The Ghost of You

by Tori Fox

“Seeing you with Mason hurt more than I thought. He told me I was an idiot for not trying with you. And he was right. I was just too blind from what happened with my marriage that I couldn’t see what was right in front of me.”

  “And what was that?” I ask as I bite my lip.

  “That you are all I need.”

  He doesn’t let me answer before he dives back in for my lips. And I don’t mind one bit. I never thought he would let go of what was holding him back. But he finally did and now I get to see what it is like to have him in my arms.

  And it’s like heaven.

  I don’t even know how long we make out. I feel like a teenager. He pulls away from me at some point and I yawn.

  He laughs. “Am I boring you?”

  I shake my head and smile. “No.”

  “Are you tired?”

  I try to hold back another yawn but it sneaks past me.

  He nuzzles his face into my neck. “I am keeping you up all night. You have to work tomorrow morning. You should get some rest.”

  He tries to stand up but I pull him back down. “Stay.”

  “Are you sure?”

  I nod. “Remember how I said sometimes it’s just nice to have a body next to you?” He nods back. “Then let us be that for each other.”

  He presses a quick kiss to my lips. “Okay, Mayberry.”

  I push the covers down and climb under them.

  “Can I go grab Brutus? I don’t want him to think I left him alone.”

  “Of course.”

  He presses another quick kiss to my lips and literally runs out the door.

  I get up and watch him run across the yard to his house and laugh. I grab a bowl and fill it with water and leave it on the kitchen floor.

  Before I can even get back to my room, Noah is walking back in my house with Brutus in tow.

  Noah sees me and smiles and before I know it he scoops me up and carries me back to bed. He pulls me close to him after I turn out the light. “Goodnight, Mayberry.”

  “Goodnight, Detective.”

  I fall asleep with a smile on my face. And I can’t remember for the life of me the last time I was this happy.

  The heat of a body wrapped around me surprises me when I wake up. I blink a few times to make sure I am in my own room before I pinch myself to ensure I’m not dreaming.

  I’m not.

  Noah came over last night after my date with Mason and kissed the hell out of me.

  I bring my hand to my lips and find them still swollen.

  I smile. That was a kiss to end all kisses.

  And he stayed.

  And he wrapped me in his arms when he said he never felt the need to lay with a warm body.

  He lied.

  I try hard to keep in a giggle. But I can’t.

  Noah stirs behind me and his arm tightens around my stomach as his head nuzzles into my neck.

  He leaves a trail of kisses before his lips find mine. Normally I would freak out over kissing someone in the morning without brushing my teeth. But Noah has a dominance about him that makes me forget everything.

  He climbs on top of me, deepening the kiss. My hips press into his, as I once again lose control of my body. His hard shaft hits my hip bone and I groan at the feel of him against my body, even if it is through clothes.

  His hands find their way up my shirt and he grabs at my breasts, pinching my nipples. I moan at the pleasure, my legs wrapping around his back.

  “Fuck, Anna. You keep making those sounds I won’t be able to stop.”

  I look into his eyes. “Who said anything about stopping?”

  I groan as his mouth captures mine in a hard, bruising kiss. Our hips grind against each other harder and faster. I can’t even remember the last time I dry-humped a guy, but I’m not stopping now.

  Noah’s lips move down my neck, over my t-shirt, until his lips find my stomach. He swirls his tongue over my hip bones before moving his head under my shirt and sucking on my nipples.

  I almost lose it. Never has a man made me come before just from playing with my breasts.

  I squeeze my legs together to find more friction. Noah chuckles around my breast at my movement. “Needy woman.”

  The vibration from his words around my nipple sends a gush of wetness between my legs. Noah must be able to read my body because within seconds his hand is in my sweats, his thumb pressing against my clit.

  And that’s all it takes as I come undone in his hands.

  He shifts and pulls his head out from under my shirt and grins at me before taking his fingers a sucking them in his mouth.

  It’s enough to turn me on again.

  I sit up and clutch him by the back of the neck, attacking his mouth. He chuckles against my tongue before moving his legs so I can sit in his lap.

  He is as hard as a rock and I want nothing more than to feel him inside of me. But maybe that is moving too fast.

  I reach between us and squeeze his impressive length over his boxer briefs. He groans into my mouth. His hands delve into my hair, releasing it from its hair tie. He pulls my hair back, causing my mouth to open more as he deepens our kiss even more so than before.

  I am ready to rip my clothes off and mount him when Brutus comes bouncing into the room and jumps on the bed.

  “Brutus, off. You know you aren’t allowed on the bed,” Noah says as he tries to push Brutus away. But instead the dog just licks my face and I throw my head back in laughter.

  Noah grumbles as he eventually gets Brutus off the bed. He looks at me with devilish eyes and I can’t help but blush. “You’re so goddamn beautiful, Anna. Even more so when you blush.”

  “You make me blush all the time, Noah.”

  He gives me a sly grin. “And I can’t wait to see that blush all over your body.”

  I don’t think this man could make me any wetter but he does with every word that comes out of his mouth.

  I climb back on top of him, ready to let him make my entire body blush when my alarm goes off. “Dammit.”

  “I guess that’s our cue to stop.”

  I groan at his words. I don’t want to stop with him.

  I reach over and turn off the alarm as Noah climbs out of my bed. I glance over at him and his dick is peaking out of the top of his briefs. I lick my lips at the sight and it makes him chuckle.

  “Later, Mayberry. You need to go to work.”

  “I can spare a few moments.”

  He shakes his head as he looks down and laughs before adjusting himself. “We are going to need more than a few moments.” He grabs his pants off the floor and pulls them on. “Because when I get you naked I will have you begging for my dick and then screaming my name for hours.”

  I bite my lip as my cheeks turn red. He talks dirty and that is one of my biggest turn-ons.

  “There is that blush I love,” he says as he walks over to me and presses his lips to mine.

  My hands rest on his hips as he pulls away and looks at me. “Tonight?”

  “Tonight,” he answers as he presses a kiss to my forehead.

  I walk him to my door, Brutus following behind us. He gives me a brief kiss. “Tonight, Mayberry.”

  I shut the door behind him and collapse against it with a smile on my face. That man is something else.

  “You look awfully chipper today,” Seraphina says as I walk into the yoga studio.

  “Just got some good sleep last night.”

  She eyes me suspiciously. “You don’t even have a coffee in your hand.” Her gaze travels up and down my body. “And you are glowing.”

  “Stop,” I say as I walk over to the espresso machine.

  She raises a brow at me. “Good date with Mason last night?”

  I snort. “No.”

  “You sure? Because you have that thoroughly fucked glow to you.”

  “Mason and I are better off as friends.”

  She walks up to me and pushes my hair aside. Noah got a little too excited around my neck and left faint bruises from his kiss
es near my ear. “Friends with benefits? You have hickeys on your neck like you are fifteen.”

  “No, Mason didn’t even kiss me last night.”

  She scrunches her brow. “Then who the hell were you making out with?”

  I smile as I think about Noah’s rough hands on my body, the dirty words he whispered in my ear, the way he knew to handle my body. “Noah.”

  “What?” she shrieks. “Girl, spill.”

  So I do because for the first time in a long time I can feel my heart beat again.

  “All it took for him to finally admit his feelings was for Mason to take you out?”

  I nod. “Yep. Ten minutes after Mason dropped me off, Noah was pounding on my door.”

  She smirks at me. “And which door was that?”

  I roll my eyes.

  “I won’t be surprised if it’s the back door soon.”

  If I had something to throw at her, I would. “Gross. Not happening.”

  “Really? You wouldn’t take it up the butt?”

  “Can you wipe that creepy grin off your face? I’m guessing you do.”

  “Don’t knock it till you try it.” She stands up and walks over to me, placing her hand on my shoulder. “Besides from what you’ve told me I wouldn’t be surprised if that man tries to shove it in.”

  I push her away. “Please stop.”

  “Hopefully he starts with a finger.”

  “I can’t with you.” I walk out of her office and into the yoga studio to prep for class.

  How did this conversation about Noah turn into talking about anal? I shiver as I think about it. Kyle never once asked me to try it. And I haven’t slept with anyone since Kyle that mentioned it. Would I do it?

  Damn Seraphina and her dirty mind.

  20

  Noah

  I shut the door behind me and smile.

  Why did I wait so long to kiss Anna?

  She tasted like sugar and spice. Her mouth delicate but raging with fire. Her skin soft and pliant under my hands.

  I loved her reaction to me. The noises she made when I bit down on her nipples. The way she went off like a rocket from one brush of my hand over her clit.

  I can’t wait to undress her. See her fully naked. The glimpse I got that night weeks ago has been burned into my brain. But now that I touched her, kissed her, held her, I want to see it again. I want to lick her from head to toe. Devour her mouth, her breasts, her pussy. I want to see that whole body flush as I run my hands over it. As I push myself inside of her, hard and slow.

  Just thinking about her is making my dick hard. I want to hold off until tonight to enjoy every inch of her skin but my dick is painfully hard and I need to get rid of this problem.

  I take a quick shower, jerking off to the thought of Anna, the taste of her. I come hard against the wall of the shower but I know it won’t be nearly as hard as I’ll come tonight inside her body.

  The thought of her is a distraction but in the best way. It motivates me to work on my house. I want her to feel comfortable here. And I know she will be impressed with the improvements I made since the last time she came over.

  Luckily, I had scheduled for my countertops to be delivered today. It will be nice to finally have a functioning kitchen.

  I get to work cleaning up whatever trash is around my house before repairing the hole I punched in the wall last night.

  My front door slams shut as I hear Carson yell at me. “This better be important. I have three cases I need to be working on today.”

  I texted Mason and Carson to come over and help me with the house. The whole family has been bugging me for years to finish the thing but my lack of motivation kept me from caring.

  Carson walks into the kitchen where I am installing the doors onto the lower cabinets. The new cabinets that were installed six months ago that I never put the doors on.

  “Well shit. Look at that. I never thought I would see the day.”

  “You going to help me man or just stare at me?”

  Carson leans against the wall. “I don’t know. I’m enjoying seeing those muscles bulge out of your t-shirt. Should I film it for the ladies at the precinct that want in your pants?”

  Mason walks in the house at that very minute. “Nah. They would rather see a video of me.” He walks over to me and inspects the door. “Let me guess, you’re cleaning this place up for a special lady?” He winks.

  “No. I ordered countertops a month ago. They are being delivered today. And I want to get these doors on before they get here.”

  “Bullshit,” Mason retorts.

  “What special lady would that be?” Carson inquires.

  “No one,” I grunt as I walk to my back door where I left the stack of cabinet doors.

  Mason follows me down the hall, pulling on a pair of work gloves. “You mean to say you didn’t go to Anna’s last night?”

  Carson is right behind him. “I thought you went on a date with her last night, Mason?”

  Mason turns around. “I did.”

  “Don’t tell me you guys are into some weird freaky shit. I don’t want to know about it.”

  “Fuck off, Car.”

  Carson laughs as he moves out of the way so I can bring the door into the kitchen.

  “So you didn’t go over to her house and fuck her last night?” Leave it to Mason to just blurt it out.

  “No.”

  Carson looks between the two of us. “Wait, hold up. What the hell is going on?”

  Mason sets a piece of wood down and looks at Carson. “Jackass over here couldn’t get his head out of his ass. So I took Anna out. He didn’t like it too much.”

  Carson scratches his head. “Anyone that isn’t blind could see you were into her Noah but I thought you kissed her last week Mason. I thought you liked her too.”

  I drop the screwdriver in my hand. “You kissed her?”

  Mason holds up his hands. “Chill, bro. It was an in the moment thing. Besides, I think she was pissed off at you at the time anyway. It was nothing.”

  I see red. Mason knew I liked her. Who cares about the fact I told him I couldn’t be with her? You don’t do that to your fucking family. I charge at him but Carson holds me back.

  “Dude, calm down.”

  I grit my teeth and stare down Mason over Carson’s shoulder. “He fucking knew how I felt about her.”

  “And you made it sound like she was free game.”

  “Don’t talk about her like that.” I spit.

  “I’m guessing by your reaction you did go over there last night then?” Mason asks.

  “Fuck you. Get out of my house.”

  “How about you both calm down?” Carson interjects.

  Mason smirks at me. “I am calm.”

  I can’t believe Anna kissed Mason. Everything I thought about her is a lie. Is she just trying to find a hookup? Does she even really like me? I should cancel on her tonight because right now I don’t want to see her.

  Mason takes off the gloves he put on. “I’m going to head out so you don’t break my jaw. But just so you know. I made the move. I kissed her a few days after Thanksgiving. She was hurt over you. Over what you said to her. But the kiss meant nothing. She barely kissed me back before pushing me away.”

  I watch Mason walk out the door. I don’t have anything to say to him. I take a few deep breaths before I go back to my cabinets in silence, not even saying a word to Carson.

  “I’m going to borrow some of your clothes so I can help you. I don’t want to get my suit dirty.” He walks upstairs and I am left to stew in my anger and confusion.

  It doesn’t take long for him to come back down. He helps me with the cabinets for the next hour in silence. We finish the doors just as the doorbell rings.

  I let the countertop guys install the white quartz while I sit on my couch and stare at the wall.

  Carson sits across from me on the edge of the coffee table. “Did you sleep with her last night?”

  I shake my head.

  �
��Did you see her though?”

  I nod.

  “Am I going to get any words out of you?”

  I look up at him. “Fuck man. I can’t take this shit. It was hard enough getting the courage to see her.”

  “You mean getting the courage to let Claire go?”

  I lean over, propping my elbows on my knees as I rest my face in my hands. “I like her, Car.”

  “I know.”

  “Is it that obvious?”

  “Everyone at Thanksgiving knew you were smitten with her.”

  I glance up at him. “I’m not smitten.”

  “Yes, you are.”

  “What am I supposed to do? I like her. A lot. We have this connection I have never felt with anyone before.”

  “Anyone?” Carson cuts in.

  “Anyone,” I stress.

  “Damn man. Not even Claire?”

  I shake my head. “That’s why it’s been so hard for me. The way I feel connected with Anna, the way I feel when I am around her, it is nothing like with Claire. And I don’t know what to do about it or what to think. Was Claire never right for me?”

  “Don’t think that way, Noah. You and Claire loved each other. And she was right for you then but things change, we grow older. What we want and need in our lives change.” He pauses. “Claire might have been right for you a long time ago but with everything that happened in our lives she wasn’t right for you anymore.”

  “How do I know if Anna is right for me?”

  “I don’t want to sound all sappy but I am going to. Because it’s the reason I know Tiffany is right for me. You feel it in your bones. That anger you had with Mason, if Anna didn’t mean so much to you, feel so right, then it wouldn’t have been there.”

  I grip the back of my neck. “Do I ask Anna about Mason?”

  “Yeah, you should. From what Mase told me, it was nothing. I honestly think he was trying to kick your ass into gear with her.”

  “He told me last night he only asked her out so I would finally make a move.”

  “Well it worked.”

  “Yeah.” I nod. “Yeah, it did.” I sigh as my mind filters back to last night. “Being with her last night was amazing. It felt so right. We felt so right together.”