He inhaled sharply at the disturbing thought and shook his head. “I’m good.”
“Okay.”
“So, you’ve been at Lucia’s for two years?”
“Yeah. I’m going back to school, though. In January. I want to be a therapist. I want to help people too.”
His stomach tightened. They had something in common, and she’d pointed it out. Why did that excite him so much? “I can see you doing that. You’re different than most of the people I know.”
“How so?”
“You have a kind heart. You don’t seem impressed by the façade of the rich and famous.”
She laughed. “How could you tell?”
“I don’t get that feeling from you. Most people in my circle have this hot, sticky vibe about them with a sharp twinge of greed. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s weird. But you’re different. God, don’t listen to me. I must sound crazy.”
He clamped his mouth shut. Shit, he was an idiot. He didn’t talk about his ability like this with anyone, but she made him feel so damn comfortable, he couldn’t shut up.
“No.” She reached across the table and took his hand. “I understand. It must be hard for you, not knowing who your friends are. I bet a lot of people want to use you.”
“You have no idea. But, the thing is…I do know. And I think that’s probably worse.”
She smiled and squeezed his hand. The skin-on-skin contact allowed him to filter her emotions from the crowd’s, and she did understand. He could feel it, and it gave him the insatiable urge to just lay it all out for her. To tell her everything. To let her know him.
“And on top of all that, my own father used me the most. I’ve always been good at reading people. I guess it’s their body language or the way they talk. But it comes in pretty handy for making business deals. My dad recruited me to be his partner, and I worked with him for a while. But it was awful. He buys companies, like I do. But he breaks them apart and sells the pieces. People lose their jobs. He’s caused entire communities to collapse, and he doesn’t care. As long as it’s making him money, he doesn’t care who he hurts.”
The sympathy in her eyes encouraged him to keep talking. He shouldn’t have been telling her all this. He barely knew her, but he couldn’t help himself. The words tumbled out.
“So, I quit. I bought a failing restaurant chain and turned it around. Made it profitable again. And it felt good. They were about to close and hundreds of people would have been out of work. But I helped them. So I bought another company, and then another. I turned it into my own business, and my father never forgave me. That’s why I moved out here. I had to get away.”
“I’m sorry, Logan. I had no idea.”
“No one does. Well, except for Trent. You met him last night at the benefit…by the elevator?”
“Right.” She blushed and glanced down before meeting his eyes. “I remember him. You’re close?”
“He’s my best friend. And a hell of a lawyer too.” He laughed. “You know, you’re going to make an amazing therapist.”
“I hope so.” She let go of his hand and fidgeted with her napkin.
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to burden you with my problems. You’ve probably got a great relationship with your parents, and I’m going on and on about my issues.”
“It’s okay.” She shrugged and looked at her hands. “Both of my parents passed away.”
“I’m so sorry.” Shit. Could he screw this up any worse?
She waved off his apology. “It was years ago. My mother died of breast cancer, and my father…It was a long time ago.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, Logan. Really. But I think I do need to get back to work. I have an appointment I need to get ready for. Will you walk with me?”
“Okay.” He paid the tab, and they headed to Lucia’s. Thoughts raced through his mind on the short walk back. Allison was an amazing woman, and he connected with her on so many levels. He wanted to be with her. To get to know her.
Hell, she was someone he could fall in love with, but he couldn’t let that happen. He had issues, and he didn’t want to pull her into them. And he sure as hell didn’t want to hurt her, which he was destined to do to someone. But like Trent said, he didn’t have to marry her. Would it be so bad to date her?
When they reached the front door of Lucia’s, she turned to him. “Thank you for lunch.”
“You’re welcome.” He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and held her cheek in his hand. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, anticipation and longing radiating from her skin. That was all the invitation he needed.
He leaned in, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. When she didn’t pull away, he kissed her again, brushing his tongue against hers. She let out a soft moan and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body to his. God, she felt so good in his arms. He could hold on to this woman, and that scared him to death.
She took a deep, shuddering breath and pressed her forehead to his. Then she put her hands on his cheeks and stepped back. “Logan, I can’t…We can’t do this.”
“Why not?” But he knew the answer, even if his reason was different than hers. They couldn’t be together, and seeing her again would just make their inevitable end even harder.
“I like you, Logan. I really do. But I don’t want to get involved with anyone. I’m just… I can’t.”
“I understand.”
She smiled briefly and swallowed hard. “I have to go.” She kissed him on the cheek and turned around. With her hand on the door, she paused. He could feel her hesitation, and a glimmer of hope shot through him. Hope that she would turn around and change her mind, taking him in her arms and telling him she was his forever.
She let out her breath and stepped through the door.
CHAPTER EIGHT
With tears in her eyes, Allison hurried through the showroom to her office. She had a client coming in an hour, and she needed to get herself together. To get Logan out of her mind. What was her problem? Did she really just tell that amazing man she didn’t want to see him again? What the hell? She knew exactly what Tina would have to say. She’d tell her she was crazy. And she’d be right.
She lay face-down on her treatment table and put a pillow over her head. Why couldn’t she let it go? Just because her father couldn’t handle the pressure of that lifestyle didn’t mean Logan was going to kill himself. He was nothing like her father, and she knew that. But fear was a powerful emotion. One that Allison couldn’t overcome.
“Allison?” Lucia peeked her head in the doorway. “Is everything okay, sweetheart?”
She sat up and wiped the tears off her face. “I’m fine. You can come in. I’m just being a cry baby.”
Lucia settled into the chair and looked at her with motherly concern in her eyes. “Didn’t you like him?”
“No. I mean yes, I liked him too much. He was incredible. So real and sweet. God! I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
Lucia patted her on the knee and was about to speak, when someone knocked on the office door. Her client wasn’t supposed to be there for another half hour.
“Come in,” Allison called.
The door creaked open, and Gage’s beaming smile lit up the room. “Hey, Allison. Hi, Lucia.”
“Gage! Hi!” Allison jumped off the table and threw her arms around his waist. His familiar, woodsy scent grounded her, helping her rein in her emotions like it always did on ghost hunts with D.A.P.S. Gage’s official assignment on the team may have been IT, but the most important thing he did was keep Allison grounded when she communicated with spirits. He was her rock, and his timing couldn’t have been more perfect today.
She pulled away and smoothed his shirt. “I haven’t seen you in so long. How are you?”
“I’m good. How are you?” He wiped a tear off her cheek as Lucia slipped out the door.
“I’m fine. Just a little emotional.”
“I see that. What happened?”
&n
bsp; She sighed. “I just had a date with an amazing guy, and I told him I didn’t want to see him again.”
He sat on the table and patted the spot beside him for Allison to sit down. “Still having those abandonment issues, huh?”
“I guess I am.”
“Well, I’m glad to know I’m not the only one you’re turning down. But when you’re ready, you know there’s an amazing guy for you right here.” He winked and bumped his shoulder to hers.
“Oh, stop it.” She smiled. Gage was one of her best friends, and even if she were interested in him, she’d never risk ruining their friendship. She’d explained that to him so many times, she’d lost count. Still, he’d asked her out so many times, it was hard to tell if he was serious or not anymore. “Did Richard send you here to do his dirty work?”
He lowered his gaze. “How’d you guess?”
“I’m a psychic, remember?” She tapped her temple with her finger.
“Right. He asked me to try and convince you to come back. He told you about the case we worked on last night?”
“He did. But it sounded pretty typical. Nothing you guys can’t handle without me.”
“Oh, we can handle anything.” A cocky grin slid across his face, and she laughed. Gage never lacked self-confidence. “But it would be a lot easier if you were there. This one’s hostile. We think it’s a female entity, but we don’t know what she wants. She seemed pretty pissed about Lindsay being there last night.”
“What happened?”
“We did our usual thing. You know, going around asking questions. Trying to see if we could pick up anything on the recorder. We were heading up the stairs, and when Lindsay got to the top, something pushed her. If I hadn’t been right behind her, she would have fallen down the steps.”
“Is she okay?”
“Yeah, but that wasn’t the end of it. In the kitchen, where the guy said he saw objects moving on their own, we put a plate on the table to see if we could get the spirit to knock it off. Recreate the event. She didn’t just knock it off; she threw it right at Lindsay’s head. And in the living room, the damn thing scratched her arm. She’s still got the marks.”
“Wow. That’s insane. But it only messed with Lindsay? Not you or Richard?”
Gage shook his head. “Just Lindsay. What do you think about it?”
“Could be a jealous lover. I wouldn’t know without actually being in the house, though.” She rubbed her arms as if she had a chill. She knew where this conversation was heading.
“We’re going back tonight. Will you come?”
“I can’t. I’m not ready.”
“I totally understand. I told Richard to give you some more time, but he thought I could change your mind. He thought you might be able to make contact. Figure out what’s wrong with the spirit and help it on its way. The owner’s freaked out, and I can’t say I blame him after last night.”
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Her instinct to help both the owner and the entity was strong, but her fear was stronger. “Go back tonight, and see what you can do. If it’s really bad, call me. I might be able to help out if you really need me. I trust you to know the difference.”
He smiled and held her gaze for a moment. “I’ll let you know what we find out, either way.” He gave her a quick hug. “You take care of yourself, okay?”
“I will. It was good to see you again.”
“Yeah. It was.” He walked out the door.
Her mind reeled. It was easy to tell strangers she didn’t work with spirits anymore, but when her friends needed her help, she couldn’t ignore it. Maybe it was time for her to face her fears. Whoever heard of a professional psychic who was afraid of ghosts, anyway? She laughed at herself to think of it that way. She was afraid of ghosts. How absurd.
She could start small, like Tina suggested. She sure as hell didn’t want to face the hostile spirit Gage talked about without some experience. It had been almost a year since she communicated with a ghost. Where could she start?
Of course! Stacey. Her depression client asked her to contact her grandmother, and she did feel the spirit’s presence before she shut it out. That would be perfect.
If she could make this work. If she could get over her fear and get back into ghost hunting, it would be a great distraction. She could forget all about Logan and his mesmerizing eyes. She missed her friends, and spending more time with Gage and the rest of D.A.P.S. was just what she needed. She dialed Stacey’s number.
“Hello?” Stacey’s voice was strained and thick with tears.
Her stomach dropped at the sound. She remembered all too well the hopelessness and desperation depression triggered. “This is Allison. Are you okay?”
“No. Not really.”
“Oh, Stacey. I’m so sorry. Why don’t you come in and see me? Maybe I can help you…and I thought about your request. You wanted me to contact your grandmother? I think I’d like to do that for you.” Allison heard shuffling on the other end of the line before Stacey responded.
“Really? You’d do that for me?”
“Yes. I’d like to give it a try. What do you say? Can you be here in an hour?”
The hope in Stacey’s voice drained away. “I don’t get paid till next week. I can’t.”
“Tell you what. This one’s on me. I haven’t communicated with spirits in almost a year, so you’ll be my guinea pig.”
“Oh, Allison, thank you! Thank you so much! I’ll be there in an hour.” Hope again washed through Stacey’s voice, giving her desperate tone a slight lift.
“Great. I’ll see you soon.”
Allison hung up the phone and checked her reflection in the mirror, wiping off the makeup that smeared her cheeks. She felt better. No, she felt great. She was going to help her client and face down her fear of ghosts.
* * *
Logan pulled into his garage and leaned his head on the steering wheel. What the fuck was his problem? Allison was everything he was looking for in a woman. Only, he wasn’t looking. She just showed up at his house in this perfect little curvy package that he couldn’t wait to unwrap. He wanted to know her inside and out. Every inch of her body. Every thought in her head. Every emotion in her heart.
And he’d let her walk away.
She said she didn’t want to get involved, but he knew better. He felt the indecision mixing through the air as she hesitated by the door. She was scared. What on earth did a woman like that have to be scared of?
He killed the engine and went in through the back door. There was no sense in going back to the office; he couldn’t keep his mind on work. He’d spend a little time in the weight room before heading back to Trent’s place for the night. The ghost busters would be there at five, and he’d have to clear out by then.
He stopped in the kitchen and poured a glass of water from the filtered faucet in his sink. He still had the taste of Allison on his tongue, and though he relished the sweet sensation, he had to wash it away. He needed to forget about her before his heart got caught in a tangled web of emotion he didn’t know how to handle.
He stood there, lost in thought, and stared out the window overlooking the river. They weren’t obsessive thoughts. Not yet. But he knew how easily he could slip into that abyss of fixation. Better to stop it before it starts.
He took one more swig of water and nearly choked when he felt a pair of cool arms slide around his waist. He froze, dropping his glass in the sink, when a body embraced him from behind, like a lover.
Holy shit.
He took a deep, steadying breath and spun around. There was nothing there.
“What do you want?” he yelled into the empty house. “Why won’t you leave me alone?”
He rinsed his glass and put it in the dishwasher before jetting up the stairs. As soon as he reached the top, he heard the same voice from a few days before.
“Why?”
“Just leave me the fuck alone!”
Forget the weights. He wanted to get the hell out of that house. He
changed into his running clothes as fast as he could, threw his dirty clothes in the appropriate hampers, and darted out the front door.
The jogging path along the river gave him the sense of being away from it all, even though he was only minutes from his office downtown. Trees lined the gravel path, and his feet pounded it in a crunching, soothing rhythm. If he was close to spiraling into one of his episodes, he’d count the steps as he ran. But he was okay. His mind was clear enough to think rationally, and he knew he had to get rid of that ghost. Surely the ghost busters would take care of it tonight.
His muscles burned to the point of exhaustion, and he headed home to brave the spirit and shower. Opening the front door, he slipped inside.
“Hello? If you’re still here, I want you to leave me alone. I’m just going to shower, and then I’m leaving. Just please…leave me alone.” He felt like an idiot talking to his empty house, but what else could he do? He had enough strain in his life without adding a deranged ghost into the mix.
He made it upstairs with no sign from the spirit, so he relaxed in the shower. He let his cleansing ritual sooth his mind and his body, and then he got dressed and packed his bag.
The doorbell rang at exactly five o’clock, and he opened the door to find Gage and Richard with their arms full of gear. Cases with cameras, audio recorders and other odd devices weighed them down, and he stepped aside for them to enter.
“Lindsay didn’t make it tonight?” He asked as the men unloaded their gear.
“She’s here,” Richard said. “She’s going to wait in the van for a while, so Gage and I can try to make contact on our own. Your ghost wasn’t thrilled about her being here, and we need to figure out why.”
“Okay. You’re the professionals.”
“Have you had any more trouble today?” Gage pulled a pack of Twizzlers out of his pocket.
“Yeah, actually.” He ran his hand through his hair and looked at the ground. “This is going to sound crazy, but I think it hugged me in the kitchen.”
“That’s not crazy.” Gage slapped Logan on the shoulder. “Any info you can give us helps. What did it feel like?”
To Catch a Spirit (Spirit Chasers Book 1) Page 8
