His smile faded when her words sunk in. Ghost. That's what he was right now. No longer human or a man, despite the stirring in his pants. And Jessi was the only living being who could see him.
"I'm lost right now and I can't control anything. This is a new experience. I'm angry because I was always in control and now someone else has taken over driving the car and I'm along for the ride."
"I'll help you."
Jon stopped and stared at her skeptically. "Why would you want to help me?"
"I've been controlled by someone before. I want to help you get your freedom back."
The pity on her face gnawed at his gut. He hated being pitied. He’d experienced it growing up from others around him when they realized how badly his father treated him. The pity had made him want to run and hide in a cave. As he got older, though, he’d fought it head-on.
"You don't need to do that. I'll figure it out myself." He turned, his eyes darting back to the patio door. "I don't need anyone's pity." His voice had an edge as he stared out at the sea.
"I don't pity you! I'm trying to move you out of my house!"
In an instant he was in front of her, eyes full of rage. "I would say the same to you since this is my house!"
His anger didn't even make her flinch. She stepped into him until their bodies were almost touching.
Her eyes glared up at him. "Listen, mister, this was your house." She poked her finger against his chest. "Now I own it. My name is on the deed and all the papers, and if you need me to bring them to prove it I will. So I suggest you butt out of my life!" She swung around and stalked back up the stairs.
"We'll see about that!" he called after her as she slammed the bedroom door. He studied the empty boxes around the room and grinned. If she wanted to play bad, then touché.
Chapter Five
After having a fairly nice slumber Jessi headed downstairs. To her horror, all the things she’d unpacked were packed into the boxes again!
"What the...!"
"I did a little cleaning." Jon said as he came out of the kitchen with a box. "I don't like the décor, so I decided to pack everything back."
"How dare you!"
He dropped the box onto the floor, making the contents clank. He grinned at her. "It's my house. I'm going to decorate it any way I want."
Jessi's face turned crimson red. She glared at Jon standing in the kitchen doorway. If she could, she would strangle him. He was so smug, as if he always got his way. The way his lips curled into a grin made her remember the sensation of them on her lips. Damn him! He had her in some sort of spell and she had to break through it. No one would ever control her ever again- not even a ghost!
"This is my house, mister, and I will not be told what to do by you or anybody else!"
"You'd better get used to it because..." He stretched his arms out and pointed to the packed boxes. "I'm here to stay."
"I wouldn't bet on it. I'm very persistent."
He stalked her, reminding her of a fearless lion assessing his prey. The muscles under his shirt flexed as he moved and Jessi couldn't help but stare at them. Would she be able to feel his sculptured body, or would there be no sensation at all?
He smiled. "You are more feisty than I thought you would be."
"Did you think I would do whatever you told me? Like a good little girl?"
They faced each other but kept at a distance. He crossed his arms across his chest and looked her over. "An interesting thought."
Jon's gaze undressed her. She shivered as her heart leaped. Why couldn't she shake off the sultry images she had? He was the first man who’d showed some interest in her since she left Ben. That could be the only logical explanation. Still, she didn't like being controlled by him subliminally.
"I guess it's true. You men always think with your dicks, even when you don't have one anymore."
He visibly flinched, but he didn't back away from her. Jessi stood her ground when he leered down at her. "My personality will more than make up for that, sweetie. And since you don't seem to want to help me find my killer, I will be a permanent house guest."
"Don't get too comfortable. I'll find a way to get rid of you." After the words left her mouth a ping of disappointment overcame her. Did she want him to stay? Her mind screamed no, but her heart had other plans. Jessi knew she shouldn't listen to her heart, because falling in love would only cause her heartache again. And how could she fall in love with a ghost? It was unreal and impossible.
"I'll be fighting you all the way." He walked over to the kitchen again and Jessi heard more of her dishes being taken out of the pantry.
"Don't you...!" The doorbell interrupted her and she stomped over to the front door. She swung open the door and smiled.
Aunt Gertrude stood there, holding her flowered purse. “Hello! Come on in!" Jessi hugged her aunt as she walked in, thankful for the unexpected visitor. Her Aunt Gertrude was her grandmother's sister. She married for love, not money, and became shunned by her family. Gertrude didn't care at all. She’d married Harold against her parent's wishes and they moved to Texas to start a new life together. Aunt Gertrude welcomed her with open arms when she came to Texas. She was one of the few people in Jessi’s life she could trust.
"Oh, Jessi, this house is wonderful!" Her aunt exclaimed as she walked into the home. "And it has a fireplace!"
Smiling, Jessi led her aunt into the living room. She was thankful her aunt had come. What better way to test if Jon was really a ghost than to have one of her relatives come to visit. If Aunt Gertrude couldn't see him in plain sight, then he had to be a ghost. Aunt Gertrude was ecstatic to hear she’d moved to Texas and was so antsy to visit her.
Jessi glanced over at Jon, who walked out of the kitchen and smiled at Jessi. He watched Aunt Gertrude looking eagerly around the whole room.
"You brought your Aunt to check if I'm real, didn't you?"
Jessi smirked. He wasn't as dumb as she thought. His eyes studied every movement of Aunt Gertrude's as she walked around.
"Do you want to see the kitchen?"
"Oh, yes! Where is it?"
"Right through that door." Jessi pointed at Jon, who was standing in front of the kitchen door.
Aunt Gertrude walked right through Jon and past him!
Jessi moaned. She wasn't crazy. Her aunt had walked right through him like he wasn't even there, but Jessi couldn't understand how that could be possible. Why was she the only person able to see him?
Seeing her frustration, Jon couldn't help but smile as he walked over to her. She shot him a dirty look as she tried to walk through him, but instead she bumped into him, unable to pass into the kitchen.
"There's an island in the kitchen! It's so beautiful!" Her aunt's voice resonated from the kitchen.
"Get out of my way," she whispered to Jon while her aunt continued to peruse the kitchen.
"Not until you say you will help me."
"I don't know if I can."
Aunt Gertrude poked her head in the doorway "What can't you do, dear?"
Jessi froze and regained her composure. "The...um putting up the wallpaper in the kitchen. I think I'll need to hire someone to do that. I can't stand the current pattern."
Gertrude waved her off. "It's perfect. You are so picky, my dear. Look at how it matches with the countertop color, it's perfect." Her aunt opened the cabinet and noticed the scarcity of dishes. "Why don't you hand me your dishes and we can organize them."
"Aunt Gertrude, you don't need to help me unpack. Why don't we sit down for a while and we can catch up?"
"Oh pish posh, it's not a bother. I'll feel better knowing I helped you out. Now start handing me those dishes. Besides, we can unpack and talk at the same time."
"All right, I won't turn down your help." Her eyes shot daggers at Jon. She pushed him. He didn't budge, so she went around him and snatched a box with plates Jon had wrapped back up. Jon crossed his arms and smiled as she walked past him.
She handed her aunt one of the plates. "Do yo
u believe in ghosts, Auntie?"
Gertrude took the plate from her and smiled. "Why do you ask?"
"Just curious."
She placed the plate in the cabinet and turned to Jessi. "I had strange things happen to me before I haven't been able to explain."
"Like what?"
She thought for a moment. "There was one time when I was going to go to the store, but as I was on my way out I felt like someone took hold of me and held me back."
"What did you do?"
"I turned around to see who grabbed me. No one was there, but I still had this strong urge to not go. So I stayed home."
"That doesn't sound strange."
"It did when I found out there was an armed robbery which happened during the time I would have been in the store. Four people were shot, two survived."
Jessi's hair stood on end. "That is pretty creepy."
"Yes, you could only imagine how I felt when I heard about it. I swear to you it was my dear old Harold holding me back."
"So you do believe in ghosts."
Gertrude nodded. "It seems like there is someone always protecting me, and I know mine is my wonderful Harold, God rest his soul." She made a sign of the cross and sighed. "Ever since he passed away I've always felt him watching over me."
"Have you actually seen him?"
"Harold? Heavens no. He's invisible. I'll only be able to see him after I die. Hand me another plate, will you dear?"
Jessi handed her two more plates. "So is uncle Harold the only ghost you have felt?"
Gertrude stopped and thought a moment. "No, I felt others. Not as loving as my Harold. Usually they are tortured souls who haunt places because there is some unfinished business they need to close. The longer they stay here the more angry and evil they become."
"Hey!" Jon called out from the living room. "I am not evil!"
Jessi ignored his outburst and continued to give Gertrude more dishes. "So if they finish whatever business they need to, do they disappear?"
Gertrude was perplexed. "What is this about, Jessi? Why are you so interested in ghosts all of the sudden? Is it because of your witch friend? Is she trying to make you into a witch?"
"No, Abigail is not making me into a witch, and she's one of my best friends. She told me not to be with Ben from the first day she met him."
Gertrude opened another cabinet and extended her hand to Jessi for another plate. "Well, she was right about that, but so were the rest of us, except your parents. No offense, dear."
Jessi handed her some bowls. "Don't worry. My parents aren't on my good side at the moment."
"The only good thing from your divorce is you moved here." She stacked some more plates next to the bowls.
"I'm glad you and the cousins are close by."
Gertrude turned and hugged Jessi. "You know we are all here for you anytime, sweetie."
Jessi felt so lucky to have family like her. Even though she spent most of her life in New York, Aunt Gertrude always remembered special moments in her life and always sent a card or something handmade. Her parents and siblings would always trash whatever they got, but Jessi kept some of the things because they were unique and they reminded her she had family outside of Manhattan. Jessi couldn't imagine not having her Aunt Gertrude in her life.
When Gertrude released her she patted her cheek. "Now let's see if we can get this kitchen in order. Go bring another box."
Jessi nodded and turned to see Jon lean against the doorway. He hung his head down, staring at the floor as he walked away into the living room. She followed him and noticed Jon looking out the patio door at the ocean. Waves crashed onto the beach, foaming as they picked up speed and then diminishing as they hit the sand. A couple strolled down the beach, hand in hand as they laughed at a seagull who walked right by them.
She stood behind him and whispered, "Are you okay?"
When he turned she saw the emptiness in his eyes. "Why do you care all of the sudden?"
"Because I'm starting to believe you. My aunt would never lie to me, and she walked right through you."
"Nice to know you trust me."
"I don't even know you, so how could I trust you?"
"I..." When he began to turn away, her hand caught his shoulder and turned him to face her again.
"I'm not a cruel person, Jon."
He reached out and pushed a piece of her hair away from her face. "I've never been this helpless in my life, Jessica. I go right in and tackle my problems head on. I don't want people to pity me or feel sorry for me."
His touch caused her to inhale sharply as a spark of electricity jumped from him. It was the type of electricity that drew her in and made her crave more of the shocks to engulf her. They tingled and moved across her body down to her toes. It was an unexpected feeling that surprised her and set her body in motion. The urge to kiss him was so powerful she inched closer to his mouth, wanting to capture it in hers and taste it.
"Jessi!" Aunt Gertrude's voice penetrated her thoughts. "Do you have those dishes?"
"Yes." She shook herself free from Jon's gaze and went retrieve more dishes. "I've got more coming."
As she lifted another box she turned to speak to Jon and found he wasn't there. Puzzled, she looked around the room to find him, but to no avail. Wondering where he went, she walked back into the kitchen handed her aunt the dishes.
Chapter Six
Jessi walked through the library aisles and read the titles of all the books. History, Geography, Self- Help, the categories were endless. Where would the one she needed be?
After waking from a disturbing sleep she had decided to find the answer to her question. Why do ghosts, or in her case a ghost named Jonathan, haunt the living? He was like a song stuck in her head, and no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, she kept hearing it. Except it was worse, because she couldn't change the playlist. Jon wouldn't be going away and she had to figure out why. Usually she wouldn't mind having such a handsome roommate, but she needed to move on with her life and having him around would hinder her progress. She tried to find information online, but she had a hard time separating fact from fiction, and right now she wanted facts. Since ghosts were not a new phenomenon, she decided to give the old library a try. Some ancient books would shed some light on the subject. Plus, she'd be away from Jon for a while.
She bumped into a young college-aged girl who had an arm full of books she placed back on the shelves.
"Excuse me. Do you have anything on ghosts?"
"Sure, that section is over here." She turned and walked two aisles down and pointed to the first shelf. "It's right here. Anything else you need?"
"No, that's it for now, thank you."
"Sure."
When she left Jessi skimmed through the titles of the books on the shelf. Ghosts in History, Ghosts, I See Ghosts 2, the list went on and on. Sighing, she took three that looked like what she needed and walked over to a chair and desk by one of the windows. She slung her purse onto the back of the chair and plopped her body down. She clicked on her writing app on her phone and opened the first book.
She skimmed through the book and realized there was an abundance of information on ghosts and even a history of various ghosts. Most notably the lady in white who always waits on the side of the road for a lonely stranger to pick her up. The 'Bell Witch Legend' tells of a woman who would haunt a family for years until the patriarch died. A chill went up her spine. Would Jon turn into something like that?
Yes, he annoyed her, but he was frustrated, himself. He never hurt her. Did nice ghosts even exist? Everything she read so far talked about sad or miserable ghosts who made any living person want to be dead. Would she be one of the first to meet a friendly ghost? A small part of her wished he would be bad so she had a good reason to stop thinking about him in a lustful way.
She couldn't deny the attraction between them. Did he look that way when he was alive or did death mold him into a steamy sensual being women desired in their dreams?
She rubbed
her eyes and she glanced at her cell phone. Two hours had already passed. She flipped the book over to hold her place and grabbed her purse to head towards the restroom. As she walked past a row of tables she noticed a folded newspaper with a picture that stopped her in her tracks. Jonathan stared back at her. The headline above his picture read. 'Local Archaeologist murdered in his own house.'
Her hand shook as she picked up the newspaper.
"Local Archaeologist Jonathon Lewis was murdered in his home late in the evening. Police have no suspects and have no comments on the motive behind the crime. Mr. Lewis was the head archaeologist at the dig site outside of..."
Jessi read the date. A few months back, before she moved into the house and around the same time she first came to visit the area. When she gazed at the picture her insides began to melt. He was drop dead gorgeous! She cringed at her poor choice of words and stared at the photo. In the faded color photo, his eyes sparkled and his smile warmed her heart. She would never admit that to him.
She continued to read the article and found vague details. Months had gone by since the murder, new evidence should have surfaced by now. A web address caught her attention at the top of the newspaper. She pulled out her phone and typed in the address. She hit the search button and typed in Jonathan's name. Five articles popped up and she clicked on the most recent.
It was dated three weeks ago. She scanned the article, only to find the police still declined to comment if any suspects were found or what the motive was.
Finding this murderer would be like finding a needle in the proverbial haystack. It didn't sound like the police had a suspect or if they did they sure wouldn't tell her who it was.
After she finished the article she found Jonathan's obituary and online guest book. It was incredibly morbid to see all his accomplishments listed and then the kind words some people wrote. She right away spotted Betty's condolences.
"To the son I never had. You lifted my spirits the day you moved in. Your kindness towards me will never be forgotten. You made an old retired lady feel young again and full of life. Now that life was extinguished the same day yours was. May your brightness and cheer light heaven for eternity. - Betty"
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