by Eden Bradley
She swallowed, the lump in her throat blocking whatever she might have said.
“That’s what I thought,” he said gruffly. “I’ll have a check delivered to you in the morning.”
And with that, he was gone.
CHAPTER
Nine
There was no way Hex could go with her. Especially with his gift back in full force—he’d be even more of a recluse now, wouldn’t be able to deal with Brenna and her celebrity and the invasion of press and people that came with that.
God, he’d been stupid to think she’d stay with him, to even hold out a small bit of hope. She’d told him so just twenty-four hours ago, had been honest from the start about what her goal was, and still it hit him like a fresh evisceration of his heart.
But even so, he couldn’t let Brenna sell the house to strangers. Sentimentality had never been his thing, but the connection to her, to New Orleans…to the gift he’d allowed to return, was too much to ignore.
He’d never really had a home once he’d left his parents’ house. ACRO didn’t count—when he went there, he either crashed at Creed’s house or stayed in one of the guest billets on the main compound. Several times, he’d been offered his own land, but he’d refused. It hadn’t felt right—no place felt right for very long. The longest he’d ever stayed anyplace was in New Orleans.
He let himself into the quiet of his hotel room, threw his camera equipment on the bed and ran his hands through his hair as he paced. Yes, he’d buy the house from Brenna, make it his home away from home while he continued to wander around the world doing what he did best.
It was what he was built for, and trying to change that was almost as ridiculous as thinking Brenna would settle down with him instead of going back to her old job.
He dialed the familiar ACRO number and got Henry Stockton, the Paranormal Division director, on the line. “Hey, it’s Hex.”
“How’s ghost hunting going in New Orleans?” Henry asked.
“For now, I think my work here is done. I’ve helped a lot of the spirits who were causing trouble in the hotels and inns cross over. I’m ready to head to Ecuador and take care of that haunting issue we keep hearing about, if the job’s still open.”
There were rumors of ghosts in a small South American town who invaded humans and turned them zombielike, a mission he’d nearly accepted before Brenna St. James had contacted him. Hex had told Henry he still had unfinished work and Henry, who’d never been the type to micromanage, hadn’t pushed the issue.
“The job’s still open. You’ll need to be briefed—I’ll send you the files. When do you think you can leave?” The director’s tone was clipped. No nonsense. No games. Which was the way Hex liked his life.
He’d have to give himself time to close on the house—something the ACRO lawyers could push through quickly. “Give me a week and I’m out of here,” he said firmly.
The jungles of Ecuador were as good a place as any to lose himself.
It was funny, really, how once word got out that someone was once again a marketable commodity, people flocked to them as though nothing had ever happened. As though they hadn’t turned their backs on Brenna when she’d needed them the most.
Now she sat in her “good friend” Jacqueline’s L.A. apartment, where she’d be staying until she could find a place of her own. Thanks to Hex and the check that had arrived as promised, she had the money to do so.
Jacqueline sifted through the file of photos Brenna had set out on the coffee table but had been reluctant to look at. She hadn’t seen them since the day she’d developed them in her darkroom—the day Hex had walked out, leaving behind all cameras but one. The cameras had been smashed, but some of the film had, thankfully, been salvageable. She hadn’t been able to destroy them as Hex had asked. These shot were all that remained of their relationship.
“These are amazing, Brenna. The ghost looks so real.”
She didn’t bother to say the ghost was real.
“The photographer’s very talented.” In more ways than one. Ways she wasn’t about to share with Jackie.
“You slept with him, didn’t you?” Jackie sighed. “Oh, honey, you never, ever sleep with a photographer, unless he can give you something.”
Brenna wanted to throw up. Hex had given her something—something much more than just her career. And the thing was, she’d approached him for the exact reason Jackie had mentioned. She’d offered to sleep with him in exchange for his services.
And she’d been okay with it, had been so desperate that she hadn’t cared who got hurt in the process.
“There’s a party at Jojo’s tonight,” Jackie said. “I know he always has that fancy buffet, but we’ll pop some dexies before we go.”
Taking diet pills and socializing up a storm didn’t sound nearly as appealing as it had mere weeks ago. No, too much had happened.
Hex had happened.
You’re hiding from me, Brenna. From what you feel for me. And you’re using the paranormal as an excuse.
She could hear his voice, the deep rasp that touched her like a caress even in her memories. Even when he was talking about things he didn’t know jack about. Like that she was hiding behind the paranormal thing in order to avoid her feelings for him.
Jackie tossed the file of photos onto the couch beside Brenna and sauntered to her bedroom. The top photo slid out, a picture of Hex holding Brenna, shielding her from the camera as Arlen snapped a barrage of photos. Her gaze fixed on how his arms were wrapped around her protectively, how his eyes were closed and his expression was one of pure bliss. She remembered how she’d felt, safe and wanted.
A glutton for punishment, she pulled another snapshot from the file. In the new one, Hex was still holding her, his big body angled to hide her nudity from the camera. But his eyes were open and he was gazing at her with such intensity of emotion.
Heart aching, she put her fingers to his face. “Oh, Hex…” She trailed off, drawn by the clarity in his eyes.
The camera doesn’t lie, Brenna.
She slapped a trembling hand over her mouth. The look he was giving her…no man had ever looked at her like that. She hadn’t noticed it at the time, but now…well, the camera didn’t lie. Was it really possible?
“He loves you.”
Brenna jumped, startled by the sound of Mattie’s voice. “That,” she said, turning to see the other woman sitting next to her on the couch, “was not cool. You scared me half to death. And you’re supposed to be gone.”
“Surely you know by now how this works? We are just as alive, if not more so, than you are. We can come and go as we please.”
Brenna rolled her eyes. Yes, she knew that. Her mother had explained how the afterlife worked, and she’d learned even more since opening herself up to the spirit world back in Metairie Cemetery.
“Why are you here? No offense, but I was really hoping all of this was behind me.”
“It will never be behind you until you confront the truth.” Mattie took her hand. “Hex was right. This isn’t about your mother’s ability or yours, or what Hex does for a living. It’s about your inability to allow yourself to feel.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Is it? Did you not tell Hex that you show your outside to the world so people won’t look too deeply into your insides?”
Brenna gasped as images swirled through her head, running from frame to frame like a video set on fast-forward.
Brenna, at three years old, one eye swollen shut and her nose bleeding as her mom carried her from their house. Brenna had watched, with dry eyes, as her father followed, begging forgiveness.
Brenna, eight years old, sitting on the school playground and ignoring kids who were making fun of her secondhand clothes.
Brenna, mere months ago, standing in her bedroom doorway and watching with detached interest as her boyfriend screwed her friend.
“You were always strong,” Mattie whispered, bringing Brenna back to the present, and how the hell did spirits que
ue up home movies like that?
She should have been hurt by what Nicky had done. Destroyed. But, like everyone else who’d come into her life since the day her mom left her dad, she’d never allowed Nicky inside enough to be capable of hurting her. Oh, she’d been angry at the betrayal, but hurt? Only mildly.
“I had to be.”
“You did. But it’s time to stop pretending that your goal in life was to be normal and get as far away from your gift as possible. You didn’t want to open yourself up to it because doing so would mean you’d feel the need to help lost souls. You’d have to care. You’d have to let other voices into your head. And doing so might result in you getting hurt.”
Brenna squeezed her eyes closed tight, wanting to call Mattie a liar, but God, she was so on the money.
“Let go, Brenna. You shared your mother’s burden. Let someone else share yours.”
Brenna opened her eyes, realized she still had the photo of her and Hex in her lap. He was so handsome, so gentle with her. And he’d been so willing to stand by her side when she’d needed him. “It’s a big step,” she finally said.
“The biggest.”
Brenna chewed on that for a moment, feeling the strong, steady cadence of her heartbeat thudding against her rib cage, as though her heart was trying to weigh in on the whole let-someone-in debate. Her ticker was definitely on the side of yes. It wanted Hex, and she was running out of arguments.
“Can I ask you something?” When Mattie nodded, Brenna said, “Why you? Why not my mom?”
“She’ll be in touch,” Mattie assured her. “But I am so grateful for what you did for me and Arlen that I wanted to do this. Besides, I know what it’s like to run away from someone to pursue a career. I died when I ran from Arlen and was struck by the car. I don’t want the same thing to happen to you.”
Brenna wasn’t in immediate danger of being run over by a car, but yeah, she got it. She’d run from Hex, and the price could be more than she was willing to pay.
A nearly crippling stab of fear cut her like a knife. “What if it’s too late? What if he doesn’t want me anymore? What if I totally blew it?”
“A man like him? He won’t let you get away again.”
“Brenna? Who are you talking to?” Jackie stood in the living room entrance, dressed in a designer miniskirt and halter top that covered less than a bathing suit would. They were Brenna’s clothes. “You aren’t still muttering about that photographer, are you?”
“Yeah, I guess I am.” Mattie was gone, and now it was time for Brenna to go too. “I don’t belong here. I belong with him.” She just had to hope she wasn’t too late.
CHAPTER
Ten
Brenna hurried up the familiar porch steps of the house she’d sold to Hex, but before she reached the landing, the front door opened. Hex stepped out, freezing in place when he saw her.
He was carrying a suitcase. And he looked shocked as hell to see her.
“Hi,” she said, lamely.
“Brenna. Ah…hi.”
They stood there staring at each other, the tension in the sultry air between them practically shimmering. Finally, Brenna hugged herself, shifted her weight in her strappy pink sandals and blurted out, “I know you’re leaving, but do you have a minute?”
Please, please, say yes.
God, he looked good. It had only been a few days since she’d left, but it felt like months, and the sight of his hard body and long limbs nearly had her tongue-tied. The sinful fit of his Levi’s and his Brennan’s T-shirt definitely had her drooling.
“Yeah. Come on in.”
She followed him inside, and wow, the house looked great. He’d bought furniture and decorated—haunting black-and-white photos of landscapes and houses, but not a ghost to be seen. And in the great room, in the very center, her antique chaise took center stage. Her gut clenched at the memory of everything she and Hex had done on the small lounge.
“Want something to drink? I think I have some sodas—”
She grabbed his arm to stop him from moving into the kitchen, and to stop the polite, neutral small talk. “I’m not here for a Coke.”
“Did you forget something?”
“I remembered something.” Her voice vibrated with emotion, but she didn’t care. This was too important. “I remembered what being with you felt like.” She cleared her throat, because the vibration had become a downright tremor she could barely speak through. “I remembered how much I liked it.”
“Sex wasn’t exactly a problem for us, Brenna.” His voice was low and gravelly, as full of emotion as his expression was lacking.
“I wasn’t talking about sex,” she whispered. “I was talking about everything. The way you talked to me. Looked at me. God, I’m making a fool of myself, aren’t I?” Tears stung her eyes, but thankfully didn’t fall.
“No, you’re not.” Hex pulled her into his arms, but the embrace was stiff, like he was afraid to comfort her because any moment she might stick a knife in his back. “But I don’t understand—”
“Please, let me finish.” Before she lost her nerve. Before he kicked her out of his life. “I’m an idiot. I should never have left you, and if you’ll take me back, I promise not to leave you again.”
He dragged in a harsh breath. “But what about New York and L.A. and your career?”
She drew him closer, holding so tight he’d never get away. “All I ever wanted was to be normal. I know that sounds crazy, because nothing about modeling is normal, but at least I didn’t have to worry about ghosts and psychics and crystal balls.”
“And now?” He sounded so wary, like he expected her to say this was all a big joke, that she’d come back to hurt him again, and it broke her heart.
“I finally realized all of that is normal. For people like us anyway. The rest of the world might think we’re freaks, but as long as we have each other, we’ll be fine.” She stroked his back as she took a deep breath, ready to finish what she’d started. “And you were right. I was hiding behind the whole normal thing. I mean, yes, I wanted to be normal because I watched my mom suffer. But more than that, I didn’t want to let anyone in. As long as I filled my days with parties and cameras, I didn’t have to get close to anyone—living or dead.”
“And now?”
“Now I want to get close to you. So wherever you go, I’ll go too.”
He relaxed against her, dipping his head to nuzzle her neck. Instantly, she broke out in goose bumps, her body responding to him like they’d never been apart.
“Are you sure?” he asked, his hot breath feathering over her sensitive skin. “I was just leaving. And I don’t exactly go to places where five-star hotels are the norm.”
She pulled back so she could look directly into his eyes. “I’ve lived in shacks with no indoor plumbing. I’ve slept in cars and tents. So I can handle whatever you throw at me. Maybe I can even help.”
“Brenna.” Her name on his lips was a seductive whisper that made her heart flutter. “You really mean it.” When she nodded, he teased her lips with the softest of kisses. “God, I want you.”
Relief flooded her, and love filled her until her chest felt tight. “I want you too. So much.” She took his face in her hands and kissed him, a slow, deep kiss that joined them together in a way not even the great sex had.
Desire sparked quickly, heating her blood, but Hex kept his hands in PG-rated territory, even though hers roamed into much more adult areas.
With a soft groan, he broke off the kiss. “I want to make love to you, but I have something to tell you first.”
“Does this have anything to do with the fact that you were leaving when I arrived?”
He nodded. “The world thinks I’m a photographer. I am, but the photography is mainly a side business.” He paused. “I work for an agency that employs people with unusual skills and talents.”
He went on to tell her about the type of missions ACRO engaged in, the secret nature of the agency, the sinister threat posed by other, similar
agencies. When he finished, Brenna shook her head, feeling in a daze. Stunned, she stepped away from him, needing to process what he’d said.
“All I ever wanted was to be normal, to be as far removed from what my mother could do as possible, and now you’re saying you’re even more deeply involved in that life than she was?”
“Yes, but everything there is normal. We’re normal. In fact, most people at ACRO make us look tame by comparison.” His expression fell. “You’ve changed your mind.”
“No!” God, she’d nearly shouted that. But he couldn’t think she’d change her mind about being together. Never again. “It sounds…it sounds wonderful. Like maybe my new ability could be useful.”
“They would make room for you if you wanted a job, or just wanted people to talk to who understand.”
She grinned. “Then what are we waiting for?”
A slow, wicked smile spread across his face as he reached for her, drawing her into his arms once more. “We’re waiting until we’ve gotten enough of each other, over and over.”
Joy and lust and everything in between shot through her. “Then we’ll be here a long time,” she whispered. “Because I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you.”
“Somehow,” he said, his gaze bursting with heat and possession, “I think we have an eternity ahead of us to find out.”
She trailed a finger down his chest, over his cut abs and down the hard ridge of his erection, smiling when he hissed in pleasure. “And somehow, I still think eternity isn’t going to be long enough.”
He swept her up and headed toward the stairs. “Then we’d better get started.”
As far as she was concerned, they couldn’t get started soon enough.
NIGHT VISION
STEPHANIE TYLER
It doesn’t work to leap a twenty-foot chasm in two ten-foot jumps.
(AMERICAN PROVERB)
There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.