You’re in bonus time.”
“Bonus time?”
“Mmm.” She nodded, warming to the idea as she tried to find a positive from all this for him. “You can do whatever you want, plan your to-do list, walk through every house between here and there. Hell, study if you really want.”
“I can’t turn the pages on my books or even turn on a computer.”
“I’ll help.”
He glanced at her and smiled. His blue eyes were so bright with life she wanted to really see him smiling, not just his spirit. She ran her tongue over her lip and his gaze lowered, tracking the motion.
“And if I wanted to kiss you?” His voice lowered, and she was sure her pulse quickened in response.
While she wanted to say, sure, kiss me , he’d only just broken up with Ruby and he wasn’t really here. She had to remember that. He could wake up and she’d never see him again. And she did want to see him, in the flesh. “I’d say you’re rebounding.”
“You make me remember what it’s like to be alive.” He placed his hand over his heart. “I can feel it, something more than the dull echo of pain. Maybe a kiss will make me wake up.” He moved closer.
Her heart hammered in her chest; he must be able to hear it. It was rebound and the need to feel alive, that was all, but who was she to deny him the chance to get back to his body? And if it worked? She’d go and see him and find out if he did remember her.
“One kiss, just to see if it will help.”
His fingers went to brush a strand of hair off her face, but she couldn’t feel his touch, only the gentle brush of air. “Scientific research…you’ve never kissed a ghost before.”
“Never.” What would it be like to be kissed by a ghost? She leaned forward slightly, as if he were drawing her closer.
He traced her jaw, leaving a chill in his wake, and a shiver traced down her spine. “What do you feel?”
She swallowed. “Not nothing, but it’s hard to describe, like a feather sweeping over my skin, or a cool breeze on a hot night. You?”
“Warmth. When I’m near you I don’t feel so cold, the ache in my head and shoulder lessens and I feel more like me and less like something that might disintegrate in a strong wind.”
“I won’t let you disintegrate,” she whispered. Then his lips met hers in a kiss that was so light she could have imagined the contact.
A gust of icy air swept around the back of her neck and slapped her cheek. Eloise dropped the cup. It smashed on the concrete steps, the remains of her coffee splashing up her pants. Shelby jumped up and barked, a growl rumbling in the dog’s throat as if she could sense a threat that couldn’t be seen.
“I’m sorry.” She started picking up bits of china. Any excuse not to look at him. What was she doing? He was dying and his recently ex-girlfriend was dead. Wrong. So very wrong. The hair on her neck prickled again, but as before she saw no one. But something was there, a cold shadow that radiated anger, and it made her stomach scrunch up and wrap around her spine.
Shelby sniffed and licked at the spillage. She nudged the dog away with her elbow. The last thing she needed was Shelby cutting her tongue.
“Eloise…” His hand passed through the bits of mug as he tried to help clean up.
“It’s fine.” Eloise picked up the last few pieces. She took a couple of paces, then turned back. None of this was his fault; she was more annoyed with herself for being suckered in. She forced out a breath and remembered her manners. “Come inside.”
The weather looked like it was turning, and she didn’t want him to think she was rude as well as clumsy. Surely if there was another ghost around he’d be able to see it and would have warned her? She gave herself a mental shake. There was nothing there. She was overreacting and on edge.
“You sure you don’t mind me drifting around the house?” he said with another of his beautiful smiles that made her heart melt and take flight. Why couldn’t he be
“Bonus time?”
“Mmm.” She nodded, warming to the idea as she tried to find a positive from all this for him. “You can do whatever you want, plan your to-do list, walk through every house between here and there. Hell, study if you really want.”
“I can’t turn the pages on my books or even turn on a computer.”
“I’ll help.”
He glanced at her and smiled. His blue eyes were so bright with life she wanted to really see him smiling, not just his spirit. She ran her tongue over her lip and his gaze lowered, tracking the motion.
“And if I wanted to kiss you?” His voice lowered, and she was sure her pulse quickened in response.
While she wanted to say, sure, kiss me , he’d only just broken up with Ruby and he wasn’t really here. She had to remember that. He could wake up and she’d never see him again. And she did want to see him, in the flesh. “I’d say you’re rebounding.”
“You make me remember what it’s like to be alive.” He placed his hand over his heart. “I can feel it, something more than the dull echo of pain. Maybe a kiss will make me wake up.” He moved closer.
Her heart hammered in her chest; he must be able to hear it. It was rebound and the need to feel alive, that was all, but who was she to deny him the chance to get back to his body? And if it worked? She’d go and see him and find out if he did remember her.
“One kiss, just to see if it will help.”
His fingers went to brush a strand of hair off her face, but she couldn’t feel his touch, only the gentle brush of air. “Scientific research…you’ve never kissed a ghost before.”
“Never.” What would it be like to be kissed by a ghost? She leaned forward slightly, as if he were drawing her closer.
He traced her jaw, leaving a chill in his wake, and a shiver traced down her spine. “What do you feel?”
She swallowed. “Not nothing, but it’s hard to describe, like a feather sweeping over my skin, or a cool breeze on a hot night. You?”
“Warmth. When I’m near you I don’t feel so cold, the ache in my head and shoulder lessens and I feel more like me and less like something that might disintegrate in a strong wind.”
“I won’t let you disintegrate,” she whispered. Then his lips met hers in a kiss that was so light she could have imagined the contact.
A gust of icy air swept around the back of her neck and slapped her cheek. Eloise dropped the cup. It smashed on the concrete steps, the remains of her coffee splashing up her pants. Shelby jumped up and barked, a growl rumbling in the dog’s throat as if she could sense a threat that couldn’t be seen.
“I’m sorry.” She started picking up bits of china. Any excuse not to look at him. What was she doing? He was dying and his recently ex-girlfriend was dead. Wrong. So very wrong. The hair on her neck prickled again, but as before she saw no one. But something was there, a cold shadow that radiated anger, and it made her stomach scrunch up and wrap around her spine.
Shelby sniffed and licked at the spillage. She nudged the dog away with her elbow. The last thing she needed was Shelby cutting her tongue.
“Eloise…” His hand passed through the bits of mug as he tried to help clean up.
“It’s fine.” Eloise picked up the last few pieces. She took a couple of paces, then turned back. None of this was his fault; she was more annoyed with herself for being suckered in. She forced out a breath and remembered her manners. “Come inside.”
The weather looked like it was turning, and she didn’t want him to think she was rude as well as clumsy. Surely if there was another ghost around he’d be able to see it and would have warned her? She gave herself a mental shake. There was nothing there. She was overreacting and on edge.
“You sure you don’t mind me drifting around the house?” he said with another of his beautiful smiles that made her heart melt and take flight. Why couldn’t he be
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