The Circle Read online

  The Circle

  By

  Stella Berkley

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  The Circle

  Copyright© 2011 Stella Berkley

  ISBN: 978-1-60088-718-5

  Cover Artist: PJ Edwards

  Editor: Devin Govaere

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  Cobblestone Press, LLC

  www.cobblestone-press.com

  Dedication

  For my girls at the Sisterhood. We’re one step closer to Fiji.

  Chapter One

  Every set of eyes in the ballroom focused on the podium at the front—except for one. A man angled his chair toward my table, ran fingers through his chestnut hair, and stared at me with dark eyes. Goosebumps broke out along my arms. No man had ever attracted me enough to warrant more than a brief glance-over, but something about him intrigued me. Despite the prickle of fear along my spine for reasons I couldn’t pinpoint, his presence drew my focus time and again.

  When I caught myself looking for the tenth time, I rolled my eyes. He was probably another stuffy business type planted at the charity dinner by my mother, hoping to pitch a lame story idea to me after the song and dance ended.

  Good luck with that, pal.

  “We have a special guest for you this evening,” Rolf Black said in his usual flamboyant style. The emcee gestured and flitted around the stage so much a wave of nausea hit me—or maybe it was the three martinis I’d downed on an empty stomach.

  “Due, in great part, to her generosity with the For the Children Foundation this year, the St. Germaine’s Children’s Hospital has been able to afford their MRI equipment.” Rolf grinned and rubbed his hands together, scanning the crowd of tux-clad men and women wearing every color of frilly evening gown. “So, without further ado, I give you acclaimed novelist, Katharine Merrick.” He clapped like I imagined the Queen of England would clap if she was really a drag queen. His white silk suit shimmered under the spotlight, and his myriad of rings twinkled and sparkled, inducing images of a giant seagull swooping down to snatch up his shiny ass.

  Cheers, hollers, and claps rose up in a deafening clatter.

  I didn’t, for a moment, believe even a quarter of the guests had read my books. Even if they had, they wouldn’t admit it; erotic vampire fiction wasn’t exactly a topic appropriate for a nonprofit for children. I grinned at the thought of reading a few passages while up at the podium, but decided, even though I liked to see Mother flustered, I didn’t want to see her have a full-out stroke. From where she stood at the edge of the stage, her glare locked onto me as if she’d figured out what I’d been thinking.

  With a sigh, I stood and walked forward while straightening the cuffs of my white dress shirt, buttoned all the way up to my throat. Mother had gasped when I’d walked in earlier wearing it instead of the black gown she’d had made for me by some designer I’d never heard of. I had enough people fawning over me without unleashing my more-than-a-handful of boobs on them, too. Comfort with style—my motto.

  I should have prepared some sappy speech about how wonderful children were and blah, blah, blah, but I didn’t really care about Mother’s many causes.

  Smile, Katharine. Do it so the stuffed shirts will empty their pockets for the kiddies.

  After climbing the steps to the stage, I adjusted the microphone and plastered on a fake smile. “Good evening, everyone. I’m pleased to see so many of you here this evening to support my mother’s very worthy cause.” Swallowing so I wouldn’t gag, I made a token nod to Mother, who stood beside Rolf at the corner of the platform clenching her teeth. I often embarrassed her, not always unintentionally. “And at a thousand dollars per plate, more needed money will make it into the hands of St. Germaine’s.”

  More fake clapping and cheering followed.

  Almost over. Time for some more drinks.

  Mr. Mysterious in the dark suit leaned forward, elbows resting on the edge of his circular table and continued to stare at me with a crooked grin. Why did he have to do that? Every downy hair on the back of my neck stood on end, and I stifled a shudder. If I’d had something in my hand, I would have whipped it at his head. I tried to kill him with my eyes, but he wasn’t cooperating.

  I steered my gaze away from him with some effort. “I’ve partially finished book ten in the Circle series, and I’m pleased to announce that, this time, ten percent of the profits will go to the For the Children Foundation instead of five percent.” Mother’s idea, not mine.

  She flitted across the platform to me, a small glass sculpture in the shape of an open book in her spindly fingers. Her eyes flashed a warning as she handed the monstrosity to me and clapped, the motion causing the skirt of her ridiculous red dress to sway back and forth around her legs. Before she could glower at me, forcing me to say something else, I nodded to her, rushed off the stage, and headed back to my table.

  Mother took over speaking in my absence, stumbling over her words. Clearly she’d expected me to gush over the stupid award.

  I smiled. Music. Sweet music.

  Without waiting for her to stop blathering, I dropped the sculpture on the table and strode through the back door into the bar. It had an upscale dance club theme with a hardwood counter and every kind of wine glass hanging neatly overhead from brass railings. The scent of pipe smoke wafted out from the smoking room, and a slow ballad came through the speakers while the band finished setting up in the corner.

  I chose a raised black leather chair at the bar and ordered a glass of red wine. The burly bartender handed me a wide-mouthed crystal glass with a wink. Rolling my eyes, I crossed my legs and spun my stool toward the door to wait for the rest of the blue-hairs and snobs to filter in. My knees ran into something mid-turn. The red wine would have sloshed all over my white shirt if the man’s hand hadn’t shot up around the rim between the glass and my chest. Dark liquid coated his fingers instead of me.

  I gaped at him, a little woozy, both from the martinis and from his closeness.

  Mr. Mysterious licked the wine from his palm and fingers with long, slow strokes. “Mmm.”

  Oh my. My temperature entered the danger zone, and for the first time I could remember, my cheeks burned as I followed the laps of his tongue across his fingers.

  He had flawless ivory skin, a masculine cut to his jaw, and full, curved lips. A tailored black Armani suit hugged his glorious body. Dark rims encircled the chocolate brown corona of his eyes.

  Beautiful.

  “I’m sorry if I startled you,” the man said with a honey-laced voice as he set my wine on the countertop. He held a hand out to me, and I took it before thinking about whether or not I should. Focused on me, he drew my hand to his mouth and pressed his lips against my knuckles. I shivered at the touch of his cool skin. “What shall I call one with such beautiful eyes?”

  I yanked my hand back and scowled, rubbing away the swirling tingles from his touch. I’d long grown sick of men and their corny lines, especially the ones that drew attention to the fact I had my mother’s sky blue eyes. “Weren’t you in the ballroom when the little circus clown in his white suit was talking about me for the last ten minutes?”

  The man leaned forward until almost nose to nose with me. I reached up to push him away, but he cupped his hand over mine and held it tight against the swell of his chest.

  “I wasn’t listening to what he was saying.” The intensity of his pres
ence made me squirm, as if a shadow spread out from him and engulfed me. “Now please, tell me your name, mistress.”

  Mistress? As I glared at him, my stomach filled with fluttering wings that spread lower. I averted my eyes after a few moments, unable to take his gaze for fear it would pierce my flesh and soul. I regretted not wearing Mother’s dress before I gave myself a mental slap.

  “My name is Katharine, with a K. Katharine Merrick, though you can call me Ms. Merrick.” I pulled on my hand. “Let go of me.”

  He laughed and, instead of releasing me, stepped closer and pressed his lips against my ear. “I’m pleased to meet you, Katharine with a K. I’m Devin of Cornet.”

  His breath fanned across my skin and sent a shiver rumbling to my toes. My thighs tingled, racing into my private places and instilling a deep throbbing ache within. I stopped resisting and ignored the warning bells in my head.

  “You don’t belong here, mistress.”

  His words broke whatever little moment we had going. I wrenched my hand away from him and leapt off the stool. “It’s Ms. Merrick to you. And what’s that supposed to mean?”

  Devin grinned and leaned his elbow against the bar, circling his finger in a seductive manner along the edge as he stared at me.

  Great, he’s going to ignore me. “What kind of name is Devin of Cornet? Is that a title like the Duke of York or something equally ridiculous?”

  “Cornet is the name of my Circle, and I know nothing of dukes or this place you call York.” There was a Spartan quality to him that startled me. His eyes said he was fearless, undaunted by anything. I imagined him in the garb from the movie 300.

  I positioned the stool between us—waves of awe, fear and lust taking turns in my head. “What do you mean ‘your Circle’?”

  “You’re not yet ready to hear these things, mistress. You only need know I’m here to help you.”

  Shaking my head, I looked up at the ceiling before meeting his stare again. “Okay, I’ll bite. You’re here to help me with what?”

  “Your writing and your happiness.”

  A small laugh burst out. I raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?” My amusement evaporated with a thought. “If you’ve read my work, then you must know my name, and my happiness is none of your concern.”

  Devin stepped around the stool, but I moved to keep it between us, pressing my back against the smooth wood of the bar. My heart patted a quick tune against my ribs.

  “I confess I knew your name, however, I’ve always dreamed of hearing it spoken from your lips.” He leaned forward and propped his hand against the bar, bringing his face closer to mine. “Although some of what you write has great potential, the sole reason you sell books is because your mother’s company shoves them down the throats of her unlimited connections and not because you have touched their hearts or minds.”

  “What?” I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes. “You’re insulting me now?” I uttered a bitter laugh in his face. Who did this guy think he was? “You don’t really strike me as the type to read vampire erotica.”

  In a flash, Devin whipped aside the stool and pressed me against the bar with his body. His fingers brushed the sides of my throat as he pushed my hair back from my shoulders. I willed my arms out to shove him away, but they didn’t obey me. My knees wavered at the current passing between us. I’d never been affected that way by a man before. Was he really that attractive?

  As if compelled to look up, I met his eyes and saw they had darkened. Flecks of gold flickered in their depths like newborn stars in a frosted night sky. My breaths came out in ragged puffs, while heat invaded every corner of my body. I had sudden visions of Devin tearing my clothes away and nailing me against the bar. What was the matter with me?

  “Your books lack feeling because you have none.” He brought a hand up behind my head, tangled his fingers into my long hair, and positioned me so he could lean into my ear again. My body melted against his. “Your stories are supposed to be about love, passion, and sex, yet you’ve never experienced any of it for yourself. If you want to find out what you’re missing, I will send for you Friday evening and you will have your eyes, body, and mind…opened.” He slipped something into the pocket of my dress pants. His fingers slid along my hip bone as he withdrew his hand, causing a lightning bolt to shoot into the growing fire between my legs. “You must come as my submissive, and that, Mistress Katharine with a K, is not negotiable.”

  Devin moved away, smoothed a hand down his suit, and winked at me before walking away. Mouth gaping open, my eyes followed the gracefulness of his stride and the way his pants hugged his firm ass. Every part of me he’d touched danced with tingles. When he disappeared from sight, I slumped against the bar, gripping the edge so I wouldn’t sink to the floor. Despite his being a pompous asshole, his scent, his predatory eyes, and his touch had burned themselves into my memory.

  I had to know who he was.

  * * * * *

  While emptying my pockets the following morning, my fingers curled around a cool, smooth item, the one Devin had slipped in there. My heart did a little skip-to-my-lou as I withdrew my hand and inspected the glossy black business card. No name or phone number, only a symbol and an address in silver script: #1 Cornet Drive. The symbol looked somewhat like an inverted capital ‘A’, but the line across the middle curved toward the bottom of the card.

  I traced the emblem, caught by the memory of his fingers brushing me from inside my pocket. A shiver climbed the rungs of my spine. After a good mental shake and a shrug, I went into the living room and slid it into my wallet, hoping to put it out of my mind so I could get some work done.

  Showered and coffee in hand, I sat at my mahogany roll-top desk in front of my iMac to do some writing. My fingers poised to type, but my mind flitted back to Devin of Cornet. I’d never met such an aggressive man, and I couldn’t stop the image of him forcing me to the floor and ravaging me from consuming my mind. The thought of his strength when he’d pushed me against the bar, of his bold confidence, of the amusement in his eyes at my obvious attraction caused a contraction in my lower abdomen.

  I’d never liked mystery novels; I always ended up flipping to the final chapter because I couldn’t read fast enough to suit my curiosity. Not knowing his last name, who he was, or how he knew anything about me would eat me alive until I unraveled him.

  I had to stop it! I had one month left to finish the manuscript. Concentrate!

  After staring at my screen for half an hour without typing a single word, I gave up and dressed in dark jeans and a silk blouse. Mother had me scheduled into a planning meeting for her publishing company at nine a.m. Normally I dreaded the snore fest, but with such a juicy morsel to ponder while the idiots griped about the schedule, I’d entertain myself just fine.

  Chapter Two

  I inspected my French-tipped nails while Mother droned on in her best high and mighty voice. Across the oak table from me, Charles tapped his pencil against his notepad sporting elaborate doodles of enlarged heads and tiny bodies engaged in different sports. His light brown hair shot out in every direction, and his tiny, rectangular glasses slipped down his narrow nose each time he shoved them back up. His time would have been better spent finishing the cover for my new book.

  Ash sat to my right in his typical blue-eyed surfer attire of a Hawaiian shirt and khakis, ogling me as usual. I rolled my eyes and angled myself away from him. A sudden flash of memory gripped me, causing me to draw in a quick breath and slouch in my chair. I rubbed the side of my throat where Devin had touched me, his stroke light, yet insistent, as if he knew the location of every erogenous zone on my body and could roll them like tumblers on a lock to open me up wide. I pictured him spreading me out on the table like a kingly feast and holding me down as his lips explored my southern hemisphere.

  “Katharine!”

  Mother’s sharp tone snapped me out of my fantasy. My face heated as I whirled my leather chair to face her and sat up straight. “What?”

  “Are yo
u listening?” The mirror of my blue eyes glared a warning at me. Her bright red lipstick contrasted with her pale skin, making her look like a vampire prostitute. “Ash asked when you’ll have the first draft of novel ten to him for editing.”

  A nerve twitched under my eye. “You told me a month, and that’s when I’ll have it.”

  “Make it three weeks. We’ve got June French’s coming in next month. If we get yours off sooner, the scheduling will work better.”

  I gripped the table and leaned forward, cursing under my breath. “You trimming a week from my time to work your precious schedule won’t get the novel written any faster in reality, Mother. If you let me work instead of forcing me to attend these pointless meetings three times a week, I might get it done faster.”

  Her fake lashes fluttered as they always did when I’d really pissed her off. She would have been frowning, too, had she not deadened half of her facial muscles with Botox. “How dare you take that tone with me? I made you, and I can break you just the same.”

  I shoved my chair back and stood. A frustrated laugh boiled up my throat. “You made me? The last time I looked, they were my words on the pages, my name on the books.”

  She dismissed me with a disgusted curl of her upper lip and a flip of her hand. “Had I not bribed half the industry, you’d still be papering your walls with rejection letters from every publisher in the country. Now. Sit. Down.”

  Devin’s words crashed in on me. Was it true? Did my career take off only because of Mother? I couldn’t believe it. I wouldn’t. “Do your fucking schedule without me. You don’t listen to anything I say anyway. I’d have more luck talking to the cardboard cut-out you have of yourself in your bedroom.”

  I stomped out of the enormous glass room, sped down the hall, and ducked into the washroom. Why did I even allow her to publish my books? A word to the press about my eagerness to leave and I’d have publishers clamoring over themselves to offer me a deal. Wouldn’t I?