12. Sawyer #2
I look over her shoulder, and every cabinet in the kitchen is open. “I’ve been upstairs this whole time. I didn’t do this. You were in here with me when I left the room.”
She searches my face, then sighs. “I don’t have time for this.”
I take a step toward her, getting as close to her as I can without touching her. “You don’t have to work this hard to get my attention. You already have it.” My gaze drops to her full pink lips that she’s currently pushing out in a slight pout.
“Stop staring at my lips like that.” There’s a slight breathlessness in her voice as she shifts on her feet.
“Like what?”
“Like you want to do something you’ll regret.”
“I dunno. Feeling your plush lips against mine, while you inject me with your venom sounds like a great way to spend an afternoon.”
Her eyes drop to my mouth. It’s quick, and if I’d blinked, I might have missed it. “Injecting you with something would probably be the only way I could get you off of me since you clearly can’t take a hint.”
“I think you like this back and forth as much as me.”
She inhales quickly, her pulse beating through the skin of her neck. I wait for her to deny it, but she doesn’t. Seconds pass as she silently stares up at me, so I decide to have a little fun.
“Afraid you’re a bad kisser?”
“There’s no such thing as a bad kisser,” she shoots back.
Damn, Summer was right.
“I beg to differ. I’ve had my fair share of awful kissing experiences in my day.”
“Then those weren’t the people you were meant to kiss. Everyone has different preferences and skills.”
“Says someone who probably kisses like they don’t care how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop,” I say, delighting in the way her brow furrows.
She walks over to the bowl of fruit, moving the bananas before grabbing a large pear.
I watch as she takes a bite, following the movement in her throat as she swallows.
It’s an effort to calm the excitement threatening to make itself known in my pants.
Once she finishes chewing, she clears her throat, redirecting my attention to her gorgeous face.
“I’m only doing this once, and I’m not holding your hand through it.
” A deep sigh escapes her as her lips hover over the fruit. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
Then she presses the pear against her lips, devouring it like she’s starving.
I step toward her, transfixed by the way her mouth presses against it. The way her lips slide across the flesh. The way her little pink tongue slips out, caressing the fruit as it catches all the juices. The noises she makes as she sucks and nips the pear. I’ve never craved a piece of fruit more.
As quickly as it started, she pulls back and tosses me the fruit. “Your turn.”
“Do you want me to pretend like this is your mouth or your pussy?”
Her cheeks pinken at my words as she rubs a hand along her collarbone. “Why am I not surprised that you aren’t taking this seriously?”
I swallow down the sting in her words and hold the pear up to my mouth. “If there’s one thing I’m serious about, it’s proving myself to you.”
“You can use the other side, so you don’t have to slobber on the part with my germs.”
“I’m not worried about a little spit.” Then I lower my mouth to the fruit where her mouth was and press my lips against it, licking and flicking as I maintain eye contact with her.
Each time my tongue peeks out, she licks her lips, so I continue doing it.
When I work my lips against the pear, she inhales sharply.
As I slowly drag my tongue in a circle, she shifts, crossing her legs.
There’s not an ounce of shame in my movements.
“Okay, I think you made your point.” There’s a hint of arousal mixed in with her usual exasperation.
“Are you sure? I could happily feast on that all day.” My eyes flick to her crotch.
“I should uhhh… get back to work.” Her gaze locks on my eyes, then dips to my lips. This time it’s not a quick peek. No, she’s really staring.
I’m about to close the distance between us when a loud bang comes from above, and we look at the ceiling in unison.
“What was that?” I ask, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice.
“Like you don’t know.”
I look at her. “I don’t. You said no more pranks, and I listened. I had nothing to do with any of this. Is there someone else in the house with us?”
“You saw the kids leave.”
“Mine are with their mom.” I shoot her a worried look.
“Nope. I know that face. There’s a logical explanation for all of this.”
I cross my arms. “And that is?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t figured it out yet.”
“I’ll check it out.”
She grabs my arm. “What if it’s a spider?” Her tone is so serious, I almost can’t tell if she’s joking until the corner of her mouth tips up.
“Fuck off. That sounded way too big to be a spider.”
Her feline grin widens. “It could be a whole nest of them.”
“Spiders don’t have nests.”
“They do. Trust me, I’ve learned way too much about them from Summer’s son Logan.”
“Oh, the kid with all the animal facts? I’ve heard about him from Tommy.”
“That’s him. Now quit stalling.”
I open the cupboard under the sink, looking for a flashlight.
Even though it’s broad daylight, all the window coverings we’ve added have made the house feel spookier, and the odd noises don’t help.
Then I march upstairs and peer into each room, pointing the flashlight in first like I’m a hero in an eighties cop movie.
“Why do you look like one of those dummies in the Police Academy movies?”
Raven’s voice startles me, and I slap my hand to my chest. “You about gave me a heart attack.”
Her face drops. “That’s not funny.”
Fuck. I forgot that’s how her husband died. “Sorry, I didn’t mean—”
I’m cut off by the sound of something rattling, like a loose windowpane next to a train track.
She traipses off after the sound, and I follow close behind her as we enter her bedroom, then her bathroom. When she stops abruptly, I bump into her. “Shit. Sorry.” I back away, giving her space.
The look on her face when she spins around has me suddenly curious. It’s a mix of fear and embarrassment, maybe?
“It’s nothing. You don’t need to worry about it.”
I look over her shoulder and see something moving through the frosted glass door of her shower.
“Then what’s that?”
She pinches the bridge of her nose, exhaling as she steps back, motioning for me to check it out. I walk over and open the shower door to a bright blue vibrator dancing around the floor of her shower. When I lean down to pick it up, she speaks.
“Don’t touch it. I don’t know where your hands have been.”
I back up and let her pass. “You have some freaky ghosts.”
“It probably lost suction with the wall and landed on the power button.” She spins on her heel and looks me dead in the eye. “And there’s nothing freaky about a woman having toys.”
Why can’t I keep these thoughts in my brain? “I wasn’t saying… I didn’t mean to imply… Shit. This is what I was talking about. I’m terrible with this kind of stuff. I was making a joke. I have no problem with toys. Trust me. It’d be hypocritical for me to say that.”
“Why? Do you have a Fleshlight?”
“What? No, I just use my hand. I meant—”
“You know, I don’t care what you meant. Just cut it out with all the pranks.” She slams the vibrator onto the counter, and it wiggles with the force as she stomps off.
Me
I’m fucking this up.
RJ
Did you read the books?
Yes.
And?
I did all the things and nothing’s moving the needle.
What did you do?
The growling.
The shirtless sweaty man.
The doorframe lean.
Even the ‘who hurt you?’
Nothing is working.
Who says it’s not working?
I can’t get a reaction out of her. The only thing that gets anything is when I tease her back.
Did you do the prank?
Yes, and she was not pleased.
Damn.
Yeah, she told me to stop.
And now all this weird stuff keeps happening at the house and she thinks it’s me.
Weird?
Cabinets opening when we leave the room.
Strange noises.
Lights turning off.
That is weird.
It’s starting to freak me out.
I think this place might be haunted.
Don’t tell Raven that. She’ll think you’re an idiot.
Too late.