by Crymsyn Hart
Taking the pizza box upstairs, she munched on a piece. A portable lantern gave off plenty of light. She threw the blanket Dustin had brought up to her onto the bed. When she began unpacking one of her boxes, she found her small bag of stuffed animals. Giggling erupted all around her as the floor squeaked. She looked up to see Jeannie standing in the doorway.
The little girl bit her lip and looked at the bag of animals. Natalie smiled and took out one of her favorite white teddy bears. She knelt down and gestured to the child. Jeannie stepped into the room. Natalie set the bear down and waited. The ghost didn’t do anything except stare.
“It’s okay. How about I put these in the corner for now and you can play with them? Just not while I’m asleep, okay?”
Her lips turned up in a smile, and she nodded.
“Good. Why don’t you take this one into your room? I don’t mind. I’m going to bed.”
She heard another creak and looked up. No one was there. She figured it was Dustin keeping an eye on the little girl. Natalie didn’t see anyone lingering shadows. She took the bag of animals and put them in the corner. Then she turned the bed down and shut off the light.
She started to climb into bed when the floor moaned again. It’s very strange to think I have a guardian ghost.
Her muscles ached from the day of lifting and moving things and the rest of the week was going to be more of the same. Her body hurt just thinking about it.
Running a hand through her hair, she sighed and for the first time, felt safe. The floor groaned again. She sensed someone there. Figuring it was one of the spirits, she didn’t check behind her. The presence grew stronger, warmer than what she remembered. Something wrapped around her mouth. Hot breath blasted against her neck. Another arm slipped around her waist. She began to twist in her captor’s grasp, but the hand tightened on her. A wet tongue licked her neck.
“Oh, you taste sweeter than a candy cane on Christmas.”
She recognized the voice as the scum from the bar the night before. Natalie tried to get away but wasn’t able to. I’m not going to let this piece of shit get the better of me. I dealt with Michael. I can deal with this. She forced her muscles to loosen up. The thought of his dirty hands touching her caused her to shiver. His unwashed scent and beer perfumed breath made her nauseous.
“I’m going to make you eat those words you said to me at the bar. I know you want me. I saw the way you were looking at me. Then you let that dick, Scott, touch you. I’m sure you already fucked him, too. I’ll show you who’s the better man.”
Her eyes widened. She heard the squeak of a floorboard behind them. Jimmy’s hand crept over her upper thigh and snuck under her t-shirt. A cold draft wove around her legs.
“Get out!” The firm command echoed through the room.
“Who the hell was that? You got someone else hiding in here? You’re just the whore of Babylon aren’t you?” His lips encompassed her ear. He tugged on the lobe.
A light appeared in the corner of the room. The blue orb expanded into the form of a man. The man’s hand trembled against her flesh. The one from her mouth slipped off, but the one around her waist tightened so she couldn’t breathe. She brought her arm back and shoved it into his gut with all her might. That got him to release her. She moved to the wall by the window.
“You know all those rumors you’ve heard about this house? Well, they’re all true. If you don’t get out of here, then he’s going to hurt you.” Natalie stared at the form that solidified into Dustin.
“Bullshit. This is all some light show. You don’t scare me!”
Dustin’s expression hardened. His brow was furrowed, and his nostrils flared. Those blue eyes had darkened. “Get out!” He shouted and rushed toward the intruder. Right before he reached him, he disappeared.
The blast of the air pushed the attacker backward and left her with a shudder. Dustin had the man by the throat. Jimmy had his hands around Dustin’s neck trying to pry him off. His face was red, and he struggled to breathe. His eyes bulged.
“Dustin, let him go!”
The ghost turned, his expression dark. His eyes glowed amber in the moonlight. His face had literally elongated. When he bared his teeth, they were sharper than before. It made him seem alien from the man who had helped her the other night. “He was going to hurt you. He should die for that.”
The assailant wheezed.
“I know, but I think you’ve scared him enough. I doubt he’ll come back here. Will you?”
”No,” he forced out.
“Good because if you do or if you ever try to hurt me again or send any goons out here, the same will happen to them or worse. Next time, I might just let him kill you. Understand?”
He nodded. Dustin released him. He flew out of the house, down the stairs, and went off into the night. In the distance, she heard a truck engine start.
Natalie wiped her face and turned the light back on. Shivers wracked her body at the sudden realization of how close she had come to being beaten and raped. Maybe I should’ve let Dustin kill him. I doubt that scum would’ve been missed. But then, if the stories Scott told me are true, his spirit will be stuck here, and I don’t want that. She sunk down onto bed and felt the tears slip down her cheek. Natalie was suddenly thrown back into memories of the fights with her ex-husband. Her hands began to quake and the scars started to ache.
“Are you okay?”
She glanced up and saw Dustin standing at the door. He had an ethereal glow around him that made her gasp. She nodded and wiped her eyes. “Yeah. Thanks for helping me out.”
He stepped into the room and stood by the end of the bed. He gazed upon her with a softened expression, appearing normal once more. “You’re welcome. I couldn’t let him do that to you. No woman should ever be treated that way. I saw many horrors back in my day. Do you mind if I sit beside you?”
“No.” The weight of his body depressed the bed. She glanced over at him and smiled. Having him there made her yearn for comfort. Smiling, she tried to gather her wits. “I’m sure you’re time was very different than now. But you’re right. Women shouldn’t be treated that way.”
A cold zing went through her when he placed his hand on her cheek. His fingers made an indentation in her skin, and she could feel the reaction her body had to him. Her nipples hardened with his touch. Small bolts of pleasure began running along her nerves. Her heartbeat quickened. She didn’t want him to leave. That instinctive pull she felt for him ignited again from his touch. Natalie leaned forward, wanting more of him. Her resolve was crumbling. It was hard to fight the attraction she had for him. If she could name it, she would. The heat growing inside of her was hard to ignore. “You’re heart has been hurt so many times. You bear the scars of a horrible marriage to a pitiful man who wasn’t worthy of your love. If you were mine, I’d never hurt you.”
The truth in his gaze burned through to her soul. She reached up and when her fingers slid over his hand, it was real. He was cool to the touch, but he was there. The glow around him dissipated, and the chill was gone in the room. “How can you be corporeal when you’re a ghost?”
He ran the back of his hand over her cheek. “The night that I found my father murdering my family, we ended up fighting in the room under the stairs. He stabbed me, and I shot him. My wounds healed with time, and now I’m in between. It would nice to be free of this hell. Maybe one day, be human again. I was caught in some limbo between life and death. It has something to do with the curse on the land, and my encounter with a wolf on the way home. It bit me. I can be physical if I want it. Like the day I heard you stuck in the room under the stairs. My father’s spirit resides there. Don’t go in there unless you have to. I can keep him at bay. He’s not stronger than me. He hates that you’ve moved into the house.”
“Was he the one who moved the bricks?”
Dustin nodded. “Yeah, he moves them back and forth the way he did in life. Promise me you’ll stay out of there.”
“I will.” She didn’t want to
think about what kind of a hateful spirit was under the stairs. Hearing that Dustin wasn’t exactly dead was reassuring, but it was also sad because she wanted to free him.
He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. The brush of his soft mouth against her fingers made her bite her tongue. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had garnered such desire in her. She was lost in his gaze.
“How come you make me feel this way?” she asked.
“What way?”
“I can’t explain it. You make me feel calm. I have this draw toward you, like I’ve known you before. It sounds crazy, but when I think of you. All I want is to know you better. I never thought I’d say that about another man. Not after what happened. But I feel I can trust you. You make me feel safe.”
“I, too, feel this pull toward you that I can’t explain. When I’m with you, I feel whole.”
Natalie thought about what Dustin said, and it made sense. Because that was the unnamed feeling she had as well. He made her feel complete. “Yes. That’s it. I couldn’t put my finger on it before.”
He smiled. “May I kiss you?” He leaned a little closer to her.
She drew in a breath and noticed the tingling sensation that wound through her. The sound of her pulse thundered in her ears. She was slightly dizzy. Michael never had this effect on her. “Yes.”
He tilted her head up so she could meet his lips. His mouth pressed against hers in a silken caress that was so sweet and gentle that it melted her heart. His kiss enhanced the calmness inside of her. One hand slid across her neck and touched a tendril of her hair.
He kissed her a little harder. Her heart ached; he had been alone so long. She got up the nerve to wrap her arm around his neck and ease him a little closer until he pulled away from the kiss. A soft moan escaped her lips when he did. Natalie yearned to feel his hard body against hers.
“I desire nothing more than to see you safe. I will not take advantage of my situation and push myself on you.”
“You’re not. I mean, I understand. Whatever this is between us, I feel there’s more to it and...”
He ran a finger down her neck following the line of her shirt until it stopped at the top of her breast. “I would love nothing more than to lay with you, but I want to know that you’re ready. Not acting on this attraction we have for one another. Tonight, you need someone to protect you. To be close to you.” He kissed her lightly and then got off the bed, backing away.
“No. Stay with me.”
“I will be here watching over you.”
“Dustin, please. You’re right. I need someone to be with me. I need someone close to me. Will you hold me? At least until I fall asleep.” She bit her lip, waiting to see what he would do. He glanced at the door. She turned the covers down and slid underneath them. “Please.”
He smiled. “All right.” He took his hat off and lay on the bed next to her.
Natalie peered into his eyes not believing he was there. She touched his face, feeling the stubble of his beard. His hair was fine and seemed to be woven strands of copper and gold. She huddled into the crook of his arm and laid a hand on his chest. Underneath her palm, she felt a slow heartbeat. His skin was warm, but not like hers. Being in his arms now, she felt whole.
She ran her thumb across his lips. Dustin slipped his arm around her shoulders and barely touched her, but eased her closer to him. She pressed her lips against his and ran her tongue along his bottom lip before pulling away.
“Thank you for protecting me. I’ve never had a guardian ghost before.” Her eyelids drooped, and she closed her eyes.
Dustin’s heartbeat lulled her into the dream world, and for the first time in a long time, she was able to completely relax.
Chapter Six
The next morning Natalie awoke in an empty bed. The images from her dream clung to her memory. She had been running in the snow. Alongside her were two wolves. One was brindle colored and the other was silver and black. They hadn’t scared her and they were both familiar. When she tried to recall more of the night vision, it faded from her mind.
She ran her fingers over her lips and remembered Dustin’s soft kiss. He did say he didn’t die. He got caught in some vortex…that he was in between the worlds. What must that be like?
She stretched and glanced over at the other pillow. Laying on it was a single yellow rose. It must have come from the rose bushes that ran wild over the arbor out back. Bringing it to her nose, she inhaled the scent and thought about what Dustin had said. He didn’t want to push their relationship. He was old fashioned.
She hadn’t intended on getting involved with anyone, but it was hard to deny the attraction she had for him. It was so primal and the way he made her feel was unlike anything she had experienced. It was new and exhilarating. To dismiss their budding relationship would make her a fool. Her head said to take it slow, but her heart was winning the battle.
After getting dressed, she laid the flower back on the pillow and went outside. As she pulled out of the driveway, a white van drove in. Jarvis waved his hand at her. She waved back and continued into town.
While doing her tasks, Natalie let the events of the night before slip away. She didn’t think her attacker was ever going to come back into the house with Dustin there.
Natalie spent the rest of the day wandering around the mall, buying clothes. She ended up in a lingerie store and bought a couple of things, not sure why she was purchasing them. It wasn’t like her ghostly protector was going to be taking advantage of her. He did watch her, but she wondered how closely he watched. That fact creeped her out a little, but he had been so genuine the night before, she decided he wasn’t intruding on her private moments.
By the time she got home, it was getting dark. She had leftovers from the mall, so she didn’t have to worry about dinner. When she pulled in, she saw a parked black pickup truck and a man knocking on her door. She grew rigid. After getting out of her car slowly, she slammed the door. The man turned around.
“Can I help you?”
“Natalie, I was just going to write you a note.”
He stepped off the porch and came towards her. She took a step back, but when he got closer, she saw that it was Scott. Her guard came down when he stretched out his hand. It enveloped hers. When their hands touched, the instant attraction she had for him when they first met at the bar came over her again.
For a second, she flashed back to her dream with the wolves. The eyes of the black and silver wolf reminded her of Scott’s. Her body responded to him the way it did when she touched Dustin. Even though she tried to ignore it, something in her wanted to know more of him. This is nuts. I meet not one, but two guys who I’m drawn to.
“Were you coming here to ask me about having the tribe come over? Or something about the house? Did you need to look at something?”
He ran his hand through his hair and glanced at the ground. “Actually, none of those. First, I wanted to see if you were all right. I stopped in at the bar and heard Jimmy going on about how scared out of his wits he was about coming over here and being run off the property by some ghost. I know how he gets when he’s drunk, and I wanted to be sure you weren’t hurt. Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Fine. Someone tried to break in last night. I was kinda out of it from unpacking all day and stuff. I appreciate you coming out here to check on me. What was the second thing you wanted to ask me?”
He scuffed his boot through the dirt and then gazed back up at her. “I was wondering if you wanted to go to dinner. Somewhere quieter than the Road Barn. I could cook if you’re up for it?”
She put her hand on her hip and stared at him. “I thought last night you just wanted to be friends?”
“I do. Look, I don’t normally do this kind of thing, but I figured we gotta eat, and I’m a great cook. You still don’t have any power. Come on. Don’t tell me you couldn’t use a shower and a good, hot meal. Besides friends have to get to know one another.”
Natalie sighed “Okay, but let me
put this stuff in the house first and grab a few things. You want to come in?”
He nodded. She took her bags out of the truck then opened the front door. Scott held it for her. Once she entered the house, a cold wind met her. She didn’t get the sense of the happy household she had last night. Walking by the door under the stairs, she saw it was closed. “Um, I’ll be right back. Do you mind waiting here?”
“Of course not.” He gave her a small smile.
She took her bags upstairs. After she put her things away in her closet, she turned around to get her backpack when Dustin stood before her. She grabbed her chest and jumped back. His eyes were scrunched up at the corners. The frown on his lips gave away his mood.
“You’re going with him?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Yeah. I am. He’s a nice guy, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to sleep with him.”
“He could have other intentions, and I wouldn’t be able to protect you away from the house.” His expression melted when he said that. He reached over and took her hand. He brushed his lips across her knuckles, and she laid her palm on his cheek. “I don’t mean to sound possessive. It’s been a long time since I’ve come to care about someone.”
Hearing his confession softened her heart. She smiled and leaned up to kiss him, but bumped her forehead on the lip of his hat. “You don’t have to worry about me.”
She pressed her lips against his and was glad he was solid. His arms wrapped around her and drew her close. Dustin’s mouth was hungry against hers. His tongue pushed against her lips, seeking entrance to her mouth. She obliged him and met his tongue with her own.
They caressed and touched one another until she raked her fingers down his shirt and pulled away. The fire he ignited inside of her was too much for her to handle with Scott waiting for her.
