Dicky wouldn’t give up.
Cody glanced up again at the tower. The moment he’d agreed to Maxine’s job offer, he’d known that Haworth House would be the perfect sanctuary for Brie. His previous visit there had been short, but ever since he’d left, he’d known that he was supposed to return. This was the perfect opportunity. Hattie Haworth had already played a role in saving the lives of two of the Brightman sisters. He was betting she’d also extend her protection to Brie.
“There’s a big Singles Weekend going on at Haworth House.”
At the words, Cody shifted his attention to the elderly woman standing next to Brie. Avery hadn’t mentioned anything about a Singles Weekend when he’d contacted him.
“They’re bringing out Hattie Haworth’s fantasy box at a kick-off mixer this evening,” the woman said. “If I were ten years younger, I might take a shot at it.”
“A shot at what?” Brie asked.
“Having my most secret sexual fantasy come true. I’m here to help my granddaughter out. Molly runs a boutique on Main Street—Discoveries—and I’m going to fill in for her this afternoon and tomorrow so that she can give the fantasy box a whirl.”
Brie shot Cody a sideways glance, then returned her gaze to the woman. “This is my first trip to Haworth House. Could you fill me in on this fantasy box?”
“Well, the ghost that haunts the place, Hattie Haworth, was a movie star who came here to retire after her silent film career took a nosedive. When the Brightman sisters opened the hotel, they discovered the fantasy box that Hattie supposedly used with her lover.”
The woman’s eyes twinkled as she leaned closer. “Word is that once you draw one of the fantasies out, she makes it come true.”
“Really?” Brie asked.
The woman crossed her heart and raised her right hand. “Swear. Scary stuff, when you think about it. But my granddaughter’s a true believer. If you’re going to be at the hotel tonight, you might want to talk to her about it. Her name’s Molly Pepperman. She can probably convince you to try it.”
“My fiancé might object to that,” Brie said.
The woman shifted her gaze to Cody, then back to Brie and winked. “I understand entirely. No need for a fantasy box when you’ve got him.”
“Clarissa.”
At the call, the woman said, “I have to go. Perhaps I’ll see you again.”
Brie turned and met Cody’s eyes. “You’re taking your fiancée to a Singles Weekend. Sounds like our relationship is on the rocks.”
Cody winced. “Avery didn’t mention the singles thing.”
Humor flashed into her eyes. “I suppose there are worse ways to end an engagement.”
“Sounds like you’ve had some experience.”
“No. Not me. I don’t have an interest in long-term relationships. Right now I’m totally engaged to my career. From what I can see, relationships just get messy and make you unhappy.”
She turned again to face the sea and Haworth House. “So you’re taking me to a hotel that boasts a ghost who fulfills people’s sexual fantasies.”
“Among other things. Hattie Haworth also has a knack for bringing swindlers and murderers to justice. And she’s been instrumental in saving the lives of two of the owners.”
Glancing at him, she quirked an eyebrow. “You’re talking about her as if she’s a real person.”
“Ghosts are real people. I’ve met a few.”
“Really?”
Cody grinned at the dryness in her tone. “In the three years since I quit the CIA, I’ve worked on a few cases involving paranormal elements, and I’ve discovered I have a talent for, well…seeing ghosts.”
“You see the dead? Like the kid in The Sixth Sense?”
“My talent isn’t that highly developed. But I do occasionally catch sight of people who have passed on. Last time I was here, I caught a brief glimpse of Hattie’s lover, Samuel Jenkins. But I have yet to see her. So I was going to come back here, anyway.”
“To see a ghost?” Brie was staring wide-eyed at him now.
If he told her he thought that he was supposed to come back, that he believed Hattie wanted him to, he was sure it would freak her out. So he held up his hands and said, “I know what you’re thinking. Here I am with a bodyguard who’s taking me as his fiancée to a Singles Weekend and on top of that, he believes in woo woo. And it’s true, I do believe in it. Hattie Haworth is one of the reasons we’re here. In addition to fulfilling fantasies, she also takes care of people she likes.”
Though her gaze didn’t waver, he thought he saw a smile twitch at the corner of her mouth. “And if she doesn’t like me?”
“Not to worry. She loves me.”
Her laugh came quick and fast and it was so infectious, he found himself joining her. They were still laughing when the boat lurched suddenly. He gripped her hips to steady them both and their bodies bumped, brushed and then held.
For Cody it was like taking a shot to the gut. His mind began to empty again, as if someone had pulled a plug, and he struggled to focus. He had to release her, step back, but he didn’t. Then he made the mistake of dropping his gaze to her mouth. Her lips were unpainted, soft and parted. He simply had to taste her. Perhaps that was the only way he’d be able to put things into perspective.
“I’ve been thinking about kissing you since I first saw you in Times Square. It’s distracting me.”
Truth told, it was very nearly killing him to be this close and not tasting her. When she moistened her lips, he felt more of his brain cells shut down, and he moved one hand to the back of her head. He wanted his mouth on hers.
“Kissing would be a mistake,” she said.
“Yeah. We’re on the same page there.”
But she didn’t move. Neither did he.
“On the other hand, it could be an even bigger mistake if I can’t get it out of my mind and it keeps me from doing my job,” he said. “So let’s just see what we have here.”
He drew her up on her toes and covered her mouth with his. And what he had was a whole lotta trouble. That was his last coherent thought as the first jolt rocked his system. He’d expected the blast of heat. What he hadn’t anticipated was the intensity of the ache, centering in his gut and radiating outward to his fingertips.
It took all of his control to keep his hands where they were when all he wanted was to slip them under that thin T-shirt she was wearing, to run them up her torso, to feel the press of her nipples against his palm. Just thinking about it had the blood roaring in his head.
He had to let her go before he completely lost track of where they were. But first, he tightened his grip on her, leaned against the railing to steady both of them and took more.
Brie couldn’t think. She couldn’t breathe. He flooded her senses until there was no one but him. His taste was as dark and forbidden as the most expensive chocolate. His smell was a mix of soap and sun and sin. His hands—one on her hips, the other at the back of her neck—were so hot, so…necessary. Her pulse thundered.
And there was so much heat. It had hit her like a blast furnace, and she wanted nothing more than to crawl right into it until her bones melted. Maybe then, the sharp fist of need inside of her would loosen.
A sudden blast of sound froze her to the spot and stopped her from wrapping her arms around him. Even then, he was the one who drew back and set her away.
“We’re approaching the dock,” he said.
She blinked, but wasn’t quite able to bring his face into focus. Still, she managed to say, “I told you that kissing would be a mistake.”
“You were one hundred percent right.”
The fact that he didn’t sound contrite or even worried about it cleared her vision. “This is serious. We’re going to have to figure out what to do.”
The grin flashed, quick and lethal. “I have several ideas.”
She did, too. And try as she might, she couldn’t quite push the images out of her mind.
“Since none of my ideas would be appropriate right here, I suggest we postpone this discussion until we get to Haworth House.” He grabbed her arm and led her toward the queue that was already forming.
“We have to be sensible,” she said. At least one of them did. “We should come up with a plan. Maybe we can get separate rooms.”
“I would bet that on a Singles Weekend, the hotel is booked. But I agree we have to have a plan. Let’s find our rental car. We’ll both have some time to strategize on the ride to the hotel.”
Strategize. Oh, good. First he kisses her senseless and then he wants her to strategize.
As they joined the end of the line, he turned her toward him, gripping her chin with his free hand so that she had to meet his eyes. “One thing I can promise you, Brie. Keeping you safe is my first priority.”
3
CODY TURNED THE CAR Avery had arranged for them onto the road that would lead to Haworth House. They would have been at the hotel already if it hadn’t been for the elderly motorist whose car had stalled smack in the middle of the first intersection they’d come to. The only vehicle that got around the traffic jam was the motorcycle that Cody had seen board the ferry at the last minute.