“Share?” Lisa gapped, her eyes widening in surprise. “As in share you?”
“Yeah.”
She bit her lower lip and looked at the two of them. If the suggestion didn’t have her stomach tied in knots, the shocked looks on their faces would’ve made her laugh out loud.
“Well,” Lisa said before licking her lips and frowning. “I have to say, I didn’t see that coming.”
“Me either,” Alana whispered. “It wouldn’t be so bad if they hadn’t tried to trick me by trading places with each other. Noah told me they feel each other’s pain and pleasure. He claims he came every time Aiden did when Aiden and I were together.”
“Well, that’s a new one,” Lisa said.
“As well as that, they feel each other’s emotions, and when I’m there, it’s stronger.”
Tray shrugged one shoulder and tilted his head to the side thoughtfully. “Sharing’s not so bad…if they know what they’re doing.”
Lisa scowled at Tray. “You’re not seriously suggesting she do this, are you? And how do you know anything about sharing?”
“I’ve shared,” he argued, sounding just a little offended.
“Only because you were after the guy, not the girl,” Alana pointed out.
“Hey, whatever works. I’m not above a little slap and tickle with the opposite sex if it gets me the ultimate goal I’m after—which it did, by the way. But we’re not talking about me. We’re talking about you.”
“I’d rather we didn’t talk about me,” Alana grumbled as she stood and walked over to the coffeepot.
She lifted it and swirled the contents. “How fresh is this?” she asked.
“I just made it,” Lisa replied.
Alana poured herself a cup, trying to ignore the two pairs of eyes she could feel boring into her back. “I was played,” she said with a shrug as she placed the pot back onto the warmer. “I think it’s what they were after all along. They claim they have some sort of psychic physical connection and… It doesn’t matter anyway. I got a good night of sex out of it. Let’s just hurry and finish with this house and move on.”
“Alana, you are so full of shit,” Tray said with amusement, and Alana turned to glare at him, but before she could get a word in edgewise, he spoke again. “You cannot stand there and tell us you haven’t thought about it.”
“Of course I’ve thought about it. They’re gorgeous. Who wouldn’t?”
“Like I said, if a threesome is done right, it can be very pleasurable for the woman. You know,” he added with a shrug and a wicked gleam in his eyes, “just in case you didn’t hear me the first time.”
Alana stared at Tray for a brief second, trying not to giggle at his wiggling eyebrows before speaking. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear you were trying to talk me into it.”
“I’m not trying to talk you into it. I know you, Alana. If you decide you want to do it, you will. If you don’t, you’ll wonder about this for the rest of your—”
Alana frowned. “I will not.”
“Really?” Tray drawled, studying her closely.
With a sigh, Alana dropped onto the sofa and twisted her lips. “You haven’t said much, Lisa. What’s your opinion? I know you have one.”
“I just don’t want you to get hurt. Guys are dogs. You know it, and I know it. I agree that they probably had this in mind all along, but now that it’s been offered—”
“I don’t know that it has been offered, at least not in threesome form. All Noah said was that they shared and for me to think about it.”
“Sharing usually involves a threesome, hon,” Tray said.
“I don’t know,” she said, letting out a tired breath. “Let’s stop thinking about this for now.”
“I’m all for that,” Tray teased. “All this talk of threesomes and hot guys has me all aflutter.”
He shuddered, smiling like a loon. Alana and Lisa both laughed. Tray was definitely good at lightening the mood. He never failed to make her smile when she needed it. He could also listen, sometimes better than Lisa, who often wanted to give advice. And sometimes Alana didn’t want to be told what to do but just to talk about it.
“Have you eaten?” Lisa asked.
“No, and I’m starving.”
Tray leaned over and grabbed his cell phone off the table that was closest to them. “Let’s order some pizzas, and then we’ll head on over to the house. I’m dying to get back onto the second floor tonight.”
A dark shadow passed over Lisa’s eyes. Alana watched her closely as the shadow faded, but a slight hint of confusion lingered on her face.
“Lisa? You okay?” Alana asked.
Lisa blinked and looked at Alana as though coming from a trance. “What?”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” she replied after a brief pause. “It’s just when he mentioned the second floor…” She waved her hand in dismissal. “It was nothing.”
“Lisa—”
“I’m fine. I promise. I’m not about to let you guys keep me out of this investigation. I’m dying to see the inside of this house.”
Alana let it go, but concern for her friend lingered. Despite Lisa’s resolve, Alana wasn’t about to let anything happen to her again. Lisa liked to act tough, but Alana knew just how vulnerable Lisa really was. What happened to her had terrified her enough that she’d blocked it out.
Alana would prefer it stayed blocked for her friend’s sake.
* * *
Aiden pulled his tie from his shirt collar and tossed it onto the bed just as his brother walked into the room. Noah leaned against the doorjamb, a frown wrinkling his brow. He crossed his arms over his chest just as Aiden stepped into the walk-in closet to grab a pair of jeans and a jacket.
“Well?” Aiden pulled the jeans from the hanger and tossed them onto the bed from inside the closet. “How’d it go?”
“Not sure yet.”
Aiden frowned toward the door then continued sifting through his shirts, looking for something warm. The nighttime temps were dropping tonight, and he wanted to make sure he was warm while investigating the house.
“Care to elaborate?” Aiden asked.
“I kissed her. She kissed me back.”
Aiden paused pulling the shirt off the hanger. “That’s it?”
“You should know if that’s it or not.”
“Actually I do, but that’s not what I meant.”
He stepped from the closet and stared at his brother, who remained inside the door frame, his stare locked on something across the room.
“What’s wrong with you?” Aiden asked as he shrugged out of his shirt. “Did she slap you or something?”
Noah used his middle finger to scratch at his nose, making Aiden snicker. “Cute, Noah.”
“I found her at the house alone.”
Aiden froze. “What? What the hell was she thinking?”
Noah pushed away from the door frame and moved to sit on the foot of the bed. “I’m sure she was freaked out and wanted a minute or two to think, although I’m a little surprised she went there without someone with her.”
“And whose fault was that?” Aiden asked as he removed his slacks then stepped into his jeans.
“It was mine,” Noah sneered.
“Just making sure we were on the same page. You didn’t leave her there alone, did you?”
Noah glared at him through narrowed eyes. “No. Other members of her team arrived.”
Aiden’s lips twitched slightly as he watched his brother. Noah wasn’t one to be underconfident or hesitant, but something had him weirded out. “What’s up, Noah?”
Noah glanced at Aiden, then grinned. “I really like her.”
Aiden chuckled. “Me too.”
“This isn’t going to be easy. You know that, right?”
“I know,” Aiden replied, sighing. “We’ll have to work together on this. Seduce her, really bombard her, both individually and as a team.”
Noah shook his head. “You’ve got
this all worked out, huh?”
Aiden slipped his arms into the soft leather jacket. “You got any better ideas, genius?”
“Not at the moment. We should probably just play it by ear, see how things go. I don’t want to force her into it.”
Aiden scowled. “I never said anything about forcing her. But I don’t want to let her get away, either. When you kissed her at the house today, I felt it. I understand now what you meant about not being able to turn it off. We’ve never felt the connection that strong with anyone else. That has to mean something, and I want to explore this and find out what that is.”
“Just make sure tonight at the house you keep your eyes open. We still haven’t gotten anywhere with the attack on Lisa. Whoever the damn son of a bitch was didn’t even leave fingerprints.”
Aiden grabbed his wallet from his slacks and slipped it into the back pocket of his jeans. “You’re coming tonight, aren’t you?”
“I’ll be there later. I have some things I need to take care of at the station.”
Aiden nodded and headed out of the bedroom. “All right. See you there.”
* * *
“Did you get that camera fixed earlier, Alana?” Tray asked.
Alana nodded as she reached behind the seat for the two new audio recorders they’d bought. After what had happened last time, they wanted to make sure everyone had a recorder. As she shut the truck door, her gaze landed on Lisa.
She stood off to the side, staring at the house, her eyes glazed over, her face pale. Alana walked over and placed her hand on her arm. Lisa jumped and turned to stare at her with wide, frightened eyes.
“I don’t think I can go in there,” she whispered.
“Do you remember something?”
Lisa shook her head and looked back to the house. “I just get a… I’m afraid looking at that house. Terrified, but I can’t remember why.”
Alana patted the back of her shoulder in an effort to soothe her friend. “It’s okay. You don’t have to go in there. Truthfully, I would feel better if you didn’t.”
“This house has the potential to be the biggest, most successful investigation we’ve ever done. I can’t believe I have to sit it out.”
Smiling, Alana wrapped her arm around her friend’s shoulder and gave her a slight hug. “There’s still lots of stuff you can do. You’re fabulous at editing.”
Lisa snorted. “Editing. I’m reduced to editing.”
“Trust me,” Alana sighed as she glanced up at the second-floor windows. “I don’t think you want to relive what happened up there. I don’t even like reliving it.”
Alana closed her eyes for a brief second, blocking out the sound of her friend’s cries that were still so fresh in her mind. She still hadn’t told Lisa or anyone in her team what she’d said that night about her attacker not being human. He had to be. Ghosts didn’t do this. They couldn’t, not to that extreme.
“In some ways I wish I could remember. Maybe then they could catch the son of a bitch. Do you think he’s still here?”
“I don’t know, but we’re not taking any chances. No one goes anywhere alone, and that most definitely includes you.”
“I wasn’t alone then.”
“I know, and we’re working on that. Maybe two squeeze into a room at a time or something, I’m not sure. But we’ll figure it out. The sheriff sent some officers to help keep things under control, so I think we’re good.”
“Speaking of officers…”
“Oh, please, don’t start,” Alana said with a sigh as she tried to ignore Lisa’s concerned expression.
“Don’t start what? I was just going to say one of them is here.”
“What?”
Alana quickly turned to where Lisa indicated and spotted one of the twins over by the van talking with Tray. It infuriated her to no end that she wasn’t sure which one he was.
“Can you tell them apart?” Lisa asked.
“If earlier today is any indication, apparently not.”
Lisa snickered, and Alana tried her best to ignore her. Whichever one he was, he looked good in the black leather jacket. His hands were in his pockets as he laughed at something Tray said. If she were to guess, she would say Aiden. He appeared more relaxed, his smile genuine and inviting.
The good twin.
Alana snorted softly.
“What was that for?” Lisa asked.
“I was just thinking. The two of them remind me of good and bad, naughty and nice.”
“Could be an interesting combination. The best of both worlds, so to speak.”
“Mmm,” Alana replied. “Maybe.”
“I’m your friend. Whatever you decide, I’ll back you up. Just be careful. I don’t see a threesome as being a long-term thing and—”
“I know. But I’m not looking for long-term, and I doubt they are either. Maybe I should just have a little fun. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to do two guys at once.” Alana shrugged. “Maybe now’s my chance. A little fun is all a threesome would be good for. That sort of relationship couldn’t really last for long, right?”
“Personally, I think you’re insane for even considering it, but…”
Alana giggled. “Like I would have the nerve to go through with it anyway.” Aiden spotted her, and after a wave to Tray, he started toward them. “Oh God. Here he comes.” She wrapped her arm around Lisa’s elbow and held tight. “Don’t move. I’m not sure I trust myself alone with him.”
Lisa chuckled and patted Alana’s hand. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“There you are,” he said as he came to a stop in front of them.
The moonlight played over his dark hair, dancing across the strands in streaks of silvery light. His full lips lifted into a tiny smile as he watched her, waiting for her to say something. All Alana could think about was the feel of his lips on hers and the fact that she still wasn’t sure which one he was.
“Aiden,” he said, grinning.
“It’s impossible to tell the two of you apart,” she said.
“Not once you get to know us. Our personalities are pretty distinct.”
Alana nodded. “Yeah. It’s a shame I didn’t notice that difference earlier.”
“Noah told me he apologized,” Aiden said.
“Did he also tell you he kissed me?”
She wasn’t sure why she’d said that. She’d just blurted it out, but now that she had, she was curious as to what Aiden would say.
“He didn’t have to. I already knew, but yes, he told me.”
Well. At least they were honest with each other.
“Should I leave the two of you alone?” Lisa asked.
“Yes,” Aiden replied.
“No,” Alana snapped.
“Okay,” Lisa drawled. “I’ve been friends with her longer, so she wins.”
Aiden nodded, chuckling. “Fair enough.” His intense stare pinned Alana to the spot as he began to speak once more. “But you and I need to talk…soon, Alana.”
His stare and tone left no mistake he was serious, and she had a feeling he’d find her alone one way or another.
Chapter Ten
Noah climbed out of his truck and stared at all the commotion going on around him. It apparently took a lot of people to make a reality show. He counted at least three cameramen. By the van, he saw his brother studying the small camera in his hands. Next to him was Lisa.
He frowned. Why was she here?
He made his way over to Aiden and Lisa. “What are you doing here?” he asked, a bit more abruptly than he’d intended.
Lisa stiffened. “Excuse me?”
“Noah, relax. Alana is making her stay in the truck with the equipment, and I got one of the officers to agree to stay with her.”
“So you’re Noah,” she said, letting her gaze wander down his chest and legs.
Noah raised an eyebrow at her brazen appraisal. “Did I pass inspection?” he asked, grinning.
“I haven’t decided yet.”
�
��I’ve already been read the riot act. Might as well brace yourself,” Aiden replied with amusement.
“Nah. I figure you can pass it along,” Lisa said.
She smiled, but Noah didn’t miss the warning in her eyes. She was protective of her friend. Noah didn’t mind. It was good Alana had friends that cared so much for her. It said a lot about her.
“Alana went into the house with Tray,” Lisa offered.
Noah glared at his brother. After what had happened to Lisa, he didn’t like the idea of either woman being in that house, regardless of who was with them.
Aiden sighed. “What? She sneaked off while my back was turned. Besides, she has Tray and two cameramen with her. I’m sure she’s fine.” Aiden stepped closer and lowered his voice. “She’s still skittish. Don’t push it.”
Noah’s lips twisted. Patience wasn’t one of his strong suits. He wanted to talk to her. Hell, if he were honest with himself he would admit to wanting to see her, touch her. Her taste had lingered all day, driving him crazy for more. He looked toward the house, wondering what floor they were on. He didn’t see any flashlights in the windows, so it was possible they were toward the back.
“How many cameramen are here?” Noah asked. “I saw three out here when I pulled up.”
“Normally, three is all we have, but because of the sheer size of the house, Alana called and requested more. They arrived this afternoon,” Lisa said.
“How many investigators?” Noah asked.
“Normally four. Myself, Tray, Jordan, and Alana, but because of what happened to me, we’re down to three.”
“You have me,” Aiden said.
Lisa smiled, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. Noah could tell she was frightened but doing her best to hide it.
“You’re not really an investigator.”
“You have to be trained for this?” Noah asked with amusement.
Lisa frowned, obviously offended that he found her profession to be anything other than serious. “Actually, yes.”
“My apologies,” he said. “But I honestly wouldn’t have thought that. I assumed anyone could take a camera and a voice recorder and investigate.”
Darkness Falls Page 9
