angry as she pulled her car into Aunt Bitty’s uneven drive. Aubie was out the door before she had completely stopped the car. He slammed it behind him and loped up the porch steps without waiting for her at all.
Natalie sighed, then grabbed up Oskar and headed for the door. Her job as family caretaker was highly overrated and very underappreciated. But somebody had to do it.
She let herself into the house, locking the stained-glass inlaid door behind her. Aubie had long since disappeared up the stairs, without Natalie even being able to tell him that Newland was in the room Aubie normally slept in.
She shook her head. He’d figure it out soon enough.
“I’m glad to see you made it back okay.”
She pressed a hand over a heart that was beating crazily in her chest. “Newland! You scared me.”
“Definitely not my intention.”
“Then why are you lurking about out here in the foyer?”
“Well, first, I wasn’t in the foyer, I was in the parlor, and second, I was waiting on you to come home.”
“Why are you waiting for me?”
“I know that Turtle Creek is little and all, but crime happens everywhere. I just wanted to make sure you got home safely.”
Natalie was not going to let herself be touched by the gesture. He was just trying to get in her good graces so she would spill some other family dirt or worse. Then he would have the story he needed to get himself back on top in the journalism world. Though for him back on top might mean a desk job with
The National Enquirer
.
She pushed away that mean thought. “I’m touched, really.” She was, but she made sure her voice did not reflect it. “But you can go to bed now. I’m sure you have a long day of ghost hunting ahead of you tomorrow.”
She moved to go past him toward the staircase, but he stepped in front of her, effectively blocking her escape.
“Why is it that you’re always trying to run away from me? Are you scared of me or something?”
Natalie scoffed. “Of course not. Why would I be scared of you?”
His eyes darkened to a shade akin to black, their depth bottomless as he stared at her. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out myself.”
Something in the room seemed to change. If Natalie believed in the ghost, she might’ve said his spirit had walked in. She had read about spirits making the room colder and scarier, but this was something else entirely. She felt flushed and warm. Again, like that magnet drawn closer and closer to Newland Tran.
How had she gotten so close to him? Had she taken a step forward? Or had he?
If she had thought he was tall before, he seemed doubly so now. She had to crane her neck back to stare at him as he moved closer to her still.
“You don’t need to be afraid of me. I wouldn’t hurt you.” His voice was nothing but a whisper.
Natalie nodded mutely. She wasn’t afraid of him, just this. This way that he made her feel. Like a magnet, like warn chocolate sauce, like she’d never been kissed before. “I need to go to bed.”
Whoa, too intimate a thing to say.
Heat rose into her cheeks. Natalie knew that she had turned an uncomfortable shade of red, yet she couldn’t move past him, couldn’t look away, could only manage to stare at him and wait to see what happened next.
“Yeah, we should go to bed.”
“We?” The one word was nothing but a rush of air from her lips.
“You … we … ” He seemed as confused as she was.
“Okay.” Though she had no idea what she was agreeing to. That she needed to go to bed? That they needed to go to bed together? What was wrong with her?
Somehow she managed to move past him, brushing against him as she took the first stair. But like that magnet, he somehow turned her around so she was facing him once again. This time they were on a more even plane as she was standing on the step ahead of him. It would be just so easy to lean in … Closer … And touch her lips to his just to see … what all this was about … This pull ...
Maybe she
Natalie sighed, then grabbed up Oskar and headed for the door. Her job as family caretaker was highly overrated and very underappreciated. But somebody had to do it.
She let herself into the house, locking the stained-glass inlaid door behind her. Aubie had long since disappeared up the stairs, without Natalie even being able to tell him that Newland was in the room Aubie normally slept in.
She shook her head. He’d figure it out soon enough.
“I’m glad to see you made it back okay.”
She pressed a hand over a heart that was beating crazily in her chest. “Newland! You scared me.”
“Definitely not my intention.”
“Then why are you lurking about out here in the foyer?”
“Well, first, I wasn’t in the foyer, I was in the parlor, and second, I was waiting on you to come home.”
“Why are you waiting for me?”
“I know that Turtle Creek is little and all, but crime happens everywhere. I just wanted to make sure you got home safely.”
Natalie was not going to let herself be touched by the gesture. He was just trying to get in her good graces so she would spill some other family dirt or worse. Then he would have the story he needed to get himself back on top in the journalism world. Though for him back on top might mean a desk job with
The National Enquirer
.
She pushed away that mean thought. “I’m touched, really.” She was, but she made sure her voice did not reflect it. “But you can go to bed now. I’m sure you have a long day of ghost hunting ahead of you tomorrow.”
She moved to go past him toward the staircase, but he stepped in front of her, effectively blocking her escape.
“Why is it that you’re always trying to run away from me? Are you scared of me or something?”
Natalie scoffed. “Of course not. Why would I be scared of you?”
His eyes darkened to a shade akin to black, their depth bottomless as he stared at her. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out myself.”
Something in the room seemed to change. If Natalie believed in the ghost, she might’ve said his spirit had walked in. She had read about spirits making the room colder and scarier, but this was something else entirely. She felt flushed and warm. Again, like that magnet drawn closer and closer to Newland Tran.
How had she gotten so close to him? Had she taken a step forward? Or had he?
If she had thought he was tall before, he seemed doubly so now. She had to crane her neck back to stare at him as he moved closer to her still.
“You don’t need to be afraid of me. I wouldn’t hurt you.” His voice was nothing but a whisper.
Natalie nodded mutely. She wasn’t afraid of him, just this. This way that he made her feel. Like a magnet, like warn chocolate sauce, like she’d never been kissed before. “I need to go to bed.”
Whoa, too intimate a thing to say.
Heat rose into her cheeks. Natalie knew that she had turned an uncomfortable shade of red, yet she couldn’t move past him, couldn’t look away, could only manage to stare at him and wait to see what happened next.
“Yeah, we should go to bed.”
“We?” The one word was nothing but a rush of air from her lips.
“You … we … ” He seemed as confused as she was.
“Okay.” Though she had no idea what she was agreeing to. That she needed to go to bed? That they needed to go to bed together? What was wrong with her?
Somehow she managed to move past him, brushing against him as she took the first stair. But like that magnet, he somehow turned her around so she was facing him once again. This time they were on a more even plane as she was standing on the step ahead of him. It would be just so easy to lean in … Closer … And touch her lips to his just to see … what all this was about … This pull ...
Maybe she
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