SEDUCTIVE SUPERNATURALS: 12 Tales of Shapeshifters, Vampires & Sexy Spirits (128 page)

“You mean other than the fact that Dillon keeps showing up in my room, and his dead grandmother and I had an actual conversation, not to mention that I’m seeing ghosts at the hotel?”

“Wait? Isn’t Dillon still in a coma?”

Suddenly the pool began to feel crowded with people and Hilly needed a more secluded place to have a serious conversation with Sarah.

“That’s just it . . . let’s get away from here. I have something wild to tell you and I need your opinion.”

Hilly and Sarah moved over to the soaking pool where the hundred-degree water felt absolutely divine on Hilly’s aching body. Ever since Dillon’s accident she’d been chronically stressed twenty-four/seven. Soaking in the hot mineral water and having Sarah to confide in seemed to alleviate some of that stress, even though she knew it was only temporary.

“Let’s back up. Did you say that Dillon is showing up in your hotel room? Isn’t he, like, in a coma at the hospital?”

“Technically it’s his hotel room, and yes, he’s in a really deep coma. It’s his spirit or Dillon’s essence or whatever you want to call it that keeps appearing, and he has no idea why he’s there or what happened. I don’t have the heart to tell him the details. This Dillon isn’t anything like the real Dillon. This guy is sweet and sensitive and funny. I don’t think this Dillon will be able to handle the truth. He had a passenger in the car with him, his grandmother. She didn’t make it. I have a feeling he loved his grandmother very much and this is going to devastate the sensitive spirit Dillon. The real Dillon might not be too happy about it either, but I can’t communicate with him. He’s still unresponsive.”

Sarah backed up and leaned on the wall of the soaking pool. “Do you know how insane this sounds?”

Hilly nodded. “I can’t believe it myself, but it’s true. I tried to tell you all of this on the phone but you blew me off.”

“I thought you were kidding.”

“Well, I’m not.”

“You’re seriously expecting me to believe that Dillon Spencer, your boss, who is lying in a hospital room, in a coma, is also somehow showing up in your hotel room?”

“Yes, twice now, and his grandmother, Margarita, appeared to me in his private room at the hospital. We had a long chat. Did you know that Dillon slept on the floor next to his mom’s bed when she was dying of cancer? And that he promised his mom right before she died he’d be a good boy and listen to his dad? That’s why Dillon does everything his dad tells him to do. Not because he has no mind of his own like we thought, but because he feels an obligation to honor the promise he made to his mom.”

Sarah shook her head. “You realize what you’re saying is completely impossible, and if I wasn’t your best friend, I’d be running in the opposite direction. I think you’ve had some powerful dreams and you merely think they were real.”

Hilly moved toward the side wall of the pool as the warm water swirled around her, soothing all the tension out of her body. She loved the way the water made her feel buoyant and she could identify with Doc Holliday who, according to the brochure she found in the lobby of the hotel, stayed at the hotel and soaked in these springs hoping it would cure him of his ailments.

Unfortunately, nothing could save Doc Holliday, and she wondered if anything could save Dillon.

“I need advice, not skepticism. This stuff is really happening and I thought you could put your doubts aside and help me.”

Hilly looked into Sarah’s eyes, hoping to find some shred of hope, but she only saw complete disbelief.

Sarah blew out a sigh. “Okay, let’s just say I believe there’s something strange going on and you suddenly have the inside track to the dead and comatose people. I’m not saying I’m all in, I’m only giving you possibilities. So, with that in mind, my advice would be that you need to tell this new and improved Dillon the truth about what happened out on that road. Obviously, that’s why he keeps appearing to you. He’s looking for answers and you seem to be his only hope for getting them. Maybe then he can go back into his body, wake up and return to being his obnoxious self. Then you can quit, move to San Diego and have dirty sex with Jeremy.”

“Or maybe if I tell him what happened to his gram, it’ll be so distressing that he’ll never wake up.”

Sarah’s forehead furrowed.

“This is way out of my league. If any of it is true, which would be incredible in itself, the real Dillon depends on you and trusts you to always do the right thing no matter the consequences. Seems to me, this supernatural Dillon would expect nothing less.”

“Then I should tell him.”

“Yes, but first let me introduce you to Jeremy.”

Hilly turned, and there, standing not more than two feet away was a living, breathing specimen of pure testosterone.

“Brad and I are going to grab some lunch,” Jeremy said in a rich baritone voice. “You girls want to join us?”

“We’d love to,” Sarah told him, and just like that, Jeremy took Hilly’s hand and guided her out of the pool.

A Shadow at Twilight: Chapter Six

Dillon watched as some tall, black-haired dude dressed in designer ski-slope trend, made a move on Hilly. They stood next to the four-poster bed, obviously only moments away from doing the deed in Dillon’s room . . . a completely disagreeable situation. The trendy dude leaned in for a kiss, and sweet Hilly innocently stood up on her toes to meet his awaiting fleshy lips. The entire scene smacked of a regrettable encounter for Hilly and another notch on the dude’s already heavily notched belt.

Dillon had a difficult time believing a smart girl like Hilly could be taken in by this . . . this . . . Neanderthal.

“You’re actually considering sleeping with this Cretin?”

Hilly jumped away from the dude, letting out a startled cry.

“What’s wrong?” the disgruntled dude asked, looking bewildered.

“Go away,” Hilly told Dillon.

“But you invited me up here,” Dude said. He sounded incredulous, as if Hilly couldn’t possibly be giving him the boot.

“Not you. Him,” Hilly said, pointing at Dillon.

Dillon smirked. “This is certainly an interesting situation.”

Dude looked around. “Who?”

“Me, you overgrown, egocentric, GQ liar. Let’s go outside. Come on!” Dillon was fired up for action, but Dude seemed to be looking right through him. So Dillon held up his fists. He’d never fought anyone in his life. Didn’t actually know how to throw a punch, but he was ready to take this guy on if he had to.

“He can’t hear you,” Hilly whispered to Dillon.

“Should I talk louder?” Dude asked.

“No. Look, it’s a long story,” Hilly told him. “Could you give me a minute? I need to freshen up.”

In the meantime, Dillon was busy throwing punches that went right through the guy’s head. “Stand still and take your punishment, you slimy example of manhood.”

“Sure,” Dude said, completely unaware of Dillon’s advances. “Take all the time you need. I’ll just make myself comfortable.” And he hopped up on the bed and rested his back on the headboard causing Dillon to want to pummel the guy.

Instead, he turned to Hilly. “You really want to have sex with this guy?”

Hilly ignored his ravings, calmly walked into the bathroom and closed the door. Dillon followed her inside, and took a seat on the chair.

She turned to face him. “Are you insane?”

“Me? You’re the one who brought home a booty call.”

“He is not a booty call. He’s someone I’d like to get to know better.”

“How much better?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Isn’t this my room? Wait . . . how did I know that?”

She suddenly looked a little sheepish. “Yes, but—”

“Then it’s absolutely my business.”

Dillon walked over to the closed bathroom door and leaned through it, a trick he’d mastered the last time he’d seen Hilly. It felt a bit weird, but gave him a rush of excitement. Dude had removed his T-shirt, unbuttoned the top button on his pants and struck a couple different sexy poses while he leaned against the headboard. Dillon had to admit the guy was buffed and looked good, maybe too good, and from the way he was flexing his muscles while looking in the dresser mirror that stood directly across from the bed, Dillon thought perhaps it had been a good thing he hadn’t been able to see Dillon throwing punches. Although Dillon worked out, this guy had about thirty pounds of muscle on Dillon.

Dillon popped back into the bathroom.

“Don’t do that,” Hilly said. “It’s too creepy.”

“You cannot have sex with him.”

Hilly crossed her arms across her chest. “I’m on vacation. I can do anything I want.”

“He’s not the guy for you.”

“I’m perfectly capable of making that decision for myself.”

“No you’re not. You have a problem with choosing good men.”

“Have you been spying on me?”

“I don’t know. I can’t remember that kind of stuff. I just know you’re lousy at relationships.”

“Oh, and you’re not?”

Dillon tried to recall if he had a girlfriend. No one came to mind.

“I’m not the one with a human sex toy waiting in the next room.”

“Jimmy . . . I mean Jeremy is not a sex toy.”

“You don’t know his name?”

“Of course I do. It’s Jeremy and he’s a highly acclaimed model.”

“And you’re in love with him.”

Dillon walked in closer to her. She had a most lovely face with eyes that he had gotten lost in several times, only he couldn’t remember when exactly. The closer he came to her the more he wanted to kiss her, but he knew that was impossible.

He stepped back.

“Who said anything about love?”

“Okay. You’re not in love with him. You’re in it for the sex.”

“If you want to put it that way, then, yes, just for the sex.”

Dillon went over and sat on the chair again.

There was a soft rap on the door. Dude was getting restless. “Everything okay in there?”

“Fine. Couldn’t be better,” Hilly told him through the closed door. “I’ll be out in a minute. Pour yourself a glass of wine.”

“Now you’re talking, babe. I’ll pour two.”

Dillon said, “Babe? He calls you babe?”

“It’s a term of endearment.”

“Not to his type.”

“And what type is that?”

“The type who has a different ‘babe’ every night.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Maybe not for sure, but I do know you always pick guys who have commitment issues. That’s why you haven’t dated anyone in the last couple of years. You’re afraid of your choices.”

“How is it that you can’t remember anything about yourself, but you seem to know everything about my personal life?”

“Ah-huh,” Dillon jumped out of the chair. He’d been right. “Then you admit it. You date all the wrong men.”

“I’m over that now. I’ve moved on. I’m no longer looking for a commitment. I’m looking for hot, crazy, uncommitted sex, and Jason’s the guy to give it to me.”

“I thought you said his name was Jeremy.”

“Does it matter?”

“Not to me, but it might to him.”

She turned to look into the mirror, grabbed a small makeup brush and dabbed powder on her nose.

“Can you please leave now? My lover is waiting.”

“I don’t want to leave. You’re not wired this way. It’ll change you.”

“How do you know how I’m wired?”

“I don’t know the answer to that, exactly. It’s more of a feeling rather than something factual. I only know you can’t go through with this.”

She swept by him and tiny shock waves surged through his body. Like he’d been plugged into an electrical source and was somehow connected to her, that he was part of her. He felt euphoric and scared at the same time.

“And you can’t go through with marrying a woman you don’t love.”

He stood and moved away from her. The connection he’d felt abruptly stopped, leaving him drained and tired. He tried to focus on what she’d just said, but he had no recollection of another woman in his life. “I’m getting married?”

“Yes, to a woman your dad has chosen for business reasons. Once you’re married, you and she will merge the two law firms.”

“So, my dad introduced us and we fell in love and if I could remember anything about my life, I’m sure I’d be happy about it.”

“No you wouldn’t. You don’t love her,” Hilly shot back, looking a bit angry as she pulled a brush through her thick hair.

Dillon wasn’t buying any of it. He was sure she was making it up deliberately trying to confuse his already addled brain. “You’re trying to change the subject. I would never marry someone for a business deal.”

“Does Nanette Larson ring any bells?”

As soon as he heard the name, it was as if a movie rewound in his head. All the scenes with Nanette came rushing back, followed by the emotions or, more accurately, the lack of emotions. His senses were filling up with information that he had purposely tried to forget.

Intense fear overtook him, and the next thing he heard was that incessant beeping sound he’d come to loathe.

* * *

By the time Dillon saw Hilly again, she was dressed in pink pajamas, sitting cross-legged on the four-poster bed, typing something on her laptop.

He felt different. She looked different. For one thing, he wasn’t feeling a sense of urgency to sort things out, and for another, he didn’t know if she and Dude were now seriously dating. He remembered Dude with no problem at all. Everything else was still muddled, but Dude stood out like a beacon.

As he watched her wrapped in the warm glow from the small lamp on the nightstand, he realized just how stunningly beautiful she was, and what an amazing woman he was lucky enough to know. Each time he saw her, his emotions for her grew. He couldn’t understand why the part of him lying silent in the hospital had never tried to win her over. She was absolutely perfect in every way, and so kind and loving. If by some miracle the guy in the hospital bed grew conscious again, he would try his best to make him realize just that.

Hilly looked up at him, took in a deep breath, smiled and let it out slowly. She seemed calmer now, ready to deal with him in a more practical manner.

“Where have you been?” she asked. “It’s been two days. Just when I needed to talk to you, you completely disappeared. I even took extra showers hoping you’d show.”