by Powell, C. G. ; Lavender, Cait; Rayns, Lisa; Hardin, Olivia; Nelson, Stephanie; Schulte, Liz
Scooting up, I leaned against the headboard. Curling my fingers around her arm, I motioned for her to sit on my lap. When she moved, straddling my waist, I smiled wide. Not giving her another minute to think, I began kissing her again. I trailed my hands up either side of her, squeezing her hips and wanting nothing more than to rip the skimpy nightie off of her body. Whoever said patience is a virtue was a dumbass.
“Dorian,” she breathed against my mouth, placing a hand on my chest.
“For someone who thinks our earlier moment was a mistake you look like you’re more than willing to make it again. You’re attracted to me, Gwen. Nothing and no one in this world should falter us from exploring what that means.”
She watched me for a few moments. “I do like you, but it’s not a good time for this,” she paused. “And I like kissing you, there I said it, but I can’t offer anymore of myself right now. You understand, right?”
“Not really,” I told her honestly. “If you like kissing me, as you say, then can’t you trust those feelings even more?” I ran my hand across her backside, my fingers itching to tear the thin fabric that covered it.
“My life is complicated right now, you know that,” Gwen snapped, climbing off of my lap. “Besides, as much as I like kissing you—I don’t do one night stands.” She pulled her hair to the side and lay back down, bringing the covers up to cover her.
I’d proven a point in that as much as she wanted to spout shit about us kissing being a mistake; she’d willingly do it again. But, she wasn’t any closer to giving herself to me as she had been a week ago. Damn stubborn woman. I didn’t understand humans and their qualms about sex and relationships. If I felt like screwing a girl—I did. Relationships are too restricting and only cause problems. Love- is just a silly notion to make people feel less alone in this world. I’d seen many deaths and in the end, most of those lovers had grown tired of one another. Weighted down by years of fighting, children, bills and all of the stress that came with it. Still, Gwen had me fighting for her when before I would have just walked away. Perhaps it was the challenge of winning her over but I was afraid that if that day should ever come, I wouldn’t have the strength to leave her.
I lay back down, adjusted the bulge in my underwear and tried not to scream in frustration. My balls were bluer than blueberries. I’d have to find some dimwitted twit to remedy that for me, and soon.
~ 5 ~
“How do I send him on his merry way?” Gwen asked as she inched towards the spirit. We’d stepped into the ghostly realm to find the spirit without alerting Betty and Leonard to what we were.
“Hold onto him—”
“How the hell am I supposed to do that?” Gwen interrupted. I often forgot her knowledge of her powers was shit. The spirit hovered in the corner, its eyes trained on me and a sneer on its translucent face.
“You’re connected to death, therefore you can touch it. Remind me when we get home to sit you down and quiz you until you know this shit.”
“Shut up,” she said as she lunged for the spirit. The ghost, which used to be man in his later forties, floated upwards and out of her grasp. Gwen crashed into the wall and stared up at the ghost hovering above her.
“Quit making this difficult and get your ass down here,” she snapped at it. A smile curled my mouth upward as I watched her. The ghost ignored her and walked through the wall. Gwen grumbled, shot me a displeased look and headed for the door.
“Why can’t you just take care of him?”
“Because I know what I’m doing, you don’t. What’s a better way to learn than practice?”
Gwen walked down the hallway and into the next bedroom. She searched the space for the tricky spirit and grumbled when she couldn’t find him.
“Yea, well I don’t plan on making a habit out of this,” she said as she walked down the hall peering into rooms.
“Even so, it’s safe to know what you’re capable of. Better to know what’s in your arsenal.”
Gwen shook her head but didn’t comment. A loud banging noise sounded from above us.
“Must be in the attic,” I said as I stared up at the ceiling.
“I can’t reach the string,” Gwen said with annoyance. Walking closer, I reached up and pulled the attic stairs down. I smirked at her as she cut in front of me and headed up the steps. She was determined to send the spirit away so we could return home. The close quarters at the Inn left her on edge and unsure of her feelings. She may be nursing a broken heart, but I was the drug that could numb that pain—if only for a little while. Having me around was like a recovering alcoholic staring down the bottle.
Following her upstairs, I stood at the mouth of the opening as Gwen batted at cobwebs in search for Casper. A white figure swooshed behind her and she whirled around to face the ghost.
“Stop playing games!” she snarled and was greeted with a devilish laugh. A small picture frame sailed across the room and hit her on the arm. I began to laugh but when she sent me a murderous glare, I covered it with a cough.
“It’s dusty up here.”
The spirit did circles around the room. Gwen’s body swiveled with the motion, her arms reaching out as she tried to lay her hands on him. The floorboards creaked as she moved and just as I rushed forward, her foot fell through the floor. Reaching an arm out and sliding it around her waist, I caught her before she tumbled backwards. Her hands gripped my leather jacket tight and I pulled her up. Gwen wiggled her ankle to loosen her foot and stood up straight.
“That’s it; I’m done for the day.” She let go of me and walked over to the opening. Once she was downstairs I walked over to the spirit, grabbed ahold of him and said, “You’re not supposed to hurt her, Eddie. Our deal was that you’d make it difficult for her so that she could learn and I wouldn’t banish you to the ghostly realm. If you’re breaking the contract then so am I.” I sent my energy to my hand. The power would restrict Eddie from traveling between the two dimensions and he’d be stuck in the realm of the dead for eternity.
“No…no please. I didn’t mean to hurt her,” Eddie pleaded.
“Next time let her touch you,” I warned the spirit. His dark eyes widened and his head bobbed up and down. I released my grip on him and left the attic. Gwen was waiting for me, leaning against the wall.
“Who were you talking to?”
I shook my head to feign innocence. “No one.” Gwen quirked an eyebrow and I smiled. Grabbing her hand, I pulled her downstairs and towards the front door.
“Where are we going?”
“To have a drink.”
*
I started the SUV and pulled out of Clover Grove’s driveway. Without thinking, I reached down and held onto Gwen’s hand. Her fingers squeezed mine, the action causing an unwelcome emotion in the pit of my stomach. I was getting too involved with this woman and it’d only end badly. Being tied down to one woman wasn’t who I was, especially when that woman didn’t want a relationship with me. How could I be such a fool for her?
I removed my hand from hers and placed it back on the steering wheel. I wondered why she even let me do it. She kept calling me her friend so maybe it was a normal thing for friends to hold hands. Still, feeling her skin on mine was torture. My body needed to have her, experience her and claim her. These were new feelings for me, ones I wasn’t sure how I felt about. No one in my lifetime had had this effect over me, what made her so special?
I turned down the main road that led into downtown Salem. Large brick buildings lined either side of the street. Although snow on the ground, there were people out and about. Parking between two cars, I shut the car off.
Gwen busied herself with observing the landscape. Various “psychic” shops lined the street along with other mystical businesses. The people of Salem really took advantage of their bloody history. Now that they knew witches really existed and accepted them, their businesses could be considered mockery. Of course some witches probably took it as a compliment.
“Alcohol at one in the afternoon,
that’s not sad or anything” Gwen said sarcastically as she stuffed her hands in her coat pocket.
“What’s sad is that there’s designated times for drinking. Why is it only acceptable to drink at night? Seems silly,” I told her. “Come on.” I grabbed her hand and led her to a small bar down the road. When we stepped inside, heads turned to observe us. Something about the hungry stares at Gwen caused pride to wash through me. What a pointless emotion—she wasn’t mine. Snaking my arm around her waist, I moved her towards the barstools.
“What’ll have?” The middle aged man behind the counter asked.
“Two scotches—neat.”
“I can order my own drink, thank you,” Gwen snapped. “I’ll have a rum and coke.” The bartender smiled at me and I shook my head.
“Coming up.”
Gwen leaned on the bar with her arms crossed in front of her. “You’re a bad influence,” she told me.
I stifled a laugh. “I thought women had a thing for the bad boys?” The bartender placed our glasses in front of us.
“Oh they’re nice to have fun with, but they aren’t the ones you bring home to mom and dad.” She lifted her drink and took a large swallow.
Leaning in close, I whispered in her ear. “But a vampire is?” I lingered next to her for a few seconds, inhaling her scent and the way her body felt underneath my hand. I could have been mistaken, but I thought I heard her breathing pick up and a slight shiver run through her.
I sat back in my chair, took a drink and grinned at her. As much as she wanted me to believe that she didn’t want me, she did. I wasn’t out of the game just yet. The ever present hunger I had whenever she was in my company intensified. If she was game, I’d escort her to the bathroom and show her what she’d been missing. Unfortunately, I had to take my time with her.
“What is your normal type of woman?” Gwen asked and I quirked an eyebrow. “I assume we’re still asking questions until we reach twenty-one, right?”
I nodded while I thought about how to answer her question without offending her in some way. Women are a tricky species that say one thing but do another. She seemed casual and laid back at the moment, like we were just two friends chatting but as soon as something vulgar left my lips she’d scoff and hate me.
“I don’t have a type, although I’m currently into brunettes,” I smiled and she rolled her eyes.
“What is it about bars? As soon as men step into them they catch the disease of cheesy pickup lines,” Gwen looked at me out of the corner of her eye. “Don’t you guys realize they never work?”
My smile grew wider. “Well I can tell you from experience that they do. You’re just a bit more stubborn than most.”
“Would you rather me smile, blush and giggle? Should I flip my hair and touch you?” Gwen demonstrated by placing her hand on my leg, smiling and flipping her hair over her shoulder. Deciding not to correct her, I embraced her charades. I leaned in and ran a finger down the length of neck. The surprise in her eyes was enough to make me smile.
“Should we take this somewhere more private?”
Gwen broke contact with me and shrugged out from under my hand. “You’re hopeless,” she scoffed as she picked up her glass.
“Hey, you were giving me the signs. Excuse me for responding to them,” I snorted. “Besides, while bimbos are fun, I actually prefer a good chase.”
“Uh-huh.”
Shaking my head, I finished the contents of my drink. She was the hopeless one, the one destined to get her heart broken over and over all because she believed in that nasty four letter word—love.
“Your boss must be pretty cool if he’ll allow you to drink and just take off to help me,” Gwen said shooting me a look. Her fingers curled around the chubby glass as she moved it along the bar. I couldn’t help but noticed the curve of her back as she leaned onto the bar. The way her hips and ass stuck out like a welcome invitation. What must that body look like when it wasn’t covered in tight sweaters, jeans and skirts. My tongue darted out as I licked my lips. Gwen caught the motion and a flicker of interest lit her blue eyes. When I smirked though, that interest fizzled as fast as it had come.
I rolled my neck and scrubbed a hand over my face, hoping to erase the heat she’d caused. “I told you, no questions about work.”
Gwen sighed in exasperation. “Come on! I don’t know a thing about you, yet you expect me to sleep with you?”
I snorted and motioned to the bartender for a refill. “You already know what I do for a living, is me explaining the inner workings of that job really going to get me laid?” I gave her a pointed look. “That gets you hot, huh?”
“Is that all you want from me, sex?”
Uh oh. I’d offended her and now her defenses were up. “It’s only one of the many things I want from you.” I kept my face serious and made sure my voice matched. In truth, I wasn’t sure what I wanted with her or why I was hanging around. I fantasized about our bodies intertwined but sex wasn’t enough to keep me in one place, I could get that anywhere. What was it about her that stilled my nomadic ways? I didn’t like being confused about a situation. That was a good way to be caught off guard which in turn could cause some damage. Still, I couldn’t ignore the pull my body felt towards her. I convinced myself that it was the reason for me staying. I remained beside her out of curiosity and nothing more.
“And what are the other things you want from me, Dorian?” Gwen swiveled her chair so that she was facing me, a look of suspicion contorting her face.
When the bartender slid a fresh glass of scotch towards me, I took a moment to take a few languid drinks. Gwen asked too many questions, questions I didn’t have answers to. What other interests in her did I have? What would a normal human man say? That they’d like to get to know her? That they’re looking for a relationship and are ready to settle down? Just thinking those absurd responses caused me to mentally laugh. The Angel of Death did belong behind a white picket fence.
“I’ll be sure to let you know as soon as I figure it out,” I told her honestly. I wouldn’t spew those fairytale pickup lines, even if they got me closer to what I craved. I thought that she would press the subject, her mouth opened and she began to say something. I waited for her to argue but she snapped her lips shut and nodded. That wasn’t like her. She always needed answers, always wanted to understand. Perhaps I wasn’t the only one confused about what was going on between us.
~ 6 ~
“That bastard is watching us!” Gwen thrust a hand in the air, pointing towards the attic window. Eddie was indeed watching us. His white silhouette was framed in the glass as he peered down at the driveway.
Gwen climbed off of my bike and headed towards the front door. Scrambling after her, we both came to a stop when Betty stepped in front of us.
“Good evening, dears,” she said in a chipper voice and a matching smile. Her gray hair was artfully pinned up and she wore a gray skirt that covered her feet and a light pink blouse. An older man, who I assumed was Leonard, came around the corner.”
“So, these are our guest for the week?” Leonard stepped forward with an outstretched hand and he and I shook. He nodded his head in Gwen’s direction and settled back next to Betty.
“We’ll be leaving tomorrow actually,” Gwen spoke up.
“Nonsense, you’ve paid for the whole week,” Betty said. Gwen looked at me over her shoulder, anger evident on her face. Shrugging my shoulders, I leaned down and said, “I wasn’t sure how long it would take you to get rid of Eddie.” I realized once I said the ghost’s name that I’d said too much.
“Eddie?” Gwen’s voice rose from a whisper so that Betty and Leonard heard.
“Hmm, I thought your name was Dorian,” Betty said with a quizzical look.
“What kind of name is Dorian?” Leonard interjected.
Three faces stared at me with anger and confusion. I held up a finger to Gwen and spoke to Betty and Leonard. “My name is Dorian. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’ll retire upstairs.” I placed my
hand on the small of Gwen’s back and urged her forward. When we’d taken a few steps up the staircase, Betty spoke.
“You’re ghost hunters, aren’t you?” Her question was startling but at least she didn’t have an idea as to what we really were.
“Why would you think that?” Gwen stopped and turned to face the old couple.
Betty walked around the counter, grabbed a pamphlet and handed it to Gwen. “Clover Grove has been marked as one of the most haunted places in Salem. Many come from all around to capture our ghost…in one way or another. But Colin is a shy ghosts and one that does not appreciate you people trying to catch EVP’s.” Betty crossed her arms, Leonard standing behind her with his hands on her shoulder. Gwen’s eyes went wide as she looked from the couple to me with disbelief.
“His name is Eddie…Eddie Pencoli,” I told the elderly couple. “There are many words to describe him, but shy isn’t one of them. I understand you may be protective of the ghost, I mean it brings in business right?” I walked back down the steps and leaned against the banister post. “We’re not here to get rid of him, we’re just training.”
Betty looked up at Leonard and he looked at me, a mixture of indecision on his wrinkly face.
“No, his name is Colin Weathers. He used to work as a maintenance man here. We saw his ghost not long after he died, he’s been here ever since,” Leonard explained.
“Perhaps we’re thinking of two different ghosts. After all, it is what Clover Grove is famous for, right?” I smiled at them. They didn’t know that they were talking with the Angel of Death or that Gwen was a witch with spirit walker abilities. It was best to let them think we were just simple ghosts hunters.
