“I know you’ve had a hard time with men before, but not all of them are the same,” she says. “Don’t let one bad experience ruin you forever. Talk to Oliver. You might find it’s worth it.”
I smile at her. “Thanks, and I will. I’ll try.”
I finish up my coffee and conversation with Erin and then leave home to head to work. When I arrive at Sanctuary, there are more than the usual number of cars there. Some of the women who come in must be helping with the Halloween party we’re throwing on the weekend. It’s good for them, and it gives them something to look forward to. In a way, they’re giving back to Sanctuary.
I get out of my car, lock it, and walk inside to find Marlie. She’s standing with Kenai, both of them staring up the stairs, no doubt discussing decorations. “Good morning,” I say when I stop beside them.
Marlie looks at me and smiles. “Heya, Jade. How are you?”
“Good. Ready to get this place looking spooky. What’s the plan?”
“Kenai and Oliver have gotten the decorations all ready, it’s just a matter of putting them up. We’re going to have cobwebs on the stairs and balconies, spooky creatures hanging from the ceilings, maybe even a smoke machine. What do you think?”
I beam. “Sounds fun. Where can I start?”
“Upstairs in the big closet are some decorations, you can grab them and start putting them anywhere you think they might look good.”
I nod. “I’m on it.”
With that, I disappear up the stairs, excited to get started.
* * *
I love Halloween; it’s my favorite holiday of the year. I love the decorations, the spooky stories, the trick or treating and the fun that comes along with it. I like carving pumpkins, making different candies, and I especially love when all the kids come to my door. As spooky as it is, I feel like it brings people together, allows people to interact and have some fun.
I find the storage closet, step inside, and flick on the light. It’s full of decorations, plates, cups, tablecloths, and everything you could possibly imagine for Halloween. I walk in a little further, reaching down for a box of fake cobwebs, when the door behind me slams closed. Spinning around, I reach over for the door handle, only to find it locked. Furrowing my brows, I rattle the doorknob again. Still locked. Great. I’m stuck in here.
I bang my fists on the door a few times, calling out, but nobody comes to my rescue. They must all be downstairs. Huffing, I turn and stare at the boxes. Just great. I’m in here, but I have no way of getting out or getting help. I left my phone in my purse, in the office. I bang on the door again, a few times, yelling louder and louder. A few minutes pass by, and I start getting a little more worried. Someone will come up here eventually, but it’s hot, and stuffy, and I want to get some work done, not be stuck in a damned closet.
I sit for a few minutes, wondering how the hell I’m going to escape this. Shrugging, I start sorting through the decorations. After a while, it’s getting a little harder to breathe, so I turn around and bang on the door again, calling out. Still no one. Feeling a little stressed out, I try to distract myself with the decorations again but I really don’t like the feeling I’m getting. My chest is tight and I’m starting to get a little panicky. I don’t think there is a human alive who likes being in a place where they can’t get out, even if it is only a closet.
I pound my fists on the door again, calling out a little louder, and a little more frantically. My voice is soft at the best of times, so it’s hardly loud. I still try, though. I’m just about to give up again when the door swings open. Not expecting it, I stumble backward. A scream escapes my throat and my legs flail around as I hit a box, falling right into it, bottom first, and crushing all the decorations. Two big hands reach down, curling around my arms and pulling me up. I come face to face with Oliver. He’s standing, holding on to me still, staring at me with those intense hazel eyes.
He’s classically good looking, with light brown hair that’s messy and falls over his forehead like it’s been made to do that. His skin is a soft brown, and his eyes a deep hazel. He’s got very masculine features to match his very large, very muscled body. A few tattoos snake up one arm and disappear underneath his dark shirts. The ones he always wears. He’s gorgeous, in a bad-boy yet breathtakingly beautiful kind of way. His tattoos and dark features give him an edge, yet there is also a softness about him.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, looking up at him. “I locked myself in here. I wasn’t sure if anyone would hear me calling out.”
“I was coming to get more decorations when I heard you yelling. You hurt?” His voice is rich, thick, and husky. It matches him perfectly.
“Ah, no, I’m not hurt. A little embarrassed, but not hurt.”
He studies me. “You should be more careful. If nobody was up here, you might have been in here a while.”
I flush and nod, stepping back. He releases me, dropping his hands to his sides.
“I’m Jade,” I say, meeting his eyes for a second before looking away, cheeks still burning.
He smells incredible.
“I know,” he says, his voice low.
“And you’re Oliver.”
His eyes flash when I meet them again. “Yeah.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I offer, extending my hand, feeling lame the second it comes out of my mouth.
He nods, reaching out and curling his
