“Glenn?”
Nothing.
“Sam?” Her voice became softer.
Nothing.
“Hello?” The word was barely audible.
Lorna didn’t feel like she was alone in the guest room. She held as still as a fixture, waiting, watching. Her eyes began to dry and her vision blurred. She was afraid to blink, afraid she’d miss something important in the reflection.
“Lorna?”
The low sound pulled her from her trance and she spun around in surprise to see William. He looked as if he was ready for work in faded jeans and work boots. His t-shirt boasted some kind of tavern, but the words were faded.
“Did you hear me knock?”
Lorna glanced at the opened door and then back to the television. The light in the room had shifted and the reflection wasn’t as prevalent as before. “I…”
“Heather and Vivien are waiting, but I asked to talk to you alone first.” William cleared his throat and shut the door to give them privacy. “They said you’re doing better.”
How long had she been staring at the television? By the light it seemed like hours had passed.
It took her a moment to process his question. “Yeah, yes, I am, thank you. I have to go back in a few weeks for a checkup, but as long as I don’t have any severe headaches, nausea, difficulty concentrating, or demon sightings they said I should be good to go.”
“I’m glad to hear it. You’ll let me know if you need anything?”
Lorna nodded. “Thank you.”
“I need to tell you something,” William said, eyeing the floor.
She stepped toward him and the chill in the air began to dissipate as if releasing her. “What?”
“I…” His eyes lifted to hers and he took a deep breath. “I believe you.”
She looked behind her at the television, still a little unsure about their surroundings. The room felt as if it was full of people. Her skin tingled.
“I believe you were attacked by something in the theater. I’ve spent years trying to deny those little flickers in the corner of my vision. I still feel that we shouldn’t stir up ghosts and meddle with the dead.” He came closer to her and appeared as if he wanted to touch her. “The living belong with the living. If the only way to find answers is to ask the dead, then maybe those are things we’re not meant to know.”
A knock sounded on the door. Vivien shouted through the wood, “Heather and I are going down to the theater. Meet you two there. Take your time. Lock up when you go.”
“We won’t be long,” William answered, not taking his eyes from hers.
“Thank you for believing me.” Lorna touched the side of his face without realizing she was going to. He’d shaved, but she felt the slightest pull of new growth along his jaw. “I know that must be difficult for you to admit.”
“Not as difficult as seeing you in that hospital bed. I wanted it to be a bad guy who attacked you, someone we could catch with the new security system I had installed this morning. But spirits? I don’t know how to protect you from something I can’t see or fight.” William put his hand over hers, holding it against his cheek. The heat from his body was welcome after the cold.
She could tell he was trying, but that he still had doubts. A lifetime of denial would not be easy to overcome.
“I don’t need you to protect me, or fight for me, at least not like that,” Lorna said. “I appreciate the sentiment, but I don’t want a protector. I want a friend.”
“I am your friend,” he answered.
“I want to show you something.” She pulled her hand from his face and laid it against his chest. Julia’s ring was where it belonged on her finger. She felt his heart beating in a steady rhythm against her.
Lorna put her free hand into the neckline of her shirt. He glanced at her cleavage and his lips twitched up at the corner.
She centered her palm over one of the healing bruises. It didn’t hurt, not really, and as much as she didn’t want to pass along her injury to anyone else, it was the only thing she could think to do. Her heart beat against her fingers, the tempo a little off from his. She stared at Julia’s ring, willing the bruise to move from her body to his chest.
“What are you doing?” he whispered. “I feel my skin tingling beneath your hand.”
Lorna felt it too. Nothing visible happened, no sparks of light or magical glow. It simply looked as if she touched him. The sensation pulled from her chest, down her arm, and into her fingers. It exploded from her palm where they made contact.
“Lorna?” He placed his hand over hers, holding it against him. More than the injury flowed between them. She felt herself connecting with him. The attraction she felt stirred to life. The desire was always there, simmering beneath the surface. His warmth called to a place deep inside as a way to escape the coldness she’d felt moments before.
What was she waiting for? He liked her. She liked him. Lorna had no reason to overthink or be nervous. The fluttering in her stomach made her feel young, but it’s not like she was some teenager. She was a grown woman, with feelings, and needs, and experiences.
The sensation lightened and she slipped her hand from beneath his. She pulled her neckline down to show that one of her bruises was missing. “Seeing is believing.”
William looked down his shirt. He made an uncertain sound as he crossed toward the bathroom. He pulled his t-shirt over his head. “How?”
“Vivien said I’m a healer,” Lorna answered.
William stared into the mirror and poked the discoloration on his chest.
“I’m not sure how, but I know it has something to do with Julia. It started when I put on your grandmother’s ring.” Lorna leaned against the doorframe, unable to help staring at his muscular back. The valley of his spine cut through the muscles, leading to broad shoulders and arms that were made to hold.
She gently touched his bicep to turn him. He didn’t move. “I can take the bruise back now.”
His eyes met hers in the mirror. “It doesn’t hurt.”
“Do you believe in…?” Lorna’s eyes drifted down to the reflection of his bruise.
“Love at first sight?” he asked.
She gave a small laugh. “I was going to say magic.”
He dragged her hand from his arm across the center of his chest. The gesture caused her to come closer to his back as she partially hugged him. “With you I believe in both.”
His lip twitched up at the side and she wasn’t sure if he was teasing or flirting.
“I’m forty-four,” Lorna stated.
“Ok…?” He finally turned around to face her. “I’m forty-nine.”
“I’ve had three children,” she continued.
“I’ve had none,” he paused and added, “that I know about.”
“I exercise, but not enough. I like carbs and wine and pizza. I—”
“Are you saying you want me to take you out for Italian food?” he asked. “Because if you’re asking me on a date, I’m saying yes.”
“I’m saying that I’m about to kiss you, and if you find any of those things I mentioned to be unattractive, you better walk out of this room right now.” Lorna wasn’t sure where she’d gotten the nerve to say as much, but all of it was true. Her body had curves and scars from a life lived. She had never been the type of woman to have one-night stands or many boyfriends, and part of her envied women who were more confident in their sexuality. But she liked William and desired him. Since she had little confidence in her ability to flirt, she might as well try being blunt.
He cupped her face in his hands and angled her mouth toward his. Very softly, he answered, “I find everything about you to be exactly what I want.”
If it was a line, it was a good one.
She really hoped it wasn’t just a line.
Lorna waited for him to kiss her. A chill brushed up against her back causing her to shiver. It felt like they were being watched but it was impossible to tell if that were true or her imagination. She naturally mo
ved closer to his warmth.
“What are you waiting for?” He glanced at her mouth.
“I can’t tell if I’m excited or nervous,” she answered, keeping her words as soft as his.
“I’m hoping for excited.”
As if by mutual decision, they came together. Another cold draft hit her back when their lips met, but she didn’t let that interrupt them—not like last time when the ghostly clap had sounded in the theater.
The kiss deepened and William gave a soft moan of pleasure as he turned her. She leaned against the doorframe. His hands slid along her sides to rest on her hips.
He leaned back so that his lips hovered near hers. “Are you well enough for this? I don’t want to go against your doctor’s orders.”
This had to be a fantasy. It couldn’t be real life.
“That’s sweet, but I’m all right.” Lorna resumed the kiss. Long neglected parts of her body ached for contact. She stroked his back, exploring the texture of his skin, the gentle slope of his muscles.
William’s lips moved down her neck and she gasped for air. She felt dizzy. If she passed out, so be it. There was no way in hell that she was going to ask him to stop what he was doing.
His hands moved just as she imagined they would, firm yet gentle, kneading as they ventured beneath the hem of her shirt and up her back. Warm fingers pressed into her as he pulled her closer. The softer material of her yoga pants was no match for denim. The undefined shape of his arousal teased her with the promise of what was to come.
Lorna slid from where her body was trapped against the doorframe and began backing toward the bed. She pulled him with her. Their lips parted and their movements became fevered. William tugged her t-shirt over her head and tossed it aside. Lorna pushed at her pants. His hands went to his jeans, unbuttoning them.
“Do you have…?” Lorna wasn’t prepared for safe sex.
William reached behind and pulled out his wallet. He dug inside, taking out a condom. “Don’t take this to mean I expected this on our date, just that I was hopeful.”
He grinned. His eyes moved over her body. The smile faded and turned into something much more primal.
William kicked off his boots and shoved the jeans from his hips. Fantasizing about a man and seeing him in the flesh were two very different things. If she had thought about this moment beforehand, standing in her bra and panties, in the daylight, in front of William, she would have been nervous. But how could she be uneasy when the evidence of his desire was so unmistakable?
“Damn, you’re beautiful,” he whispered, as if to himself more than to her.
Lorna crawled back onto the bed. He came over her, kissing her as he peeled her bra and panties from her body. She wasn’t sure if the lightheaded feeling was from her injury or the feel of his mouth. Either way, she wasn’t about to stop. Callused hands cupped her breasts, the combination of rough and tender both arousing and frustrating.
Caresses and kisses overwhelmed her senses as he settled between her legs. All thoughts and worries left her. When he entered her, slow and gentle, her starved body couldn’t hold back. She thrust up to meet him and touched everywhere she could reach. Her thighs rubbed along his hips. It had been too long since she felt the intimate contact of a man, and never had it been like this. William was tuned into her body’s reactions and quickly learned how she needed to be touched.
Time had no meaning when they were locked in such pleasure. His soft moans joined hers. All the worries and doubt and self-consciousness faded away. Her release came hard and fast, shaking her to the core and making it feel as if her bones melted inside her. She breathed deeply and her limbs fell limp at her sides. William moved onto the bed next to her. He cupped her cheek and gave her one, last, perfect kiss before falling onto his back to stare at the ceiling.
“Yes, I definitely find everything about you to be exactly what I want, Lorna.” His hand found hers and he lifted her fingers to his mouth to kiss them before holding her hand against his chest.
She wasn’t sure what to say to that.
“I don’t know what I did to get so lucky,” he continued, “but I promise I’m not going to mess this up.”
Lorna wondered if there was something more to his comment but was too relaxed to overthink it. “I promise too.”
Chapter Thirteen
“I can’t believe I told the paramedics about seeing a demon.” Lorna stared at the lobby floor where she’d fallen. Since she didn’t remember that part all too clearly, Heather had to point the location out to her. “They must have thought I was losing my mind. Well, I guess with the injury that’s exactly what they thought.”
“If it’s any consolation, I think what Glenn did to you was evil,” Vivien said. “So it was kind of the truth.”
“Better a serial husband than a serial killer,” Lorna quipped.
Vivien’s mouth opened in surprise before she laughed. “Clever.”
The mention of Glenn didn’t sting as much as it once had. Lorna instantly thought of William, not that she needed one man to get over another. It was more about what being with William represented.
William wasn’t the reason Glenn’s betrayal no longer hurt as much. He was a factor, yes, but not the cause. Heather and Vivien’s friendships were also factors. The reason was simple. After all that had happened, her desperate need for answers had led to a severe head injury. But at least it finally appeared to have knocked some sense into her. She might never know why Glenn did what he did, but she could believe that it wasn’t her fault.
Lorna imagined the feel of William’s touch lingered on her skin. She had let go of her doubts and control, and she’d allowed herself to have fun with him. The locked box that held her emotions in check burst opened, and she realized she didn’t need to keep holding on to the past.
Lorna always told herself she wasn’t a silly schoolgirl but a grown woman, yet suddenly she found herself feeling giddy. It wasn’t just the sex, though that had been phenomenal and she hoped to do it again very soon. It was the emotional release that came with it, an act of freedom and a symbolic ending to her last relationship.
She had given herself permission to move on.
She had stopped letting embarrassment rule her.
She was no longer Glenn’s pretend wife.
Life suddenly looked open and her future filled with potential.
She’d set that emotional baggage down and stepped away.
William walked by the lobby doors and gave a small wave. He’d been talking to a man who stopped him on his way to pick up coffees.
Lorna automatically smiled and waved back.
William winked and grinned.
“Ok, what is up with…?” Vivien demanded, seconds before her eyes widened. “Oh my goodness!”
“What?” Heather looked around the lobby in concern. She noticed her brother seconds before he disappeared past the doors.
“Lorna had sex with William,” Vivien blurted as she pointed at Lorna’s face. “I know that look. I’ve had that look, well, not with William obviously, but with this sexy thirty-something the other night. Well done, Lorna.”
“I’m happy things are going well for you both,” Heather said a little more tactfully, “and I never, ever want to discuss my brother’s sex life again. Ever.”
“Do you know who needs a sex life?” Vivien grinned.
Heather arched a brow.
“I keep hoping you’ll find a good man,” Vivien said to Heather. “Or more to the point a naughty one.”
“I think you have enough libido for all of us,” Heather teased. “I don’t need a man. I don’t mind being single. I like not answering to anyone or being emotionally accountable.”
“Fair enough.” Vivien agreed. “Though, I don’t mean falling in love. I just want you to get a little tuning under the hood.”
Heather laughed. “You are so… something.”
“A great friend?” Vivien offered.
Heather nodded. “Yeah, that.”
“Hey,” Heather touched Lorna’s arm in concern, “are you worried about being here?”
Even though the touch joined them, Heather didn’t pull away. She appeared to be reading Lorna’s emotions. In return, Lorna felt her concern.
“I don’t think it matters where we go,” Lorna said. “I didn’t feel a presence in the hospital, but I think the spirit followed me to Vivien’s house. I keep getting these cold chills like an icy invisible force is brushing up against me, trying to get my attention.”
“I don’t see anything,” Heather said, letting go of her arm, “but we all know that doesn’t mean there isn’t someone there. Trust your instincts.”
Vivien lifted her hands to test the air next to Lorna. “It’s maybe a little cooler…”
“It’s not as bad right now.” Lorna walked toward the office and pointed. “Before I was hit, he was over there.”
“I’m going upstairs to get the book,” Vivien said. “If we do a séance, we’re going to need it.”
“Grab candles and the flashlight,” Heather instructed. “This time we’re going to be smart about it.”
“Ok, Glenn, if you’re up there you better not try pushing me down the stairs or anything,” Vivien called as she moved toward the apartment. “I’m not as nice as Lorna.”
“It’s going to be all right,” Heather said when they were alone. “We’re going to figure this out.”
Lorna nodded.
“Grandma, can you help?” Heather turned around in a circle. “It’s strange. I haven’t seen her anywhere. Normally, I can catch a glimpse.”
“Maybe she’s in the theater?” Lorna remembered Heather saying hello to Julia in there.
“Yeah, maybe.” Heather went to check.
“Glenn, are you here?” Lorna asked when she was alone in the lobby. She wasn’t sure what she would say to him if he answered. Why didn’t seem as important. Goodbye, maybe? What was done, was done.
Second Chance Magic Page 14
