Free MIDNIGHT DIVINE (The Helio Trilogy Book 1) by Valerie Roeseler Page A

estate, "Your room will be next
to mine on the third floor over there. Pop the trunk, and I’ll show you up.” I
chuckle once with discomfort as I bend down to lift the trunk release. Jack
retrieves my bags, and I pull out my guitar from the back seat. He leads the
way to the tall wooden door and opens it for me to follow him inside.
    The foyer is lit in a dim
glow, and I focus on a winding staircase before us as my pupils adjust to the
darkness. I'm in awe as I follow him to the second floor which houses a long
corridor lined with closed doors to other rooms. Jack continues to the third
floor and down another corridor. The third floor has fewer doors along the dark
red carpeted hallway. He enters the third and last doorway on our right, and I
follow him inside as he turns the lights on to reveal a dark, cherry wood,
four-post bed extending from the left wall. Across from the entrance is a set
of floor to ceiling French doors with twelve square windows in each, leading to
a balcony overlooking the side of the estate. Two
large, wooden doors symmetrically frame a fireplace across from the king size
bed, partitioned by two black, high back, velvet chairs with a square table
between them.
    It feels wrong to be in a
room of this stature as I've never been acquainted to such luxuries. It mimics
sixteenth century royalty and smells of pine wood, giving it a rustic ambience.
Jack opens the door to the right of the hearth, exposing a walk-in closet the
size of my bedroom at home. “This is the closet. There are a few things already
in here from when my cousin Jamie stayed with us last summer. Feel free to use
anything you want.” He sets my bag s in the closet and
continues to the opposite door, illuminating the space beyond. “This is your
private bathroom. Again, feel free to use anything that's already in here.” I
follow him inside, witnessing a gorgeous claw-foot bath tub along the wall, and
a three sided recessed shower without a curtain. The floor of the shower is
concave so the water doesn’t flood the room, and instead of a showerhead, there
are three discreet jets set into the ceiling.
    “Wow, Jack,” I whisper.
“This place is amazing. I don’t want to touch anything!” I laugh in wonderment.
“I can’t believe you live here.”
    Jack smiles at my
astonishment. “Well, I’ll let you get some rest. You only have a few hours till
your practice tomorrow. I’ll be right across the hall if you need anything.”
    I nod my head, and he makes
his way to the exit of the bedroom. I stop him before he can close the door,
“Jack?” He turns to look at me. I run and jump into his arms, wrapping my arms
around his neck to hug him. Jack hesitates in surprise, then embraces me around
my waist. His muscles are tense with their firm hold, and I imagine he's
restraining from crushing me beneath his massive arms. “Thank you. This is
amazing. I’ve never stayed in a place this nice.” My chest tightens as if it’ll
explode with joy.
    Letting me slide back down
to the ground, he places both of his hands on the sides of my face to look me
in the eyes. “It’s no problem, Sunshine. Now get some rest, and when you get
back tomorrow I’ll give you a tour.” He kisses me on the forehead and turns to
leave again. “Goodnight, Sunshine.”
    “Goodnight, Jack.”
    I find my bags in the
walk-in closet and dig out my trusty, oversized Def Leopard shirt and my cotton
shorts to change. Once I'm in comfortable clothes, I realize how exhausted I
am, but I'm curious to see the balcony. Roaming to the French doors, I pull
them open to find a half, stone wall lining the three sides of the open
terrace. Stepping past the patio table and chairs to the edge of the balcony, I
place my hands on the ledge to lean forward and gaze into the sky. It's bright
with countless numbers of stars I didn’t know were there before. The celestial
sky above is breathtaking, and I release a breath I wasn’t aware of holding. I
can’t believe this