Read Online Inevitable by Michelle Rowen - Free Book Online

“I think she wants to tell us something.”
    â€œWho?”
    â€œThe ghost,” she said. “You’re standing right next to her.”

6
    T HE GHOST, A PRETTY BLONDE woman who wore a blue dress with thick straps and a full skirt, her hair in a tight chignon, turned to Emma. “You can see me?”
    She nodded. “I can.”
    The woman’s gaze moved toward Leo and Ryan. “And these men are arguing over you?”
    Emma grimaced. “Seem to be.”
    Ryan broke away from Leo and glared at him, before turning to Emma. “There’s a ghost here?”
    Leo looked around. “What are you talking about?”
    â€œI know the hotel close by is allegedly haunted, but I didn’t know about this location.” She looked at the woman. “Considering how many clairvoyants this town has in it, that surprises me.”
    â€œThis restaurant only opened a few weeks ago,” the woman explained, patting her hair absently as if to keep it perfectly in place. “Before that, it was my home, unoccupied for years and years.”
    The woman looked upset. Her eyes were shiny with silvery tears, and her voice cracked on her words.
    â€œAre you all right?” Emma asked. It seemed a strange question to ask a dead person, but from her experience,they liked to be treated just like everybody else whenever possible.
    The woman nodded. “It’s my anniversary. I miss my husband so much that I wanted to try to see him, but I can’t. I never can. I’m stuck here just as I always have been.”
    Emma glanced around at the dining room. Everyone had stopped eating and were staring at her with varying degrees of disbelief and shock on their faces. Just because the town boasted a paranormal investigation agency in a shiny glass building downtown, didn’t mean that everyone believed in ghosts. Most of them would simply see a woman talking to herself.
    She knew Ryan had drawn closer because a shiver of desire slid through her that only increased when he pressed his hand to the small of her back.
    â€œMaybe we should take this discussion somewhere a bit more private,” he suggested.
    â€œGood idea,” she agreed.
    â€œExcuse me?” Leo said. “I believe we were in the middle of our date before we were rudely interrupted.”
    â€œYou’re right. I’m so sorry.” She approached him and looked up at his incredulous expression. He wasn’t a bad guy. He didn’t deserve any of this. She wondered if the date would have gone better if Ryan hadn’t been a problem at the moment for her. She’d have to bet on… maybe .
    Just maybe.
    â€œMaybe we can try again another night,” she said. “Is that possible?”
    He frowned before his expression relaxed a little. He flicked an unfriendly look at Ryan and then back at her. “I think that’s possible.”
    â€œThank you.” She went to give him a quick kiss onhis cheek, but he turned his mouth to hers and kissed her fully on her lips. He tasted minty, as if he’d just brushed his teeth during his trip to the restroom. She had no doubt that was exactly what he’d done. He deepened the kiss, pulling her against him like some hero in a romance novel and she braced her hands against his chest. Finally she broke away and drew in a shaky breath.
    Then Leo looked directly at Ryan and smirked, which totally ruined it for her. The kiss had only been to show up the man Leo perceived as competition.
    Not sexy.
    Ryan just watched them, his arms crossed in front of him. “Fantastic,” he said dryly. “I’ll give it a ten out of ten. Done now?”
    â€œFor now,” Leo replied.
    â€œWe have ghost business and you’re just a civilian. So, buh-bye.”
    Leo looked at her. “I can wait and drive you home.”
    Emma shook her head. “It’s all right. I’ll be fine.”
    â€œI’ll call you.”
    â€œOkay.