Deadly Beauty

Hauntings: Charlotte's POV

I tossed and turned all night, chased by my past demons. How I wish I could out run them, or at least put them to rest.

I finger my magic flower pendant. I was nervous yesterday, when Luke noticed it flash. He is the only one to question it. All the rest of the men spent too much time trying to romance me to notice it flashes with strong emotions.

Luke is the only one who has ever asked me about myself. He was so sweet, trying to treat me like a person and not just an object. I know the power I hold over them, and I hate it. He seems to be fighting the lust... but what I feel from him seems deeper than I've felt from my numerous men I have stolen. He genuinely seems to care about me.

Not that it will help. The way the curse works, no one ends up with a happily ever after.

Still I desperately want to save Luke from the same fate. He has had such a hard life already, and I can feel myself empathizing with his loneliness.

I picture Luke's baby blue eyes and dark shaggy curls. When he smiled at me, it revealed a dimple in his left cheek.

The longer he stays here, the more pull the magic has on him. From the bottom of my heart, I want to save him, despite the selfish part of me that wants to keep him close.

Could I be redeemed if I save him? Even if my heart would pay the price of loneliness for all eternity. Maybe I could handle it knowing he was safe and could live out his dream of being an architect.

I make up my mind and rush through the darkness. The sun won't be up for hours and the spring chill has frosted the grass crunching beneath my feet. The stinging wind whips my hair around my face as I dash up the steps to the cottage door and pound my fist against the hard wood.

I hear noises behind the door and then it opens up.

Luke's large frame fills the darkened doorway, with soft tussled hair and sleepy eyes. He is adorable. He is only wearing sweatpants and a slightly stunned expression.

"Charlie," he whispers.

I know my mistake even before I make it. Skin contact is highly addictive, but I can't help it. I push the palms of my hands up against his bare chest and shove him inside, closing the door behind us.

He can't help it when he threads his fingers through my hair; or when his hungry mouth crashes down on mine. Not that I care at the moment. I need the physical contact just as much as he does right now. It has been ages since I allowed myself to touch a man. I melt into his demanding kiss.

But before I let him take it too far, I break the kiss. The forlorn look on his face is enough to break my heart.

"Luke, I need you to listen to me," I demand.

"Okay," he mumbles, trying to focus on my face.

"Luke, it isn't safe for you here. You need to leave, before it's too late," I insist.

"You want me to leave?" he asks in shock.

I slide my hand up his chest and neck and come to rest it against his cheek. He trembles beneath my touch. This is so dangerous!

"It doesn't matter what I want. What matters is you are safe, Luke."

Luke leans into my hand and sighs.

"I can't leave you, Charlie," he whispers.

I moan in frustration.

Luke drags me over to his bed and sits down, pulling me on his lap as he does.

"Tell me what's going on, Charlie," he insists.

"You wont believe me," I whisper as tears fill my eyes.

"I will. I promise! But I need to know what's wrong. Why you are trying to get rid of me, when I would rather rip my heart out of my chest than leave you."

I lean in and softly kiss his lips, then slowly pull back again.

"It's a long story, Luke."

"I have all night," he assures me.

I sigh and lean into Luke's body. He brings his arms around me protectively. He smells amazing! The way he smooths my hair down my back is almost as addictive as his kiss.... I'm doomed!

I just hold him for a minute, savoring the feel of his strong body, and the safety he offers. How long has it been since someone actually cared about me?

"Okay," I start. "Along time ago, my mother was married to a man named Matthew. He was my father, and he was rich." I rub my nose along his firm jawline. It gives me comfort. "Mother didn't love him. The only reason she married him was for the mansion and the garden," I say with disgust. I take a deep breath to steady my nerves.

"When I was 16, Mother poisoned him. She was already having an affair with a man named Logan. Only Logan also was secretly infatuated with me. I didn't want anything to do with him," I assure Luke as he growls. I know men can get possessive of me, but I also know that Luke seems to be more protective than possessive. He squeezes me tighter, and I kiss him on the cheek.

"It's okay, Luke. Like I said, this was a really long time ago. But one night, Mother saw Logan sneaking into my bedroom. She slit his throat and dragged his body into the garden beneath my window as a punishment. Then she took my pendant and smeared his blood on it..." I choke.

Luke rocks me in his arms. "Shh, it's okay love," he whispers.

"No, it's not," I say shakily. "It gets worse."

I nuzzle Luke's neck and let my tears bathe his skin.

"My Mother used dark magic on my necklace. She told me, since I couldn't keep my hands to myself, I would be a curse to men. I would lure them here and take their souls into my flower pendant. The men die and their power is transferred to my mother's garden. It's the only thing she feels worthy of her love. This has been going on for 100 year! The souls prolong our lives along with the garden... Don't you see, Luke. You are under a spell. You need to leave. I can't bare the thought of you dying for me," I cry.

"Charlie," his voice is thick with emotion. "Even if I am under a curse right now, and I don't believe for a minute that what I feel for you is only the spell, there is no way I would leave you with your mother," he whispers in my ear.

"Please, Luke. You need to go!" I insist.

"No!" he shakes my shoulders lightly. "If I die here, my soul becomes yours. But if I left you, I would die anyway, because I can't live without you, Charlie."

Then he covers my mouth with his again and pulls me down on his bed with him. If I am doomed, I with have this one night!