127. Chance Encounters

Hotel Rosa,
Present day...

The next morning Leigh was running very late for her yoga class. She’d overslept. She’d suspected it would happen since she’d spent half the night going through Krisis’ past.

As late as she was though, she stopped at the front desk to chat with Amanda. She liked the receptionist, she was bubbly and outgoing and they’d grown somewhat friendly over the past few days.

Amanda said something about a Lola Belle concert, but Leigh missed half her excitement. Her attention was stolen by a group of business men and women who’d just walked in.

“It’s the Vampire Council. They’re here for a three day conference with our government.” Amanda filled her in, following her gaze.

Other than the fact they were vampires, there was nothing interesting about them. Nothing that is, until she heard someone address one of the men as ‘Mr. Thornton’.

For a second Leigh thought she had the wrong man, and she was about to dismiss him when he looked away from his companion and stared straight at her. A brief look of recognition flickered in his hazel eyes and she knew it was him, her kids’ grandfather.

Leigh stared back at him, looking for traces of Krisis and Krimsyn. There were none. In fact, he was the total opposite of his children; his auburn hair was on the longish side and his complexion was a shade darker than Krisis’. The only thing he had in common with his son was his tall, masculine frame.

Leigh broke their eye contact, and said something to Amanda, she didn’t remember what though as she slowly waddled towards the exit. She had no intention of acknowledging the man. If what Krimsyn had said was true, about William thinking Krisis deserved better than her and how he hated her because she was human, then he was as dead to her as he was to Krisis.

She was almost at the door when she changed her mind. She couldn’t let it go. She had to tell him exactly what she thought of him.

She pushed through the crowd. William’s face stretched into a cold smile as he watched her approach. It was almost as if he’d issued a challenge and she’d taken his bait. But she knew it was impossible; as long as she was wearing the necklace Krisis had given her in Barnacle Bay, no amount of compulsion would work on her, and because of her blood bond to Krisis, no vampire could claim her either.

She came to a complete stop in front of him. “You’re despicable!”

A million pair of glowing eyes turned to the two of them, an uncomfortable hush washed over the crowd.

“Excuse me?” Thornton murmured in an excruciatingly calm voice.

“You heard me. You’re despicable! You have a chance to make things right with your son and be a part of your grandkids’ lives and what do you do, you pass it up for cheap shots at Krisis. What makes you think you know what’s right for him when you don't even know him? And why, oh, why in the world do you assume a Vampire will love him more than I do?” She yelled at him, bunching up her small hands into tight fists at her sides.

William tried to say something, but Leigh was on fire, she didn’t give him a chance to retaliate.

“Let me make myself clear, Mr. Thornton, I love your son, there's nothing I wouldn't do for him. And I will make him incredibly happy, with or without your approval! If you have nothing good to say to Krisis, stay the hell away from him. He doesn’t need all your hate in his life!” With that she turned on her heel and waddled off, leaving Thornton and the members of the Council stunned.

The Council members quickly regained their composure and they laughed about the incident, dismissing Leigh as a raving lunatic.

But Thornton couldn’t dismiss her. Over breakfast, he kept replaying their encounter in his mind over and over.

No woman, human or vampire, had ever dared to speak to him in that manner. If she wasn’t pregnant, he would have dealt with her right there and then. But as much as he didn’t appreciate the public humiliation he’d suffered at her hands, a small part of him was intrigued and impressed by her. It took guts and a lot of spunk for anyone to stand up to him.

Maybe he was wrong about his son’s human after all. Maybe she wasn’t so weak.

After their breakfast, Thornton and Celina retired to his suite to prepare for his presentation later that evening. 

He tried to focus on his speech, but he kept messing it up, Celina suggested they take a break a few hours into rewrites.

“Celina, find out which room Ms. Starlington is in, send her a dozen yellow roses and invite her to dinner,” he ordered his PA as he stripped off his clothes , getting ready to jump into the hot tub in the patio.

Celina stayed hot on his heels, stopping along the way to pick up his expensive clothes from the floor.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Krisis told you to stay away from Leigh,” she reminded him.

William ignored her words of caution. He stretched his long frame, rolling his shoulders and back to ease some of the tension from his encounter with Leigh.

He scowled at his PA when he saw quiet defiance in her eyes. She was questioning him and he didn’t appreciate it.

 “Did I stutter, Celina?” He asked softly.

“No.”

“Did I mumble my words or mince them in any way?” He carried on, watching her squirm under his gaze.

“No Sir!”

“Then why are you questioning me? I thought I was very clear with what I wanted, and how I wanted it done!” He added.

“Yes you were. I’m sorry.” Celina apologized.

“I don’t pay you to tell me what you think Celina.” William growled at her, suddenly bored with their conversation. “A dozen yellow roses, and make sure she accepts my dinner invitation.”

“Of course, Sir. I’ll get on it right away,” Celina relented, hating the sick feeling deep in her gut…