AshleighParkers Presents: Sixteen Reasons Why...

Hello one and all! Welcome back to the Wattpad Block Party! Has the New Year been good so far? I'm Ashleigh aka AshleighParkers on Wattpad and this is my third time participating in the Wattpad Block Party! Woohoo! Special shout out to the one and only KellyAnneBlount for taking the time and effort in putting this event together and for giving me the opportunity to be a part of it again. Hugs and daggers, Kelly! ;)

This time around, I wanted to share a project I have been working on ever since #NaNoWriMo called "Captivate"; a little tease into the world of four immortal knights, and the piercing love that calls them to a world of our own.

Have I caught your interest yet? No? Well, here's sixteen reasons why it should:

1. Captivate is a beautiful contemporary romance that will have your heart melting.

2. It involves four ridiculously handsome immortal men and, let's be honest, who doesn't love immortal beauty?

3. Did I mention the play on fantasy themes? Captivate will carry you into the realms of an entirely new universe. 

4. With knights come royalty, right? Be prepared for secrets and scandals of one particular royal house - secrets that will have you sitting at the edge of your seat. 

5. Kateline, our female lead, will have to choose between her reality and one she never knew existed until she met him. 

6. Each immortal has been gifted with powers that will only make you want them more.

7. With goodness comes the balance of those who eclipse it. Captivate will have you dodging shadows and demons as the main characters fight to protect themselves and the ones they love.

8. Ever heard of evil stepmothers? This one will bring a new meaning to the term.

9. If that isn't enough then get ready for the witches of the night! They're coming for you, too!

10. Aurora, one of the main characters, carries a secret that will threaten not only her friendship but her livelihood as well.

11. Twist and turns and every corner. Do you think you'll be able to keep up?

12. Speaking of twists and turns, keep an eye on Raféem will you? He's a bit of a troublemaker.

13. A conflicted relationship between Char, the eldest immortal - will he choose her or his destiny?

14. A little surprise visit from another story! Can someone say story collision?

15. One word: Wings

16. What's a teaser without a sneak peak?

I now present:

~~~

Kateline

"Are you sure you can't come to Florida?" Clarissa, one of my close friends, asked for the billionth time. I rolled my eyes and took another sip from my glass. At half past ten, we found ourselves sitting at the crowded bar of one of the most elite clubs in town. My back was turned to those on the dance floor, not particularly interested in the sight of men and women basically having sex in the open.

"She's sure," Aurora, my other close friend answered for me, "now can we get back to the evening? This is probably the last time I'm going to see you guys for a while so can we enjoy it?" She raised her glass and looked pointedly at the both of us.

I breathed out a chuckle before raising my glass with her, watching as Clarissa pouted. Aurora was right; it probably was the last time I'd see them for a while. Clarissa had landed a huge internship in Florida with Siti Hyde Investments while Aurora was heading off to New York to deal with some family issues.

Tonight had been a special occasion and they felt the need to dress up, go to the bar and have some fun. Clarissa had worn her hair up for a change, which made the silver hoop earrings stand out even more. She had chosen a hot pink dress tonight, one of her favorites, and silver heels. Aurora had chosen a navy blue strapless dress that clung to her hips, with a seductive slit to the left side, and a pair of silver heels. They had given me a crimson red dress that clung to me, with a V cut out just below my breasts, paired with black heels.

"Now, ladies," Aurora smirked, "care to dance?"

"You guys go, I'll be fine right -"

"Oh, no you don't," Clarissa interrupted me, "let's go!"

Before I could get the protest out of my mouth, I was dragged to the dance floor. I groaned, trying to squish myself between two couples to continue being dragged.

"Guys, it's packed enough out here," I said.

"What?!" Clarissa shouted, "I can't hear you over the sound of this loud music!"

I glowered at her, then at Aurora who started giggling. Fine, if they wanted to dance, then we'll dance. My body moved stiffly to the sound of the beat at first, hesitantly looking around the dance floor. The alcohol in my system buzzed, pushing my adrenaline over a cliff. Seeing Aurora and Clarissa smile in encouragement made me loosen up a bit and started to feel the music.

Giggling, I closed my eyes and lost myself in the upbeat tempo, my hips swinging from side to side. For the time being, I forgot the world around me; for the time being it was just me plunging into the deep without a care in the world.

Then a pair of hands encircled around my waist.

I froze, glancing down at the stranger's hands before looking to my friends. To say they were in awe was an understatement. Well, Clarissa was. Aurora always had better control of her emotions, and even then her eyes skimmed over the being behind me in appreciation. I looked at them in worry, but one firm look from Clarissa made me sigh.

Just dance, her eyes said.

Stiffly, I tried dancing to the beat but it wasn't the same. Instead of feeling at peace, nervousness took over. My heart was pounding and I could feel my palms getting sweaty. As if sensing my dilemma, the stranger used his thumb to rub circles in my waist. The gesture had me shuddering, sparks igniting through me. And yet, the soothing notion managed to slow my racing heart.

Forcing out a breathe, I leaned back, letting my back hitting his firm chest. He was a good dancer. His arms tightened around me as we moved to the beat of the song. And then it ended. Another song was about to start, but before it got into it I pulled back and let his hands fall from my waist. I needed to see who this stranger was.

He was the most handsome man I'd ever seen.

Despite the dimly lit room, the first thing I noticed was his light brown eyes. Mesmerizing. They stared right back at me as if he could see straight through to my soul. His hair was dark brown and messy; the kind of messy that had me thinking he had only ran his fingers through it before leaving the house. Full lips, with a dark stubble running across his cheekbones.

"Could I interest you in another dance?" he asked, his voice soft and alluring. Without realizing it, his voice pulled me closer to him.

"I..." I breathed out. What do I say?

"I have to get back to..." I trailed off as I looked behind me for my friends only to realized they had vanished into thin air. Traitors. I turned back to look at him and sighed.

"I have to get back to my friends, who decided to practice their disappearing act this very second,"

He chuckled.

"I guess they figured you'd want to keep dancing," he concluded, a sly smile on his lips. As he said that, his hands found my waist again, gently tugging me towards him. Putting my hand on his chest, I wanted to push him away but I couldn't. All I felt was the small shock of electricity underneath my fingertips as they grazed his black dress shirt.

He stepped closer and the smell of his cologne embraced me as he did. My heart picked up speed when he leaned forward and for a moment I thought he was going to kiss me, but his forehead touched my own instead and my heartbeat slowed.

His breath tickled my skin, whispering softly, "One more dance?" His tone was delicate, and if I wasn't standing an inch away from him I wouldn't have heard him over the pulsing beat of the music.

I looked back up, staring into his eyes and willed myself not to get lost in them.

"Just one," I whispered back and he smiled. Snaking my arms around his neck, we started moving. This song wasn't as upbeat as the last one. It spoke about lust and desire encompassed in the idea of love. Maybe it was the way he looked at me, maybe it was the slight drip of alcohol in my system, but I saw a flicker of desire in his eyes.

Just a flicker.

But it was enough to make me never want to leave.

~~~

Thank you all for reading my entry. I truly hope you enjoyed it! The blissful romance will be available soon, but feel free to keep up with all the juicy details through my social platforms!

One more thing! AshleighParkers be giving away two Amazon e-gift cards and one Wattpad book cover to two lucky winners. My giveaway is open internationally!

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