What the Heart Knows

He traced the picture of the two of them with his niece Kaya at the zoo. Kaya had been five at the time. With her dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes, most people had mistaken her for their daughter. It was then they’d realized they liked the sound of it and decided to start trying for one of their own. Hannah stopped taking her pill, and three weeks later she’d been killed. He pulled the plastic cover away and pulled out the picture. If any memory would still move her, this would be one of them.

He took a deep breath and snuck a glance over at the couch where Juni still slept. She’d taken to living with him since they left Madeline’s, afraid that Hannah would return and make her do something she couldn’t take back to one of her family members or friends. He was grateful she’d fallen asleep. If she saw him like this, she might take it personally. He wiped away the drops of liquid that seeped out the corner of his eyes and moved on with his search. It would take more than just this to break the icebox that existed where her heart had once been.

A few hours later he’d skimmed through all the albums, chosen a few more pictures and sentimental items Hannah had once been attached to. Now it was just a waiting game. All contact from Hannah had ceased. His dreams had been peaceful, and Juni was well rested. Hannah was either exhausted from her appearance a few days prior, or she was ramping up for something huge. He heard movement in the other room, and turned to see Juni stir beneath the blanket that covered her. Oliver tensed as he waited for her to surface.

“Are you awake, Juni?” He held his breath as her head appeared from beneath the blanket.

“Yeah. How long was I asleep?”

“A couple of hours.”

“I guess I was more tired than I thought.”

He relaxed. It was Juniper.

“We’ve been burning the wick at both ends with work and research.”

“Very true.”

&nbs

p; “How about we order in tonight, and relax?” Oliver asked.

He pushed himself to his feet, and walked over to sit on the couch beside her. He wanted to wrap an arm around her shoulders, but things between them had been strained to say the least.

“Sounds good to me, how about you order while I go to the bathroom to freshen up. All I can smell is coffee.”

He laughed, and nodded his agreement as she rose and made a beeline for the guest room.

Chapter Fifteen

The minute she exited the living room, Hannah twisted Juni’s face into a sneer. It was exhausting pretending to be Juniper Bloom. Her upbeat, perky attitude was like kryptonite to Superman as far as she was concerned. Juni’s life might have been amazing since the transplant, while hers had been a dismissal wasteland. Still, she’d learned her lesson the last time she’d jumped the gun and taken over. If she wanted to hang around she had to act the role to a T. Hannah walked into the bedroom and scowled at the clothing selection. Was Oliver really into this whole bohemian hippie chic thing the girl had going?

She chose the least offending outfit, a pair of faded blue jeans and a plain white t-shirt, and entered the bathroom. These clothes would be the first thing to go when she was in control permanently. She sat the clothing on the top of the counter, stripped down and stepped into the shower. Right now Juni thought she was asleep. It was how she’d managed to slip in under the radar. She’d woken to see Oliver going through their things, and her heart soared. He wasn’t as over her as he pretended to be. It would make the transition period so much easier. Sure, he’d feel guilty for a bit, but really, this was out his hands. Hannah leaned her head back and sighed as the steamy water hit her skin. It was heaven, experiencing sensations and emotions again.

She hadn’t realized all she’d be giving up when she refused to go into the light to stay behind with Oliver. At first things were fine. There were plenty of other ghosts around to talk to, and her presence seemed to bring him comfort. Over time she started forget things. Her time spent as a human began to seem like a distant memory. She remained with Oliver, but their relationship began to shift into something different when she realized his life force made her more powerful. It wasn’t much at first. She was careful not to take enough for him to notice.

Problem was, it was like a drug. The longer she used, the more she needed to take. It made her feel bad at first, seeing him drained and weakened. Then her ability to feel began to wane and the guilt stopped. Finally all that remained were anger and love, or rather some twisted blend of the two. She had never possessed anyone until Juni, and once she’d gotten a taste of real emotions and sensations she knew she was lost. It was all or nothing because she couldn’t go back.

She did her best not to stare at Oliver as the night wore on, but it was a losing battle. It’d been too long since she’d been in his presence in a physical body. She moved closer to him on the couch and inhaled the all too familiar scent that made her heart accelerate. Disagreement be damned, she wouldn’t wait another moment to be with him. Hannah ran a gentle finger down his angular jaw. He shivered and turned to pin her with jade green eyes that darkened with desire.

“I thought you were mad at me, and wanted to wait until—”

“Shh.”

Hannah placed a finger on his lips and shook her head. She leaned in to kiss his lips and moaned in the back of her throat. He tasted just as delicious as she remembered. Her arms crept up to wrap around his neck as she rose to her knees, hungry for more. She was a starved person and he was buffet placed in front of her. She nipped at his bottom lip and raked her nails over his scalp. A growl vibrated through his chest, and she climbed onto his lap. Hannah rolled her hips and purred when his cock stiffened against her. They pulled apart for air and she leaned her head back and reveled in the wetness that coated her walls, and the throb in her swollen clitoris. Just like riding a bike.

“Fuck!”

He hissed as his large hands came up to grip her hips hard enough to leave bruises. She swiveled her hips again and gazed down to meet his eyes.

“I need you now, Oliver.”

“Tell me what you want.”

“I want you to fuck me.”

His eyebrows rose, disappearing beneath the fringe of hair he had swept to one side.