Opaque Melodies (Coveting Delirium Book 1) Read online

  I gaped at him. He didn’t bat an eye through a second of that proclamation. “You forgot to mention you’re also a bit of a cocky asshole,” I retorted unapologetically.

  He laughed, then took another swig from his water bottle. Using the back of his hand, he wiped his mouth.

  “You’re right, but not about me being an asshole,” he began. “You forgot to mention that I’m also the man who made your pussy extremely wet last night.”

  And there it was. The unaddressed elephant in the room. I rubbed the back of my neck as heat bloomed in my cheeks.

  “You shouldn’t talk like that.”

  “I shouldn’t tell the truth?”

  “You know what I mean!”

  “Catalina you not only intrigue me, you’re a gorgeous woman. How long do you think it’s going to be before I make you mine?”

  “Stop it!” I shrilled, pushing away from the counter. I couldn’t hear things like this right now. I tried to flee the kitchen, he blocked my pathway, bringing his body within centimeters of my own. I sucked in a small breath, inhaling the faint smell of sweat and men’s deodorant.

  “We can’t do this. It’s not right. Maybe I’m an entertaining novelty, but that still doesn’t make it right.” I purposely avoided looking at his face.

  “Are you trying to convince me it’s wrong? Or yourself?” He gripped my jaw and forced me to meet his gaze. His icy blue eyes struck a chord in my chest.

  “You can keep fighting the inevitable all you want. It won’t change what’s going to happen. I’m going to fuck you, and when I do your whole world is going to change.”

  “Alaric. You’re my bro--.”

  “Nothing is ever as it appears to be Catalina. Especially that.”

  The pad of his thumb traced my lower lip. “And you’re much more than a novelty. You’ll see.” Dropping his arm, he took a step back, the heat from his body moving with him. “You’ll be mine, and it will be beautiful, just be patient a little while longer.”

  I furrowed my brows at him, it was the only response I could manage. His transformation from kind and chivalrous to cocky and domineering had me thrown entirely off kilter. And uncomfortably wet.

  “Your coffees ready,” he pointed out politely, slipping back behind the mask of the man I’d first met.

  My thoughts swirling in utter discord, I remained where I was long after he vanished from sight.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Ozzy Osbourne kept me company while I immersed myself in Meg’s things. I was doing my best not to think about what Alaric had said, which proved to be a rather difficult task.

  He didn’t behave at all like a man that had just lost his wife. Instead of this concerning me, it only made me even more curious about him and my sister’s situation. Perhaps that wasn’t the logical reaction, but I myself was an illogical woman.

  Shuffling across the floor on my knees, I lifted the flaps of yet another box a little stunned at was inside.

  Jewelry—expensive, beautiful jewelry. I lifted a velvet box and opened the lid, revealing a gorgeous diamond necklace. This had to be sold, there was no way it could be donated, not unless it went to a charity or something.

  A hand landed on my shoulder, pulling me from my musings. I glanced over my shoulder to see Alaric. No longer in his workout clothes, he was back in dress pants and a short-sleeved polo. I tapped my earbud to pause my music and scooted in a circle so that I wasn’t facing away from him, being met with a dimpled grin.

  “You don’t have to leave today?”

  “Is that your way of trying to get rid of me?”

  “Yes.”

  He gave me a look.

  “…no.”

  “Good, because you can’t.” He moved his focus to the necklace still in my hand. “Are you keeping that one?”

  “Why don’t you give it to Meg’s mom?”

  “That woman doesn’t need a single thing from this room. Your father has her well supplied.”

  “Are you close?” I asked, placing the pretty piece back in the confines of its box.

  “Why don’t you want the necklace?”

  “This isn’t my thing,” I replied, not missing the way he’d just deflected my question with one of his own.

  “Diamonds aren’t your thing?”

  “Diamonds. Shoes. Purses. I’m not into that. That’s all my mother’s prerogative.”

  He regraded me silently, no trace of what he was thinking reflected on his too handsome face. “Tell me then, what is your thing? What are you in to?”

  I shrugged. “Simple stuff. Horror movies, Chinese food. Pianos. Solitude,” I emphasized the last word.

  “What kinds of Chinese food?”

  “Um. The normal kind? Lo Mein. General Tso’s.”

  “Is that all?” he questioned teasingly.

  “I have a hamster. So, I guess those too. I’ve always wanted a dog but could never justify the money for an exclusive breed and my mom would raise hell if I adopted a stray.”

  “Are you into warm food?”

  “I--what?”

  “You’ve been up here for hours. I made lunch. You can continue telling me all about yourself while we eat.”

  “That was very smooth of you,” I quipped.

  He flashed a boyish smile and offered me his hand, which I eyed as if it were a viper.

  “It’s just lunch Catalina,” he implored. “I’m trying to apologize for this morning. You don’t even have to speak to me, but you need to eat something.” He gave me what I took to be his version of puppy-dog eyes.

  Withholding a sigh, I gave in and accepted his hand, allowing him to help me up.

  He led me to the patio just outside the great room and pulled out a chair for me to sit.

  I eyed the food on the table more than a little impressed.

  “It’s nothing special. Glazed apricot chicken, white rice and steamed vegetables. If you’d rather have something else, I won’t be offended,” he said, taking the chair opposite of mine.

  “No, this looks really good.” I poked at the breast on my plate, finding it tender and still warm. “You did all this yourself?” I asked, taking a bite.

  “Don’t sound so surprised.”

  “I’m honestly impressed.” I shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t know too many men that are surgeons and five-star chefs.”

  “Was that a double compliment, Cat?” He beamed at me from across the table.

  “Don’t take it too seriously.”

  “Too late. I’ve already committed it to memory.”

  I refrained from rolling my eyes, fighting back a smile. “Can I ask you something? Something I really should have asked the other night?”

  “You can ask me anything you want, but your question will determine my answer.”

  “Whatever that means. What’s the deal with you and my sister?”

  “Can you be more specific?”

  “For starters you don’t seem all that sad about her death. You’ve made it clear I’m to be a conquest, which comes with a whole list of moral issues. There aren’t any pictures of the two you anywhere in the house.” I ticked off on my fingers. “Should I keep going?”

  “I thought you said you wanted to ask me a question?”

  “I just did.”

  “That wasn’t a question. That was a list of polite accusations.”

  Beginning to feel the effects from my fitful night of sleep, I took another bite of rice to keep myself actively engaged. “Is that even a thing? Politely accusing someone of something?”

  He gave me a pointed stare. “You just did it.”

  “In other words, you’re going to deflect like you usually do.”

  My statement was met with a look of confusion. “Is that what you think I do?”

  He had to be fucking with me. There was no way a man as intelligent as he came off could not know what he was doing.

  “If I respond to your accusations will it change how you feel about us?”

  “There is no us.”


  “Matter of opinion.”

  This man was impossible. “Talking to you is mentally exhausting.”

  “Are you saying I annoy you?”

  “I’m saying you disturb the peace I struggle to keep. Peace I need in order to maintain the madhouse otherwise known as my head.”

  An uncomfortable silence expanded between us. He stared at me as if I was a strange phenomenon, an anomaly.

  Unsure why I just disclosed to him I was mentally flawed, I leaned back in my chair, casting my gaze to the ocean beyond his private stretch of beach.

  Being outside in the sun, feeling the gentle breeze and listening to the waves roll in, it was nice. I could almost relax.

  “Sanity is nothing but a limited mind,” he remarked.

  “Are you admitting to being insane?”

  “You’ve seen the art on my walls.”

  I blinked and glanced over at him. Was that a yes? Was he screwing with me?

  “While I appreciate the attempt to make me feel better, having to live with an unpredictable mind can be hell on earth sometimes.” I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair, brushing it out of my face. “I really don’t know why I’m even telling you all of this.”

  “Like I told you last night, I’m a good listener.”

  “Wasn’t that just a line to get in my pants?”

  He threw his head back and laughed, catching me by surprise. “I had no intentions of fucking you. When I decide to let you have my cock, I won’t need to say a word, you’ll be begging for it.”

  Heat rifled up the back of my neck. “C-can we focus on the topic at hand?”

  “Me and your sister had an understanding after your father essentially pawned her off on me.”

  “We cohabitated. You won’t find pictures of us because that isn’t the kind of relationship it was.”

  That put a few things in perspective, though I was unaware of her dad pawning her off. I’d always imagined them being close considering she was the child he meant to have.

  “You didn’t love her?” I found myself asking.

  He gave me a quizzical look. I could tell he was considering his next words carefully. “Like I said, it wasn’t that kind of relationship. I’ve only loved three women. My grandmother, my mother, and a different kind of love for a woman I knew almost two decades ago.”

  He reached for the glass of amber liquid beside his dish, which had me reaching for the lemon-water next to mine.

  I knew when Meg had first mentioned a husband, she’d gushed about him in a long drawn out message. I was certain The L word was frequently mentioned, but I couldn’t argue the dynamics of their relationship.

  That wasn’t really any of my business. It’d be hypocritical of me to pull the sibling card when any other time I thought of Meg I pictured a stranger.

  I sucked on a partially melted ice-cube, rolling the taste of bittersweet lemon around with my tongue.

  “What about you? You’re not exactly falling into my arms sobbing inconsolably over losing a sibling,” Alaric pointed out.

  “She’s a stranger to me. I feel more guilty about not knowing her than anything else,” I admitted honestly.

  “I thought coming here would help me connect to her somehow, make up for not being there for her. Instead all I’ve done is this.” I spun a finger between us.

  “This?” he grinned at me. “Give this time, you’ll come to appreciate what I’m offering.”

  “I don’t want it.”

  “You’re so damn stubborn,” he sighed. “You don’t even know what it is.”

  “It doesn’t matter. I’m sure you’ve got a bevy of women dying to move in and take Meg’s place whenever you’re ready. Seeing as you’re pretty much over her loss after only a week. It’s not my business or my problem.”

  He opened his mouth to reply, downing the rest of his drink instead.

  Feeling my lids growing heavy, I withheld a yawn and propped my elbow on the table.

  I turned my head, trying to remove the itching sensation from whatever was touching cheek. Feeling it again a second later, I swatted, grasping nothing but air.

  Peeling my eyes open, I was met with a vivid view of Alaric’s pool and the ocean.

  The churning of the sea seemed louder than usual. I sat forward and realized I was sitting on one of the plush lounge chairs with a soft throw covering me.

  Glancing back at the table, I saw everything had been cleared away. Alaric was nowhere in sight. I’d obviously dozed off, but I didn’t remember moving over here.

  Grasping either side of the lounge’s wooden arms, I pushed myself to a standing position. My equilibrium spun, causing the whole world to tilt for a few seconds. I felt sick.

  When everything was righted again, I walked into the house, travelling through the great room in search of Alaric. There wasn’t any distinguishable sound coming from inside. He could’ve been anywhere.

  I was nearly past the kitchen when from the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of the basement door. It was wide open. The entire time I’d been here I had never seen it open.

  I began walking towards it, listening for any noise coming from below.

  “Alaric?” I called out, getting no response.

  A shudder ran through me as I stood in the doorway. As I’d suspected before, the air was cooler downstairs. I reached out and grabbed the bannister, descending slowly. At the bottom of the steps a large mahogany desk came into a view. The setup around it reminded me of a fancy therapist office.

  Alaric clearly wasn’t down here, and nothing looked all that strange until I saw the left side of the room. Brows furrowing, I walked towards an area that strongly resembled an OR.

  Carpet turned to linoleum. Soft lighting became almost translucent. Medical equipment was neatly put away, all the things someone would need to perform a surgery.

  The two tables in the center of this part of the room gave me pause.

  It wasn’t possible.

  Couldn’t be possible.

  Along the back wall was another door, metallic silver and heavy weight. I approached it with caution. My hand shook as I reached for the round knob.

  It wasn’t locked.

  I pushed it open expecting to find Alaric, hit with a strong smell of bleach and disinfectant. He wasn’t in here. The room was much smaller than the previous with a dirt floor. Two large deep freezers were running.

  On the left was what appeared to be a sewer grate. A machine that resembled a metal tub was to the right, making a gentle whirring noise. A thick piece of plastic stretched over the mouth of it.

  A shelf lined with liquid above it. Each carton was affixed with a skull and cross bone symbol. Jugs of bleach were on another shelf above them.

  Feeling a tightness in my chest and dryness in my mouth I brought my fingers to my face. None of this felt right. I jolted at the sudden sound of the piano.

  For a moment the chords sounded distorted and out of sync, but then the unfamiliar melody turned to something beautiful and haunting. Vivid too, as if I was in the same room as the pianist.

  Torn between returning upstairs or seeing what was beneath the plastic, my curiosity got the best of me.

  I walked to the tub feeling as if I were floating on air. Taking hold of a corner piece of the plastic, I pulled it back carefully.

  A decent amount of liquid was inside. It was clear with a light-ish brown tint, being moved in a gentle current by something I couldn’t see. There wasn’t much of a smell to it. Noticing some type of mass submerged within the bottom, I peered closer trying to determine what it was.

  It looked almost skeletal. In fact, the longer I stared at it the more I began to see the shape of a human mouth, all the skin and tissue gone. I blinked rapidly but I couldn’t unsee it.

  A lump formed in my throat. I shuffled away not believing what was in front of me.

  I turned towards the freezers and rushed to open the one nearest me. I caught one glimpse of what was inside and brought a hand
up to cover my mouth. Goosebumps slid along the back of my neck.

  Caught between abject horror and starry-eyed awe, I let the lid slam shut and stepped backward, a sense of light-headedness nearly making my legs buckle.

  The haunting melody of the piano continued to resound through the air. I fled from the room, stumbling back up the stairs and into kitchen, pulse pounding so loud I could hear it in my ears. I followed the music to the great room, both my heart and my legs stalling when I spotted Alaric at the piano.

  My mind spun trying to come up with some logical explanation for what I’d just seen.

  The piano melody came to a jarring halt. Alaric twisted around and stared at me before rising slowly from the bench. I swallowed thickly, remaining where I was as he approached.

  “Downstairs,” I breathed, still attempting to make sense of it.

  “You weren’t supposed to go down there.”

  “The door--.”

  Before I could finish my sentence, he was in front of me, crowding into my personal space. I made to move away and like the night before his hand snaked around and gripped me firmly by the back of the neck.

  Without warning he moved me to the sofa, forcing me down onto the chaise lounge.

  My limbs felt like mush. I attempted to sit up, being imprisoned by his abrupt kiss. It was steeped in carnal desire and something sinister.

  His hands seemed to be everywhere, tugging at my tank until my bra was showing, then pulling at the cups to free my breasts entirely.

  He moved his lips to my neck, suckling and nipping the flesh. My head was swimming, resistance crumbling away and leaving behind nothing but the sensations rising inside me from Alaric’s touch.

  “How badly do you want to be fucked, Catalina?” His hips settled between the legs I hadn’t realized he’d parted, creating a friction between our bodies as he pressed against me.

  He took hold of my hand and forced it between us, skimming it over the center of his slacks where his hardened cock strained against the fabric.

  The action snatched away what remaining crumb of rationality I had. With heavy words that took an excessive amount of concentration to say, I managed to mumble, “I want you.”