Page 6 of Ghost

“Sal, I got a meatball, a salami, and a tuna; hold the onions,” I holler as I place the ticket on the ringer and spin it around to Sal, the line cook for the diner. I look through the window as soon as I call it out, because I know what he’s going to say.

“Hold the onions? What's the matter with kids these days? The flava’s ain’t the same without the onions.” His Italian accent is thicker when he complains about customers' orders.

“Ahh, they’re just youngsters! Give 'em time, and they’ll develop that good pallet.” I smile at him as he grunts and turns back to his work, but not before replying.

“Don’t know what you're talking about, darlin’. You couldn’t be older than thirty-two.”

I want to laugh at that even being remotely possible. I’d wager a bet it might kill ol’ Sal to know I have a daughter closer to that age than I am. Still, I just shake my head and get back to work. This is just another pit stop, so it's best to let people come upwith their own assumptions. The crazier the story, the further from the truth, is what I always say.

I sneak a look around the diner as I make my rounds. I know that frustrating man is in this city. I don't know how long he’s been here, but I know he’s good enough to get to me within days. I've been here a little longer than normal, waiting on him to make his move, anticipating it, but so far…nothin’. The man’s trying to kill me. I guess it's the least I deserve, seeing as I’ve made him chase me all over Timbuctoo and then back down to BFE. I guess a little payback is due.

Still, I’m a lady, and I like to be the one making them wait. This being the one waiting business is for the bees. I just need a sign, a hint. I have a gut feeling telling me he ain't far behind me, but not the one telling me he’s close. This man's patience and stealth make me equally thrilled and frustrated. I’m about to get desperate and make a show of going out of town, but that makes me even angrier. I've never been desperate for a man. For food? Yes. Love? Yes. Security for me and Lyra? Heck yes. But never for a man.

Once I finish my rounds and help Ricky bus some of my tables, I look up and see it's my break time.

“Loretta, I'm taking my fifteen minutes,” I yell and get an “Okay, hun.” in return.

I grab my pay-as-you-go phone from my locker before heading to the back door. It leads to a small alley that backs up to the bakery next door. Some old milk cartons are stacked for some seating. Normally, I wouldn't be caught dead in an alley all by my lonesome, but it's a dead end and Sal put a gate at the mouth of the alley so no one without a key can get through. We are as safe as can be back here. Sighing and opening the old flipphone, I see two missed calls from Lyra. Hmm… that's weird. She usually waits for me to call her.

I’m about to call her back, but the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. There's a small growl, and I smile right before I’m grabbed and pushed up the side of the building. The next thing I know, that smile is getting kissed right off my face. If I didn't know it was him, if my body, my soul wasn’t sure of him, I would be ramming my knee so far into his pool balls. But this kiss feels oh so right. You remember them old 90s songs mama used to blast through the trailer? Windows down, curtains open, and the music playing. Those songs that just take you back and make you feel like home. Yeah, well, the angels are playing that tune right now, and I could stay in this moment til the cows come home. He breaks it all too soon, though.

“Scare ya, Bunny?” he whispers against my lips, placing another small kiss on the corner of my mouth.

“Took ya long enough, darlin’. I thought you might be getting lazy on me. Thought I was about to have ta’ go out and find me a new suiter. I’d say the one at the bar back in Omaha would work, but I think you took that option from me, huh, big guy?” The growl comes again at my words, and dang it all to hell if that doesn't make me hotter than a two-dollar pistol.

“Over my cold, dead, burnt, and evaporated body, darlin’. Even then, I don't know that I’d let hell get between me and the closest swingin’ dick. How’d you clock me? I made sure I wasverycareful.” As he speaks against the skin of my neck, interspersed with teasing kisses, he slides his hand up my side, grazing my breast, over my collar, and up the side of my throat. I want to moan, but I know I’ve got to give as good as he does.

“How are you supposed to keep me in your grasp for eternity, buddy? I plan to go to the big gold streets in the sky.” This time, it's a laugh that falls from his lips. One that has me dazed and all kinds of amazed.

“Heaven and earth couldn't keep me from you, bunny. We’ve played your cat-and-mouse game, and I've had a mighty good time. I can't let you go now that I got you, though.”

His words have me swooning so hard I don't even realize until it's too late, and I have my mouth plastered to his with my legs wrapped around his hips like some hussy. Does that make me stop? Hell no.

“Don't think I forgot you didn't answer my question.”

Oh, he means the one about knowing he was following me. There's no real way to answer that question. Well, not one I'm giving him just yet. Got to hold some cards close to the girls. Plus, how do I explain that my body just knows? My soul just feels him. It sounds crazy, and I’d much rather go back to the bumpin’ and grindin’.

I moan as his mouth trails down my neck. When I expect him to stop, though, he doesn't. He goes lower. His lips brush along my collarbone, sending shivers down my spine. I arch my back, pressing closer as his hands roam lower, caressing my sides. His touch leaves a trail of heat on my skin. I run my fingers through his hair, tugging gently as his mouth continues its tantalizing journey downward.

He pauses to look up at me, his eyes dark with desire. I nod, giving silent permission, lettin’ my brain take a hike as I give into the moment. With agonizing slowness, he begins to unbutton my blouse, his fingers deftly working each button. As more skinis revealed, he places open-mouthed kisses along my sternum, his tongue peaking out to flick and tease at the freckles dotting my skin there. I gasp at the sensation.

Finally, he pushes the fabric aside. His hands cup my breasts as his thumbs brush over my hardened nipples through the lace and slight padding of my bra. I moan softly at his touch. He lowers his head, taking one sensitive peak into his mouth through the fabric, and my back arches off the wall as pleasure courses through me.

With a growl, he tugs the cups of my bra down, letting the girl spring free, and I can’t help the giggle of satisfaction that I let slip when his eyes darken with desire before he dives back in. His tongue swirls and flicks as I writhe against him. One hand kneads my other breast as the other slides lower, gripping my hip. My skin feels electrified, every nerve ending alight. I clutch at his shoulders, feeling the corded muscles under my fingers. His fingers work against the hem of the skirt of my uniform, teasing the fabric up my thighs and opening up more of me for him to enjoy. I whimper in anticipation as the subtle breeze hits my skin the more he reveals.

His mouth releases my breast as he looks up at me, eyes smoldering. "This okay?" he asks, voice husky with desire.

I nod frantically. "Please," I breathe.

He smirks and slides his hand inside my panties. I gasp as his fingers find my slick folds, already wet with arousal. He strokes me gently at first, building the tension. I rock my hips, seeking more friction. Taking the hint, he increases the pressure and speed of his fingers. Waves of pleasure wash over me as he works me expertly. His thumb finds my sensitive bundle of nerves, and I cry out, digging my nails into his back.

"That's it, bunny," he murmurs. "Let me hear you."

He slides one long finger inside me, then another, curling them just right. The dual sensation of his fingers pumping in and out while his thumb circles my clit has me climbing higher and higher. My breath comes in short gasps as the tension builds. I'm trembling, teetering on the edge of ecstasy.

"Come for me, Firecracker," he growls, voice rough with desire.

His words push me over the precipice. My back arches as the pleasure crashes around me, swamping my senses, and it drags me under. I cry out his name as my inner walls clench around his fingers. He works me through the aftershocks until I collapse back against the wall, panting.

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