Page 34 of Ghost of a Chance
“I love it.It’s about these kids with powers who were all born on the same day and a billionaire adopted them all, training them to be a team to save the planet.Except their powers aren’t easy to control.Anyway Ben is killed and the only one who can talk to him is Klaus.We can watch it together sometime.”
“I’d like that.So your idea was born from the show?That’s so cool.I could never do anything like that,” he said, stopping while Chewie did his business.The feeling of wanting to create something, to be something, seemed so much out of reach for him.He and Paul had been working together to try to finish a project left undone by his dad.Paul was doing the science bit and Jasper had been meant to finish writing some pages in a science fiction short story his dad had started.
He’d tried but the words just never really came to him and the pages he’d written felt clichéd and forced.Just another thing he hadn’t followed through on.With effort he shook that failure off.
Kirsty looked beautiful under the illumination of the streetlamp.There was something softer about her out here.Talking about her writing had relaxed her.
The dark lipstick she had on earlier had worn off.His eyes were drawn to her mouth, and then all he could think about was kissing her.
“What?”
“I want to kiss you.”There you go.He’d never had a filter.
“I…sure.”
“Sure?”
“Kiss me, Jasper.”
He didn’t give himself time to overthink it.He leaned over and bent down.She went up on tiptoe, her hands on his shoulders, and their lips met.Hers parted under his, a moment of surrender.Fuck, she tasted better than he remembered.Faintly of Coke and rum, but mostly something spicy and addicting.
It took all of his willpower to lightly touch her waist and not pull her fully into his arms.She was hesitant, he respected that.They were working together, even he had his doubts if this was a good idea.But he felt like he’d combust if he didn’t keep touching her.Just his hand on her waist was enough…for this moment.
Her lips were swollen.“I’m trying to be smart here.”
That’s right.She was worried about her career.And getting caught fraternizing with the man she’s supposedly helping could make it all seem like a hoax.“Got it.I’m a dumb idea.”
“You’re an idea.Nothing dumb about you, Jasper.”
She nestled her head on his chest.He hugged her with one arm, listening to the steady sound of her breath.Chewie came back and nudged between their legs like he wanted to be part of the hug.
Was this the friend zone?
It felt like it.But somehow he felt better about where the two of them were now than he had earlier.
The more he got to know her, the more he liked her.
* * *
This night had been a ride.The first and probably last séance she’d ever conduct had weirded her out.That voice had been so deep and dark.A warning, and not one she wanted to ever hear again.
While kissing Jasper was a little salve for her battered soul.But one-night stands were for the road and book tours, not for people she had to work with, so a kiss was all she’d allow herself.Too bad that her body didn’t seem to get the message.
Her breath still felt heavy, her entire being still reaching for Jasper.But her mind was too busy.Monkey mind, they called it.The chaos of trying to figure out so many things.Who was the voice?Was Paul still in the book or was he in danger?Would she get her book written on time?Should she sleep with Jasper like every fiber of her being craved?Right now that voice she’d heard during the séance was still at the edge of everything.
It had frightened her.Jasper with his sweetness and kisses was the balm for that.Comforting her in a way that she really didn’t want to unpack right now.
Her mom had been pretty clear that, if she was going to play at being a medium and talking to ghosts, she needed to keep things light.Inviting herself into their realm could awaken something unexpected.But her warning had fallen on deaf ears.In no way had Kirsty ever believed any of it was real.
Now she had this faint feeling that it might be.
She might have called a spirit forward… “What did Paul sound like?”
“Huh?”
Jasper gave her a funny look, his attention on Chewie who was inspecting something.She repeated the question.
She didn’t want to divulge that she’d heard a voice in that room.No one else had mentioned hearing anything, so it was probably in her head.And if it wasn’t, she didn’t want to reveal it before she understood who—or what—it was.
