Texas Tea [Del Fantasma]

by Maura Anderson

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  Aspen Mountain Press

  www.aspenmountainpress.com

  Copyright ©2007 by Maura Anderson

  First published in 2007, 2007

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  NOTICE: This work is copyrighted. It is licensed only for use by the original purchaser. Making copies of this work or distributing it to any unauthorized person by any means, including without limit email, floppy disk, file transfer, paper print out, or any other method constitutes a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines or imprisonment.

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  WARNING

  This e-book contains graphic scenes and adult language and situations that may be inappropriate for underage readers. Please store your e-Books carefully where they cannot be accessed by underage readers.

  Del Fantasma: Texas Tea

  Copyright © 2007 Maura Anderson

  This e-Book is a work of fiction. While references may be made to actual places or events, the names, characters, incidents, and locations within are from the author's imagination and are not a resemblance to actual living or dead persons, businesses, or events. Any similarity is coincidental.

  Aspen Mountain Press

  PO Box 473543

  Aurora CO 80047-3543

  www.AspenMountainPress.com

  First published by Aspen Mountain Press, August 2007

  www.AspenMountainPress.com

  This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction fines and / or imprisonment. The e-Book cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this e-Book can be shared or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher.

  ISBN: 978-1-60168-052-5

  Released in the United States of America

  Editor: Nikita Gordyn

  Cover artist: Nikita Gordyn

  Del Fantasma:

  Texas Tea

  Maura Anderson

  Aspen Mountain Press

  Acknowledgements

  For my husband, Chuck, who sometimes believes in me more than I do. For Jo and Lara—yes, you both told me so. For Nikita and Sandra—

  thanks for believing in me too.

  Chapter One

  It took what little energy Lara Saunders had just to climb out of her rental car. Between seemingly endless jet lag and three years of almost non-stop work, she just didn't have much left. The end is in sight. She probably even muttered that mantra in her sleep now.

  Despite it being only October in Southern California, tendrils of fog trailed in and around the palm trees along the shore and the moist air carried a chill worthy of winter. Now that the sun had set, the growing cold permeated Lara's thin shirt with ease.

  Prepared for the vagaries of seaside weather, she snatched up the all weather jacket from the back seat of the car and pulled it on over her polo shirt. A few tugs on her braid freed the now unraveling plait from her coat collar. She rubbed her gritty eyes and pushed a few strands of loose hair away.

  The small mission-style building was well-kept and its rock garden and grasses were placed with care. The discrete sign near the arched wooden doors proclaimed that she'd arrived at the right place—

  "Del Fantasma.” The irony of the name didn't escape her. “Of the Ghosts—what an appropriate place for her to visit. She hoped it was merely a whimsical name, more ghosts was something she didn't think she could handle right now.

  Lara took a few moments to just enjoy the brief peace. The scent of the nearby ocean carried strongly in the mist and, audible even over the noise of nearby traffic, she could hear the rhythmic pulse of the distant waves. “The heartbeat of the earth,” as an eloquent ghost once told her.

  Finally ready to meet the amusing and helpful Cody Warren in person, she moved to shut the car door then froze at the prickle of awareness that flowed over her skin. The eerie sensation was followed by whispered words that were as much felt as heard. Get your keys first or you'll be here a long time.

  Sure enough, the key with the rental agency's tag attached sat on the passenger seat next to the printout of Cody's instructions of how to get from her B&B to Del Fantasma. “Damn it."

  She shimmied across the driver's seat to grab the key and picked up her purse from the floorboards as well. It's no wonder she was so forgetful, she was so tired she could barely think at all, “Thanks."

  Could they hear her? Never quite sure, she always thanked the ghosts anyway. It seemed like the polite thing to do, even if they didn't acknowledge her speaking to them. She'd certainly never found any believable handbook to tell her proper ghost etiquette, so making it up as she went was the best she could do.

  The parking lot of the tidy adobe building was nearly empty with only two cars other than her rental. Cody's chatty emails indicated the bar was doing quite well and was packed most nights, so they must not have opened for business yet today.

  Near the entrance another sign was posted with the business hours that confirmed her guess. The bar didn't open for an hour yet. About to retreat to her car to wait, one of the doors swung open and a large male figure appeared in the doorway.

  "Lara?"

  His voice almost mesmerized her. Combine the deep, gravely rumble with the muscular body in the black t-shirt and dark pants and she'd have drooled if she'd been any normal woman. Even the slight scruffiness of his dark hair was attractive. But it didn't do any good to drool over something you couldn't have. She'd finally learned that lesson at great expense.

  With a mental shake, Lara reminded herself of why she was here. To meet Cody's friend, someone who could both guide her around the Old Point Loma Lighthouse and perhaps allow her a little additional access to areas that weren't normally open to visitors. She was here to finish her book, that's all. Taking refuge in businesslike formality, Lara extended her hand to the imposing man. “Hi, you must be Cody."

  He took hold of her hand and gave it a strong shake. “Good afternoon."

  Her eyes widened at the tingle up her spine. Despite his warm, calloused skin, despite his firm grip, Cody was something other than human. He wasn't a ghost either, but something in between. Something with the eerie otherworldly feel of a spirit, but intermingled with a sensation she could only think of as earthy, primal, almost predatory. She'd never encountered anything like it before, anything like him before.

  "Ummm ... I let my agent know I was on my way here.” Lara hoped her voice didn't betray her sudden uncertainty.

  Cody gave her hand another small squeeze before he released it. “Don't look so worried, Lara. I'm no threat to you."

  There wasn't any reason to think he was, not really. Although they'd met online, he'd only offered to introduce her to his Park Ranger friend. It wasn't like he was asking her for a date or anything. She gulped and pushed away the niggling fear, then allowed herself to be tugged through the door and into the brightly lit room. Half the chairs were still upended on top of the tables and racks of shiny glasses were set out on the bar surface. An assortment of liquor bottles stood in front of the shelves. Obviously, she'd interrupted the preparations before opening for the evening.

  She felt Cody close behind her and spun around, ready to apologize and offer to return later but when she met his gorgeous blue eyes, the words seemed trapped in her throat. For just an instant she was unable to look away or even to move. The slow smile Cody gave her broke the strange paralysis and she struggled in vain to remember just what she'd been about to say.

  He gestured toward a table near the bar. “Have a seat. Texas should be here soon. Would you like something to drink while you wait?” A slow wink gave him a
rakish air. “Anything you want, on the house."

  Confused by what she sensed in Cody as well as her own reactions, she sat and, without thinking, asked for her favorite comfort drink. “May I have some hot tea, please?"

  Damn. He probably didn't keep hot tea in the bar. It didn't tend to be a popular evening drink. But he'd said anything she wanted, after all. She challenged him with a steady gaze, her sense of control returning a bit as she waited for him to admit he didn't have her drink.

  Instead, Cody just gave her another unsettling smile and pulled a brand new box of Oolong tea from a shelf she could barely see the edge of. At her nod, he disappeared into the doorway behind the bar, tea in hand.

  Not only did he have hot tea, but he had her favorite kind? This was just too weird and she should certainly be immune to weird by now.

  Neither the situation nor Cody seemed dangerous, at least not to her. The ghosts usually warned her of threats. It was one of the useful side effects of her affinity with them. Too bad their presence also scared off every sane person she spent any time with until she no longer even tried to get close to anyone. Being alone by choice was easier than the inevitable rejection when the ghosts decided to frighten them away from her.

  The sounds of clanking and voices from the doorway Cody had disappeared through drew Lara's attention back to the here and now. The decor wasn't really what she'd expected—from the name of the bar, she'd almost expected a Dias De Los Muertos theme of bright colors, skulls and maybe some skeletons but, instead, it tended toward a modern mission style with a lot of wood and earth-toned Southwestern touches. A warm and cozy bar for such an unusual name.

  From the corner of her eye, she caught a hint of movement and whipped her head around to follow it. She caught just the briefest glimpse of what looked like a dog before it disappeared down the hallway marked “Private". A dog in a food establishment?

  Poised halfway out of her chair, she tried to see if she could spot the animal again. Cody suddenly chuckled directly behind her and she leapt sideways. Trying to not fall on her face, Lara teetered, arms flailing in a desperate attempt to regain her balance.

  A hard yank from Cody and she was in her chair again, sprawled with legs spread and heart pounding so hard she thought she would pass out. “You scared me.” Her voice sounded breathless and trembling, adrenaline already doing a number on her system.

  He had the nerve to laugh at her and she forgot her fear, forgot that he wasn't just a human, even forgot that he was nearly a foot taller and much heavier than she was. Her lifelong hatred of being laughed at made her temper flare. Too exhausted to moderate her impulsive reactions, when he set her mug of tea on the table and his arm was within reach, she lashed out and slugged it. Hard.

  The force of the impact screamed up her arm. The man must be made of stone. He merely laughed harder while she cradled her now throbbing hand to her chest and glared. A small part of her was appalled at her loss of control over her temper and actions but she successfully ignored it.

  "You sure you don't want to act as her tour guide, Code?” The husky baritone voice, sultry, overlaid with a sexy drawl, preceded the man who sauntered from the hall.

  Oh. My. God. Attractive as Cody was, this man was stunning. Shorter than her host, he was just as muscular but more compact. Her fingers longed to explore the texture of the glossy black hair he wore cut military-short. His face was tanned and clean-shaven with a tantalizing square jaw and high cheekbones she'd bet spoke of more than a touch of Native American mixed with his obvious Latino ancestry.

  Every movement was silent and graceful, nearly soundless, even in his jeans and cowboy boots. The sinuous sway of his hips as he walked reminded her of the calculating, smooth motions of a wild animal, a predator.

  And his eyes, his eyes were a bright gold she'd never seen before, framed by thick black lashes that only served to make them more piercing. They were an almost inhuman color, one that would be more at home in the face of an animal.

  "Texas, this is Lara Saunders. Lara, this is my friend Matthew Martinez. He's the Park Ranger I told you about."

  Lara continued to gape at the newcomer, oblivious to the hand he held out to her until he forcibly picked up her own from the table to shake it.

  Even his touch felt wild and untamed. And it carried the unmistakable touch of the spirit world as well.

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  Matt had to work hard not to laugh at the open-mouthed woman. It wasn't at all the reaction he was used to from other people. Most women couldn't wait to get away from him; afraid of the way he felt and moved, as well as the way he made them feel. Somehow the age-old recognition of prey for predator remained, even in these times of rationality and logic.

  Forewarned of her all-consuming passion for her book project, he'd readied himself to meet a homely, bookish scholar or maybe an eccentric artist. Someone who needed solitude as much as he did. Someone ... safe.

  This woman wasn't safe at all. Every instinct screamed that she had the power to change his world, with or without his consent. Dressed in practical cargo pants and hiking boots, the shape of most of her body was concealed by a dark olive jacket. Her oval face was pale and free of makeup with lush cinnamon colored lashes that framed hazel eyes, which seemed to move from green to brown as he watched.

  She tried to tug her hand away from his grasp and he resisted for a moment, before finally releasing it. It wasn't often that he was comfortable touching other people, but she felt good. He wanted to savor that rare touch as long as possible.

  A deep breath let him smell a mix of the cleaners used in the bar, soap, the clean scent of woman and tea. Tea? He slid into the other chair at the small table and picked up the beer Cody dropped in front of him. His Army buddy abandoned him, disappearing into the kitchen.

  He took a long drink from the bottle and patiently watched Lara, content to wait silently for her to say something.

  Hands wrapped tightly around her mug of tea, she yawned then took a sip. Then another. Finally, she put the mug back down and looked squarely at him. “Thank you for helping me. This is the last lighthouse I need to document for the book I'm working on now and the whole manuscript has to be turned in to my editor in just a week."

  "Not a problem, ma'am. I have tomorrow off, then I work the next five days. I've already obtained permission for you to take pictures inside the lighthouse and to go up into the closed lantern tower."

  "Lara, please. If you call me ma'am, I'll feel like my grandmother."

  She smiled for just an instant. The expression softened her drawn face but she still looked tired, her cheeks pale and a bit hollow. “I know you need to work and I definitely don't need a full-time guide. This is my third book on historic lighthouses and their keepers. Most of what I need to do will be in the public areas of the park."

  Glancing down, she ran one finger around the rim of her mug. Gently and slowly, around and around.

  He could picture that same finger tracing circles on his chest. In self defense, he took another swig of his beer then shifted in his chair, his jeans suddenly uncomfortable. “The park opens at nine am every day. We can meet at the Visitor Center when it opens and take it from there."

  Another smile brightened her face. “That sounds good. I think I need to turn in for the night while I can still drive and find my way back to the B&B. I'm exhausted."

  Long-ingrained manners kicked in and he stood at the same time she did, then shook her hand again. She gathered her purse and keys and walked toward the front door, seemingly unaware or unconcerned that he watched her exit.

  Her hair was pulled back into a chestnut colored braid, as thick as his wrist and hanging down to her waist. If anything, the fact it appeared close to unraveling made him wonder what it would feel like sliding through his fingers.

  Why was he suddenly so interested in this woman when he was less and less interested in being around people in general? He liked sex and liked women, but he normally didn't react this strongly with absolutely n
o encouragement. Hell, he didn't react this strongly with encouragement.

  And the feral animal in him recognized the call of something in Lara that wasn't entirely of this world.

  No, not safe at all.

  He reminded himself and his too-interested libido that he was only doing this as a favor to Cody. His friend saved his life in Afghanistan and that meant Cody could ask anything at all and Matt was honor-bound to do it. He owed a debt that only Cody could declare repaid. Add to that the number of secrets they shared and a bond existed that both men appreciated and respected. Cody becoming a vampire only strengthened it.

  Aware that it was getting late enough to calm himself with a run, he drained his beer and announced to thin air. “Cody, I'm taking off."

  As expected, Cody heard him and appeared back by the table. Now that they were alone, other than the bar staff, he made full use of his unnatural speed. “Thanks, Texas. I appreciate you taking care of her."

  Something about the expression on the other man's face made him suspicious. “You're not trying your matchmaking skills on me, are you? You better not be. You, more than anyone, know that I'm not suitable relationship material for anyone. I'm a loner and I'm destined to stay that way."

  When Cody didn't respond, Matt snarled and headed toward the back room, grateful that he didn't have to try to walk with a hard-on. He'd never have heard the end of that.

  He neatly folded his clothes and returned them to the shelf reserved for his use. Naked, he luxuriated in a powerful stretch before he relaxed again and called on the magic of his bloodline. The familiar sensation of thousands of ants biting at his skin never lasted more than an instant but always took his breath away.

  No one saw the large coyote ease out the back door of the bar and race off into the brush.

  Chapter Two

  Lara tucked the receipt for the park entrance fee into her pocket as she got out of her car. Yet another piece of paper to keep track of for her accountant. Hopefully, she'd remember to take it out of her pocket before she washed her pants—unlike the last handful of receipts. They weren't of much use for tax preparation when reduced to a soggy, disintegrating mass.