Page 15 of The Curse of Redwood
“You’re not going to see me out? That’s not very gentlemanlike. And here I thought I was a guest in your home.”
“A guest? No.” Z shook his head. “More like a nuisance.”
“Is this how you treat every guy you bang? Or am I just special?”
“Go home, Carter,” he said with a sigh. Despite his grumble about it, he flashed to the door and opened it for me.
I stepped toward the entryway, seeing the courtyard that waited just outside the door. Any other person probably would’ve run toward it, desperate to escape the place known as ‘the mad house.’ Meanwhile, it was taking all I had to keep my feet moving.
Because I don’t want to leave.
Once reaching the threshold, I turned to Z. His form was solid now, unlike the shimmery apparition he’d been earlier when I’d almost punched him. Silvery blond hair fell to his chest, and my fingers ached to touch it. I fisted my hand at my side to keep from doing so.
“I guess this is goodbye?” I said, stalling as long as possible.
“Indeed, it is.”
“I’m leaving now.”
“Hard to do if you don’t move your legs.”
“I’m getting there,” I said in a huff before taking a step. Yet, instead of going outside, I had stepped toward him.
His grip tightened on the door as he eyed me. A warning lingered in his eyes. One I ignored as I slid my hand to his neck and brought our lips together. Sure, his lips were a little cold, as were his hands as they moved to my waist, but it didn’t bother me. He deepened the kiss, holding me as close as our bodies would allow.
And then he tore from my mouth.
“Carter,” he said with a soft sigh. “We can’t do this.”
“Why?”
“Because…” He firmly gripped my arms and shoved me back a step. “I do not want you. Now leave.”
“You’re lying,” I said, staring at his seemingly expressionless face. But I saw a spark of something in his eyes he tried so hard to hide: longing. Why was he so hellbent on pushing me away? “If it’s because you’re a ghost, that’s not a deal breaker for me. My best friend is dating a—”
“Leave,” Z interjected in a hardened tone. Whatever I’d seen—or thought I’d seen—in his gaze was gone. Only irritation stared back at me now. Strange how I felt colder staring into his angry eyes than I did while in his arms. “I will not tell you again.”
“Fine.” With my gaze locked on his, I stepped back.
As soon as I was far enough outside, he slammed the door in my face. I flinched and stumbled backward at the sudden whoosh of air, my foot bumping an empty flower pot and sending me off balance. I caught myself on the column behind me before staring at the closed door in shock.
No human would’ve been able to shut such a heavy door that hard.
Were Z’s emotions tied to his powers just like Theo? When Theo got mad, the fireplace roared to life or cabinets and doors started slamming.
As Z had pointed out, we didn’t know each other well, but from what I gathered about him, he carried himself with a calm collectedness. He didn’t lash out.
So, why was he angry at me?
He’d been kind the other times I’d met him. Charming, even. But there was nothing charming about the asshole I’d just talked to.
I turned away from the door and walked down the steps. Something dashed across the yard, and I flipped in that direction. The little boy stood beside one of the trees in the small courtyard. He quickly hid himself behind the trunk before peeking around it.
Unlike earlier, I wasn’t afraid of him. A bit creeped out? Maybe. But a gut feeling told me there was nothing to fear. He just wanted to play.
His head snapped toward the left before he disappeared. I looked back to see Z standing in one of the front windows. The little boy then appeared beside him.
“This is no place for someone like you,”Z had told me.
