“Aiden?” Noah asked. “You’re looking at her now, aren’t you? I can tell because my balls are throbbing.”
“Yeah,” Aiden replied softly, not really hearing what his brother said. “We are who we are, Noah. We can’t change that, so we might as well learn to live with it.”
“It’s not just us that have to live with it, brother. It’s the woman.”
Chapter Five
“There you are. What the hell are you doing back here alone?” Aiden snapped, making Alana jump.
She turned to stare at him over her shoulder as she fiddled with the settings on the camera resting on the edge of the veranda. Part of her thrilled that he would be that upset with her, but another part of her bristled at his high-handed tone.
“I’m not alone.” She nodded toward one of her cameramen who had come with her to help set up the camera facing the windows.
He stood in the shadows, so it didn’t surprise her that Aiden hadn’t seen him. Aiden appeared apologetic as he nodded toward the tall man on the far side of the stone veranda.
“Didn’t see you there,” Aiden said with a wave.
The cameraman smiled. “Yeah. I kinda guessed that. I’m Bill.”
“Aiden,” he replied, tilting his head in acknowledgment. His stare turned back to Alana, and her heart skipped. “Why are you facing it toward the windows?”
“We sometimes catch things when we’re looking in from the outside.” She adjusted the tilt and stared toward the second level. “Bill, would you call the truck and tell them to check the angle?”
Bill spoke softly into the walkie before nodding in her direction. “It’s good.”
Alana breathed a sigh of relief that the small project was done and she could head back to the front of the house. She didn’t like it back here. Despite its obvious previous beauty, for some reason the darkened windows on the upper level gave her the creeps. She felt as though she were being watched and constantly glanced upward to check, convinced she would see a face staring back at her. So far, nothing.
“Would you mind giving us a sec,” Aiden said to Bill as he made his way toward them. “I’ll make sure she gets back safe.”
Bill glanced toward Alana, and she gave a small nod, letting him know it would be okay. He walked around the house, leaving her alone with Aiden. She wasn’t sure if she was happy about that or not. Her nerves were so frazzled lately, she was sure all it would take for her to fall into his arms would be for him to open them, tempting her with a strong embrace to help her get through the nights.
“Tray confiscated my camera,” he grumbled.
Alana couldn’t help but laugh at the disgruntled tone in Aiden’s voice. “That doesn’t surprise me. I’m surprised you’re not in the house.”
“I could say the same thing about you,” he said as he came to a stop much closer than she felt comfortable with.
Was he deliberately invading her space, or was she just overly sensitive? The moon had begun to rise, illuminating the backyard and highlighting his black hair with silver streaks. She turned her attention back to the camera and began adjusting the settings for shooting in minimal light.
“I just needed some air and to adjust the settings on this camera. It can sometimes be a little complicated getting it exactly where I want it.”
“Do you need any help with that? I’m pretty good with cameras.”
“No. I’m good.”
She felt more than heard him as he moved in behind her. The heat from his body seeped into her back, and she fought a sudden and overpowering urge to lean into him. She could use a strong man to lean on at the moment.
She should feel elation at one of the best ghostly finds of her career, but instead she felt guilty that her friend wasn’t here with them, that she couldn’t stop thinking about the man who’d hired them, and that the man who’d attacked Lisa was still out there. Possibly still in this house.
She shivered at the thought that he could be up there right now, watching them.
“Are you cold?” Aiden asked.
She shook her head.
He moved a few strands of hair off her shoulder, and she held her breath, wondering what he would do next. Wondered if it would be so wrong to let him comfort her, make her forget, if only for a little while. Suddenly ghosts and anything they might have to say didn’t seem so important or so exciting. What felt exciting was the touch of his hand, his breath on her neck, and the promise of a wild night of passion that shone in his eyes.
Her fingers shook as she tried to move through the options on the screen. She wanted to adjust the shutter speed, but for some reason, she couldn’t remember where it was located.
Hell, what was she thinking? She knew why she couldn’t remember. It was because one of the sexiest men she’d ever seen had his mouth inches from her ear. As he spoke, his breath brushed the side of her neck, making her insides quake with need.
“Do you really need to do that right now?” he whispered.
“What? Um…well…”
“This whole ghost thing… It’s incredible,” he murmured, his breath softly caressing the side of her neck.
She nodded in agreement.
“Part of me wants to be in that truck with Tray. Then I noticed you weren’t there. Why weren’t you there, Alana? Don’t you believe what we saw was a ghost?”
She shook her head, licking her lips as she tried to clear her mind and control the tingling in her body.
“If you don’t believe, why do you do it?”
“I didn’t say I didn’t believe. I just… I just needed some air.”
He grasped her hands, pulling them away from the camera. She didn’t fight him. She couldn’t. He grabbed her elbow and turned her to face him, pinning her between his hard chest and the ledge. She slowly raised her gaze, knowing that if she looked him in the eyes, he would see she wanted him.
The same lust she felt tightening her breasts shone in his eyes as he gazed down at her, and her heart skipped a beat in excitement. He raised his hand, gently cupping her cheek. His thumb brushed across her bottom lip as he leaned down. Alana held her breath, her lips parting in silent invitation for him to plunder her mouth, do whatever he wanted.
She shouldn’t be doing this. She knew she shouldn’t be doing this, but…
He stopped so close all she had to do was lean in. She could flick her tongue out, touch his lips and savor his taste. His scent was warm, spicy, and all hot male, invading her senses and settling in her womb. She inhaled and licked her lips, swiping the tip of her tongue lightly across his mouth. He drew in a quick, sharp breath and grasped her head with both hands
“Alana.”
She blinked, confused by the sound of Tray’s voice.
“Alana!” he repeated. She jumped and stared down at the walkie clipped to her side.
No! No! Not now!
“Alana. I swear to God, if you don’t answer me this instant, I’m calling in the National Guard.”
She closed her eyes and, with a ragged sigh, grabbed the walkie with shaking fingers. Aiden dropped his hands from her face, leaving her feeling cold and alone.
She angrily hit the Talk button and brought the walkie to her mouth. “Do you have to be so overly dramatic?” she snapped.
“Where the hell are you?”
She glanced up at Aiden, who watched her with a mixture of hunger and curiosity. Had she seriously almost let him kiss her? What the hell was wrong with her?
“Alana?”
“I’m getting the camera ready,” she quickly replied.
“Not alone, I hope.”
“No. I’m not alone.” Her voice faded slightly as Aiden’s gaze held hers captive.
“You okay? You sound funny.”
She blinked, turning away from Aiden’s sultry stare. “I’m fine. Did you need something other than my location?”
“We’re wrapping things up. It’s almost three in the morning. We’ve got a lot of stuff to go through as it is.”
“All
right. I’ll be right there.”
She set the walkie down but couldn’t bring herself to look Aiden in the eyes. “I really don’t…” She took a deep breath for courage. “I really don’t think we should be doing this. It’s inappropriate, and besides, I need to be there for Lisa.”
“Lisa’s in the hospital,” Aiden replied.
Alana lifted her head to glare at him. “Exactly.”
Aiden sighed. “I didn’t mean…” He dragged his hand down his face.
“It’s just the wrong time, Aiden. That’s all.”
She hoped he understood, even though she didn’t. She had a house to investigate—an amazingly haunted house—a friend in the hospital, and a sick freak still on the loose. The last thing she needed to do was become entangled in a romance, despite how tempting it might be or how much she might need that comfort right now—that strong embrace that would make her feel safe.
The last thing she felt at the moment was safe. She felt scared, unsure, guilty. Guilty that she would even want to start something with him when her friend needed her.
* * *
He stood at the window, gazing down on the couple from the third floor. He’d been watching them for a while, waiting with impatience for them to leave. This was his place, his sanctuary, and he didn’t appreciate it being invaded. He thought he’d gotten rid of them the other night, but apparently they hadn’t gotten the hint.
Looked like he would need to step things up a notch. He didn’t need or want them here, and he would do whatever it took to get rid of them.
He had projects to finish.
* * *
Aiden stood outside Alana’s hotel room door, indecision waging a war with his insides. Noah would tell him to just knock, stop hem-hawing around, as his Gram used to say. He wasn’t like this with women. Usually he had more confidence.
Honestly, confidence wasn’t his problem. His problem was the indecision that plagued Alana. He could tell she wanted him just as much as he wanted her, but he also understood her hesitation.
But time wasn’t something they had a lot of. Lisa would be getting out of the hospital tomorrow, and this would be the last night he would be able to get her alone.
He ran his hand through his short hair. God, that sounded so bad, even to his ears. Fuck her before her friend gets out of the hospital and she’s consumed with taking care of her. Even he could admit how crass that was.
Before he could make up his mind, the door opened, and he found himself staring at her startled expression.
“Aiden?” she gasped. “What are you doing here?”
“I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” he said. “You looked a little worse for wear when you left the house.”
Her lips formed a silent “oh.” “I’m fine,” she whispered. “Just tired.”
“Yeah, me too. It’s one thing to stay up till four; it’s another to do it and still work a day job.”
Alana’s lips lifted into a half smile. “I bet. I was just headed to ah…to Tray’s room.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Tray’s room?”
His gaze dropped to the sweats and T-shirt she wore. He couldn’t stop himself from lingering at her nipples that poked through the material of her cotton top. She crossed her arms over her chest, apparently wise to the direction of his stare. Was there more to her and Tray’s relationship than friends? A twinge of jealousy played at the back of his mind, and he frowned.
“Yeah, I kinda got…”
Aiden’s gaze lifted to her tired, frightened eyes. “Spooked?”
She shrugged. “I probably should’ve just had him stay here, but I thought I would be okay. I can’t believe what happened is affecting me more than it is Lisa.”
“She doesn’t remember. You do.”
“I suppose. I sometimes feel as though it’s partly my fault.”
“It’s not your fault, Alana. You sent someone with her. You didn’t force her up there alone.”
“Maybe I should have sent two with her. Someone in front and someone behind.”
Aiden wanted nothing more at the moment than to pull her into his arms and comfort her, hold her till she no longer felt afraid and vulnerable. He wanted her to know it wasn’t her fault, that no one blamed her, but he doubted she would believe him.
“Listen,” he began. “Can I come in for a second?”
She frowned in concern. “Is something wrong?”
“No.” He was quick to reassure. “I would just like to talk about tonight. The ghost, I mean.”
She nodded, but he didn’t miss the slight hesitation. “Come on in.” She turned back into the room, holding the door open for him to follow.
“I’m not sure I could sleep tonight even if I wanted to. I’ve never seen anything quite like that in my life. I think Noah has, but he won’t talk about it.”
“Why?” she asked.
“I’m not sure. I wasn’t there when it happened; I was away with Gram. I just remember waking up in the middle of the night, terrified, sweating, and I knew deep down that it wasn’t me that was afraid but Noah.”
“How old were you?”
“Around fourteen or so, I think. He was staying at the house with Karen while Gram and I were out of town. I know after that he didn’t like spending time in that house and hasn’t slept there since.”
“I’ve heard of twins having that kind of connection. Never met any that did, though. Or at least any that admitted to it. Never heard of brothers who weren’t twins having it.”
Aiden’s lips twitched slightly. If she only knew the whole of it. Would she be skeptical? Would she accept it or accuse them of playing her?
“Tray is on cloud nine, but I seem to be climbing the walls,” Aiden said. “I noticed tonight that you don’t seem to be quite as excited as everyone else. Why is that?”
She leaned her back against the wall and shrugged. “Something just doesn’t feel right about it.”
“Like what? Have you never caught anything like this?”
“No,” she whispered. “Although that doesn’t mean that what we’re seeing isn’t truly paranormal. I really don’t know how to explain it. I’ve always been a skeptic. Even when we find stuff, I’m constantly looking for the logical explanation.”
Aiden grinned. “Like Velma in Scooby-Doo.”
Alana laughed, and the sound grabbed Aiden by the chest and wouldn’t let go, settling inside, warming him, sucking him in.
“Yeah, I guess like Velma.” Her smile faded as worry tightened the soft lines of her face. “This stuff never used to bother me. I never got scared, spooked, or nervous. Now it seems like I stay in a constant state of tension. I can’t sleep.” She sighed and shook her head.
Aiden moved to stand in front of her, cupping her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand, seeking his comfort, his touch. He gently caressed her soft skin, trying his best to soothe her while fighting his own desire.
He understood her fear, her tension. Hell, after tonight, he wasn’t sure he could sleep either.
“My guess is you’ve never had a friend attacked under your nose before, either,” he whispered.
“No,” she breathed.
He leaned in closer and brushed the tip of his nose across hers. He could feel the heat of her body, could smell the flowery scent of her hair and the sweet scent of the lotion she’d applied earlier. Her eyes opened, and she gazed up at him, desire darkening the deep green color.
“Seems we’re both in the same boat, unable to sleep, tense,” he whispered.
She swallowed. “Yeah.”
God, he wanted to kiss her. Truthfully, he wanted to do a whole lot more than kiss her. He wanted to carry her into her bedroom and sink into her hot body, make love to her until they both fell asleep exhausted, unable to think about anything else. Especially ghosts.
“I swear I didn’t come here to seduce you,” he said, his breath coming out in short pants as he fought his growing desire.
Their lips were so close. He
could feel her breath against his mouth, smell the minty scent from her toothpaste. They were so close, he’d swear he could almost taste her.
He dipped his head, swiping his lips across hers, and he could feel as well as hear her sudden intake of air. He pulled back, shocked at the sharp spark of heat that flared between them when his lips touched hers. Is that why she’d gasped?
He stared into her pretty green eyes and couldn’t seem to remember how to breathe. Such sweet lips, so soft and…irresistible.
He slanted his mouth across hers, swallowing her gasp of surprise as he slid his tongue past her parted lips. Her surprise didn’t last long. Her tongue mated with his, twirling and teasing, driving him insane. Her hands fisted in his shirt, holding him tight as he pressed her against the wall and deepened the kiss.
Her body molded to his perfectly, her curves fitting against him like they were meant to be there—like they were meant to be his. His fingers shook as they slid down her neck and over her collarbone. They lingered at her breasts, softly kneading. Her nipples beaded beneath his palms, and he pinched them into harder nubs. She gasped, arching her back and thrusting her breast into his touch, silently seeking more.
Her body trembled, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her lower body against him. He settled his cock into the vee of her thighs, pressing gently to release some of the throbbing pressure building within his balls.
God, he hurt. He hurt so badly. Every inch of his cock pounded and ached to be inside her. He couldn’t remember ever wanting someone this badly, and only after one kiss. One hot, wild, glorious kiss that sent his senses careening out of control.
Her taste, the feel of her tongue against his, the way her curves molded along his frame, every inch of their bodies touching was like an aphrodisiac, fueling his already raging lust.
“Aiden,” she whimpered into his kiss.
He knew what she wanted. He could feel her need as well as he could his own.
* * *
Noah climbed into his shower, gritting his teeth at the tension in his cock. Four in the fucking morning! He’d kill his damn brother when he got home.
Most of the time, he could block this out, ignore the lust running rampant through his veins whenever his brother had sex. But for some reason, tonight had been harder. He couldn’t ignore it, couldn’t stop it. It had never been this strong.
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