Resurrecting Harry

by Phillips, Constance

  “I see how Erich’s rubbed off on you, Bess. You’re going to give him the spotlight to rob Harry’s fans of their money and leave them with nothing more than a lie?”

  “No money. This not what’s important.”

  Bess yanked the attention of both men to her, but Martin appeared more taken aback. “What do you mean no money?”

  “Even though the show is for the fans, it will be a small, intimate gathering with only the press in attendance. They will deliver the news to the world: that my beloved is indeed the greatest escape artist ever. Can’t you see the headlines: ‘Harry Houdini, Man of Mystery, Defies Death.'”

  Erich saw a reflection of Harry’s soul burning in her. The hunger for the center stage spotlight that she’d accused Erich of possessing twisted his stomach into knots. Maybe it hadn’t been a ghost he’d been competing with all along. “You don’t need to recreate this scene to get the press’s attention. If they even suspect you’re lying, it will backfire on you.”

  “Then we will have to make sure we’re convincing,” Bess said.

  Martin stepped closer to Bess, and he waved a pointed finger between the two of them. “You can’t do this with just the two of you.”

  “Why not?” Bess asked.

  “Because if you don’t include Gail, I will go straight to the papers and the police and tell them you’re orchestrating a fraud: a false victory for a pitiful showman.”

  Now this was the cold, calculating man that Harry had grown wary of. Martin demanded the reins and expected control despite what Bess might want. She’d let her excitement dig a hole, and Martin was all too eager to push her into it.

  Jaden’s words rang in Erich’s ears. The players are many...you’ve interfered with plans long set in motion...Martin didn’t need a piece of the financial pie. Was he still fighting an old feud that should have died with Harry? Bess, having laid her plan out in front Martin, had given him the upper hand. “What is it you really want, Martin?”

  “To be part of the notoriety. And for Harry to recant the slanderous things he said about Gail.”

  Erich couldn’t help thinking that was only part of the story.

  Interrupting Erich’s thought process, Bess spoke through gritted teeth. “I will not lie in Harry’s name.” Avoiding both men and the brewing argument, she pushed the safe back into the closet.

  “Isn’t that just what you were plotting with Erich? You are going to clear Gail’s name and restore her reputation in the spiritual community. I’m not giving you a choice, Darling.”

  Martin was right. Want alternative did Bess have? The satisfaction ringing in his voice knocked Erich left of center. Giving the Coopers a key role in the charade and recanting Harry’s accusations negated the purpose of the code.

  Bess reached for the back of the chair and gripped it tight, giving it her full weight. She blinked hard, and Erich could see she was trying to will away building tears. After a moment of quiet contemplation, she nodded and whispered. “Come back tomorrow afternoon. Bring Gail. We have a lot of work to do if we’re going to put on a believable show.”

  A moment later the back door slammed. With Martin gone, Erich expected Bess to explode, angry at herself for giving Martin the upper hand. Instead, she stood still. The color drained from her face. He wanted to reach out, offer comfort or a plan of action, but wasn’t sure what words he could say to make any of it better.

  Bess lowered herself to the chair. Gripping the arms, she bent over at the waist and the flood gates opened. Her sobs filled the room. “What have I done?”

  Erich dropped to his knees and took her in his arms, guiding her head to his shoulder. “Shhh, Bess. We’ll figure something out. I won’t let them do this to you.”

  “I’ve been such a fool.” She melted into him and sobbed. Instead of fighting Erich’s embrace, she clung to him as if he were an anchor — the only thing keeping her stable in this the newest storm rocking her life. “You’re right, you know. Harry would have never allowed Martin back into his home. And what did I do? I handed him everything he needs to rip Harry’s reputation to bits.”

  Damn Harry! And damn his reputation! Why had it taken Erich this long to see that Jaden was right? Everything Harry had lived for was dismantling Bess and her sanity. “Martin will not get away with this.”

  She lifted her head and slid her hands down his arms. He prepared himself for her to flee, but her contact lingered. “And what are you going to do to stop it? You’re still so weak.”

  Encouraged by her touch, he couldn’t control his urges and reached up to brush her cheek with his knuckles. She leaned into the caress, and his breath caught. “I’m getting stronger every day, and you have my word. I know you don’t think that counts for much, but you’ll see.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. You’ve given me reasons to doubt it, but your word is the only thing I trust right now.” She slid from the chair. The heavy veil she protected herself with fell away, and someone vulnerable yet audacious dropped into his lap and glided her body even closer to him.

  His throat went dry, and he swallowed hard. Harry’s desire for her was never far from his mind, and his hunger burned in Erich’s gut no matter how hard he tried to ignore it. But with her eyes focused on his and her arms reaching for his shoulders, Erich’s defenses crumbled. “Bess...”

  She put a finger to his mouth; her left arm still draped his shoulder. “I don’t know how I got by before you showed up.”

  He moved his body tighter to hers, dropping his hands to her waist and stopping only when his lips were just inches from hers. “You are such a strong lady. I think you just forgot that for a while.”

  She exhaled, and her hot breath caressed his neck. “I’ve been surviving. But since you’ve come, it’s like I have a reason to get up in the morning.”

  What was she saying? That she had felt this connection between them? Even though his gut had told him she did, the confirmation sped up the beat of his heart. So close, she begged for his kiss, but not this time. He couldn’t make another advance. If they kissed, it would be up to her.

  “Where did you come from Erich Welch? I think you stepped right out of my dreams.” She closed the mere inches between them, giving him the kiss he longed for. The right thing might have been to stop her, find out what was driving this sudden change in behavior, but that was beyond him. There was only so much he could do to contain the flames of lust, and the sweet taste of her stoked the embers and gave a new life to the fire.

  Was he asleep? Maybe this was one of Jaden’s manifestations. If so, he didn’t want to wake up. He tightened his arms around her waist and pushed, bringing her to her feet as he stood. He gripped at her back and deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue against her lips and easing its way past them.

  When they broke apart, he slid his fingers through her lush curls. “The last thing I want to do is hurt you.”

  “All you’ve done is tried to protect me from myself.”

  He was all too aware of her truth — life with Harry had never been easy, and living without him had been sheer Hell. “I think just being here has hurt you. I’ve brought up memories you’d rather forget.”

  She leaned into his touch and reached up to return his caresses. “I needed to let it out. I needed to bleed the pain so I could heal. You’ve helped me do that. And the desire to touch you like this has been taunting me since that first moment we met.”

  If he followed his heart he would fulfill their mutual desire, leave the guest room behind and lay with her in their bed — Harry’s bed. Struck with the realization that there was really a difference between the man his soul once belonged to and the man he’d become, he took a step away from her. He slipped his fingers from her face and gripped her hands. “I’ve wanted you too, but I remind you of him, and—”

  “The best parts. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, Erich. I’m not asking you to stay forever, just long enough that I can get another taste of you.”

  Her plea shattere
d the chains he’d restrained himself with. He enveloped her in his arms and fulfilled her request. More than flesh to flesh, it was as if their bound souls demanded to be reunited.

  He leaned over and started to pick her up only to have Bess press against his shoulders.

  “No! For Heaven’s sake. You’ll tear your stitches.”

  “You deserve to be treated like a princess,” he whispered.

  A smile and a blush proved he’d touched her. “But not if it further injures you.”

  To ease her mind, he agreed and followed her up the steps. All the reasons he shouldn’t flashed through his mind. If she didn’t abandon her plans for the séance, he’d be ripped from this world. He wondered if her future changed if she mourned him instead of Harry.

  All right, Jaden, this would be a really good time to use that magic touch of yours and spin me off the road to destruction. If this was a misstep, surely he’d stop it.

  Maybe. Just maybe. Being with Bess was the right thing to do.

  So why did he still have doubts? They reached the top of the stairs and crossed the threshold into the room she’d shared with Harry. She took his wrist and pulled him in. Closing her eyes, she moved even closer, laying her head against his shoulder. As all the rough, hard edges that surrounded Bess began to melt and fade, so did his doubts.

  He circled her into an embrace and laid his head atop of hers. His stomach tightened with anticipation. She’d come to him, with an open heart and willing body, with such trust — dare he say love — in her eyes.

  Since the moment Jaden breathed life back into his soul, he’d hunted her as if he were a tiger and she was his prey. Now she pursued him, but he was helpless. He wouldn’t run. Instead, with trembling knees, he submitted to her.

  Bess said, “I’ve made so many foolish mistakes in the last year, but somehow I don’t believe trusting you is one of them.”

  “You are the only thing in my life that has ever been real and right.” He didn’t care if the words sounded cryptic or unbelievable. In her mind, they’d only known each other a short time, but his soul had known hers, loved hers, for decades. He’d skirt around that issue, lest she think he insane, but he wouldn’t hide his feelings any longer.

  He loved her. Always had. Right or wrong, he’d considered her with every decision he made. Whether or not she or Jaden believed it, it was fact all the same.

  Her body tensed in his arms, and the familiar shudder told him more than her words could. “You don’t need to hide yourself. You can trust me, Bess.”

  She pulled back just enough to look up into his eyes. An ache coursed him as she pulled her hand from his back, but her touch didn’t stray long. She laid it against his cheek. “Forgive me, Harry.” Bess whispered and pushed up on her toes, leaning in to kiss Erich.

  He drew back. A complete split from Harry’s soul might be impossible, but inviting him into bed with Bess was where Erich drew the line. “Don’t ask him for permission, Bess. Forgive yourself and decide whether or not it’s what you want. I only want this if it’s me you’re with.”

  Her eyes flicked side to side as she considered her heart. Certainty came quickly. Her dilated pupils opened the window to her feelings. A slight nod of her head as she moved in to taste his mouth again revealed her decision.

  It should have felt familiar, like the thousands of other times Harry had held Bess close, but it didn’t. Erich was a new man, experiencing the love of his life as if it were the first time. His fingers tangled in her tight curls, and he mumbled against her satin-soft lips. “Are you sure? I want you to be sure.”

  “It’s been a long time since my body has wanted anyone as much as it wants you.” She cradled his face as her body arched to his.

  His hand braced the middle of her spine, and it was as if the air had been sucked from the room. The need throbbing within him made breathing impossible. With her body leaning back in his arms, willing and open, instincts fought to take over, but her physical need wasn’t enough. He had to know this was more than skin-to-skin for her. “Does your heart want this too?”

  “It calls to you as if I’ve known you for ages and refuses to be denied any longer. I’ve dreamed of a moment like this since you bumped into me on the street.”

  Her confirmation of what he believed left him vulnerable to her. He slid his mouth against her cheeks, whispering. “I belong to you and am yours to have or hurt.”

  She slipped from his arms. “What about...I’m old enough—”

  He silenced her concern with yet another kiss. “It doesn’t matter. It never mattered.” He stroked her cheek, never breaking eye contact. The tight burning low in his gut begged him to give in to his desires this very moment — on the floor if necessary — before either of them changed their mind.

  His desire to treat this woman as his queen, with a tender love and consideration he’d forgone in Harry’s body, pulsed stronger than the carnal burning. Harry had taken so much for granted, and Erich refused to make the same mistakes. If he was getting another life to spend with Bess, she would always know how much he loved her, and never once question his feelings the way she had Harry’s.

  Erich squeezed her hand and turned toward the bed, illuminated in the radiant light of the moon penetrating the east window.

  A sign from above?

  Bess’s arms wrapped around his waist, and he could feel her breath against his shoulder. “I’ve never seen the room like this before.”

  He gave his focus to her, laid his palm flat against her shoulder. “You should always be bathed in a Heavenly glow, my angel.”

  She leaned into his touch and then moved past him, undoing the buttons that ran down the front of her blouse. As she spun back, it dropped to the floor, followed by her skirt. She stood in her stockings and slip backlit by the cascading light.

  He followed her to the edge of the bed, as he would to the ends of the earth, reaching out. She blocked his impending embrace, guiding him to sit in front of her instead. Pressing each knee on either side of him, she lowered herself carefully to his lap. Trembling fingers worked each button of his shirt. Her eyes never left his as she pulled it from his body and tossed it to the floor.

  He danced his fingers all the way down her spine, settling on her hips. Her bottom brushed against his thighs, and passion rolled through him. She pulled the undershirt from his body and then brushed her lips against his neck as she tossed it away.

  Bess’s eyes burned with hunger, and he had to bite his lip to control his craving. Tugging and yanking, he soon worked the slip from around her hips, and it joined the growing pile of clothes on the floor.

  Though time seemed to slow to a crawl, it was a blur of caresses and maneuverings that landed him flat on his back in the center of the feather mattress. She hovered over him. His fingers fluttered over her stomach and then slid up, settling on her breasts.

  He started to lift himself to her, needing to taste her mouth, but she pressed on his shoulder, keeping him flat. Leaning over, her tongue lingered against his chin. “You shouldn’t be exerting yourself.”

  He stroked her hair, not able to break from her warm, loving gaze. “I’m stronger than you think.” As if to prove it, he clutched the back of her neck, holding her still, and then used the force of his body to roll them, landing on top of her. “Stop looking at me as someone younger or as the person you had to nurse back to health. Let me show you the man I am.”

  Even though Harry’s life had felt foreign to Erich, Bess’s body was a familiar place, the only Heaven he’d ever know. Even if he sacrificed himself in the end, it would be worth it for this one moment with her.

  He left a trail of feather-light kisses from her neck to her full breasts and then concentrated his efforts, his tongue danced against the supple flesh, teasing the tiny bud and relishing her trembles of pleasure. Too many times this woman beneath him hadn’t known Harry’s heart. Erich vowed she’d never doubt his feelings.

  Clenching her waist, he drew her to him, teasing her ne
ck with his mouth. The sweet-salt taste of her flesh weakened his resolve and augmented his desire. She stroked his hair and whimpered as he moved lower, finding her most intimate place. Her hips lifted, fueling his arousal. His body begged for gratification, but he’d deny himself until her heard her passionate cries, till she knew again the joy missing from her life in the last eleven months.

  Her moans hit his ears a second before her body began to spasm. He tightened his embrace and inched back up her body. He brushed his lips to hers and whispered, “Still think I’m too weak to care for you, Angel?”

  She hugged his neck, gripping him tight. Her words came in breathless gasps. “Not...weak...need...you...”

  His passionate little hellcat. This part of her, the one she’d only shared with Harry, made him feeble with lust. Never again would she be left wondering or wanting. He ground his pelvis to hers and pushed himself inside her. “Is this what you need?”

  The answer came to him in her sensual cries.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Even after Bess had fallen asleep in Erich’s arms, he couldn’t let her go. He held her tight, kissed her forehead and inhaled the scent of her hair. His body had hungered for this since the moment he’d first seen her on the street. His heart never stopped burning for her — even in death. With this second chance at life, he’d cherish every minute gifted him.

  “You’ve certainly made a mess of things now.”

  Erich glanced toward the booming voice and saw Jaden’s stare focused on the window. A sense of modesty in the omniscient one? Disappointment was more probable.

  Erich leaned back against the headboard and slid his hand down Bess’s cheek resting on his lap. “Shhh, she needs to rest.”

  “She’ll sleep through the night. Somehow, I don’t think you will.” The usual sarcastic bite in Jaden’s voice was gone. A heaviness coated each and every word. “Getting her into bed changes nothing. Stopping the séance was and still is your goal.”