The Dead Come Calling

by C. C. Wood

  Our faces were a few inches apart, close enough that I could see Mal’s pupils expand as we stared at each other. “Not really,” he replied, his voice low and soft.

  My lips suddenly tingled, feeling dry and hot. Reflexively, I licked them. “Do you want to pick out something else?”

  His eyes dropped to my mouth and the tingle intensified. I wanted to rub my lips to rid myself of the sensation, but somehow I didn’t think that would work. “No.”

  I wanted to ask him what he did want to do, but judging by the way he was staring at my mouth, I was positive I already knew. Before I thought better of it, I moved a little closer, closing the distance between our faces to nearly nothing. Then I realized what I’d done and stopped, unsure of myself. I wanted to kiss him, but I’d also been the one to insist we take things slowly. Making out on my couch two days later didn’t sound like the actions of a woman who needed time.

  Mal didn’t suffer from the same indecision. He closed the scant distance between us, his lips firm and warm over mine. I drew in a sharp breath as he deepened the kiss and my heart pick up speed, thumping so violently against my sternum that I knew he had to feel it where our chests were pressed together.

  My hand lifted and slid across his chest to his shoulder, my fingers digging into the firm muscle beneath his t-shirt. Heat radiated from his skin, so intensely that I was shocked it didn’t scorch my palm.

  He pulled me across his lap and I had to release my grip on his shoulder, my hand dropping to his waist as he fitted my body against his. His shirt had ridden up and my fingertips brushed the bare skin of his side as I settled against him.

  Intrigued, I pressed my palm against his waist, moving my hand around to his lower back and marveling over his smooth flesh and the heat beneath that felt like a brand against my skin. Mal arched into my touch, his grip on my body tightening as my hand ran up his back beneath his shirt.

  His right arm released me, moving down so that his fingers gripped my hip through the soft denim of my jeans. Everywhere he touched me, my skin tingled fiercely as if the blood rushed to meet his grasp.

  My other hand curled around the hem of his tee, lifting the fabric to reveal his torso and chest for my exploration.

  “Hot damn!” Teri exclaimed. “He has an eight pack! Girl, run your hand all over that sexy man so you can tell me about it later.” She sighed dreamily. “Better yet, take his shirt off so I can see.”

  I squealed in surprise and nearly threw myself off Mal’s lap at her sudden appearance.

  Mal grabbed me before I could hit the floor, clutching me against his chest. “What is it?” he demanded. “Did it come back?”

  I shook my head, struggling to breathe against his tight hug. “Can’t. Breathe,” I gasped.

  His arms loosened a little and I sucked in a huge gulp of air. “Sorry. No black cloud. Just a pervy ghost,” I choked out.

  He stared at me, clearly confused.

  “Teri,” I stated. “She showed up and started a running commentary.”

  The fierce expression on Mal’s face faded, replaced with pained amusement. “Seriously?”

  “Yeah. She thinks you’re sexy,” I replied.

  The corner of his mouth twitched in a smirk. “I’m flattered,” he stated dryly.

  “What? You’re stopping? That’s not fair!” Teri cried. “It was just getting good.”

  I rolled my eyes at her complaint. “Go away, Teri.”

  “Come on, a girl’s got to get her thrills somehow,” she argued.

  I glared at her. “Well, there will be no more thrills tonight, so go away,” I ordered.

  “Fine,” she groaned, getting up from her perch on the armchair and floating toward the ceiling. “I’ll go see if Preston is doing anything interesting.”

  I didn’t bother to chastise her for spying on my neighbor. I doubted anything could stop her from her favorite past time.

  “She gone?” Mal asked.

  I realized I was still sprawled across his lap, his arms wrapped around me and his shirt hiked up to reveal most of his abdomen. I resisted the urge to squirm because I didn’t want him to think I was issuing an invitation to pick up where we left off.

  “Yeah,” I answered breathlessly.

  He studied my face. “You okay?” His fingers tangled in the ends of my hair, absently toying with the strands. It felt nice. Well, beyond nice. I loved having my hair brushed or stroked.

  “Yeah,” I repeated.

  Mal smiled slightly. “Is your brain as scrambled as mine?”

  “Yeah.”

  I had to laugh then. We’d just been making out on my couch like a pair of teenagers. I hadn’t even done anything like this when I was in high school.

  Mal winced as my laughter shook us both.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Just try not to shake so much,” he replied, his expression pained.

  I didn’t understand. “Why not?”

  He shifted his hips slightly as though he was uncomfortable. “I, uh, just need to calm down for a second.”

  I felt heat flood my cheeks and knew my face was bright red. “Oh. Sorry.” I felt the giggles rising up in my chest. “But maybe I should get up because I don’t think I can stop laughing.”

  He flinched as I moved to rise. “Careful.”

  I managed to contain my laughter until I moved from his lap to the couch cushion. Even then I clapped my hand over my mouth to muffle the sound. It was a little inappropriate for me to fall into uncontrollable giggles because he had an erection. Then again, I did tend to laugh at the most inopportune times, especially when I was in an awkward situation. It drove my mother nuts when I was growing up. It was a serious struggle to keep my eyes on his face rather than staring down at his lap like I wanted to. The urge to check out what he was packing did nothing to help my wild giggles.

  Before I could calm down enough to speak, Mal’s phone rang. With a ragged breath, he leaned over and picked it up from the coffee table.

  “Hello?”

  I watched as his body straightened. He was alert, almost tense.

  “When?” He shook his head as the person on the other end answered. “I can’t. I’m in the middle of something and I can’t just leave—” He stopped speaking as the caller interrupted him, still shaking his head.

  “What’s going on?” I whispered.

  He glanced at me and shrugged and my eyes narrowed.

  “I don’t care which network it is. They can wait,” he shot back. “I can’t leave right now.” I could hear a raised voice on the other end of the line, but Mal was adamant. “There will be other networks,” he argued.

  “You’re going,” I stated loudly.

  He glared at me and shook his head, still listening. I was pretty sure it was his agent.

  I met his dark stare with one of my own. “If a network is interested in us, you have to go. This doesn’t just affect your future. It affects mine and I’m insisting that you go. I’m sure Stony and Blaine would feel the same.”

  Mal groaned with exasperation, covering the receiver with his hand. “I’m not leaving you for three days when we still don’t know what attacked you.”

  “Call Stony and Blaine. They can babysit me just as well as you can,” I argued. Then an idea struck me. “Maybe we can film this as it plays out. It would be a great episode.”

  Mal shook his head vehemently. “Absolutely not.”

  “We’ll see,” I replied casually.

  Still shaking his head, Mal returned his attention to the call. “Fine. I’ll come, but only for a couple of days. I’ll listen to what they have to say, and if we can come to an agreement, you can handle the business details.” He paused. “That’s my best offer. Take it or leave it.”

  A few seconds later, he hung up and his eyes met mine. His gaze was reproachful and a frown tugged on the corners of his mouth.

  “I don’t like this,” he stated.

  I shrugged. “I don’t either, but life will go on after
this mess is over and I would like that life to include a real television show.”

  Mal chuckled at my words. “It wasn’t that long ago that you were determined not to be in the public eye,” he commented.

  “Yes, well, I’ve decided that I like the idea of being a household name.”

  He laughed louder, just as I knew he would. “No, you haven’t.”

  Smiling, I agreed, “Okay, so I haven’t. Still, I wasn’t lying when I said that I love this job and I think it would be fun if we could reach a wider range of people. People who might need our help.”

  Mal sighed and I laughed. “You’ve picked up my habit of sighing when you don’t want to do something.”

  “I guess I have,” he admitted.

  I reached out and took his hand. “Don’t worry. Stony and Blaine will take good care of me, even if they do tend to eat me out of house and home.”

  “Which is why I make them do the grocery shopping while they’re here. If they’re going to eat all of the food, they can pay for it too. God knows they can afford it.”

  Since all three of the guys had trust funds, I had to agree. I was the only person on the show that drew a salary and even that was taken from Mal’s investments and trust fund. I didn’t like it, which was one reason I wanted him to talk to the network interested in the show. I didn’t like feeling as though I was beholden to him since he paid my salary with his own money rather than dividends from the show.

  Mal rose from the couch. “Well, if I’m going to leave tomorrow, I’d better call the guys and get things rolling.” He paused and looked down at me. “There’s one good thing about a trip to Georgia. I know a lot of mediums and witches out there. Maybe I’ll be able to find someone to help us figure out what attacked you.”

  My stomach sank at his words. While I wasn’t lying when I said Stony and Blaine could babysit me as well as Mal did, that didn’t change the fact that just having him in the house made me feel safer.

  I took a shaky breath, feeling stronger as I slowly blew it out. I had to handle the fear, no matter what. Hiding in terror wouldn’t stop bad things from happening. Life went on, even when I was afraid.

  Chapter

  Mal didn’t leave until two days later. There were some issues with getting a flight and Stony and Blaine needed an extra day to get their things together since their stay might end up being longer than Mal’s trip.

  I wasn’t kidding when I told Mal we should document our investigation of the dark entity that attacked me. It would be a terrific show and might even be perfect if the network did decide to sign us on.

  Stony and Blaine were equally worried and excited about my predicament. They agreed it would make excellent television, but were concerned for my safety.

  They also couldn’t wait for Thursday night dinner at my parents’ house.

  The morning after my make-out session with Mal, I forgot to call my mother and let her know that he was staying with me. At nine a.m. sharp, my cell phone rang. When I saw her name on the screen, I swore loudly. It seemed that Maggie had barely waited until a decent hour to let my mother know I was shacked up with a man.

  “Hi, Mom.”

  “Good morning, Zoe,” she answered primly. “How are you?”

  “I’m fine. How are you?”

  “I’m fine as well.”

  With the pleasantries dispensed I fully expected her to jump all over me for not telling her that Mal was there. Instead, she surprised me.

  “I’m calling to see if you’ll be coming to dinner on Thursday. I, uh, realize that you’re probably tired from all the traveling you’ve been doing for work and thought you might like a meal you didn’t have to cook yourself.”

  Taken aback, I stammered, “T-t-that sounds nice.”

  “Wonderful.”

  I hesitated. “Do you mind if I bring my houseguests with me?” I asked.

  “Houseguests?” she asked.

  “Yes, Stony and Blaine are coming tomorrow and will be staying for a few weeks. Would it be all right if I bring them?”

  “Of course, of course,” she answered. After a short pause, she asked tentatively, “Is someone staying with you now?”

  I knew then that Maggie had already called my mother. I bit back the sigh that rose in my chest, more cognizant of my habit after Mal pointed it out. “Mal is here. We’re researching locations to scout before deciding where we’ll film the next few shows.”

  “And he’s not coming tomorrow?”

  I expected my mother to be annoyed, perhaps even enraged, with the idea that I was spending alone time with my boss. Instead she seemed almost disappointed, as though she hoped that there was actually a romance developing between us.

  “He has to leave as soon as possible. A network wants to pick up the show and he needs to meet with his agent and the network people.”

  “That’s good,” she replied, sounding cheerful now that she knew Mal was leaving on legitimate business rather than refusing to come visit with me.

  “It is. Still, Stony and Blaine will be here tonight and they’re staying for a while. I know they’ll be very happy to eat your delicious home-cooked meal.”

  My mother actually giggled like a teenage girl when I said that. “I do like Stony and Blaine.”

  To my utter surprise, the bickering duo had managed to charm my mother completely when they were here for my birthday party. I realized that had only been a little over a week ago though it felt like months.

  “They like you too,” I answered honestly. I didn’t repeat that I’d overheard Stony telling Mal he should snap me up now because I was sure to be a MILF just like my mother. She would be scandalized that Stony thought she was hot. In fact, I was a little scandalized myself.

  “Okay, Zoe. I’ll see you all at five-thirty tomorrow. That will give us time to have a nice little chat before dinner.”

  “Sounds great, Mom,” I responded. “Bye.”

  After we hung up, I stared at my phone for a long time. That conversation hadn’t gone as I had anticipated, though I was glad about that. I expected my mother to call me, full of righteous indignation and accusations flying from her lips. Instead I’d gotten patience, gentleness, and warmth.

  While I wished I’d gotten to see this side of my mother twenty years ago, I was glad that I had a chance now.

  Stony and Blaine arrived in the early afternoon, looking drawn and exhausted. It looked as though they hadn’t slept in a couple of days. When Mal called them yesterday, he mentioned that they had a ‘project’ to finish before they could leave. I wondered if they had been up all night working on it before driving up here.

  Though it was after lunch, I immediately brewed a pot of coffee for them. Then I made them each a huge glass of iced coffee and a snack of fruit, cheese, and roasted almonds. I hoped that the food would help boost their energy.

  After they ate, Mal filled them in on everything that occurred and also on the network interested in the show.

  To my surprise, Stony and Blaine focused on my problem with very little enthusiasm about the possibility of a contract. It also made my eyes water when I understood that they honestly did consider me one of their own even though I’d only been with the group for a couple of months.

  Blaine looked angrier than I’d ever seen him. In fact he was a little scary. The laid-back surfer dude was gone and in his place was a pissed off six foot, one hundred and ninety pound man. Even though he towered over me and outweighed me by at least sixty pounds, I’d never been intimidated by Blaine. Until now.

  “We’ll protect her,” he promised Mal.

  Even Stony looked furious, his pretty hazel eyes glowing with anger and his lean jaw sharp and tight. Seeing them like this, I understood why Mal always trusted them to protect me. They might be mellow and friendly most of the time, but it was clear that they were a force to be reckoned with when there was a threat against someone they cared about.

  Jonelle called me later that night and offered to bring dinner over. That was until
I told her that Blaine and Stony were here.

  “You could come and have supper with all of us,” I suggested. “The guys are grilling steaks and I’m making salad and baked potatoes.”

  Jonelle’s response was immediate. “I’d rather not,” she replied, her voice thin and almost sad.

  “Hey, what’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Nothing.”

  “Don’t lie to me, Jonelle. This has something to do with Stony, doesn’t it?”

  She was silent for a moment. “Maybe,” she answered cryptically.

  “Something is going on between the two of you, isn’t there?”

  Her voice was tight when she asked, “Are we really going to do this now?”

  I hated upsetting her, but I’d avoided the subject for two months and she was still antsy and weird in Stony’s presence. Clearly, she needed to talk about it, even if she wasn’t thrilled about it.

  “I think we should,” I responded. “You seem upset every time you spend time around him.”

  She laughed harshly. “Only because I don’t understand him. At all. One minute he’s all over me, talking about coming up here to see me all the time. Then, when I tell him I don’t want anything serious, he drops me like a freakin’ rock. Considering the comments Blaine made about how many women he’s hooked up with, I thought that he would be happier than a pig in shit with the idea of some casual sex when he’s in town!” Her voice grew louder the longer she spoke.

  I thought back on the past six weeks and realized that Stony hadn’t behaved that way since he met Jonelle. Blaine and Mal teased him about how often he went through women, but he hadn’t been carrying on like that lately and neither of them seemed to notice.

  Or if they did they hadn’t said anything.

  I wondered if Stony wanted more than no-strings attached sex from Jonelle. If he did, that would explain why he was so upset at her intention of keeping their relationship decidedly physical.

  But Jonelle wasn’t done. “Then, when he was here for your birthday, he came by the next morning, told me that he’d thought about my offer and decided it wasn’t right for him, but he’d be happy to work on changing my mind. Then he kissed me stupid and left. He left but he’s been calling or texting me almost every damn day. He wants to talk! Like we’re a couple or something.”