Soul Searcher Book 1

Khloe walked behind the bar after having closed down the ticket booth for the night. That was the best part about selling the tickets, she didn’t have to work nearly as long as the rest of the staff did. Spotting Cassie, she walked over towards the storage closet where Cassie was grabbing items to restock the bar with. “Hey Cass, you want some help?” Khloe asked as she saw Cassie’s arms were full and was still trying to grab other things.

“Oh Khloe, thank the stars. I would love some help. Could you grab those two cases of beer for me, so I don’t have to make another trip back here?” Cassie pointed her right shoe to the beer she was referring to and stepped out of Khloe’s way. With a smile, Khloe bent over and grabbed the cardboard handles of the cases of Bud Light and proceeded to follow Cassie out of the storage closet and back behind the bar. As she placed the cases on top of the cooler where they would store the beer to keep it cold, Khloe noticed Rim and his friend chilling out at the further end of the bar. Her heart beat harder against her chest, a weird sensation that she had never felt before when attracted to another person washed over her body. The dark and brooding type wasn’t the typical type of guy she was drawn to but for some reason she couldn’t keep her eyes from wandering to Rim’s friend.

Since Cassie was still on the clock, Khloe found herself walking over to the odd pair of friends trying her hardest to keep the stupid grin from plastering itself upon her face. “Hi-ya Rim. How’s your night going? Is your friend enjoying himself?” Khloe asks Rim the questions but her gaze never waivers from Samael’s eyes. She could tell by looking at the guys that they were buzzed if not maybe a little drunk. “Hey Khloe, have you met my friend Samael?” Khloe shakes her head no, even though they had seen each other when she had given them wrist bands, Rim hadn’t introduced them to each other. Samael smiles at her as Rim introduces them to each other but unfortunately, Khloe doesn’t get a chance to chat with him because Ginny decided to make her presence known just then.

“We’re about to close up for the night. When we’re done, a bunch of us were thinking of going and hanging down at the beach, have a midnight swim as they say. You guys interested in coming with?” Turning her eyes to see Rim and Samael’s thoughts on the subject, Khloe felt a flutter of happiness course through her as they both said they would be down for hanging out. “Sweet, I’ll let Cassie know we’ve all decided to go. Oh, by the way, Jason wants you guys to go outside while we finish closing up. I hope you don’t mind.”

“I’ll come sit outside with you guys, if that’s okay that is?” Khloe offers as she begins walking to the exit door herself. Both Rim and Sam nod okay and follow her out into the moonlight.

I followed Samael and Khloe out onto the boardwalk and walked slightly behind them as we made our way over to an unoccupied bench. As I observe the two, I can tell immediately that Khloe is totally smitten with Sam. It’s weird though because even though I couldn’t care in the slightest if Ginny hooked up with him, watching him flirt with Khloe was a whole other story. She, in just the few interactions with her, I can tell is way too nice and caring a person to be hanging out with death himself. I feel a sort of protectiveness towards her and though her soul isn’t ‘pure’ like Cassie’s is, I still do not want to see the young girl get hurt.

Thankfully I only have to endure witnessing Samael flirting with Khloe for ten minutes, give or take, before I see the entire staff leaving the Sky Bar. Cassie and Ginny hurry over to us and then we all migrate to the beach. After everyone finds spots to sit or stand, someone sets up a blue tooth speaker and music begins to flow from it mere seconds later. Another person finds some tried driftwood and brings it over to where most of the people are chilling. Cassie links her fingers with mine and we sit in comfortable silence as we watch the others struggle to light a fire. It doesn’t take long though before we are sitting in front of a bonfire, and I find myself smiling at Cassie. “It’s amusing to see Samael flirting with your friends. I was a little worried at first that Khloe was taken with him, but she seems to have eased up on her part with the flirting now that Ginny is sitting on his other side, giving him attention.”

Cassie winces at the thought of Khloe hooking up with Sam. “I am glad to hear that. For some reason the thought of her and Samael being together bothers me way more than the thought of Ginny being with him.”

“As long as he isn’t trying to vie for your attention, I’m good,” I say as I release her hand from mine so that I can drape it across her shoulders and pull her into my side. As she scrunches her nose, making a face of disgust, I can’t help but think she is adorable and a fleeting thought of her being an angel flitters across my mind.

“Believe me, you’ve no need to worry about that. Even if he were to try, I have no urge to be with him nor even talk to him.” Cassie says as she looks into my eyes. As her eyes dart back and forth trying to read mine, she asks; “What’re you thinking about right now?” Instead of giving her an answer, I lean towards her and place a kiss on her lips. Once we parted, Cassie whispers, “you want to get out of here?”

“What about your friends?” I ask as I nod my head yes.

Turning her head, she looks at her friends who haven’t paid her the least bit of attention since we picked a spot to sit. “I think they’ll manage without me,” she says with a grin before standing up and reaching her hand out to me, pulling me to my feet. Her grin is infectious, and I can’t help but return it.

Laughing as she tugs on my arm, I chuckle an ‘okay’ before following her. As we make it back onto the boardwalk, I realize she isn’t leading me towards my house. “Where are we going?” I ask a puzzled expression on my face. She doesn’t give me an answer but tilts her head back towards the club.

“I live above the Sky-Star. I thought we could hang out at my place tonight, if that’s okay with you. I mean, if you’d rather go back to your place we can, no biggie to me.” My smile grows wide as I listen to her ramble.

“No, no. That’s fine. I’d love to see your place.” Crushing my lips against hers to stop her from rambling further, “lead the way,” I add as I break the kiss. Cassie whispers an okay and then taking my hand in hers, she and I walk up to a door that I hadn’t noticed before and pulling a key out, she unlocks the door and opens it. A flight of stairs has us on the second floor of the building that I never realized the club had. Walking up to another door, Cassie places a second key into the lock before I hear a click and watch her push this door open.

Spreading her arms wide as we walk through the doorway she says, “welcome to mi casa.” Allowing my gaze to wander, I am surprised to see how large the apartment really is. There is an open kitchen with a lot of counter space that I would love to use, and I will think about suggesting I make her dinner one night. As my gaze travels from there I see a very comfortable looking couch in an area that I would assume would be her living room. Turning my body as my eyes continue to drift around the open space, I see a closed door that I can only assume to be her bedroom.

Catching me staring at that door Cassie’s cheeks turn a beautiful shade of pink. “May I ask what’s behind that door?” A Cheshire-cat-like grin spreads across my face as I watch the pink shade turn crimson.

“Oh, that’s just my bedroom,” she tries to say nonchalantly but I see lust fill her eyes, turning them a brilliant shade of blue causing a yearning to churn within my soul. I do not realize I have moved, closing the distance between us from where she was still standing until I feel my hands cupping the sides of her face.

I draw her face up to mine and kiss her soft velvety lips before whispering “show me”. Cassie moans against my lips, her body quivering slightly as she takes my hand in hers and leads me into her bedroom.

Each night I spend with her is more magical than the last. I wake up smiling which isn’t something I’m used to in the slightest, but nothing has been ‘normal’ since the first time our paths crossed in the dream state. I realize she is awake as I move to get out of bed. I had planned to make a pot of coffee for us before she woke up, but I feel her arm snaking around my waist, pulling me close against her warm body and her placing butterfly kisses against my neck. “Where do you think you’re going Mr., hmm?”

Grinning I turn my body to face her, “I was going to go make a pot of coffee for us, unless you’d rather I not...” pressing my face against her neck I inhaled her scent of mixed berries and cotton candy (even though I’ve never had the pleasure of tasting it, I had been to carnivals in my youth and had the delicious experience of smelling it) which causes my mouth to water, and it takes all my will power not to begin licking her delectable neck. Lifting my head to gaze into her eyes, I can tell she is torn between the thought of recreating our passionate lovemaking from last night and consuming a freshly brewed cup of coffee.

“Grr, coffee.” Cassie murmurs next to my ear which makes me laugh out loud. “But this,” she adds as she swings a finger back and forth between us, “isn’t over!”

Rolling away from her, I push myself off her bed before saying, “deal”. Adding a wink, I walk out of her bedroom and go into her kitchen area so I can start a pot of coffee for us.