Now he understood. Seeing that same fear flare briefly in her eyes, the way she twisted her fingers together, he finally realised what was wrong. It was almost laughable, he couldn’t believe it.
Resting his hand on the wall again, Ghost shook his head. “Only you, Ali.”
“What?”
“It doesn’t have to change everything. Being lovers isn’t a bad thing.”
“Have you thought what would happen if we broke up?” she challenged. “Lovers who break up don’t remain friends. The relationship changes, they become merely acquaintances.”
“Why would we break up?”
“It happens all the time. Couples break up. If we broke up we wouldn’t be friends anymore.” Folding her arms beneath her breasts, she sighed sadly. “We can’t do this, Ty. We can’t risk our friendship.” Dropping her head forward, she stared at the floor. “So you see, that’s why it’s wrong.”
Talk about making obstacles. Ghost did a mental eye roll. “Kind of late to back out of, isn’t it?”
“Huh?”
“Ali, things have already changed a little. We’ve made love. That can’t be taken back.”
“We can ignore it. Forget about it.”
His mouth actually fell open. “What?”
She shrugged.
Astounding. “I’m definitely not going to forget about it.”
“You could if you tried.”
“Seriously? I can’t believe you really think that.”
“It’s not that hard.”
“Not that hard?” Frustration warred with the desire to laugh. “Ali, I couldn’t forget that night if you paid me a million dollars. That memory is stuck in my brain.” Deliciously so.
“It’s going to wreck our friendship.”
“Honey, I’ve news for you.” Gently placing one finger beneath her chin, he tipped her head back so she had to look at him. “Nothing is going to wipe away what we shared. I don’t want to wipe that memory away. I have no intention of wiping that memory away, I’m not even going to try.”
She stared up at him before a small frown marred her smooth brow. Angling her head to the side, she studied him closely.
Curious as to her thoughts, Ghost waited.
Finally, she spoke. “This can’t happen overnight. When did it happen?”
He thought about that carefully. No, it hadn’t happened overnight. It had happened over several nights. Hadn’t it?
“When did it happen?” she pressed.
To be truthful, he didn’t really know. They’d just been having their usual easy-going camaraderie, knocking around together, sharing fun times. Then it had all escalated somehow. “Ali…” He searched for a way to explain it without making it seem so trivial.
She waited expectantly.
Taking a deep breath, he tipped his head back, hunting for the right way to respond, a way that wouldn’t have her scoffing at him, a way which she’d understand.
“You can’t even tell me,” she said with a touch of sadness that had him snapping his head back down to look at her.
When she made to push against his arm in an attempt to get him to release her, he frowned. “Don’t.”
“This is pointless.”
His hands went from the wall to her upper arms, gripping them firmly but carefully regardless of his frustration. “Damn it, Ali, this came as much a surprise to me as it did to you. I didn’t plan it. I didn’t see it coming. It just happened. Why is that so hard for you to accept?”
“Because we’ve been friends for years and not once have you ever looked at me in any way except as a friend, that’s why.” She tried to tug away but gave up when he refused to let go.
“I won’t argue that,” he replied truthfully. “I can’t explain it, Ali. I just…we were together, you were crying, I was concerned – and if you even start to say that proves it was pity sex, you won’t sit down for a week!” He glared at her.
“I didn’t say anything!”
“The look on your face was enough.”
She pursed her lips but said nothing further.
“Look, it just happened. One minute I saw you as a friend, the next I saw you as someone more, someone who was desirable. It crept up without me noticing, and you know what?” He gave her a little shake when she gave another small shrug. “I don’t regret it. I also don’t intend to let you just walk away.”
“I’m not prepared to let it go further,” she insisted.
“And I’m not prepared to allow you to stop it.”
“You can’t make me pretend to feel anything.”
“You’ve already admitted the lovemaking was amazing.” He couldn’t stop the little curl of satisfaction from showing in his smile. Hey, call him bigheaded, but he was still a man who knew he’d rocked his woman’s world. What bloke couldn’t feel satisfaction in that?
Her eyes narrowed.
“I can prove it wasn’t a one-off,” he drawled.
Cheeks flushed again, her breath caught, but the stubborn chit just wasn’t giving in. “Not going to happen.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Going to force me?”
“No, honey, I won’t need to force you. I guarantee one kiss will have you going weak at the knees.”
“You egotistical drongo.”
He smiled, slow and sure. “Just saying it like it is.”
Folding her arms under those bountiful breasts – man, he was starting to appreciate that particular pose – she glared up at him. “Go home. I’m not doing this.”
“We’re going around in circles, Ali. I’m not prepared to lose what is between us because you’re scared.”
“It’s common sense.”
“It’s fear, and you’re going to allow it to smother what we have.”
“We don’t have anything.” She lifted her chin. “I’m still certain it was something that happened on the spur of the moment.”
“And I’m dead sure it wasn’t.”
“How can you be so sure, Ty?”
“Because I am. Deep down in my gut, I know it’s more.”
“Oh, because your gut feeling is so accurate.”
“It’s dead-on. I found you every time you needed me and most of that was by gut feeling.” He arched a brow at her. “How do you think I was able to find you when no one else could? I always knew where you were, Ali. I just knew.”
“Big difference between finding me and…well, finding me.”
“No, there isn’t. I found you when you needed me. Now I’ve found you.” He tapped his chest. “I know deep inside me that you and I have something special, Ali.”
“Yeah. Our friendship.”
Geez, the woman was like a dog with a done.
Before he could argue anymore, a knock sounded on the door.
“Jesus!” He shoved himself back. “If that’s Smith, I’ll rip his bloody head off! And I mean it this time!”
Before he could move more than two steps down the hallway, Ali shoved past him and yanked the door open, saying as she did so, “You arrogant arsehole!”
In the light of the veranda, Adam looked down at her. “What did I do wrong?”
“What? Nothing.” She flushed.
“Hmmm.” His gaze lifted to study Ghost right behind her. “Evening, Ghost.”
“Adam.” Ghost nodded to him, his hand automatically coming out to rest on Ali’s shoulder.
Immediately she shrugged it off, scowling. “Something you needed, Adam?”
That calm gaze dropped to her face. “I received a phone call from a concerned citizen.”
“About what?” she asked.
Ghost knew exactly what. He looked from Adam in his uniform to the cop car in the driveway. Thank God the lights weren’t flashing. “Chris bloody Smith.”
Adam continued to look at Ali. “Someone felt you were being threatened, Ali, and that your life might be in danger.”
Fury boiled inside Ghost. “That lying coward! I’ll rip his head off-”
“Oh, gee
z, Ty, give it a bloody rest!” Ali whirled to face him. “Go home!” She swung back to look up at Adam. “Nothing is happening, I’m perfectly bloody fine, I’m sick of men and just send this big lug home before I kick his arse!” And then, quick as a pin, she spun past him and shut the door behind her, the lock snicking into place.
“Huh,” Adam said.
“Goddamn,” Ghost snarled.
~*~
Leaning back against the door, Ali closed her eyes. Her knees were shaking, her palms were sweaty, and her heart was pounding a mile a minute. Not to mention the fact that she was totally mortified.
Adam had been called to her house for a domestic disturbance! Bloody Chris Smith had called the cops. That had never happened before in her life. How humiliating.
It didn’t escape her notice that regardless of apparently being concerned for her safety, Chris hadn’t stuck around, instead he’d gone home and rung the police. He hadn’t even had the decency to follow through.
Deep male voices filtered through the door but she couldn’t make out the words. Finally they retreated and she hurried to the lounge room. Pulling the curtain a tiny bit aside, she peeked out with one eye to see Adam pulling out in the patrol car while Ghost walked up the path to his house. He glanced across towards her house once and she held her breath, however, he didn’t stop but stepped up onto his veranda and out of sight.
She stood there for several minutes before dropping the curtain and crossing to the sofa to sink down.
Oh sweet baby Jesus, she couldn’t believe what had just happened. Ghost had come over with more on his mind than just talking. Several minutes into it and he’d gone all weird, his eyes hot, the gleam of desire a definite when he’d gazed down at her.
A little shiver actually went through her at the memory of him backing her against the wall, entrapping her within his arms. That gleam of desire had burned with a sure fire and determination.
Knowing Ghost as well as she did, she just knew it wasn’t going to end with tonight. He wasn’t going to let this rest.
She wondered if she could take annual leave early, go away for the whole four weeks. Find another job. In another town. Or state. Maybe country?
Mentally she slapped herself upside the head. Get a grip! This will blow over!
No, this was Ty ‘Ghost’ Sinclair, and things didn’t blow over until he was ready to let it go. The man made stubborn look like an everyday word. When he got his teeth into something, he didn’t let go.
Another little shiver went through her at the thought, the memory of him giving her throat a nip at the river. The way he’d handled her so expertly, taking control. Oh God, it had made her shudder in helpless desire then, and it made her blood all sluggish and hot now! Just the memory had her squirming and her insides melting deliciously.
Rubbing her hands over her face, Ali slumped back on the sofa.
Minx jumped up beside her, and in her quiet, sweet way, she climbed onto her lap and sat, looking up at Ali out of her wise old eyes.
“Oh Minx.” Ali stroked her softly. “What a complete and utter mess.”
Minx blinked slowly.
“Friends can’t be lovers.” She rubbed the old ears gently. “He’s my best friend. Was my best friend.” Tears blurred her vision. “See? Even now it’s changed everything.”
Changed everything just like she’d feared it would, how had it even come to this? How could she have fallen in lust with Ghost?
The thought made her eyes pop open. Sweet baby Jesus, she was in lust with Ghost? Oh God, that wasn’t good, that was bad, so very, very bad. Being in lust with a friend had disaster written all over it.
No, she had to drive it from her mind. There was no lusting after Ghost, no wanting his hard, muscled body against hers, his long, blonde hair sweeping across her cheek as he leaned in from behind to nuzzle her neck, his strong hands cupping her breasts, his brown eyes heated with desire and his hard, thick, long- “Crap on a stick, no!”
Minx started, her sleepy eyes widening as Ali swore.
Immediately Ali soothed her. “Sorry, Minx. Sorry, old girl. It’s all right.” Stroking her gently, she lulled the old cat back into her comfortable position.
Purring, Minx closed her eyes and leaned against Ali.
Okay, Minx might be settled but Ali was still a mass of nerves and scrambled emotions. She felt like she was walking in quicksand, every step sucking her under, threatening to overwhelm her.
The main question flashing in neon in her mind being – why had it all changed? And even worse, now what? How the hell was she supposed to get through this now? It wasn’t like she could just push it out of her mind and forget about it, regardless of her brave words to Ghost.
It didn’t mean she wouldn’t try.
Picking up the remote from the little coffee table beside the sofa, she flicked on the TV in an attempt to drown her troubled thoughts in a thriller show. It didn’t work. She’d just manage to get her thoughts on the film when strong hands with long fingers invaded her memory. When the action hero took down the heroine, she could feel Ghost behind her, see him in front of her, and the close-up of the TV hero’s face somehow became Ghost’s looking down at her with determination and heat combined.
Crap on a stick, this wasn’t going to work!
One thing for it.
Carefully transferring Minx onto the sofa, she got up and went to the phone, picking it up and dialling Clara’s number. On the third ring Clara answered.
“Hey,” Ali said. “Doing much?”
“I was about to screw the brains out of my husband, now that you mention it.”
Ali cringed. “Okay. I’ll call you later, shall I?”
“Much later. Tomorrow.”
“Sure. Bye!”
Okay, friend one down. It wasn’t like she could go over to her best friend and cry on his shoulder, listen to his words of comfort and end up laughing. Oh no, because her best friend was the cause of all of this. Damn man!
Caught between sadness, regret and anger, Ali went to the bathroom, stripping off her clothes and going under the warm spray of the shower. Why couldn’t Ghost see that this could only end in disaster? He couldn’t get it through his thick head.
Man, she didn’t want to lose him, but perversely, it was a little late for that now. She could blame Chris, seeing as how him being an insensitive jerk had made her go to the river alone and have Ghost come looking for her, all concerned and hot and yummy and – geez!
Gritting her teeth, she rinsed off, stepped out of the shower and dried before wrapping the towel around herself and going into the bedroom. Sitting at the dressing table, she reached for the moisturiser, applying it liberally to her hands before smoothing some on her face.
For the first time in a long time she actually considered her image in the mirror. It was the same old face. Green eyes, brown hair with red highlights, pink lips and apple cheeks. Nothing new, nothing outstanding.
Looking down, she recapped the moisturiser bottle, going still as her gaze fell on the photo sitting on the corner of the dressing table. Picking it up, she studied the man and woman in the photo.
It had been taken when Ghost and Ali had just returned from a ghost hunt. Her eyes sparkled with laughter, her hair straggling out of the bun she’d carelessly placed it in as she usually did when on a ghost hunt. She was looking up at Ghost who was standing right behind her, his head angled down towards her. His blonde hair was drawn back into a ponytail, a long strand of it having come loose from the wind to hang over his shoulder. Shorter strands ruffled across his brow. His lashes partially covered his eyes as he gazed down at her, his strong teeth flashing white in a wide smile. His square jaw was as lightly tanned as the rest of his face. One of his hands was resting on her shoulder, his stance protective.
It struck her then, although she’d always known it. Ghost was handsome, almost devastatingly so. Girls had chased him all through his school years and he’d never been short of feminine company as an adult. One gri
n, one come-hither glance, and he had any woman he wanted. Being a successful author writing best seller horrors and thrillers made him a catch.
But Ghost didn’t play on it. He lived in a modest house, had an old panel van he’d done up, had an assortment of oddball cats, and liked nothing better than sitting and watching horror movies or going out on ghost hunts without equipment except for a video camera, all because he enjoyed the atmosphere and the fun.
He’d dragged Ali on almost all of his hunts. No one else, no other woman that she was aware of, only Ali. His best friend. They understood each other so much, had gone through a lot together, and until a couple of nights ago it had been all easy camaraderie.
A lump rose in her throat. Now it was different. It wasn’t like they’d just had an argument over something which they could get over in a couple of days. How could you discard a heated, intimate encounter when the man you thought of as your best friend had become your lover, his bare loins against yours, his shaft deep inside your body?
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. Something stirred inside her but ruthlessly she shut it down. She could never look at Ghost in the same way again, their friendship thrown off kilter. It could never be the same and she didn’t know what to do about it.
Because this had never happened to her. Intimacy had happened just once, years ago, and that had been both disappointing and awkward. The encounter with Ghost had been anything but, it had literally rocked her world, but it just couldn’t be. It was Ghost, her best friend.
“Shit.” Wiping away the sudden tear that slid down her cheek, she put the photo in the drawer. “Damn it, Ty.” But then she sat there, staring at the vacant spot on the dressing table that was just empty without the photo. Empty. Damn it, why did things change, why did they have to change?
Picking up a tissue, she wiped her damp cheeks and walked from the room. There’d be no sleeping early this night. There was only one way she was going to get him out of her mind for a time and that was to hit the big guns - scaring herself witless by watching The Exorcist. Freakin’ frightening and a sure-fire way to divert her attention.
Call On Me Page 14