Flirty (2 page)

The smell of food being grilled over coals at the far end of the beach reached her nose and her stomach growled. Flames shot up from a small barbeque and she looked past it to spot a few adults playing volleyball. She scanned the beach, smiling at the kids making a castle in the sand, until her glance landed on two guys tossing a football around on the sand below, merely a few feet from her back veranda.

She narrowed her eyes, and realized it was young Jake tossing a ball to a guy she hadn’t seen around town before—and a very fine-looking guy he was.

With swim trunks hanging low on his hips, her gaze zeroed in on his oblique muscles, her favorite part on a man’s body. Oddly enough, warmth tingled in her belly, and the fine hairs on her neck stood at attention. Intrigued, she moved to the paint-chipped wooden rail for a better look. Hoping to go unnoticed, she watched him, watched the way his eyes lit up when he laughed, the way his tight muscles bunched and relaxed again as he threw the ball. She took in his dark hair, his sun-kissed skin, and the easy way he carried himself, like he didn’t have a worry in the world.

Jacob Collins, one of the town’s veterinarians, along with his Saint Bernard, Charlie, strolled up to talk with Mr. Hottie. She spotted a pretty blonde girl walking beside Jacob, her own dog, a big chocolate lab, on a leash. From her peripheral vision she caught Errol walking over to Jake. The teen had been staying at Errol’s place while he was in town. Apparently there was way too much girly stuff going on at his uncle Leo’s place as Skylar prepared for the wedding. Jake shot a quick glance her way, and she thought she caught a mischievous grin on his young face before he walked away with Errol. She watched the two for a moment, wondering what chore Errol was currently giving Jake and why he wasn’t playing with little Katherine.

When they were out of her line of sight, Lex turned her full attention back to the girl in the string bikini, if one could even classify the skimp of material a bikini. The girl moved to Mr. Hottie’s side. She touched him in a very flirtatious, very suggestive manner, and naturally he responded like any man would. When he gave her a smile that had “my place or yours” written all over it, Lex instantly pegged him as the playboy type. Having grown up with four brothers, she knew every type, from Mr. Responsible to Mr. Carefree. And that man digging his toes in the surf, looking like some sort of perfectly sculpted sand god, definitely leaned toward the latter.

Since she wasn’t into one-night stands, Lex went out of her way to avoid the love ’em and leave ’em kind of guys. She glanced at her unflattering apparel and backtracked. Okay, maybe it was more like
they
went out of their way to avoid her, and when it came right down to it, she wasn’t into any kind of “stands”—one-night or long-term. Still, Mr. Hottie was nice to look at.

So look she did.

Her glance moved over his broad shoulders and his rock-hard abs before going lower, halting just below the belt area. As she checked him out, her blood warmed and desire moved into her stomach. The guy was smokin’ hot, and as sunlight spilled over his body, her mind strayed in an erotic direction.

With her nipples tightening, her gaze moved back to his handsome face. When she found him staring back, a wide, knowing grin curling his lips, her stomach bottomed out and her blood burned hot.

Oh, shit.

Mortified that she’d been caught ogling him, she ducked back inside. As she hid behind her door, embarrassment flooding her veins, she vowed never to step foot outside again. But when a loud noise overhead shook the house to its very foundation, followed by a strange cackling sound, she bolted though the house, out the front door, and straight into a waiting Errol’s arms.

Sam Doherty stared at the now-empty veranda overlooking the beach and wondered if he was seeing things. One second a beautiful young woman was standing there staring down at him, and the next thing he knew she was gone, appearing and disappearing faster than a ghostly apparition. Maybe Errol was right. Maybe the place was haunted.

At least that’s what his best friend’s great-uncle, Errol Wilson, had told him over the phone when he called him home from New Mexico. He’d insisted he needed to cleanse the house and send Ol’ Lady Landry back to her resting place.

Sam wasn’t opposed to coming home, and when he’d heard that his best friend, Jon, had moved back to town, living in his childhood home nonetheless, with a girl who’d turned it into a bed and breakfast, he was excited to hang out with him and catch up on life.

He also loved springtime in his hometown, and since his ghost-hunting team was on a break while his two co-workers ran off to get married, he had nothing better to do with his time then come home and relax with family and friends.

He’d flown in late last night and after sharing a few stories and a few drinks with his folks at Hauk’s bar, he crashed and crashed hard. But the sound of the afternoon beach party pulled him from his childhood bed—and a room that his parents hadn’t changed since he’d left some ten years ago. Anxious to get out and see all his old friends, he headed straight for the ocean, hoping to eventually catch up with Errol and get the deets on the alleged haunted house.

Excusing himself from the overfriendly girl Jacob had introduced him to, he took a few steps toward the Victorian house, scanning the windows and back veranda. He stood there for a long moment, waiting for the apparition to reappear. But when he heard a loud noise inside, he rushed around to the front door, only to find Errol with his arms around the prettiest girl he’d ever set eyes on. The same one who’d been staring at him from the deck.

“Oh, I…excuse me,” Sam said, giving Errol a playful, atta’ boy wink. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Errol’s head came back with a start and when his eyes lit with understanding, he snarled. “Dang, boy. What’s the matter with you? Ain’t nothing going on here. You’re seeing things again.”

“Hey, Errol,” Sam said, holding his hands up palms out as he began backing away. “I know what I saw, but you don’t owe me any explanation,” he said, teasing. “Your business is your business.”

“You think I could catch me a fine filly like this?” Errol waved his cane, and Sam caught the small swagger in the elderly gentleman’s step as he let go of the girl and inched back. He gave a cocky shake of his head and added, “’Course, in my younger days…”

Sam turned toward the petite woman, who was staring up at him with those almost-too-big blue eyes, and asked, “I heard screaming. Is everything okay?”

She blinked twice, then shrugged, her big old coveralls flapping around her body. “I’m not sure.” She jerked her thumb toward the house. “I was inside and, and well… earlier Errol thought he felt cold spots…and then I heard this bang…and I think a scream, and there was a rush of air.” She stopped talking, and took a breath. “I’m sorry, I don’t usually ramble on and I’m sure there is a logical explanation for all this. I mean, it’s not like I believe in ghosts.”

Sam held his hand out for a shake and gave her a wide smile. “I’m Sam Doherty. Ghost hunter.”

Her eyes widened as they went from Sam to Errol back to Sam again. “Oh, I didn’t mean… I didn’t realize it was you.”

“You know me?” he asked, the richness in his voice seeping under her skin and affecting her in the strangest ways.

“Errol mentioned that he could get you to help me.” She slipped her hand into his, and when his fingers curled around hers for a shake, he realized just how small she really was. His glance moved over her again. As he took in her five-sizes-too-big coveralls, he couldn’t help but wonder more about the girl who kept her figure hidden and her hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. The tomboy look she was going for didn’t really seem to suit her, yet it did prove to intrigue him more. Since Sam was a man who could see more than most, he took a moment to look beyond the image she presented to the world. He suddenly found himself visualizing what she’d look like in clothes that actually fit her small frame, or better yet, no clothes at all…

“And here Errol never mentioned a thing about you,” he said.

His eyes moved over her flushed cheeks, taking a long time to access her. Even without makeup she was gorgeous, in a girl-next-door, wholesome kind of way. And that mouth…wow. With just a little pout to it, that mouth was made for kissing. His lips twitched, and he fought the natural inclination to lean into her, to press his lips to hers to see if they felt as soft as they looked.

Of course, unlike all his friends, who were settling down and having kids, he hadn’t come back to Whispering Cove looking for long term.
Been there, done that
. But while he was here, he sure wasn’t opposed to getting to know the girl that Errol had seemed to take a liking to. Not that he could blame him. There was just something about this girl, and the sweetness she exuded, that brought out the protector in a guy.

With her hand still in his, he asked, “And you are?”

“I’m Lex Miller.”

A wide grin split his mouth.

“What?” She pulled her hand from his, a challenging look on her face as she glared at him, like she was waiting for some smart-assed comment.

Since he didn’t want to disappoint her…

“Lex?” he asked, thinking back to all the times he and Jon had camped out in their backyards, spending hours poring over Superman comic books. “As in Lex Luthor, Superman’s nemesis?”

“No,” she said. And even though the stain on her cheeks was deepening, she angled her head in a defiant manner and held her own against his teasing. Damned if he didn’t like that about her. “As in Alexis Miller, old house restoration and modernization specialist.”

He stepped closer and when he caught the sweet citrus scent of her skin, he bit back a moan. “Now what a team we make,” he said, giving her a playful wink to let her know he was teasing…sort of. “You don’t believe in ghosts, and I don’t believe in restoring old houses.”

At least not anymore.

Before he could say more, he got a glass cane to the gut. Hard. He bent forward and let out an agonized oomph.

Errol poked him again and growled, “What’s your dang problem, boy? You leave your manners in New Mexico? Why, if your father…”

As Errol continued with his litany, Alexis mouthed the words, “I think he’s off his meds.”

Loving her sense of humor, and knowing they were going to get along just fine, Sam let out a laugh. Once he was able to straighten back up, he asked, “So, Alexis, what is it that Errol said I could help you with?”

“He thinks I have a ghost.”

As she looked up at him with those bedroom blues, his mind raced, thinking about all the naughty delicious things he’d like to help her with, and not one of them involved cleansing her house of a ghost.

Chapter Two

Since the last thing Lex believed in were ghosts, and despite the fact that her traitorous body was urging her to invite this gorgeous man inside to explore her…
house
…she opened her mouth, completely prepared to tell him that she didn’t need his help, only to find herself blurting out, “I think the noise came from the upstairs bedroom.”

Sam’s lips twitched. “Would that be
your
bedroom?”

“Yes, just temporarily, until I can get the place restored and on the market.”

He slanted his head, his eyes moving over her face. “So it’s odd to hear noises, or even screaming, coming from your room.”

When she caught the teasing glint in his dark eyes, her pulse leapt, totally knowing where he was going with this. Feeling a bit flustered as he stepped closer, his mere presence overwhelming her senses, she answered with, “Well yes… I mean no… I mean…”

“Well, what is it, Alexis? Is it or is it not normal to hear screaming coming from your bedroom?”

“No, it’s not.”

“Now that’s a damn shame,” he murmured under his breath as he turned his attention to her house.

Before she could respond, Errol poked Sam with his cane again and said, “Why don’t you grab your gizmo thingies and check it out. You did bring them with you, didn’t you?”

Sam ran his hands through his shoulder-length hair, humor in his voice when he asked, “My gizmos?”

Errol nodded. “Yeah, those gizmo things you use to trap ghosts.”

“Ah, you mean my state of the art, electrometric gauge, pulse meter, strobe light and cage?”

“Yeah, boy. That’s what I said, your gizmo thingies.”

“Yeah, I brought them.” He turned to Lex. “But first I need the lady’s permission to enter her house.”

A fine shiver moved through Lex, and she gave a breathless laugh. “You make it sound like you’re a vampire, not a ghost hunter.”

A sexy look came over his face and since she’d given him such a great opening, she was certain he was going to come back with another smart-assed comment. But then he looked at Errol and cleared his throat before explaining, “My team and I just don’t believe in doing anything or going anywhere where we’re not wanted.” He met her glance straight on before he added, “I need to know you want me, Alexis.”

Oh, God…

The guy was a big flirt, and every word that came out of his mouth was so suggestive, so sexy. Then again, maybe it was just her imagination, and she was simply reading him wrong, because everything about him made her think of sex. Either way, hell yeah she wanted him. But his teasing manner and easygoing nature told her he was a playboy and she wasn’t about to get involved with a guy who read comic books and hunted ghosts in New Mexico.