To Free a Phantom (Spirit Chasers Book 3)

by Carrie Pulkinen

  The knot in his chest loosened. “I guess that’s true. I do tend to jump to the first paranormal conclusion I can find, don’t I?”

  “Yes, and you’re right a lot of the time. But sometimes things aren’t as complicated as they seem. Try not to let your emotions cloud your judgement.”

  He sank onto the sofa. “Thanks, Allison. You’re right, as usual.”

  “Talk to her about it. If the problem continues, especially if things turn violent, call me. If we need to come home early, we can.”

  “It won’t come to that.” No way in hell would he let it escalate into a problem he couldn’t handle. “Thanks again, Allison. Tell Logan ‘hi’ for me.”

  “I will. Bye, Gage.”

  Talk to her. That’s what he’d been trying to do all day, and damn it, he’d keep trying until she listened. He dialed her number—of course it went straight to voicemail. That left him only one option. He grabbed his keys and headed for her apartment.

  Gage climbed the steps to the second floor and knocked on her door. Silence greeted him. He knocked again, harder this time. No answer. She had to be home; her car sat in the parking lot. He tried one more time, pounding with the side of his fist.

  The lock disengaged. Erica peered at him sleepily through the crack in the door. “Gage? What are you doing here?”

  “We need to talk. Can I come in?”

  “Okay.” She opened the door wider, and he stepped inside. She wore blue satin pajama pants, her bare toes peeking from beneath where they skimmed the floor. Her pink, long-sleeved T-shirt clung to her braless breasts, and he could just make out the outlines of her nipples.

  He reminded himself to breathe. “First off, I want to say again that I’m sorry I didn’t call you.”

  “It’s okay, Gage. Really. I understand.” She sank onto the sofa and patted the cushion for him to sit.

  He sat down next to her. “I’m worried about what happened earlier at the theater…and you not remembering.”

  She flashed a half-smile. “I’m on birth control. I should have told you.”

  “That’s good to know. But…it didn’t seem like you. Not the you I know. And when you came to my house, you acted like you didn’t remember doing it. I’m wondering if there might be another ghost at the theater.”

  Her eyes widened for a moment before she furrowed her brow. “Besides Leroy and Stanley?”

  “I called Allison, the psychic I work with at D.A.P.S. She doesn’t believe either one of them is strong enough to possess a living person, but…”

  She blinked. “You think I was possessed?”

  “It’s possible. Have you run into any other ghosts there?”

  She stared at her hands folded in her lap. “There are no other ghosts there.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Gage.” She put her hand on his. “I wasn’t possessed. I remember doing it. I…” She sighed and wrapped her arms around herself. “We shared something the other night that changed our relationship. Things can never go back to the way they were before, and I didn’t want them to.” She shrugged. “Then you didn’t call. I didn’t know if you regretted what we did or if you didn’t care. I was so angry with you. I was mad at myself, too, for thinking you were different. For believing you.”

  “I am different, though.” He rested a hand on her knee. She didn’t pull away. “I just suck at dating.”

  A real smile brightened her face as she laughed. “Yeah, you kinda do. I’m sorry for coming onto you like that. I don’t know what came over me.” She placed her hand on top of his, lacing their fingers together. “We both screwed up. Can we forget today happened? And the day before? Let’s pretend I left your house this morning.”

  The tension in his muscles eased. Her words were tempting…and convincing. “But…your memory. You really seemed like you didn’t know what happened this afternoon.”

  She sighed and laid her head on his shoulder. “I was confused. I had so many conflicting emotions running through my mind, I didn’t know upstage from down.”

  A wriggling sensation in the back of his mind told him there was more to it than that, but at this point, he wanted to move on. To forget the whole debacle had even happened, like Erica suggested.

  He kissed the top of her head and inhaled the sweet scent of her hair. He needed to tell her how he felt. He’d been dancing around the subject since she came back into his life, trying to show her and failing miserably. She needed to hear the words. “So, we’re good now?”

  She lifted her head and kissed him on the cheek. “More than good.”

  “Because I need to tell you something, and I know it’s too soon, and it goes against the rules of dating…but we’ve already established I suck at dating.”

  She laughed. “We both suck at dating.”

  He turned his shoulders to face her. “I don’t even know who made up the rules, but I’m tired of following them.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. This was either going to move their relationship forward or fuck it up royally. She either wanted to be with him or she didn’t. Either way, he needed to know. “I don’t want you to ever have to wonder how I feel again. No matter what happens, there should never be any doubt in your mind about where you stand with me. I want to be with you. Only you. No more dating. No more games. I want a relationship.”

  Her eyes brightened, and she slid her hand behind his head to pull his mouth to hers. Her lips were soft and inviting. The faint taste of minty toothpaste lingered on her tongue, making his mouth water for more.

  She pulled away far enough to look into his eyes. “I only want you, Gage.” She kissed him again, crawling into his lap and running her hands over his body. The once-faint outlines of her nipples beneath her shirt grew more defined as they hardened. His own arousal grew, stretching his jeans tight against his groin.

  She tugged his shirt over his head and bit her bottom lip as her gaze lingered on his chest. “I can’t get over how much you’ve…grown up.”

  He held her face in his hand, running his thumb across her cheek. “It happens with age.”

  “You’ve aged well.”

  “So have you.” He reached for the hem of her nightshirt and peeled the thin fabric from her body.

  A shy smile lit on her lips as she reached to the wall behind him and turned off the light switch. She was still embarrassed of her body. He still planned to change that.

  Roaming his hands over her sensuous curves as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he pulled her close, reveling in the feel of her bare skin on his. They belonged together, and now that they’d established their relationship, it felt as if a fifty-pound weight he’d been carrying since he was sixteen years old had lifted from his shoulders. Erica was finally his.

  Her breath whispered across his lips. “Make love to me, Gage.”

  He laid her back on the couch. With one knee on the cushion and one foot on the floor, he glided his fingers down her body, stopping to tease her hardened nipples with his thumbs before continuing down her stomach. Her breathing grew shallow as he slid her pants and panties off and rose to his feet to remove the rest of his clothes.

  She raked an appreciative gaze over his body and reached for him, tugging him on top of her. “I need you.”

  His chest tightened at the sexy sound of her raspy voice. She needed him, and he was more than willing to give himself to her. She could have him every day for the rest of her life, and he still wouldn’t tire of giving. Running a hand down the side of her body, he lifted her thigh and guided it over the edge of the couch so his hips fit between her legs. Her delicate fingers danced up and down his back, sending warm shivers cascading down his spine.

  He ran his lips across her collarbone, and her breath hitched as he pressed his tip against her. Her deliciously wet sheath beckoned him to enter, and as he slid inside her, his entire body shuddered in pleasure.

  She exhaled a long, slow breath as he filled her, and she tangled her fingers in his hair, pulling his mouth to hers.
She kissed him slowly, deeply, moving her hips beneath him to match his tender thrusts. As she held his gaze with her deep, dark eyes, he saw the world in them. She was his world.

  This was the Erica he’d made love to the first time. Gentle. Affectionate. Cautiously passionate. He took his time with her, roaming his hands over her body, trailing his lips across her skin.

  His climax built slowly, from somewhere deep in his soul, but he wasn’t about to come unless she did first. Sliding his hand between their bodies, he found her sensitive nub and stroked it gently.

  She gasped. Her hips rocked faster, pushing him closer to the edge. He met her passion beat for beat, and just as he couldn’t hold back anymore, she found her release, gripping his shoulders as her body shuddered around him. His orgasm ripped through his soul, tearing his insides to shreds.

  He held her tight, burying his face in her hair until his ragged breathing slowed.

  She turned her face to meet his gaze, a satisfied smile playing on her lips. “I definitely only want you.”

  “That’s good to know.”

  Rolling to his side, he pulled her close. The narrowness of the couch forced them to lie chest to chest, but he felt like he couldn’t hold her close enough. She was the only woman for him. Forever.

  She lifted her hips to adjust her position and squealed as she nearly fell backward off the sofa. He caught her by the butt and sat up, pulling her into his lap.

  Her laughter danced in his ears. “I guess the couch isn’t the best surface for love-making.”

  “I’d lie on the cold tile floor if it meant I could make love to you.”

  She kissed him, catching his bottom lip between her teeth and giving it a tug before letting go. “I can think of plenty more comfortable places.”

  “Like where?”

  She grinned. “We already know the couch and your bed work, but we need to try my bed. There’s also that chair.” She nodded to the accent chair in the corner. “The carpet. The countertop might work if I sat on it. Oh, and the shower.”

  “Challenge accepted.” He’d make love to her in all those spots and more. She only needed to name the time and place.

  She smiled and leaned her forehead against his. “I have a confession.”

  “Oh?”

  “Since we’re officially in a relationship and everything, I thought you’d want to know…” She bit her bottom lip and trailed a finger down his chest. “Until my first time with you, I had never had an orgasm.”

  He blinked twice. “Never?” She couldn’t be serious.

  Her gaze met his, and she shook her head.

  “I…wow. I’m glad I could help you experience that.”

  “Me too.” She snuggled into his arms.

  She’d never had an orgasm? He couldn’t imagine what sex with her jackass ex-boyfriend must’ve been like if he’d never made her come. Selfish bastard.

  It wasn’t like getting her to climax was a difficult thing to do. He could tell what she liked by the way her breathing changed when he touched her. The way her muscles tensed, the sounds she made. And, oh, the sounds she made when she came. Watching Erica climax…being the reason she climaxed…was enough to send him over the edge every time. He pressed his lips to her ear. “There are plenty more where that came from.”

  She giggled. “Promise?”

  “Oh, yeah. In fact…” He rose from the couch and scooped her into his arms. “I think you need to have another one.”

  “Now?”

  “Right now.” He carried her to the bedroom and made love to her again.

  The incessant beeping of the alarm on Gage’s phone dragged him from his peaceful sleep. He groaned as he rolled away from Erica’s warm embrace to mash the stop button on the screen. With a sigh, he sat up and stretched his arms over his head.

  Erica fluttered her lids open. “What time is it?”

  He gazed at the beautiful angel lying next to him and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “Five. I have to go to work.”

  “So early?” She moved her hand beneath the sheets to glide her fingers up his thigh.

  He shivered. “I left all that food out last night.” He rested a hand on top of hers, stopping her from reaching her destination. “I need to clean it up.”

  Sitting, she let the blankets fall away from her body, exposing her breasts. She didn’t bother to cover herself up.

  His chest tightened. Though the room was cast in darkness, enough moonlight filtered in through the window that he could see her. Was she finally finished hiding from him?

  She scooted closer and kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry I ruined dinner.”

  “It’s okay. We both suck at dating, remember?”

  “At least we suck together.”

  He laughed. “That’s true.” He slid out of bed and shuffled to the living room to retrieve his discarded clothes. When he returned to the bedroom, he found Erica still sitting in the bed, sheets draped around her waist, a sweet smile playing on her lips. As she watched him dress, her smile grew wider.

  He turned his shirt right side out. “What are you smiling at?”

  She dropped her gaze to the bed before blinking up at him. “You. You’re so sexy and confident and sweet. Aside from dating, you seem to be good at everything you do.”

  He chuckled. “I try.”

  “Promise you’re done taking advice from your sister?” She crawled to the edge of the bed and rose onto her knees.

  His own knees nearly buckled. Her hair flowed down her back, leaving her glorious front fully exposed. She didn’t shy away as he roamed his gaze over her body. The temptation to turn on the light so he could really see her had him reaching for the switch, but he refrained. She was already opening up to him more. No need to push it. “I promise. Chelsea and I are going to have words later, but I guarantee I’ll be doing things my way from now on.” He moved toward her, taking her in his arms.

  She rested her head against his chest. “I like it better when you do things your way.”

  “So do I.” She felt so damn good pressed against him, he was tempted to call in sick and spend the day in her bed. Let the rest of the world fall away for a while and just be with her. But the nagging voice in the back of his mind wouldn’t be quiet until he’d fully addressed the issue from last night.

  He pulled his shirt over his head. He still wasn’t one hundred percent certain her behavior yesterday had been due to her emotions. Dealing with spirits was tricky business, especially when they played with the mind. But would she be willing to let him check the theater out? Honesty and openness seemed to be going well for him so far. No need to stop now.

  “Would you mind if I did a mini investigation at the theater with my team tonight? I want to be sure nothing sinister is lurking in the shadows there.”

  She lowered her gaze to the floor. “Tonight?”

  He slipped on his shoes. “I want you to be safe there.”

  “I’m sure it was nothing.” She sat cross-legged on the bed and pulled the sheet into her lap.

  “I know, but I’ve dealt with some nasty entities that were really good at hiding.” He sat next to her. “My friends had a shadow demon living in their attic, and they wrote off the activity to their imaginations from stress. It wasn’t stress.” And he could never live with himself if Erica were injured because he’d let an evil spirit run loose in her theater.

  Taking a deep breath, she met his gaze. “Sure. If it will make you feel better.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “How could you agree to this?” The ghost in the mirror fumed with anger, her image solidifying and fading in a steady pulse as the sparkling mist surrounding her darkened. “They’re going to find me.”

  Erica shrugged. “So what if they do? They all know spirits are real. There’s no need to keep your existence a secret from them.”

  “That may be true, but you’re forgetting one important thing. They get rid of ghosts. They’re going to try to vanquish me. I can’t help you from the other side
, dear. I have to stay here.”

  “They won’t if I tell them to leave you be. They didn’t try to vanquish Stanley or Leroy.”

  The ghost arched a delicate eyebrow. “I’m sure they will now, after your little display yesterday. What were you thinking having sex in our theater after you told me you were done with him?”

  Heat crept up Erica’s neck. If Colette had seen what she’d done with Gage, the other ghosts probably had too. Then again, one of the other ghosts could have been what made her do it. The memory of the afternoon was mostly solid in her mind now, but she still couldn’t figure out the motivation. “I don’t know. I wasn’t myself yesterday.”

  The ghost crossed her arms. “No, you weren’t.” The corner of her mouth quirked into a grin. “He did have a nice penis, though. I’ll give you that.”

  “Colette, please…” Her ears burned with embarrassment.

  “What? I give credit when credit is due. The man is well-hung.”

  She tried to suppress her smile. She shouldn’t have been discussing her boyfriend’s penis with anyone, much less a ghost, but she couldn’t deny it. Gage did have a nice one.

  “Wipe that smile off your face, dear. You need to end it with him.”

  The hell she did. Gage was everything she wanted in a man…and he wanted her. “Why do you say that?”

  “He’s a distraction, and he’ll hurt you. It’s what men do.”

  Erica straightened her spine. What did this ghost know about men? She’d lived in the forties. Things were different now. Gage was different. “He’s not going to hurt me.”

  “As soon as someone pretty shows the slightest bit of interest in him, he’ll leave you.”

  “No, he won’t. He thinks I’m pretty.”

  The ghost scoffed. “He lies. It’s what men do.”

  She fisted her hands at her sides as her body flushed with heat. “You keep saying ‘it’s what men do,’ but they don’t. Not all of them.”

  The foggy mist surrounding the spirit darkened. “Yes, they do. It’s their nature.”

  “You may know everything about the theater, Colette, but when it comes to men…you’re clueless. Gage would never lie to me. He cares about me.”