Page 1 of Elusive Embrace

Prologue

Halloween, twenty-two years ago

Natalie

Hot chocolate. Check. Warmfluffy socks. Check. Roasty toasty living room. Half check. Hopefully the tiny flames licking the log will turn into a roaring fire soon.

I’m all set for a cosy Halloween night with my favourite ghost story. Reading this book at Halloween has become a bit of a tradition for me. Who needs a party when you can escape to a world of the paranormal?

“Hey Nat, what’cha doin’?” Matt shouts from the kitchen.

“Reading,” I call back.

“Oh, come on, it’s Halloween! Let’s at least watch a horror film together,” he strolls into the living room and my jaw drops when I take in his appearance.

“Why are you wearing that?” He is dressed as a Ghostbuster and…wow. I always thought he was handsome, attractive, … butterfly inducing hot. But in his overalls with that cheeky smile.Be still my heart.There I am, looking like the nerdy bookworm that I am and he just looks like a Hollywood movie star. Not fair.

Matt is two years older than me and studying to become a vet at the local university. The main reason that he chose our small uni over the big ones is because he’s obsessed with the surrounding mountains and usually spends his free time climbing them; when he’s not shacking up with another blond bombshell.

I would love to be able to study to become a vet. I love everything to do with nature and especially animals. But my parents made it clear that they wouldn’t be able to support me after I finished college. Dad retired recently and they now live in Spain where life is cheaper and the weather is warmer.

But even if I can’t be a vet, I did find an opportunity to work with nature. I’ve been taken on as a trainee by a large local landscaping company. Mowing the lawn might not sound that exciting to some but I’d rather be outside in the fresh air than stuck in a stuffy office.

Unfortunately my little income does not stretch enough for me to afford my own place, and so I ended up house sharing with Matt after I found his ad on the local supermarket’s notice board. I guess that’s all we are, housemates. We don’t really do things togetherin public, so to speak, but sometimes when we watch telly or have dinner at the same time it does feel like we could be friends.

“I’m a ghostbuster,” Matt grins.

“Yeah, well, I get that.”

“It’s Halloween! Greatest time of the year!” He lifts my legs from the sofa, placing them in his lap after dropping in the spot they occupied. I freeze for a second before pulling them from his grip and tucking them underneath me.

“How dare you… the best time is Christmas, closely followed by Bonfire night. Halloween doesn’t even make it into the top three,” I reply.

“Agree to disagree,” he grins and snatches the book from my grasp. “Let’s watch From Dusk Till Dawn.”

“Are you not heading out?” I’m surprised. Knowing him, I could have bet he’d be heading to a party somewhere and bringanother one of his hook-ups home. He is a bit of a lad when he is out with his friends.

“No. Staying home this year with my favourite bookworm. He gives me another one of those signature smiles that make women around him swoon.

“Why the costume then?”

“The kids! I have a bucket full of sweets for trick or treaters. I need to give them a show,” he laughs.

“You’re crazy, I hope you know that.” Just then the doorbell chimes.

“Aha, my first customers,” he laughs devilishly and jumps off the sofa. He switches off the lights in the corridor and I can hear spooky music. A green glow falls from the hallway into the living room.

The kids scream with glee when Matt challenges them to a spooky ghost howling competition. He hands out some chocolates and then they move, their giggling and laughter audible outside the living room window.

“So, how about the film?” he asks as he returns to the living room.

“I don’t like horror.” I don’t mind reading ghost stories but watching them, no, thank you, I won’t be able to sleep.

“It’s got George Clooney in it,” he wiggles his eyebrows.

“You’re not playing fair!” He knows I adore George Clooney.

“Tell you something. I’ll probably have kids rocking up for the next hour or so. I’ll cook us some fajitas whilst we wait for the trick and treaters. You can read your book. Come seven, we’ll turn off the lights, pretend we’re not in and watch some Halloween stuff.” Now he’s really playing dirty because I love his fajitas, and he knows it.

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