Read Online The Ghost Hunter by Lori Brighton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lori Brighton
Ads: Link
needed to concentrate, damn it all.
“A door?” he asked, forcing her attention to the far corner of the room.
She froze, he wasn’t even sure if she breathed as she stared at that portal. In her eyes he saw fear, a fear that worried him, but more than that, a fear that angered the hell out of him. He didn’t want to see her this way. She didn’t deserve this life.
She rushed after him. “Honestly, I don’t know what it is.”
He paused in front of the familiar door. If she only knew what was truly behind there… He could tell her, tell her the truth and hope it scared her enough that she ran. But it was doubtful. If she knew the truth, he had a feeling she’d be the one attempting to break down the door. Not that she could, he’d made sure of that.
He lifted his hand and brushed his fingers over the icon in the middle of the panel. A familiar icon, one he knew well. Nothing more than a shiver of awareness spread through his body, but the house rumbled in angry protest. Ashley froze beside him, not saying a word. Like, if she kept silent, he wouldn’t notice the huge trembling pink elephant in the room.
“What the bloody hell was that?” He turned toward her, waiting to see how she’d explain the situation away.
She started back toward the steps, most likely hoping he’d follow. “How should I know? The boiler?”
“Boiler’s over there.” He nodded toward the far corner where the rusty monstrous machine sat cold and unforgiving.
She paused on the first step, looking confused for a moment. Cristian doubted she even knew what a boiler was. “Well, whatever. We should go, it’s rude to keep Rose waiting.”
But she didn’t move, merely waited impatiently, tapping her foot. Slowly, he made his way toward her. She didn’t flinch, but held her ground as he rested his foot on the first step and peered into her hazel eyes. “What are ye trying to hide, Ashley?”
She swallowed hard, her delicate throat working. “Oh, I don’t know. Ghosts?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Lot’s of ghosts.”
He smiled. She was trying to kill him with honesty, was she?
“What?” She arched a brow and looked down her nose at him. “Don’t you believe in ghosts? You brought Mad Rose here, I assumed you believe in such nonsense.”
He shrugged. “Of course I do.”
She frowned, obviously surprised that he would admit the truth. “Really?”
“Don’t ye?”
She paused for a long, telling moment. “Maybe.”
Cristian rested his arm on the railing and leaned closer. Her vanilla scent swirled around him, took hold of his groin and made his body harden. “I think ye do, ye just don’t want to admit it.”
“Oh yeah, you an expert?” Her warm breath whispered softly against his lips.
He lowered his gaze to her mouth. “Perhaps.”
Nervously, her pink tongue darted out, licking her bottom lip. Fire shot through his body. “Then tell me something, why are there ghosts? I mean really? Why don’t they just go on to the other side?”
He forced himself to look into her eyes. “Perhaps they like it better here. If they bother ye, Rose can give you something to get rid of them.” He’d wanted to get rid of them years ago, but Aunt Clare wouldn’t allow it. Treated the beasts like family. And they’d always been harmless enough, until now. Now, it was imperative they were destroyed.
She stiffened in surprise. “Get rid of them?” She shrugged, looking rather put out. “Perhaps they aren’t so bad.”
He laughed. “Ye like hanging out with evil, do ye?”
She bristled, her cheeks flushing with annoyance. Lord, she was lovely when she was angry. “Ghosts aren’t evil.” The words came out strong and sure.
Hell, she was like her aunt after all. She’d grown fond of the damn spirits. “Then why are they still here?”
She poked him in his chest. “You tell me, since you seem to know it all.”
He glanced back at the narrow wooden door that rested in the corner of the
“A door?” he asked, forcing her attention to the far corner of the room.
She froze, he wasn’t even sure if she breathed as she stared at that portal. In her eyes he saw fear, a fear that worried him, but more than that, a fear that angered the hell out of him. He didn’t want to see her this way. She didn’t deserve this life.
She rushed after him. “Honestly, I don’t know what it is.”
He paused in front of the familiar door. If she only knew what was truly behind there… He could tell her, tell her the truth and hope it scared her enough that she ran. But it was doubtful. If she knew the truth, he had a feeling she’d be the one attempting to break down the door. Not that she could, he’d made sure of that.
He lifted his hand and brushed his fingers over the icon in the middle of the panel. A familiar icon, one he knew well. Nothing more than a shiver of awareness spread through his body, but the house rumbled in angry protest. Ashley froze beside him, not saying a word. Like, if she kept silent, he wouldn’t notice the huge trembling pink elephant in the room.
“What the bloody hell was that?” He turned toward her, waiting to see how she’d explain the situation away.
She started back toward the steps, most likely hoping he’d follow. “How should I know? The boiler?”
“Boiler’s over there.” He nodded toward the far corner where the rusty monstrous machine sat cold and unforgiving.
She paused on the first step, looking confused for a moment. Cristian doubted she even knew what a boiler was. “Well, whatever. We should go, it’s rude to keep Rose waiting.”
But she didn’t move, merely waited impatiently, tapping her foot. Slowly, he made his way toward her. She didn’t flinch, but held her ground as he rested his foot on the first step and peered into her hazel eyes. “What are ye trying to hide, Ashley?”
She swallowed hard, her delicate throat working. “Oh, I don’t know. Ghosts?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Lot’s of ghosts.”
He smiled. She was trying to kill him with honesty, was she?
“What?” She arched a brow and looked down her nose at him. “Don’t you believe in ghosts? You brought Mad Rose here, I assumed you believe in such nonsense.”
He shrugged. “Of course I do.”
She frowned, obviously surprised that he would admit the truth. “Really?”
“Don’t ye?”
She paused for a long, telling moment. “Maybe.”
Cristian rested his arm on the railing and leaned closer. Her vanilla scent swirled around him, took hold of his groin and made his body harden. “I think ye do, ye just don’t want to admit it.”
“Oh yeah, you an expert?” Her warm breath whispered softly against his lips.
He lowered his gaze to her mouth. “Perhaps.”
Nervously, her pink tongue darted out, licking her bottom lip. Fire shot through his body. “Then tell me something, why are there ghosts? I mean really? Why don’t they just go on to the other side?”
He forced himself to look into her eyes. “Perhaps they like it better here. If they bother ye, Rose can give you something to get rid of them.” He’d wanted to get rid of them years ago, but Aunt Clare wouldn’t allow it. Treated the beasts like family. And they’d always been harmless enough, until now. Now, it was imperative they were destroyed.
She stiffened in surprise. “Get rid of them?” She shrugged, looking rather put out. “Perhaps they aren’t so bad.”
He laughed. “Ye like hanging out with evil, do ye?”
She bristled, her cheeks flushing with annoyance. Lord, she was lovely when she was angry. “Ghosts aren’t evil.” The words came out strong and sure.
Hell, she was like her aunt after all. She’d grown fond of the damn spirits. “Then why are they still here?”
She poked him in his chest. “You tell me, since you seem to know it all.”
He glanced back at the narrow wooden door that rested in the corner of the
Similar Books
