Heaven and Hell (Beautiful Beings, #2) Read online

  I cleared my throat, hoping to clear my head in the process. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.

  Moore nodded his understanding of my silent protest and sat back, his posture rigid, his eyes focused straight ahead. “So,” he said with forced authority. “What did you have in mind?”

  The jump from pleasure to business was jolting, but I took in a gulp of air and reminded myself why I’d come out here to begin with. “It’s Friday. I have two whole days to act on this. I want you to get me a ticket to England, and I’ll take it from there.”

  His lips instantly pursed and his brow creased. “Ah, yes. Braxton Kingsley. The real reason you’re here. So all you want me to do is get you to Jolly Ole? Do you even have an idea where in England? Have you ever been there? Do you know how to get around?”

  “Yes, that’s all I want from you, and, no, I don’t know exactly where he is, but I’ll find him. I’ve never been to England, but, last time I checked, they spoke pretty good English, so I don’t think I’ll have that much trouble getting around.”

  “Language wasn’t really the kind of problem I had in mind. England is a big country. Hell, just finding your way around London can be a challenge if you don’t know where you're going.”

  “Great, genius. I take it you’ve been there and you're prepared to be my guide.”

  “As a matter of fact, I have. I’ve been there more than once. I know London as well as I know San Francisco and I’ve traveled through Manchester, Sheffield and Yorkshire several times. And…”

  He paused dramatically, causing me to glare impatiently at him. With my tongue poking at my cheek, I waited for him to continue.

  “Before coming to St. James, we shopped around at a few private schools in England. I know the best ones, I know where there are, I know how to get to each of them and… I know who to talk to once we get there.”

  “Fine,” I conceded. “Maybe you’ll be more valuable to me over there.”

  “Besides, think of the fun we’ll have. A great weekend getaway.” His eyes widened with boyish anticipation while his hands panned out with flair and excitement. “Just the two of us, alone in another country, all day, all night.”

  “I swear, Moore, just because we’ll be away from home doesn’t give you license to take advantage of the situation. I have absolutely no qualms about dumping you in the middle of the English countryside or throwing you off the London Bridge if you step out of line.”

  He leaned over the stick shift and touched his fingers to my temple. “All I want is to be with you, to show you how much I love you. Spending the weekend together is the greatest thing that can happen to us, you’ll see. You might not feel much for me now, but wait…”

  “Moore,” I said in a quiet hush that revealed too much how I truly felt.

  “I can’t help how I feel, Lux.” He paused, biting his lip while his eyes took on an expression I’d never seen before.

  Was he truly in love with me? The lust between us was palpable, undeniable, but love?

  “Don’t you think I know how dangerous loving you is? I should be doing my best to stay away from you. I know you should slay me. I’m just like a praying mantis, pursuing you all the while knowing you could kill me at any moment if you choose to.”

  I sought that devilish gleam in his eyes, the manipulative smirk, but only saw raw emotion.

  “By God, Lux, I love you. I know you don’t believe that and I know I’ve done nothing but give you reason to hate me, but… I want you. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

  I smiled, but knew it to be stiff and uncomfortable.

  “One day, you’ll see how right we are together.”

  Shaking my head, my hand went to the door handle, ready to bail out before things got out of hand. “This isn’t working.”

  He grabbed my arm and kept me from leaving. “This weekend will show you who I really am, what I’m truly capable of. We’ll both be out of our element, away from school and family. We’ll have only each other to rely on, to count on.”

  I glanced at his hand on my arm. This trip could bring us closer or it could end in tragedy.

  “Lux, I swear I’ll be a perfect gentleman and…” He took a heavy and resigned breath. “If you feel nothing for me at the end of all this, I’ll leave you be.”

  I remained silent, weighing my options. Finding Brax would be easy with Moore guiding me and he offered me access to private schools… and of course that airline ticket to England. I was far from having that kind of money and was loath to ask my parents for it.

  Moore released my arm and pulled out his phone. Streaming through his list of contacts, he winked at me.

  “Julian,” he said, holding the phone out in front of him so I could hear the entire conversation.

  “Moore? Is that you, sir?”

  “It certainly is. I’m planning a little weekend getaway. A sprint to England.”

  “Sounds exciting, sir. When did you want to leave?”

  “Tonight.” He glanced at me for my approbation.

  I nodded, trying not to appear too eager.

  “Can you have the plane ready that quickly?”

  “It’s always ready for you, sir.”

  “We’ll be there in an hour.”

  “I’ll make sure a proper dinner is prepared for you, sir. Any special requests?”

  “Just make it dinner for two.”

  “Shayne will be traveling with you, sir?”

  “No.” He gazed at me. “A cherished female friend.”

  “Very well, sir.”

  Moore shut the phone and shoved it in his pocket.

  I refused to be dazzled by the fact he had his own plane, but couldn’t keep from gawking at him.

  “We’ve got some packing to do.”

  Chapter 4

  The sports car clung to every curve under Moore’s expert handling. The motor purred and the wind blew through our hair all the way home.

  “I’ll be just a minute.” I raced through the house, picking out a few essentials, then scribbled a quick note to my parents. With an old duffle bag slung over my shoulder, I returned to Moore’s car.

  He glanced skeptically at my bag. “That’s it?”

  “What can I say, I’m a light packer.”

  “Hmmm.” He pulled out onto the street and headed to his place, but as we passed before the mall, he suddenly turned into the parking lot.

  “What are you doing?”

  Without a word, he parked the car, killed the engine and grabbed my bag. Giving me an amused glare, he yanked the zip back.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Just as I thought,” he said as he rummaged through my personals. “No offense, but this won’t do. Come on.”

  Watching him get out of the car, I frowned, my reluctant hand on the door handle.

  “Are you coming, or what?”

  I took a quick glance at my watch. Did we really have time for this? With a sigh, I opened the door and hurried after him.

  “For the last time, what are you doing?”

  “Getting you a decent wardrobe.”

  While the warrior in me wanted to beat the arrogant smirk off his face, the girly girl thrilled at the notion of a shopping spree.

  Once in the mall, Moore guided me straight to the more opulent boutiques. Luxurious fabrics, beautiful cuts and exquisite accessories surrounded us.

  “Here, why don’t you try something like this on?” Moore held up an elegant pant suit. It was chic, sophisticated, yet youthful.

  “Monsieur has great taste,” the sales girl gushed as she came up to us.

  As it turned out, he also had an excellent eye for what suited my figure.

  “You're stunning,” he said, his eyes sweeping over every inch of me. He held up a cheerful cocktail dress, tastefully sexy in its design yet decadently sensual on my skin.

  “London doesn’t know what it has coming. Everything is deliciously beautiful on you.”

  “Like the girl said, Monsieur has
great taste.”

  “Yes,” he said with a wickedly pleased smile. “And Mademoiselle has a great body. Anything will look good on you.”

  I laughed, enjoying his charm.

  “And what about you?”

  He had the sales clerk tally up my purchases, paid the impressive amount and led me to a men’s clothing shop.

  With no time for tailoring, he satisfied his need to look good with a trendy sports coat, flattering slacks and a jaunty hat that brought a certain English flair.

  “The Brits will fall in love with you.” I gave the under rim of his hat a gentle nudge up his forehead. He truly was a great-looking guy and everything suit him well.

  “You like this?” he asked, turning to me with an off the rack suit.

  “I’d hate to say anything that could enlarge that already dangerously inflated head of yours, but…”

  “I look good,” he cut in.

  I shook my head, laughing at his vanity. Through it all, he managed to sound adorable and sweet, rather than cocky and arrogant.

  “You know, they say that clothes make the man.”

  He glanced at me, a curious cock to his brow.

  “But I have to say, you definitely make the clothes look good.”

  His lips curled into a smile that was almost bashful, so unlike him and so completely endearing.

  “One last stop,” he said as he paid his equally impressive bill.

  We popped into a luggage shop to pick up two matching LV bags and hurried to the car.

  “We’re going to be late,” I said as he started the car.

  “They’ll wait.”

  Twenty minutes late, Moore pulled up to the private hangar.

  “The plane is fueled up, the galley stocked and the staff ready to go, sir.”

  “Thank you.” Moore pulled our bags out of the miniature trunk of his car and handed them to a steward. “I do apologize for the delay, Julian. Packing took a little longer than expected.”

  “Not a problem, sir.”

  “Julian, I’d like to introduce you to my companion, Lux. Lux, this is the man who’ll be flying us to London.”

  “I’m happy to see you’re not an eighteen year old thrill seeker,” I said with a nervous chuckle. The thought of flying didn’t particularly appeal to me and the notion of flying across the ocean in a small privately owned plane didn’t help matters.

  This pilot, a tall thin man with graying hair and sharp eyes, seemed more than capable of getting us there safely. He smiled, amused by my obvious jitters.

  “And this is Suzanne, our flight attendant.”

  Nodding, I shook her hand.

  She led us inside the hangar where our plane awaited us. “Oh, my God,” I gasped as I caught sight of the plane. “This is your plane?” For once I’d allowed myself to be fully blown over by the immense wealth the Hatchetts had.

  “Yep,” Moore said with a hint of pride. “A Global Express, BD-700. Seats eight, has a full galley, lounge, bedroom; everything one needs to jump the pond in complete comfort.”

  Boarding the luxury aircraft, I gulped down on the gasps and gushing that wanted to explode from my mouth. It was breathtakingly elegant and sophisticated.

  “When you said your plane, I thought we’d be boarding some little two seater or something. I thought I’d have my teeth rattled all the way to London on some barely air worthy plane that left me grasping for something secure to hold onto, but this…”

  The leather seats were wide, cushy and offered every passenger ample leg room and more comfort than any first class airline.

  While the crew settled into their work stations, Moore led me to our seats. My hands automatically ran over the soft leather, reveling in the cool sensation of such luxury.

  “You buckled in?” Moore reached over to verify.

  Within minutes the motors were purring and the plane taxied down the tarmac, smooth as silk. On take-off, Moore took my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

  “By the time you wake up tomorrow morning, you’ll be in London.”

  The ground flowed away and soon we were soaring amidst the big puffy clouds that hung over San Francisco. Gazing down at the ever shrinking city, I felt a surge of joy, a euphoria I’d never felt before.

  “You may unfasten your seatbelts. We’ve now reached our cruising altitude of 31,500 feet, the skies are fair and the sun is setting as we leave San Francisco. Our estimated time of arrival is six a.m.,” a smooth voice said over the speakers.

  “Have a lovely flight, Lux.” Moore unclipped my seatbelt and stood, extending his hand out to me. “We’ll be far more comfortable in the lounge.”

  Plush, modern and with more conveniences than the average hotel, the lounge was indeed comfortable. The moment we sat down on the sofa, Suzanne arrived with refreshments.

  “What’s your pleasure?” Moore asked.

  I reached for a bottle of iced tea and Moore smiled, reaching for the same.

  “Let me know when you're ready for dinner.”

  “Half an hour would be good, Suzanne. Thank you.”

  Suzanne smiled and nodded as she retreated.

  Once alone, Moore opened our bottles and poured the contents into crystal tumblers. Handing me one, he held up his glass and tapped mine. “This is going to be one really great weekend. I can’t remember the last time I felt so enthusiastic about something.”

  The setting sun offered the perfect spectacle with which to enjoy our dinner, and as we soared up the Alaskan coast and over the arctic, the night sky sparkled with millions of stars.

  “So,” I said, as I patted my lips with the linen napkin. “How much time have you spent in England?”

  “If you put all the summers, vacations, weekends together, it probably amounts to a year or two. It’s such a fascinating country, so rich in history and so mesmerizing in its architecture. You know, for all the history we’re taught in class, nothing compares to going out into the world and seeing that history up close. And it’s not just learning about King Henry or the wars and battles, but Liverpool, the Beatles, the British invasion, the birth of punk.”

  I’d never seen him like this before; so alive, so enthused and so charming. We spoke for hours and the conversation never veered to the lust and sensuality that usually accompanied us. Time with him was comfortable and easy as he brought me through museums, symphonies and the Tower of London.

  His voice was soothing and listening to him brought a pleasant sense of well-being that had me thoroughly relaxed. My eyelids grew heavy and as I started to nod off, my head gravitated to Moore’s shoulder.

  Contradictory to the nights of weeks past, I slept soundly, even peacefully, awakening from the profound slumber feeling relaxed and oddly euphoric. A fresh smelling blanket warmed my shoulders and for a moment I sought the familiar surroundings of my bedroom. My eyes focused on various objects; passenger seats, the small star-filled window, then the long legs that stretched out in front of me, ending with two large feet.

  Moore, I realized with a smile. His lap pillowed my head while his fingers played wickedly soothing games on my scalp, rendering my lids heavy every time I tried to pry them open.

  I cleared my throat of sleep. “Have I been out long?”

  “Not too bad.”

  I sat up, shaking the grogginess away. “Sorry about that.”

  “No need to apologize. It was really rather nice. Watching you, so peaceful. You seemed far away, caught on a pleasant dream. You smiled, more than once. It was angelic.”

  “Really?” I ran a skeptical hand through my hair, my gaze doubting his every word.

  “Really. Darkness seemed to fade away without my need to fight it when you’re around. I can’t remember the last time I felt so calm, so at peace.”

  “Good. I’m happy to hear it.”

  “You know, Lux, if I could change the past, I would.” He reached out a finger to softly trace my left cheek.

  I harrumphed. I didn’t really want to get into it again, but my a
nger quickly grew. “This isn’t some small error in judgment, Moore. It’s not like your sister stole my lunch money or threw ketchup on my blouse. She tried to kill me. She killed Dr. Kingsley… with her own bare hands. And you were right there with her.”

  “Hey.” He stiffened and sat up straight.

  “I know,” I said. “I know. You didn’t actually have a hand in killing him, but you were there, you knew what she intended to do and you let her. She has you doing whatever she wants and she’s in complete control.”

  “I have some control, too, and I’ll prove it to you, Lux. I’ll change. I’ll take full control and rid myself of the demons. Shayne’s the one who wanted to get an angel, to get Asher, and a part of me was on board with her, but a great part didn’t want to follow through.”

  “She still didn’t have to kill Dr. Kingsley.”

  “I know.” He nodded, his head heavy with remorse.

  “It was just plain malice.”

  “I know. I hate that things turned out that way… you have no idea. I’m going to spend the rest of my days trying to make it up.” Staring at the floor, he kicked repeatedly at the carpeted floor, his face ridden with guilt.

  “We have to find a way to break this curse,” I said.

  He brought his gaze to me as a slow and reluctantly triumphant grin cracked his face. “You’ll help me?”

  “I’ll see.” I wasn’t yet prepared to commit.

  He reached for my hand. “There’s a light in you, Lux, so bright. It glows and radiates from you, warm and so appealing.” He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it.

  No one had ever spoken to me in such a way, not even Lothario or Samuel.

  “I knew about you. Before I even laid eyes on you, I knew you were out there. I knew you’d come for me, come to save me. When I first saw you, so strong, fierce and so unbelievably beautiful, I wanted to kick myself for what I was. I wanted to simply be a man, facing a woman, and love her. But I’m cursed, through no fault of my own, I am what my parents made me, and I’m becoming something I dread. I need to free myself of this… and fast.”

  “Before you meet the same fate as your parents.”