Demonically Tempted (Frostbite) (5 page)

I snuggled into the pillow. His warm gaze stared deeply. He leaned forward, pressing his lips against mine, yet only a cold breeze brushed across my mouth instead of pressure. Not that I minded.

Sex might be full of fantasies, and I never had the chance to know how he felt in the flesh, but we managed just fine. Sex with Kipp was always good. Ghost or not.

“Now that we’ve got our minds focused again.” He winked. “We have some things to discuss.”

“Must you always ruin every romantic moment?” I huffed. More than once he’d take a moment that could be
sweet
and end it in split second.

He arched an eyebrow. “I never once said I was the romantic type.”

“No shit,” I countered. “It’s a good thing I don’t care about romance or we
might
have a problem.” I leaned up on the pillow, glancing down at him. “So what do you want to discuss that’s so important it couldn’t wait until after I’m done staring at you adoringly.”

“Me.”

I grinned, just to tease him. “A girl might take offense that her lover only ever wants to talk about himself.”

“Tess, we need to discuss what’s going on with me.” He frowned. “You have to stop avoiding the conversation.”

Maybe I had been. Sue me. I preferred to live in my bubble of delusion where Kipp wasn’t
actually
a ghost, and everything was peachy keen. “So talk.”

He drew in a long deep breath, which was out of habit since he didn’t need to breathe. “We have yet to figure out why I’m still here. Why I’m so different than the ghosts you’ve met.”

He didn’t need to spell it out. I’d be aware of how
different
he was from day one. He never once acted like a
normal
ghost. He had his memories intact, didn’t understand his purpose to cross over, and I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to know the answers. I wanted him to stay put. Not search for answers to leave. “I know you want to find out this stuff, but I have no clue why you’re different.”

“Then we need to find someone to ask.”

I inhaled deeply, wishing away my thoughts, but realizing it was our best shot. “We could ask Dane.”

“No,” he replied, his tone curt.

I studied my ghost, searching for a hint of his feelings, but found none. “What’s your deal with him?”

He shifted onto his back and scowled at the ceiling. “He has bad intentions.”

“How can you know that?” I laughed. “We’ve had one conversation with him. From what I saw he only wants to help me understand my ability.”

He glanced at me. “Call it cop’s intuition.”

I might have doubted him, but I’d seen his intuition in action with the Hannah Reid case. It proved accurate. “You think he’s up to no good?”

He settled onto his side and resumed his trailing of my thigh with his cold touch. “To put it simply.”

I nibbled my lip, staring at him, wondering if he was only telling half-truths. “Are you sure you’re not worried that he’s handsome? I can tell you that I’m not—”

He shook his head, interrupting me with a stern look. “It’s not that. I’m not jealous of him.”

“Sure, you’re not,” I replied, not believing that for a damn minute. “I’d bet money on the fact that you’re acting a wee bit jealous.”

His brow creased. “Do you take me for the type to be jealous of another man?”

I considered that, then nodded. “Yes, I do.” He’d proven that a few times over.

The corner of his mouth lifted. “Maybe I’m overprotective when it comes to you, but I can promise this is different.” He shrugged. “Besides we’re solid. I have nothing to worry about. There’s just something about him that rubs me wrong.”

Warmth slid around me to hear Kipp so confident with things between us. At the same time, I tried to see what Kipp did in Dane. But I didn’t get anything that strong from him. Maybe I was too trusting or perhaps Kipp searched too deeply into something that wasn’t there. “Regardless of the fact that you don’t like him, he’s probably the best chance I have in understanding…” I waved over my body, “all of this.”

“Exactly why I allowed it,” he replied.

A man who said he wasn’t jealous just spoke like a possessive fool. “If you understand that, then you’re going to have to back off him a little bit. I need to spend time with him, talk to him, and I’m not at all interested in having you pissed off the entire time.”

“I’ll try to be good,” was all he said.

His gaze said otherwise.

I sighed, examining him again, and didn’t like where my thoughts headed. He might believe we were solid, but somehow by the dark depths of his eyes, I doubted him. “You do know, though, that I have no interest in him, right?”

“Of course I know.” He chuckled. Classic arrogant Kipp. “No worries about that. I know where your heart lies. But it doesn’t change the fact that it feels like he’s up to something.”

Good. Settled.
“I hear what you’re saying, but Max wouldn’t bring anyone in that wasn’t highly respected or recommended. I mean, geesh, the guy works for the F.B.I.. I think that shows he knows what he’s doing and has been around the ghost block a few times.”

Kipp stared at me knowingly. “Max has one agenda, and that’s helping you, so that it will help him. Never forget that.”

Max did have his reasons for doing what he did and calling Dane in. I doubt he’d only helped me for himself. The warmth in his gaze when he’d introduced Dane told me that he was doing it to help me too. But I wouldn’t argue that fact with Kipp. “All you’re saying is not to trust Dane completely, right?”

“I don’t trust anything about him. From the second I saw him I got a real bad feeling and that warning is only increasing.” His jaw clenched. “I have a feeling he’s not only there to help you.”

At my parted lips, he raised a hand and added, “I have no idea what he’s up to, so don’t ask. And no I don’t think Max is in on it. I’m just saying to watch yourself around him, that’s all.”

I squirmed closer toward him. “Okay, Kipp, I’ll keep my defenses up.”

“Thank you.” The relief showed heavy in his expression before he grinned. “Now, enough talk about
Dane
. I can think of something else to do that’s much more enjoyable.”

I reacted in a second to the deep purr that hung off his tone, plus the sweltering heat in his gaze. “I’m interested in hearing what you have in mind.” I mirrored his husky tone and licked my lips, drawing his attention to my mouth.

“Fuck, Tess.” His voice dipped to a low growl. “I—” He leaned in, and as the cold air touched my lips, a soft voice cut off the words I desperately wanted to hear.

“You need to help us.”

Chapter Five

I shot straight up in bed, holding the blankets to my chin. Kipp did his magical bit where his clothes reappeared on his body in an instant. Neat trick that I didn’t possess.

The woman ghost with her pretty floral dress, long, wavy blonde hair, and sparkling blue eyes, stood at the foot of
my
bed.

“What are you doing in here?” I snapped. “Haven’t you ever heard of a thing called privacy?”

“I’m Holly.” She fiddled with her skirt, and appeared not at all bothered for arriving in my bedroom at a
bad
time. “I’m sorry for showing up like this, but we’ve heard of your—”

I raised my hand. “What do you mean, you’ve heard of me?”

“Ghosts have been talking about your ability,” she replied, as if that shouldn’t shock the shit out of me. “We’ve heard that you can help us.” Her eyelids lowered and she sighed. “Trust me when I say, we need it.”

I shook my head, forcing myself out of my stupor, and turned to Kipp, stunned. He gawked at her, equally wide-eyed. I looked back at Holly. “First off, am I getting this right, y’all are talking to each other?”

“We have been lately.”

Bizarre!
“And second, are you suggesting that word of my…err…ability has been going around the ghost community?”

A beaming smile spread across her face. “Yes, it’s quite amazing that there’s someone living who can see us. So word has spread quickly.”

I glanced at Kipp, mouth agape. He now grinned from ear-to-ear. Oh, this was
so
not funny! “If you laugh, I will send you to Heaven myself, got it?”

He shrugged. “It’s amusing.”

“If I could I’d slap you right now, but since I can’t, just know I want to.” When he laughed, I said to Holly, “If y’all are talking then tell them this, I don’t like being interrupted when I’m in my bedroom. Really, do you have no respect?”

I dismissed her with a flick of my hand. “Next time you come to my house, knock.” She gave me a you-are-stupid look since I’d asked for the impossible, so I added, “Fine. Wait outside or something.”

She shook her head. “I can’t leave without you offering to help us.”

The
us
had me slightly concerned. But not enough that I couldn’t stare her down. My muscles tensed as irritation burned in my blood.

Sure, I’d come a long way in helping ghosts and didn’t mind doing so, but on my terms. Not theirs. “If you didn’t hear me, I refuse to be bullied.” My tone was clipped just as I intended. “Come back at a more appropriate time.”

“Now, Tess,” Kipp said, calm and collected.

I narrowed my eyes on him. “There has to be rules. This is crazy. Don’t I get privacy anymore?” I waved my hand in dramatic fashion. “They can’t just waltz into my bedroom.”

He gave a measured look. “I agree with you.” He glanced at Holly. “Next time, choose a better method to make contact.” At her nod, he focused on me. “I’d imagine it must be important.”

“It’s very important,” Holly confirmed.

I looked away from Kipp to Holly, then sighed. “I have no idea why I surrounded myself with y’all.” Oh yeah, I pouted and didn’t give a shit. “Go out in the living room and let me get dressed.”

“Thank you.” She exhaled, obviously relieved, then she morphed through my bedroom wall.

I glared at Kipp. “Thanks a lot!”

“She clearly needs help, Tess.” He jumped off the bed, which appeared wonderfully graceful.

I all but fell out of it, grabbed my jeans and T-shirt off the floor, not bothering with a bra since I intended for this conversation to be quick so I could return to bed. “Yes, I see that, but do I want to be involved in
this
help?”

Kipp said nothing, merely watched me with that half-amused, half-intrigued look he owned so well as I dressed.

It only raised my irritation, and I cursed through each article of clothing I forced on.

Once clothed, and with nasty words echoing in my mind, I followed Kipp into the living room. Holly sat on my tan leather couch and upon further study, she did in fact seem incredibly nervous as she twined her fingers together. A big headache was in my future.

I sat in next to her and pulled my legs up underneath me. “Out with it. What’s the problem?”

“There’s something dark in the area.”

I waited for her to say more, but she didn’t even blink so I added, “Am I supposed to understand what you’re talking about?”

Kipp laughed as he sat down on the loveseat across from me. “What do you mean by something dark?”

“It’s hard to explain,” Holly said, her voice holding a slight tremble. “But something has been scaring the ghosts here in Memphis.”

“You can’t be serious?” I mused. “Ghosts are
afraid
of something?”

Her eyebrows drew together. “This might be amusing to you, but it’s not to us.” She sucked in a long breath as her features darkened. “Honestly, ghosts are scared to even go outside. It’s gotten out of control.”

I peeked sideways at Kipp in disbelief. The frown on his face as he studied Holly said our minds were thinking alike. “Just to be sure, I’m not dreaming, right?”

He smiled. “You’re wide awake.”

“Now that we have that settled, I can actually start to believe this conversation.” I glanced at Holly. “You need to tell us a bit more than you are since I have no idea what the hell you’re going on about.”

Her gaze drifted to the outside wall. “I think I better let the others tell you.”

To my horror, ten ghosts melted through my living room wall. I scowled at each and every one of them. “Oh, I’m so
not
okay with this.”

A gentleman sat down on my glass coffee table—or floated was more like it—while he studied me. His gray eyebrows furrowed over his blue eyes. He looked worn, all wrinkled and aged. Clearly, when he lived, it’d been a hard life. “You’re the one I’ve been hearing about?”

I sighed, deep so they’d all hear my frustration. “I’m not happy that y’all are talking about me. What do you do, have meetings to discuss the living people around you?”

He ignored my dig and simply said, “What matters more is what’s been going on.”

I again waited for someone to fill in the blanks, but all the other ghosts merely stood against the wall staring at me “Do tell then.” I waved him on, feeling that little burn of impatience rise. “What’s been going on?”

“There’s a ghost here that’s nothing like I’ve ever seen before.”

I rolled my eyes, but Kipp interjected, “In what way is this ghost different?”

“He’s dark,” was the man’s reply.

I gave a nod and hoped I displayed my irritation. “Holly said as much, but what do you mean by
dark
?”

“He’s a killer.”

“Okay, wait.” I raised my hand. “He’s a ghost who is a killer, which by the way makes no sense at all. Or he’s a killer who hunts ghosts?”

“He causes death, that’s all we know.”

Kipp examined the man curiously. I nodded at him in agreement. “Yes, I’m right where you are too. I don’t understand what y’all mean.”

“You need to come with us and see,” Holly said, dragging my focus to her. “We’re hoping that you can find this ghost. See what he’s after and why he’s here. Then, you need to get rid of him.”

I laughed. “Why do you think
I
can do this?”

“Because you save ghosts and that means you’ll be able to send him away.”

“I don’t
save
ghosts,” I corrected. “I help them cross over. That’s quite different than what you’re suggesting. Besides if he scares you, he’s gonna scare me, and I want no part in that.”