by Shyla Colt
The street was quiet and empty, which was normal for ten o’clock in the morning. Her stomach dropped, and the sunlight pouring down did nothing to warm her. Not one to jump to conclusions, she ran down the stairs and around the corner of the house. There were no signs that a person had come through this way. A ball of ice formed in the pit of her stomach. She quickly retraced her steps and shut the front door behind her. Maybe it was some sort of bird. What kind of bird is shaped like a person? Her rational side warred with the part that had seen a ghost. She imagined Pierce teasing her about confusing reality with television and snorted. Maybe he’s right.
Brushing off the incident, she returned to the kitchen. Normal. Nothing sinister lurked in the bright space, and the air felt normal. She released a deep breath. This is what happens when you’re in your house too long working. Comforted, she finished making tea and trudged back to work.
* * * *
The sound of her phone drew her attention away from her project. She glanced at the clock and gasped. Four hours had passed. Rolling her neck to remove the stiffness, she grabbed the cell.
“Hello?”
“Hey, baby.” Pierce’s baritone washed over her, coaxing a smile.
“Hey, babe, how was your day?” The switch from friends to lovers hadn’t been the painfully awkward transition she’d feared.
“Long, but productive. Yours?”
“Pretty much the same.” Her thoughts returned to the odd sighting. She weighed the pros and cons of telling him.
“Are you up for going out?” he said.
“Yes, that’s just what I need right now. Felt like the walls were closing in on me today.”
“How about I pick you up at five o’clock? We’ll head out to that hot dog place you love so much.”
“Hot Doggers? You really know the way to a girl’s heart.”
“You know I try.” She imagined him giving a casual shrug.
“Yeah, yeah. See you in a bit?”
“Yes, my love.”
Her stomach turned over, and a silly grin spread across her lips. The little undercover romantic turned her inside out. They disconnected, and she shut down her work, pushing away from the desk. Sweatpants and a T-shirt weren’t the look she was going for on this date. A quick shower later, she pulled on a pair of jeans and a Doctor Who T-shirt. Forgoing makeup she pulled on a pair of black tennis shoes and went to wait in the living room. Sprawled on the couch, she turned on the television and stopped at a rerun of an eighties sitcom.
A knock came at the door. Excited, she jumped to her feet and rushed to the door. She unlocked the door, pulled it open and froze. Goose bumps covered her arms. There was no one there. Her stomach churned. She swept her gaze from the left to the right and saw no one. It’s not possible to move that fast. She gripped the door frame tight. Her knees wobbled. Pierce pulled into the driveway. Still stunned, she turned her head and watched as he stepped from the car. A frown quickly formed, chasing away the mirth that lit his eyes moments ago.
“Demi.” He jogged over and placed his large hands on her shoulders, grounding her. “Are you okay? What’s going on?”
“I heard a knock. I thought it was you, but when I opened the door, there was no one there.”
He scoffed. “Come on, D, this isn’t funny. Didn’t you get enough of the ghost tours?” He released her shoulders and rolled his eyes.
“I’m serious, Pierce.”
“Maybe you only thought you heard a knock.” He glanced over her shoulder. “Or it was on the television.”
“I know the difference.” Anger replaced fear. She folded her hands under her chest and leaned back, balancing on her weight.
“All I’m saying is, you might still be spooked.” He held up his hands, and she scowled.
“Don’t try to pacify me.”
“I’m not. Come on, let’s just get out of the house for a while, take a break, and get some fresh air.”
Faced with the alternative of being in the house alone or out with Pierce, she opted for the lesser of the two evils. “Fine.”
He smiled, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as he led her inside, and turned off the television.
On the road a few minutes later with the wind blowing through her hair and the sun on her face, the strange incidents felt far away. She soaked up the normalcy, allowing it to blur the events in her mind.
They pulled into the parking lot, and Pierce cut the engine, turning to face her. “How are you feeling?”
“Better.”
“Good.” He unbuckled his seat belt, opened the door, and walked around to her side to open her door.
Pressed against his side, tucked under his arm, she shook off the tendrils of fear. They walked up to the silver cylindrical camper with two windows.
“What can I get you, Demi? Sky’s the limit tonight.”
“Smart-ass.” She laughed.
“That’s what I wanted to see.”
Heat filled her cheeks, and she cleared her throat. He had a way of making her feel like the most important person in the world with one phrase or look. “What do you want to eat?”
“The usual.”
“Sauerkraut chili dog with mustard and fries?” The amusement in his tone made her roll her eyes. When it came to food, she was a creature of habit, while he preferred to be adventurous.
“Yep, don’t forget the lemonade.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said sarcastically, and they stepped up as the people in front of them moved to the pickup window.
With their food in hand, they took a seat at one of the picnic tables. Conversation was scarce as they devoured what she thought was the best in the city. Bellies full, they began to talk as they sipped on their drinks.
“So, what are you working on right now?”
“A new computer game for kids, featuring aliens. It’s pretty cool.”
“Nice. Is it educational?”
She wrinkled her nose. “I guess, from the problem-solving-skills point of view. It’s no Oregon Trail.”
“Wow, way to take it back, Demi.”
She laughed. “Hey, man, our childhoods rocked.”
“It’s true. We had way better things.”
“See, this is why we work. You agree with me.” She reached over and patted his cheek.
“Most of the time.”
She laughed. He’d been right they were well-matched, and that spilled over to them as a romantic couple. The sun began to set, and a chill settled over them.
“You ready to leave?” he asked.
“Yeah, it’s getting cold.”
They threw away their garbage and headed back to the car.
In the driveway, he bent down and captured her mouth. Their tongues dueled, and she cupped his neck. She tilted her head, deepening the kiss. They made out like two teenagers. He cupped her breasts, massaging her through her T-shirt, and she returned the favor, circling his nipples with her fingernail. They broke apart, breathing heavily.
“Are you coming in?” she said.
“Do you even have to ask?”
* * * *
She woke in the middle of the night and sat up in bed. A sound made her ears perk, and she leaned forward, slowing her breathing as she strained. The light thump came again. She peered down at Pierce, remembering his skepticism about the oddities occurring earlier. I’ll find proof. Tossing the covers back, she climbed from the bed and walked out of the bedroom. Scanning the hallway for anything abnormal, she flipped on the light. Heaviness filled the air, making it hard to breathe. An icy blast of air brushed across the back of her neck. She spun around. A crash came from the kitchen. She turned back to face the eating area and saw something gray pass her in the hallway out of the corner of her eye. Rooted to the spot like a tree, she held her breath.
“What’s going on?” Pierce’s concern-filled voice broke the semi paralysis.
“I don’t know. Something fell in the kitchen.”
He stalked to the island and ben
t down, coming up with a pot in his hand. “It must’ve fallen off the hook.”
She glanced up at the rack. The rest of the pots and pans still swayed.
“We must’ve had a low-level earthquake,” Pierce said.
“Yeah. Sorry, you got woken up. “
“Not your fault.” Pierce placed the pot in the sink. “Come on, let’s go back to bed.”
She pasted a smile on her face. No way in hell I’m sleeping well tonight.
* * * *
While Pierce couldn’t be more pleased with the way things worked out, he’d begun to worry about Demi. She’d been a bit distant. It was normal when she had a deadline looming, but she seemed to be on edge, which he didn’t like. He tried to talk to her about it, and she blamed it on lack of sleep. Dark half crescents under her eyes were a normal occurrence. What child’s game could be this all encompassing? With his concerns in the forefront, he knocked on the front door.
“Hey.” She leaned her head back and smiled up at him.
“Hey, D. We need to talk.”
Her smile fell as she stepped back, allowing him to enter the house.
“I don’t like the sound of that.”
“It’s pretty serious. What’s going on with you? We said we’d be up front, and I know you’re hiding something from me. Are you tired of dating me?”
“What? No. How could you think that?”
“You’re distant, often unfocused when we’re together. I don’t know what else to think. I mean, we both know you were apprehensive going into this.”
“I’ve been all in from the minute I decided to make us a reality.”
“Then why have you been checking out?”
She wrapped her arms around her waist and shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Look where that’s gotten us.”
“You’ll think I’m crazy.”
He frowned and placed his arms on her shoulders. “Hey, I’m asking you. I’m here to listen.”
She shrugged out of his hold. “Fine.” She bit the bottom of her lip and paced the area in front of the couch. “Strange things have been happening in the house.”
“D—”
“No. I knew you were going to try to rationalize it. You were there with me in the inn. How can you be a skeptic now?”
“I never actually saw anything. Sure I got a bad feeling, but that place is creepy and full of history. This is your home. You’ve never had any problems here before.” He kept his voice steady as he held up his hands in the universal sign of surrender. It wasn’t like Demi to be so spooked. Lack of sleep can cause hallucinations after a while.
“So maybe I brought something home.”
“I thought you laid Bronwyn to rest.”
“So did I.” The desperation in her eyes told him something was going on.
“How about you come and stay with me for a while? Get a break from the house?”
“I have a deadline, and I can’t up and move everything at this stage.” She ran a hand through her hair.
“So work here during the day, and then come and stay with me at night.” He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close. “Please let me do this for you.”
“But you don’t believe me.” Her voice wavered.
“What matters is you believe it.”
“Bullshit.” She jerked out of his arms. “I’m not some child who needs to be comforted because she thinks there’s a monster in her closet. Whatever is happening here is real, and it’s obvious it’ll follow me wherever I go.”
He mentally counted to ten. She could be so damn stubborn. “I’m willing to take my chances, D. Pack a bag, and we’ll head over. Let me take care of dinner tonight. Sit back, relax. Maybe have a beer.”
“I will, and then you’ll see.” She nodded.
“I’m sure I will.”
She narrowed her eyes, scowling as she stalked out of the living room and down the hall.
He took a deep breath and released it slowly.
The ride to his house was silent. The discord between them made him uneasy. He pulled into his driveway, put the car in park, and took her hand.
“Listen. I don’t want to spend our whole night like this. I’m sorry if my response upset you.”
“How could it not? You’re telling me you think I’m imagining things.”
“I didn’t say that, D. I just offered up some logical explanations.”
She huffed. “Right.”
He brushed the soft skin of her hand with his thumb. “Truce?”
“Sure.”
The lackluster tone didn’t instill confidence. At least she’s not pulling away.
“I’ll even make your favorite. My mom’s lasagna.”
She peered at him from beneath the strands of hair that obscured half her face. “With extra cheese?”
“Hmm, maybe you’re redeemable after all.”
They left the car, and he carried her bag up to the front door.
“If you want to veg on the couch, I’ll get everything ready,” he said as he unlocked the door and allowed her to enter before him.
“Sounds amazing. I’ve been working nonstop this entire week.” She plopped down on his brown couch. He locked the door and headed to his bathroom. Getting the Jacuzzi bath started, he stripped off his clothing, replacing the suit with jeans and a T-shirt. Relaxed, he shut off the water and started up the bubbles.
The sight of Demi dozing on the couch made him smile. He walked over and sank down on the edge of a cushion, caressing her face with his knuckles.
“Wake up, honey. Your bath is ready.”
“Hmm.” Her eyelids fluttered open.
“Tired?”
“I just rested my eyes for a minute, and I was out.”
“Take your time in the bath, but try not to drown, please. My parents would kill me.”
“Smooth, Romeo.” She sat up, and he buried his hand in her hair, bringing her in for a kiss.
“I’d miss you every second of every day,” he whispered against her lips.
“That’s better.” Her voice warbled, and he smirked. He stood and offered her a hand, helping her onto her feet. The sway of her hips and the curve of her ass hypnotized him as she walked away. His jeans grew tight, and he thought of cold showers. He made the lasagna on cruise control, grateful for the brain break the process provided. Sliding the pan in the preheated oven, he decided to check on Demi. He crossed his threshold and froze. Demi lay sprawled across his maroon bedspread on a thick chocolate-brown towel, nude.
His dick hardened. Careful not to wake her, he crept across the room to the bed. He bent over and ran his fingers down her back, marveling at the softness and the beautiful contrast of their skin tones. She sighed, and he ghosted over her plump ass, easing his fingers between her legs. He smiled, trailing a finger down her slit. He spread her lips and teased the pinkness, coaxing moisture as he primed her body. Soft moans spilled from her pouty lips, and she ground against his questing fingers.
Her sticky, sweet liquid began to flow, making his mouth water. He eased a finger inside her tight sheath and grunted. Her breathing increased, and she whimpered. “P-Pierce.”
“Rise and shine, sleeping beauty.” He hooked his finger, and she gasped. “Feel good?”
“Yes.” She rose onto her knees, thrusting her hips and tightening her walls around his finger. He added another, and she cried out. Blood rushed to his cock. Precum spilled from his tip. She was a thing of beauty, driven by her desire and unhampered by inhibitions.
“You’re so pretty when you fuck my fingers like that.”
“Jesus.” She bucked against him, and he angled his fingers, hitting the bundle of nerves that made her twitch and come apart. He continued his stroke as she tightened around him. She rested her face on the bed, and he removed his fingers, sucking her nectar off them.
“So sweet. I’m tempted to eat you. But it’s been too long since I felt you wrapped around my cock.” He unbuttoned his pants, s
hoving them down along with his boxers, and stepped out of the material. Palming his dick, he knelt on the bed and hooked his arms underneath her body, lifting her onto her knees.
“You ready for me, D?” He nudged her slick apex with his head.
“Fuck, yes.”
He drove home, holding her body against his chest as he rode her hard. Her nails dug into his arms. The slap of flesh and the scent of lovemaking filled the room.
“So good. So good,” he chanted, nipping at her neck.
They moved together, a frenzy of heated limbs. She flexed her muscles, and he exploded inside her.
Chapter Nine
Demi sighed as she sank into the tub. She felt better being in Pierce’s home. The activity had ramped up in her home. Lights flickered. Things rattled and fell off shelves and walls. Every moment she had the intense sensation of being watched. Rolling her shoulders she allowed the bubbles to soothe her stiff muscles. She leaned back against the tub and closed her eyes. Her head jerked to the left. She opened her eyes and saw the water had turned to blood. A strong pull dragged her under the water. Swallowing water, she struggled against the invisible force, thrashing as she gripped the side of the bathtub. She broke the surface, sucking in air before she went back under. Her chest burned. Her vision blurred. She sucked another mouthful of air.
“Demi.” Pierce’s voice was muffled beneath the water. She continued to fight weakly. Her movements grew sluggish. Exhaustion set in. Her vision dimmed, and water rolled into her mouth.
“Demi, open your eyes. Demi.” The tapping on her face woke her. She turned to her side and expelled water.
“That’s it. Let the water out.” Pierce’s voice and warm hands on her back were reassuring. He laid her down, and she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
“Have to go.” She forced the words from her burning throat.
“What happened? Did you fall asleep?”
“No.” She shook her head. “We need to leave.”
Power still filled the air, and she knew the torment wasn’t over. Terrified, she struggled to escape his hold. “Now, we need to go now.”
