Lost in Embers (Rising From Ash Saga #1)

Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

S tanding in the main lobby of the hotel, waiting for the group to meet here might be boring to some, but for me, simply gazing at the beautiful architecture, it takes my breath away. I could spend hours just staring at the fans and looking at each marble tile. It is pretty much set in stone that I will be waiting here for a while since Sofia takes eons to get ready, and the men got in the shower after her. My blonde hair is natural, flowing in loose waves that fall to my breasts. It’s great to go minimal sometimes, including makeup. The breeze from the fans allows my short, white, backless sundress to billow against my thighs.

As I stand admiring everything I’ve seen of Mexico so far, a cooling feeling runs down my spine from a finger that gently touches my bare lower back. Heat sears in my stomach and to my thighs from a touch so familiar, yet a mystery at the same time. The fingers run forward to rest on my hips, and instantly the gaze that is too familiar meets mine. Those gorgeous brown eyes with flakes of green and gold. I stand in silence, taking in his face and watching them turn. When his eyes open, they are that dark night blue, but those flecks don’t move their spot or change color. Identical to my dreams.

An exact replica of the man I see nearly every night. This is not a coincidence. He looks as though he longs for me, though I’m not sure why. It seems natural as I place my right hand on his firm chest and move the other toward his hand on my left hip. His forehead touches mine, his hair tickling my face as his inky black hair falls forward, and his body engulfs me. He breathes me in, and the desire to speak is on the tip of my tongue. His eyes close at my touch as my finger grazes his face, and he breathes in deeply. As foolish as it may be, I want to know if he dreams of me too.

He pulls away slowly from savoring the moment. “Your eyes are the most beautiful I have seen them. They pierce into me with the brightest green,” his Irish voice is smooth. As he concentrates on me, my cheeks flush. Normally accents don’t bother me since I’m accustomed to hearing them often, but his has a rippling effect through my whole body. I have never let a stranger touch me before, but I have some sort of uncommon connection with this man.

“Your eyes, they change color like mine.” I’m barely able to get the sentence out and am already mad at myself for stating the obvious, like I’m a two-year-old. This is what complete shock feels like. My tongue is stuck and will not move, and my mouth will not open. He needs to speak before I ramble and put a giant foot in my mouth.

Thankfully, he answers my unspoken command in that voice that makes me melt. “Ava, we have a lot to catch up on.” He’s sterner and more serious than I wanted him to be. His hand rises as he touches the side of my face, and heat radiates through my body and to my core. How does he know my name? I’m at a loss for words. I wish I knew his name.

Suddenly, his whole demeanor changes. He is no longer relaxed with eyes that crave me, but stiff and firm. He stands in place, removing his hand from my face, and grumbles, “You have company, and I should go.”

He can’t go. I need to know more. Before I can protest, he turns and walks away, and over his shoulder I see Sofia, Dino, Ryan, and Shawn. Sofia has her short, brown hair in a flawless bob. Her dark brown eyes pop with smoky eye makeup. She looks like a model in her short baby-blue romper that stands out against her flawless olive skin, making her legs look a mile long with those skyscraper heels. She smiles at me through her red lips, and I give her an excited wave.

It would be obvious to anyone that Ryan and Shawn are brothers. They have a striking resemblance with their dark hair, green eyes, and strong jawlines. Not to mention, their natural athletic build they’ve managed to keep up even after their college rugby days were long gone. The only two noticeable differences from a distance would be that Shawn is taller than Ryan, by a few inches at least, and Ryan’s hair is short while Shawn’s hair is long and curly. They both look relaxed in cargo shorts, black shirts, and flip-flops. I wonder if they purposely dressed the same. I’m surprised they didn’t just come out shirtless and in their board shorts. They genuinely don’t care at all about what people think, but do love the attention from the ladies they have grown used to.

Dino is, as always, dressed to perfection. Jeans, white T-shirt, and a pin-striped vest. His blond hair is an intentional mess. He stands tall above everyone else, except the mystery man .

I’m distracted for two seconds, and mystery man is gone, standing with perfect posture by the large open exit to the outside deck. This is the first time I get a glimpse of the full package in existent life, and he doesn’t let me down. He’s dapper in jeans and a loose white button-down cuffed at the sleeves. Not one hair is out of place. It looks as though he could run an empire. He catches me looking at him and shoots a wink in my direction from across the room. Immediately, I flush scarlet. My first meeting with mystery man did not disappoint. His looks alone could knock me on my ass, and paired with that confidence he wields like a weapon, I don’t stand a chance. I’m already a total goner.

Dino’s face looks less than pleased to say the least as he walks to me with his arms folded. Shawn and Ryan have each other in some sort of headlock madness, most likely drunk as skunks already, with the concierge eying them. Sofia, bless her, cannot contain her smiles as she walks toward me.

I skip over to her and wrap her into a big bear hug and let out a small giggle when she holds me at arm’s length and lets out a whistle. I’m always surprised when she first speaks after not seeing her for a while, because her voice is high-pitched in comparison to mine. “Ava! Who in the world was that you were talking to? We have been here less than a day and you managed to scoop up the hottest guy in the place! I mean even with that scar on his face, I’d jump his bones if I had the chance. The things I would let him do...”

I give her a lighthearted smile, because I know she wants to pry more but is holding back. My conversation with mystery man, as odd as it was, felt private even with so little spoken. I muster the shortest answer as I play it coy. “He just complimented me on my eyes, that’s all.”

“Well, good for you! I saw his hands all over you, and you never let strangers touch you. You don’t even like someone accidentally brushing you that you don’t know. Dino, can you believe it? We might just get Ava laid!” Sofia chuckles, and Dino meets my eyes with a snarl.

“His hands weren’t all over me,” I defend myself. It’s not like we were making out in public. She’s right, though. Even though I’m a hugger, it’s always on my terms and always from the front. When people come out of nowhere, it gives me flashbacks of that night. The reason I will never be a victim again. While I try to never get angry with people for accidentally bumping into me, sometimes it doesn't work out that way. That’s why I don’t like crowded bars. Too much potential to be cornered off. Yet, his touch has left only me for just a few moments, and I crave it again.

“Please, it’s obvious he’s into you. You know as well as I do a lot of guys down here just want one thing while they are on vacation.”

That makes me giggle. She has been spending too much time with the guys to point out the obvious. “Honestly, do you think I’d do such a thing? He has no chance.” I lean close to whisper in her ear, “Now let’s go find you one.”

Without a doubt, Dino is very uncomfortable with this conversation. In fact, he’s scowling, something he rarely does. It is really not a pleasant look on him. He reaches for the small of my back to guide me, and I glance over at my mystery man. All eyes are locked on him from women across the room, but his eyes don’t take a glance at any of them. They are stuck on Dino’s hand placement on my lower back. As though I feel like I’m breaking some sort of connection, I remove Dino’s hand from my back to scurry up to Sofia, earning me a smirk from Irish .

Even fantasies don’t do that man any justice. My knees weaken and my heart knows I’m in for a world of hurt.

“Come on, guys, enough standing here. Let’s go get drunk!” Shawn yells as he beams a boyish grin. Sofia and I cannot help but turn into a fit of giggles. My guess is we are picturing the same thing: our intoxicated men turning into adolescent boys, attempting to dance with every girl in sight. Oh, the inevitable and highly entertaining moments.

Countless bars later and only God knows how many shots were consumed by all of us, we wind up back at the bar outside the hotel, tipsy and ready to mingle. We all flash our all-inclusive wristbands to the bartender as he lines up our drinks. Our drinks change color; I’m not sure what this is Ryan ordered for us, but it looks mighty delectable. The men are nodding at each other in approval of the women here as they look around the bar. At one bar, a man came up to Sofia and I and asked why we would even vacation with men, weirded out by the thought of us all being friends. Our response was that it’s like watching a really bad reality TV show, but in live timing.

Sofia and I haven’t been interested in men all evening since this is our first night together in a while, and we just wanted to catch up and dance the night away. Ryan and Shawn are quite charming in an oddball way, which is one of the many reasons why I love them. They do not care what anyone thinks of them. They are in it just for the laughs. This is truly the best group for my birthday getaway.

Tears of laughter well in my eyes as I look at Sofia, and in my best Shawn voice I say, “Do you have a Band-Aid? Because I just scraped my knee falling for you.” He has spent most of the night making women laugh with his terrible pickup lines; shame none have fallen for it yet. Sofia spits her drink out and joins me in a fit of laughter.

Now she tries imitating Ryan, in a deep, husky voice. “Are you sunburnt? Or are you always this hot?” We double index-finger point to each other and do the best Fonzie voice we can. I could go on reciting their pickup lines all night; the Marx brothers have no shame.

Sofia chugs her drink and pulls me onto the dance floor with a smile as soon as our favorite dancing song comes on from the DJ booth, Don Omar singing “Danza Kuduro.” I spent two years teaching belly dancing on the side in college, so I know how to move; it is one thing, without question, that I’m confident about. Sofia is a bit stiff in comparison to me, but she can look good doing anything. Why Victoria Secret hasn’t scooped up her slender, size 2 frame yet, I will never know.

Swinging my hips to the sound of the music, Sofia and I exchange smiles whenever we make eye contact. When I look up to her for the last beat of the song, I stop dead in my tracks as I catch a glimpse of Gorgeous Dream Man smiling at me. Sofia sends me a playful wink when she notices who I’m staring at. I decide not to let mystery man get under my skin and think it’s the best option to ignore him. Song after song, Sofia and I dance under the strobe lights, smiling away, not even wondering where our friends are.

The girl theme song comes on: “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” Man, can Whitney sing it. Of course, we cannot control our excitement, as we get all giddy and point at each other, and the Marx brothers join us right on cue. It’s about to go down. Heavy dance interpretation is going to happen. We look like complete fools jumping up and down, mouthing lyrics to each other. There are no inhibitions when this jam comes on. The snorkel, lawn mower, q-tip, you name the absurd dance, and we are doing it. At least it is not the Spice Girls, or we would be completely out of control.

As the dance anthem ends and the music slows down, I don’t recognize the song, so I close my eyes. Clearly, the DJ knows there are couples here who want to dance together. Sofia and I have no problem slow dancing alone; we have actually done it many times in college together. I try to take in the lyrics as I sashay slowly from side to side, a big smile across my face.

A man is crooning about dreaming a woman into life and it resonates in my heart.

“Dance with me, Ava.” It is a statement spoken with such confidence and elegance, not a question, that interrupts my thoughts.

As he pulls me into his arms, our eyes lock, green looking into dark blue, and I feel at ease and safe. Never before have I ever just felt this safe, to the point where it brought me into the most feminine energy. Everyone else fades away, as if we are doing a slow dance alone on the dance floor. The lyrics have escaped my ears, and it feels like I’m dancing on a cloud, weightless in his arms. He makes it very easy for me to follow his moves. He must be from another era with how easy he glides us.

“All the men were watching you dance. You are quite the seductress. I had to dance with you before anyone else tried. Your body is made for me, no one else.” His confession surprises me, how long had he been watching me? Tucked away in the shadows. Honestly, it is feeling a little stalker-like, but it doesn’t scare me.

“I’m sorry, you have me at a disadvantage. I don’t know your name, yet you seem to know mine.” My voice is small, not like my normal outgoing self while under the influence. I’m surprised I’m even able to get my sentence out.

“Aidan. Aidan Cross.” He’s such the proper James Bond, and I let out a giggle. He cocks his head to the side in amusement at my outburst.

“Mr. Cross, you sound like James Bond.” I make sure to use my best Sean Connery voice. Much to my liking, he lets out a laugh. Thank goodness he finds me funny. I cannot believe my dream man is here, holding me, eyes locked on mine; it makes my heart skip a beat.

“Honestly…” I look up to him from beneath my eyelashes, scared and uncertain.

“Yes, tell me.” He frees his hand from my waist to tuck a tress of hair behind my ear.

“Um…” How do I tell this man what I’m thinking? I do not know him. Looking deep into his eyes so eager for information isn’t getting me anywhere. I have nothing to lose. I’m on vacation, anyway, and probably never will see him again.

Fuck it. “This song reminds me of you,” I say boldly and matter-of-factly and close my eyes immediately, so I don’t have to observe his reaction. I’m expecting him to drop his hands from me, but the comfort of his arms around my back remains. We are at a standstill. No longer dancing.

“Please, look at me. I want to look into your eyes. How does this song remind you of me?” It is a plea, his eyes peer into me like he’s been craving me for a lifetime.

Reluctantly I open my eyes. “As odd as it sounds, I swear you walked out of my dreams. Just like the song.” Good job, Ava, scare the man away. I desperately look at his structured face, trying to read his reaction.

“Not odd. Just true.” A model-like megawatt smile of his could bring me to my knees, it could stop hearts. He leans down and gently plants a kiss on my forehead, making my world spin. I failed to realize the song was over and we had just been standing there in the middle of the dance floor while everyone else watched us.

Looking down, my face is burning up. Great, now there is a blush spreading across me, I just know it, and all these people looking at me. We had such an intimate moment, witnessed by everyone. It was just a kiss on the forehead, from a complete stranger, paired with a slow dance, but it was so much more. I look up at him and see he’s trying to read my reaction, and his eyes are once again how I remember them from the first dream, brown with flakes of green. I follow my instinctive reaction to turn on my heel in embarrassment and walk off the dance floor back to my group at the bar.

Dino makes eye contact with me, and he looks appalled, though I’m not sure why. I raise two fingers high above my head and yell over the crowd, “Jameson, please!” Dino acknowledges my request and leans over to talk to the lady bartender.

As I arrive at the bar, Dino places his hand on my back and questions, “What the hell was that all about?”

“I really have no idea. I’m shocked, that’s all. He is kind of intense.” I turn to look at Aidan running his hands angrily through his dark hair. His charm from a moment ago has contorted to burning anger, and he pulls out his cell phone and speaks to someone on the other line. His eyes, once so big and welcoming, have turned into slits and are locked on Dino’s hand on my back. Those eyes could cut someone, and the last thing I need is some man trying to be possessive of me on vacation, or ever.

“Intense how? Are you okay? I couldn’t see from here… di d he touch you?” His eyes smolder in infuriated pain at the thought.

“God, no. Nothing like that.” I rub his arm to calm him down a bit and gesture to the shots.

“Everyone ready for a double?” I look to the right and left of me at Sofia, Shawn, and Ryan. Sofia has managed to tear her gaze off a handsome man across the bar that she was clearly making eyes at. Although I cannot see him under this light, he must be attractive for Sofia to be interested. She definitely has a type, and as her best friend, I can call her out on it—100 percent preppy, the kind whose dad is a lawyer, and goes to the horse races every weekend.

We look at each other and sling back the shots. Jameson runs so smoothly down my throat, relaxing me. I never could grasp why women typically do not like whiskey. Once again, consumed into conversation with the guys and their stories of trying out their terrible pickup lines and being turned down, my belly physically hurts from laughing so much it feels like I did the most intense ab workout, and the night fades away into laughter with my friends.

As I lie in the big master bed, I silently recap the events of the evening. My dance with Mr. Mysterious caught me off guard. I hope I didn’t hurt his feelings by walking away, but I know what I want, and it is not some controlling man. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts of him and erase him from my mind is only a temporary solution. Focusing later on the night makes me laugh. Much to my surprise, I kept getting hit on just because I was drinking Jameson .

“Oh, so you can drink whiskey? That’s hot,” the drunk frat boys would say, clearly putting a lot of thought into it.

The group decided in a drunken stupor that I should have the master bedroom to myself since it is my birthday trip. Despite my refusals since I don’t need all that space for myself, there was no winning, so the white flag was waved. The brothers crashed on the couches in the main living area, while Sofia and Dino took the two queen beds in the other room. Sofia mentioned to me that she hasn’t seen Dino in forever and is really attracted to him. I wonder if she’s trying to make something happen tonight. I will have to ask her tomorrow while we are on the beach and the men go to their diving certification class. I’m glad they are doing that while we are here; it will give me some girl time, which is much needed.

My lack of sleep pushes me to do something I hate so much, yet again: the good ole Google search. Rummaging around the room to find my work laptop, the screen pings with emails that I really should look at, but more pressing matters hit me first.

Aidan Cross.

Wow, there are like a million articles about him, including about all of his money; there is a vast amount of that for sure. He’s the head honcho at a bunch of different corporations managed by various companies, and it seems he has a thing for models. Very Bruce Wayne of him. Billionaire playboy plays with his millions and girls worth millions. Not a profile I fit even remotely. As much information that is out there about him on the internet, there is like zero personal information, even his birthday, and now I’m scaring myself by going down this rabbit hole. Sofia creeps on everyone with no shame and can find someone quicker than the FBI, but this isn’t how I want to even start things off with him.

Start things off?

What am I even talking about? There is nothing to start, a burning ember from the beginning.

Yet, some embers cause the most intense fires, with a little gas.

I drift to sleep listening to the waves crash on the shore.

The heavy wooden door creaks open, bringing some light into this desolate area. As much as I enjoy seeing the light, there are two reasons it would be shed here, and since I’ve only been in here one day, I know it isn’t time to come out and pretend all this torture never happened. I know what this means, and I’m not strong enough to deal with this again. I curl into a ball on the cold, damp floor of the cellar, determined not to let her see me cry. I won’t let her know she has gotten the best of me.

I can see her shadow appear, but still my hazel eyes won’t leave the view of the floor. The shadow gives it away; she has something in her hand. Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes. I think of the times things were a lot easier; if only I could tell someone what I’m going through. I exhale and brace myself for whatever is coming my way; it is something new every time, all at her discretion.

“No. Why are you doing this to me?” My voice quakes in fear as I look into those cold, dark eyes. There are no lights, except for when her evil soul comes in here, traipsing behind her .

Her voice is raspy; she enjoys the pleasure she gets from my pain. Her teeth barely show as she grins at me. “Because I can. Because you are a dirty little bitch like your mother. Because if you tell anyone, I will kill you.” She speaks with a promise that I never want to come true.

“Now, tell me where your mother is…”

“No!” My terror echoes through the scream I can barely force out. If she’s going to harm me, I can’t imagine what she will try to inflict on my mother.

In the distance I can hear someone calling my name. No, that’s not possible. She said no one can hear me down here, locked away from everyone and caged. She takes a needle out and stabs me violently in the arm. My body takes in the serum, and I become cold.

I start convulsing with each blow to my back. The whip cracking and snapping causes me to churn in pain, yet my name is still echoed through the dark.

“Goddamn it, Ava! Wake the fuck up!” My eyes partially open to find Dino’s pale eyes gazing into mine. He hovers over me with fear reflecting in those kind eyes. I lift my hand to touch his soft cheek, my gesture to let him know I’m fine. Weak for energy, I can barely use my fingertips to caress his face. He picks up the edge of my blanket and snuggles in next to me, wrapping his buff arms around me. He pulls me in as close as possible.

“I was getting a bottle of water out of the fridge, and I could hear you. You had me terrified; I thought someone was trying to murder you or something. Until I walked in and saw you sleeping.” He speaks so softly while placing his chin on the crown of my head.

I wish I could piece together who the woman was that tortured me in my dream. Or is it a reality? I was so young and can’t remember much, just that it is one of my only memories from those days, or is it not a memory at all? Perhaps a memory from the summer when my mother and father tried to find us a new house, they thought it would be best to put me in a camp for that time. The other memories have faded, and just that one is left. I have never told anyone about this particular recurring dream of my childhood, not even my mother. I wouldn’t know how to bring it up. I have so many questions. At this point I ask myself, have I convinced myself of its validity, or is it in fact just a dream?

“I’m always here for you. I wish I could take these nightmares away from you. Someone so sweet shouldn’t have such terrible thoughts.” This man genuinely cares for me. Each word spoken with such love that it makes my heart ache. I close my eyes and appreciate my best friend who lays beside me.

With a scattered mind, scared from my dream and my past, my heart clenches as I manage to get a few words out. “I know one day all these terrible dreams will go away; one day my mind will be at peace.” My voice quakes with hope and fear all at once. Snuggling into my best friend makes me wonder what I’d do if I’d never met him. Closing my eyes, I have hope that one day I will be able to sleep through the night.