Ghost of a Promise (10 page)

She set the pot on simmer and sat across from him at the island. She eyed him over the rim of her glass as she sipped.
“
You
’
ve traveled to a lot of places. Where
’
s somewhere you
’
ve always wanted to go?
”

“
Home.
”
He said it without thought and shook his head. Maybe this place
—
or her
—
was getting to him entirely too much. Knowing an explanation was needed, he backtracked.
“
I have three places I
’
ve lived, but never a home, per se. I
’
m still looking for it.
”

That was the most honest he
’
d ever been with anyone, including himself. Exposed, he quickly changed the subject.
“
Favorite superhero?
”
It was a trick question. She probably didn
’
t have one or she
’
d go with the most popular.

“
Flash. He gets stuff done quickly. Gotta appreciate that in a man.
”
She didn
’
t notice his jaw drop as she carried on.
“
Batman has great toys, but no real powers. Besides, he
’
s all dark and broody. Thor has the hair and the hammer.
”
She sighed dreamily.
“
Captain America
’
s too goody-two-shoes. Green Lantern
’
s hot, but doesn
’
t take anything seriously. What are you looking at?
”

He pressed a hand to his chest.
“
I just fell in love a little.
”

Her mouth twisted.
“
Why? Because I know my superheroes? I have three godsons.
”

He shook it off, or tried to.
“
Puppies or kittens?
”

“
Puppies.
”

Still falling.
“
Cool Whip or Reddi-whip?
”

Her head reared back.
“
What kind of question is that? Real whipped cream, made in my kitchen, is the only option. I suppose Reddi-whip is preferred to Cool Whip.
”

Falling.
“
Snowboarding or waterskiing?
”

“
Neither. Both require an ambulance.
”

He laughed. Maybe they weren
’
t so different after all.
“
Favorite movie?
”

“
Princess Bride
.”

His grin spread so wide his cheeks ached.
“
One of mine also.
House on Haunted Hill
is a favorite too.”

“
Only the Vincent Price version counts.
”

He patted his chest.
“
You
are
gonna make me fall in love with you. Pepsi or Coke?”
He held up a hand.
“
Be very careful how you answer this. This could be the deal breaker.
”

She rolled her eyes and huffed out a breath, but it was all in good humor because her eyes lit with mischief.
“
Another stupid question. There is only one carbonated beverage worth drinking. Dr. Pepper.
”

“
I just fell madly in love with you. Marry me, Ava.
”

She made a sound of dismissal, grinned, and peeked over the top of the pot to check dinner.
“
Says the serial dater.
”

He didn
’
t date at all. No time. What was the point in romancing a woman he knew he only wanted one thing from?
“
Okay, Miss Cynicism. Ideal first date?
”

She came back and sat down, sipping her wine.
“
Don
’
t tell me there
’
s a serious romantic under all that charm.
”

“
Guilty. Answer the question.
”

She set her glass down.
“
I plead the fifth. You
’
ll laugh or use it against me to try to get into my pants.
”

Guilty again.
“
I promise not to laugh.
”

Her head tilted as she laughed at him, and the sound was warm, inviting.
“
See? Not answering.
”

He sighed with dramatic flair.
“
Okay, fine. And I won
’
t use it to get into your pants. But may I point out, you
’
re wearing a skirt?
”
A knee-length red skirt with black tights under it, making him want to peel away the layers. She had great legs.

She studied him for a few seconds.
“
Watching a DVD in my living room with a bowl of popcorn. That
’
s my ideal first date.
”

Huh. Not what he expected at all.
“
Really?
”

“
Really.
”

She picked up her glass and fiddled with the stem. A blush rose over her cheeks and he wondered why that admission embarrassed her.

“
Everyone
’
s afraid of my house. Whenever I
’
m seeing someone, we always go out or stay at his place. It would be nice to stay in once and awhile, you know? They don
’
t even walk me to the door.
”

She was lonely. The thought never occurred to him. Ava was an independent woman comfortable in her own skin. Simple things like watching TV or waking in the morning were always alone. And that bothered her, at least to a small degree.

Well, hell. That was it.
“
Come here a sec.
”
He stood, walked to the kitchen door, and held it open.

“
Where are we going?
”

“
The yard. Come on then.
”

She pursed her lips and paused. Finally, she rose and checked the pot before meeting him at the door.
“
Dinner
’
s almost ready. We can
’
t stay out long
—”

He closed the door behind her and leaned her against it. His admirable intention of offering her a sweet good-night adieu to make up for her previous dates blew to hell when her body pressed against his. Her glorious curves and tall frame meeting his muscle inch for inch had his desire raging.

“
What are you doing?
”
Her whisper ended with a hitch, telling him she felt the pull too.

His belly heated. Other parts awakened with vigor.
“
Walking you to the door and kissing you good night.
”
Framing her face in his hands, he leaned in.
“
I had a really good time tonight.
”

And then he did what he’d been wanting to since first setting eyes on her. He closed his mouth over hers.

Chapter Nine

Alice down the rabbit hole. Any second now the Mad Hatter would show up for a tea party. Ava fell with dizzying speed, without her feet leaving the ground.

She was just thinking a few weeks ago how she hadn’
t had a great kiss in way too long. Truth of the matter was, she
’
d never been kissed like this. Then again, Jackson had more than enough practice.

She gripped his shoulders for balance, which apparently tripped him over some ledge to spiral with her. His arm snaked behind her back, tugging her to the hard wall of his chest. He tilted his head for a better angle and she closed the book on great. Great kissing was not in Jackson
’
s vocabulary. Exceptional, maybe. Expert, perhaps.

His lips were full, firm, the contact no longer brushing in a tease. Because she had to, to stay sane, she took over, sliding her tongue over his bottom lip. She angled her head the other way and dove in. He offered no resistance, letting her take charge, melding his tongue to hers. Dancing, mating. The fuse inside lit.

Her skin tingled and not from the cold outside. He was warm. So, so warm. Familiar, but he couldn
’
t be. There was safety in his embrace. Security. Nothing would happen to her if they stayed like this.

Oh God. She broke away, stared at him. One kiss and she was thinking like a lunatic.

His breaths soughed in and out. He had the nerve to look rattled. Wide blue eyes, furrowed brow, mouth open. His body stilled, tensed against hers. How many females before her fell for that look?

“
Date over,
”
he rasped.
“
Consider yourself walked to the door properly.
”

He still had that flustered look about him, which confused and pissed her off equally.
“
We weren
’
t on a date.
”

“
Don
’
t throw logic in here. You
’
ll ruin the mood.
”

His cell buzzed in his pocket. He kept staring at her as if not aware.

“
Are you going to get that?
”
He
’
d be sorry he missed a booty call,
’
cause he wasn
’
t getting one out of her.

He blinked, stepped back, and pulled his cell out in one fluid motion.
“
Yeah.
”
He frowned while he listened to the caller and finally looked away. Seconds ticked by.
“
That
’
s the story my family told as well. Right. We
’
ll talk soon.
”

Gaze down, he swallowed and took yet another step in retreat.
“
That was Paul. The research he found on the Kerricks matches your story. John and Margaret Kerrick returned to England without Sarah.
”

Car doors slammed near the front of the house.
“
The crew
’
s back,
”
she said unnecessarily.

His gaze pinned her.
“
That did just happen. We just kissed. No pretending it didn
’
t.
”

What the hell did he mean by that?
“
And?
”

The team
’
s voices drew closer, but he kept staring at her with avid determination.
“
You felt it too.
”

If he was talking about the insane chemistry, then yeah. Not that she
’
d admit it to him. Something in the pit of her stomach said that
’
s not what he was referring to. From the second she spotted him on her front lawn a few days ago, something clicked. Not heat. Not tension. Both. And an underlying emotion she couldn
’
t place. She supposed if she had to put a name to it, it would resemble understanding. Remembrance.

When he
’
d kissed her just now, being in his arms was like coming back to an old lover. A friend.

God, she was going freaking crazy. She squared her shoulders, looked him dead on.
“
It won
’
t happen again.
”

He took a step forward.
“
Why not?
”

For a guy who looked as shell-shocked as she felt, he was putting up quite the fight. She had a billion reasons not to get involved with him. Her mouth spilled one before she could filter first.
“
I will not be one of your many conquests.
”

His usually humorous features smoothed into a hard, dangerous expression before she could adjust.
“
You think you
’
ve got me pegged, Ava? Think you know me, do you? News flash. You don
’
t.
”

The back door opened behind her and Sammy
’
s head poked out.

“
There you are. Did something happen out here?
”

She knew Sammy meant did anything paranormal happen. Jackson
’
s gaze never left hers, still seething with anger and tension, daring her to challenge him.

Accepted.
“
No,
”
she said to Sammy, holding Jackson
’
s gaze, then turning.
“
Nothing happened.
”

…

Sammy stepped out of the way just in time when Ava slammed the back door. Her brows darted to her hairline. “
What
’
s going on, Jacks?
”

Hell if he knew. He sucked in a breath and ran his hand down his face as if that would wipe away the memory of their kiss. Deciding to be honest, and damn, he needed to talk about this, he looked at his best friend.

“
I kissed her.
”

Sammy crossed her arms.
“
It
’
s not like you to get personally involved with the
…
cases.
”

“
No, it
’
s not.
”

“
And it
’
s definitely not like you to get upset over a kiss.
”

Shoving his hands in his pockets, he looked down.
“
No.
”

She tilted her head and forced him to look at her.
“
What
’
s going on?
”

Trying to put into words what he felt caused pressure in his chest to expand. He
’
d kissed a woman he just met and knew every aspect of the kiss as if they
’
d done it before. Knew her reaction, how she
’
d respond and how good it would feel. And to make the whole damn thing even more maddening, he
had
to do it. Had to kiss her. Kissing her was a necessary sustenance.

“
Something
’
s wrong with me.
”

Sammy didn
’
t joke, as he expected. Instead, she ran her hands down his arms.
“
You
’
re scaring me.
”

“
I
’
m scaring myself.
”

“
Is this place getting to you? Do you need to leave? You know the history with men in this house
—”

“
No,
”
he said quickly.
“
I don
’
t feel threatened. I don
’
t know what I feel.
”

Sammy
’
s pained and concerned look snapped him to. He forced a grin and wrapped her in a hug. A hug he needed more than she. Sammy was solid, familiar in a way he could logically relate to.

“
I
’
m okay. Leave it to a woman to mess with a guy
’
s head.
”

Sammy laughed and drew away.
“
Sure, blame women. Are you sure that
’
s all it is?
”

No.
“
I
’
m sure.
”

“
I probably shouldn
’
t point out that Jackson Granger doesn
’
t let women mess with his head. Met your match, have you?
”

Perhaps it was just the challenge of Ava herself
—
a woman who clearly didn
’
t like him. Or that she represented everything he suddenly wanted from life
—
stability, direction, family. Perhaps it was just nostalgia over his
—
maybe
—
last case.

Whatever the reason, he
’d get through the next few weeks and move on.

Simple as that.

…

Ava knew she was dreaming, just as surely as she knew something was wrong. She paced the cliffs outside her home in a nightgown she’
d never worn, nor owned, waiting for someone. She didn
’t know who.

The moon was full and bright, illuminating the water and the yard. The fieldstone wall wasn’
t there in the dream, so nothing separated her from the thousand feet of jagged cliffs. Two houses stood side by side at her back. Both seemed to be watching her.

Footsteps fell from behind. She turned, but there was no one. She glanced up at the Trumble mansion, as dark inside as outside. The family
—
her family
—
slept. Candlelight bounced through two windows of the other house. The Kerrick house, a direct mirror of the Trumble.

She looked up at the second-story windows of the Kerrick house and settled her gaze on the illuminated one. A man watched, cold steel and hatred in his eyes. The breath ripped from her lungs. The scream wedged in her throat.

She blinked and opened her eyes. Her gaze darted around her familiar bedroom.

A lavender scent rose over the summer breeze, now fading as the dream had started to do. She rarely dreamed, or if she did, rarely remembered them. This one was so vivid, so clear. She
’
d never seen the Kerrick house, as it had been torn down by Peter Trumble two hundred years ago. What made her dream about it? Why was she standing by the cliffs? In summer, no less.

She sat up and shoved the covers off. She wouldn
’
t sleep until her heart-rate calmed, so she slid her feet into slippers and headed downstairs to brew a cup of chamomile. At the base of the stairs, she waved to the still camera so Amir or Terrance would know she wasn
’
t sleepwalking when they checked the feed in the morning.

She rounded the banister, out of sight of the camera, and plowed into a wall. Not a wall, a chest. A bare, lightly dusted with black hair, muscled chest. Without glancing up she knew it was Jackson. She recognized the ridge of hard muscle flush against her. Recognized his distinct male scent
—
a cross between mint and a trace of lemon.

He grabbed her arms to steady her and met her gaze.
“
You all right?
”

No, she absolutely was not. He smelled good. And looked good. And damn it,
felt
good. “
Yes. Sorry. I wasn
’
t expecting anyone else to be awake.
”

Because they were both so close to the top stair, he stepped down, putting them at eye level.
“
I couldn
’
t sleep.
”

“
I had a nightmare.
”

He still hadn
’
t let go of her arms. The heat from his hands and his sculpted chest didn
’
t stop her shiver.

“
Does that happen often? Nightmares?
”

She kept her gaze trained to his concerned blue eyes when everything inside screamed to look at his mouth, remember the kiss.
“
Um, no. I don
’
t dream usually.
”

His hands fell and he stepped to her side, then behind her on the top stair, forcing her to turn around to look at him. There was an unmistakable desire in his eyes. He swallowed and she followed the movement, wanting to kiss his throat over the dark stubble. And because she was an idiot, she looked at his mouth.

“
You look lovely like this,
”
he said, barely a whisper.

She blinked, not following his words through the drum of her heartbeat. He lifted a finger, trailed it down her cheek, jaw, and to her collarbone. A light touch, tender, as if she were to be treasured. Her breasts swelled, tightening against her pajama top at his caress.

“
Your face is fresh, your hair wild and untamed without a clip. I like you like this, Ava.
”

Leaning forward, he brushed his lips over hers. Not a kiss, exactly, but enough to almost have her begging. A charge zinged in her belly as their breaths mingled. She reached up to draw him closer when a frigid, arctic blast shifted between them. Her body froze on impact, unable to move. The blood in her veins slowed, cooled.

His eyes widened a fraction of a second before he went flying backward, across the landing, and right into one of the bedroom doors with a sickening
thud
. He slid to the floor, grasping his chest.

“
Oh God.
”
She rushed over and knelt in front of him.
“
Are you hurt?
”

Several of the bedroom doors opened as the crew members emerged, including the one at Jackson
’
s back. She grabbed his shoulders before he could fall backward.

“
You
’
re freezing. Someone get a blanket.
”

Kerry handed her one moments later, which she draped over his chest. His eyes cleared and sought hers. In them her own fear and shock mirrored back.