black marble island planted in the center of the huge kitchen. I poured her a glass of orange juice and set it next to her. She smiled and took a sip, avoiding my eyes now.

  “So, what exactly drew you to this job in the first place?” I asked, breaking the loaded silence.

  “You mean besides the health benefits and vacation days?” she quipped. “I guess I just wanted to work with a vampire.” I could hear a tremble in her voice as she said the word ‘vampire’. It made my cock twitch in my jeans.

  “Well, you got your wish. Has it been everything you expected?”

  “And more,” she said, giggling as she brought the glass of juice up to her lips again.

  “So what do you want to know about us, then?” I asked, leaning on the counter.

  “Way to put me on the spot,” she said, looking down at the floor. She looked back up and pushed a rebellious lock of her out of her face. “Gosh, I don’t even know. I have enough questions to last me years.”

  “Good thing I have centuries.”

  “Right.” She smiled and placed the glass down. “Ok... have you seen Tw—”

  “Next question.”

  She put her hands up. “Fine, fine, just checking.” She bit her lower lip. “Do you really sleep in a coffin?”

  I shook my head. “You’ve really got to stop watching these movies. Folk-lore

  did get some of our traits right; blood-drinking, super-speed, extra-human strength, and we do get sick after being exposed to prolonged sunlight. But I’m not going to explode from it nor am I going to cringe at the sight of holy water or crosses.”

  “So why now?” she asked. “Why not stick with the system that had been working all this time and stay hidden?”

  “Because the shadows get boring after a while.”

  “Fair enough,” she said. “And the shifters? Did you guys know about them too?”

  “We did.” I shifted my weight and got another wiff of Kimberly’s sweet scent. “It was never a peaceful existence between us. When you have two supernatural powers fighting for territory and respect, there’s going to be bloodshed. Some of them are decent, but most are scum.”

  “How about humans? There’ve been riots since The Reveal, not everyone is happy and so many more people are just plain scared.”

  “Which we all respect. That’s another thing the media has gotten wrong about us. We aren’t blood-crazed monsters ripping apart the closest person. Vampires are based on control, whether that be controlling ourselves or the environment around us. Of course we have vampires that have gone rogue and killed humans, but it’s no different than what the murderers in your community do. I do believe that humans will come around, but time is going to be needed.” I cocked my head. “What do you think?”

  She shrugged. “From what I’ve seen, the younger generation seems more open to the idea of sharing our world with supernatural beings. Then again, it sounds like it’s not even our world anymore and it’s never really been our world. Not if you guys were running the show from backstage.”

  “We’ve definitely exerted an influence, but remember, none of us wanted to be discovered. There were some slip-ups, but nothing that couldn’t be contained. We knew that wouldn’t be possible in this day and age. If one of us were caught on film then the video would be viral in seconds.” The air- conditioning kicked in, blowing more of her scent towards me. My dick pulsed between my thighs. “Why aren’t you scared?”

  She laughed, a sweet sound that made her even more
irresistible. “I’m not really sure.”

  I stepped forward and reached up. She flinched ever so slightly but seemed to control her apprehension as I pushed a strand of hair from her face. “Thanks,” she whispered.

  Every atom in my being wanted to tear off her clothes, bend her over, and take her right there and then. My tongue yearned to be lapping the sweet wet spot between her thighs as my fingers probed her.

  Control. Exert control.

  “I’ve kept you here long enough.” I stepped back, staring down into her eyes. “You should go, there’s a meeting you’ll need to be present at in thirty minutes.”

  She nodded, almost as if she was snapped out of a trance. “Yes, of course. Thanks for the drink.” She smiled and hurried out. I watched as she left, leaving me behind with yet another throbbing erection.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  KIMBERLY

  I had no idea how I got myself into these situations. One second, I was suddenly lusting over a sexually raging vampire and the next, I was going out on a date with some rich dude I rear-ended.

  I waited outside for Gaige to pick me up. He had texted me to tell me he was three minutes away. It was sort of chilly outside, so I was glad I brought my leather jacket to throw over the white dress I put on for tonight.

  I heard the roar of a sports car come down my street, the engine purring as it slowed around a turn and then roaring back to life as he sped down the street. He came to a smooth stop at the front of my apartment complex. He was driving the same Lamborghini I had hit earlier, which immediately flushed me with a sense of embarrassment. I couldn’t see the back, but I could only hope Gaige had already gotten it fixed so that it didn’t bother him much longer.