The Ghost: an Erotic Holiday Romance Read online

  He cleared his throat loudly and she glanced over. “Smooth.”

  He grinned and continued. “How long have you been able to see ghosts?”

  She shrugged. "I don’t know. Since I was young. Maybe since I was born but I think I didn’t realize they were dead. No one ever looks scary or gruesome. Some are naked. Some have clothes. But no one ever looks murdered…they all just look like people. I read once that is how a person sees himself.”

  They walked a little further and she began to shiver. He wished he could wrap his arms around her to warm her but likely he would only mirror her cold and make it worse. “Do you want to head back?” he asked after a few moments of watching her try to warm herself.

  “Yes, we can go around the block here and walk back up to my building.”

  He nodded and they ambled along. She stared around at the lights and the trees and it held in awe. He envied that about her. That she could feel such a connection to this holiday and this season. He’d always had no interest in it. Since his father sat him down as a child and told him Santa was a silly fantasy and his only concern was the bottom line of the company. And now at 35, he was dead and hadn’t lived a single second of the holiday season’s magic. For a moment his heart ached for the loss of it.

  They walked in silence and went back up to her apartment. He laughed as she stomped snow off her boots and shook it from her hair and clothing. Her hair was soaked and she just hefted it up and secured it with an elastic around her wrist.

  Once she finished she looked him over. “Now what? You ready to cross over yet?”

  He shook his head. “Not a chance.”

  “Am I ever going to be able to get rid of you?”

  He laughed and shrugged. “Never know.”

  She stepped forward and he found himself enthralled as she licked her pink lips. He wanted to taste them again and before the next thought hit him she had stepped into his arms and pressed her lips to his. He blinked in surprised before kissing her back as he wrapped his hands around her waist. She was so thin his fingers could meet at her back. He deepened the kiss and could taste her tea and the ozone in the air from the snow. He wanted her. It hit him with the force of a lightning strike. He wanted to spread her out on the floor, unwrap her like a Christmas gift, and make love to her until the little crease that grew above her brow disappeared.

  He broke from her lips in a pant. He didn't even need to breathe and yet he stood there unable to catch his breath.

  “What were you thinking about there?” she asked.

  He swallowed and shook his head, “nothing.”

  She arched a brow at him and he realized she’d probably know as the evidence of it now pressed against her abdomen.

  “Sorry. You’re a beautiful woman.”

  She chuckled. “I guess I can take it as a compliment since we were kissing. But something happened there in the middle.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean something entered your mind and I felt like an electric shock pass through me. I can still feel it sizzle in my ears.”

  “I’m sorry, did it hurt?”

  “No, it wasn’t unpleasant. Just different.”

  He nodded and decided he still wasn’t going to tell her. The fantasy of her legs spread wide for him would remain with him until he was forced to leave her side. Hell maybe she would be able to force him away. But he had no intention of going until she made him.

  She stepped back and went to the kitchen and grabbed a cookie from a plastic bag in the drawer. They looked to be homemade cut out cookies with icing. She took a bite and he almost groaned. She eyed him as she chewed. “Why are you staring at me like you want to eat me.”

  He grinned. Usually he would have made a crass remark at that but he held his tongue this time. “That cookie looks good.”

  “I’d give you a bite but we saw what happened with the tea mug.”

  He nodded but stepped forward. After she’d finished the cookie and swallowed the last bite he cupped her head and drew her lips to his. He kissed her and in that kiss he could taste it. The sprinkles, the creamy icing with a hit of cream cheese, and the rich sweet cookie. He could imagine it crumbling in his mouth and this time he did groan. She gripped his upper arms and her nails dug in and he released her. “I’m sorry did I hurt you?”

  Her face was pink and she seemed breathless. “No. I guess the opposite actually.”

  Her words hit him with the same force as the cookie had. She was turned on by him. He discreetly placed his hands down over himself. He was hard as a rock and he did not need to add further to his embarrassment. He smiled and walked around the counter so she couldn’t see everything.

  3

  Bridget clutched her granite counter top until her fingers ached from it. She wanted to do dirty things to this man and she didn’t even know his name. She laughed and released her grip. “What is your name?”

  He looked at her for a moment and laughed himself. “My name is Reece.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “Reece Phipps?”

  He nodded.

  “Shit.”

  He shook his head a crease forming at his forehead. “What?”

  “I actually have heard your name before. I was certain I would have no idea who you were…even if you did say you were some sort of big shot.”

  “I never said I was a big shot.”

  She chuckled and looked down at her feet suddenly feeling shy. “Well, even if you didn’t say it you have that aura that everyone should be able to recognize it anyway.”

  “Well, you have me there. But I was raised to give off that vibe. It’s not something I do just to be a dick.”

  She moved around the counter and for the first time in her life she wondered what it would be like to have sex with a ghost. The touch of his fingers still pressed against her skin. He had no taste to her but his full lips were soft and warm. She wanted more of that. Since he wasn’t going anywhere anyway she decided, why not?

  She ambled closer and he backed up and covered himself. She wished he would stop doing that. She liked to look at him. All those muscles and lines she wanted to trace with her teeth and her tongue. He was a beautiful man. She’d never been attracted to Asian men. They all had this unattainable vibe to them but something about Reece drew her in. She wanted to touch him in ways she’d only considered in fantasy. She walked to her living room and moved the coffee table to sit on the plush carpet in front of her couch.

  “What are you doing?” he asked walking over to stand next to her. She looked up the length of him and liked the view.

  “I’m sitting so you can sit with me. You obviously can’t sit at my feet all night. That’s just rude.”

  He bit his lip and she could see the wheels turning in his mind before he sat down next to her. But he crossed his legs in front of him so he could maintain a level of propriety.

  She thought they’d passed that mark a long time ago but she decided not to say anything about it. As he sat there he kept glancing at her from the corner of his eye.

  “What is it? Why do you keep looking at me like that?”

  He chuckled softly and she could see a pink tint climb up his neck. Could ghosts blush? She had no idea.

  “I want you,” he said. Clear as day and with no restraint. She gave him props for his certainty.

  She wanted him too.

  She reached out and turned his face to hers before climbing up on her knees so she could press her lips to his again. He groaned in her mouth and that only added fuel to the fire that raged inside her body. As he wrapped his hands around her waist she felt him lift her onto his lap. So all that working out wasn’t for nothing.

  She straddled him and felt the evidence of that need pressed against her through her pants. He traced the seem of her mouth with his tongue and she liked this dance. She pressed her own tongue into his and he tightened his grip on her ass. When he lifted her by the butt she took the advantage to press into his mouth harder. She realized she needed t
o date men that worked out more. The way he handled her only made her even more wet. She broke away from his lips and he pulled her top off over her head. She had a sports bra underneath and he jerked that off too.

  When his mouth closed over her nipple she ground down onto his lap. It was if his mouth held a static current along with his tongue and it burst through her body like a wave of pleasure. He took his time with both nipples until her hands tangled into his hair with frustration. It stood on end as he trailed kisses as far as he could reach with his lips. Once he’d reached the middle of her belly he lifted her onto the floor and ripped her panties and leggings off at her feet. She didn’t know what to expect as she lay his body on top of hers but she didn’t expect the heat of him. He was hard from head to toe and he melted perfectly into all her soft places. She had always been thin but her belly was soft and her thighs wrapped round his cushioning the angles of his hips.

  He kissed her and it was so much more than expected as he pressed his erection into her. She lifted her hips against his. He wasn't inside of her yet but the wet feel of him sliding against her clit drove her to distraction. “Please,” she whispered against his lips and he gave her exactly what she needed.

  He lifted his weight and carefully entered her. She didn’t want slow or careful. She wanted him to fuck her into the carpet until she had a rug burn on her back. After he removed his hand she didn’t let him catch his breath. She launched her hips up forcing him to meet her pace.

  “Good God woman. Slow down.”

  “Why? You’re a ghost. It’s not like we can’t do this again if you come too quickly.”

  He narrowed his eyes and she smiled because she knew she’s hit his ego. Men were always so predictable.

  “I want you to fuck me and I want you to do it hard.”

  He blinked at her and then gave her a lazy smile that made her stomach melt. His eyes told her he would do exactly as she’d asked.

  He slid his arm around to cradled her neck and then pressed his hips into her. Then he lifted her knees so they slid under his arms and then he found a hard rhythm. She smiled as she would certainly have rug burn when it was over. He didn’t make much by way of noises but the heavy breath against her neck added to her own arousal until she began to pant. Even with the brutal pace it still wasn’t enough. She reached between them and mashed her clit with one hand. The other hand she wrapped around his shoulder so she didn't pound against the couch. He looked between them and finally she got an “oh fuck” from him and those words sent her hurdling toward orgasm. “I’m going to come,” she whispered.

  He bit his lip and picked up a faster pace in and out. He stretched her in a good way adding more friction against her hand as she touched herself. He groaned and she knew he would come too. Another thrust and she felt the spark of it over take her and then she moved her hand and held on as he pounded her into the carpet. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she moaned against his neck. Her orgasm rolled over her like a wave on the beach and each crest sent a new spark of pleasure through her. A few moments passed and he groaned against her neck pressing himself in to her. For the first time she felt the full weight of him as he collapsed on her chest.

  She couldn’t take a full breath but at the same time she didn’t mind. Her head swam and she could see the blurry haze of the Christmas lights behind him. And for the first time in her life, Bridget blacked out.

  4

  Reece smacked her cheek gently and he realized he’d never even asked her name. “Wake up,” he said against her lips. He tapped her cheeks before taking a deep breath and smacking her harder than he felt comfortable with.

  She came to with a jerk against him. He’d gotten off of her, worried that maybe he’d crushed the air from her but she sat upright with a gasp. He rubbed her back unsure of what to do. The woman came and then passed out. He’d never had that happen before in his life. And he’d been with a few women in his day.

  “Are you ok?”

  She swallowed and clutched her chest. “Yes. I think so. I don’t know what happened.”

  “Well, you passed out.”

  She rolled her eyes and swatted his arm. “I got that part, Sherlock. I’ve just never passed out after sex before.”

  She blinked and he helped her up. “I’d get you some water but then you’d have a mess to clean up too.”

  She waved him away and padded into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. He watched her twist the top and then gulp back half of the bottle. He wanted to taste that too. He imagined it would be cold and refreshing. He rubbed his chest and realized it didn’t matter. He wasn’t thirsty, tired, or feeling anything at all except a lazy post orgasm haze.

  She drank down the water and then lay her head on the counter top. Another cold thing against her skin. She had a thing for being cold.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, finally walking over and placing a hand on her shoulder. Her skin felt warm against his, almost fevered. “You are really hot.”

  “Well, that was one hell of a workout,” she said with a laugh. She walked over to the window and opened the latch. The snow was deeper now and the sky a beautiful shade of pink and grey. He’d loved that shade since he was young and fell in love with the snow. That pink sky always told him the snow was coming. She stood naked in the window her hair whipping around her shoulders. He reached out and lifted the weight of it in his hands. It was heavy in his palm. He would have loved to know her when he was alive. The things he could do with that hair. She’d think of it as another erogenous zone. He reached into the strands and began to massage her scalp with his fingers. She sighed and leaned against him. He could feel the wind now that her skin was touching his. He continued the massage until she groaned aloud bringing about the memory of her in his arms only moments ago. That sound would haunt him. He had no idea how much time he had left on Earth but as long as he did he would hear her groans in his ears.

  “What is your name?”

  She chuckled and he could feel the rumble of it in his chest. “What?”

  “I realized I didn’t know your name.”

  "It’s Bridget.”

  “Tell me about yourself Bridget? What makes you happy?”

  He could feel her smile in the way her head moved. “I love the snow. I love Christmas. I love the way night feels on your skin and the ozone scent before a storm. I love the way your fingers feel when you touch me. It’s like your skin has an electric current that somehow meshes with mine.”

  “Is that all that makes you happy?”

  “I’m a woman. Of course not. I love Torts. And I love the sound of a court reporter clicking on her stenograph. I love yoga and puppies and the smell of a baby…even if I’ve never wanted one of my own.”

  He swallowed and continued the massage. Everything that made her happy also made him happy.

  A sneaking suspicion entered his mind. Maybe he hadn’t been sent to her because she happened to see ghosts. Maybe he’d been sent to her for other reasons.

  She tilted her head back and looked up at him. “What is it?”

  He shook his head and continued massaging her scalp.

  “Don’t lie to me. Something happened right there. I felt you jerk against my back.”

  He laughed. “You are way too observant.”

  She shrugged, “it comes with the territory.”

  “It was nothing I just had a thought and then it was gone. I don’t even remember what it was.”

  The guilt clawed into his chest. He’d never felt guilty for lying to a woman before. Ever. And yet as he stood with her naked in his arms he felt a wave of it threaten to choke him. “Why don’t we go watch that movie now?”

  “I have a feeling you don’t particularly like Christmas. It’s even more understandable since you were recently crushed to death by your Christmas tree.”

  He laughed. He’d already forgotten his recent death. Somehow being around her, touching her, he felt alive. And that was saying something considering he d
idn’t even feel this way when he was actually had a heartbeat.

  “Or we could make out.”

  “Isn’t making out a step backwards since we just had sex.”

  “Well if you don’t want me naked in your lap I guess I’ll just have to find another ghost to sate my appetite.”

  He growled and spun her in his arms and planted a hard kiss against her lips. He felt the bite of her teeth below and pulled back. He didn’t want to hurt her only impart his intention.

  “Don’t you even think about another ghost.”

  “Considering you’re the only ghost I’ve ever touched I think we are safe.”

  He nodded and led her back to the floor where they’d only moments ago made love. The carpet was mussed and twisted from the slide of their bodies and he smiled as he sat down and drew her on his lap again. This time he took her leisurely. He wanted her panting in his arms before he entered her. This time he would have her his way and not the other way around. He kissed her and she twitched and twisted in his arms but he held her tight before breaking the kiss. “No, we are doing it my way this time.”

  “Oh, and how is that?”

  “Slow and deliberate.”

  She pursed her swollen lips. “That sounds like a scandalous political movie title.”

  He shrugged and leaned up to take her lips again. They were soft and tasted warm and sweet against his. As she parted his lips with her tongue he allowed her access and enjoyed the way she tried to take control every few seconds. It was a game now. Her trying to seize the lead and him holding her back. They both knew who was the stronger person.

  Finally she groaned and broke away again. “You’re killing me.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Doubtful.”

  She had the sense to look bashful. “Sorry.”

  He wrapped his hands down around her waist and pulled her into him. He loved the feel of her naked skin along the length of his torso. She was a tiny creature but she created enough heat to warm the both of them.