Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Diana stayed the night, and then he planned to stay at her apartment the following night.
It was Friday night anyway, and the Fall Fest kicked off Saturday morning.
He had to be there because Daphne had gotten a booth for One Shot Tactical.
They were doing shifts in the booth so the range would remain staffed, and he was up for the first three hours with Blaze.
Daphne would be hanging around all day to make sure things ran smoothly.
He’d tried to get out of it, but one lip quiver from Daphne and he’d found himself grumbling his agreement to give up three hours of his time.
When he’d told Diana about it a couple of nights ago, she’d laughed and said, “She played you. She knows you feel guilty for that stupid agreement with Kane, and she’s not going to let you off the hook anytime soon. ”
He’d grumbled some more, because he knew she was right, and then he got busy taking her clothes off and making her come. Much more satisfying way to spend his time.
Last night they went to the brewery and had a drink with Gannon, chatted for a while, then left him making eyes at a woman young enough to be his daughter. Dude was a tool, but they needed him for that connection to the militia.
They’d gotten nothing new out of him, nothing of interest. Just the usual bitching about conspiracies and people having it in for him, being treated unfairly after the years of his life he’d given to Uncle Sam.
The audio from his apartment was salacious for the kind of shit he watched and the things he did, but so far it wasn’t treasonous.
He talked to people other than sex line operators, but it was nothing interesting.
Athena was never mentioned and most of the talk was about shooting guns or meeting up at bars.
Ghost hoped like hell they got to take him down when they got the leaders of the plot against Athena. If they didn’t, then he’d have to have a little chat with Gannon about what he would personally do if there was even a whiff of him misbehaving in future. Especially with women.
The man could be a player all he liked. Be a serial dater and fuck whoever he liked, but he needed to do it honestly. Desire had to be mutual, not coerced.
It was after five when Ghost took the stairs up to Diana’s apartment and knocked on the door. He heard her walk across the floor and then she was there, pulling the door open, her wheat blond hair shining in the light, her blue eyes warm and welcoming.
She wore tight jeans with ankle boots and a cornflower blue sweater that slipped off one shoulder to reveal bare skin.
He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in for a thorough kiss.
Her arms went around his neck, her breath sighing from her as her mouth opened and his tongue slipped inside.
He was instantly hard. Ready to tug her jeans off and slam home. He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist, kissing him with abandon as he carried her into the apartment and toed the door shut.
“Damn, Princess, you make me crazy.”
“Same.”
It was only the buzzing of his phone in his jeans pocket that brought him back from the brink of diving into this woman and not coming up for air until several hours had passed.
“Dammit,” he muttered as her long legs unwound from his waist and slid down his thighs. He set her down and she stepped back, running a thumb over her mouth.
“And now I have to go fix my lip-gloss. You better check your mouth for pink,” she said as she moved toward the hallway where the bathrooms were, snagging her purse along the way. “I don’t think it’s going to be your color.”
He pulled the phone from his pocket and sent a quick text to Blaze that they’d be at the Dawg in a few minutes.
He’d rather strip Diana naked and feast on her, but he’d promised her dinner with the gang tonight.
Reason number one why he didn’t follow her to the bathroom.
If he did that, he’d bend her over the sink and fuck her with the mirror reflecting everything they did.
And that was a hot as fuck idea he was going to have to file away for the future.
He went into the kitchen, tore off a paper towel, and wiped his mouth. Sure enough, there was pink lip-gloss on the paper. He balled it up and tossed it as Diana returned, looking remarkably put together for a woman who’d just had her legs around his waist and her crotch rubbing his dick.
“You sure you want to go?” he asked.
She smiled that gorgeous smile that seemed to turn him inside out lately. “I’m hungry, so yes.”
“But I get to eat you for dessert, right?”
“I’m counting on it.”
He took her hand and they walked out of the apartment together. “Then let’s get this whole dinner thing over with as fast as possible.”
She laughed. “You’re insatiable, you know that?”
He was, but only with her. It was almost frightening how much he needed to be inside her.
How much he liked sleeping in the same bed with her.
He’d always liked his space, liked sleeping in his own bed with nobody throwing a leg over him or cuddling up to him during the night.
He wanted to be free to move. Free to respond if someone broke in or if he had a nightmare that woke him.
Until Diana. Now he wanted her wrapped around him, her impossibly soft skin against his, her scent in his nostrils as he slept. Maybe he was mellowing with age, or maybe watching his teammates with their women had him thinking about what it’d be like to wake up with the same woman day after day.
“You complaining?”
“Absolutely not. Your tongue is magic. I like it when I’m dessert.”
“Damn, now I’ve gotta think about the most boring things imaginable or I’m walking in the Dawg with a tent in my jeans.”
“I can help.”
“Don’t want to think about you helping, Princess.”
She laughed. “I mean I’ve got something else to think about. A story about Ackerman. He took Colleen’s cemetery tour last night. And now he has a date with a ghost whisperer.”
Ghost felt his eyebrows climb his forehead. “With Colleen? Isn’t she about twenty years older than he is?”
Diana laughed. “Not with Colleen. With Reba. They hit it off. She took a special interest in him on the tour—”
“Wait, she’s doing the tour again? She’s over the whole falling in the grave thing?”
“I don’t know if she’s over it, but she was there last night. Ackerman walked with her as Colleen led the tour. Did you know there’s a ghostly regiment of Confederate soldiers who ride through the cemetery during a full moon?”
“Can’t say as I did.”
“Horses and everything. Ackerman said it was quite imaginative. There are a lot of ghosts in Sutton’s Creek, apparently. He didn’t see any, though. Reba told him that’s not uncommon.”
Ghost snorted. “No, I suppose not. Amazes me Colleen can make a living doing what she does, but she’s nothing if not determined. And entrepreneurial.”
“Have you ever been in her shop?”
“Can’t say as I have. You?”
“Yes. One of the first times I explored Sutton’s Creek.
I went in because I was curious. It’s really cute.
Smells like patchouli, and there are a lot of crystals that clink together as you move through the narrow aisles.
She has a lot of stuff that has nothing to do with ghosts.
Touristy stuff like postcards and photo books.
She can also tell your fortune and hold a seance if you like.
Oh, and teach you to communicate with aliens. ”
“Busy woman,” he said as they reached the back stairs to the Dawg and headed up.
It was Friday night, which meant prime rib, and the place was packed.
Out of habit, he scanned the room looking for threats.
The four idiots who’d attacked Diana at the militia meeting were primary on his list, but he didn’t see any of them.
The One Shot Tactical group was at their usual table, all the men and women seated and chatting. Diana hesitated a second, but he propelled her forward with a hand against the small of her back. He hated that she still felt like she didn’t belong, and he hated that it was his fault.
“Hey, y’all,” Emma said. “We ordered appetizers but no meals yet.”
Ghost pulled out Diana’s chair and she sank onto it with the kind of regal grace he’d come to expect.
Her cousin was a princess, but she could have been, too.
He was thankful she wasn’t. If she had been, this thing between them wouldn’t be happening—and his life would be a lot less satisfying than it was sitting here beside her, bumping shoulders from time to time.
Thinking about the dirty things he was going to do when he got her alone.
Ghost only half paid attention to what Chance and Seth were saying while Daphne engaged Diana in conversation.
He could hear parts of it, though it didn’t make a lot of sense.
Stickers, something called washi tape—washi?
—glue sticks, and a mini-printer. Then he heard book club and tuned out.
He was glad Diana was participating, even if the entire reason they’d started dating was to team up so they could infiltrate Dashevsky’s militia group.
Even when this thing ended and he was gone, he hoped she’d remain friends with the other women.
The evening went the way evenings with his guys and their women usually went.
They laughed and talked and ate, joking and daring each other whenever there was a thing to dare someone over.
Playing I’m Too Sexy on the jukebox and dancing to it while pointing to yourself was one of those things.
That was Chance’s dare, and he did it because of course he did.
Everyone laughed and cheered, and Rory cupped her hands to her mouth and yelled, “Take it off!”
Which Chance started to do until Big Nikki put her hands on her hips and told him in no uncertain terms she’d throw him out on his very fine ass—her words—if he did. Then she scolded Rory because, as half-owner, Rory was supposed to know this was a family establishment.
And it was, though to be fair it was after eight, the band was coming on at nine, and there were no children present.
Still, rules were rules. Chance returned to the table to more cheers, giving Big Nikki a wet smack on the cheek as he did so.
She rubbed it off and shooed him away like he was a mischievous eight-year-old instead of a grown man.
Though he often acted like an eight-year-old, so maybe she was right.
Beside Ghost, Diana laughed with everyone else. He slid an arm across the back of her chair and scooted closer to her. She turned to him, the look of sheer happiness on her face hitting him square in the gut.
Had he ever seen her unguarded before? He didn’t think so, but here she was, laughing with abandon and giving him the full glory of a face that wasn’t clouded by sadness or pain.
Fuck.
He wanted to see her happy like this. She carried too much weight on her soul for someone her age. Too much responsibility. Self-inflicted because she didn’t share her burdens with anyone.
God knew he wasn’t anyone to point fingers, but he’d been carrying his a lot longer. Plus, he had friends to have his back if he needed them. Diana didn’t seem to have anyone.
He put his mouth to her ear, noticing the little shiver that rolled through her when he did. “I could eat dessert any time you’re ready.”
She turned to say something, but he kissed her instead of waiting for a reply.
When they broke apart, he knew she was as ready to leave as he was.
His gaze collided with Seth’s as he swiveled his head to tell everyone they were going.
There wasn’t any animosity on Phantom’s face, but there wasn’t approval either.
Not that Ghost needed anyone’s approval.
Seth nodded as he picked up his beer and sipped.
Ghost took Diana’s hand and they stood. “Well, ladies and gents, it’s been fun.”
“Aw, leaving already? It’s not even nine o’clock.” Daphne had a gleam in her eyes that said she knew exactly what was on his mind.
If he weren’t in his forties, he’d stick his tongue out at her. He figured if he did, she’d stick hers out in return. Then they’d devolve into a chorus of oh yeah? Yeah!
“Yep. And it’s your fault for making me stand around in a booth tomorrow. Gotta get enough sleep.”
“Because you’re old. Totally understand.”
“Kane, you need to get your woman under control.” He was laughing inside, but he said it gruffly.
Kane snorted and kissed her temple. “As you well know, nobody controls Daphne.”
“Thank you, baby.” She kissed his cheek. “Nighty night, old man. And Diana. You get tired of this old dude, I’m sure we can find you someone far younger and less crotchety.”
Diana laughed. “I like him just the way he is. But thanks.”
“What are friends for?”
“Come on, babe. Let me get you home before my Geritol wears off.”
Diana waved as they walked away. “Goodnight, everyone. Thanks for a fun time.”
“Night!” they called out as he dragged her toward the back door.
Five minutes later, he had her naked and spread-eagled, her gorgeous ass sitting on her kitchen island. He sucked her nipples while she moaned, then dropped to his knees and slid his tongue into her wet heat.
Fucking perfect.