Page 16 of TBR: Dead But Well Read

“This would be so much easierif we could walk through walls like the reapers,” I grumbled, watching Evander work. For an old building, it was proving a challenge to unlock the ancient steel door.

“Where did they get this thing? An estate auction at Alcatraz?” Rhodes snarled and glared at the unmoving steel as though he could intimidate it into allowing us entrance.

“Lochlan, I thought you said this door would be a piece of cake? I’ll try for another minute, but we might need to resort to more drastic measures or try the other door.” No sooner had Evander spoken the words, than the door swung inward.

“Good work, Ev.” Rhodes clapped him on the shoulder as he moved past him and into the library’s dark interior.

“I didn’t do that,” Ev whispered, standing and pocketing his lock-picking tools. “Maybe the ghost helped?”

Following Rhodes inside, I searched the darkness, trying to feel for Axelle. I couldn’t see her, but her scent lingered in the air. Ready to get to work, we headed straight for the security cameras, only to find the two screens were dark.

“Huh. Maybe they were rearranging things in here and forgot to plug them back in?” Evander suggested.

Rhodes shook his head. “No. Axelle was in here recently.”

“So she’s helping us? Shouldn’t we take her to a vortex before she fades out?” Ev’s gaze bounced between Rhodes and me.

“Not unless she asks us to. So don’t even think about it,” I warned him.

“She’s different. If she was going to fade, I think she would have already done it,” Rhodes added. “Now, let’s get to work.”

“I think we should start in the storage room. That’s where the ghosts seemed to be headed this afternoon. Follow me.” Without waiting for them to respond, I turned and headed deeper into the library.

To my disappointment, I didn’t see Axelle when we passed through the archive room. It was odd though; I almost thought I could feel her. But ghosts couldn’t hide themselves from reapers or collectors, so if she was there, I should’ve been able to see her.

The memory of her blending with the shadows in the storeroom came to me. At first, I’d simply chalked it up to the dark room, but I could see just as well in the dark as I could in the light. It was a skill I’d never appreciated more than today when Axe had blown the lights in a fit of embarrassment.

The expressions she’d made as she mocked herself had been on the level of an animated movie character. It had taken every ounce of discipline I possessed to keep from laughing… or pulling the adorable woman onto my lap and kissing her pouty lips.

When she finally stopped poking fun at herself, I’d thought I was in the clear. But then Axelle had turned her attention tostudying my face. I wasn’t a mind reader, but the shift in her energy and the way her eyes had darkened as they focused on my lips told me she’d liked what she saw.

It had been physically painful to keep my muscles relaxed when I wanted nothing more than to taste her. I’d managed to mostly keep my hands to myself until we’d been in the storage room. It was the way her hips swayed that had pushed me over the edge. I’d needed to touch her—to feel her body against mine.

Recalling the way Axelle had melted against me caused my cock to harden. When I’d tucked my face against her neck, she’d tilted her head the slightest bit, unconsciously giving me better access, and my heart had melted.

I was a stranger, but Axelle trusted me. She’d wanted my touch. Sure, she’d pulled away before things could escalate further, but I didn’t care. She was attracted to me, and that was all I needed to know.

She might have been the ghost, but I was going to haunt her sweet booty until I’d made her mine…

“Argh!” I flopped back on my makeshift bed on top of the bookshelf. “Stupid men!”

I was on a date with the latest release in my favorite series by Eva Chase. It should have been a perfect evening. The book was just as amazing as I’d come to expect from the author, but my mind kept wandering to Lochlan and Rhodes.

Less than twenty-four hours ago, my life—well, death—had been perfect. It was uncomplicated. Now I couldn’t shove aside the thought that I should help the guys.

“Don’t do it, Axe.” Even as I warned myself, I was already accepting the fact I would ignore the advice. “This has nothing to do with you. If you get attached to them, it’s going to get messy.”

I reread the page in front of me three more times before I finally snapped the book closed and drifted to the floor. Wasabi appeared in the doorway, his whiskers twitching as he glared up at me.

“Yeah, I know I’m breaking my rules. But my conscience isn’t going to let me sleep until I do something to help.”

And my libido isn’t going to let me rest until I give in to desire.

Bending to give Wasabi a quick scratch under his chin, I tried to reassure both of us I was still in control of the situation. “All I’m going to do is open the back door and turn off the security camera. Then it’s right back to my book.”

My rat bestie gave a reproachful squeak, not buying my excuses.

Turning off the cameras took less than sixty seconds. I was getting good at this whole ghost thing. I approached the back door, then stopped at the soft rumble of male voices that came from the other side.

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