“I understand.” She kissed him on each cheek, then on the forehead before she slid off his lap. “Go get clean. Because after we get rid of this ghost, we’re going to get very dirty.” She crawled out of bed and walked naked across her apartment.
Damn.
She had to be the sexiest woman alive, and she was his. He slid out of bed and followed her to the living room to get his bag. She fished her phone out of her purse and turned to face him, a scant inch or two separating them. Electricity danced between them as he looked into her eyes.
“You better go get in the shower, or we’ll never leave the apartment.” She ran her finger down his stomach, stopping just below his navel before she turned and walked back to the bedroom, placing the phone against her ear.
Oh, hell. She was right. He peeled his eyes away from her swaying hips and headed to the bathroom.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
“Hey, girl. It’s Allie. Did I wake you?” Allison wrapped herself in a lavender robe and sat on the edge of her bed.
Tina took a deep, sleepy breath. “It’s nine o’clock in the morning. Shouldn’t you be having sex or something?”
“I’ve been doing that all night.” And she’d be doing it all day, too, if she didn’t set her plan in action. Having Logan dripping wet in a hot, steamy shower was more than tempting, but she had to resolve this ghost issue. If she could get this taken care of, she’d be ready to get on with her life with Logan.
“Anyway, do you think I could convince you and Trent to get out of bed long enough to help me get rid of Logan’s ghost?”
“I’m not with Trent. And you know I’ll help you. What do you need me to do?”
“What do you mean you’re not with Trent? Didn’t you go home with him last night?”
Tina sighed. “I took him home, but I didn’t go in. He invited me, but I said no.”
“Not your type?”
“No. He’s very much my type. So much it scares me.”
“Wow. That sounds familiar.”
“I know. So, what do you want me to do?”
“Just be at my house in an hour. I’ll explain it then. Oh, and Trent’s coming too. Just so you know.” The water shut off in the bathroom, and her heart raced as the door clicked open.
“Great.”
Logan walked to the doorway, wearing nothing but a green towel wrapped around his waist.
Allison swallowed. “Better make that two hours, Tina. Something just came up.” She hung up the phone and slinked toward him, running her hands up his bare chest and linking them behind his neck. “Something is coming up, isn’t it?”
His mouth turned up at one corner as he pressed against her, letting her feel exactly what was up.
“Oh, goodie.”
* * *
“So, they'll be here in an hour?” Logan slipped on his jeans. His legs still felt boneless from his romp with Allison. He pulled a dark green sweater out of his bag and put it on as Allison walked around the room naked, gathering her clothes. She was so confident. Not at all the fragile flower he first took her for. She was smart and witty and so, so beautiful.
“Actually, Tina’s not with Trent. She didn’t spend the night with him.”
He chuckled. “Really? That must’ve been her doing, because he’s been hot for her for a while.”
“I think she likes him too much. Don’t tell him I said that, though.”
He held up three fingers in a “scouts honor” salute. “I guess I better take him his car then. He’s stranded at his house, since he doesn’t have my keys. Do you want me to come back by and pick you up?” He threw his bag over his shoulder and pulled Allison’s naked body to his. “Or do you want to ghost hunt another time and spend the rest of today in bed?”
She rested her hand on his chest and grinned. “As tempting as that is, I really want to get this over with, so we can move forward with our lives.”
Moving forward was exactly what he wanted to do with her, and he was just about to say so when she pulled away from his embrace.
“I need to get in the shower before Tina gets here. Go get Trent, and we’ll meet you at your house in say… an hour and a half?”
“All right. I’ll see you soon.”
He locked the inner lock and closed the door behind him, pausing before he descended the stairs. He should go back in and conquer his shower issues once and for all. Just the thought of Allison’s slick, wet body under the steady stream of warmth had him aroused and aching for her. He put his hand on the brass knob and gave it a twist. Damn it, he locked it from the inside. He turned on his heel and headed down the stairs. That conquest would have to wait for another day. But there was one thing that couldn’t wait. An hour and a half gave him plenty of time to make a quick pit stop before heading to Trent’s.
By the time he made it to Trent’s house, his buddy was already up and dressed, sipping coffee on his sofa.
“Thanks for letting me borrow your car.” He walked into the kitchen and poured himself a cup.
“Anytime, man. How’d it go?”
He sat on the recliner and chuckled before he took a sip from his mug.
“That good, huh?” Trent flashed a knowing smile.
“Yeah. Where’s Tina?”
Now it was Trent’s turn to chuckle. “That woman…” He shook his head and set his cup down. “I think she’s playing hard to get.”
Logan raised his eyebrows and waited for him to continue.
“That’s okay, though. The ones that are hard to get are usually the ones worth getting.”
He nodded. “I hear you. So, listen, man. Allison is dead set on getting rid of that ghost, and I’m going to help her. Can I count you in?”
“Of course you can. But I don’t know what I can do. I don’t have a psychic bone in my body.”
“That’s exactly why Allison wants you to help. She thinks you can ground us.”
“Ground you?”
“She can explain it better than I can. We’re meeting them at my place in half an hour.”
“Them?”
“Tina’s coming too.”
A smile spread across Trent’s face. “Well, why didn’t you say so? Let’s do it.”
* * *
Tina strutted into Allison’s living room with a smug grin on her face. She dropped her purse on the table and perched on the edge of the sofa.
“Go ahead.” Her smile grew wider as her eyes lit on Allison. “You can thank me now.”
“So you did call Logan last night. Thank you, Tina. I…thank you.” She slipped on her shoes and picked up her purse. “We need to get going. Are you ready?”
“As always. And I didn’t call Logan. I called Trent. It took a little covert planning, but we made it happen.”
“Well, then I’ll have to be sure and thank Trent too. And speaking of Trent…Why don’t you ride with me, so he’ll have to take you home?”
Tina sighed and rolled her eyes. “That’s actually a good idea, Allie. I wouldn’t mind spending a little more private time with him. We didn’t get to talk much in that noisy bar last night. It got rowdy after Logan bought the place two rounds.”
“I bet it did.” That was the side of Logan the public knew about. His shell, as he called it. The party boy. How much of it would remain intact now that she’d managed to break through? The parties and benefits were all part of his business. Part of the reason he was so successful, she supposed. It came with the package, and she could love that part of him too. She’d just have to learn to come out of her own shell and enjoy herself in the crowds.
“And speaking of Logan.” Tina winked. “How was your night?”
Allison grinned as heat flushed her cheeks. “It was amazing.” She chuckled. “I was such an idiot. I don’t know what I was thinking, leaving him like that. It was just plain stupid.”
“Hmm…I think I told you that. So, you’re back together now, right? You didn’t pull any more of that ‘let’s think about it’ bull shit, did you? Because if you did, I might have
to punch you.”
“No. I’m not letting him go this time.”
Allison drove across the bridge that led to Grayhaven Island and Logan’s estate. Now that she knew the man who owned it, the mansion didn’t seem quite as obnoxious as the first time she saw it. The front lawn had been recently tended, the leaves that once crunched under her feet swept neatly away. The white stucco finish and Spanish tile roof gave the place an almost quaint appearance, and the stone steps that led up to the front porch weren’t as intimidating as before.
They pulled into Logan’s driveway and parked next to Trent’s BMW. Tina grabbed Allison’s hand before she got out of the car. “Tell me exactly what I’m going to be doing. I’ve never done one of these with you before, and it’s a little freaky.”
She patted Tina’s hand. “All you have to do is be there. Logan and I will do the rest.”
Tina’s eyes grew wide. “Oh. My. God. Logan’s psychic too, isn’t he?”
She lowered her voice. “A little bit, yeah. But he’s just coming to terms with his abilities, so don’t bring it up unless he does. It’d probably be bad for business if it got around, you know?”
Tina used her finger to cross her heart. “Absolutely. I won’t say a word. And Trent? Is he?”
Allison opened her door and swung her legs out of the car. “He’s here to ground us…just like you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
“She’s here. I can feel it.” Logan rubbed his arm where the hairs stood on end. “She’s watching us.”
“Huh. I don’t feel a thing.” Trent relaxed on the couch as Logan paced a short track in the living room. “How can you tell?”
“There’s a buzzing electrical feel in the air. I never noticed it before, but it’s unmistakable now. I don’t know. Maybe I’m just more aware of it.”
“Or maybe it’s your imagination.”
He sat on the edge of a chair and rested his elbows on his knees. “No, it’s definitely not. Allison’s opened my eyes to a lot of things. A lot of control I didn’t know I had. It’s liberating.”
“As long as you’re happy, man.” The bell rang, and Trent’s gaze cut to the front door.
Logan jumped to his feet, a knot forming in the pit of his stomach as he answered the door. The last two times Allison tried to clear out the ghost had ended badly, and he was going to do everything in his power to keep her safe this time. His heart couldn’t take it if he lost her again.
He swung open the door and immediately swept Allison up in a firm embrace. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too. But we should probably get started before Lily gets too jealous.”
“I swear I won’t let you get hurt this time. No matter what happens, I will stay by your side. I promise.” He pulled her close and held her in his arms until a slap on the shoulder from Trent interrupted them.
“You ready to do this, man?” Trent said.
“I know I want to get it over with.” Tina stood next to Trent, a nervous smile stretching across her face. “I’m a little freaked out, to be honest.”
Trent grinned and wrapped his arm around Tina’s shoulders. “I’ll keep you safe. Don’t worry.”
Allison looked at Logan and giggled; he rolled his eyes. It was only a week ago that he and Allison were in that awkward, unsure stage. Now he could honestly say he’d never been more sure of anything in his life.
Allison pulled away from his embrace, but he caught her by the hand. She glanced at their joined hands and then at him with a questioning look in her eyes.
“I’m not letting you go this time.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but closed it again and nodded. “Okay. Let’s go. Do you still have my supplies?”
“They’re already up there.” He led her up the stairs, with Tina and Trent close behind. He felt the unease in the air, and it was hard to tell exactly whom it belonged to. If he really tried to focus on each individual, he could sort out the emotions. But his focus was only on Allison, the hard edge of her determination slicing through the apprehension.
When they reached the top of the stairs, Allison positioned them in a circle with herself between Logan and Tina. She set the crystal by the window and poured a circle of salt around her friends. Trent watched her with speculation as he rubbed his hand on Tina’s back.
“God, Allie. I’ve never seen you take so many steps before you did your thing. Is this going to be dangerous?” Tina’s unease flooded Logan’s senses, making it harder for him to focus on Allison. He closed his eyes and imagined a bubble around himself and his lover, and he filled the bubble with warm light. He opened his eyes, and only Allison’s energy buzzed around him, a vibrating electrical current running between them, connecting them.
Allison must have felt it, too, because she squeezed his hand and gave him a knowing smile. “I’m not going anywhere, Logan. But if we’re going to be this close, you might want to take Trent’s hand, too. You’re going to need a grounding force. And, Tina, it won’t be dangerous at all, as long as everyone stays inside the circle.”
The four friends joined hands, and Logan finally understood what Allison meant about grounding. He felt the pull of the different energies, and he struggled to find a balance between the two. From the right, where he held Allison’s hand, the energy felt alive and electric. It buzzed and swirled, pulling him toward that other realm. That place where Allison found her strength and her calm. On his left, Trent’s energy was solid and unwavering. It held him there, firmly on the ground.
Allison began to let down her walls, and the buzzing energy grew stronger and wilder. He squeezed her hand, and a soft smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
Trent looked at their joined hands, and then he looked at Logan. “This is intense.”
“I told you she’s amazing.” Logan gazed at the incredible woman to his right and smiled. “I’m ready when you are.”
Allison nodded, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. “We have created a circle of protection. Inside this circle, no spirits may enter. No one may do us harm. We call on the spirit of Lily. You may not enter our circle, but we ask you to come forward and show yourself to us.”
Logan opened his eyes and looked toward the window where he saw the same vision of Lily in her long white gown, blood running down her forehead. She looked every bit as real as the time before, but this time he knew she was only energy. And Trent’s grounding force kept him planted in place. He would not break the circle this time.
Tina gasped. “It’s so cold. Is that the ghost? Is she here?”
“It’s okay,” Allison said. “She can’t come in our circle.”
“Jesus, Allie. I had no idea you could do this. I mean, I knew you talked to spirits, but I had no idea.”
Trent’s eyes grew wide. “Is this that static feeling you were talking about earlier?”
Logan chuckled. “It’s a lot stronger, but yeah. Do you believe in ghosts, now?”
“Uh…Yeah, I’d have to say I do.”
“Alex, why are you doing this? I love you.” Tears rolled down Lily’s blood streaked cheeks and splashed on the floor.
“Look at the crystal,” Allison said. “Imagine a beam of light rising up into the universe. We’re creating a portal for Lily to pass.”
Everyone stared at the crystal, and Logan saw the light. Not just in his mind’s eye, but with his plain sight as well. The golden illumination shimmered as it rose through the ceiling.
“Step into the light, Lily. You don’t belong in this world anymore.” Allison’s voice was calm and reassuring.
Lily’s jaw trembled. “Alex, I’m your wife. Don’t you love me?”
Logan took a deep breath and shook his head. He knew what she was going to do, and he was prepared this time. “No, Lily. You’re not my wife. I don’t love you. I love Allison.”
He felt the pull of energy as Lily gathered her strength and threw open the window.
“Holy shit.” Trent’s voice held a hint of terror, but hi
s body was frozen in place. “Is she trying to jump out the window?”
“She’s only energy,” Logan said. “She’s already dead.”
“Don’t jump, Lily,” Allison said. “Don’t go through this pain again. You can be free from all your heartache if you’ll just step into the light.”
“But Alex…” Lily sobbed and held out a hand to Logan.
His heart ached for her. For the love she had for her husband, even in death. “I’m not Alex. Lily, you have to go. It’s time to move on.”
Lily stepped down from the ledge, and Allison squeezed his hand. The spirit glided slowly toward them and stopped near a large, ceramic vase. She ran her fingers across the silk flowers and gazed into his eyes.
“What do you want me to do, Alex?” She walked past the light toward Logan, but stopped when she reached the edge of the circle. “What do you want me to do?”
“I want you to step into the light. You’ll find peace there.”
“It’s where you’re supposed to be,” Allison said.
Lily’s gaze snapped to Allison, and feral anger burned in her eyes. “You! You’re the reason he’s doing this. Get out of my house!” she screamed.
“This isn’t your house, Lily. It’s Logan’s.”
Emptiness pooled around them as Lily drew in every ounce of energy she could obtain. She glared at Allison and picked up the vase.
“Lily, what are you doing? No!” Logan’s feet fought to carry him to the spirit. To keep her from hurting Allison. But his mind held him firmly in place. Allison said they were safe in the circle.
“Get. Out. Of. My. House.” Lily reared back like she planned to throw the vase, and Logan’s heart stopped. If the circle didn’t work—
He yanked from Trent and Allison’s grasp and threw himself at Lily, but his body passed right through hers. Icy electricity clawed its way through his insides as her energy passed through him, and he plowed into the wall.
Allison screamed. The vase shattered.
He’d broken the circle.
He pushed from the sheetrock and turned to find his lover on the floor, wrapped in Trent’s arms. A stream of blood flowed down her forearm, and her eyes grew wide with fear.
To Catch a Spirit Page 26
