“It’s not like I know he went with her or anything.” She dumped the lemon in the trash and started disinfecting everything with a vengeance.
“He can do whatever it is that ghosts do.” She slapped the dish cloth in the sink. “The hell with this. I’m going to take a nap.”
* * * * *
Blistering heat jerked Melody awake. Disoriented, she rolled off the couch to the floor, jarring her hip. There was smoke everywhere. Wood crackled and popped and fire flowed over the ceiling. Stark terror froze her in place while her heart slammed in her chest. Sweat slicked her skin and she tried to breathe, but smoke caught in her lungs, racking her body in coughs while tears blinded her.
Melody covered her mouth and nose with the long sleeve of her shirt. Get out. Run. She scrambled from the floor and launched toward the door. Fire leaped in front of her, dancing, consuming everything in its path. Breathing became impossible.
“Melody.” Her mother’s frantic call sent her into a panic.
“Mom!” Her voice was hoarse and dry. Another cough shook her. Fire spilled into the kitchen. She tried to inhale, but her lungs burned from the smoke. Melody was suffocating while the fire surrounded her.
Wood cracked and the roof sagged while sirens roared in the distance. The ceiling collapsed and Melody screamed.
She jerked awake with the echoes of her own screams ringing in her ears.
“Shhh.” Arms came around her, stroking her hair. “You’re safe. No one can hurt you.”
Melody’s fingers dug into firm shoulders. “Where am I?” She shuddered, trying to scrub out the fear. There was no fire. No smoke.
“In bed. You’re safe.”
Travis. Her mind put the voice to his name.
She buried her face against his chest and he gently rocked her. Tears streamed down her cheeks and sobs tore from her throat. “Where did you go?” The words were out before she could stop them.
“I had to go for a while, but I’m back now.” Cool air swirled around her cheeks, drying her tears.
“We were supposed to go on a trip the next day.” Her voice was thick with emotion. “I’d come into town for vacation. We camped every summer.”
His arms tightened around her as she leaned into him. Ghost or not, he was the only thing solid in her world at the moment. “What happened?”
“The dream or real life?”
He brushed his thumb against her cheek. “Tell me real life first.”
She relaxed and propped up on his chest. “I’m not sure. When I got to the house, it was already on fire.” Memories flashed in her mind. Smoke billowed from the windows. Screaming. “I ran inside but didn’t make it far.”
“Go on.” He massaged the back of her neck in gentle circles.
She shrugged. “The heat and smoke got to me. I was rescued I guess, but was out of it for a while. I woke up in the hospital.”
He pressed a kiss against her forehead and sighed. “Your parents?”
She shook her head and he reclined, dragging her down to tuck against his body. Melody ran her cheek against his shirt and inhaled his strong, masculine scent. Was this the way all ghosts smelled? Or was it unique to Travis?
“What were you dreaming then?” He grew still and she looked up at him.
“Just a nightmare about the fire. I was caught in the house.” Her mind flashed to the moment smoke overtook her. She shivered despite the cool air. “It was a monster. Flames spread across the ceiling.”
“What do you mean by monster?”
Her mind’s eye replayed the scene. “It was as though the fire was alive. My mom and dad couldn’t get out.” She tried to calm her racing heart. “I was trapped in the living room and couldn’t get to anyone. The ceiling started to collapse, and…” Her statement ended in another shrug.
“You woke up.”
“Yeah.” She shivered again. “I can’t believe I just cried all over you.” She moved away and wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. He kept her in the circle of his arms. “You must think I’m weak.”
He pulled her down and kissed the tip of her nose. “The mind works through trauma in its own way. Nothing about that is weak.”
She sniffed. “Do you think my near-death experience is why I can see you?”
He shook his head slightly. “You see me because you want to see me.” His fingers traced the line of her jaw. “I’ve waited a long time for this.”
Travis’ touch and his words both excited and frightened her. She smiled, a watery one, no doubt, but it was something. “I don’t understand what’s happening. I just met you, but—” She couldn’t say another word. A low rumble of thunder sounded in the distance and the scent of coming rain came in through the attic vents.
“Sometimes the heart knows what the head won’t believe.” His thumb brushed her lower lip, igniting sparks of pleasure at the point of his touch.
“I’m not very good with these things.”
He laughed and dipped his head. “You are something else, lady.” She met his kiss in a soft tangle of emotion. He tasted delicious. The smell of rain and his spicy scent was intoxicating.
Her mind latched on to the moment. Nothing else mattered while her hands slipped under his shirt. He was all hard planes with a slight dusting of hair that tickled her palms.
“You feel so real to me.” Her mouth traced the line of his jaw. Soft stubble tickled her lips and she fought the urge to lick him.
“I’m just as real as you are.” He cupped her cheek and rocked her with a sinfully delicious kiss that stole her breath. The first drops of rain peppered the window in soft taps. Travis pulled away and she stared up at him in a daze. She couldn’t seem to hold a thought. “I just don’t have an expiration date.”
His smile devastated her, and her heart did a little flip. “You’re not going to disappear on me again, are you?”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He lifted her up so she straddled his lap. “We have some unfinished business, you and I.” The muscles of his legs bunched on the insides of her parted thighs.
Her body reacted instantly to the evidence of his lust. The corner of her mouth lifted in a grin. “You know, I think you’re right.” She rocked against the hard ridge of his cock. Travis grabbed hold of her hips and pushed his denim-covered erection against her. He pressed into her clit with just enough pressure to force a ragged moan from her. She couldn’t look away from his hooded gaze. The desire she saw in their depths sent a stab of heat straight to her core. She shivered in response, needing more.
His hold tightened and he pressed again. Melody brought her hands up to grip his shoulders and ground against his upward thrust, feeling herself become slick and swollen. The smell of her desire surrounded them.
The heavens opened up and rain pelted the attic roof and windows, almost drowning out the thundering of her pulse.
Her panties were wet with her lust. With only thin material separating her from him, his jeans were probably soaked by now. Every downward slide sent sparks of pleasure through her so intense it robbed her of breath. Travis continued the slow pump of his hips against her sensitive bundle of nerves. His eyes darkened and his nostrils flared. Delicious friction built, and orgasm loomed. The heat of it rolled through her lower body, climbing, rising, pulsing. Travis suddenly stopped and Melody opened her mouth to protest.
He rolled them over and stared down at her with a single-minded focus. Travis brushed his hands down his chest and in an instant his shirt was gone.
Her mouth opened in surprise. All that remained was a well-defined body that made her throat go dry. His skin was golden and a fine dusting of hair across his chest slid down in a teasing line through the ridges of well-defined abs. Her mouth watered with the urge to trace every dip and crevice with her tongue. He moved and the ripple of muscles stole her breath.
“Do your clothes always disappear like that?”
He arched an eyebrow and his palms slid lower. “There are some advantages to being a ghost.” His finger
s dipped below the waistband of his jeans and he was suddenly, gloriously naked. She licked her lips at the sight of his cock nestling between them. He was thicker than she’d imagined. She reached for him, running her fingertips over the tip of his cock in teasing circles. Her thumb rubbed the smooth head, stroking down to grip him in her hand. It pulsed against her palm and his ragged moan damn near did her in. His hand trapped hers against his cock. “Don’t. I won’t last if you do this. And there are so many other things I want to do first.”
“Does a ghost have to worry about things like this?”
He grinned and eased her hand away. “When I come, it’ll be after you scream my name.”
His words sent shards of pleasure straight to her core. Dark, sensual lust shot through her. She yanked off her shirt and bra while he rocked forward against her. The damn jeans were a barrier.
“Stay there. Let me taste you.”
Holy shit. She shivered in response and could only nod.
His mouth burned a path down her throat. His hand cupped and caressed her breast. Her nipples grew into hard and sensitive points, so tight they ached for his touch. His thumb brushed one tip and she cried out at the near sharp sensation. She plunged her fingers into his hair, wanting to drag him up for another kiss. “Please, stop teasing, Travis.”
He tongued and circled her nipples, ignoring her demands until currents of pleasure shot straight to her clit.
He pulled away from her breast with a tiny nip of pleasure. Travis kissed down her stomach. Clever fingers unbuttoned her jeans. His mouth and tongue followed the zipper’s path as it lowered. One hand held her hip, and the other rubbed teasingly against her.
She raised her head to watch his mouth against her skin. His teeth scraped lightly against her jeans. She moaned and let her head fall back, gripping her hands together in sexual frustration. He was so sexy, if she didn’t have him inside her soon she would come from just watching him. Travis peeled her jeans and panties down her hips, tugging gently until they slipped past her thighs. She lifted her head to watch him. “I want to touch you.” Her body trembled and ached with lust.
“Not yet.” The demand was a growl of breath against her slick folds.
“You are driving me insane…” She let the threat hang in the air.
He didn’t speak and she looked down. The lust in his eyes tore something loose inside her, scattering her thoughts. He tossed her jeans across the room. Travis seized her ankles and yanked her toward him, flipping her onto her stomach. She cried out in surprise, but her body thrilled at his touch.
In a flash he was on top of her, surrounding her. His breath tickled her cheek. “I haven’t even started yet.” He nipped at her ear and she turned her head to give him better access. The soft hair on his chest brushed enticingly against her bare back. His thigh slid between hers and she rocked back against it, loving the rough brush of his hair against her sensitive skin. His cock pressed between them, maddeningly close.
His lips touched her throat. “I can’t wait to hear that sexy voice beg.” He raked his teeth over her shoulder and she moaned.
She wanted to speak, but he pushed her legs apart. “Oh God…” Her heart thundered and she held her breath in anticipation of what he would do next.
He nuzzled her cheek. “I can’t have you sending me over the edge before I taste every inch of you, can I?”
Travis didn’t give her a chance to speak before his hand dragged slowly up her smooth calves to caress the back of her thigh. He wrapped his wrist in her hair and tugged her head to the side. Hot lust boiled through her and her pussy grew slicker. “You’re gonna like this.”
Those talented fingers slid through her moist heat, teasing a cry from her throat. Her folds squeezed around the fingers, increasing the pressure and sensitivity to the point she wanted to cry. She arched back against him, trying to tilt her hips. It was too much. The need to come was overwhelming, but Travis was mercilessly in control of her body.
His fingers slid through again and the tips brushed her clit. She bucked against his touch. Teeth bit into her shoulder, adding a mix of pleasure and pain. Her inner muscles contracted and nothing else existed but the moment.
She buried her face against her arm. “Travis. Please.” She was on fire, her entire body a livewire. She arched a tiny bit, reaching for a little more pressure.
The fingers slowed and she nearly screamed. Her pussy clenched around him, desperate to finish what he’d started. She cursed.
“What was that, Melody?”
“You are such a tease,” she ground through her teeth.
Travis dipped a finger just inside and she moaned. “This isn’t teasing, darlin’.” He added another digit and plunged deep. She cried out in bliss. “It’s a promise.”
He scissored them inside her and pressed up to a spot that brought her hips off the bed. Pleasure arced through her. He did it again and she moaned his name.
She was afraid he would stop. His strokes were relentless, devastating her with every flick of his fingers. Her orgasm was just out of reach and her hips were moving in time with his fingers. His mouth was everywhere, tasting and licking. Nipping at her most sensitive areas. She felt him behind her knees, down the middle of her back, a lazy swipe of his tongue from the top of her ass to where his fingers were buried deep inside her. Tension rose in a wave of pressure, driving away all thought. She muttered her need against the bed.
He twisted the digits in slow, teasing moves. “What did you say, darlin’?”
“I said you’re driving me crazy.” She looked over her shoulder. His skin was flushed and the sexy look he gave her nearly burned her alive.
“Hmmm.” His fingers rotated inside her, slow and easy. “I can keep this up for days.”
She groaned. “I can’t.”
“You can take a lot more than this.” He flicked them inside her and she rocked her hips back as a fresh wave of pleasure splintered through her.
“Oh man, you suck.”
“Good idea.” The fingers were gone and she was flipped.
He shouldered her legs apart. “I’m dying to taste you.” Travis’ mouth nuzzled her pussy and she arched. His tongue slid along her slit in a pure sensation of delight. Travis paid particular attention to her tight bundle of nerves, swirling around her clit and flicking across it until she was covered in sweat. Her hands locked in his hair and she lifted her hips to guide him where she wanted his touch the most. He licked and sucked, teasing her until her heart pounded and she could barely breathe.
His fingers spread open her slick heat and his ragged moan echoed through her. “So wet. I know what you need.” Melody watched his head dip again and she opened her thighs wider to give him better access. She nearly cried with relief when his mouth closed over her clit and he sucked it deep while stroking it with his talented tongue.
He pressed his palm against her pussy, intensifying her pleasure. She let her head fall back against the mattress. Every stroke, every flick of his tongue drove her higher. Her inner walls clenched. She rocked against him, thrusting, driving herself closer to orgasm.
He pulled away from her and she growled in frustration.
“Not yet, Melody.”
Excitement fluttered in her stomach and she trembled with lust. “Yes.”
His palm rubbed against her clit. “No. You come when I tell you to.”
Her body tightened at his sexy demand. “I want. Please, Travis.”
He ground against her and she whimpered. “Tell me what you want.”
She couldn’t form words, he felt so good.
Travis rose above her, rubbing the broad head of his cock against her wet slit. He kissed her with a hunger she matched. “We taste so good together, don’t we?”
“Yes.” The word rushed out on a breathless whisper.
“Tell me.” The demand was growled in her ear. He slid in just enough so she could feel him stretching her. Travis withdrew and slid deeper. It had been too long since she’d felt this. His th
umb brushed her clit and she bucked against him in desperation.
She turned her face toward him, finding words to beg. “Make me come. Please. No more teasing.”
He thrust deep and she sobbed with bliss. The pleasure-pain of his entry nearly triggered an orgasm. “I like it when you beg.” He rotated his hips. Sharp pleasure shot through her pussy and her inner walls squeezed him, driving him deeper. He shifted them forward so she was off balance, but it drove him deeper. She could only moan as she adjusted to his size. His cock jerked inside her, brushing against a spot that sent her to the edge of oblivion. Her eyes widened at his slow and sexy grin. He braced his hands on either side of her head, while pulling out slowly and then slammed deep. She rolled her eyes back in sweet ecstasy and rocked on the brink.
“Not yet.” He pressed his forehead against hers and she was lost. In that moment she would have done anything he asked. “Not. Yet.”
He pounded into her, riding them back across the mattress. Every thrust drove her pleasure higher. “Please. Travis.” Her voice was husky. Travis hooked his arms under her thighs, opening her wider. He was hitting every nerve in her pussy as he pistoned faster. She was lost, completely open to him, taking everything he could give her. She couldn’t breathe, her legs were shaking. Fast, electric pulses were shooting from her clit, through her pussy to her womb. Ecstasy spread from her center outward and she realized she was crying from the overwhelming power of it. “Travis.” She heard the wonder in her own throaty voice.
“Now. Come now.” He rotated his hips and ground against her. Her orgasm peaked. She screamed his name and arched, riding the most powerful sensation she had ever felt. Travis stiffened above her and threw his head back with a hoarse shout. He came deep inside her. She could feel him pulsing and warm jets of semen continued to fill her as he moaned her name. He shuddered as he eased his arms from her bent knees and gently pulled from her body.
They collapsed together in a blissful tangle of limbs. He ran his palm down her sweat-soaked skin and drew the blanket up around them.
HauntingMelodyStClaire Page 4