High Noon (Between the Veils Series, Book Two) (2 page)

A knock on the door stole the rest of her thoughts, and she jumped, staring at the wooden slab as if she could open it with just the suggestion of her mind. It wasn’t until the second knock that she moved, darting to the door before taking a deep breath and swinging it open. Deep blue eyes met hers, the color far more vivid than she remembered. His hair was longer than it’d been back in high school, with loose strands tousled across his forehead. A dark scruff shadowed his jaw, making him look more rugged than pretty, and she couldn’t help but notice the way his shoulders filled the doorway.

His gaze traveled the length of her body as his full lips lifted into a sexy grin. “Wow, Payton. I think you’re even more beautiful than I remember.”

Heat crept into her cheeks again and she couldn’t stop the giddy smile from curving her mouth. “And I was wrong on the phone.” She shook her head. “There’s nothing little about you.”

His smile widened, sending a sudden flutter through her stomach. God, when had the nerdy, cute, younger brother turned into a stunningly handsome man that dwarfed her?

He placed one hand on the doorframe. “I was a late bloomer, much to Avery’s dismay, I assure you.”

She laughed, noticing how his presence exuded a sense of calm she hadn’t felt in weeks. It was as if he’d lit up the room and chased the shadows away.

He leaned forward. “So, can I come in or do you want me to investigate from the front porch?”

The heat in her cheeks intensified as she stepped aside, waving him inside. “No, of course not, I just wasn’t expecting…well, honestly I don’t know what I was expecting. You…”

He stopped beside her, his warm breath caressing the shell of her ear as he tipped his head forward, his large body dangerously close to hers. “Tongue-tied, sweetheart? Now that’s something I didn’t expect. You never seemed at a loss for words around Avery.”

She forced herself to swallow, cursing the dry feeling that rasped her throat. “Avery never caught me off-guard.”

He smiled, brushing his lips across her neck in the process. Goose bumps prickled her skin, racing downward as he eased back, giving her some much-needed breathing room. She wasn’t sure when the room had gotten so small, or so hot, despite the continued flash of bumps beading her arms.

“Good to know I’ve got one up on Avery, however trivial it might be.”

“Oh god, don’t tell me you two are still competitive over everything?”

“They don’t call it sibling rivalry for nothing.” He winked at her. “And it’s really just Avery.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and hitched one hip out to the side. “Just Avery?”

His grin was nothing short of wicked. “Okay, perhaps a bit of his competitive streak has rubbed off on me. But seeing as you’ve called me on it, I’ll do my best to tame it.” He glanced over her shoulder. “So this is the place. It’s nice.” He chuckled, walking toward the middle of the room. “Doesn’t look like ghost central.”

Payton moved in behind him, trying to see the room from his perspective. It wasn’t hard. Even knowing what she did, she had to admit, the place looked…normal. “Trust me, this…” She waved her hand. “This is just an illusion. Give it a few hours and you’ll see.”

“I’m just hoping that ghosts are all we’re dealing with.”

His words sent a shiver down her spine and she grabbed his arm, urging him to look at her. “Only ghosts? What the hell else could it be?”

He patted her hand. “Trust me, Payton. You don’t really want to know. But there’s no sense panicking before we have any facts.” He surveyed the room again before settling his gaze back on her face. “Why don’t we start with dinner?”

She furrowed her brow, not sure she’d heard him right. “Dinner? You want to feed the ghosts?”

He coughed, and she knew he was fighting not to laugh.

“No, sweetheart. I was thinking more along the lines of you and me.” He shrugged. “But if a few of them tag along…”

She stared at him, not sure what to say. Was he simply hungry, or was he trying to tell her he was interested in more than just solving her ghost problem? She dismissed the thought as soon as it flew into her head. Blake had agreed to help her, end of story. Hell, until twelve hours ago, he’d probably forgotten she even existed. She was obviously just too wired to think clearly right now.

She sighed, waving her hand around the room. “Wouldn’t our time be better spent, you know, dealing with the problem at hand?”

Blake sighed as he scrubbed a hand across his face. “While I realize you’re anxious to get started, there are a few rules you need to know before starting an investigation. First, never go into a place without doing the proper research. Second, don’t piss off any spirits without the proper tools to back you up and third…” He reached forward and brushed his thumb across her cheek. “Don’t waste any opportunity to take a beautiful damsel in distress out for dinner.”

Payton scoffed, ignoring the instant flash of heat where his hand brushed her skin as she stepped back, once again crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m not Daphne and I certainly didn’t call you because I needed Fred to ride to the rescue. And in case I didn’t make it clear on the phone, these aren’t a bunch of creepy guys dressed up in masks.” She paused. “This is real.”

Blake chuckled as he matched her stance, his muscled arms emphasizing the sheer size of him. “Now that’s the Payton I remember—stubborn with a healthy dose of brass balls. But in this case, you’re going to have to try and be patient—”

He held up his hand when she tried to cut him off.

“Look. I’m more than aware of how hard it was for you to call for help. The girl I remember would have rather cut off her own arm than ask for a hand. But this isn’t something we can go into blindly. Leaving like I did in the middle of the night means I didn’t get a chance to do any research on this place, and after my last outing with Avery, I can attest that knowing what you’re getting yourself into is half the battle. The last thing I want to do is endanger your life by angering some evil spirit that’s attached itself to your energy signature. So for now, you’re just going to have to trust me. Besides, I’ve been living on muddy coffee and Doritos for the past twelve hours. I’d really appreciate something that has more nutritional value than a damn cardboard box.”

Payton gave him a small smile then looked away. Damn, she’d somehow forgotten the part where she’d roused him from sleep at four AM, not to mention the fact he’d driven all night and day just to get there. Dinner seemed pretty reasonable at this point, and if she wasn’t careful, he might just regret agreeing to come in the first place.

Blake’s hand curled over her shoulder. “Would you stop worrying about whether it was right to call me and just relax. I’m here, and unless you toss my ass out, I’m not going anywhere until your problem is solved.”

She turned on him. “How did you know I was thinking that?”

“Lucky guess.” He motioned to her. “The hunched shoulders, clenched fists and blush gave me some hints, too. Look, I’m not going to think you’re crazy or leave if these spirits don’t jump out and yell boo at me in the first five minutes. I’ve been shadowing Avery long enough to know that the only thing more fickle than a ghost is a beautiful lady.” He nodded toward the door. “Can we go get something to eat now?”

“Were you always this charming?”

“Yup. You just never noticed.”

Oh, she’d noticed, she just hadn’t been able to act on it. “A mistake on my part.” She walked over to a small table beside the door and grabbed her purse and keys. “Come on. There’s a nice place within walking distance.”

Blake followed her over, stopping her before she opened the door. “If it’s all the same, I’d rather drive to somewhere closer to the city limits…if that’s okay with you.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Sure, I guess. There’s a Mexican place at the other end of town, close to the hills. It’s not quite as polished but—”

“Sounds like the place for us.” He settled one hand on her wrist. “We can take the truck…just in case.”

“Just in case of what? You suddenly need to exorcise the devil or something?”

He smiled, nodding. “Or something.”

Blake opened the door, extending his hand toward the truck. Payton glanced back at the room, before heading out. What the hell had she gotten herself into and it wasn’t just the ghosts she was worried about.

Chapter Two

Blake drove the truck toward the hills, the steady hum of the tires filling the suddenly awkward void. What had started out as good-natured conversation had become an oppressive silence and he wasn’t sure how to make the first move. Avery had always been the consummate playboy, who had never seemed to falter around women. Compared to him, Blake felt like a teenager again, sitting beside a woman who had starred in more than a few of his fantasies. Being this close—inhaling the subtle scent of her perfume, listening to the steady rasp of her breath—only made his heart thrum harder against his ribs. God help him, but Payton Scott was killing him, and she hadn’t done more than smile.

He sighed, glancing at her in the passenger seat. Golden hair framed her face, accentuating the bright blue of her eyes. The Nevada sun had added a touch of color to her skin and he smiled at the sprinkling of freckles along her nose.

Payton must have felt him staring and turned, her face silhouetted by the setting sun. Strands of hair fell across her eyes, and she brushed them away as she gave him an amused smile. “What?”

“Nothing. Just wondering why my brother ever let you out of his sight, let alone his life.” He gave her a sideways look. “You don’t turn into a werewolf or anything, do you?”

“Of course not.” She chuckled. “Actually, it was more of a mutual decision.”

“Ah, the old ‘we’re better friends than lovers’ scenario.” He winked this time. “Be honest. You’re just saving his dignity for him. Avery’s a lot of things, but crazy isn’t one of them. And leaving you would have been insane.”

The subtle smile on her face widened, the brilliance of it accentuated by the hint of blush creeping up her cheeks. “How did I manage to forget how charming you Smith boys can be?”

He shrugged. “It’s a genetic thing.”

“Right.” She sighed, the small puff of air fluttering the wisps of hairs still dangling around her face. “Actually, I’m not trying to save his fragile ego. We really did agree that being together wasn’t in the cards for us. Just not the right chemistry.”

“Seriously? I always thought you two broke up because your dad got transferred to Washington D.C.”

“We made it seem that way, but we’d stopped being a ‘couple’ long before that.”

“Okay. Now I’m really confused.” He pulled into the restaurant parking lot and shoved his truck into park, wondering if he’d ever really known the lady sitting beside him. Obviously, his account of the past was far different than hers. He unclipped his seatbelt and turned to face her. “Why would you and Avery pretend to be together if you weren’t?”

She gave him a stunning smile. “Because your brother is a nice guy.”

“Now you’re just creeping me out because the Avery you’re describing isn’t the brother I grew up with.” He raised an eyebrow. “Maybe you were both abducted by aliens. That would explain a lot.”

She laughed. “And you’re just as crazy as you were in high school. And no, I’m not an alien. The truth is, the guy I dated before Avery was still pretty hung up on me. Being your brother’s girlfriend kept the jackass at bay. Avery knew this and suggested we keep up the ruse until I left town.”

Blake nodded. “That sounds a bit more like him. Despite his obvious flaws, he does have an overinflated sense of honor, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”

“Guess that’s a genetic trait, too, or do you make it a habit of helping out all of Avery’s past girlfriends?”

He gave her a wicked smile. “You’re my first, sweetheart.” He chuckled, half turning away as he added, “And depending on what I’ve gotten myself into, my last.”

Payton slapped his shoulder as they jumped out of the truck and headed for the door. Her small hand found his, sending a spike of heat pulsing through his body. He fought against the hard punch of lust that tumbled through his gut, remembering the fear he’d seen in her eyes earlier. He was here to help her out of a possibly dangerous situation, not lure her into his bed. Hell, he didn’t even have a bed, yet.

Blake shook his head, twining his fingers through hers when a cold breeze rustled his collar. He pulled them to a stop as he glanced around the lot. Though the sun had set, the last rays of grayish light were enough to see the leaves of the trees resting listlessly on the branches. Whatever had brushed against him wasn’t simply the wind.

Payton squeezed his hand. “Everything okay?”

“Sure. Let’s get inside.”

He followed her, keeping her close as the server led them to a small table near the back. A large window framed one side, the view stretching toward the dark hills. A sliver of waning light glistened above the peaks, casting long, finger-like shadows across the table.

Blake pulled out Payton’s chair, loving the way she smiled at him then he took the seat across from her. The server lit a candle centered between then, laid down two menus, took their drink order then left, mumbling under her breath. Blake watched Payton gaze around the room, intrigued by the way she seemed to study everything, when another brush of cold air coasted across his shoulder, making the candle flicker. Payton gasped and turned, looking behind her.

Blake glanced over her shoulder at an empty table. “What’s wrong?”

A frown creased the small lines around her mouth as she shrugged. “Nothing, I just…”

“Just what?”

“It felt like someone pulled my hair.”

Blake nodded and reached into one of his pockets. Payton gave him a strange look as he placed the small unit on the table and pressed a button, illuminating a red light.

She glanced at the device then back at him. “What’s that?”

“A digital recorder.”

She furrowed her brow. “I tell you I think someone pulled my hair and you pull out a recorder?”