Levi poured red wine into two crystal goblets. They had belonged to his grandmother. It was old crystal, older than what would have been made during the time she had gotten married to his grandfather. The set came from his great-grandparents’ era, before the turn of the 20th century. It was a miracle his family had been able to even acquire the crystal, given the times, and lack of wealth. He’d heard they were a gift from a well-to-do family visiting from New York. His great-grandfather, Jalen Walker, had saved a young woman from being stabbed to death in a back-alley robbery. He’d received the “rich cut glass,” along with a few acres of land, as a gift in return. The set’s value weighed heavily on the sentimental side, but would fetch a good price to the right buyer. Not that Levi would ever sell them. He liked collecting old things after all.
“Well, at least you know I’m not crazy now, right?” Paige asked, as she paced his living room.
She was a stunning woman. How odd that the person his sister had found to help him, was the kind of woman he tended to be most attracted to. Her blond hair and blue eyes—his personal weakness—were just the start. She possessed a lighthearted demeanor and quick wit, which only added to his fascination. And the fact that her interest lay in history made her a perfect fit for him. Apart from those qualities, her genuine sense of concern for him and his sister, ignited his growing affection for her.
Affection... he almost laughed out loud at the thought. Longing desire might have been a more appropriate term. Ever since the dreams had started, he couldn’t think straight. His work had suffered because of it—as if the death of his sister hadn’t done enough damage on that front already. There was no doubt that this blond-haired beauty was the one wreaking havoc in his dreams late at night. The how and why of that connection were mysteries to him, but despite himself, he found the experience to be quite enjoyable.
“Uh... earth to Levi?” She had stopped pacing, and stood in the middle of the room, hands on her hips. “I’m beginning to feel a little self-conscious here.”
He blinked, not sure what she was referring to. There was certainly no reason for her to feel self-conscious with a body like that. Then suddenly, he realized she had asked him a question.
“To be honest,” he recovered. “I thought you were a total loon at first, but now I see that I was wrong. I am the one that seems to have a soft head.”
She barked a laugh. “If only. Then we both would be safe.” She tapped a finger on her chin. “As safe as a crazy person can be.”
It was his turn to laugh. “Considering what I’ve seen so far, crazy is definitely safer.” He corked the wine bottle, and took a glass over to her. “At least you have ‘super’ powers.”
“Yeah, a whole lot of good that’s done me. All I’ve gotten from it is a freakin’ target on my back.” She took a sip from her glass, and began pacing again. “Other than that, I’m just an average girl who happens to be able to see and talk with ghosts.”
“I don’t think there are many average things about you, Miss Eastick.” He smiled, and took a drink.
She shook her head, and wagged a finger in the air. “None of that ‘Miss’ stuff. Call me Paige.” Then she paused. “Do I look old or something?”
Levi almost choked on his drink. “Far from it.”
“Good.” She eyed him suspiciously for a moment, and then resumed her pacing.
She was still rattled from the encounter in the stacks. Hell, he was still rattled. The image of that...thing continued to pop into his mind. It was an image he wouldn’t be able to forget any time soon. A call to the police seemed like the right thing to do, but what exactly could he say? A raving lunatic with black eyes, and drooling blood, attacked me in the library?
They’d think he was drunk, or on something worse. He needed more time to think this through. “Why did that guy not attack us? We were right there in front of him.”
“He wasn’t after us,” she replied, still pacing.
She had said something like that before. It hadn’t registered at the time, and this was the first he’d brought it up since the encounter. They had both retreated into their safe places, not speaking until they had gotten to his apartment. Reason and curiosity had finally started to return, and there were an ass-ton of questions begging to be answered. “What do you think it was after?”
“Your sister,” she answered. “I don’t think that guy could see us, but I’m pretty sure he could ‘sense’ Nova. That would explain why she hasn’t been around that much.”
“She’s trying to keep them away?”
Paige nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”
Levi rubbed his eyes. He had hoped that Nova had found some peace after her brutal death, but it appeared just the opposite had happened, and it was happening because of him. “I’m glad she found you. At least she has someone to talk to.”
Paige grimaced. “She did, until I cast a spell to protect myself.”
“What’s that?” More witch craziness.
“I’ll explain later,” she replied. “Maybe we should put our books together, and figure out what we can do about this mess.”
“Uh, Okay.” He couldn’t argue with that logic, and the whole spellcasting thing wasn’t something he wanted to know about. Her claim of being a medium had been difficult enough to swallow, but witchcraft was pushing beyond what he could handle at the moment. One thing at a time.
Paige paced her way right over to her bags, and started digging through them. She bent over, displaying her backside quite generously, and Levi couldn’t help but pause. He didn’t think she’d done it on purpose, but he was thankful just the same.
She found what she was searching for far too soon for his liking, and stood.
Levi jerked his gaze away before she turned around. He grabbed the book he’d found in the stacks, which had actually turned out to be a thesis written back in the 1930’s. It was bound in maroon leather, and about half an inch thick. The cover wasn’t too worn, so either it hadn’t been read much, or it was a reprint. The subject matter dealt with paranormal occurrences throughout North America, and the argument was that some of these occurrences were genuine on more than a metaphysical level. The author believed that ghosts had truly manifested during these events, and Levi was in no position to disprove him, though he still had his doubts.
Despite his reservations, he thumbed through the yellowed pages in hopes of finding something useful. His gaze kept drifting back to Paige. She had curled up on his couch, with her nose buried in a little, blue book. Memories of her legs coiled around the back of his head flashed through his thoughts. Now that she sat right here in front of him, the temptation to offer to re-enact those memories wore on his willpower. He cleared his throat, and forced himself to focus on the task at hand. We’re in danger, remember?
He knew he should be taking the research more seriously, but his blond-haired guest was too damn distracting. An hour went by in what seemed like only a few minutes. The references to The Headless Man had been easy enough to find, and the suggested remedy was fairly simple, but most likely bogus.
“I don’t think this is going to do any good,” he said, rubbing his temple.
“You never know,” she replied. “We need to try everything.”
“Even submerging myself in saltwater for ten minutes?”
One of her eyebrows rose, as she looked over at him. “Seriously?”
He chuckled, and tossed her the book. “Page 58.”
She thumbed through it, and read the entry. “Wow, that’s going to be fun.”
Levi frowned. “You’re not really considering doing that, are you?”
“Me, no.” A wicked little grin crept across her face. “You, however...”
He laughed. “Besides the fact that the idea is ridiculous, how am I supposed to hold my breath for ten minutes?”
“Don’t you have a snorkel, or something?”
“No, of course not,” he began. Then he remembered the PVC tubing he’d purchased to do some armatures for work a few months back. He got up and went over to the coat closet. “Actually, I may have something that could work.” Sure enough, there were several short pieces left over, propped in the corner. He pulled one out. “How about this?”
“That’s perfect!”
Levi shook his head, coming to his senses. “We aren’t doing this. It’s a total sham. There’s no way dunking me in salt water is going to fix whatever it is that’s going on.”
“We need to try,” Paige insisted. “Yeah, it might not work. But if it does, you won’t be in danger anymore, and I can go home with a clear conscience.”
A spike of regret surged at her mention of going home.
You hardly know her, fool, he chided himself. Even so, there was a connection with her that he couldn’t explain, and he didn’t like the thought of losing it.
Maybe she wants to go. The thought stung, but was more than plausible. He’d want to go home too, especially after the shit she’d been through.
“Okay, I’ll do it,” he said, surrendering. “But it has to be warm water, or the deal’s off.”
She chuckled, and got to her feet. “It didn’t say anything about temperature, so that should be fine.”
Levi groaned. “I’ll have to go get some salt.”
“I’m coming with.” Paige grabbed her purse and the little blue book. She was standing next to him in a flash, slightly rocking on her heels.
She looked scared. Hell, he was too. He had no doubt they needed to stayed together. Even though he wasn’t entirely convinced about the whole ghost thing, that guy in the stacks had rattled his cage, leaving no doubt that something disturbingly wrong was going on. He just needed to find out how to stop it.
They hopped into his car, and headed to the grocery. Her scent permeated the interior, triggering the lustful desires he’d been struggling with all day. Images of her naked in his office danced teasingly around in his head.
“You smell nice. What do you use?” It was a pathetic attempt to distract himself from the triple X images in his mind, but it was all he could come up with.
“I… um… it’s my shampoo and soap,” she replied. “I get it from a local shop in Salem. It’s made with night phlox. The shop owner and I are friends, and I have her make it special for me. I grow the phlox and she uses it in some of her other products.”
“That’s a good arrangement.”
“I think so.”
He clicked on the radio, desperate for more distractions.
“I wanted to ask you about something,” Paige said. “I don’t want to be too forward, but it needs to be addressed.”
Oh, boy. Levi had no idea what she was about to say, but he was confident it would be a shocker. The positive was that his mind began to climb out of the gutter. “Shoot.”
She squirmed in her seat for a moment, as if unsure of herself. “I did something I shouldn’t have,” she began, “I mean, I did something without knowing what happened would happen...”
He laughed. “If you’re trying to confuse me, it’s working.”
She groaned and looked up at the ceiling. “I cast a spell before I came here. I just wanted to confirm what Nova was telling me, and it ended up going a little too far. I invaded your privacy, on a lot of different levels, and I’m sorry.”
Warning bells went off in Levi’s head. “Are you talking about why I recognized you, when we first met?”
“Yeah,” she drawled with apprehension.
“Are you saying that you’re responsible for my dreams of late?” He tried to swallow the dryness in his mouth, but only managed to make it worse. He was still on the fence about the magic thing, as well as the talking to spirits thing, but if she was actually the cause of those fantasies... “No. That isn’t possible.”
“How else can you explain me being there?” She turned to face him.
“How do I know that you know that you were there?” I can’t believe I just said that aloud.
Paige blinked, staring at him in silence. She took a deep breath. “The room was pretty fancy. Red velvet drapes, silk sheets, embellishments around the room that only a super-rich person could afford. You start in the bathroom, every time, with only a towel wrapped around your waist.” She paused, moistening her lips and shifting in her seat. “We end up together, in those silk sheets, and for the life of me, I can’t get the image of your unnaturally large tongue out of my mind—”
“Stop.” He’d been teased as a child for the odd size of that particular appendage. As he got older, or more importantly, when the girls got older, the teasing began to fade and turned into interest. He could actually touch the bridge of his nose with the tip of his tongue; it was a great party trick. But that wasn’t why he’d put a halt to her line of proof. The truth was, sweat had started to build up on the middle of his back, and his pants were becoming increasingly uncomfortable in the crotch area. He could picture everything she had described, as if he’d been there himself, which actually, he had. The suite she mentioned had been a room in Vegas he’d booked for a long weekend with friends. It’d been a fun trip, and a place he wanted to return to someday, though not solo. The dreams had fulfilled that hope a hundred-fold, but those had been just dreams. “I’m having trouble believing... ugh, everything.”
“I know.”
“I just need some time to wrap my mind around it. I know you’re in danger, and I am too, possibly. It’s the circumstances, and the why of it all, I can’t swallow.”
“I know.”
He pulled into the parking lot, and stopped. “You’re a very understanding woman. And complicated.”
She laughed. “I know.”
He shook his head. “I want to believe you, but I’ve only seen the crazy guy in the stacks. His condition could be explained as something other than supernatural. As much as I hate to say it, I need to see something that is truly impossible.”
“More than the dream?”
He nodded, even though that little fact had him almost convinced.
“You want to see a ghost,” she stated.
“Yeah, I guess.” He wasn’t sure what he needed to see to believe her. Maybe he just needed more time for everything to sink in.
“I might be able to pull that off,” she said, as she got out of the car. “But first things first. Salt.”
They ended up getting three pounds of the stuff, just to be sure. Once they got back to his apartment, he immediately went to the bathroom, and started the water. He brought the bath to temperature, then plugged the drain.
“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever used the tub,” he realized, as Paige walked in.
She scrunched her nose up at him. “Eew.”
“Never used it as a tub, I mean,” he amended. “I take showers.”
“I would hope so,” she replied, opening one of the grocery bags. “Otherwise, we’re going back for more salt.”
I walked right into that one. He sniffed his armpit for good measure.
Paige laughed. “You smell fine.” She tore the first bag of salt open and poured it in.
“How much do you think we need?” he asked.
“Don’t know. Let’s use the whole bag.”
Levi nodded. “I guess I’ll get the snorkel.” He trudged into the living room, and grabbed the piece of PVC. When he came back, he found Paige reading her little blue book. “What kind of book is that?” He’d wondered since first seeing it.
“A spell book,” she shot a smirk his way. “All witches have one.”
He groaned. “Sorry I asked.”
“You’re such a skeptic,” she teased, wiggling her fingers at him. “Ya just gotta believe.”
“I’m sure I’ll believe soon enough.” He stripped his shirt off, and tossed it in the sink. It felt a little weird stripping in front of someone he’d just met yesterday, but had shared several erotic dreams with. He glanced at Paige as he took his pants off.
She peered at him over the pages of her “spell” book, but quickly looked away once she noticed his gaze.
Well, that’s not a bad sign, he thought with a bit of relief.
He stepped into the tub with only his underwear and the PVC snorkel. “Okay, let’s get this over with.”
“Don’t be so optimistic,” she said, smiling. “The worst that could happen is that it saves your life.”
“I’m not so sure that’s the worst thing...” He sat down and laid back. The water warmed him, but did nothing to ease his nerves. “Ten minutes, huh?”
Paige nodded. “Yep.”
Levi had stalled long enough; it was time. With the tubing in his mouth, he submerged himself. Ten minutes could prove to be a long time in a lot of different situations. When underwater, with your eyes clamped shut, ten minutes might as well be an entire day. He just hoped he could make it without freaking out. He wasn’t afraid of water, or swimming, or anything like that. Remaining underwater in darkness for extended periods of time wasn’t exactly a day at the pool.
It didn’t take long before his thoughts drifted to Paige. He wondered if she felt as soft in real life as she did in his dreams. Her scent certainly was the same, which was strange because he’d never remembered being able to smell in a dream before. Maybe it is magic.
He chuckled, and sucked in a bit of salt water around the edges of the tube. It took all his will and concentration not to scramble to the surface as he choked.
Paige said something that sounded like, “Are you okay?” but it was too distorted by the water for Levi to be sure.
He held up a thumb anyway. His tongue began to swell from the salt, and he felt as if the sides of the tub were closing in on him. All in all, this was turning out to be one of the more miserable experiences of his life. But if it put Paige at ease, he’d suffer through it.
I have to kiss her before she leaves. The thought barreled in out of nowhere, and almost caused him to choke again. It would be a bold move. Yet he knew without a doubt he’d regret it if he didn’t, even if she ended up slapping him for his foolishness.
The reckless thought distracted his mind for a time, but the darkness and bottomless silence crept in on him. Panic seeped into the fringes of his mind.
I don’t think I can do this. He must have mumbled his misgivings aloud, because Paige put her hand on his chest just then. Her touch could have been a low current of electricity, though charged with sensual passion instead of life-ending voltage. The stirring sensation startled and calmed him all at once, banishing the anxiety that plagued him only moments before. As his fear abated, he humored the thought that she had actually cast a spell, but then realized that to be impossible. Magic didn’t exist. Witches didn’t exist. Only the desire to take this woman into his arms and his bed proved real. The urge became so strong that he had to rearrange his underwear.
Great. Full mast in the bathtub, right in front of her. Images of a dorsal fin splitting waves wracked his mind.
That’s it. He moved to sit up.
Paige’s hand restrained him. “One more minute,” she yelled, so that he could understand her.
That minute was the longest one of the whole ordeal. If his entire body could have turned red from the humiliation, it would have. The worst part was that the shame didn’t phase his desire in the slightest.
Finally, she released him, and the maddening urges to ravage her tapered back to a slow pulsing need. He came out of the water, but stopped midway, his lower appendage still not quite under control.
Paige leaned against the sink, breathing heavily. Beads of sweat covered her brow. “Did you feel that?”
He nodded, unable to speak.
“I think it worked,” she said. “I added a little incantation of my own, to give it more oomph.”
Levi wasn’t so sure if that’s what had happened. Fending off phantoms and getting turned on were two entirely different things. It definitely felt like something magical had happened. Though he had no frame of reference, other than he’d never experienced anything like that before. “Yeah, maybe.”
Her gazed drifted to his lower half, as she tossed him a towel. “I’ll give you a minute.”
Ugh, it’s the damn Heather thing all over again. He climbed out of the tub after she left the room. The aftershock of her touch kept him at attention. I hope this doesn’t last for more than four hours.
He unplugged the tub, and took a cold shower. The salt rinsed away as he scrubbed with a bar of soap, but the chilling water did nothing to put his diligent soldier at ease.
WTF? C’mon man, he pleaded. Ya gotta go down.
Nothing.
Shit, I’m screwed! He couldn’t go out there like this. Paige would think he was some kind of creepy perv. There’s only one thing to do. With a grimace, he turned up the hot water and lathered his hand with shampoo.
I can’t believe I’m about to do this with her in the next room. You’re a pathetic man, Levi. Regardless of what he was or wasn’t, the choices presented to him at the moment were limited.
He began to stroke.
Images of Paige immediately bombarded his mind. The dreams he’d shared with her were hazy in his memory. What came to him now, with the utmost clarity, was the portrait of her nymph-like form when he’d accidently walked in on her at his office. She had curves in all the right places, and jiggled in every place that drove a man crazy. Levi wanted her so badly it hurt.
Before he knew it, his orgasm was upon him. He stumbled forward, grabbing hold of the showerhead to steady himself as he released. A deep groan escaped his throat before he could clamp his mouth shut. He stood, paralyzed in ecstasy, for who knows how long as he climaxed. The jiggling images of Paige still lingered in his thoughts, even after he finished.
He glanced at his hand, and chuckled. Damn, when did you become so good.
His humor ended abruptly once his gaze fell on his still-hardened cock. You’ve got to be kidding me?
A knock sounded at the door. “Uh...you okay in there?”
“I don’t think so,” he managed to whimper.
“What’s wrong?” urgency laced Paige’s voice.
“It’s kind of hard to explain.” He would have laughed at the pun if he hadn’t been on the verge of panic. “I’ll be out in a second.”
“Okay.”
He turned off the water. This is worse than the whole Heather thing.
He quickly dried off, and wrapped the towel around his waist as best he could. His hand shook as he grabbed hold of the doorknob. He took a breath to steel his nerves, and opened the door.
Paige was pacing the room, but stopped once she noticed him. She pulled the headphones to her phone out of her ears with a slight tug as she walked over to him. Her brows furrowed with concern. “What happened?”
“I don’t know, but I can’t get rid of... this.” He gestured to the tent-like protrusion.
She just stared at him, for the most uncomfortable ten seconds of Levi’s life, and then started snickering.
“Hey!” He could feel the heat rush to his cheeks. “This isn’t funny!” He tried to sound serious, but the chuckle at the end ruined it.
She burst out laughing.
As humiliating as he found the situation, he couldn’t help but join in. Her whimsical laughter became mesmerizing, and before he knew it, his lips met hers. He’d been wanting to kiss her since he recognized her from the dreams. Maybe this wasn’t the best circumstance in which do so, but then again, maybe it was.
Paige froze, her eyes wide. The prickling sensation from her touch ebbed from her lips into his. She remained a rigid, human popsicle for too long.
Levi pulled away, his fears confirmed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”
She grabbed the sides of his face, and kissed him back. Her lips were soft and hungry, and apparently in need of kissing after all. Levi didn’t question or hesitate as he returned her passion. To touch her, in the real world, was what he’d been wanting from the beginning, and now his hopes were coming true.
Her fingers drifted away from his cheeks, and ran down his neck to trace along his shoulders. Tingling warmth trailed her touch like the tail of a fiery comet.
He took her face in his hands, kissing her more deeply.
Her hands continued to fall, tickling his sides with the faintest touch. The towel around his waist dropped to the floor with a slight twist of her dextrous hand. Her warm fingers slid around his hips, and she drove her nails into his butt as she pulled him closer.
He groaned with pleasure, and began peeling layers of her clothing away. Within moments she was naked, her delicate skin pressing against his. The warm tingling continued, but had intensified as their entire bodies touched.
She pulled him over to the sofa, and laid back, breaking their kiss. Her legs spread slowly, as she gazed up at him with hooded eyes. “Show me that tongue of yours.”
He obliged, opening his mouth wide.
“Oh my God,” her eyes bulged. “It’s not just in the dream.”
She watched him with anticipation as he kneeled between her legs. He took hold of her knees and lifted them gently onto his shoulders. Then he kissed his way down her inner thighs, edging ever closer, until finally reaching the destination.
She moaned.
He worked intricate patterns with his tongue, increasing the pace with every stroke. Her thighs suddenly clamped around his head, and she bucked wildly against him. He grabbed her hips, holding her in place as she shuddered and called out in ragged gasps. He didn’t stop, until she eased into limp bliss.
Levi edged her fully onto the sofa, spreading her legs apart. She willingly opened for him, half dazed from her orgasm. Even though he had serviced himself in the shower only moments before, he was as hard as if he hadn’t had sex in years.
Slowly, he slid into her.
They both moaned from the pleasure of it. Motion and rhythm became Levi’s focus as her wet softness contracted tightly around him. He brought her to orgasm several times through his continued tempo. He then felt the tickle of release. Just the sight of her moving against him, brought him to the brink, but the touch of her hands drove him over the cliff. With her legs wrapped tightly around his hips and butt, there was no escape as he came. His eyes rolled back and the world tilted with his climax.
Eventually, he became aware of the present and Paige’s beckoning touch. She urged him to lay beside her, which he did, wrapping his arms around her and gently kissing the top of her head.
She snuggled into his chest. “I needed that.”
“So did I,” he replied, his erection finally sated. “So did I.”