Read Online Phantom by Laura DeLuca - Free Book Online Page B

Those gentle hands explored her body, sliding along her waist, up her arms, over her neck. He took her hand and lifted it against his cheek. The ceaseless throb in her body turned to an almost unbearable ache, and she longed to feel his touch in less appropriate places.
     
      Rebecca held her breath and closed her eyes. His lips moved so close to the nape of her neck that it made goose bumps appear up and down her arms. Lips that were so close to her flesh, but never quite touched it. One hand toyed with the ends of her long hair, while the other glided along her waist, squeezing her against him. She waited, yearned for more.
     
    “You’re supposed to faint now,” he whispered in her ear. His voice was more than a little amused.
     
     Rebecca immediately snapped back to reality. She almost argued with him again that she wasn’t the fainting type. But then she remembered that it was part of the scene.
     
    “Oh yeah. Right.”
     
    She closed her eyes and allowed her body to go limp and crumple into his waiting arms. She did her best to keep her body relaxed so she wouldn’t be too heavy for him. But it was unnecessary because he lifted her effortlessly. She was so close to him that she could smell the scent of his cologne, some mixture of patchouli and sandalwood that was natural but masculine and made her feel even more lightheaded and giddy. He gently placed her down on the dingy, old cot that they were using until the props were complete. She could have been in a bed lined with designer silk sheets, and the moment wouldn’t have been any more breathtaking when he leaned over her.
     
    Above them, the thunder crackled so loudly that they could hear it clearly over the stilling music of the orchestra. Justyn stroked her cheek as he sang the last lines of the sonnet.
     
“It is you alone who inspires me to sing.
Take my hand and watch the symphony take wing.”
     
    Once again his heavy breath teased her, tortured her, and left her longing for more. Though her eyes were still closed, she was sure his lips lingered just above hers. She was certain he would kiss her, and was even more certain that she wanted him to. But before she learned for a fact what his intentions might be, the auditorium erupted into terrified screams.
     
     
     

Chapter Eight
     
    Rebecca snapped her eyes open to see what all the shouting was about. At least she thought she did. But even though she swore her eyes were wide open, she still couldn’t see anything. The entire auditorium had been plunged into total darkness. Only a few scattered corners were lit by flashing battery powered emergency lights.
     
    Another clap of thunder rattled the sky, and the scared screams settled into startled gasps. As the silence grew heavier in the auditorium, she could hear the rain pounding against the windows and the wind howling through the trees. And even though she couldn’t see it, she was sure lighting was flashing dangerously beyond the school walls.
     
    “Everyone stay calm!” Miss King called through the darkness, sounding anything but calm herself. “It’s just the storm. I’m sure the electric will only be out for a few minutes. Just stay where you are until the lights come back on. I don’t need anyone falling off the stage and breaking their necks.”
     
    Rebecca was still lying back on the mangy cot that smelled of stale mothballs. Looming above her, all she could see was the faint outline of the white mask of the phantom, which was still covering Justyn’s face. The magic connection they had briefly shared had broken the minute the music ceased to play, and Rebecca had to wonder if it had ever been more than just her imagination. With a sigh of exasperation, she sat up on the cot.
     
    The silence lasted longer than she was comfortable with and Rebecca felt the need to break it. “Spooky, huh?”
     
    She felt the weight shift on the cot as Justyn took a seat beside her. “Not really. I like the dark.”
     
    Rebecca laughed