Ghostly (Darkly Devoted Book 1) (16 page)

Chapter Twenty-Four

The ride home was quiet, but the man’s words still haunted my brain. I couldn’t help but think back to when those ghost kids tried to hurt me and said the same thing. I hoped Cade would be able to answer any questions I had and was glad when we pulled up to the house to see my family gone.

I closed the door behind me and felt a slight breeze as if someone had walked past. There was no one in the room. I kicked off my shoes by the door and crossed into the living room. After making myself comfortable on the couch, I flipped on the television. The old black and white Dracula was on, and I squealed with excitement. I loved old movies, especially the old horror ones. He was so sexy, so dangerous, so…

Cade.

I felt that familiar aching in my stomach, that need to set my eyes on him, make sure that he wasn’t a figment of my imagination. My brain told me that none of it could be real; it wasn’t feasible. Maybe I was crazy for believing that any of it could’ve really happened. It was that feeling in my heart, the one where it fluttered and almost flew off without me when I felt the hairs on the back of my neck standing up on end. I closed my eyes as the chills made their way down my hairline and ended at the bottom of my spine.

I opened my eyes just in time to see Cade catapult over the back of the couch and land in the seat beside me, a smile spreading across his face. “Boy, I missed you.”

He leaned over and kissed me softly on the lips, making the wings of the butterflies beat even harder in my stomach. My heart pounded as he moved his lips over mine. All thoughts of the house and what it wanted were suddenly gone. He wasn’t even touching me, and it was enough to blur my thoughts. I reached out to him, wanting to close the distance between us and ran my hands down his black shirt, feeling the plain t-shirt underneath it. He laughed deep in his chest as he disappeared from underneath my hands. 

My eyes flew open to search for him, but his voice resounded from behind me. “Did you miss me?”

I laid my head back on the couch and looked up at him. “Maybe.”

He bent down and took my face in his hands, kissing me again, more deeply that time. His hands didn’t move from me, but I could feel some ghostly energy trickling down my neck and onto my chest.

Then it was gone, along with Cade, and I was left breathless on the couch. I pulled myself back up and saw him perched on the coffee table in front of me, still grinning from ear to ear. “What about now?”

“No, you’re a tease.”

“I love you.”

“I might kill you if you weren’t dead already.”

“Is that a homicidal threat?” he asked and lowered himself to the floor on his knees. He slithered toward me from where he was and my breath started to come quicker. My heart pounded in my chest as his smile faded into something more sinister. Anyone in their right mind would be running away.

“I, uh, maybe?”

He curled the side of his lip into a wicked smile as he reached my legs, running his hands up the inside of them. His eyes didn’t leave mine as his hands found my thighs, pushing them to either side of him so he could place himself in between them.

“You wouldn’t hurt a fly, Briar.”

“I would so, they are nasty creatures.”

He ran his hands around my waist, pulling me to him and kissing me roughly, intently, as if he would swallow me down and take me into the darkness with him. My hands moved around him, pushing his shirt up enough to grasp the cold, hard skin there, hoping that he couldn’t leave me now. I dug my nails in slightly for reassurance. He groaned into my mouth. My body grew warmer except for where his fingers touched me. 

Cade slowly pulled my leggings down and shoved them under the couch. He knew just what to do to make me writhe under him, make me want more and more of him. He clouded my mind and made me forget the world around us—the haunted house and the other ghosts there. They had to hate us, seeing us so happy and engaged in one another. Had to be jealous of the way he was pulling back and looking at me, love and lust rolled into one dark stare.

“You never fail to amaze me,” he whispered as he moved his lips to my neck.

He picked me up off the couch, and I wrapped my arms around him. “You’re so beautiful. I love you.” He twirled me around.

“You’re amazing,” I breathed, struggling to find the words to express what I felt. I hoped it didn’t hurt him, every time he confessed his love for me and I gave him something other than the same.

He lowered me onto the other couch and climbed on top of it with me. When his lips found mine again, his hands jerked me underneath him. I ran my hands through his hair, feeling the soft texture and closed his eyes as he pressed his body to mine.

In one swift movement, he gripped my hip with his hand and planted the other on the back of the couch. He made love to me, slower and more careful than he ever did. Desperate sounds erupted from my mouth as I quivered underneath him.

The sound of a car pulling up to the curb snapped me out of the spell we were under. I pushed at his chest as the panic settled in. “Cade, wait.”

“It’s okay,” he cooed.

“No, but my dad’s home.”

“Shh, I know.”

As he picked up the pace, I could feel the warmth growing inside my body. His name fell from my lips.

“Shh, Briar.” His lips twisted into a boyish grin. He was in control. Not me, not the house, just Cade.

Outside a door closed.

Cade shook his head and moved his hand from the couch arm and placed it over my mouth as the world swirled around me. It pulled me over into a world of ecstasy.

“You have to be quiet,” he insisted with a laugh. He kissed me sweetly on the forehead and told me he loved me before disappearing into nothingness. The feeling of him being there, sweaty and slightly warm on top of me, and then the suddenness of him being gone, was like a shock to my system.

I sat up abruptly and snapped back into reality as keys fiddled in the doorknob. Straightening my clothes, I plopped back down on the couch like I had been sitting there all along.

My dad walked in seconds later. “Hey, honey.”

Holy shit that was close.

Chapter Twenty-Five

“Uh, hi Dad,” I replied, lowering myself even further down in the couch and hoping he’d go away.

“How was your day with Meredith?” He sat down on the couch near me.

“Fine.”

“Have you been working out?”

“What? No!” I pulled my scarf up onto my face and tried to hide my horrified expression.

“Oh, well, what did you girls do?”

“Ya know, girl stuff. Talked about boys, ate lots of yogurt.”

He crossed his arms and leaned back in the seat. “Speaking of boys. That Cade kid has been hanging around here a lot lately. Are you two dating?”

Well, if that’s what you call it.
“Um, yeah, I guess you can say that.”

“He seems like a nice boy. I still think he needs to spend time with the both of us if he’s going to be here so much.”

The doorbell rang as if on cue.

That can’t be a coincidence.

He walked over and looked through the peephole. “Speak of the devil.” He opened the door and smiled at the person at the entrance. “Well hey there, come on in.”

“Thanks Mr. Summers,” I heard Cade say as he walked through the door. His eyes automatically moved to me, and he smiled before turning back to my father. “What’s up?”

“I was just talking to Briar about her day.”

“I’m sure it’s been very
exciting,
” he purred and walked into the room with a smirk on his face for only me to see.

My dad laughed, oblivious to what was going on. “As exciting as a day in the life of two teenage girls can get.”

I moved over on the couch to make room for Cade. The proximity to him was enough to make my skin heat up again. How was it I was still reacting that way to him? We spent so much time together I should have gotten use to how hot he was. How his hair fell over his forehead and down to the top of his shoulders. The perfect way his lips were shaped, full and sensual as they moved. The sharp features of his jawline and his nose, pulling together something that could be so childish yet so manly rolled into one.

“Don’t you think, Briar?” my dad asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Huh? What?”

I caught the entertained smile on Cade’s face. “The house was a really good buy.”

“Uh, yes, yes it was.”

“I’m telling you, Cade, she hated this house just last week, and now she seems to like it. I don’t know what you’ve said, but I believe it’s worked.”

“I don’t know, Mr. Summers. I just know that I’d be heartbroken if she left,” Cade responded, running a cool finger down my cheek.

My dad stood up. “I guess I will go find something to occupy myself so you guys can talk. Dillon should be home from his friend’s house soon. Just let him in if you don’t care.”

“Sure thing, Dad.”

The second he left the room, Cade turned his eyes back to me. “So, what do you want to do now?”

“I can think of a few things.”

He dropped his gaze downward and smiled. “I can’t believe your dad left me alone with you; I have a feeling you’re going to attack me.”

“No more than you attacked me earlier.”

His hand moved up fast to my face, gripping my chin and making me look at him. “I’ve never made you do anything you weren’t willing to do.” He was serious.

“I know, I was just kidding. Calm down.”

“You wanna finish your movie?” he asked.

“Sure, if you want to, but first I need to clean up.” I ran into the bathroom and did just that, returning and sitting on the couch beside him,

He pulled me over to him, leaning me back on his chest, and wrapping his arms around me. He rested his chin on the top of my head. I relaxed in his embrace, content to just hang out with him. It was nice for us to be out in the open, not hidden in secret like it usually was.

“Do you think we should tell my dad?”

“About what?”

“About this house, you.”

“No, Briar. You can never tell him what you know. He’ll think you’re crazy and send you off.” His grip tightened, and he held me closer as if I might slip away. 

“It’s okay, Cade. I’m not going anywhere.”

As the movie went off, I heart a frantic series of knocks at the door. Cade groaned in protest as I got up from the couch and grabbed my arm to try to pull me back down.

“Stop it.” I slapped at him playfully.

I walked over and opened the door. My little brother rushed into the room, words tumbling out of his mouth like a runaway train.

“He’s had a lot of candy,” Carla said, bright red lips smiling.

“Sissy, sissy, sissy,” Dillon said.

I scowled at the woman behind him.

She walked past me and into the room. She looked around as if she was searching for something, and her eyes settled on Cade. “Well, hello there handsome.”

“Get your skanky eyes off him.” I slammed the door.

“Very well, where’s your father?”

“In the study, I think.”

She stuck her nose up in the air and walked around me, disappearing down the hallway. I grabbed my little brother and stopped him in his tracks.

“Stop moving.”

“But Sissy! We went to the movies and we went to the park and we had some candy and some ice cream and and—” He jumped up and down under my hands, excitement buzzing out of him.

His eyes zipped over to the living room. “Cade!” He jerked away from my grasp and ran over to the couch.

“Hey, buddy,” Cade said.

Dillon jumped on him, and Cade fell to the floor. 

I leaned against the doorway and fought every inch of the smile that tried to spread on my face. He was so good with Dillon. They rolled around on the floor, each laughing like a kid. He let Dillon gain the upper hand. He begged for mercy and put his hands up in a defensive position as Dillon continued to tickle him without remorse. 

When Dillon looked up at me, he smiled even wider. “You can see him! You can see him!”

I moved my gaze from him and looked round the room. “What? Who?”

“Cade! You can see him! I knew it!” He poked Cade in the chest with his little finger. “You had better be nice to my Sissy.”

“No doubt, little man. I’d hate to make you mad.”

My brother hopped up to his feet and ran over to me. “Wait ‘till Daddy hears! He can’t see Cade.”

I bent down to look him in the eyes, letting the importance play over my face. “Daddy has seen Cade okay? Don’t tell him he’s your invisible friend because he’s real.”

“Okay, okay.” He rolled his eyes at me. “Can I go play now?”

“Yes.”

He ran off to play without another word.

“He’s a tough little dude,” Cade said, walking over and wrapping his arm around me.

“You have no idea.” I moved myself until I was facing him and ran my hands up his chest and around his neck. “I think we should go listen to some music in my bedroom.”

“Yes,” he growled. He grabbed for my hand and started walking towards the stairs, his brisk pace pulling me behind him and making me scurry to keep up with him. He let go of me when we reached the stairs and bounded up them, taking several steps at a time. I laughed and walked up behind him. He was so much fun. So childlike at times and so full of
life.
Others times he was protective, angry, and dangerous. There were so many sides to him, but the loving fun side was by far my favorite.