Counting Midnight Read online

  Still, her new boss reminded her of her Midnight Guardian. Should she be nervous about that? Her lover had protected her and never hurt her. She missed him so much. He’d always found her in the past. He must not want her anymore. For the millionth time, she wondered if he thought she’d deserted him and if he was angry with her.

  She hadn’t deserted him. She’d been coming back. During her ill-fated trip, she’d realized that she loved the silent man who came when he wanted and used her body. He’d been the only real lover she’d ever had and the only one she’d ever wanted.

  She had made the decision that she would speak to him the next time he came even if it made him angry. It sounded silly but the truth was, she had never heard her lover’s voice and had never seen his face. He had only ever come to her in the dark of night with the lights off. She had sometimes wondered if he looked like The Beast or The Phantom of the Opera.

  Nina knew she’d need to be careful around her new boss. Aside from the way he made her think of her lover, he posed real dangers to her. He seemed to look right inside her, reading all of her secrets.

  Would he fire her if he knew she wouldn’t be with him for more than a few years? Could he? What will he do if he ever finds out how unstable this infection I have really is? Should I have stayed in Moldavia and waited for the end to come?

  Vasile Velicescu had been very mad at her for some reason. By the time she’d finished her interview, he seemed calmer but she knew he had been angry. She’d found him very intimidating. I don’t know what I did to make him mad but I never want to do it again.

  After she changed out of her interview clothes, Nina found her old diary. Ever since her rape, she’d kept track of the times she’d seen her Midnight lover. Every single minute of the Midnights they shared was accounted for. She’d kept track of the time he spent with her and even made little notations.

  Someday, she’d remember what those notations meant. She’d written “neck”, “thrt”, “br”, and “lg”. Today, however, she held the old diary for comfort. It was as close as she could get to the only man she had chosen to share her body with.

  She fell asleep clutching her diary to her chest. She didn’t know why she was so tired. Chiding herself for laziness, she slept most of the weekend away.

  When Nina crawled out of bed late Monday morning, she felt like she was catching a cold. Her head was pounding but she tried to ignore it. She took some antibiotics and had a cup of hot tea. She didn’t want to be under the weather on her first day of work.

  Chapter 2

  On Monday afternoon, Vasile arrived at work knowing that Nina would be attending the administrative staff meeting. While the urge to go to her during the weekend had been nearly overpowering, he’d somehow overcome it.

  It angered him that he had so little discipline when it came to this woman. She’d been his for nearly a decade before her disappearance. He hadn’t felt this strongly then. Of course, perhaps that is the reason I lost her. I ignored my need for her and let her live unrestrained.

  He prowled through the enormous office building until he found the office that was to be Nina’s. She had arrived a few hours prior. He decided that he would escort her to the meeting.

  The staff meetings were usually held in the late afternoon every Monday. Vasile was older than many of his kind and could be out in early or late sunlight without problem, but it was best if he was seen during daylight hours sometimes.

  “Good evening, Miss Caruthers.” he addressed her, entering her office.

  “Mr. Velicescu! It’s good to be here, sir,” she said breathlessly, shooting to her feet.

  Something was not right. Vasile walked around her desk and stopped a foot in front of her. She tilted her head back to look at him and squeezed her eyes closed in pain.

  “Nina?” he asked carefully, “What is wrong?”

  Forcing her eyes open a half-inch, she tried to smile. “Really, Mr. Velicescu, I’m fine.” she lied.

  His ebony eyes studied her face. “Why must you tell me things that are not true, little Nina?” he sighed, shaking his head from side to side.

  As he pulled her into his arms, she began to tremble. He rubbed her back. Placing a finger under her chin, he tipped her face back and looked into her eyes.

  “Tell me?” he whispered, his black eyes boring into her pain filled turquoise pools.

  “It’s only a little headache,” she confessed. “I’m sure it’ll go away.”

  Against her will it seemed her head drooped to rest on his shoulder. Scanning her thoughts, he could tell that it was not a simple little headache but a very big headache. He massaged her temples and spoke to her, soothing her in Romanian.

  Reaching into her mind, he soothed her and gave her the feeling that her headache was gone and that she’d rested her eyes a moment. Vasile gently eased her into her chair. He moved back to the doorway and opened her office door. Once again, he entered.

  “Good evening, Miss Caruthers.” he said cheerfully, “May I call you Nina?”

  “Of course, Mr. Velicescu!” she blushed uncomfortably, apparently fearing she’d been caught napping.

  “Shall we attend the staff meeting, Nina?” he asked her in his spellbinding voice. “And Nina?” he asked.

  Grabbing the portfolio she’d need for the meeting, she stood and preceded him through the door he held open. “Yes, sir?” she asked.

  “Call me Vasile, please.”

  Watching her walk out in front of him, Vasile considered the question of punishing her. Leaving him, it seemed, had brought with it more punishment than he could possibly mete out. It was enough that she would never be allowed to do it again.

  * * * *

  Later, he couldn’t have been more impressed by her as Nina gave her opinions regarding various employee issues during the meeting. Obviously, she’d done her homework. She also showed a clear understanding of matters concerning how he addressed the government and the consumer, as well.

  At one point she stunned everyone by calling him on the carpet.

  “Mr. Velicescu, you…” she began.

  “Vasile.” he corrected her. At her blank look he said, “Call me Vasile, please.”

  Nina released a barely audible breath. “Fine!” she grouched while her new coworkers blanched. With difficulty, he bit back a smile.

  “Vasile.” she stated.

  “Yes?” he inquired very politely, stifling his amusement.

  “Your European accent, while very attractive, is alienating the American public every time you open your mouth on television!” she stated. The entire gathering gasped.

  “Oh Good Lord!” she turned to Vasile, “Is your upper echelon too delicate for this? Just give me my salary for this week, we’ll go in the other room and I’ll tell you what I think. Then I’ll go wait tables till the next job comes along.”

  His face split in a grin. “I think you will make a perfect administrative assistant.” Vasile couldn’t help but wonder how formidable she would be when she recovered the strength lost in her accident.

  Chapter 3

  Near the end of her second week, Nina felt she was beginning to understand what was expected of her. Vasile Velicescu was still as inscrutable as ever so she didn’t even try to understand him. Instead, she decided she’d treat his business as if it was her own and she’d try to advise him accordingly.

  With this in mind, Nina was appalled by the document she had spread on her desk in front of her. According to the terms of the contract her employer was slated to sign, ninety-nine percent of all proceeds resulting from the smaller firm’s joining with Velicescu Finance would be spoken for. Velicescu Finance would be funding the success of Maitland Savings with barely enough of a return to pay secretarial fees for typing the contract.

  It was a good thing that she had postponed the meeting with Maitland Savings. Still, the New Contracts Department manager should have gone over this with her. Now the man was not returning her calls.

  Nina snatched up her p
hone. “Beverly, it’s imperative that I speak to Mr. Velicescu immediately.”

  “Nina? He’s in with Maitland Savings right now.” Beverly informed her in her placid voice. Nina gasped.

  “It’s beyond imperative, Bev.” Nina insisted. “Please put me through immediately!”

  “I’d better not get yelled at for this…” Bev put her through.

  “Nina Caruthers, my assistant.” he said to the people in his office. “Nina, say hello to Mr. Yardley and Mr. Reynolds from Maitland Savings.” Vasile’s satin smooth, cultured voice sent chills of awareness up her spine, even on the phone.

  “I’d really rather not, Sir. May I speak to you privately, please, Mr. Velicescu?” Nina was in no mood for niceties.

  “I am in the middle of a meeting right now, Nina.” There was an edge to his refined voice now.

  “Mr. Velicescu, I would not interrupt if I didn’t feel it was necessary.” There was a definite edge to her usually soft voice now, too. Angry with Maitland Savings for trying to cheat him, Nina was equally as angry with her boss for not trusting her enough to find out what she wanted.

  “I will come to see you when I have finished here, Nina.” he snapped at her.

  Speaking in Romanian, Nina said, “Please turn to page thirteen, paragraph thirty-six of the Maitland Contract. I had cancelled that meeting and the department head is avoiding me. Don’t sign that contract unless you have an emotional attachment to Maitland Savings.” She took a deep breath. He didn’t say anything so she went on in English. “I expect I’ll be gone when you’re done. Thanks for everything, Mr. Velicescu.” She hung up.

  Nina was shaking. She had just quit her job. What was she thinking? Folding her arms on her desk, she buried her face in them. She wasn’t sure how long she stayed that way but it could only have been five minutes or so.

  Her head snapped up when she heard her office door open and close. Vasile Velicescu leaned against it looking as dangerously attractive and enigmatic as always. It just wasn’t fair to be that good-looking and have such a sinfully sexy voice. She’d enjoy it for this one last time.

  *

  “So, little Nina, we have our first fight, do we?” he purred, his voice flowing over her like warm honey.

  “Who won?” she asked, still shaking.

  She leaned back in her chair. Reading her thoughts, he could tell that she was terribly upset but trying to act nonchalant about it. He wanted to be angry with her for attempting once again to leave him but somehow he couldn’t. She was just too distressed.

  “It would seem that we both did, my Nina. What shall we do to make it up?” He moved fluidly across the room to her.

  He found himself wanting to soothe and comfort her. Taking her hand, Vasile eased her from the chair and pulled her hand under his arm to rest on the crook of his elbow.

  “Let us go have a drink together and discuss what has taken place, hmm?” he suggested, his cultured voice seductive. He led her into the hall as he spoke.

  “Sir? Mr. Velicescu, you do know that I quit, don’t you?” They were passing people in the hall now and heads turned at her words.

  “Ahh, but Nina, did I not say that you would not go away from me? I need your assistance in my life. Without it, I shall be alone on this earth.” his satiny voice wrapped itself around her.

  “Mr. Velicescu…” she began.

  “Vasile.” he countered.

  “Vasile.” she sighed. She said nothing more as he guided her into the upscale business club next door.

  “Vasile” she tried again, “You have many employees whose opinions you trust and value. I’m sure you won’t be alone on this earth, sir. I have apparently…” he interrupted her.

  “Will you have a glass of wine, Nina?” at her nod, he told the waiter, “Modri Pinot please and be sure that Anton pours from my private stock,” he instructed. Anton would not pour the second glass from Vasile’s bottle.

  When the waiter left, Nina tried yet again. “I do not engender you with trust and confidence, Sir. This is not a good working relationship for you to have with your assistant. Life is simply too short to spend it with people you don’t trust.”

  “It is my fault, little Nina. I have grown used to having those people surrounding me worrying more for my temper and less for my business. You must give me time to adjust.” He was at his most charming and knew that she was weakening.

  “Sir…” she waited while the waiter carefully placed a glass of dark red wine in front of each of them. “Sir, this could have cost millions. It would have left us paying for the privilege of saving Maitland Savings and they’d have stocks in our company as well.”

  Vasile felt absurdly pleased that she’d referred to Velicescu Finance as “our company”. He reached over and took her hand, lifting it and turning her palm upward. Placing a warm and lingering kiss in the center of her palm, Vasile looked at her closely.

  “I have learned to take better care to listen to you my Nina. I will be pleased to tell you if I disagree but I promise to give each word you say all the weight it deserves. We will be … partners?”

  “Mr.—Vasile, I’m sure you will succeed without me as you have for years.” she countered, pulling her hand back to her wine glass. “As I said, life is short and you should feel confident in your choices. I don’t want to spend my life where my contributions have questionable value.”

  “You must not leave me surrounded by “yes” people. Perhaps we can find a way to extend your life so it is less short, hmmm?” he reached over and stroked her cheek with one finger. Looking deeply into her eyes, he told her sharply, “You will stay with me Nina, no more talk of leaving me. Do you understand?”

  “I’ll stay with you, Mr. Velicescu.” Nina parroted, with a sigh.

  “The wine is Slovenian. Do you like it?” Vasile asked her, taking a sip.

  “I like it very much.”

  The two spoke of wines and recalcitrant department managers until they had both finished their drinks. They discussed Nina’s duties as a corporate attorney before her accident.

  Finally, Vasile escorted her to her office. By this time, the building was nearly deserted. When she stepped inside, he followed her and closed the door behind him, flicking on one dim light.

  He caught her by the shoulders and stood looking down at her. “I am pleased that we have made up our fight, Nina. Are you?”

  “Yes,” she breathed. “Yes, I am.”

  Slowly, Vasile lowered his mouth to hers and brushed her lips lightly. “The making it up—that is said to be the best part of a fight, is it not?”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  He caressed her lips with his for another long minute, smoothing his over hers, back and forth.

  “I have much enjoyed making up this fight with you, Nina Caruthers.” He pulled her to him in a brief hug and then, with difficulty, let her go.

  Turning, he left her office, closing the door behind him. Following the mental path to her thoughts, he smiled to himself. She had enjoyed making up after the fight too, it seemed. After Vasile returned to his office, he found himself unable to focus on his work.

  For a long time, he considered how Nina had felt when he’d ignored her advice. She had been hurt and perhaps demeaned. Did he want her for his partner? Could he respect her enough to take her advice more seriously?

  Chapter 4

  A week later, Vasile awoke disconcerted. Something had brought him awake a little before his usual time and he wasn’t sure what it was. He searched his mind for a minute until it came to him. Instantly, he was alert.

  Nina was in fear. Something had frightened her so badly that she was almost crying. Where was she? He connected with her enough to see that she was in her office. What could scare her in his office building? Her safety should be certain there.

  In minutes, he entered the building. Mentally he scanned her surroundings as he made his way toward her. No aggressors seemed to be present. There was no violence that he could locate.

 
; As he passed two men chatting in a doorway, he heard one man say he didn’t know if Nina would be present at the meeting that afternoon. This concerned Vasile a great deal. He quietly entered her office and found her at her desk sobbing into her folded arms.

  Vasile moved in front of her and pulled her into his chest. She remained encircled in his arms while he soothed her and murmured in Romanian to her. He noticed that she felt very hot to the touch.

  “I’m sorry, sir,” she finally apologized. “I don’t know what’s come over me. I’ve tried to stop. I just don’t know what’s wrong.” she struggled to contain the tears but they still fell from her eyes. She seemed so weak to him.

  “Hush, meu dragoste,” he whispered to her, calling her my love. “I am here now.” Vasile leaned down and kissed her falling tears. “Are you unwell, little Nina?” he asked her.

  “Sir?” she questioned him. He’d learned that this was her way of avoiding answering his questions.

  He focused his unrelenting stare on her and commanded her, “Nina, you must tell me. Do you feel ill?”

  He already knew that she didn’t want to answer. He was still surprised when, with some difficulty, she managed to turn her head away.

  Placing one finger under her chin, Vasile brought her face back to his. He could feel her mental and physical struggle. He was impressed by her ability to resist him at all. The small amount of strength she’d found to defy him was ebbing away. Tears fell harder now.

  “Now, little Nina, you will tell me, are you ill?” his voice brooked no argument. She had to answer him.

  “Yes, I have a fever.” her chin trembled.

  “Is that what you fear, meu dragoste? You are afraid your body will not heal?” he asked her kindly.

  “Yes,” she whispered. “I want to be here with you. No more hospitals.” she sniffed.

  Still holding her chin by a finger, he looked at her thoughtfully for long moments. He unbuttoned his suit coat and slipped it off. He waved at the door, locking it. He threaded his hand into her hair and drew her against him. Tilting her head back, his gaze burned into hers until her heavy lids slowly closed.