by K. M. Waller
Lex sighed and stuck his phone in his pocket. Like hell she’d ever take assignments on her own. The preposterousness of it irritated him. Who’d be there to watch over her? He refused to argue with her in the parking lot. They’d save that conversation for another day. He pointed to the main entrance. “Let’s get checked in and start going over our covers.”
Her posture relaxed. “Great.”
Amira insisted on checking them in and he waited outside against the rear bumper of his car. He typed out a text meant to scold Jordie, but deleted it. He knew firsthand that when Amira Walker set her mind to something, it was best to go along. She had great instincts, and he trusted her. Not something he could say for very many people, and he truly adored her for it. But the one thing he’d learned from his forced days at the LSP was that paranormals could be unpredictable. In order for them to quickly wrap up this assignment and get back to Burberry, she needed to follow his plan without question.
Through the glass double doors, he could make out her silhouette while she waited for the hotel clerk. He’d missed her the past few weeks. More than he wanted to admit. Their attempts at dating hadn’t gone as smoothly as he’d hoped. Used to dating women who didn’t know about his life with the supernatural, he didn’t know how to integrate someone he really liked into both areas. He hoped taking a temporary residence closer to Burberry would give them an opportunity to focus on a real relationship when the time was right.
“Hey,” she called to him from the double doors. “We’re through here on the first floor.”
Lex grabbed his suitcase and followed her into the lobby. She stopped to load up on complimentary fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies. After placing four in a napkin, she glanced over her shoulder. “Want one?”
He smiled. “Are all four of those for you?”
“You’re right.” She winked at him and placed two more on her napkin. “Four will hardly hold me over through the night.”
He nudged her shoulder, satisfied the edginess between them had fallen away. “Come on.”
She led him down the hallway, and near the end handed him a keycard. “This is it.”
“One room?” His confusion merged with anticipation. Maybe they didn’t need to get back to Burberry before spending more quality relationship time together.
“Yes. I cancelled the second room. For practical reasons and to work out a new cover.”
Her tone remained matter-of-fact and his anticipation of future good times sank.
Lex gripped the handle on his suitcase. “I already have the cover assignment worked out.”
“On the way here, someone from the Chase B&B called and canceled our reservations without a good enough explanation.” She pushed into the room. “So I had to come up with a better one.”
“You did that in the three hours it took to drive here?”
“What? Like it’s complicated?”
He nodded, following her in. Nothing wrong with letting her take point, or at least thinking she took point. If things got messy, he’d be ready to right the ship. Used to the amenities of the Sagamore, he glanced around their shared room and grimaced. Cramped quarters at best, but at least it had a small desk where he could put his laptop. “What’s the cover?”
She placed her suitcase on the bed. “You’re an investor.”
“Go on.” The best lies always kept close enough to the truth.
“You’re an investor looking to put some money into producing a television series. I called Samuel’s agent and pitched a show where he flips haunted houses. Clean out the ghosts, remodel the kitchen, etc. I sent him your article in Forbes. I think I could hear ka-chings in the background as he looked you up. His agent wants us to convince Samuel to get back on screen.”
He allowed the idea to sit for a few minutes while she ate a cookie. “What’s your role?”
“I’m the neglected, small-town girlfriend along for the ride.”
He tightened his lips. The elephant in the room just landed without a parachute, but he refused to take the bait. He’d hardly call her neglected considering the amount of hours he spent worrying about her. “I like your plan but I still have concerns that Samuel or someone else will recognize us. With Jordie able to run interference, we’d have more control over the narrative.”
Her neck reddened and color spread up to her cheeks. “Trust me, recognition won’t be a problem. The trauma from the bee thing was so great that he probably blocked out most of what happened in Burberry. And everyone else should be cool too.”
Lex folded his arms across his chest. “Not buying it. What aren’t you telling me?”
“I’m as concerned as you are about meeting up with Samuel again, so I may have asked the aunts to put a teensy cloak over us for the weekend.”
“Your aunts spelled us?” He narrowed his eyes. “How did they spell me?”
“Remember that eyelash I grabbed from you a few weeks ago?”
He grimaced at the reminder. Amira had planned to counterspell him because of her great-aunts’ shenanigans. He hadn’t wanted them to cast a love spell on him, but that didn’t mean he wanted Amira to use magic on him either, even for his own protection.
She moved to the kitchenette and poured a cup of water. After a long sip, she turned back to him and smiled. “This one time using magic is for the greater good.” Amira hefted one of her bags onto the counter. She unzipped it and removed three candles. “As long as I burn and repeat each night, we should be fine.”
“This goes against LSP policies regarding interactions with humans.”
She took another long sip and shrugged. “I called Sparsh and got a waiver.”
“Holy h—” He sighed and rubbed his forehead. Gramps and Sparsh probably had a great laugh over that request. How he longed for the days of the occasional assignment of de-fanging killer vampires or de-clawing rabid werewolves. Witches couldn’t be controlled.
“You’d know that was possible if you’d read the manual. And Sparsh is onboard with pretty much anything that will prevent another request for a clean-up crew like in Burberry.” She sniffed. “One more thing.”
What else? He splayed his hands in front of him in a gesture for her to continue.
“Other than keeping up the recognition cloak, I don’t want to use magic on this case. I really don’t want to use magic on any case if I can help it. I think the amulet should be enough.”
“Okay.” He moved a little closer. “You know I’m okay with that.”
“Really?” Her expression relaxed, and he liked the fondness that twinkled in her eyes.
“I’m not going to force you to be a witch.” Quite the opposite. The less witch the better.
He had a massive amount of emails to check, but weariness settled in to his body. He peeked into the main sleeping area at the king-sized bed. The sun had started to set and they would head out to Samuel’s house early in the morning. “I guess I’ll take the pull-out couch, unless…”
She blinked twice. “Unless what?”
He wanted to kiss her and see if she tasted like the chocolate chip cookie she’d finished moments before. After this assignment, he told himself. Now wasn’t the time. He backed away and dug in his bag for his laptop. “Nothing. I’ll be fine on the pull-out.”
“Oh, yeah… Sorry about that. It’s not a pull-out. But you can have the pillow of your choice from the bed.” Her sweet smile belied the mischievous intent behind her eyes. She grabbed a smaller bag and headed into the bathroom.
He glanced at the orange couch and the well-worn cushions. His feet would have to dangle off the end.
He pulled the file toward him. They wouldn’t need the fake IDs. Amira might be convinced to use hers, but his financial status would buy their way in to getting time with Samuel. He could hear the faucet running from inside the bathroom. A bit of pride bubbled to the surface that she’d come up with something so quickly. Really not a bad cover. Of course, after they dispatched the ghost, he’d have to pull his offer. No way wo
uld he financially back anything related to the ghost hunter after he’d attempted to blackmail Amira and her sisters. Samuel’s career wouldn’t benefit from their help with the ghost.
They’d confirm the haunting in real life, but debunk it as fake, and the rest would fall into place after. The amulet would allow him to help the unruly ghost move on toward the appropriate afterlife, ready or not.
He’d considered having Amira wear the amulet for extra protection, but the added magic might have unintended consequences.
The bathroom door creaked open and Amira emerged in a flowery robe that hung open in the front. Underneath the robe was a matching nightgown that stopped mid-thigh. Her face scrubbed clean of make-up gave her skin a pink cherubic glow.
His throat tightened and threatened to choke him. Before he could remind himself of all the reasons not to, he gathered her in his arms and captured her mouth in a kiss. The sharp, minty taste of toothpaste assaulted his senses.
She put her hands on each side of his face. How easy it would be to walk her over to the bed, but instead he pulled away. Her gaze filled with confusion.
“Good night,” he said, the gruffness in his voice harsher than he intended. He grabbed a pillow from the bed and stalked back to the orange couch. He curled on his side with his back to her and took several deep breaths.
After this assignment and when he could be certain of her safety, he’d finish their kiss and more. But for now he needed to stay sharp and focused on the assignment. And so did she. Also, if he were honest with himself, the spelling put him off a little. She wanted to be treated like a partner, but she’d gone behind his back and used magic. Finding a balance in their working and romantic relationship would take more work than he’d anticipated.
Chapter Four
Amira did nothing but think about his kiss all that night. She certainly didn’t sleep. She’d meant to tease him with her sexy yet appropriately modest nightshirt, but that plan obviously backfired. The teased had turned into the teaser. What would it take to put them on the same page?
They grabbed a couple of coffees in the hotel lobby and avoided each other’s direct gaze as much as possible on the ride to Samuel’s bed and breakfast. Fine by her. She clutched the paper cup tighter in her hand and focused on the scenery. Fall had settled into north Georgia, evidenced by the changing colors of the leaves and the yellowing of the grass. A heavy contrast from her coastal hometown, which still boasted greener leaves and warmer salty air. She snuggled deeper into her jean jacket.
Even though Amira had seen the aerial map images of Samuel Chase’s bed and breakfast, nothing could have prepared her for the fourteen-acre estate surrounding the three-story farm-style quasi-mansion. She sat up straight as they rounded the corner to the long drive.
The bright white house with a bold yellow door formed the centerpiece of the massive green landscape complete with a herd of free-roaming horses. A man on a four-wheeler made an unsuccessful attempt to herd the horses closer to the house, but for some reason they wouldn’t cooperate. One horse bucked its displeasure, and the man eventually threw up his hands and rode to the back of the house. The horses trotted back to the far end of the fence and after a minute of agitated neighing, they resumed eating the grass beneath them. All of them seemed to keep a wary eye on the house.
They’d left the work van behind, deciding instead to pack as much ghost surveillance equipment in Lex’s luxury rental car as possible. Amira assumed someone from the LSP would grab the van and take it back to headquarters. Lex insisted they didn’t need as much surveillance equipment since the house was a contained environment, but now that Amira saw the mansion, two stables, and what appeared to be a smaller guesthouse out back, she didn’t think contained appropriately described any of the environment.
She stepped out onto the gravel parking lot, her low-cut boots making a crunch with each step. “Wow.”
“For all his faults, Chase does have good taste in real estate.” Lex removed their suitcases from the backseat. “Remember, once we’re inside, we have to stick to the plan we’ve laid out. Ghosts can walk through walls and hide in closets or under beds, oblivious to detection. If we’re overheard discussing why we’re really here, it’ll know we’re there to send it over to the other side. If it’s here for unfinished business, that will make our jobs ten times harder.”
Amira kept her smile tight and resisted the urge to give him the side eye. “I know. I read the manual.”
Movement from one of the windows on the second floor caught her eye. The curtain moved and the face of a teenager appeared. The girl looked miserable. Amira waved to her, but the girl didn’t return the hello.
A woman wearing a white linen suit stepped out the front door and immediately lit a cigarette. Her caramel-colored hair had seen several pumps from a hairspray bottle and the stiff locks curled perfectly away from her face. She settled into a rocking chair. Boredom or Botox kept her features stony. She called back toward the closed door, “Sammie. Some people are here.”
There were only three other cars in the parking lot. Amira leaned close to Lex as he finished unloading their suitcases. “Doesn’t appear to be busy. I thought ghost enthusiasts would pay out the wazoo to stay in a bed and breakfast owned by a celebrity ghost chaser.”
“The fewer people to get in the way, the better,” he said. “But I don’t like that they canceled our reservations. Be wary of everyone and everything.”
A man opened the door. It took Amira a full ten seconds to recognize a version of Samuel Chase she’d never seen before. He wore a white t-shirt and grey, droopy sweatpants, along with a maroon robe that hung open. His face hadn’t seen a decent shave in at least a week, and the bags under his eyes were those of someone facing extreme stress. His fake tan had yellowed. This was the nightmare version of Samuel Chase. He looked sixty years old rather than mid-thirties. Had his experience in Burberry caused this? Mother of trees. Another possible example of magic’s residual consequences.
Lex glanced at her, his eyes mirroring her questioning gaze. Amira shrugged. The only way to find out for sure was to jump right into the assignment.
Samuel waved a limp hand in their direction. “I’m sorry you’ve come all this way, but someone should’ve canceled your reservation. We’re closed for an indeterminable amount of time.”
Amira took a deep breath. Time to see if her candle magic had worked properly or if Samuel would recognize them. “Mr. Chase? This is Lex Dimas, the investor looking to produce a new series. We spoke with your agent about pitching a new ghost hunting show.”
The woman stood up, dropped her cigarette, and used the toe of her shoe to crush the remains of it into the dark stained wooden porch. Her face brightened, and she waved them forward. “Of course, of course. Please come in.”
Samuel’s gaze lingered on the crushed cigarette butt. “Ramona, I told you to use an ashtray.”
Ramona ignored him and extended her hand to Lex. “Ramona Locksley. I’m Sammie’s partner in this most recent endeavor, but I’m dying to hear your proposal. It’s time to get our boy back in front of a camera.”
She’d said the word endeavor like it left a worse taste in her mouth than cigarette smoke.
Ramona led them into a foyer. Amira sucked in a sharp breath as she made a half-turn to take in all the décor. Knickknacks and frames covered almost every square inch of the flowery wallpaper-covered walls. The objects of various shapes and sizes didn’t stop there and trailed into each adjoining room and up the stairs. The ghost could be attached to any one of them. They definitely had their work cut out for them, which only ramped up Amira’s determination. She didn’t mind the challenge.
Ramona turned to Amira but spoke to Lex. “Your assistant and Samuel’s assistant, Dee, can work out the sleeping arrangements while we have brunch on the terrace out back.”
Lex opened his mouth, but Amira jumped in before he could correct Ramona. “That sounds great, thank you.”
“I’ll let Cookie know we
have extra guests.” She opened the door and shouted Dee’s name several times, then turned back to Samuel. “Come along, Sammie. We can’t have you attending breakfast looking as if you just crawled out from under a bed.”
Samuel didn’t respond and stayed with Amira and Lex in the foyer.
Getting one-on-one time with Samuel’s assistant would give her and Lex a divide-and-conquer approach. It was a much better ploy than playacting as Lex’s girlfriend. Not to mention it would ensure they had separate rooms. Until they figured out their drama, she needed separation from the temptation of his lips.
She stood in front of Samuel, giving him a few seconds to adjust to her presence. When he didn’t appear to recognize her or acknowledge her at all, she arched an eyebrow at Lex in victory. She had to give magic a little credit for working in their favor with the recognition spell.
“Samuel! Now!” Ramona barked from somewhere out of sight.
Samuel ambled down the hallway but turned in the opposite direction from which Ramona had gone. Not a single reminder of the charismatic television personality remained. Amira wondered if the LSP manual had a chapter on zombies.
Lex left his suitcase by the front entrance and leaned toward her, his familiar aftershave making it hard to concentrate on his words that were barely above a whisper. “Don’t light any candles without me. Just intel gathering right now. Got it?”
“Aye, aye, captain.” After all, he controlled the ghost catching amulet. What did he think she’d do?
When he didn’t move away immediately, she met his gaze.
He whispered closer to her ear, “I meant to tell you earlier. You look very pretty today.”
Amira felt the warm flush start at her chest. She’d worn one of the cotton dresses Ally had warned her against bringing. She pursed her lips together to hide a smile. “Get to work, Mr. Dimas.”
Cold one minute and hot the next. She wondered if she’d ever understand the mysteries surrounding Lex Dimas. Tippie’s comments in the LSP restroom hovered in the back of her mind. If someone who knew Lex his entire life could see them fit together, then maybe she should relax and give him the benefit of the doubt.