Cheating Heart, A Lost Souls Novel: A Lost Souls Novel (4 page)

Kyle swayed back and forth with the music slowly turning them around on the dance floor.  Vienna
was becoming self conscious and tried hard to move with him and not step on his toes.  A couple of times she accidentally got him and felt his feet beneath hers, but it didn’t seem to faze him.  She thought about work as she felt his heart beat against her chest, and how she believed it was never good to become romantically involved with someone you worked with. 
But then
again, she thought,
he did work in a different department.
  She wondered if that counted as working together.  And then, she thought of the other women in the office, and how she’d seen him laughing and joking with them.  Was he flirting with them the same way he flirts with her?  What if she’d stupidly become just another notch on his bedpost?     

Just then
Vienna felt Kyle’s hands shift. The warmth of his palms radiated through her body as they gently caressed her back.  In response, she lifted her head from his shoulder to gaze into his eyes, but instead got distracted.  Her breath caught in her throat.  Brandon and his redheaded girlfriend were dancing right behind them.  His soft brown eyes locked with hers.  He gave her an appreciative glance and grinned.  He mouthed the word,
‘hi’
.

Q
uickly, Vienna broke eye contact and leaned into Kyle.  It was all she could do to keep from falling over.  Her knees felt weak and her stomach hurt.  How could Brandon possibly have the nerve to check her out?  He was flaunting another girl in front of her!  How dare he even try to talk to her!  He’d broken her heart!  Even though it’d been over a year since it happened, she still hadn’t gotten over him.  He’d been her first love, the man she actually thought she was going to marry.  He had some nerve!

Kyle took Vienna’s leaning
into him as a sign of wishing to be closer.  He caressed her back and turned her so that her back was now facing Brandon.  Vienna was thankful that she didn’t have to look at him and his slutty girlfriend.  Kyle’s hands moved to her lower back sending warm tingles up her spine.  He nuzzled his face into her neck and gently began to kiss it, working his way up to her ear.  His lips were so soft and warm. 

Vienna
inhaled deeply.  It wasn’t that she wasn’t attracted to Kyle, or enjoying the soft kisses.  She was enjoying them immensely.  It was that, at the moment, everything seemed so complicated.  She couldn’t sort out what she was feeling right now, especially with the sickness of jealousy pulsing through her veins.  Then she thought of Brandon who was probably watching her.  She knew it was wrong to lead Kyle on, but she decided to use this moment to her advantage.  Maybe Brandon would get an eyeful and regret having broken up with her.  She hoped it made him feel sick inside seeing her intimate with another man, just as it did for her to see him with another woman. 

Kyle’s hands
shifted and moved to her rear end and Vienna flinched.  Suddenly, he wasn’t kissing her neck anymore.  He was staring at her to see her reaction of his playfulness.  Embarrassed, Vienna laughed and reached back for his hands.  Things were going a little farther than she was ready for.  The last thing she needed was to ruin their working relationship.  She moved Kyle’s hands, repositioning them on her lower back.  He didn’t argue he just smiled, gazing at her.  She smiled back, feeling her cheeks flush.  He leaned in to kiss her when they were suddenly interrupted.

Jerking back, Kyle stopped dancing.
  Vienna was confused at first.  She didn’t know why he stopped.  Did she do something wrong?  

“May I cut in?”

“What?” Kyle asked, glaring over his shoulder at someone.  “Go get your own girl.” 

Vienna looked over to see who it was Kyle was talking to.  Her
eyes just about popped out of her head.  There was no possible way that tonight could get any more uncomfortable.  This was the last thing that she’d expected.  “Jack?” she gasped. “What are you doing here?”

Jack
was standing there wearing faded blue jeans and a white T-shirt.  His gorgeous blue eyes twinkled with amusement.  Vienna wondered why he chose this moment to pop back into her life.  Was he jealous seeing her with another man?  Was her life in danger?  Or was something paranormal about to happen that he’d need to help her with?  All three were valid reasons.  But deep inside, Vienna secretly hoped it was the first reason.  She wanted Jack to want her as much as she wanted him, even though having an intimate relationship with a spirit guide was something that could never happen.  She was of this world and he was of another.

“You know this guy?” Kyle asked. 

“Um, yeah,” she said, and to her surprise, Kyle seemed hurt.

“I see,” he said
, letting go of her.  He turned to walk away.

“No!” Vienna said quickly. 
She put her hand on his arm to stop him from leaving.  “It’s not like that.  He’s just a friend.”

Kyle looked over at Jack who was still standing on the stage
, grinning.  He seemed to be enjoying Kyle’s reaction. 

“Tell him, Jack!”
Vienna prodded, glaring at him.  Just because she had feelings for him didn’t mean she appreciated him ruining her date.  And she also didn’t want him to ruin her chance at possibly having a relationship with someone who was alive.   

Jack nodded.  “We work together.  I saw Vienna and thought I’d just stop
by to say hello.”

“I haven’t seen you around the office,” Kyle said
, sizing him up.  “What department do you work in?” 

“I don’t work in the office.”

Kyle seemed confused.  He wasn’t sure what this guy was getting at.

“I also teach art lesson
s,” Vienna said quickly, thinking on her toes.  She hoped that would smooth things over.  The last thing she wanted was for Jack to explain that he worked with her as her spirit guide.

“Oh.
” Kyle looked Jack up and down.  His shoulders relaxed and his smile returned. “That’s right.  I forgot you’re an artist.  I get it now.  I should’ve known,” he said to Vienna and then turned his attention back to Jack.  “You’re a fellow artist.  Of course, go ahead and finish off the song.”

Jack nodded.

Kyle took hold of Vienna’s hand and gave it a gently squeeze.  “I’ll be back at the table when you’re done.  Jack, it’s nice meeting you.  Oh, and I have a friend I can introduce you to if you’d like?” 

“Thanks,” Jack said
. He held his hand out for Vienna to take.  Their hands touched and Vienna felt the familiar warm tingles move gently up her arm.  She sighed.  Being with him felt so right.

“He took the news well,” Jack said
, his eyes locking onto Vienna’s.  She felt she could gaze into them for all of eternity.  “He’s a good guy, letting me dance with you.”

Vienna
couldn’t hold back and giggled.  “That’s because he thinks you’re gay.”

Jack lifted a perfect blond eyebrow at her.
  “Gay?”

Vienna knew he didn’t understand.  “He thinks you’re romantically interested in men.”

“In men,” he repeated.  “But I’m not.  Why would he think that?  Did you tell him that?”

“No, o
f course not.”  Vienna smiled.  “It’s implied because he thinks you’re an artist and you’re good looking.  A little
too
good looking.  Not to mention your hair and clothes are absolutely perfect.  Not even one hair is out of place.  It’s kind of a gay guy thing.”   

“I don’t understand.” 
Jack shook his head.  “There are a great many artists throughout history whom are men that are romantically involved with women.  They don’t all have intimate relationships with men.  I don’t comprehend the correlation.”

“I know,”
Vienna giggled some more.  She found his innocence very sweet, even though at times it irked the heck out of her.  “It’s a society thing.  Things are different nowadays than they were when you were alive.”

Jack smiled.  “Yes, they are.”

“You’ve never told me about when you were alive…” Again, Vienna locked eyes with him.  They were so dreamy to gaze into. 

Jack’s smile faded.  His
blue eyes still sparkled, but the amusement disappeared.  “It was a long time ago.”

“I figured that,” Vienna said
softly.  “Did you live only the once?”

“
No.  I’ve had several lives,” Jack said.  “My last one was the hardest.”

“Oh,” Vienna said, wondering what he meant.  She wanted to ask him more, but didn’t want to ruin the
romantic moment of being with him.  Here they were, on the dance floor, in each other’s arms on Valentine’s Day.  Life couldn’t be more perfect.  She no longer even cared that Brandon was there, or Kyle for that matter.  With Jack, her heart felt fulfilled.  She felt complete when she was with him.  “Jack,” she took in a breath before asking, “what made you come here tonight?”

“Do you need to ask?” he said
, winking at her.  “I believe you know.”

“I need to hear it,” she said, longing to hear him say that he loved her and needed her. 
She wanted so desperately to hear those words.  The slow song ended and hip hop music began to play.  The dance floor became alive with people dancing all around them.  She stood there holding his hands waiting for him to lean in and profess his undying love for her.

When h
e leaned in, Vienna felt her knees weaken with anticipation.  She closed her eyes, concentrating on the words she knew he’d say, waiting for them.   His breath tickled her earlobe as he whispered, “To help you.”

“What?” 
Vienna opened her eyes when the words he whispered registered with her brain.  She let go of his hands, flinging them away from her.  Her smile transformed into a deep scowl.  “Did
you
just say what I thought you did?”

Jack lifted an eyebrow.  “To help you,” he said louder, in case she hadn’t heard him over the music.
 

“To help me?” her voice screeched.  “That’s your answer?”

“Yes,” he said, seriously.  “You need my help.”

“For being a spirit guide, you’re awfully dense!” 
Vienna planted her hands on her hips and glared at him.  “And no, I
don’t
need your help!  Just go away!  You’re ruining my Valentine’s day!”

“Vienna?
  Vienna!” he called after her as she stormed off the dance floor.  She tried to form a wall of energy around herself to block him out, the same way the homeless man did.  She envisioned a giant wall made out of barbed wire surrounding her body as she made her way, dodging people, over to the table.  Kyle was sitting across from Chris, Kim, and Matt.  He looked up at her with stunning deep blue eyes and tilted his handsome dark head of hair. 

“Are you all right?”
he asked, concerned. 

“Yeah, fine.  Can I sit down?”

Kim scrunched up her forehead with concern.  And then her eyes grew large when she saw him.  “Jack?”

“Jack!”
Kyle said when he saw him walk up behind Vienna.  Instead of scooting over so that Vienna could sit down next to him, Kyle hopped up from the table.  “Jack!  This is my friend, Chris.  He’s the one I was telling you about.”  The hunky blonde guy who Kim had been trying to seduce looked over at Jack and his face lit up.

“Hey!” Chris said
, half waving at him.

“Hello,” Jack said, with a curt nod.
  “Nice to meet you.”

Vienna spun around and glared at
him.  She wondered why she couldn’t block him out.  He had some nerve following her back to the table where her date was.  She really needed to work on improving her psychic skills.  Then she thought about why she couldn’t make him disappear.  Maybe her heart really wanted him there regardless of how hurt she was feeling. 
Ugh!
she thought.  She absolutely hated how weak she was around him. 

“Jack, what are you doing here?” Kim asked
, still seated between Chris and Matt.  Kim knew that in order for Jack to materialize he had to draw energy from the atmosphere and that it was a difficult thing for him to achieve.  Since he was in full physical form so that everyone could see him, it must’ve been pretty important.

Kyle scooted back into the booth and Vienna ended up being
uncomfortably sandwiched between him and Jack.  

“He’s here to help me,” Vienna
said bitterly.

“Oh,” Kim said, knowing that every time
Jack appeared, something crazy was about to happen.  She also picked up on Vienna’s disappointment.  She was aware of Vienna’s feeling for Jack even though Vienna tried to keep them hidden and never wanted to talk about them.

“Jack’s an artist,” Kyle said to Chris.
  “He and Vienna work together.”

Chris leaned in and said dreamily, “I
love
art!  Have you been to the Crocker Art Museum?”

“No,”
Jack said.  “No, I haven’t.”

“Maybe we can go sometime,” Chris said.
  “It’s a must for all art lovers.”

“We can make a do
uble date out of it,” Matt said turning in his seat and staring at Kim’s chest.  “Wouldn’t that be fun?”