Kiss And Dwell (19 page)

“
I did know her,
”
he said.
“
But I
’
m not one to kiss and tell.
”

“
Since when? And more importantly than whether you knew her, do I know her? As
in, am I going to see her for regular visits to my shop now that she
’
s slept
with my brother?
”
Monique kept swiping with the rake, while Gage gathered up the
slate tiles that hadn
’
t hung on during the storm.

“
God help us, are we talking about his sex life again? It really gets old,
”

Tristan declared.

“
Nah, it doesn
’
t,
”
Gage said, winking at Monique. Then he turned his attention
toward the tiles he
’
d gathered.
“
What do you think?
”
he asked Tristan.
“
We
’
ve
got less than two weeks before the roof inspection. How
’
re we going to get more
tiles?
”

“
Hell if I know,
”
Tristan said.
“
There
’
s no bank around willing to give us
credit on this place, but I
’
m not ready to give up yet. We
’
ll get these tiles
back on today and try to determine exactly how many more we need. Good thing
Monique
’
s ghost stepped in last night to help, or we
’
d probably have lost them
all.
”

Thinking how grateful she was for Ryan
“
stepping in,
”
Monique watched her family
work sprucing up the place. Nan grumbled about coming up with a mission
statement for saving the house, while Tristan fussed in general, primarily
because he was tired from fighting a fire all night.
Dax
climbed a ladder and
began peeling back the tarp so they could replace tiles, and Gage, working
beside Monique, vocally defended his lifestyle of pleasing women and being
pleased by them, without commitment, from Tristan
’
s teasing.

Her movements with the rake faltered as she thought about Gage
’
s standard of
living compared with Ryan
’
s. They were both playboys, neither having learned how
to love emotionally, both dwelling on the physical aspects of relationships
instead. However, Monique believed that her older brother wanted more, maybe not
right that instant, but eventually.

Did Ryan want more, too? And how could she get him to consider the possibility?
To consider the potential of loving someone, really loving someone, enough that
he
’
d cross over. Ryan didn
’
t even get the good end of the physical deal, since
he didn
’
t receive pleasure from the women he visited.

Monique ached for him, for his inability to have the kind of pleasure he
’
d so
freely given her, teasing her with words as that buzzing vibrator touched her
everywhere. While the silver battery-operated object may have actually touched
her skin, in Monique
’
s mind, she
’
d felt exactly what he described.

His mouth, nibbling her ear. His teeth, grazing her nipples. His tongue,
dampening her flesh in a sexy trail from between her breasts to between her
legs. And Ryan, licking, sucking, nibbling and biting that part of her that made
her scream with satisfaction.

She wanted to help him feel that gratified. In truth she wanted to be the one to
touch him, kiss him, hold him, suck him, adore him, the way he
’
d adored her last
night.

But she couldn
’
t.

“
Damn rule,
”
she muttered, then realized she
’
d raked the earth so hard a blister
had formed on her inner palm in spite of the gloves. No way that wouldn
’
t burn
when she worked with shampoo and color. Today
’
s work would be loads of fun.

“
What?
”
Gage asked, cocking his head and looking at her as though he knew what
she
’
d been thinking.

Thank God he didn
’
t.

“
I said
‘
damn fool,
’”
she said, shaking her head.
“
I was a fool to think these
gloves would keep me from getting blisters.
”
She peeled off the yellow fabric
and showed him the circular welt.

Frowning, he looked at his watch.
“
You
’
ve only got an hour before you go to
work. Why don
’
t you head on inside and shower?
”

“
It
’
s ten already?
”
Had she actually been out here for two hours? Scanning the
ground around her, she saw five big piles of debris that she
’
d generated during
her raking frenzy while thinking about her brother
’
s playboy status…and Ryan
’
s
.

She shot a glance at the roof, where
Dax
carefully rolled back the area of the
tarp where a huge, elongated rip was centered at the steepest peak. How had Ryan
stayed up there and tacked those pieces down in the middle of that horrific
storm?

Gage moved to stand beside her.
“
Your ghost knows a thing or two about roofing
.

He did a good job, and did us a huge favor in the process,
”
he said.
“
Must be a
nice guy.
”

Monique smiled.
“
He reminds me of you.
”

“
Well, he just keeps sounding better and better.
”
Gage gave her his trademark
wink before shoving her playfully in the arm.
“
Now go on and get your shower
.

I
’
ll take up the flak if Tristan says anything about you leaving. And I
’
ll move
these piles over to be burned. Then we
’
ll get started on those tiles. No sweat.
”

She kissed his cheek. He might portray a playboy-
withouta
-care for the rest of
the world, but she knew better. Dr. Gage
Vicknair
had a heart of gold.

Turning toward the house, she took another peek at the roof, where
Dax
studied
the area beneath Ryan
’
s handiwork.

“
I tell you, we owe that ghost of yours,
”
Dax
called.
“
He really saved our
hides.
”

That ghost of yours.

He isn
’
t mine, Monique thought inwardly, though she smiled and nodded at her
brother. Then, she silently added, But, oh, how I wish he were.

She walked mechanically through the house, entered her room and selected her
clothes for the day. After tossing them on the bed, she paused and moved a hand
to her mouth, suddenly very tingly, very warm.

“
I wonder,
”
a deep voice said near her right ear,
“
Do you bond this closely to
all spirits, feeling everything they want you to feel, like the fact that I just
thought about kissing those delightful lips? That is what made you touch your
mouth, Monique, isn
’
t it?
”

Monique swiveled so quickly she nearly lost her balance. Instinctively she
reached for the massive male, but remembering the rule, she jerked her hands
back in the nick of time.
“
Ryan, you scared me to death!
”
she yelled.

“
No, I didn
’
t do that,
”
he corrected.
“
You
’
re definitely still in the land of
the living, ma
’
am.
”
His mouth crooked up on one side, displaying straight white
teeth and a sexy confidence that made her quiver all over.
“
And if you want to
get right down to it, I didn
’
t scare you as much as I excited you. Isn
’
t that
right?
”
He focused on her lips, and immediately they began to tingle.

She slapped her hand over her mouth and mumbled against her palm.
“
Stop it.
”

He tilted his head as though wondering whether she meant the request.

“
I mean it,
”
she said emphatically.

Shrugging, he backed away from her then sat casually in the same
wingbacked
chair he
’
d occupied briefly last night.

Monique eased her hand away and cautiously grazed her lower lip with her teeth
to try to make the tingling subside.
“
You said you wouldn
’
t do anything to a
woman that she didn
’
t want.
”

“
That
’
s true,
”
he said easily.

“
So why did you do that?
”
she asked, pointing to her mouth.
“
And how did you
even know that you could?
”

“
I assumed I could when I went through your every emotion this morning. I knew
when you woke, felt your guilt for leaving me unsatisfied last night—
”

“
What?
”
she interjected, shocked to her toes.

He ignored the interruption.
“
Knew when you saw Gage and sensed your intense
worry over him, over his lack of commitment and his playboy status.
”

“
This isn
’
t fair,
”
she declared, but he continued.

“
Felt the sincerity in your heart about saving this house, your admiration
toward Nanette for her determination to restore the plantation, and the fact
that you love this place and everything it represents just as much, or more,
than the remainder of your family. Even if you choose to hide that fact to the
rest of the world.
”

“
But—
”

He held up a hand.
“
And I felt your reaction when your brothers referred to me
as your ghost.
”
He settled in the chair, crossed his feet at the ankles and eyed
her with unhidden interest.
“
So, do all ghosts bond this intimately with you, or
am I special?
”

“
No ghost has ever prolonged their crossing,
”
she said, her irritation building
.

How dare he hone in on her thoughts, on her desires?
“
Most ghosts know their
role and do their part obligingly, without fuss and without wasting time. They
do whatever it takes to cross, and then they leave. Case closed.
”

Ryan smiled smugly.
“
So I am special.
”
He focused on her face, then let his eyes
slide down to her neck, which immediately started feeling very…nice. Warm
.

Seductive. Erotic.

Monique
’
s eyes closed slowly as she embraced the powerful sensation. She
couldn
’
t help it. She moaned. Then she jerked her eyes open and shook her head
.

“
No,
”
she protested, taking small steps away from Ryan and hoping she was
heading in the general direction of her bathroom. Everything seemed rather
fuzzy.
“
You can
’
t do that.
”

“
I can,
”
he countered.

She swallowed hard.
“
Okay. Okay, you can. But you shouldn
’
t. You said you
wouldn
’
t do anything a woman didn
’
t want.
”

“
And I
’
m keeping my word. I haven
’
t done a thing that you don
’
t want. Remember,
I can sense your desires. I know what you want, Monique. And I
’
d wager I can
also feel exactly what you like, and what you don
’
t. You wouldn
’
t even have to
tell me. I can figure it out all on my own.
”

Boy, if that didn
’
t sound appealing. But she couldn
’
t. They couldn
’
t.