by Paige Tyler
Cassidy groaned. “I guess you’d better let him in.”
Even though he knew he was playing with fire, Trace couldn’t resist giving her one more kiss before he finally got a grip on his runaway libido and went to let Robert in. He pressed the button to open the outside gate, then unlocked the door. Robert came in a moment later, a grocery bag in each hand.
“There’re more bags in the car,” he called over his shoulder as he headed toward the kitchen. “Hey, Cassidy.”
Trace frowned in confusion at the mention of more groceries. Since when had Robert added personal shopper to his list of jobs? He made no comment, though, as he went outside to grab the rest of the bags.
The cold night air must have snapped him out of the lust-induced fog he’d been in because the moment it hit him, his head began to clear. What the hell had he been thinking? Cassidy was an amazing woman, no doubt about it, but sleeping with a client, especially a client being hunted by a serial killer from beyond the grave, was pure craziness.
The reminder of Del Vecchio made Trace do a quick scan of the area. He doubted the bastard’s ghost would be able to get a bead on Cassidy’s location this fast, but since he wasn’t sure how the ghost had followed her to her friend’s apartment, either, he didn’t want to take any chances.
The hatchback on Robert’s burb-mobile was already open and Trace grabbed the three remaining bags, then slammed the door closed. When he went back inside, Cassidy and Robert were unpacking the first set of groceries.
Trace placed the bags he’d brought in on the counter. “What’s all this stuff for?”
Robert glanced at him as he put a bottle of ketchup in one of the cabinets. “Wes called and told me about what happened at Cassidy’s place. He also mentioned she was going to be staying here with you and that you don’t normally have a lot of food in, so I figured I’d stop by the grocery store after work and pick up a few essentials for you guys.”
Cassidy held up a bag of potato chips and a package of cookies. “You call these essentials? Let me guess, your wife does all the shopping in your house, right?”
Robert looked crestfallen. “I stopped at the first store I saw and grabbed anything that looked good. Should I make another run?”
Cassidy laughed and shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. Trust me, anything you brought is better than what Trace has.” She reached into the second bag and pulled out a pineapple and a box of cereal. “I’m sure I can find a way to use all of these ingredients in something edible.”
Trace saw Robert relax at that and he couldn’t help but smile as he started unloading one of the bags. Clearly, Cassidy was much better at handling people than he was. She definitely had a handle on him, that was for damn sure.
Robert hung around for a while after they put away the groceries. Though Cassidy tried not to let it show, it was obvious to Trace she was eager for the other man to leave. He, on the other hand, wouldn’t have minded if Robert stayed and talked a few more hours. Right then, he’d rather take on a rabid Hellhound with nothing but his bare hands than be alone with Cassidy. He wasn’t sure he could trust himself to resist her.
A little after nine, though, Robert announced he had to get home or his wife was probably going to send out a search party. After he left, an awkward silence seemed to fill the warehouse. Trace knew from the expectant way Cassidy was looking at him that she was waiting for him to pick up where they’d left off when Robert had interrupted them, and it took nearly every ounce of strength he possessed not to give in to his urges and take her to bed.
He grabbed a second bottle of beer from the fridge and twisted off the cap. “I’m going to check out the internet, see if I can find anything else that might tell us what makes Del Vecchio’s ghost so special.”
Cassidy looked disappointed, but nodded. “Okay. I guess I’ll go to bed then.”
For one crazy, pulse-pounding minute, he thought she was going to suggest he join her, but she simply smiled and told him to have a good night, then turned and walked into the bedroom.
Trace’s heart did a strange backflip as he watched Cassidy go. It was an unfamiliar feeling for him and one he wasn’t sure he wanted to explore, so he decided to focus on the effect she was having on another part of his anatomy instead. One look at her cute ass in those tight, little shorts and his cock was hard as a rock again. He stifled a groan. Man, this woman was doing a serious number on him.
Shaking his head, he grabbed the bag of chips from the counter where Cassidy had left them and headed for the couch. God only knew how he was going to resist the temptation to climb into bed with her.
Chapter Eleven
Cassidy woke up the next morning with a stiff neck and a kink in her back. Wincing, she lifted her head to see why she was so uncomfortable and realized it was because she’d spent the night on Trace’s couch. It wasn’t a very comfortable couch to begin with and squeezing onto it with a guy his size made it even less so. On the good side, however, she’d slept through the night without having any nasty nightmares.
When she had gone to bed last night, she thought Trace would take the hint she’d given him and join her. Considering the scorching make-out session they’d been having before Robert showed up, she was sure he would follow. She was disappointed he hadn’t, especially since he’d obviously wanted her as much as she wanted him out in the kitchen earlier. What had changed?
After staring up at the ceiling for what seemed like hours trying unsuccessfully to figure that out, she had finally fallen asleep. She’d barely nodded off when she awoke with a start, her heart racing. The nightmare had just started and while it hadn’t been bad as most of them went, it had still been enough to rattle her.
She’d lain there trembling for a long time, listening to the sound of her own ragged breathing, too afraid to go back to sleep. Over the walls partitioning off the bedroom, she’d seen that the lights were still on in the living room. Figuring Trace was doing research on the internet or watching television, she’d gone out to the living room.
Trace had been sprawled out on the couch asleep with the television still on. She’d almost gone back to bed, but one look at the big, empty room changed her mind. Careful not to disturb him, she’d turned off the television, taken the half-eaten bag of potato chips out from the curve of his arm and crawled onto the couch with him. He had groaned once, wrapped his arm around her and fallen asleep again. So had she.
Cassidy’s lips curved into a smile as she gazed down at him now. Asleep, without all the cares and worries usually etched into his handsome face, Trace looked almost boyish. Actually, he looked a lot like he had in the picture she’d seen in his office. Seeing that creature kill his partner had changed him, just like seeing a serial killer murder her roommate had changed her.
She sighed. She didn’t want to think about that right now.
Cassidy was tempted to stay in Trace’s strong arms for a little while longer, regardless of how her back felt, but resisted the urge. It had been embarrassing enough for him to catch her drooling all over his chest yesterday. Waking up to find she had crept onto the couch with him in the middle of the night because she’d been too afraid to stay in the bedroom alone would be too much. It would make her seem weak and needy. She didn’t want Trace to think she was either of those things, even if she was a little bit of both at the moment.
Moving slowly and carefully so she wouldn’t wake him up, she reluctantly slipped off the couch, then quietly went into the bedroom to take a shower and get dressed.
When she walked out of the bedroom thirty minutes later, Trace was awake and in the kitchen making coffee. He looked up as she entered the room.
“I thought I heard you moving around in the bedroom. Do you want some coffee?”
She slid onto one of the stools at the counter. “Sure, I’ll take a cup.”
He opened a cabinet and took out two mugs, glancing at her as he set them on the counter. “Did you sleep okay?”
She blinked. “What?”
&n
bsp; “Did you sleep okay?” he repeated. “You look rested.”
“Oh.” She felt her face color. “Yeah, I did. Actually, I slept great.”
Cassidy held her breath, waiting for him to say something about her joining him on the couch, but he didn’t give any indication he knew she’d been cuddling with him all night. He also acted as if they hadn’t gotten all hot and heavy last night in the very same spot he was standing right now. Maybe he’d still been wired from what had happened the other night and kissing her was just a way of releasing all that pent-up energy. Maybe once he got his fill, he had realized he’d made a mistake and regretted it. Maybe he had a rule about not getting romantically involved with a client.
She watched Trace pour the coffee. “What’s on the agenda for today?”
He handed her one of the mugs. “Well, for starters, you’re going to stay here while I check up on the employees at the funeral home. Even though Del Vecchio does things that don’t fit the pattern, my gut tells me he’s still a ghost, which means something doesn’t add up. Either the funeral director is lying about cremating the body or one of the people who work there took it without his knowledge.”
She frowned as she spooned sugar into her coffee. “Can’t I come with you?”
“I’d prefer if you stay here, where I know you’ll be safe. I have a lot of ground to cover and I can do it faster and better if I’m not looking over my shoulder every five seconds for Del Vecchio’s ghost. I’d have to keep one eye on you the whole time instead of concentrating on what I’m supposed to be doing. I might miss something important.”
The way he said the words made Cassidy almost think he’d rehearsed them, as if he expected her to ask to go with him. Maybe he wanted to put some space between them after what had happened last night. Or maybe she was imagining things and he wanted to make sure she was safe so he could be on his game. Besides, if they didn’t come up with some way to get rid of Del Vecchio’s ghost, she was going to be spending a lot of time locked up in a room for her own protection. She supposed she could put up with it for a little while if it meant Trace could get a lead on the serial killer’s body.
She added milk to her coffee, then wrapped her hands around the warm mug. “Do you think one of the people who work at that place might have taken Del Vecchio’s body?”
He sipped his coffee. “It’s possible. They’d be in the best position to do it.”
She supposed he was right about that. “But why would someone want to take the body?”
He looked at her over the rim of his mug. “You don’t want to know. Trust me.”
All sorts of depraved possibilities popped into her head, and she made a face. “You’re right. I don’t want to know. You’re sure I’ll be safe here, right?”
Cassidy couldn’t help feeling a little vulnerable at the thought of Trace not being around. He had a way of making her feel protected.
The corner of his mouth lifted. “I wouldn’t leave you here alone if I didn’t think you would be. The steel in this place is like wolfsbane for ghosts, even one like Del Vecchio’s. I’ve also stashed bundles of sage, garlic and hematite in the walls, ceiling and ductwork as a backup measure. On top of that, I had the whole property blessed by half a dozen priests, ministers and rabbis. Trust me, this is the safest place you could be.”
Even with all that stuff for protection, she still wouldn’t feel completely one-hundred-percent safe until he got back. She didn’t want Trace to see how uneasy she was about staying there by herself, however, so she did her best not to look nervous as they ate breakfast. He must have picked up on it, though, because before he left he assured her again she’d be safe there.
“Remember, I’m only as far away as my cell phone,” he told her at the door.
She nodded.
Trace grasped the knob, but didn’t open the door right away. Instead, he gazed down at her with an unreadable expression in his dark eyes. To her surprise, he reached up with his free hand and gently tucked her long hair behind her ear. He let his fingers linger on her skin for only the barest hint of a second before dropping his hand again.
“I’ll be back as fast as I can. Call me if you need me.”
“I will,” she promised.
The warehouse felt big and empty after Trace left, and Cassidy turned on the television to have some background noise while she loaded the bowls in the dishwasher. When she was done, she surveyed the living room, wondering how she was going to keep herself occupied until Trace got back. Since she’d picked up her laptop when they’d stopped by Jennifer’s apartment yesterday, she decided to work on her novel.
As she walked into the living room to get her computer, she took a detour by the bookcase. She’d only taken a quick glance at the shelves the other night, but now she perused them more slowly. Judging from the bindings, most of the books looked quite old, which made her wonder where Trace had gotten them.
She took out the one entitled Demonology: A Comprehensive Guide and opened it. The first chapter was an introduction to the book, explaining what demonology was, as well as the different types of demons the book covered. After seeing some of the descriptions, she was tempted to put the book back on the shelf without reading any more, but curiosity got the better of her and she continued to thumb through it.
While the words were pretty chilling, it was the drawings and illustrations that creeped her out. As well as depicting each demon in great detail, there were also graphic pictures depicting exorcisms and scenes of torture. Knowing that reading any more would freak her out, she quickly closed the book and put it back on the shelf. She already had a ghost to think about. She didn’t need to start worrying about demons coming after her, too.
Just thinking about Del Vecchio gave her goose bumps. Great. Now she’d spend the next hour jumping at every noise she heard.
Even though Trace had assured her the warehouse was protected from all ghostly attacks, the only way she’d be able to relax was if she checked every room for Del Vecchio. Apart from the main living area, the rest of the building was mostly storage. Partitioned off by the same half walls as the living room and bedroom, they didn’t have anything in them other than a couple of small boxes each. That wasn’t surprising. Trace didn’t seem like a guy who held onto a lot of stuff. Except for the motorcycle in his living room, of course. That looked as if it was a collector’s item. She shook her head as she gave the nearly empty rooms another look before going back into the main part of the warehouse. At least he’d have a lot of space to work with if he ever did want to turn the place into a real home when he met that special Ms. Right.
For some reason, the notion of Trace settling down with a woman made her uncomfortable and she quickly brushed it aside.
Taking out her laptop, Cassidy curled up on the couch and opened her word processing program. Since she didn’t think it would be a good idea to write any scary ghost stuff while she was in the house alone, she concentrated on the scene where she introduced the hero. As she slipped in a few more details about him, she abruptly realized she was describing Trace, and smiled.
Not only did he have the sinful good looks and gorgeous body necessary for a romance book hero, but he had the whole save-the-damsel-in-distress thing down pat. She didn’t know many men who would risk their life to protect a woman they’d just met. He’d even let her drool on his chest so she could get a good night’s sleep. What woman wouldn’t fall for a guy like him?
Her brow furrowed. Would she honestly be falling for him if she hadn’t needed his protection? If Del Vecchio’s ghost hadn’t shown up, she would have parted ways with him and his fellow ghost hunters as soon as she’d finished her research. Instead, she’d been forced to put her life in Trace’s hands because he was the only thing standing between her and a psychotic serial killer.
That didn’t make her attraction to him was any less real, though. She’d promised herself she was going to live life to the fullest after Del Vecchio almost killed her, so why had she waited for Trace to pic
k up where they’d left off last night instead of planting another kiss on him herself? If she had, they definitely wouldn’t have spent the night sleeping on his cramped couch, that was for damn sure. If they’d gotten any sleep at all. After the knee-weakening kisses they’d shared, she had no doubt he would be great in bed. God, the man had a talented mouth. Just imagining all the places on her body he could explore with it made her pussy purr.
She groaned. If she kept this up, Trace would come back to find her writhing on the couch touching herself. After she got over her embarrassment, she could explain the sex scene she was writing had gotten her all hot and bothered. As if he’d buy that. Better to give him her best sultry look and ask him to join her.
Now that she thought about it, seducing him might not be such a bad idea. She was a modern woman. Why couldn’t she go after what she wanted? So what if she’d never done anything so bold before? This was the new and improved, live-life-to-its-fullest version of Cassidy Kincaide. Although if she seduced him, she’d probably need to be a bit more subtle about it than masturbating on the couch.
Cassidy was still wondering how to go about putting Operation Seduction into action when her cell phone rang. Hoping it was Trace with an update, she hurried to answer it.
“Hello?”
“Cassidy? Hi, it’s Bella. Robert told me what happened and I wanted to check and make sure you’re doing okay. I know Trace can be a bit insensitive and Robert means well, but he’s…well, he’s Robert.”
Cassidy laughed. “Yeah, I’m fine. It was sweet of you to call, though.”
“No problem. What are friends for? From what Robert said, it sounds as if you had a pretty nasty encounter with Del Vecchio’s ghost.”
Cassidy shuddered at the reminder. She gave the other woman a brief synopsis of what had happened, then added, “I don’t know what I would have done if Trace hadn’t gotten there when he did.”
“The important thing is that he did get there. Any luck getting rid of the ghost?”
