Kiss And Dwell (22 page)

“
I
’
m afraid you
’
re right. I almost hate saying it, because, hell, I can
’
t deny
that I
’
ve been feeling something toward Celeste. I mean, I
’
ve tried my best to
act as though this is merely another assignment, and it should be, but it
’
s not
.

I was glad when Chloe asked me to come with them to the beach house this week,
”

he admitted.
“
I was absolutely ecstatic, because that gave me more time with
Celeste. But…
”

“
But?
”
Monique questioned.

“
But she told me that her biggest regret about dying so young was that she never
had the chance to love. Shoot, I thought maybe she meant that she never had the
chance to love me.
”
Dax
flashed Monique a grin.
“
Kind of big-headed of me,
wasn
’
t it?
”

“
Not at all,
”
she answered, running her fingers through his hair to make it
ripple into place.
“
It
’
s sweet, and honest.
”
She took a deep breath, heard the
timer buzz, then whispered in his ear.
“
I want Ryan, too,
”
she admitted.
“
But I
believe he
’
s meant for her.
”

Dax
nodded regrettably.
“
So you gonna send him to the beach to meet her this
week?
”

“
I
’
d better, but I
’
m not sure I know how. We
’
re supposed to get together tonight
and discuss his crossing,
”
she said, thinking it best not to tell her younger
brother what else they planned to do. Telepathic sex. Would he even believe her?

“
How long until he has to cross?
”

“
A week from tomorrow,
”
she said.
“
Seven more days.
”
That was it, all the time
she had with Ryan, if she got him to cross. And she would. She had to.

“
You can make him cross by then,
”
Dax
said, then winked.
“
You haven
’
t lost one
yet, and what guy wouldn
’
t want Celeste?
”
He paused.
“
You think she
’
ll be
attracted to him, then?
”

“
She
’
d have to be dead not to be,
”
Monique said, then laughed when he gave her

an incredulous I-can
’
t-
believeyou
-said-that look.
“
That was bad.
”

“
Yeah, it was,
”
he agreed.
“
But at least I know she won
’
t mind his appearance.
”

“
That
’
s an understatement,
”
Monique enlightened her brother.
“
He
’
s absolutely
the best-looking—
”

Dax
held up a hand.
“
I get it. And that
’
s enough,
”
he said, standing up from the
chair.
“
Well, if it
’
s any consolation, I bet she
’
s the equivalent in female
form. Absolutely gorgeous.
”

Monique swallowed.
“
That
’
s—good. He
’
s nice, too,
”
she added.

“
So is she.
”

“
Then all they have to do is meet and see if sparks fly.
”
She tried to sound
positive.

“
Monique?
”
Dax
questioned, looking very uncomfortable with whatever he was about
to say.

“
Yeah?
”

“
I don
’
t want her hurt,
”
he said honestly.
“
She really is incredible, and I
don
’
t want to see her hurt.
”

Monique
’
s chest clenched tight.
Dax
obviously felt more for Celeste than he was
admitting, maybe even more than he realized, and she knew exactly how he felt
.

“
I know you don
’
t,
”
she said,
“
And for the record, I don
’
t want him hurt,
either.
”

Dax
wrapped an arm around her and gently squeezed her against him as he kissed
her cheek.
“
We
’
ll be all right, sis.
”

“
Sure we will,
”
she said, blinking past the sudden impulse to cry. Then she
leaned away from him and grinned.
“
We always are.
”

“
Hey, can I get out now?
”
Evette
yelled, her voice a squeal over the low
drumming of the dryer.

Giggling, Monique hugged
Dax
and watched him leave. Tomorrow, he
’
d head to the
beach. Then she had one week left with Ryan. No, she mentally corrected. Not one
week with Ryan, one week for Ryan to learn how to love…with Celeste.

A gentle pressure squeezed her shoulders, her arms, her heart. It gave her a
heady feeling, as though she were held in an intense embrace, a lover
’
s embrace
.

Then her neck tingled briefly beneath her right ear.

Ryan
.

The low roar of the dryer dissipated with a loud click, as
Evette
, sweating and
red-cheeked, climbed out.
“
I
’
m done,
”
she said, shaking her head.
“
I can
’
t take
any more conditioning. You ready for me?
”

Monique swallowed, nodded.
“
Yes,
”
she said.
“
I am.
”
She was ready for
Evette
,
but was she ready for the sexy ghost who
’
d just given her a hug and a kiss that
had left her weak-kneed and starry-eyed?

Probably not.

But even so, Monique couldn
’
t wait.

Most days
passed fairly quickly in the middle. Ryan could honestly say that some
weeks seemed like mere hours, minutes even. But today crept along with the speed
of thick sorghum syrup in the middle of winter. Slow. Excruciatingly slow for a
guy who loved sex and who vividly sensed Monique
’
s willingness to give him
exactly what he wanted. Sex…with her.

Unconventional as it
’
d be, since this would be an entirely mental joining, Ryan
was turned on by the idea of doing something so new, so different, so unique.

So Monique.

From the remainder of the world, even her brothers and cousins, she guarded her
emotions, her passion for life, death and spirits. But the truth was she lived
for it. She didn
’
t want to enjoy helping spirits, didn
’
t want it to be so
important, but she couldn
’
t help it, and that scared her. Ryan knew why, sensed
why. She was afraid of getting too attached, then watching whomever she cared
about move on. Right now, she was terrified of that happening with Ryan, but she
still wanted him while he was here, which was a good thing. Because Ryan
definitely wasn
’
t crossing over until he spent more time, more intimate time,
with Monique. They had a connection that went beyond the bond formed between
medium and spirit, and he was certain she felt it, too.

If he
’
d only met her when he was on this side, maybe she would have been
“
the
one
”
his friends always warned him about, the girl who would match his
enthusiasm for life and get him to settle for one female—her. Monique
Vicknair
was that kind of woman, the kind who made you lose your senses and forget
everything else. He
’
d sure forgotten everything else today.

And Ryan had been on her mind all day, too. He knew it, observed it, absorbed
it. A couple of times he
’
d touched her with his thoughts and had even recognized
the precise moment that she acknowledged him holding her, kissing her in his
mind.

The entire scenario was intoxicatingly erotic, and he could only imagine how
much better it
’
d be tonight. Now. He
’
d given her time to come home, work on the
house with the family, eat, visit with Nan and
Jenee
, then prepare for him.

She was sitting on the edge of her bed with her back facing him and her hair
pulled up in a sexy twist with long wisps brushing her neck. While he watched,
she lifted an antique perfume bottle from the bedside table and sprayed the
fragrance beneath each ear, on the inner side of each wrist, and then turned the
bottle to face her chest and sprayed some more, leaning her head back as the
tingling mist met her breasts.

Ryan
’
s cock hardened at once.

“
I know you
’
re here,
”
she murmured, without turning around.
“
I feel you.
”

“
I
’
m here,
”
he acknowledged.
“
And I feel you, too.
”

“
Do you like pink?
”
she asked, tilting her head to the side and lifting one
shoulder as she indicated her hot-pink
nightie
, its crisscrossing straps
beautifully showcasing her back.

Hot pink. No traditional black or red in Monique
’
s bedroom ensembles. Last
night, she
’
d worn the palest blue, and tonight the most vivid pink. He loved it
that she never failed to surprise him. And he definitely loved tonight
’
s hue.
“
I
like pink.
”

She stood from the bed, turned to face him and smiled.
“
I chose it for you this
afternoon. Were you watching me when I tried it on? Or did you feel me then?
Because I thought I felt you.
”
Her hand moved to the very spot that he had
nuzzled when he
’
d sensed her preparing for their evening together.

“
I didn
’
t watch,
”
he said.
“
But I felt your excitement, and knew you were
thinking about me.
”

Her fingertips gently stroked the valley between her breasts.

“
And I touched you then,
”
he said.
“
Right there.
”
He nodded toward her fingers.

“
I know.
”
Her smile confirmed that she hadn
’
t minded him touching at all.
“
I
’
m
going to touch you tonight, Ryan.
”

“
I
’
m counting on it, ma
’
am,
”
he said, then raised his brows when she laughed.

Monique shook her head, as though trying to force a rational thought into the
sexually charged atmosphere. She visibly swallowed, cleared her throat.
“
And
after we
’
ve done that, then…
”

“
Then we
’
ll talk about this female you want me to meet.
”

Her head lifted, eyes open wide.
“
You know?
”

“
I sensed,
”
he corrected.
“
And I told you we
’
d talk about your plan for me to
cross tonight, but with all due respect, I
’
d really rather not talk about it
until I get my end of the deal.
”
He boldly eyed her body in the shiny pink
satin. Two spaghetti straps dropped to small triangles that barely contained her
breasts. Wide strips of the pink fabric crossed at the center of her chest to
form a bow that appeared to hold the entire thing together, particularly since
the lower portions of the
nightie
didn
’
t make any attempt whatsoever to meet in
the middle. On the contrary, the two sides flared out, displaying a flat
abdomen, an adorable bellybutton and a miniscule matching satin thong.