Dominated by the Ghost: An Alpha Ghost BBW Romance Page 4

  "Hi, Kyla."

  A thrill ran through her veins. He remembered her.

  They were both interrupted by the barista passing them their orders.

  Landon gestured to an empty table. "Do you want to have a seat and eat?"

  All of a sudden, right here in front of her was the man that she’d been waiting for. She really didn’t have time for a leisurely meal, but the opportunity was here and she didn’t want to miss it.

  Glancing at her watch, she said, "I have about ten minutes before I have to get to the office."

  Truth was, she had about twenty or so, but she didn’t want to make herself seem overly available. Being so available for Dirk, and having it backfire, had left her skittish.

  "Perfect." Landon held his hand out, letting her go first.

  Ever the gentleman, he pulled out her chair, waiting until she was seated to sit down.

  "Do you come here every morning?" he asked.

  "I do. It's one of my favorite shops. How about you?"

  Landon shook his head. "I just found it. It looks like I chose the right day to try something new."

  The flirtatious look on his face drew her in. She could feel her cheeks heat up, and she knew that she was blushing. She was grateful that it would mostly be hidden by her darker skin.

  "It's always nice to try something different," she said. She couldn’t quite believe she was flirting, but something about him seemed to compel her.

  Landon's hazel eyes seemed to stare right through her. "I agree."

  They sipped their coffees in silence. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence by any means, because it gave Kyla the chance to look at him. There was something mysterious about Landon, and Kyla could not quite put her finger on it. The intrigue was nothing scary. It mostly made her want to get to know something about the sadness that she sensed behind his warm hazel eyes and that crooked smile.

  He was the first to break their companionable silence. "What if I asked you to meet me here in the morning for coffee tomorrow?"

  Kyla liked his forwardness. Since she wasn’t brave enough to put herself out there, at least he would do it.

  "I would like that. I would like that very much, Landon." She checked the time. She didn’t want to go. They’d barely talked at all, and she had a feeling that if they kept meeting, they’d get to know each other very slowly. It could be nice, to build up trust in this way, rather than jumping straight into a serious relationship.

  "That settles it,” he said. “Tomorrow morning the coffee and the pastry is on me. Now I think you have to get to work."

  “You’re right.” She gave him a regretful smile and held her cup tightly as she raised her purse strap on her shoulder.

  "Until tomorrow." Landon stood up, waiting for Kyla.

  "Until tomorrow." Kyla smiled as she walked off. When she looked back, Landon was still watching as she walked out of the coffee shop. For a moment, Kyla considered how lonely he looked. She wondered what it would take to change his expression, what it would take to resolve whatever problems were making him feel that way.

  That would come with time. Now, she could just be happy that in the course of her morning, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome had become a breakfast date.

  As far as Kyla was concerned, the next twenty four hours would not go by fast enough.

  *

  When Kyla arrived at the coffee house, she didn’t want to be the first to go in. It made her feel like it would make her look way too eager. Instead, she waited at the back of the parking lot until she saw Landon arrive. He was dressed casually in a pair of ripped jeans, sneakers, and a vintage gray T-shirt. His hair was wild, sticking out as if he’d run his hands through it. She wouldn’t mind running her hands through it. His rugged look turned her on, and she briefly considered jumping out of her car and pinning him to the wall so she could kiss him silly.

  Relax, girl, she told herself. Play it cool.

  She pulled her car around to the front of the parking lot and found a space. Landon turned around just as she pulled up. He waved, then trotted over to her car.

  "Hi, Landon. Good to see you this morning," Kyla said as she opened her door. She hoped that she was not overdressed in her pale yellow sundress and gold gladiator heels.

  "You look gorgeous." He took her hand to help her out of the car.

  Kyla was impressed by his manners. "Thank you."

  They approached the counter and Kyla gave the barista her order. Landon did as well, and they took their food over to an empty table.

  Landon took a sip of his coffee and winced. "Too hot,” he said, chuckling. Then he looked straight at Kyla. “I wanted to get to know you at Jess's party the other day, but even though it was a small setting, it still seemed like it wasn’t the place to get to know someone."

  He paused, but Kyla could tell he wasn’t done talking. She blew gently on her coffee, listening to him. She didn’t want to respond until he finished. He seemed so shy and quiet that if she interrupted him, he might not finish his thought.

  "The only problem was that I didn’t get your phone number. I wanted to ask Jess, but I didn’t know how you’d feel about me calling you out of the blue. I thought that if it was meant to be, we would cross paths again."

  "I like the way you think, Landon. I, too, believe in destiny."

  He smiled. "Very cool. So what do you do for a living?"

  "I’m an event planner. What about you?"

  "I work for my dad's construction company. Tell me more about the event planning."

  Kyla was happy to tell him more about her profession. She loved what she did. Explaining to him about how she mainly coordinated weddings, and that she also worked on corporate events, Kyla didn’t want to take up too much time talking about herself. Landon paid close attention, seeming to be soak in her every word.

  She found a comfortable place to stop talking about herself and said, "So you work for your father's construction company? That must be nice to work with family."

  Landon sipped his coffee and shrugged. "I don't know about all of that. I'm just used to working with family. I haven’t known it any other way."

  The lull in the conversation allowed both of them the time to regroup as they ate their pastries.

  Landon cleared his throat, sounding nervous, but there was nothing nervous about the way his hazel eyes regarded her. He looked like a man who knew what he wanted…and he wanted her. She could hardly believe it.

  "What would you say if I asked you out on a date?" he asked.

  "I would love to." She smiled, hiding her surprise at his invitation. She was even more surprised by how quickly she’d said yes. She was still trying to be cautious and not appear too eager, but he’d swiped away her defenses with that intense gaze of his.

  "What did you have in mind?" she asked.

  "I have an idea,” he said, smiling. “You’re probably used to planning things for your job, but let me give it a try. I’ll handle everything."

  A man who took charge. She could handle that. She liked it, even. It would be a relief to let someone else take responsibility for an evening. "All right. Where do you suggest we meet?"

  "I’ll pick you up."

  Kyla thought about it for a moment. She wasn’t sure if she should allow a man she didn’t know to come to her home. But then she realized that having Jess as a mutual friend was a point in his favor. She’d ask Jess more about him.

  "Sounds good." She rattled off her address, which he tapped into his phone.

  "What about tonight, seven o'clock?"

  "Seven o'clock it is," Kyla agreed.

  "Great. Well, I'm sure that you have to get to work. I do, too. So I’ll see you tonight?"

  Kyla smiled. "Yes. Tonight."

  Landon walked her to her car, then waited as she drove off. After she pulled into a parking space at work, Kyla immediately picked up her cell phone and dialed Jess.

  "To what do I owe this early morning phone call?" Jess greeted.

  "Nothing much."
Kyla leaned back in her seat as she talked. "I just met with Landon."

  "Oooh, Landon." Jess teased Kyla like they were young girls with a childhood crush.

  "Oh, come on, Jess. Be serious here."

  "I thought that you said that you really didn't call me about anything in particular."

  "I lied. Look, I want to know more about him. What can you tell me?"

  "Well, he's a good guy. I met him through a friend of mine, Caroline. She’s his cousin. From what I know, their family has lived around these parts for quite some time. He hung out with a few of us before and seemed cool. So when I invited Caroline to the party the other night, I invited him as well. Wait, did he ask you out?”

  "He did." Kyla could not resist giggling.

  "Oh Kyla, he is so cute. I knew that the two of you would hit it off."

  One of her employees was waving at her from the office window. "Look, don't go ordering the wedding cake or anything. It's probably just dinner and a movie. But I'm looking forward to it. He's going to pick me up, tonight at seven."

  "I love it. Well, tell me how everything goes."

  "I will. Look, I have to get in to work. I'll call you later."

  Kyla walked into the office, thinking of what she should wear tonight. She had to find the perfect outfit. First impressions meant everything. Second and third impressions sealed the deal. And for the first time since Dirk had left, she really wanted to seal the deal.

  *

  The evening was warm and muggy so Kyla opted to wear a sleeveless blouse with ruffles in the front and a pair of culottes and sandals.

  Landon was punctual, a fact that Kyla appreciated. When she opened her door, his face lit up as if he’d just been given a gift. "You look great, Kyla."

  "Thank you. Not too bad yourself."

  Landon was dressed in a pair of khaki cargo shorts and a dress shirt. The shirt was fitted well enough that she could see the span of his shoulders, and when he moved to lead her down the walk, his muscles bunched and flexed attractively.

  She fully expected Landon to walk her over to a big bodied pick-up truck. Instead, he walked her to a convertible red sports car.

  "Whoa. This is pretty sexy," Kyla said.

  Landon closed the door as she sat down in the passenger seat. "I like it enough. Only question for you is, are you okay with the top down?"

  Kyla considered her hair style. It was back in a ponytail and she could easily comb her long tresses back in place if she needed to after their drive.

  She decided to live a little. "Top down. Let's go."

  Landon smiled and removed the top. The sun was still shining, so Kyla popped on her shades and sat back to enjoy the ride. She was curious about whatever surprise Landon might have cooked up for their date. Every now and then he looked over at her while he drove, but he didn’t say anything. He fascinated her. He seemed shy, but he’d wanted to take charge of their date tonight. What other little puzzles would she find with Landon?

  “So where are we going tonight?” she asked.

  “I can hear the event planner in you already,” he said, his eyes twinkling. “I promise, you’re going to like it, and I’ve got everything worked out.”

  “There’s no way I can convince you to give up your secret?”

  He shifted slightly in his seat. “I bet you’re very persuasive.”

  “Oh, I can be.”

  He grinned. “Persuade me later. Right now, I have a surprise for you.”

  She pouted, but she liked that she hadn’t been able to manipulate him. She didn’t need a push-over in her life.

  He turned the music up and they hit the highway. Soon, they were out of the city and headed towards the outskirts. Once they passed the suburbs, the highway only led out of town toward Bayou Meroux. Tupelo and cypress trees jutted from the damp earth, and if possible, the air became even more humid.

  Kyla remembered coming to the bayou a few times as a child. Her mother liked to come to the bayou from time to time to get jams and preserves from an old lady that lived there. When Kyla was eight, the lady had passed away and they hadn’t been back since.

  Landon interrupted her thoughts. "I hope you don't mind a little trip to the bayou."

  "Not at all. It’s been a long time since I came out here."

  As they drove across the bridge, the scenery became more and more rural. Kyla realized she’d become very used to living in the city, and here, she felt out of place. Kyla wondered if much had changed since she’d last seen Bayou Meroux. Pretty sure that things looked about the same, she settled back in the seat and focused on the music and the ride, and on Landon’s strong hands circling the steering wheel. She decided that there was beauty in change and in doing something completely different than what she was used to doing.

  When there was finally an exit, Landon pulled off the highway. A gas station squatted beneath some towering, thick-trunked trees, but there didn’t seem to be anything else for miles.

  Suddenly, she felt a thread of fear unfurl in her stomach. Sure, Jess knew she was out on a date with Landon, but nobody had any details. Why had she trusted him, anyway? She’d thought she could trust Dirk, but he’d broken her heart. What if she was trusting Landon, and he could do something much, much worse?

  She thought of her phone in her purse, and thinking of her phone reminded her of that article Jess had sent, about the werewolves near Bayou Meroux. What if Landon was bringing her to them? He couldn’t be a werewolf himself—she’d read all about them, how they had hairy faces and hands, how they couldn’t stand to eat proper, cooked food and only dined on flesh. Landon’s face was well-groomed, his hands were hairless, and she’d eaten pastries with him. But what if he wanted to leave her out here in the bayou, like an offering?

  Nothing but the hum of the engine and the music settled between them. She looked over and Landon was intently staring at the road.

  “Why are you afraid?” he asked quietly.

  “I, uh. I’m fine.” Kyla ran her hands through her hair and then decided to just let it be until they stopped completely.

  He drove slowly down the open road. “It’s okay, cher.” He reached over and touched her hand, almost to see if she would reject him or not. She found herself clutching his fingers, just hoping everything was going to be all right.

  He continued, “I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but I can tell you’re freaking out. I’m taking you to my family property. My aunt and cousin are at a party tonight, but they’ll be around later. If you’re worried, you can text a friend with my address.”

  A wave of relief washed through Kyla. “No, I think I’m just not used to being in control, and my imagination was running away with me. I started thinking maybe you were some kind of monster.”

  He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Monster or not, I’d never hurt you.”

  Coming to a dirt road, they drove through the overhanging Spanish moss and a large house came into view. The mansion was white, with two stories and a wraparound porch on both levels. Kyla nearly swooned. It was completely beautiful, just as the plantations of the Old South were known to be.

  Kyla wondered if she was dreaming. "You live here?"

  "It's my family's home. My cousin Carolina lives here with me, as well as my aunt.”

  She noticed that he hadn’t mentioned his parents, but Kyla decided not to ask. If he wanted to talk about them, he’d bring them up.

  "It's breathtaking." The antebellum architecture was stunning. With so many acres of land, Kyla thought she would get lost if she ever lived in a place so expansive.

  "Thank you. I’ll give you a tour sometime. For now, though, come on around. I have something set up for us in the back yard."

  She followed him as he led her on a path around to the back of the home. It opened up to a back yard with the Meroux River meandering past. There was more Spanish moss and lush green grass. A gazebo and a covered sitting area with a fire pit rounded out the rest of the yard.

  "I thought that maybe we
could have a little dinner out here and get to know one another."

  He had thought this out—Kyla was impressed. "That would be wonderful."

  Landon touched her in the small of her back as he led her deeper into the yard. A wicker basket and a blanket were in the middle of the lawn, with candles set up on flat rocks surrounding the makeshift picnic area.

  "I thought that it would be nice right here," he said.

  She was ready to get to know exactly who Landon was. His shy demeanor that was sometimes usurped by his assertive nature was something that made her want to know more about him.

  Landon flipped the blanket open and spread it out on the ground. Carefully setting the basket on top, he beckoned for her to come over and take a seat.

  "Thank you," she said, smoothing the space as she sat down.

  "I hope you enjoy the food," Landon paused. "As well as the company."

  "I’m already enjoying the company,” she said shyly. “The food’s just a bonus."

  Landon opened a bottle of wine and offered her some.

  “Thank you,” she said, holding out her glass. "Landon, I feel like we talked so much about me when we last met. I don't want you to think that I wanted all of the spotlight. Please tell me more about you."

  "Well," Landon began as he poured a glass of wine for himself, "I’ve lived around here all of my life. I love it here. This is where my family has resided for generations."

  She sipped her wine. "You didn’t really mention your parents."

  "No, I didn’t." His answer was blunt, leaving her no room to ask anything else.

  Kyla took that cue to move the conversation in another direction.

  "So, you were saying that you live here with your cousin. Jess tells me that the two of them are pretty good friends."

  Landon seemed a bit more willing to talk about that subject. "Carolina and I grew up as close as siblings. For our whole lives, we’ve done almost everything together. But now she goes to school in the city. Takes some college courses and hates the drive back and forth, so she spends more time in the city than out here. I miss her being here every day, but she's going after what she wants in life. My aunt kind of putters around and does what she wants. When my parents moved into another house, it was Aunt Delia who suggested that I stay here with her and Carolina."