Random Chapter, The Kiss Book 1 of the Cotiere Chronicles

Early morning sunlight filtered through the curtains of her room as Leis rolled over with a groan. For the next few days she would spending all her time with Alexander. She pushed the covers back and made her way into the bathroom. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she paused at the garment bag hanging ominously on the closet door. It hadn’t been there when she’d fallen into bed.  Pulling her top close around her she glanced around the room wondering where it had come from. A small card was tucked into a pocket on the outside of the bag with her name written in careful print. In all caps, square and precise, it was obviously a man’s handwriting. She pulled it out and tucked her hair behind her ear.

The card was rich cream colored vellum with bold black ink.

I SAW THIS DRESS IN TOWN YESTERDAY AND IT REMINDED ME OF YOU.

 WOULD YOU WEAR IT FOR ME TODAY?

ALEXANDER

Her hands were trembling as she reached up to unzip the bag. As the zipper slid down she pulled the vinyl back to reveal a soft peach sundress. The top crisscrossed and tied behind the neck and a matching pale blue sweater was draped over it. The skirt looked to be about knee length and as she looked deeper into the bag she found a pair of matching peach and blue sandals with cork wedge bottoms.

When Leis stroked the fabric it felt like raw silk, and the sweater was whisper soft. The label on the sweater was a designer she’d never heard of and leaning close to read it, the label said the material was 100% angora. Her heart  began to race when the fog of her vision cleared and she could make out the name on the garment bag. Neiman Marcus was repeated over and over again in the texture of the vinyl. Picking up the shoes she wasn’t surprised to see they were Marc Jacobs.

Gritting her teeth she sealed the bag back up and left the shoes on the floor. Angry and a little unnerved, she flipped the bathroom light on and froze. On the counter and in the shower her own personal products had been removed and replaced with all new bottles and lotions from L'occitane. The towels she had been using were also gone and lush grey ones were in their places. When she stepped into the room another note was propped on the counter.

I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE NEW PRODUCTS. 

THEY ARE SOME OF MY PERSONAL FAVORITES.

I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR TIME TOGETHER.

ALEXANDER

Closing her eyes, she repressed a shudder wondering when and how someone had gotten in her room last night. When she’d gone to bed none of this had been there. She had no choice but to use the items, and resolved to get hers back from Crescentia as soon as possible.

One more shock waited for her when she opened her hair case and found all of her hair ties gone. A simple note was laying on top of the empty box.

YOUR HAIR LOOKS SO MUCH BETTER DOWN.

ALEXANDER

“UGH!” She exclaimed and slammed the box shut. “Of all the nerve!” Angry beyond words, Leis reached into her closet and chose a deep emerald green maxi dress with mid length sleeves and a scoop neck. She wrapped a brown infinity scarf around her neck and slipped into the pair of brown flats she’d purchased at the store where Koen had embarrassed her by trying on the heels. Thankful for the memory, she couldn’t help but giggle and wished he were the one taking her out today. She searched her purse and found a hair tie at the bottom. Defiantly, she swept her hair into a low pony. “Much better.”

The clock chimed 8AM and she knew she needed to get downstairs before someone came looking for her. They would be expecting her to delay as long as possible. Sighing and wishing she could delay, she tossed the purse over her shoulder and opened the door. As the air swept into her room she cringed.

“Good morning, Leisel.” Alexander’s rough voice spoke quietly. She steeled herself and stepped into the hallway pulling her door shut.

“Good morning, Mr. Koch.” She met his gaze and his expression gave her pause. He was leaning against the wall opposite her door in his usual sharply creased dress pants, a pale blue oxford, grey waistcoat, and a black leather belt. His sleeves were rolled just past his wrists and she cringed at the glittering Rolex he wore around his thickly veined wrist. His flaming hair was loose and appeared to still be slightly damp. He was clearly offended she wasn’t wearing the clothes he’d left for her, but hid it quickly and cocked his head in feigned confusion. “Didn’t you like the dress I bought you?”

“It didn’t fit.” She lied. She swallowed as he pushed his towering form away from the wall and gestured for her to precede him down the stairs to breakfast.

“Hmmm. What a shame. I’ll have to take you for a proper fitting later.” As she passed in front of him at the bottom of the stairs she felt his hands tug at her hair. His strong fingers slid up the back of her head and through the length of her hair taking the elastic band with them. As she turned to face him he held onto the the ends and draped them over her shoulder. “Much better.” His nearness was sending off all kinds of alarms in her chest and even from him she could smell his adverse reaction to touching her. She was surprised when hurt and disappointment wafted through the air.

Alexander grinned as she glared at him, holding out her hand for the return of the hair band. “I’ll take that back, please. And I believe the rules state that you are not allowed to touch me.”

He lowered his chin and chuckled, the sound greasy in her ears. “I think I’ll keep this for now.” He tucked the band into his pocket and turned to Ray who was now standing behind him. “I didn’t actually touch her, did I Ray? I was simply adjusting her hair for her.”

Ray nodded but crossed his arms. “The same rules apply to you Mr. Koch that applied to Mr. Fertig. You know the rules and I will decide what is appropriate and what is not. Ja?”

Alexander motioned toward the table. “Of course. I wouldn’t want to jeopardize my claim by breaking one of the rules. I promise to be the perfect gentleman where Miss. Gottschalk is concerned.”

Ray inclined his head and Leis growled under her breath. Undeterred, Alexander held a chair out for her, lifting and smoothing her hair over the chair back. “Did you like the new products I bought for you? Yours were department store brands I believe. Not very good for your skin or hair, really.”

Crescentia lowered herself into her chair at the head of the table and patted Samuel’s hand as he pushed her closer to the table. “I hope you don’t mind that Mr. Koch and Ray paid your room a visit last night. Since you had already gone to bed we thought that would be the easiest way.” She signaled to the wait staff while Leis stared at her wide eyed.

“You let him in my room while I was sleeping?” Playing favorites was one thing, but letting him in her room…she pointed across the table at the wickedly grinning Alexander. “Surely that has to qualify as breaking a rule!”

“No, it doesn’t. Mr. Koch didn’t actually enter your bedroom. He was in your suite, in order to deliver gifts and he was never alone.” Crescentia dismissed her protest. “Besides, it appears you didn’t even have the good manners to wear what he bought you.” She sighed and turned toward the waiter who approached the table. “We’ll be having omelets this morning. I’ll have my usual.” She glanced toward Alexander.

He spoke quickly, staring at Leis. “Miss Gottschalk will have the veggie, no peppers, extra cheese and mushrooms. I will have the same without the cheese.” His glittering eyes dared her to contradict him.

Her mouth hanging open, Alexander raised an eyebrow to ask confirmation of her order. She nodded and real fear settled over her. With a sight nod he released the waiter and poured her coffee. “I believe you and I may have gotten off on the wrong foot, Leisel.” His use of her full sounded strange and she winced. He poured himself a cup and added a bit of creamer. “I’m afraid I get a bit competitive when challenged for something I want.” His piercing eyes still shocked her every time she looked into them. They were the clearest and brightest green she had ever seen. “Allow me to spend the next few days making it up to you.”

His scent was no less slippery, but she sensed something underneath. Trying to push aside her fear, she did her best to do what Baden had told her and pay attention to his emotions not just his intentions. Stewart had told her he hadn’t had an easy life. Though the man across the table from her quite frankly scared her, she knew he wouldn’t do anything to lose his opportunity to claim her. Not much comfort, but it gave her a bit of courage. Deciding a truce was the best course of action, she pulled her shoulders back and smiled. “I would be grateful for that. We did meet under less than ideal circumstances.” She sipped her coffee and did her best not to cringe at the victorious smile he gave her. “What did you have in mind for our day today, Mr. Koch?”

He settled the plate the man handed him and lifted his fork. “I have an appointment in Seattle with a client and I thought you could fly out and back with me.” He lifted a shoulder. “It’s only a couple hour flight and we should be back home by night fall. My jet is waiting for us as soon as we finish our breakfast.”

Dumbfounded, Leis paused with her fork midway to her mouth. “Your jet?”

“Of course.” He chewed and nodded while looking down the table at Crescentia’s delighted smile. “My compliments to the chef. The omelets are perfect, Crescentia.”

Still in shock and growing frustrated with the realization he was planning to use his wealth in an obvious attempt to impress her, Leis finished her omelet while Crescentia, Alexander and Samuel discussed the client he would be going to see. Alexander explained. “The home is nearly complete, but he apparently has a lingering question about the ability of the structure to support his helicopter. So we will be taking mine from the airport and landing at his house.” He smoothed a hand down his beard. “There’s nothing I like more than making a grand entrance.” Crescentia laughed with him and he added. “Besides, it’s two birds one stone. He will know I am willing to stake my reputation on what I build, and he will see for himself the structure is sturdy.”

Surprised by what she was sensing from him, Leis drew in a deep breath and was taken aback to sense genuine honor from him. Underneath all the bluster of his words and flash of his wealth he craved the approval of those for whom he worked.

“Is something wrong, Leis?” Crescentia must have heard her inhale and was watching her with a calculating eye.

“Nothing at all.” Leis lied. “Just tired and I didn’t want to yawn.” Again, not the complete truth. She looked at Alexander through her lashes hoping he would buy it and not pick up on her nervousness like Stewart had.

Alexander titled his head and appraised her. “The flight should take about two and a half hours. There is a private room if you wish to take a brief nap before we arrive.” He pushed back from the table when he saw everyone was finished. For such a large man she marveled at the way he moved with incredible grace. “If you are ready to go, Ray?” He came around the table and pulled Leis’s chair out for her. “I’ve reserved an extra seat for you in both the plane and the chopper so you can stay with Miss Gottschalk the entire time we are away.”

Ray looked to Crescentia then Samuel before answering. When both of them nodded their approval he started toward the door. “I’ll pull the car around.”

“No need, sir.” Alexander took her hand, tucked it into his elbow and guided her toward the door. “My driver is just outside. You will ride in the back with us.” His smile was tight as he looked down at Leis. “I’m sure she will feel more comfortable if you rode with us and let someone else do the driving.”

Completely taken off guard, Leis studied his eyes trying to breathe in without being obvious. “Thank you, Alexander. I do appreciate your thoughtfulness.” She couldn’t get a read on him. His scent was sharp and almost reminded her of the lemon she’d smelled in the apartment. Crisp and clean, but stronger and with a sharp edge of something painful she couldn’t identify. She was going to have to stay on her toes for sure.

Copyright 2014 Michelle Bolanger
All Rights Reserved
***Subject to Change and Heavy Edits***

Random Chapter, The Kiss, Book 1, The Cotiere Chronicles

Leisel

Growing up in a household of brothers, Leis was no stranger to seeing guys in boxers and little else, but Baden standing shirtless in a pair of low riding board shorts so close to her clenched her stomach in embarrassment. Feeling like she was seeing something she shouldn’t as he jogged toward the others, she turned away as he leapt into the air to snag the frisbee from Josh and whirled around to launch it back toward Andrew. She had often admired his dedication to keeping his body sleekly toned and her friends at school had never been shy about letting her know they found him extremely attractive. His deeply tanned skin and dark brown eyes certainly weren’t hard to look at, but they never aroused the kind of excitement her friends described.

She’d gone along with Baden when he’d pushed for permission to take this trip never expecting that her parents would allow it. When they did, she wasn’t sure how to feel about it. Getting away from her overprotective parents for a weekend sounded like a great idea, but being alone with Baden made her nervous. Lately he’d been pushing boundaries and questioning everything. Their life long friendship was suddenly strained and she didn’t understand why. His restlessness of late didn’t make sense. Everything he did had a purpose, but she couldn’t come up with the reason why he pushed so hard at their relationship all of a sudden.

Sparing a glance toward the sound of the guys shouts and taunts, she couldn’t help but snicker a little when she saw Baden tackle Andrew and plunge them both under. The water churned as they wrestled and after what seemed a long time they burst back to the surface sputtering for breath as they shook the water out of their faces. Andrew broke free and shoved Baden a little more forcefully than Leis would have thought necessary, but they were always pushing and wrestling with each other. Shaking her head she turned away. They would work it out, they always did.

Gina settled on a blanket spread under the second umbrella and smoothed sunscreen on her own pale legs. “What did you bring to work on today, Leis?” She nodded to the bag at the edge of her faded yellow blanket. “Do you have more sketches due?”

“No. I got accepted to Center College a couple months ago.” Leis lowered herself to the ground and pulled the bag toward her. She heard the guys shouting and Carol’s squeals as no doubt Andrew tossed her in the water, but she forced her gaze to stay away from them.

“Where is Center College? That’s not in Arizona, is it?” Gina interrupted her thoughts, having propped herself on a couple rolled up towels to read.

“No, it’s in Ohio. Near Cincinnati.” She glanced over to see Gina watching her. Gina knew about their family, the rules, the constant hovering. She also knew an Empfanger was almost never allowed to leave the state for school.

“How did you ever get your parents to agree with that?” She sounded incredulous. “When do you leave?”

“I leave next week and it was Baden who convinced mom and dad to let me go.” She smiled wanly. “I have no idea how he did it.” Her eyes flicked up for a moment to see him skim boarding across the sand, the argument with Andrew apparently over. “He could convince my family of anything. They think he carved the grand canyon.” She blushed and looked away when he caught her watching. Her family truly thought he could do no wrong.

The two of them had always been inseparable. Throughout grade school and until graduation they had done nearly everything together. When he ran track, she was there to cheer him on. When she had a softball game, he was in the stands. All the parties, all the dances, all the events it was always Baden and Leis, Leis and Baden.

Once in a while, Leis would try to hang out some place without him, but she always found herself missing him when he wasn’t there. The thought of going away to school and being away from their family excited her. But knowing she would be miles away from her best friend scared her. She flipped open the sketch book and the first drawing made her laugh.

“What?” Gina leaned over to see.

Leis held it up. “This is what happens when he gets on my nerves.” It was a detailed drawing of Baden with his eyes scratched out. One socket was hallow and gouged with scratches. From the other hung a bloody and mostly deflated eyeball. She giggled. “He was pestering me about being so afraid of Zombie movies. I told him to leave me alone or I would gouge his eyes out with a spoon.” She flipped to a blank page as Gina scooted back to her place to read. “He said I didn’t have the guts to even imagine something so gross let alone draw it.”

Gina gagged and thumbed her reader. “That looks real! Can you create that with makeup?”

Leis made a face. “It depends. I’ve never worked with prosthetics like what the hanging eye would take, but I’d like to learn.”

“Yuck.” Gina grunted then fell quiet as she immersed herself in the book. Leis was glad because she needed time to think.

Baden’s behavior these last few months was out of character for him and she had no explanation why. She was thankful he’d managed to convince her family to allow her to study out of state, and gotten their Paarung ceremony postponed until spring so she could graduate. He’d so been adamant about waiting to complete the bonding yet on this trip he seemed determined to press into her personal space at every opportunity. It didn’t make sense. He wanted to delay the bonding, yet he wanted to act like it had already happened. There was something going on with him and all she could do was wait him out. She knew he’d talk about it when he was ready, she just hoped it would be soon.

Focusing on her work, she sketched a quick brow and eye, then switched out her pencil for the pastels. They smoothed and blended in a similar way to the powders and creams she used on skin. As she chose the blues, yellows, and greens she would need she let her mind get wrapped up in the drawing, forgetting about ceremonies, rules, and chaperones for a few hours.

When she finally looked up, it was no surprise that Andrew and Carol were glued together and splashing in the water. But her face burned when she found herself watching Baden and Sam play frisbee on the small strip of sand. His lean, athletic body moved and shifted gracefully and she wished again she could look at him and see him like her friends did.

It wasn’t much longer before Baden was making his way toward her. He was hot and sweaty when he lowered himself onto the shaded ground next to her. She stiffened but kept drawing as Baden moved closer and leaned over her shoulder to admire her work.

“What if you added a little yellow there?” His breath fanned across her cheek as he reached across her body to point. Gina had fallen asleep and with him this close, she froze. His nearly naked body was close enough she could feel the heat radiating from him. With no one to tell him to back away she fought the urge to shrink away from him. She didn’t want him so close. At all.

His hand had landed on her arm, and she jumped. “You okay, Leis?”

“I’m fine.” Using the excuse of reaching for a fresh pencil, she pulled her arm out from under his touch and deliberately averted her gaze away from his glistening chest.  “Having fun?” Her voice quivered.

Leaning back onto his hands, he sighed and stretched his legs in front of him. “Sure.”

She glanced over to see him looking toward the water shaking his head slightly. Following his gaze she saw Andrew and Josh hip deep in the lake water watching them. Twin frowns crossed her brother's faces before they exchanged a glance and headed toward her. Andrew called to Carol who floated on her back a few feet away.

Suddenly, she understood what the trip was about. “I’m sorry, Baden. If I could fix myself I would.” He’d persuaded her bothers to let him get her away from the pressure of rest the family hoping she would be able to scent him without their constant badgering. Her heart ached. “You know that, right?”

His brown eyes were sympathetic and his lip twitched in an almost smile. “It’s not your fault.” He stood and dusted himself off as her brothers reached them. “Let’s go. I’m hungry anyway.” Turning his back to her he shook out his shirt and slid into it.

Once again she cursed her defect. Normally her inability to smell was an inconvenience. To Ordinairs like Gina, it wouldn’t really matter at all. But for her it was ruining everything. Baden was perfect. He was smart, good looking, and funny. But she was hopelessly broken. Since she’d been born without the ability to smell, everyone knew the chances of Baden being able to bond with her were slim, but he’d aways believed in her. They both knew that without her sense of smell, she lacked the ability to detect the unique scent from his blood that would trigger her fangs. If they were unable to complete the Blood Exchange and solidify the bonding, there would be no children and she would outlive him by several hundred years.

That thought pierced her heart. She could expect to live three maybe four hundred years, but as an un-bonded Geberin, Baden’s life expectancy was no longer than an Ordinair. The thought of living her life without him in it was impossible. She looked up and watched him as he carefully repacked her blanket. He met her gaze and his whole demeanor softened. He must have seen the sadness in her eyes because he set the blanket on top of the cooler and came to her.

“Leis, you know this isn’t your fault.” He brushed the hair out of her face and rested a hand gently on her shoulder. His touch was friendly and comforting again, as though all the questioning and pushing had been flushed out of him. Just like that, he was back to being her friend, but there was a growing resignation about him she had always expected. He’s finally accepted the fact I’ll always be this way.

“But it is my fault, isn’t it?” She stared up into his soft brown eyes and wished again she could muster up the desire she knew he should stir in her. The kind he obviously felt for her. He was caring and oh so handsome. But to her, it was the same kind of handsome she often admired in her brothers, certainly nothing like what a couple ready to start a family would have. She shuddered. “It’s my disability that’s holding you back.”

Tears began to well in her eyes and he tilted his head at her. “Leis,” he said softly, “you are perfect just the way you are.” He wiped the wet from her cheek with this thumb. “Trust me. We’ll figure this out, okay?”

Numbly, she nodded though she knew he was only being kind to her. Her lack of attraction to him must be hurting him. It was obvious he was disappointed she hadn’t responded to his advances. As they rode home in the rented Escalade with Andrew and Carol, the disappointment kept everyone silent. Baden held her hand, his thumb softly tracing across her palm. The tears she’d been holding back fell when Baden’s hand tightened on hers and he leaned over to whisper in her ear. “I love you, Leis. No matter what happens, never doubt that I love you.”

****Unedited and Subject to Change****
Copyright 2015 Michelle Bolanger