Read Online Riding the Storm by Sydney Croft - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sydney Croft
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figure out all this."
He
put his palm flat against the north wall and closed his eyes. "She's a
ghost, not a shadow. Why don't you ask her yourself—she hates to be talked
about like she isn't here." He felt the familiar itch at the back of his
neck and knew the spirit was around him, and that she wasn't happy. Just like
Annika.
His
spirit was the jealous type—she didn't mind him sleeping with women, as long as
they didn't mean anything. Anytime he'd tried to date, Kat would cause too much
damned trouble for it to be worth it. At twenty-nine, he'd begun to want more
than a one-night stand, and every time he saw Annika, he was reminded of just
how much that want had grown.
He
concentrated on trying to draw the energy from the house instead of worrying
about the two warring women he was going to have to deal with for the duration
of this assignment. "This is a portal."
"So
we should set up the equipment here, then?"
He
shook his head. "Not unless you want to be drawn in," he said, and
noted she was hugging her arms to her chest. "Have you been cold all
day?"
"Yes,
since I walked in here. Can't you feel it?"
"I'm
not affected that way. Are you sure you're not sick?"
"I'm
not sick," she said.
"You're
all flushed." He attempted to put a palm against her forehead but she
threw out an arm to block him. "Look, this is important. I need to know
how this house is affecting you. If it's too dangerous for you to be
here."
"I'm
not leaving."
"Just
sit down, Annika. I've got to put my hands on you."
"You're
not touching me."
"I've
got to make sure the presence that was here hasn't gotten into you," he
said. "The only way for me to do that is to put my hands on your bare
skin."
"You
already touched me," she protested, and he wondered why the hell she was
making such a big deal out of this. "Couldn't you get a read off of me
then?"
"I
didn't get any kind of read, which isn't normal. Just sit down with your back
to me and pull your shirt up."
She
stared up at him and muttered under her breath about Dev owing her. And then
she sat down sideways on the staircase and slowly lifted her shirt to expose a
smooth expanse of skin.
He
admired her finely muscled back as he rubbed his palms together to warm them.
He knelt close to her, closed his eyes and placed his palms on either side of
her spine.
He
felt a jolt that went straight through his body to his groin and forced himself
to hold his hands steady as Annika drew in deep, erratic breaths. Shit. Not a
good sign.
He
shifted his hands farther apart so they skimmed her sides close to her breasts.
He shoved his fingers impatiently under the fabric of her bra so he could feel
skin on skin. She'd cocked her head to one side, and he moved his face close to
hers so his cheek was nearly touching hers, his entire body attempting to draw
out whatever had entered her.
His
palms were nearly vibrating under the energy she threw off, and it took him a
few minutes to realize he wasn't reaching the energy field of a rogue spirit.
No, the feeling was purely Annika.
It
pulsed through him like a sharp buzz, made his toes curl the way a good shot of
Jagermeister would. Or an orgasm.
She
turned her face toward his, her body angled back against him, like she wanted
to be closer to him, and for a moment she just watched him, her lips slightly
parted. He could've sworn she was getting ready to kiss him. He would've
reciprocated too, if the window above them hadn't blown out.
"Shit."
He scrambled up to stand in front of her, to cover her. But she was standing
too, looking all around for the source.
"What's
going on?" she asked.
"We
pissed it off. We make a good team," he said, and Annika didn't look too
happy about that possibility.
"Come
here," he said, and didn't give her a chance to say no before he was
holding her close, facing him. She tried to pull away from him, but he didn't
let her, partially for her own safety and partially because he just wanted to
touch her, to run his palms over
He
put his palm flat against the north wall and closed his eyes. "She's a
ghost, not a shadow. Why don't you ask her yourself—she hates to be talked
about like she isn't here." He felt the familiar itch at the back of his
neck and knew the spirit was around him, and that she wasn't happy. Just like
Annika.
His
spirit was the jealous type—she didn't mind him sleeping with women, as long as
they didn't mean anything. Anytime he'd tried to date, Kat would cause too much
damned trouble for it to be worth it. At twenty-nine, he'd begun to want more
than a one-night stand, and every time he saw Annika, he was reminded of just
how much that want had grown.
He
concentrated on trying to draw the energy from the house instead of worrying
about the two warring women he was going to have to deal with for the duration
of this assignment. "This is a portal."
"So
we should set up the equipment here, then?"
He
shook his head. "Not unless you want to be drawn in," he said, and
noted she was hugging her arms to her chest. "Have you been cold all
day?"
"Yes,
since I walked in here. Can't you feel it?"
"I'm
not affected that way. Are you sure you're not sick?"
"I'm
not sick," she said.
"You're
all flushed." He attempted to put a palm against her forehead but she
threw out an arm to block him. "Look, this is important. I need to know
how this house is affecting you. If it's too dangerous for you to be
here."
"I'm
not leaving."
"Just
sit down, Annika. I've got to put my hands on you."
"You're
not touching me."
"I've
got to make sure the presence that was here hasn't gotten into you," he
said. "The only way for me to do that is to put my hands on your bare
skin."
"You
already touched me," she protested, and he wondered why the hell she was
making such a big deal out of this. "Couldn't you get a read off of me
then?"
"I
didn't get any kind of read, which isn't normal. Just sit down with your back
to me and pull your shirt up."
She
stared up at him and muttered under her breath about Dev owing her. And then
she sat down sideways on the staircase and slowly lifted her shirt to expose a
smooth expanse of skin.
He
admired her finely muscled back as he rubbed his palms together to warm them.
He knelt close to her, closed his eyes and placed his palms on either side of
her spine.
He
felt a jolt that went straight through his body to his groin and forced himself
to hold his hands steady as Annika drew in deep, erratic breaths. Shit. Not a
good sign.
He
shifted his hands farther apart so they skimmed her sides close to her breasts.
He shoved his fingers impatiently under the fabric of her bra so he could feel
skin on skin. She'd cocked her head to one side, and he moved his face close to
hers so his cheek was nearly touching hers, his entire body attempting to draw
out whatever had entered her.
His
palms were nearly vibrating under the energy she threw off, and it took him a
few minutes to realize he wasn't reaching the energy field of a rogue spirit.
No, the feeling was purely Annika.
It
pulsed through him like a sharp buzz, made his toes curl the way a good shot of
Jagermeister would. Or an orgasm.
She
turned her face toward his, her body angled back against him, like she wanted
to be closer to him, and for a moment she just watched him, her lips slightly
parted. He could've sworn she was getting ready to kiss him. He would've
reciprocated too, if the window above them hadn't blown out.
"Shit."
He scrambled up to stand in front of her, to cover her. But she was standing
too, looking all around for the source.
"What's
going on?" she asked.
"We
pissed it off. We make a good team," he said, and Annika didn't look too
happy about that possibility.
"Come
here," he said, and didn't give her a chance to say no before he was
holding her close, facing him. She tried to pull away from him, but he didn't
let her, partially for her own safety and partially because he just wanted to
touch her, to run his palms over
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