by Dana Piazzi
“In the flesh,” he said with a laugh, ignoring the groan of disbelief that she couldn’t hide.
“But how?” she asked as her hands traveled over his stubbly chin. She traced his slightly crooked nose and ran her hands through his short dark curls, memorizing every feature. The reality of him was way more stunning than his ghost form had been … and that was saying something.
“When the shades were released and when Elena died,” he said with a sigh, “we all went back to our original ages and my spirit came back into my body. I guess someone up there wanted me to have another chance. It just seems to be me and the other guy who came back from the dead, though.” He looked away sadly. “The other bodies in that miserable room had been gone too long. You don’t want to know what it’s like to wake up in a room with twenty dead bodies and some guy yelling for all he’s worth in Russian.”
If it hadn’t been so grisly, it would have been funny. Tessa turned him to face her, cupping his cheeks. “Why didn’t you tell me that you were okay? I tried to go back for you.”
“I knew you would,” he said with a sad smile. “I just prayed like hell that you got out and didn’t worry about me.”
“I worried about you,” she said with a smile. “Where have you been?”
“Well,” he said, absently twirling a lock of her long brown hair. “I had things to do, you know. I had to convince my parents that some serial killer had me for five years and had to stem the tide of family that has been coming out of the woodwork. I never realized that I had so many cousins.”
Tessa laughed. “So, what now?” she asked with a smile.
Simon slid closer and put his hand on her neck under her hair. He pulled her close and his breath covered her face as his nose touched hers. Her body burned in a way that it hadn’t since the night she’d killed Elena. Bt this time, it was a good burn.
“I thought I might ask you out, if you’re interested,” Simon said.
Tessa pretended to consider it, but could hardly think with him so close. His body hummed and gave off an energy that she found irresistible. She looked into his eyes and smiled. “Maybe you should kiss me first to see if it’s worth it.”
Simon smiled and kissed her. His lips met hers and she felt her whole body come alive. She wrapped her arms around him, and in a heartbeat, his hands were in her hair. Tessa felt his lip ring and smiled around it, liking the way it felt. The kiss went on and on and Tessa felt her head spin.
“So, are you interested?” he asked, his breath hissing against her cheek. “Please say you’re interested.”
“Yes,” she said, laughing as her heart soared. “Just promise me: no ice skating.”
Simon groaned as he pulled her back into his arms and kissed her again.
The End
About the Author: Stephanie Parke
Stephanie Parke lives in Ohio with her three favorite men: her handsome husband and two sons. Stephanie writes paranormal romance and loves things that go bump in the night. Stephanie is the author of a vampire standalone novel and is currently working on a new book, Dark Siders.
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Acknowledgements:
Special thanks to all of the talented authors who made this anthology possible:
Dana Piazzi
Jordan Hancock
Kim Stevens
Elaine White
Vanessa Hancock
Michelle Feury
Stephanie Parke
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