Page 28 of Ghost Note

Before he could respond, I jabbed my finger into his hard chest again, and I walked away.

I walked away on shaky legs, and I headed back to my table with Ben, not looking at Rhett bloody Ryan or any other handsome, out of place, musician around here as I went. They could all burn in Hell for all I cared, and they could take their crappy music with them.

When Ben looked up at me through sleepy, bored eyes, I gave him a nod and gestured towards the door.

“Let’s get out of here.”

“Now?” he asked, glancing behind him. “You don’t want another drink?”

“No.” I held my hand out for him to take. “I’d rather gouge my eyes out than spend another second sharing the same oxygen as some of the arseholes they let in here.”

Before I left, I could have sworn I heard a quiet chuckle of appreciation coming from Rhett’s direction, followed by a mumbled, “Damn, that fool’s in more trouble than I thought.”

Nine

Ipaced my bedroom, willing myself to calm down.

Ben and I had parted ways only an hour ago after I’d assured him that I was fine. Yes, I used that word. He told me to call him if I needed anything, and then said he was heading to another pub about a half a mile away to meet up with his boating friend, Dean.

My heart was beating so damn fast, I couldn’t draw a full breath. Danny was back in my world, and I needed him to get out of it before I did something stupid—before I lashed out and hurt his arrogant face. I needed him to feel this pain, and I hated that side of who I was becoming because he was back.

Distance between us had allowed me to pretend everything about us had been a lie.

One second of his touch upon my skin had reminded me that everything about us had always been electric.

Hehadto go.

I had to figure out a way to make him leave… or at least stay in hiding until he went of his own accord.

Before my mind exploded, I stripped out of my dress, tossed it on the floor, and I marched into the shower. I need to scrub the day off me, and I did. Every inch of my skin was lathered up and rubbed until my skin felt raw. My makeup bled from my face, and my scalp burned from the way I scrubbed it like it was covered in lice. By the time I’d stepped out and dressed in a pair of soft, black leggings and an oversized white T-shirt, I expected to feel fresher and for the brain fog to have lifted. Instead, I found myself in front of the mirror again, staring at my scraped back, wet hair, and my flushed face.

“Danny… stop. My mum could walk in… oh, crap…” I panted, my eyes closed, and my chest bouncing as I struggled to breathe. Danny wasn’t just turning me on with my nipples anymore. His hand had slid down my stomach and into my underwear until his fingers found the wet heat there waiting for him.

He loved to do this; to watch us in the mirror and see us together when he made me climax.

“Shh,” he whispered in my ear, making my eyes flutter open and take him in. “I want to make you come right here. I want to watch your face change and your cheeks pink. I want to watch you beg me quietly to keep going and going, Daisy.”

“We… shouldn’t,” I mouthed, but my body betrayed me as my hips and arse moved, seeking friction and motion from Danny’s touch. He knew when to apply the pressure and when to take it away. He knew when to tease and when to deliver. He knew when to press and when to pinch.

He knew everything there was to know about me, and I trusted him with all of it.

“The things you think we shouldn’t do are the things you want the most,” he whispered, nipping my earlobe between his teeth and pulling a seductive moan from me. “You’re my favourite thing in the world, Daisy.”

I came hard from his touch… and from his words, because Danny was capable of worshipping my body and cradling my heart, leaving me feeling satisfied and adored.

Without thought, I blinked at my reflection. Three breaths passed beforeI picked up my hairbrush and threw it at the mirror, screaming at the top of my lungs as I did. The glass shattered into so many pieces, I regretted my actions before those pieces had even fallen to the table and floor. My hands flew to my mouth, and I stepped back, observing the shitty mess I had no one else to blame for except myself.

The shitty messInow had to clean.

Tears threaten to form. I pushed them back.

I was better than them. Stronger.

So, I’d lashed out. Big deal. It was five years overdue.

I gave myself thirty seconds of counting Mississippi-style to get it together before I blew out a breath and went downstairs to find a dustpan and brush. My arse was hanging out of the cleaning cupboard when there was a knock at the door. When I looked at the time on the oven’s clock, it read 10:00 p.m. There was only one person who ever knocked on my door at that time of night.

“Ben,” I grumbled before I stood up and made my way down the short hallway that led to the front door. I reached for the handle and was delivering my ‘get lost’ speech before I’d even seen his face. “Ben, I told you… I’m fine, and I’ll see you tomor—”

---