Free Bound to Remember, a Paranormal Romance (Book 1 of the Spellbound Series) by Lola James Page A

a tear fell down my cheek. He twisted the ring a few times, but it didn’t move.
     
    “ Well, not to worry; we can get it off later.” He let go of my hand as he repositioned himself in the bed.
     
    “ You loved her.” I looked over at him as I wiped my tear away. We both knew I meant Catherine.
     
    “ Yes.” He turned away from me as he lay down. “Busy afternoon, I see.” He looked at me over his shoulder. He hates me now.
     
    “ I sort of woke up to get some water and found the box.” I lay down with my back to him.
     
    “ Catherine never received it. She died before I was able to give it to her.” I turned and wrapped my arm around his body. He didn’t react. Yep, hate.
     
    “ I’m sorry, Ben.”
     
    “ No; maybe I should tell you, and then you will understand. I met Joanna and Catherine at the same time. They were friends and they lived together in this house. One afternoon, Catherine went to work to cover a shift for someone, and she was attacked. Joanna sensed her fear, and tried to save Catherine. Joanna was protected by the daylight spell that the witch had put on her, but the spell was removed, and she burned up when she left the house. I was here in the house, asleep. I woke up with my best friend gone and my girlfriend dead.” Ben turned to look at me.
     
    “ Who do you think killed them?”
     
    “ The only one who would know that Joanna had a daylight spell and that she would try to rescue Catherine.”
     
    I rolled my eyes. “Let me guess. Hades.” I sighed.
     
    “ Antonia, this is not a joke.” He sat and faced me.
     
    “ I believe you, okay.” I picked up the box and put the letter and the pictures back inside. “I think it’s weird that Joanna and I have the same last name,” I commented as I put the box in the drawer and lay down.
     
    “ Can we talk about this after the sun has set?”
     
    Yep, still hate . I sighed, turned off the lamp, and lay down. Between Joanna’s letter and Ben’s story about Catherine, I was officially exhausted.
     
    When I woke up, Ben was standing over me, fully dressed.
     
    “ What time is it?” I yawned as I wiped my eyes.
     
    “ Fifteen minutes to seven. If you give me your keys, I can get you some clothes.”
     
    “ No, I brought some clothes with me; can you get me my bag?” I asked as I stood up.
     
    “ Will do,” he answered and vanished, but was back in a flash.
     
    “ I’ll never get used to that. Thanks.” I shook my head as I took my bag. He smiled and over-exaggerated his walk out of the room.
     
    “ Uh, there are towels in the closet in the bathroom,” his voice said somewhere in the hallway. With both lamps on, I was able to look around the room. There were vaulted ceilings and a long dresser on the opposite end of the room. I looked down at my hand; the ring was still there . I threw my bag over my shoulder and walked into the large master bathroom.
     
    I turned on the shower and looked at myself in the mirror as it fogged up with steam. I thought , I met this man four days ago, slept in the same bed with him twice in two days, I’m taking a trip to Utah with him to see a witch, and I’m wearing his dead girlfriend’s ring. Oh, and to top it all off, he’s a vampire. I shook my head, thinking this was a dream that I would wake up from soon.
     
    I hopped in the shower and let the warm water hit my face. I showered quickly, remembering my conversation with Ben about Joanna. After drying off, I looked in the dresser for one of Ben’s shirts to hang low over my hand and hide the ring. I was dressed in no time and pulled my wet hair into a ponytail. When the intoxicating smell hit me, I went downstairs and into the kitchen to find Ben at the stove.
     
    “ Have a seat; I hope you like chicken.” He looked over his shoulder and smiled.
     
    “ Of course! Who doesn’t?” I looked around and saw fruit in a bowl and bags on the countertop. “Where did you get all this?”
     
    “ While you slept, I