by Lia Davis
“Do you know how special you are?” Jeb asked in wonder.
A man never looked at her in this fashion. She was either eye-candy or a means to relieve a biological need. This man gazed upon her with love reflected in his eyes. Kori had known him less than an hour, was obsessed with his ancestor, but for some reason was head over heels in love with him.
Her feelings for him weren’t just lust, even though her body certainly reacted to his in a crazed fashion. For some reason, she felt like they belonged together. It made no rational sense, but she knew it deep in her soul.
It was during that thought Jeb entered her with a single powerful thrust. She cried out in surprise and joy. A part of her she didn’t know was missing emerged.
“At last,” she muttered.
Kori hadn’t intended to express that particular feeling. How was she going to explain her feelings if he asked what she meant by those words? She couldn’t explain them to herself in any logical terms. But when was there anything logical about love?
Jeb moved in and out of her, increasing his pace as he continued loving her. Her body met his movements instinctually. Their breathing had even fallen in synch. They were truly one.
Sensations circuited through her body, bringing her to a cusp of a climax that would eclipse anything she had experienced in the past. The longer she hung on, the more she feared she’d shatter into a million pieces. Her breathing fell out of rhythm with his, as she gasped for air.
She screamed as a powerful orgasm consumed her. It ricocheted off every nerve ending she possessed. Her only choice was to continue to cry out in triumph as her body continued to convulse. Jeb’s frantic pace continued as she was overcome with a second orgasm, as powerful as the first.
His head reared back and he shouted out his own completion. She was so engrossed in her own rapture, she missed him ejaculate his seed within her. It was an effort to remember to breathe.
Kori had truly lost her mind having unprotected sex with a stranger. She knew it was the wrong time of month to conceive a child, but there was a myriad of diseases to worry about. None of these concerns were relevant when Jeb took her into his arms. Now that the glow of their lovemaking had dimmed a bit, her mind was racing.
Jeb collapsed on top of her and then rolled to his side, taking her with him. Her back was against the sofa’s soft cushions. It felt wonderful being held by him in the aftermath of their lovemaking. But her mind was still plagued with unsubstantiated fears.
“We got carried away,” Kori admitted softly, fearing any volume would bring credence to her concerns. “I guess we should have had this discussion before things went as far as they did. You are disease free, right?”
There was a momentary look of confusion on his face. Then a belly laugh escaped Jeb. “You cannot contract any disease from me. I guarantee it. Are you hungry or thirsty? It is Halloween night and the city awaits.”
“I just need to use the restroom and dress,” Kori said.
Jeb released her and Kori collected her clothing. There was no embarrassment on her part. Although she suffered from doubts about unprotected sex, she was still basking in the experience. She noted a bathroom in the hall before they entered the parlor. Her clothing provided a shield from prying eyes in case Jeb’s family had returned.
The house seemed empty as she ran into the bathroom. Her body was glistening with sweat, but there was no other evidence she just had sex. It was beyond odd.
Chapter 7
Jeb sat on the sofa collecting himself. It took a lot of energy to simulate a heartbeat, breathing, and an erection. At one point, he managed to aligned his breathing with hers. He didn’t know if he had the strength to stand. As far as he knew, Kori believed a man had made love to her.
He didn’t feel any different after making love to his soul mate. There had to be more than the physical act to break the enchantment. They had the rest of the night together for something magical to occur. His sister’s letter was in the desk drawer, perhaps he missed something the hundreds of times he had read it in the past.
With what little strength he could garner, he dressed and made his way to the desk. He wasn’t sure when Kori would return. Jeb pulled out the letter encased in plastic. The parchment had deteriorated with age and one of his caretakers had placed the paper in a protective covering.
“What have you got there?” Kori asked.
Jeb had not heard her return. It would be silly to try to hide his sister’s letter. There was always a chance she’d see something he had not noticed.
“Jenny Crawford believed herself a witch and she imagined she enchanted her brother to extend his life,” Jeb answered. “She left a letter for her family related to when the spell would end. I promised to show you some of my ancestor’s belongings. This is one of the few items we have that belonged to his sister.”
“May I?” Kori asked, extending her hand for the letter.
He willingly turned it over. New hope blossomed in his heart. It would make sense that breaking the enchantment would involve his soul mate.
He watched as her eyes roamed over what was written. “I wonder what the ultimate act of love is,” she commented. “How would a spirit’s soul mate even know she’s supposed to make a sacrifice?”
In all the years that had passed, Jeb never imagined his sister was referring to a sacrifice when she mentioned an ultimate act of love. Nor did he believe the letter was for his soul mate, not for him. Kori appeared as frustrated as he felt. Did she believe the letter was for her?
“Did you see him last night?” he asked, although he already knew the answer.
“For a brief second,” Kori admitted. “I was already sensitive after walking through Calhoun Square. It may sound crazy, but I felt something when our eyes met.”
He felt the same thing. A strong connection that could only occur between two souls destined to be together. Did she realize the significance of what passed between them?
“You joined tonight’s ghost tour to see him again,” Jeb concluded. He purposely removed any condemnation from his tone. Whatever drove her to the tour was key to what would occur tonight.
“Worse, I went to the library to research him,” Kori admitted. “I know it’s crazy, but I’m infatuated with him. Maybe that’s why I reacted to you the way I did. I’m so embarrassed.”
Kori pulled out her phone, touched the screen several times, and then handed it to him. On the screen was an image of him in his Confederate uniform, standing next to several men who had fought bravely by his side. He remembered when he stood for the photograph. She was an industrious woman.
He handed the phone back to her. “Congratulations,” he commented, “you found the only photograph of him our family is aware of. Maybe all of this was done to bring us together. Perhaps Jenny Crawford was not so crazy after all.”
A smile once again lit up her face. He longed to taste her again. If he were mortal, he would never tire of kissing her.
“I’m supposed to be meeting my friends in half an hour,” she said. “I’d love to introduce them to you.”
Should he admit who he truly was? If he did, Kori would obsess over how to wake his true body. Worse, she would want to see him. Somehow, he knew whatever would end the enchantment had to happen naturally, it could not be forced. Jeb felt it was best to keep the illusion in place a little longer.
Kori had the most incredible sex of her life, yet she continued obsessing over the ghost she connected with the night before. She still didn’t sense his presence, and a charming, willing man was before her.
After they met up with her friends, she had every intention of taking Jeb back to her hotel for an encore performance. Thank goodness she decided to cough up the money for her own space. The king bed that dominated her room would now come in very handy.
“I know you are an attorney,” Kori said. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-nine,” Jeb answered.
“The age your ancestor died,” Kori said before she could censo
r herself.
Kori needed to evict Captain Crawford from her mind and concentrate on Jeb. After what they just shared, she didn’t want to lose him to a ghost she could never have. Maybe if she got to know him better, she could separate him from his ancestor. She needed to stop drawing comparisons between the two.
“What type of law do you practice?” Kori asked.
“I practice contract and patent law,” Jeb said. “The captain focused on property law.”
How was she supposed to differentiate between the two of them when he brought up his ancestor? His words finally sunk in. Property prior to the Civil War included slaves. She was once again caught in the irony of who Captain Jeb Crawford was.
“How could a supposed abolitionist be involved in the legal sanction of the institution?”
Jeb looked at her. This time his eyes were not burning with passion. Maybe he was tired of defending his ancestor?
“You tend to focus on the negative,” Jeb pointed out. “It was not uncommon for a master to free his favorite slaves upon his death. My ancestor was involved in drafting segments of such wills to extend to the slave’s family and foresaw the proper execution of the will upon death. Many families didn’t want to honor the bequest, since it meant the reduction in the value of their inheritance. Jeb saw that his clients’ wishes were fulfilled legally.”
Kori knew such practices occurred and many slaves who believed their freedom was imminent would be sold or their families sold before the will was executed. Slaves meant wealth, and money-hungry heirs weren’t beyond bribing attorneys from properly executing a will. Her feelings for the spirit she connected with only grew with this additional knowledge.
“Let’s get out of here before the next ghost tour arrives,” Jeb said. “I would love to meet your friends.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Kori said. She needed to get out of this house and the feelings that continued to consume her related to Captain Crawford.
They were halfway across the room when Jeb stopped. “Hold on a second,” he said.
Jeb returned to the desk and pulled out an object. He returned to her side and presented her with a handkerchief. She examined the white cotton material. It had the initials JAC embroidered in a corner.
“It belonged to the captain,” Jeb explained. “Somehow I have the feeling he would have liked you to have something of his. Men in his time always carried at least one of these.”
“What does the A stand for?”
“Andrew,” he answered. “Jebediah Andrew Crawford.”
She brought the handkerchief to her nose. For some wild reason, she thought she could pull up his scent. Instead, it smelled musty.
“I feel like I know more about him than you,” Kori admitted.
She was totally to blame for that fact. For the rest of the evening, Kori promised herself she’d focus solely on Jeb, not the long dead Jebediah. Rather than continuing to clutch the gift, she placed the handkerchief in her purse.
He held open the front door and they walked into the night. Jeb pulled out a key and locked it. The alarm had been set before they exited the house.
“Crazed paranormal hunters try to break in?” she asked in jest.
“Something like that,” Jeb responded. “Constance mentioned several times a year some idiots try to steal Jeb’s belongings or search for his body. With teenage girls in the house, it became very frightening. The ghost tours are supposed to stress these are private residences. A security system was installed several months after Constance’s husband died.”
They headed toward the river. She hadn’t considered the constant inconvenience the tours represented and ultimately the danger living in haunted houses presented. For an instant this morning, she had considered approaching the house for entry.
They walked in silence, each of them deeply in their own thoughts. She considered poor Jenny trying to save her dying brother and thereafter the family relatives dealing with the consequences of a haunting. None of this came to mind when she was obsessing over Captain Crawford.
The streets were relatively quiet considering it was Halloween. It was the time between the children returning home from trick or treating and the older revelers hitting the bars and late night parties. She imagined the riverfront, Liberty and Bull Streets would be teeming with people soon.
Suddenly, she didn’t want to share Jeb. If this was a lasting relationship, there would be plenty of opportunities to introduce him to her friends. Now, she wanted him all to herself. Her body cried out for his touch.
“My hotel room is only a couple blocks away,” Kori said. “I’d love to show you the book I snagged the photo from.”
It was a flimsy excuse to get him to her room. He probably would have come with her if she said they would have sex again. Telling him about the book seemed less desperate. Neither of them talked about tomorrow or any future.
The sidewalk ahead was being repaved. They crossed the street to the less lit side. Normally, it would be the last thing she’d do, but Jeb was with her.
She thought nothing about the masked man approaching them. It was Halloween. Almost everyone was in some kind of costume. Kori heard footfalls behind her. When she turned, all she saw was the gun pointing at them.
The robbers planned their approach perfectly. They met up with her and Jeb at the entrance of an alley. Their assailants shoved them off the street.
“Turn over your purse and wallet,” the one in a Darth Vader mask demanded. He did not have a deep-toned voice James Earl Jones provided the character in the movies. This Darth Vader had a high-pitched, nervous voice.
Jeb stepped in front of her, shielding her from the armed men. “I was just walking the lady to her hotel,” Jeb stated. “My wallet is at home.”
Kori opened her purse and pulled out the handkerchief. The odds were they would only take the wallet and discard everything else in the nearest trash can. But she wasn’t going to take any chances.
“Then turn over the purse,” Spiderman growled. “This is taking too long. Hand it over.”
Jeb’s chivalry was going to get them killed. She stepped around him and swung her purse in the thieves’ direction.
“Here,” she shouted.
A rowdy group of partiers stepped out of the bar across the street, startling one of their assailants. His gun went off.
As if in slow motion, Jeb dove in front of her. The bullet discharged, penetrating Jeb’s chest. Both of the criminals fled as her lover’s body hit the ground.
Kori fell to her knees beside Jeb. There was no blood seeping through his shirt. However, there was a rip in the material over his heart. She moved the fabric away and there was a hole in his chest.
She stared at the wound, trying to make some sense of what she saw. Her head was spinning. Was she dreaming?
“How?” she asked bewildered.
“It’s impossible to kill a phantom, darling,” Jeb said. “I become flesh one night a year, but there is no heartbeat, no blood. Only a reflection of what I once was and may never be again.”
He vanished after saying those words. All that remained was the bullet’s slug. Kori was not sure how, but the man she spent the evening with was Captain Jebediah Andrew Crawford.
“Love’s ultimate act,” she muttered to herself. Kori got to her feet and ran toward Crawford House. If she wasn’t mistaken, she was going to find a very different Jeb residing in that house now.
Chapter 8
He woke to the sound of beeping, a sharp pain in his arm, and feeling like he was at death’s door.
“Kori,” he barely uttered through dried lips and a parched throat.
When he opened his eyes, Constance jabbed him with another needle. The enchantment had been broken. He was in his own decrepit body, dying.
“I didn’t go to medical school to prepare for this day to watch you die,” Constance said. “Fight, you old bastard!”
Although it hurt his chest, Jeb laughed. Now that he was mortal again, her true colors were vis
ible. He liked this newly discovered side of his niece. She was quite a firecracker. Jenny would have been proud of her.
“Mom,” a young female voice cried, “there is some woman banging on the door calling for Uncle Jeb.”
“Let her in, Molly,” Constance said. “Make sure she has a stiff drink before you bring her down here. She’s going to need it.”
Jeb didn’t know how he felt about Constance instructing her teenage daughter to pour Kori an alcoholic beverage. Today’s children were more mature than they were in his day. He was too concerned about how he looked to challenge his niece on her choices.
“That bad?” Jeb managed to say between dry lips. His mind was going faster than his ability to speak.
“You saw your body, Jeb,” Constance answered. “We knew you were going to wake a very sick man. I shot you with antibiotics, vitamins, ibuprofen, and just about anything else I could think of. Medicine has advanced a lot since 1864. In your stasis, I couldn’t tell what was killing you. But I don’t think it’s yellow fever, thank God!”
Jeb closed his eyes and tried to assess his condition based on how he felt. Doctors had been to see him, but he had come in and out of delirium caused by high fevers. He was not sure if they ever diagnosed him with any particular disease.
“Fever,” Jeb finally said. He knew he was burning up.
“One hundred three,” Constance replied. “I gave you something that should bring down the fever.”
“Oh, my God!” another woman cried. He would recognize that voice anywhere. It was Kori.
He opened his eyes to see her shocked expression. Jeb knew he didn’t resemble the man who made love to her earlier this evening or the ghost she saw through the window. Instead, he was a dying husk of a man.
“Pour some water into a glass and let him sip a little,” Constance instructed impatiently. “Then grab a cold cloth and help cool him down. He was close to death when Jenny worked her spell. She had faith her descendants would be able to save him when he performed the ultimate act of love.”
