Spirit of Seduction Read online

  His heart pounded as he watched her face, so pale in the scant moonlight.

  “I beseech you, Ramiel, who dwells among the graves upon the bones of the dead, that you will bring forth Rebecca Barnes. Raise her up so that she will speak to me without fear and tell me the truth without deception. Let me be not afraid of her and let her answer whatever question I need ask her.”

  Ryan couldn’t take his eyes off Emily. Was she really summoning his sister’s ghost? The whole thing felt so surreal. His gut roiled with a giddy nervousness. He shivered at the sudden cold but Emily didn’t seem bothered by it. She still had her eyes shut but she dropped her arms to her sides. Nothing happened for several minutes and he was about to call it a wash when Emily suddenly gasped.

  She shook and took a backward step as if pushed. He fought the instinct to grab her and run.

  The voice that emanated from Emily was his sister’s. “Emily, my friend, take care with your life or you’ll meet the same fate as I, by the very same hand.”

  Blood thundered in Ryan’s ears but he struggled to listen carefully to Becky’s words.

  “Someone means you harm for the answers you and my brother seek. Go carefully or else say your farewells.” His sister’s specter vanished and Emily suddenly crumpled onto the ground.

  He rushed to her and lifted her into his arms. “Emily?”

  Her eyes remained closed and her body limp.

  “Emily?” Terror clawed at his throat.

  She grasped his arm and her eyelids fluttered a few times before opening. “I’m okay, just…out of practice I guess. Channeling always takes a lot out of me.”

  He finally exhaled then started back to his truck with her, mentally kicking himself for putting her in danger. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea this would be so rough on you. We’ll find another way.”

  “Put me down, please.”

  He didn’t want to let her go, couldn’t bear the thought of not smelling her floral scent or of breaking contact with the curves that pressed against his chest and his arms. When he set her on her feet, she hooked her arm through his and let him lead her.

  He helped her into the truck, skimming his hand over her her silky shirt. For God’s sake. Since when did a woman’s back get him excited?

  “There is no other way, Ryan. You heard what Becky said, didn’t you?”

  He started the motor and backed out of the parking spot. “She had to be talking about Tommy. I know in my gut that bastard killed her.” He took a right onto the road that would lead them to the Interstate.

  She narrowed her eyes. “Why are you so sure?”

  “He was their only suspect besides…” Damn it. He didn’t want to say that he’d been on their list, too.”

  “Besides who?”

  Before he could answer, something slammed into the back of the pickup, lurching them forward. “What the hell was that?” He glanced at Emily. “You okay?”

  She nodded but her eyes were wide. Thankfully she had on her seatbelt.

  Checking his rearview mirror, he saw a black SUV with no headlights back up then start toward them again. “Hang on!”

  “What’s going on?” Her voice was high pitched and wobbly.

  He spun the wheel then floored the accelerator. The truck whipped three hundred sixty degrees around and his headlights caught the other vehicle hightailing it out of there. “What the hell was that all about?”

  “Becky. It was about Becky.” She held a hand over her heart. “I tried to pick up on the negative energy surrounding us but…I must be rusty. I’m sorry. Whoever that was must have been at the cemetery.”

  “Yup. Are you okay?” He scrubbed a hand over his face. A fierce protectiveness stormed through him.

  “Fine.” The tremble in her voice was unmistakable. “We should call the police.”

  “And tell them what? That someone rammed us because we’re trying to contact my dead sister?” He leaned his head back against the seat. “I’m sorry. I probably called them three times a day for the first couple weeks after the murder. You could say I wore out my welcome with the local cops. But you’re right. I ought to report it. I don’t think it’ll do any good though. I’m going to check out the damage first. Stay here.” He grabbed his .45 from under the seat then got out of the truck and strode to the back. The tailgate was dented but not as badly as he’d anticipated.

  He headed back and climbed inside the cab. “Could be worse.” He pulled out his phone and hit the number he’d memorized weeks earlier. “Detective Walters, please.”

  As predicted, the detective told him all he could do was write up a report.

  “Thanks, Detective. I’ll submit it to my insurance company.” He hung up then rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Thanks for nothing.”

  “Well?” she said.

  “They’ll make a hit and run report, which will sit in a computer file until hell freezes over. I told you it wouldn’t do any good. It’s a four-person department here. Nothing like Raleigh’s police force.” He pounded a fist onto the steering wheel. “I’m taking you to my place.”

  “Your place? Why not Raleigh?”

  “I’m not letting you out of my sight. I failed to protect my sister, but God help me, I refuse to take the same chance with you.”

  She started to protest but he touched a finger to her lips. “Have you ever lost anyone you loved?”

  Her neck quivered with a swallow and he wanted to kiss the spot. She didn’t answer for a long moment. “My mother. Well, she’s not dead but she’s gone from my life.”

  “If she’s still alive then you have a chance to mend things with her.” He started the ignition. “You never know when someone will be ripped out of your life for good.”

  She didn’t answer.

  “I’ll sleep on the couch and you can have my room.”

  She hesitated, pursing her lips. “I don’t know, Ryan.”

  “This isn’t open for discussion. I’ve drawn you into this and now you’re a target. I plan to keep you safe.”

  As much as Emily wanted to argue with Ryan, insist he take her home, she knew he was right. She’d been smart to stay away from all things supernatural recently. She’d only been involved with this case a few hours and already she was in trouble. Although she’d actually been in danger since Ryan had imagined her in danger in his vision. Panic drummed through her. Her mother’s words played in her head.

  “Ain’t no escaping the gifts God has given you.”

  She hadn’t wanted her powers then and she still didn’t. How foolish she’d been to believe that she could hide from her abilities. The very thing she’d feared the most was happening again. She wished to God she could have avoided becoming a target again, but even if she’d turned down Ryan’s plea for help, she’d have been drawn into the fray somehow. The die had already been cast.

  Ryan turned in to a driveway in front of a two story house with a white picket fence around it. He took her inside and turned on a few lights, never releasing her hand. The contact felt reassuring but she knew he was no match for the strong supernatural presence she’d felt as they’d approached Becky’s grave.

  The large open hallway was partially painted off white and the banister and stairs had been stripped but not yet refinished. The dark wood floors were scratched and worn but she imagined Ryan would eventually take care of them as well.

  “Sorry, it’s still a work in progress.” Leading her through each room, he pointed out all the things he planned to finish or redo. “It has real good bones.”

  “I see that.” Aside from the obvious antique features like arches, dentil molding and stained glass windows, the place had a warmth to it she found comforting. Maybe it just reminded her of Ryan. “It’ll be lovely when you’re finished.”

  He stopped walking and scratched his head. “I’m unclear on something. You think someone didn’t want you to communicate with Becky and that’s why they tried to frighten you away at the cemetery, right? And it was the same person who rear-ende
d us as we left.”

  “Mm hmm.”

  “How did they know we were there?”

  She wrinkled her forehead in concentration. “One way someone could have known we were there is if they set up sort of…” She searched for the right words. “Like a force-field or a psychic sentry if you will. I felt something blocking me from sensing the energy at Becky’s house but that wall grew stronger at her grave.”

  “So whoever killed her had their own psychic powers?”

  She frowned. “Not necessarily. They might have had someone else cast a spell for them.”

  “Spells and psychic force-fields and ghosts. I can’t believe we’re talking about this stuff and I actually think it could all be real.”

  Could be? How could he still have doubts? If he did, wasn’t he in effect accusing her of being a shyster again? “It is real, Ryan.”

  He shook his head then continued his tour. When they reached the kitchen, he tipped his chin at the bistro table. “Have a seat. I’ll make us something to eat.” He opened the fridge, grabbed a beer and popped it open. “Want one?”

  She tried to brush aside her annoyance as he pulled items out to set on the counter. Her stomach lurched at the notion of food. “Nothing for me, I’m not hungry. And I don’t appreciate your insinuation that I’m making this up.”

  He stopped what he was doing and closed the distance between them. Crouching in front of her, he held onto the sides of the chair, gating her in. His rock-hard forearms pushed against her thighs and her temperature spiked. His eyes were soft and compassionate. “No, darlin’, I never said you were faking. This is new to me and I find it hard to reconcile it with everything I’ve ever known to be reality. I’m not doubting you, I swear.” He cupped her cheek and God help her, she leaned into his touch.

  She stared into those mesmerizing blue eyes and let desire banish off her irritation. “Okay, I believe you.”

  He gave her a smile. “Good, now maybe you can eat something. When was the last time you ate? You have to keep up your strength, for Becky…and for me.”

  How was she supposed to think with him so close that his manly scent was all around her, intoxicating her? She could see only his ruggedly handsome face—the small scar above his left eye, the chiseled jaw and cheekbones. “I-I ate something for lunch, a salad or a sandwich. I don’t remember. It feels like weeks ago rather than hours.”

  He pressed a kiss to her cheek, his whiskers deliciously scratching her skin. “Amazing how quickly things can change.” His gaze dropped to her lips and hovered there. The spot tingled under his stare.

  She could hardly breathe for the sensual hunger coursing through her. She’d wanted Ryan for so long. Although he’d drawn her back into the supernatural world where she’d sworn she’d never return, for some reason she felt safe with him. More than that, being with him made her aware of herself as a woman—a woman with needs that she’d kept at bay for far too long. She squashed all her objections to kissing him again before they could take root.

  He hooked a hand around her neck and drew her to him. She shut her eyes and gave up control to her libido and her heart. Then his mouth was on hers—plundering and mastering as if she belonged to no one but him. He tasted of beer, and desire.

  Suddenly breaking contact, he stood and pulled her up and into his arms. He whispered her name like a prayer.

  Her head was dizzy with arousal as he weaved his fingers into her hair and held her possessively against him for another scorching kiss. He explored her mouth, then kissed his way along her neck to her collarbone.

  She caught her bottom lip between her teeth, holding back a sigh as Ryan peeled her blouse off her shoulder then grazed his tongue over her skin. Moisture pooled between her legs.

  Ryan lifted his shirt over his head and tossed it away revealing smooth, tan skin that had been kissed by the sun. “I want to make love to you.”

  His simple yet powerful declaration drew a sigh from her. The notion of losing herself in him—doing what felt good without dwelling upon the consequences—was overpowering. To hell with the fact that he’d unwittingly drawn her back into the occult world. Something about being with Ryan felt more than right. She treated herself to the breathtaking view of his bare washboard chest and his broad shoulders then reached out to touch him with trembling hands.

  She plowed her fingers into his hair. “I want you, too.”

  He backed her against the wall and held her arms over her head, pinning her to the spot as he licked the sensitive skin on the underside of her arm then tracked his finger after.

  Quivers of longing racked her body as he pressed his mouth to her neck, biting, sucking, kissing. He traced the shell of her ear with his tongue and she gasped at the sensations rushing through her.

  Ryan untucked her shirt then slid his hands under her shirt, skimming up her sides, raising goose bumps wherever he touched. Pure delight streaked through her.

  A totally masculine growl vibrated in his chest as he undressed her above the waist. His gaze scorched her naked skin. “I knew you’d be this beautiful.”

  She clenched her teeth, hardly able to bear the pleasure when he cupped one breast and drew the other into his mouth. He licked circles around the tight, needy point, teasing and tantalizing her.

  She arched her back, urging him on. God, she practically came unglued when he finally sucked the peak into his mouth. He raked his teeth over her sensitive flesh and she dug her fingernails into his shoulders.

  She rocked against him, felt the hard evidence of his arousal press into her abdomen. He moved his hand between her thighs, rubbing along the fabric of her pants, the erotic friction pushing her libido into overdrive. There was way too much material separating them. She unsnapped her jeans and shimmied out of them.

  Ryan broke contact and skimmed his admiring gaze over her in nothing but her lacy black panties. Her nipples tingled under his scrutiny and her heart thudded double time. She’d never yearned for a man’s touch as she did for his.

  He let out a low groan as she traced the hard ridge of his arousal through his jeans. She wanted him inside her, filling her, satisfying the demanding hunger taking her over. “I need you, Ryan.”

  He stripped off his pants in seconds. His legs were just as roped with muscle as she’d suspected, not an inch of fat. He took a condom out of his wallet and tore it open. His impressive size gave her pause. She wondered if she could handle all of him. She swallowed back the trepidation as she watched him sheath himself.

  Her craving for Ryan consumed all her doubts. He took a step closer, his eyes honing in on her mouth with unabashed savage lust. Hooking his thumbs under the elastic of her panties, he slid them down her legs ever so slowly, as if he unwrapped a fragile piece of rare china rather than a woman.

  She stepped out of them then molded her body to his.

  “I want you so much.” His voice was low and husky, laced with carnal intent. He cupped her mound and her breath locked in her chest. Sliding his hand between her thighs, he stroked her as she rocked against him, taking all the pleasure he offered.

  Her sex clenched in anticipation. But she didn’t have to wait long. Ryan slipped a finger inside her, testing her readiness. And Lord, was she ready.

  She hooked one leg around his hips and he pushed into her, hissing out a breath. He filled her, inch by glorious inch. She tightened around him, her intimate muscles already climbing toward the precipice of pleasure.

  Something fell off the wall nearby—a small decorative mirror—and crashed to the floor, but neither she nor Ryan paid it much heed.

  His thrusts created the most heavenly friction as he drove deeper, pounding her against the wall. She wrapped her other leg around his hip, giving him greater access for the deepest penetration.

  Nothing had ever felt like this—so primal and natural, almost elemental. Her orgasm hit with a new ferocity, flooding her body with the ecstasy she’d waited for her whole life. She dug her fingernails into his shoulders as she quivered wi
th wave after wave of bliss.

  The strain of holding back was evident on Ryan’s flushed face. Once her orgasm had leveled off, he let go and hissed his release. Muscles corded on his neck as he shuddered and emptied himself inside her with a few purposeful thrusts.

  Breathing heavily, he captured her stare, then her mouth for a devastating kiss. She eased her feet back to the floor, and her head back down to earth.

  “I’ve wanted to do that for a long time.” He pressed a kiss to her sweat-damp forehead.

  “Me, too.” She could feel his heart pounding as fast as hers.

  He kissed her face and neck lovingly, reverently. But within minutes the deep furrow returned to his brow. He stepped back, breaking their contact then picked up her clothes from the floor and handed them to her before disposing of the condom.

  “What is it, Ryan?”

  “I just thought of something.” He wouldn’t meet her stare. “Damn it, I shouldn’t have let my feelings get the best of me. Now you could be in even more danger.”

  She froze. “W-why?” She picked up on a dark force that was attempting to push them apart but when she tried to hone in on its nature, it disappeared.

  He dressed in a hurry. “My visions. I didn’t tell you everything.” The lines around his mouth deepened.

  She quickly put her clothes on and tried to scare up a sense of calm but her heart refused to cooperate. Something bad was coming, something that would change the tenuous new threads they’d wrapped around each other. “Tell me.”

  He nodded silently then gestured at the café table for her to sit. Grabbing his beer, he leaned against the counter and God help her, she wanted him again. But she swallowed back her desire—for the time being—and concentrated on what he had to say.

  His gaze moved to the broken glass on the floor from the mirror they’d knocked off the wall. Emily’s face warmed when she recalled what had caused it to fall.

  Ryan opened a small closet and grabbed a broom and dustpan. Wordlessly, she took held the dustpan as he swept. Then he relieved her of the dustpan and dumped the contents in the trash.