Legal Page
Title Page
Book Description
Dedication
Trademarks Acknowledgement
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
New Excerpt
About the Author
Publisher Page
Echoes of Love
ISBN # 978-1-78686-218-1
©Copyright Tanith Davenport 2017
Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright June 2017
Edited by Ann Leveille
Totally Bound Publishing
This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.
Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorized or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.
The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.
Published in 2017 by Totally Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL, UK
Totally Bound Publishing is a subsidiary of Totally Entwined Group Limited.
Warning:
This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a heat rating of Totally Simmering and a Sexometer of 2.
ECHOES OF LOVE
Kala wants to catch a ghost. The ghost wants to catch her. What does Tor want?
Paranormal writer Kala Westenra, staying with her best friend Vika in Norway, is hunting for a new subject for an article and finds it when she hears footsteps in the hall twenty minutes before Vika’s hot brother Tor Viitanen arrives home. This, Vika tells her, is the vardøger—a Norwegian ghost, a future echo which always precedes a person’s arrival.
Kala plans to stake out the hallway to catch the vardøger in the act and is shocked when on its arrival it kisses her. Her feelings for Tor have been hidden ever since she first met him two years ago. Could it be that the vardøger is acting on Tor’s secret desire for her?
As Kala and Tor work together to understand what is happening with the spirit, their longing for each other begins to overtake them—and the vardøger has more to show them than they expected…
Dedication
For Nici and Oscar
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
Dracula: Bram Stoker
Ouija board: Konami Corporation
Kindle: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
Prologue
Two years earlier
It was the end of the academic year and Kala Westenra was just a little bit drunk.
“Here it is.” Her best friend’s voice came from the living room doorway. A bottle of white wine appeared around the doorframe, followed by Vika Viitanen, flushed in a way that suggested a lot of wine had been consumed already. “I knew we had a Pinot Grigio somewhere.”
“You’re a star.”
Kala held out her glass as Vika approached, unscrewing the cap. It was a day of celebration and also of commiseration. Their final results had just come out and both had passed—Kala in journalism, Vika in business management—but in a few days Vika was returning home to Norway while Kala would still be in England, beginning what had the potential to be a long job hunt.
As Vika poured, there was a scuffling noise at the front door. Kala automatically glanced that way, but the living room door was blocking her line of sight. She glanced up at Vika, eyebrows raised.
“I thought your housemates had already left.”
“They have. That’s my brother, Tor. He’s over to stay for a few days and we’re traveling back together.” Vika settled herself next to Kala on the sofa as the lock on the door clicked. “You’ll like him. He’s a good laugh.”
The front door slammed shut and Tor appeared in the living room.
Vika picked up another wineglass from beside the couch and made introductions as Kala tried to unobtrusively look him up and down from behind her dark fringe.
Cute.
The first thing she noticed was his walk, a loping gait that made her think of a panther. He was tall but wore his height casually, slope-shouldered and loose. His arms were strong, his body athletic. His hair was a warm brown, untidy and unstyled. His face was soft, curved rather than chiseled, with a snub nose and rounded jawline. And his blue eyes were gazing straight at her with an expression that told her he was well aware of her scrutiny.
“Kala Westenra?” he commented, raising one eyebrow. “Any relation to Lucy?”
Vika screwed up her face in confusion. “Lucy who?”
“Lucy Westenra. From Dracula.” Kala held Tor’s challenging gaze. “And no. But I’ve always loved Whitby.”
“Lucy Westenra.” Vika shook her head. “You must hear that all the time.”
“No, it’s usually Hayley I get asked about.” Kala threw Tor a grin. “At least it shows he can read.”
Tor took the glass Vika had poured for him and, there being no other chairs in the room, sat on the floor next to the sofa.
“Has Vika invited you to visit her yet? She told me she was going to.”
“Not so far, but I’d love to see Norway. Vika’s shown me photos. It looks gorgeous.”
“Oh, it is.” Tor threw a smirk at Vika. “Vika mentioned she wanted to introduce you to all the local men. Apparently, English girls just love a Nordic man.”
Oh, does she indeed? Kala glanced at her friend, who was scarlet-faced and glaring at her brother.
“Shut up, Tor. I just said Kala needed a new boyfriend.”
“Oh, do I? I didn’t realize you were my dating service.”
If anything, Vika blushed even deeper.
“Yeah, well, it’d be nice if you met someone in Norway, that’s all.”
“I’ll bear that in mind.”
Two glasses of wine later, Kala was still considering Vika’s comment.
It’d be nice if you met someone in Norway.
That was quite sweet. The thought of settling down in Norway wasn’t unwelcome. But it was a little unlikely, since she had no idea when she’d even be able to get over and it wouldn’t be for long enough to get into a serious relationship with anyone there.
“So, what are you planning to do with yourself now, Kala?” Tor asked, holding his glass out to Vika for a refill.
“Freelance journalism, hopefully. I’d…” Kala paused, wondering if she should admit this, then decided to hell with it. “I’d actually quite like to go into paranormal journalism.”
“Paranormal journalism? Is that a thing?”
“Oh, yeah. There are loads of magazines over here that cover paranormal cases. And there’s plenty on the Internet, as well. It’s just about finding the right things to write about.”
“Like Dracula.”
“Yes, Tor. Like Dracula.” Kala threw him a sidelong glance. “Or, you know, stuff that isn’t connected to my name.”
“Ignore him,” Vika commented, her voice already starting to slur. “He thinks that if a joke’s funny the first time it’s even funnier ten times later.”
Tor reached over the arm of the sofa, pulled up a cushion and threw it at her. Vika threw it back, knocking over her wineglass at the same time.
“Here, let me get you a refill.” Kala reached for the bottle, but it was empty. Vika stood and made for the door, picking up her jacket from the hook on the back on her way past.
“I’ll run out and get another one. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Kala launched the cushion after her, hitting the door instead.
“I can see why you and my sister get on so well.” Tor raised an eyebrow. “You’re both drunks.”
“Oh, shut up. I’m still technically a student. I can drink if I like.”
“Soon to be a writer and they drink a lot, too, I’ve heard.”
Kala laughed. “I don’t know about journalists, though. Although I’d quite like to be a writer, too—novels or something. I don’t know what kind yet.”
“I’ll keep my eyes open for your hot new release.”
Ooh.
Kala held his gaze, her insides stirring strangely. Maybe it was the alcohol, but there was something in the words hot release that made a rush of heat flow through her body, her skin tingling.
After a long moment, Tor spoke again. “So, Vika thinks you need a man.”
“I don’t need a man. I may want a man.”
“Oh, yeah?” Something flickered across Tor’s face, his eyes glowing. He shifted onto his knees, leaning over the arm of the sofa, his face close to hers. “What sort of man do you want?”