Halloween Boo

by Spade, Sarah

  Shielding my eyes against the blinding motley of Christmas lights strung up on individual balconies, I glance around, hoping for some brilliant burst of inspiration. I can feel the winter chill on my hands, my cheeks, my neck. It’s fucking cold out here.

  I need to find a way inside.

  That’s when I see the ladder propped up against the building.

  Perfect.

  10

  Dani

  I hate Christmas movies. If it were up to me, the Hallmark channel would change their brand and show horror movies or something in December.

  Friday the 13th. Jason. Nightmare on Elm Street.

  I don’t want to feel happy and hopeful. As the days pass, I want my ghost back.

  I’m not being fair. I know that. Every other holiday season, I’m the first one to binge-watch all those cheesy feel-good romance movies. I used to live for the 25 days of Christmas. Half the time the love stories were unbelievable and full of every trope—friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, fake fiancé, you name it—but I couldn’t help but watch and cheer and hope that, maybe one day, I’d have my own unrealistic love story.

  Falling in love with a ghost on Halloween is as unrealistic as it can get.

  Still happened, though. I fell in love with Zack somewhere between the time I found out he was Casper and the time I had to say goodbye. After that, watching Christmas flicks just made me bitter and moody.

  I got my Halloween magic. Is it a little too much to wish for some Christmas magic, too?

  To make it worse, some part of me expected Zack to linger even after he faded away. He said he was tied to my apartment—though his choice to “haunt” it was his way of letting me know that he was there—and I kind of thought I’d still sense him, like I did with Casper before.

  Nope.

  No more rose petals. No hearts drawn in a messy spill. If I lose my keys, they’re gone.

  Just like Zack.

  Ugh.

  On my television, sleigh bells jingle. Some version of Santa Claus makes his requisite visit. There’s laughter. The indescribably beautiful blonde female lead leans in to accept a kiss from the boringly handsome male lead.

  They might’ve only known each other a week, but they’re both sure this is true love. On the Hallmark channel, everyone gets their happily ever after.

  Why can’t I? I only got to know Zack for one night and I’m already convinced he’s the one for me.

  Standing up abruptly, I shake my head. God, I’m pathetic.

  I’m torturing myself. I know it. Trying to prove that I can move on without him here. It’s already been almost two months since that one night changed my life.

  There’s nothing I could do but wait until next October.

  Which means getting through Christmas first. Then New Years. Valentine’s Day. I cringe. After that, there’s still eight more months until Halloween.

  I’m never gonna make it.

  I slap my hand on the power button. The cable box blinks off, the television going black in a soft pop.

  And that’s when I hear it.

  Rap, rap, tap.

  Knocking.

  I hold my breath.

  That… that’s not coming from the front door.

  My heart stops beating for a second.

  Rap, rap, tap.

  I’m stunned, bare feet frozen to my floor. Hope fills me up like a balloon. The gentle tapping sounds like it’s against glass. The direction is definitely coming from the other side of the room.

  There’s no way—

  It’s not possible—

  I almost don’t check. In the last few weeks, I’ve driven myself a little batty, running out to check the balcony every couple of nights as if I’ll miraculously find Zack standing there. It’s usually the winter wind, or a bird tapping at the glass. It’s never him.

  Then again, that really did sound like knocking.

  Trying not to get my hopes up too high, I tiptoe toward the balcony. The week after Halloween, I went out and bought a curtain rod plus a set of floor-length curtains. I needed to block that part of the apartment off. If I couldn’t see the balcony, it might help me stop obsessing over my missing ghost lover.

  It’s with a shaky hand that I grab one of the curtain panels and tug.

  And there he is.

  “Zack?”

  Since that magical Halloween night, I’ve imagined a scene like this a million times. As much as I hated them, watching Christmas flick after Christmas flick built up a prayer in me that I was hoping would be answered.

  Now that is has been, I stand there like a dope, staring.

  He’s here.

  And he’s flippin’ gorgeous.

  His hair is shorter than it was, his skin a little more pale, and there’s dark circles under his eyes that probably match mine. The minor imperfections, though, make him all the more stunning. Because he’s here and he’s real and not the least bit see-through.

  A hesitant smile tugs at his lips. His dark eyes are gleaming as he gazes down at me. The Christmas lights I haphazardly strung along the railing of the balcony glimmer and shine behind him, throwing a soft golden halo around his body.

  My breath catches in my throat. In an instant, I wonder if I’m seeing him now because he’s an angel, not a man.

  Is this… is this goodbye again?

  Before I can burst into tears—my overactive imagination has already convinced myself that this is Zack telling me he’s off to Heaven or something—he offers me a small shrug and a sheepish grin. “Hi, Dani. Um… it’s kinda chilly out here and I sort of forgot my coat in my rush to see you at last. Do you— can I come in maybe?”

  What is wrong with me?

  I rush forward, fingers fumbling with the lock, cursing wildly under my breath as I struggle to get the darn door open.

  He’s chuckling as I slide the glass door back, his eyes bright and shining and alive. The moment there’s a few inches gap in the doorway, Zack slips his hand inside and shoves the glass before rushing into the apartment. Cool skin—because it’s December, not because he’s dead—shocks my bare arms as he grabs me, pulling me close.

  I wrap my arms around his torso and tilt my head back, offering my lips to him invitingly. He’s not a ghost, so maybe he is an angel, but either way he can touch me and I damn well want to make sure that I’m touching him back while I can.

  Zack doesn’t hesitate. Swooping down, his chilly lips find mine. Within seconds, we’re both on fire. I kiss him with everything I have, as if we break apart again, he’ll vanish like he did on Halloween.

  My hands are like velcro, they’re stuck tight behind his back. No one could pry me away from him if they tried. He’s back and I’m not about to let him go.

  This doesn’t make any sense to me, though I have to say that sense flew out the window the second I accepted that my apartment was haunted. I don’t want to ask questions—I’m afraid if I do, I might wake up and find this is a dream—but staying quiet isn’t who I am.

  I have to know. So, in between kisses, I shoot frantic questions at him.

  “How is this possible?” I demand. “Are you really here? What’s going on? Are you an angel? Are you alive? How did this happen?”

  Zack’s chuckle, the deep rumble of it, hits me right in the heart, before traveling due south. God, I loved that sound.

  “Miss me?”

  He has no idea how much.

  I clear my throat, trying to compose myself. It’s hard. These last few weeks have been very, very rough.

  Tears well up anyway. “The day after Halloween, I thought I would still sense you. Maybe there’d be a sign—another flower petal, a message in my mirror, something. But you were gone and… and now you’re here. I just… how?”

  And he tells me how he wasn’t really a ghost because he hadn’t actually died and it was really a coma so he’s definitely not an angel and I kind of don’t hear what he says after that because he’s here and he’s alive and I can feel the heat of his erectio
n against my thigh and I wanted him yesterday.

  Christmas has come early for me and I’m not about to waste this gift.

  Yay Christmas magic!

  “You know what? Forget all that. You’re here now—”

  He kisses me again. “And I’m not going anywhere without you again.”

  Sounds good to me. I latch onto the sexy scruff on his jaw, kissing him so deeply that we’re sharing the same breath. Without realizing it, I started rotating my hips, grinding on his erection, using his hard length and the friction of his jeans to give my clit a little action.

  I need more of this. I need more of him.

  My Zack.

  Shimmying down his body, I land on the floor with a soft thump and immediately start to back up towards my bedroom. “Let’s go.”

  It takes him a second to realize that I’m not in his arms any longer. His lips are red and a little swollen from the passion and the force of my kisses.

  I think I’ve kissed him stupid, since he looks at me with a dazed expression.

  “Huh? Go where?”

  “Where do you think? You’re here. You’re hard. You fucked the brains out of my head on Halloween and I thought I had to wait a year for you to do it again. I don’t want to waste any time in case you vanish.” I gesture at him, wagging my finger at his jeans. “Come on. Take your pants off.”

  “Dani, sweetheart, I’m not going anywhere. Didn’t you hear me? I’m… I’m alive.”

  “I see. I’m really glad, too, but didn’t you hear me? Pants. Off. Now.”

  He doesn’t move.

  Does he need a little push? I remember the night we first got together and how hesitant he was until I basically dropped to my knees and freed his cock myself. It was like he didn’t believe that I’d be into him until I showed him how wrong he was.

  Reaching down, I grab my shirt by the hem and rip it over my head and off. He doesn’t want to strip on his own? I’ll go first.

  His eyes zero in on my chest. Licking his lips, he reaches out with one of his hands and gives my boob a gentle squeeze. A tingle goes through me and, shivering, I reach behind me and unhook my bra. It falls to the floor, leaving me bare under his suddenly heated gaze.

  I give my shoulders a shake, making my tits bounce.

  How can he say no to this?

  “Fuck me,” I demand.

  Zack lips his licks again, then shakes his head.

  “I won’t fuck you, Dani.”

  What? Why?

  It’s all he wanted to do the last time we were together, and all I’ve been dying to do ever since he left me. I was thinking I had to wait until next Halloween to have a night with my ghostly lover. Now that he’s here and I’m half-naked and panting, he tells me he won’t fuck me. Seriously?

  Before I can start worrying that he doesn’t want me know that he’s, well, alive, Zack reaches out and pulls me into his embrace. The warmth of his arms, the steady beat of his heart, that smell that is just so uniquely him… it’s Zack. He’s here.

  He’s real.

  And from the hot, hard cock pressing up against the vee of my legs, I know he really wants me as much as I really, really want him.

  My stiff nipples chafe against the softness of his shirt. I moan and feel him shudder in response to the sound.

  Leaning in, he presses his lips against my ear. His whiskers brush against the sensitive skin, the mild burn going straight to my pussy.

  His voice is that sexy rasp I remember from our first night together. Casper—Zack—my fantasy man brought back to life just for me.

  “I won’t fuck you, Dani,” he whispers, “but I will make love to you. Tonight, tomorrow, and for the rest of our lives.”

  My heart soars. “What about Halloween?”

  He reaches down, strong fingers unclasping the button on my jeans. A seductive purr fills his voice as he slowly lowers the zipper. “Especially on Halloween,” he promises.

  And, to my absolute delight, he does just that.

  Author’s Note

  Thank you for reading Halloween Boo!

  I’ve always been a huge fan of Halloween. I first saw Hocus Pocus when I was 10 and it was initially out in the theater… twenty-five years ago *cringe*. I might not have understand all of the jokes and innuendos then, but as it is my annual go-to film to get in the spirit of Halloween, I’ve seen it hundreds of times (if not more). Recently, I introduced it my 2 1/2 year old niece and nephew. Figuring there’s still a few more years before I have to explain to their mother what I have them watching—for now, they love Binx and Billy—I was inspired with an idea that quickly blossomed into this short.

  So, in case it wasn’t obvious, the Hocus Pocus references, among a ton of other pop culture ones, were all intentional. And I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did writing it!

  Stay tuned for what’s coming up next! And make sure to check out my Facebook page for all upcoming releases:

  http://facebook.com/sarahspadebooks

  Coming Soon

  Last Christmas I gave you my heart, the very next day you… stomped it into a million pieces and left town without a backward glance.

  Jerk.

  Allison

  I know that’s not how the song goes. But, for me, that’s exactly what happened. I met the man of my dreams on Christmas Eve. We shared one magical night of passion and I thought—well, it doesn’t matter what I thought. Because, Christmas morning, he left me under the mistletoe and I never heard from him again.

  Until he shows up at my office’s Christmas party almost a year to the day later. And I discover that not only did I not know my mystery lover’s true name, I never knew his identity, either.

  The one night stand I had last Christmas? He’s one of the partners for the firm I work for. So he’s my boss.

  Even worse?

  He’s my best friend’s brother.

  Max

  It’s tough running a company. There’s no time for anything—and that includes falling in love. I haven’t been in a relationship in over a decade. It never used to bother me, though.

  And then I met her.

  With long legs, bright green eyes, and a body built for sin, I abandoned my no distractions policy and had my wicked way with her for the night. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I wanted more than that—but an emergency call had me on the first flight out of Salem.

  By the time I could return to search out my Christmas lover, I realized that the number she gave me was fake. The name I moaned? Its not hers.

  I don’t know why that bothers me so much considering I lied about my own.

  Now she wants nothing to do with me. I don’t blame her.

  Doesn’t mean that I’m going back to California without a fight.

  * * *

  This Christmas is the stand-alone companion to Halloween Boo. Coming to your e-readers in December 2018!