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CHAPTER 1
Acold breeze whispered across Jessica’s face, tickling her nose. Still half asleep, she pulled the covers up over her nose, and they were immediately yanked back down as she heard a low, masculine chuckle. Well, that was new. She forced one eye open and saw Leo’s familiar figure standing in the corner of her bedroom, smiling at her. As always, her heart did a funny little skip, and she couldn’t help smiling back before she gave him a mock frown.
“It’s too early.”
“No, it’s not,” he said in that deep voice that always rumbled pleasantly across her skin. “It’s almost noon.”
“Really? Well, damn, I guess I better get up.”
She climbed out of bed, yawned and stretched, then shivered when a cold breeze whispered across her stomach when her short cami top rose up above the waistband of her pajama shorts. Leo was still in his corner, but she gave him a suspicious look.
“Did you do that?”
“Do what?” he asked innocently, but she could see the laughter in his eyes.
“You’re incorrigible,” she scolded, even though she really didn’t mind.
If only he’d actually been able to touch her stomach—not to mention other areas of her body. The biggest disadvantage of having a ghost… friend was his inability to actually touch her. In every other way, he was perfect. Kind, thoughtful, interesting, not to mention handsome. He’d owned a logging company before he passed but he often worked with his crews and he had the broad shoulders and powerful physique of a man who did physical labor.
Perhaps handsome wasn’t exactly the right word. His features were more rugged than classically handsome and his short, dark hair was sprinkled with silver. He’d only been thirty-five when his life had so tragically ended but he hadn’t had an easy life and his face reflected it. As far as she was concerned, it only served to make him more attractive.
In all the years she’d spent traveling, using her skills to bring peace to the departed and comfort to the living, she’d never met anyone quite like him. During the ritual in which she’d banished his vengeful ex-wife, she’d sensed something from him that she’d never experienced before—an immediate warmth, a connection—and apparently, he’d felt it too. He was no longer trapped in this location by that vengeful spirit, but he hadn’t moved on. Neither had she.
After so many years of an itinerant lifestyle, moving from place to place as the spirits called her, she’d decided to settle down. She’d taken a job managing the restaurant that occupied the ground floor of Midnight Manor and moved into the cozyapartment above. She hadn’t admitted to herself at the time how much Leo’s presence had influenced that decision.
She had been growing increasingly restless and tired of traveling, but she’d never anticipated choosing a small southern town that was occupied by as many Others as it was humans. But the Others, creatures of myth and legend who had finally made their presence known to humans, were far more accepting of her unusual abilities than most humans. She’d felt at home here almost immediately, but it had been Leo who tipped the scales.
After six months, she was still glad that she had chosen to stay, but the difficulties of her situation had grown increasingly frustrating. She sighed and wandered over to her wardrobe. The door opened as she approached, the hangers sliding apart to reveal a pretty pale green dress sprinkled with tiny white flowers.
It was one of her newer purchases, more fitting her current role than the type of clothing that she had worn as Mystic Madam, but still floaty and feminine enough to satisfy those instincts.
“I take it you’d like me to wear this?” she asked dryly, and Leo smiled at her.
“There’s no point in buying new clothes if you’re not going to wear them.”
He was right, but surrounding herself with layers of cloth made her feel protected, even if the thin fabrics didn’t actually create much of a barrier.
“You will look very pretty in it,” he added gently. The look in those kind brown eyes made her heart skip a beat but she did her best to hide her response behind a mock sigh.
“Oh, all right.”
She took the dress off the hanger and went into the bathroom, firmly closing the door behind her. It too was an artificial barrier. Leo could travel freely anywhere within the building, but he had promised her that he wouldn’t intrude and she believed him. If only most corporeal humans were as trustworthy.
She washed and dressed and studied herself in the mirror. He was right. The pale green color flattered her pale skin and dark brown hair and brought out the hints of green in her brown eyes. Although it revealed the faintest hint of her small cleavage, it was perfectly modest, and the full skirt fluttered comfortingly around her legs.
She hesitated a moment then started layering on her necklaces, in addition to the stack of bracelets she never removed. Gold links strung with charms, crystals suspended on fine chains, long strands of beads, a black leather protective amulet. They were her armor, and she felt better as soon as the weight settled around her neck.
“There,” she said triumphantly, as she returned to her bedroom. “Are you satisfied now?”
His eyes flicked to the necklaces before traveling down over the dress.
“You look very pretty,” he said, and she could hear the sincerity in his deep voice.
“I was referring to my obedience rather than my looks,” she said a little breathlessly.
“Can’t it be both?”
“I suppose so,” she laughed, taking refuge in humor as she walked out into the living room.
