Call On Me (28 page)

Mrs Swanson
approached the table with Matt’s unfinished plate of food in one
hand and the bucket of champagne on ice in the other.
“Uh…Matt?”

“Thanks Mrs
Swanson.” Taking the plate from her, Ali plopped it on the table
while Ghost grabbed a spare chair from another table.

Matt, totally
confused, sat down slowly.

“And Mrs
Swanson.” Ghost smiled charmingly at her. “We’ve changed our minds
on the drink. Can I have a Coke instead, please? Thanks. Ali?”

“I’ll have an
iced chocolate,” Ali said cheerfully. “And I’ll have chips added to
my dinner order. Thanks heaps, Mrs S.”

Bewildered, Mrs
Swanson walked away.

“Really,” Matt
began. “I shouldn’t be here.”

“Sure you
should.” Ali brushed his arguments aside. “We don’t mind at all.
Right, Ghost?”

“You’re the
boss, honey.”

He laughed when
she ruffled his hair on the way to her chair. Within minutes they
were all chatting easily and he was content. This was how it was
supposed to be. Fun, relaxed, themselves. Just Ali and Ghost having
a good time their way. Well, with a friend thrown in for good
measure, but still, it wasn’t all bad. There were other ways to be
alone.

Much more fun
other ways, and he had a plan in mind already.

~*~

“Did you pack
enough food?”

“Don’t I
always?”

“Just
checking.”

“Did you pack a
blanket?”

“Why, Ali
Mackay, do you have wicked intentions in regards to my body?”

“You wish. I
meant to sit on.”

“You naughty
girl. You want to sit on me?”

“Look,
Sinclair, I’m not parking my arse on the cold ground while we wait
for the ghost to show.”

“You can park
it on my…lap.”

Hands on
generous hips, Ali glared at him, a spark of laughter in her
eyes.

Ghost held up
his hands. “Fine. Yes, I packed a blanket for your precious little
bottom.”

“Thank
you.”

“Though it
would be more interesting if you sat on me.”

“Ghost!”

“Just
saying.”

Amused but
refusing to show it, Ali pointed at the panel van. “Just get inside
and start it, Sinclair.”

“I do like it
when you’re bossy.” Grabbing her around the waist, Ghost pulled her
hard against him for a fast, hard, toe-curling kiss that left her
gasping and clinging to him. He grinned down at her. “Good thing
that’s most of the time.”

“Keep this up,”
she panted, “And I’ll make you wear a tie.”

“Cruel woman.”
Releasing her, he went to the panel van and sat inside, starting it
up.

Grinning, Ali
waved to Lori standing on the veranda. “Sure you’ll be okay?”

“I’ll be at
work. You’re the one checking out a haunted old house.” Lori gave a
shiver. “Dumb pair.”

“Matter of
opinion.”

“Hey, Ali,”
Ghost called. “If we’re going to get to the house in time, we need
to get going.”

“Thought I was
the boss?” she tossed pertly at him.

“I just took
back control. Get your sweet arse in the van and let’s go.”

“What a
charmer.” She wrinkled her nose at her laughing sister before
obeying.

Once they were
past the town limits, she picked up the map and opened it. “So this
is a whole five hour drive.”

“Yup.”

“I’ve never
heard of this house.”

“Old Man Parker
reckons it was only recently discovered when the farmer was
clearing some land. It was the original old farm house from a
century and a half ago.”

“Won’t be much
left now.”

“Spirits don’t
need walls, honey.”

“Says you.” She
tried to fold the map.

He glanced at
her. “Do not even think to tell me you can’t fold it neatly.”

“I won’t, don’t
worry.”

“Geez, Ali, you
do this all the time.”

“Blah blah
blah. You’ll want me to give directions and I won’t be able to do
that if I can’t read the map, will I?”

“Maybe if you’d
studied it yesterday like I asked you to, you’d know the way by
now.”

Not looking at
him, she folded the map the best way she could while saying
casually, “I have a packet of Tim Tams in the bag at my feet.”

“Oohhh.”

“Which you will
get none of if you keep up your moaning.”

“Honey, I love
the way you fold maps.” Reaching over, he patted her jean-clad
thigh. “It really does it for me.”

His hand right
there did funny things to her, too, but she knew full well what he
was wanting. “What if I gave you only two choices, Ghost? Me or a
Tim Tam?”

He was silent
for several seconds before saying slowly, “I have to choose?”

“Is it so
hard?”

“Will you hit
me if I say yes?”

“You nut.”
Laughing, she fished the Tim Tam packet out of the bag at her feet
and opened it.

When she handed
one to him, he took her hand and kissed it before taking the
chocolate biscuit. “Thanks, honey.”

“You owe
me.”

His grin was
wolfish. “Don’t worry, I aim to pay in full.”

The rest of the
trip passed in banter, periods of quietness, and general chit-chat.
Another night ghost hunting, the ease between them touched now with
a closeness that hadn’t previously been evident. Not this kind of
closeness.

Ali could feel
it, the invisible thread that bound them together. Every touch had
a special meaning, every laugh, every shared look. Their friendship
had turned into a relationship, but the friendship was still there,
becoming lovers hadn’t diminished it. In fact, it had enhanced it
into something special.

She’d never
been as content as she was since taking the risk and embarking on a
relationship with Ghost. And fallen in love. Deeply, unrevokably,
in love. Two months ago she would have laughed at the suggestion of
it, but now the truth was crystal clear.

She had no idea
if he felt the same, he certainly whispered endearments into her
ear. He made love with dedicated passion, seeing to her pleasure
before seeking his own. He made her laugh, made her mad, made her
life a whole lot brighter.

But did he love
her?

She didn’t know
and she wasn’t about to ask. Right here, right now, was where she
wanted to be, and she wasn’t about to rock the boat. She’d enjoy
herself, be one with him, and wait to see if he felt the same way
about her, if he loved her. But she wouldn’t push him into saying
it. When – if – the right time came, it would come.

“We’re almost
there.” Ghost’s voice interrupted her musings and she straightened
in her seat as the panel van turned onto a dirt track.

“Geez.” She
wound up the window to keep the dust out. “Why do all these
hauntings happen at the end of dirt roads?”

“Good taste, I
guess,” he replied in amusement.

She
snorted.

The bushes
looked eerie and lonely as the headlights moved over them. Eyes
shone as they reflected back from the bushes, the wildlife fleeing
as the van drew near.

“You know,” Ali
said, “We should check out haunted houses
in
a town or city,
not just out in the bushes.”

“Getting
freaked out already, honey?”

“Not at
all.”

“Don’t worry,
Ali, I’ll protect you.”

Of that she had
no doubt. “Who’ll protect you?”

“Angels always
look after good boys.”

“Like I said,
who’ll take care of you?”

“Ali, really,
are you saying I’m a bad boy?” He steered the panel van easily over
potholes.

“After last
night nothing can convince me you’re a
good
boy.” Hoo boy,
never again. That bad boy streak went way deeper inside Ghost than
she’d ever dreamed possible. Thank God.

His chuckle was
threaded with remembered heat. “Oh, honey, that was just the tip of
the ice berg.”

“Wow.” She
looked at him. “Maybe we should do this another night and head back
home.”

He burst out
laughing.

“You are such
an arse sometimes.” She was unable to help laughing with him.

“You, Miss
Mackay, are insatiable.” He pulled the van to a stop beside a heap
of broken down rubble, the remains of what was once a place where
people lived.

Diverted by the
broken down shell of the colonial house, Ali studied it. “Wow.
Freaky.”

“I wouldn’t
call what I did last night freaky, I-”

“No, you nong.
I meant that.” She pointed to the ruins.

Ghost followed
the direction of her finger. “Yep, that’s a little freaky.”

Alarmed that he
thought so, too, Ali looked at him uncertainly.

He smiled at
her. “But not
that
freaky.”

“Okay then.”
She unclipped the seat belt. “Let’s do this.”

Getting out of
the car, she stretched and inhaled deeply, the scent of the
bushland fresh in the cool air. With a shiver she grabbed her
jacket out of the car and slipped it on before joining Ghost at the
back of the van.

He was already
munching on a piece of fruit cake.

Rolling her
eyes, she picked up one of the torches.

“What?” he
said. “It was a long drive.”

“You’re a
bottomless pit, you know that, right?”

“Never argued
it.”

“Because you
know when I’m right –
ahhh
!” She jumped when a loud noise
thumped behind her, leaping into Ghost’s arms. “Oh shit, the
spirit!”

Holding her
securely against him with one arm, Ghost shone the torch into the
clearing. “It’s a ‘roo.”

“Are you
sure?”

“Yep.”

“I knew that.”
Clearing her throat, she made to pull away only to have Ghost’s
arms tighten around her.

“Mmm,” he
murmured, lowering his head. “I think I deserve a reward.”

“For what?”
Nervously she glanced around. “You didn’t do anything.”

“I came to your
recue. I held you safe in my arms.” He arched one brow. “I always
come when you call.”

“It was just a
’roo.”

“But we didn’t
know that at first. Besides, I want a kiss.”

She looked up
to find him grinning widely. “Seriously? Here? Now?”

“Honey, I could
do you anywhere, anytime.”

She couldn’t
stop the giggle from escaping her. “Ghost!”

“Come on, a
kiss for my bravery.”

Never one to
throw away an opportunity, she threw her arms around him and kissed
him. Deeply. Slowly. When she pulled her head back, his eyes were
decidedly hot as he looked down at her.

“How about we
blow this joint and find a motel?” His hand slid down from her
waist to palm one of her buttocks.

“No! We’re
ghost hunting, remember?” Though it wasn’t a half bad idea. “You
know you’ll kick yourself if we miss this opportunity.”

He looked down
at her, his face suddenly sober in the torch light. Wondering what
he was thinking, she arched one brow.

Reaching out,
he cupped her cheek in one hand. “Ali.”

Ghost being
serious at a time like this wasn’t like him and it had her catching
her breath, especially when he lowered his head towards her. He
stopped when his mouth was just hovering above hers.

So close, she
could see the stars reflected in his eyes. It was a heady moment
when combined with his masculine scent that was so uniquely
his.

“Ali,” he said
softly. “You are the most important person in my life. You know
that, right?”

“Well…I guess
so,” she whispered.

“More important
than a ghost hunt, more important than a bestselling novel.”

“Oh.”
Surprised, she could only stare up at him.

“Ali…” With a
sigh, he looked up at the sky.

Why couldn’t he
look at her, why did he have to look away? A sudden chilling
thought slammed into her.
Oh no. Please, no.
Her heart
started beating double time in fear. “Oh God. Oh no, don’t say it,
Ghost.
Don’t
.”

His gaze
dropped quickly to meet hers. “Ali-”

Pushing back
from him, she held out one hand that was already shaking.

Shaking as much
as her heart was breaking.

“Ali, let
me-”

“No!” She
sucked in a sharp, agonised breath. “Don’t you say it, Ghost. Don’t
you say
it
.”

The pain was
suddenly in his eyes, his features tightening. “Ali, I didn’t mean
to say it here, not now, but-”

There could be
only one reason he looked pained, looked sorrowful. Her nightmare
had happened, her worst fear was coming true. She stumbled back
another step, her heart feeling like it was going to tear out of
her chest. “How could you? How could you tell me here? How could
you do this to me?”

“Ali, please.”
The pain on his face was clear in the torch light. “I’m sorry. I
was afraid of this, afraid that if I told you, you’d take it like
this. I’m so sorry.”

“Damn you, Ty!”
She threw down the torch and it fell to the ground with a dull
thunk, but it didn’t go out. “I can’t believe you’re doing this to
me! You told me it wouldn’t change things, you
promised
!”

“Things
happen.” Placing his torch on the floor of the open panel van, he
reached out for her. “Honey, please, don’t cry. Oh Jesus, don’t
cry.”

Only now was
she aware of the tears coursing down her cheeks. She couldn’t
believe it, didn’t want to believe it. “When were you going to tell
me, Ty?” She slapped his hand away. “When?” A sob broke out. Then
another.

Ignoring her
slapping hands, he took a step forward and wrapped her in his arms,
pulling her into him, one hand palming her head so that she sobbed
into his shoulder.

“I’m sorry, I’m
so sorry,” he said, rocking her on the spot. “I never meant to hurt
you, Ali. I love you so much. I was so scared of telling you,
worried you’d act like this, thinking-”

“Wait. What?” A
sob still shuddering in her chest, she jerked her head back.