His brows narrow slightly as he stares my way before his attention is dragged to the man walking up to him.
My gaze slides to the new guy, and the tingles I was feeling before turn into a full-blown riot of sensation in my nether region. Pretty sure I’d be soaking my panties if ghost girls could do that sort of thing. Then something else slithers along with the arousal coursing through me. Something that is gut-wrenching and makes me want to wrap my arms around myself in comfort.
Alpha - as I decide to call the new guy - is just as tall as his friend, but where Thor is lean, athletic grace, Alpha is six-feet-plus of utter badass. Broad shoulders nearly stretch his black logo t-shirt to its limit, and tattoos cover muscular arms that flex as they carry two steel gray cases. His jet black hair is cut into a faux hawk that totally suits the whole bad boy vibe he has going on. Aviator sunglasses cover his eyes from view, but the tightness in his mouth is unmistakable even from a distance. My thumb itches to run along his lips soothing the tension there, offering a reassurance only I can give.
Oh my ghost! Where the hell did that thought come from?
The two have a quick conversation I can’t make out, which is cut off by the approach of Agent Barbie. She sashays up to the duo, and I fully expect them to ogle her and her fake tatas. What is it about a pair of boobs that reduces most guys to simpering puddles of mush? Men…so predictable.
Much to my surprise, her attempt fails, and after a few brief words from Alpha, Agent Barbie turns and heads toward the front doors. She purposely sways her hips to catch their attention, and I wait for their eyes to snag on her ass. It’s an unspoken test. Will they pass, ignoring Agent Barbie’s second attempt at seduction, or will they fail like so many others before them? I’m shocked when their gazes turn in sync to the window where I stand, and for a brief moment, I’m frozen. Unable to move or think or even breathe – if my lungs could actually do that sort of thing. Then they turn and head toward the house without another glance, and the moment is over.
The sound of the front door opening barely registers as I’m lost inside my own mind, taking a step back as I try to figure out what the hell just happened. Throughout the years I’ve been stuck in this afterlife limbo, this is the closest I’ve come to feeling alive. Dormant emotions are beginning to resurface along with a strange sense of awareness. I swear my fingertips are tingling with power, and long dead nerve endings are sparking to life. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m definitely going to have to figure it out. Being caught unaware is annoying.
A deep and husky voice coming from below pulls me from my introspection.
“Guys. I’m picking up a strong feeling of irritation.”
Eyes widening as confusion wars with curiosity, I quickly make my way down the hall to the top of the staircase that descends into the middle of the foyer. My translucent hand grips the beautiful mahogany banister, and I stop myself from taking another step as I stare down at my new visitors.
Agent Barbie has planted herself at the base of the stairs with Alpha and Thor standing off to one side. Three other guys are standing just inside the front doors, their feet surrounded by silver cases. As my gaze scans over the crew, I’m momentarily stunned by all of the eye candy currently taking up space in the foyer. Until this moment, I thought the hot, paranormal researcher was mostly a myth like Big Foot or aliens. Although Zak and Aaron from the GAC could come research me up any time they’d like.
Suddenly, Thor looks up at the spot where I’m standing.
“What is it, Knox?” asks Alpha in a low, rich voice that sends shivers down my spine.
“I don’t know. Now I’m feeling curiosity, or maybe confusion.” Thor seems to ponder this for a moment, falling silent in a brief pause. “It’s hard to tell.”
“What do you mean ‘it’s hard to tell’? What color is the aura?” demands Alpha.
“That’s just it. I can’t see an aura. It’s like I’m experiencing the feelings myself. I’ve never felt anything like this,” muses Thor. “I could swear it’s coming from the top of the stairs.”
The group turns as one toward the staircase, each of them looking around as though they can find the source of his unexplainable feelings. It’s silent as they listen for any sound that could point them in the right direction.
I stand as still as a statue. Afraid that if I move, I’ll shatter whatever the hell this bond is with Thor, or Knox, or whoever the hell he is, and I’ll go back to being utterly alone. For the first time in too many years, I feel a connection with another being. I can’t fuck this up. His eyes, that I can now discern are a beautiful hazel, seem to stare right into mine.
“Are you picking up any other vibes? Male or female? Young or old?” one of the newcomers asks.
He’s slightly shorter than Alpha and Thor but still taller than average. Same black logo shirt that’s hiding what has to be an impressive chest if the muscular arms are any indication. His dark brown hair is messy like he just rolled out of bed. It’s long enough that my fingers itch to run through the silky strands. His black square glasses are super sexy on him, pushing buttons I wasn’t even aware I had.
Thor looks around and shrugs, his brows furrowed in thought. The guy who I decide to name Sexy Nerd pulls out a gadget from one of the silver cases and attempts to turn it on.
A sense of excitement fills the air as the others all wait expectantly. Well, except for Barbie. She’s checking her phone and twirling her hair around one of her fingers, looking slightly bored by it all.
Sexy Nerd smiles, revealing an adorable pair of dimples, and says, “Maybe this will help. I’ve got the digital EMF Meter set up. Let’s see if it wants to play.”
It? Oh, hell no! I am definitely not an it, dammit! I’m five feet, nine inches of curvy, ghostly woman. That’s what the hell I am. Of course, they can’t see me, but that’s beside the point.
“I’m experiencing irritation again. A lot of it. Definitely coming from the direction of the stairs. I’m guessing female if the mood swings are any indication,” mutters Thor.
Well, that’s just demeaning. Though I’m also honest enough with myself that I can acknowledge the validity of that statement, letting it go with a shrug.
Sexy Nerd starts moving around the room with the EMF meter. It’s the tool of choice for most ghost hunters these days. It measures the level of electromagnetic energy in an area, spiking when it gets close to things that give off an electric current. Ghost hunters believe it can prove or disprove the presence of paranormal activity. Assuming the person knows what they’re doing. If the user is standing in the middle of a room, far away from anything electrical, and receives a spike, it could indicate ghostly phenomena as ghosts are supposedly known for emitting their own current. Yeah, this isn’t my first paranormal rodeo.
It stays silent until he gets closer to the bottom of the staircase.
“We’ve got a spike right here – almost five milligauss. Looks like a temperature dip here too. Almost five degrees cooler in seconds.”
His excitement is obvious and has me smiling a bit. Just as he prepares to head up the stairs, Agent Barbie lays a hand on his arm. The smile falls, and I experience a stab of emotions that pass so quickly I can’t even recognize them all. Just as I’m reeling from whatever the hell that was, the EMF meter starts beeping frantically, and Sexy Nerd’s eyebrows furrow deeply. I want nothing more than to kiss him there to smooth out those lines.
What the fuck?
Apparently my libido and I need to have a little sit-me-down. I’m all for sexy times, but this feels like so much more than simple desire. There’s a level of intimacy here I can’t even begin to fathom.
“Come on, guys. Y’all can’t really believe there are like…ghosts living here, right?” she asks with a nervous little laugh at the end. She grabs a chunk of her blonde ponytail and twirls it around the fingers of her left hand, the other still clinging to Sexy Nerd’s arm. The contact is making me feel a little slap happy.
Dammit! What I
wouldn’t give for a set of solid hands right about now.
He seems to suddenly realize that she’s touching him and quickly drops his arm before looking to the top of the stairs once again. Obviously reluctant to stop researching the cause of the activity, he turns to Alpha who gives him a simple nod. He shuts off the EMF meter which is still beeping wildly.
“Come on. Let’s get these lease contracts signed, and then I can give y’all the keys to the place…and a personal tour if you’d like,” Agent Barbie offers with a little wink.
She walks over to her bag sitting on the table in the middle of the foyer and pulls out a stack of papers and a pen. With a little come-hither gesture, she motions for Alpha to meet her at the table. He steps up to her right, with Thor moving up to her left. They begin going over the terms, and only then do her words register.
Lease contracts? They’re moving in? Well, fuck me sideways!
My hands land on my hips, and my head falls back with a dramatic sigh that no one can appreciate because no one can hear it. This can’t happen. These guys, no matter how drool-worthy, absolutely cannot take up residence in my house. I’ll be facing months of spirit box sessions, and video cameras always recording, and digital recorders placed in random locations, and…yeah, okay…loads of inevitable sexual frustration.
Dammit!
How did I find myself here? I’ve spent years in relative peace. Now, in a matter of minutes, I’m witnessing my solitude go up in flames. And not just a cozy little fire that warms you up while you roast marshmallows and sing camp songs. This is a full-on inferno engulfing every last scrap of my sanity. Kumba-fucking-ya!
New voices draw my attention back to the present and the maddening situation I have found myself in.
“Ouch! What the hell was that for?” says a blond giant near the door, rubbing his shoulder and scowling at the man next to him.
“Come on, dipshit! Let’s grab the rest of the gear,” replies an identical blond giant standing next to him.
These two guys are mirror images of each other. Taller than the other three by at least a couple inches, their shoulders probably struggle to fit through a door frame. I’m honestly astounded by the elasticity of those black logo tees. Someone should definitely leave the manufacturer some five-star reviews on Amazon.
They’re both in black jeans that encase their long legs, black boots, and matching aviator sunglasses. Their long hair hangs in luxurious waves past their shoulders, and I feel a twinge of hair envy. Even their full beards match. Does their underwear match too? Boxers? Maybe boxer briefs? It seems imperative that I find out.
“Fine. Let’s go, wankstain,” mutters Dipshit.
They turn and head out the door. From the back, the only noticeable distinction between the two would be the tattoos covering opposite arms and hands. Their asses are most certainly identical. I had to double check that little detail - all in the name of research, of course.
As if my overactive imagination needed anymore stimuli, now my mind is swirling with all sorts of naughty thoughts about being the female meat to their twin sandwich. Yup. I’m headed straight down the one way road to Frustration Central. Ugh! #GhostGirlProblems.
I plop down on the top step, my elbows finding my knees, and look down on the chaos that was once my peaceful foyer.
“Ok, Fate,” I say out loud, which helps me think. “They’re intrigued now. This damn connection with Thor and that little fiasco with the EMF meter have given them ammunition for their research. They won’t leave.” I let my mind skim over all of my potential plans. “Maybe I’ll just ignore them. Let them think it was all just a fluke. If I can manage to stay far away from Thor, he’ll have to assume it was a fluke or something, right? They’ll get bored and hightail it out of here. It might be a half-assed plan at best, but at this point it’s all I’ve got.”
No one responds, of course, because no one can hear my ramblings.
But is that really what I want? For them to abandon this place and leave me alone. I may appreciate having the space to myself, but the loneliness has grown to become an insistent, gnawing despondency. For the first time in my recent existence, there’s a flicker of hope that I might be able to find some answers to my situation. These guys are key. I can feel it every time one of those damn hints of familiarity brushes against that empty space inside my soul. It would suck them in and keep them if it could, but they bounce right off, leaving me feeling emptier than ever. If I can somehow figure this out, maybe I’ll finally get some resolution.
What that means, I’m not sure. Head off into the light? Yes, please. Get sucked down into the fiery depths below? An image suddenly pops into my mind of embers and screams and bleakness, all in terrifyingly vivid detail. My eyes widen, and I swear I can smell wisps of sulfur. Then it’s all gone, and I’m left trying to figure out, once again, what the hell just happened.
A girlish giggle draws my focus back to the chaos of my unlife, and I look down to find Barbie packing up her paperwork while stealing glances at Alpha. The other guys have finished unloading the equipment and are surrounded by so many cases there’s barely enough floor space to walk.
“Well, you boys are all set. I could give you that tour now if you’d like? Maybe I can come back another night and make you all a welcome home dinner?” she simpers, turning to look at Alpha and not so subtly pushing her chest out.
Something starts to slither through my body as I stand, my hands clenching into fists from the power coming to life inside me. I look down at them, momentarily confused at my body’s sudden involuntary responses, but my focus is drawn back to the group below when I hear his voice.
“I don’t think that will be necessary, but thank you for getting everything set up here for us,” Alpha says, taking a step back.
She smirks. “Oh, it was nothing.”
Obviously not put off by his easy dismissal, she steps toward him and lifts her right hand to his chest. She lets it drag down slowly until it stops on the waistband of his jeans. “I’d be happy to give you a…private tour…if you’d prefer?”
Before he can respond, a sudden blinding rage sweeps over me. A red haze covers my vision, and my entire body begins to tremble in response to the overwhelming level of power, the likes of which I’ve never experienced. I try to calm myself down but have no control over the tide of emotions assaulting me - one of which feels a lot like jealousy.
“Guys. I’m not sure what’s happening, but I’m feeling some serious anger building,” Thor states with a worried look on his face just as all the lights start to flicker wildly. “I can actually feel the fury growing stronger by the second.”
Alpha looks his way, only to swing his gaze back to the blonde leech who has suddenly attached herself to him with both hands on his chest, taking fistfuls of his shirt.
She looks afraid, and that only brings a sinister grin to my face.
Placing my foot on the first step, I start to make my way down the stairs.
“Shit! I can feel it getting closer. Everybody move away from the stairs.” Thor slowly backs up, attempting to avoid the clutter on the floor around him.
Again with this ‘it’ business. Another rush of frustration and anger floods me.
I take one more ridiculously slow step, wanting to draw it out. For the first time in years, I feel powerful, as though I’m in control of something other than a shitty pity party. I’m in control of my surroundings. Of my own fate. The fear permeating the air makes something inside me come to life. It wants to revel in the chaos I’m creating. Wants to rejoice over the growing panic in the room. I lift my hands, glancing down at the pretty pink sparks of electricity pulsing off my fingertips. That’s new. So is the desperate need for release from this riot of feelings consuming me, which is as intoxicating as it is alarming. I know I should be terrified of what it all means, and a part of me definitely is, but not enough to give a damn at the moment.
As I descend another step, the power leaking from my hands suddenly shoots out. A pair of
light bulbs burst inside the light fixtures in the foyer, directly below where I stand. All six people in the foyer drop down, covering their heads at the sudden explosion of noise and glass.
Well, that was…unexpected.
I must have powered up in the poltergeist world because this shit has never happened so effortlessly. I’ve always had to work my ass off to demonstrate my paranormal proclivities. A ghost girl could get used to this.
Alpha jumps up, grabbing Agent Barbie’s arm and tugging her away from the stairs. The action sends another wave of rage crashing over me, and any curiosity I had about my newfound abilities is washed away. In its wake, I feel nothing but the intense desire to make her pay for touching what’s mine. The thought has me pausing momentarily, but the emotions roaring through my body insist that I keep moving - my sudden possessiveness all but forgotten.
The others follow Alpha and rush back toward the door.
The stairs beneath my feet pass one by one, the progression of bursting bulbs following me as I descend. The sound of feminine whimpering brings a manic smile to my face.
I keep moving. Bulbs keep exploding in my wake.
Alpha pushes the now crying agent behind him. “Knox, what do you feel?”
“Still feeling this extreme rage. Maybe some jealousy and satisfaction mixed in. Something set her off, and we need to figure out a way to get her to calm down!”
A Fate Unknown: A PNR, Why Choose Novel (The Ghost Girl Series Book 1) Page 2
