Page 49 of The Ghost of Ellwood
“Leaving Harvey would be cause for scandal, and she cared too much for him to tell the truth about his sexual appetites.”
“That’s not ideal, but it doesn’t sound too bad. I mean, at least you’d still be able to be with Harvey in an environment where his wife knows.”
“It would’ve been the closest thing we had to a happy life.” Theo sat on the edge of my bed, fiddling with his hands. “But that was the last time I saw him.”
I knew better than to ask for more.
“Thank you for letting me read it.” I stood beside him, tempted to sit but knowing if I did, I might not be able to resist the urge to touch him. He’d made it clear he didn’t want anything to happen between us.
“You should get to work,” he said, standing up and moving across the room. “The book won’t write itself.”
“Fuck work,” I said, going after him.
He spun to face me, and as he did, I caught him against my chest. Goosebumps spread down my arms at the iciness of his skin.
“Ben?” His lids grew heavy as his brown eyes searched my face. “We can’t.”
“Why?” Lavender drifted to my nose, and I leaned in closer to him.
“Because…” He sighed and tilted his head back, surrendering to me. “I cannot think of a reason right now.”
I kissed his neck, loving the coolness on my lips. The soft moan that left him made my cock harden. Theo gripped my shoulders and I slid my hands down his sides.
Even with clothes between us, I felt the muscles of his body. Felt his strength. I wondered if he could feel my arousal. Wondered if he was as hard as me. I had no idea if ghosts could even have sex, but I was more than willing to experiment and find out.
“Can I kiss you?” I asked, a hair’s breadth from his mouth.
“Yes.” The word was spoken breathlessly.
I cupped his cheek, noting the softness of his skin. My pulse raced through my veins and it was hard to breathe. His lips were so close, but I didn’t want to rush it. Theo could only be savored.
An incessant ringing pulled me from the moment.
“It’s your telephone,” Theo panted.
Telephone. God, he was too precious.
Still with one arm snaked around his waist, I pulled my phone from my pocket.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Ben. It’s Shane. I hope you won’t be pissed about it, but I ran it by your publisher, and we think it’s a good idea for your brand if you did another signing. It’s been a while since you’ve done a public appearance, and I researched Ivy Grove and found a cool location. A signing around Halloween would be a great way for you to get back out there and stay relevant.”
“Wow, Shane, that was a mouthful. Am I allowed to talk now?”
“Don’t be an ass.”
Theo wound his arms tighter around me, and when he rested his cheek on my shoulder, I felt so light I could float away. Had we really been so distant not even five minutes ago? And now he was holding onto me, and I to him, like we’d been together our whole lives.
“A signing actually sounds nice,” I said, moving a hand down Theo’s back. “I don’t have many copies of my books on me, though.”
“All taken care of. You should receive boxes within the next few days. I’m also making a trip out to join you.”
“Is James coming too?”
“Would you hate me if he did?”
“No.”
