Beauty and the Sexy Beast

[18] Vanishing Act

“Ready?!” Julian hollered up the stairs. “You were supposed to be ready fifteen minutes ago,” he was now just on the other side of the door.

My whole mood changed from just a little while ago. I was nervous and my stomach was doing flips. I had nearly kissed Julian. Not only was he my captor but a vampire. Something that belonged in my wildest nightmares. How was I going to go and spend the day with him without it being awkward?!

“Chloe?!” he banged on the door with impatience. “We have to get on the road.”

Putting my nerves aside I pulled the door open with a gust, “I’m ready, I’m ready. Geez. Keep your fangs in your mouth.”

I could just feel the glare follow me as I walked down the hall ahead of him.

Before I even made it to the stairs I felt him breeze by me. Within half a second he was at the door holding it open.

“Let’s get a move on,” he motion with his hand out the door.

Never have I ever seen someone with all the time in the world is in such a rush. But I saw the glimmer of red behind his deep blue eyes and didn’t feel like pushing it.

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” I mumbled as I hurried down the stairs.

The next thing I knew I was missing a step. My first instinct was to put my hands in front of me but before the ground came into view I felt a familiar pair of arms grab hold of my waist.

“Oh,” I gasped as Julian set me down on the foyer floor.

“You need to be more careful,” he growled in my ear with his hands still around my waist.

I couldn’t think straight with his proximity. The warmth of his breath on my neck tickled as his chest rose and fell with each frustrated breath.

Finally my conscious took over and I took a step back and brushed my hair away from my face with my fingers, “Sorry, I thought we were in a hurry.”

He eyed me for a few seconds before moving to the side to let me pass.

I tried to ignore my own heart beat as it betrayed me with each thump against my rib cage.

“Chloe?” Julian whispered from across the room.

I froze in the doorway not looking back at him.

“Look at me,” he grumbled into my ear.

Swallowing the lump the lump in my throat that felt like the size of a baseball, I turned to face him.

“Where are your shoes?”

Every emotion that I had in the past hour was washed away with those four words. With one brisk look at the floor.

A nervous giggle escaped my lips as I caught a glimpse of my bare feet under the skirt of my Maxi dress. I looked back up to his eyes to find the twinkling with humor.

“Give me a second?” Before he could reply I ran back up the stairs to my room. My sandals were right where I had left them; at the end of my bed.

Once I fastened them to my feet I ran back out to the stairs only pausing at the top. I was not going to make the same mistake twice. I took the stairs slowly as Julian stood by the door with his arms crossed trying not to laugh.

My usual sarcastic self would have scolded him for being so mean but if I were to even open my mouth no doubt I would have started laughing myself. Instead I just gave him a stern look as I passed him on my way out the door.

Waiting for us outside was the cutest sports car I had ever seen. I knew better than to voice this thought because knowing guys Julian most likely would have groaned and mumbled something about it not being cute. That it’s a man car. Speed. Vroom. Something.