More of You (Confessions of the Heart 1)

She couldn’t tell if it was amusement or venom that fell from his tongue, and she was instantly picturing the dead end about a half mile up and the handful of old, rusted trailers dotted on the half-acre of overgrown land.

The shock at finding him there drained from her, though now she itched, part of her having a good mind to go running for safety down the opposite direction of the road.

The other part of her was pinned to the spot, enraptured by those eyes that were watching her.

“What are you doing here?” he finally asked again because when she looked at the situation, she was the one who was out of place.

“I just . . .” Her teeth gnawed at her bottom lip. God, he was gonna think she was stupid.

His brow furrowed in curiosity, and she saw something there that had her opening her mouth and letting her dumb little dreams come pouring out. “I always walk home from Courtney’s this way. I like to look at that house.”

He peered over her shoulder, down that tunnel of trees that seemed to lead to another dimension. As if you could step right into another time. “You call that a house?”

A shock of nervous laughter ripped from her. “I was just thinkin’ the same thing.” She turned a little, wonder gliding into her tone. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. A little scary. My cousin Joseph said it’s haunted.” She thought it was laughter that glided across his face when he said the last, trying to get a rise out of her.

She slowly turned to look at it. “I think that’s what I like most about it. It’s like it just got left out here. Forgotten. I can only imagine the stories those walls could tell.”

He moved to stand at her side. “No one lives there?”

“No one has been there for a long time, though there was a family who used to come and stay for a bit in the summers. Guess they still own it, but the mother passed, so they haven’t been around in a long time. Heard a rumor they’re gettin’ behind on the taxes.”

They stood there in the silence. The boy standing at her side as if he might appreciate the beauty as much as she did. Faith was sure she’d never been so uncomfortably comfortable.

Maybe too comfortable because she was suddenly murmuring, “One day, I’m gonna own this house. Fix it up. Make it something spectacular. A hotel. A bed and breakfast, maybe. I don’t know.”

He looked over at her. The threat of a tease wound up at one side of his mouth, twisting up her heart at the same time. “Why would you want to go and ruin the mystery by fixing it up and chasing away all the ghosts?”

She felt the smile slide to her lips. “Oh, I’ll let them stay.”

He laughed a low sound. It was quiet, but somehow, it still managed to shake the ground. “Of course, you will.”

Then he reached out and snatched her hand.

Fire flashed up her arm, this time so intense she couldn’t help but gasp out a shocked sound at the feel of it, his hand so big and warm where it was wrapped around hers.

“Come on, let’s see if we can see any of those ghosts.”

He started hauling her down the narrow drive, the trees hugging them from both sides, branches rustling and waving in the hot, summer wind.

Alive.

A low whistle coming from their leaves.

“Jace, what are you doin’?”

“Chasing ghosts.”

“That’s a bad idea. We aren’t supposed to go up there.”

He looked at her from over his shoulder, his face so gorgeous, eyes so bright. “What, are you scared?”

Terrified.

“No.”

“Then hurry up.”

“I’m wearing sandals.”

She shrieked when he suddenly spun around and hoisted her up and tossed her onto his back.

Her legs wrapped around his waist as if she’d done it a million times before, and her arms held fast to his neck.

His hands clasped around the outsides of her thighs.

Oh goodness.

Her stomach twisted and pitched, and she bounced all over as he raced up the deserted driveway.

“Jace.”

“Don’t you trust me?”

No. Not at all.

He ducked down a fraction, laughing as he ran, something carefree winding with the whispers uttered from the trees.

Faith held on for dear life, sure she was in some sort of mortal danger, because this boy was the only thing she could breathe.

Her nose to the flesh of his neck, his deeply tanned skin a kiss of summer.

She didn’t want to let go when they got to the base of the magnificent wraparound porch that was held up by massive pillars, but finally, she slipped down his back and onto her feet.

“Whoa,” he said, awe striking him the same way as it did her.

“Told you.”

He stretched out his hand, taking hers again, his movements slowing as he carefully led them up the whitewashed steps that moaned from disuse.