Sweet Reckoning

“But I don’t want her to die.” His voice thickened as he choked up, causing my own throat to swell with emotion. I couldn’t respond. All I could do was reach over and link my fingers with his, connecting us in our fear and sorrow.

Lying there next to my oldest and dearest friend felt right—the stretch of silence between us was soothing.

Some kids came over, calling Jay by name. He seemed to cheer a little, getting into the water with them. Of course he’d made buddies in the short time he’d lived here. The kids took turns climbing to his shoulders and jumping off. I lay back on the lounge chair and rolled to my stomach, content as I watched them.

Sounds of splashing faded as I dozed.

And then I heard a beautiful voice. . . .

“Cover your arse, and nobody gets hurt.”

I lifted my head to see Kaidan crouched next to me. He was here! Just as I was about to get up and throw my arms around him, his gaze slid down my body to my butt and stayed there. Hello, stormy eyes.

I felt twice as hot under the sun as I had one minute ago.

I threw the towel over my body, which forced his eyes back to mine.

“Hey,” I whispered.

He touched my face, and I leaned into his palm.

“I feel like it’s been a year since I saw you,” he said softly. “I’ve missed you.”

I reached up and cupped his hand. “I’ve missed you, too.”

“But you’re still in trouble.” His voice was low and gravelly. “I need you.”

“Um . . .” I looked around.

“Come with me.” He was serious. He took my hand and I sped to keep up, holding the towel around my body. Jay caught sight of us and waved from the middle of the pool, but when he saw Kai’s determined face, he raised his eyebrows. I shrugged a shoulder innocently, and Jay shook his head. My cheeks flushed.

Kai led us to the women’s dressing room, and when he started to push the door open, I pulled back, looking around.

“You can’t go in there!” I whispered.

He pulled me forward. “It’s empty.”

Next thing I knew, we were in a shower stall, kissing behind the closed curtain.

“What if someone comes in?” I asked.

He pressed my back against the smooth tiles. “I’ll be listening.” He pulled off my towel and dropped it to the dry floor with a growl.

We kissed again and my body reacted. I pulled him closer, loving the feel of his hands across my sun-heated skin. Were we really doing this? In a public place?

Oh, just shut up, my body told my mind. Just a few minutes together before the seriousness began wouldn’t hurt.

I heard a sound outside and we both went still.

“Shite, someone’s coming.”

Two seconds later a woman’s voice sounded in the bathroom. Kai pressed his forehead to the tile next to me and squeezed his eyes shut.

“In here, sweetie. Good girl.” Oh, great. A mom was taking her little girl to the potty. I felt like a perv.

When I heard their stall door close, I peeked out and pulled Kaidan, tiptoeing out.

I chanced a backward glance at him. His eyes were heated with intensity.

“Later,” I promised.

He stopped us under the awning just before the pool area and faced me, lowering his forehead to mine.

“I can’t go back out there yet. I’m having a bit of a focusing problem.”

I gave a dry laugh, though I knew he was being serious. I was feeling tight all over, too.

“I know, baby,” I whispered, squeezing his bicep. Yeah, touching him wasn’t helping my frame of mind much either. I dropped my hand. “Let’s get back to the house so we can tell each other everything and then . . . yeah.”

“Yeah,” he breathed, eyes blazing.

I shivered.

“This is all your fault, you know.” A naughty smile appeared on his lips, and with a flush to my cheeks I remembered the cell-phone picture.

The mother and daughter came out of the restroom, passing us. Kaidan gave me a hopeful look and I shook my head. I was not going in there again.

“Come on, Kai. I have stuff to tell you. Big stuff.”

He studied me. “Are you all right?”

I wanted to tell him everything, but not out in the open like this.

I pulled clothes on over my bathing suit, got Jay, and we headed back to the house. Kaidan kept catching my eye in long gazes, conveying wordless promises that made my blood rush faster.

“Focus,” I told him under my breath.

At the house Patti hugged Kaidan, and it’d been a long time since I’d seen her so happy. She continued to hum as she bustled around the kitchen, her mouth tilting up while she chopped and shredded.

I sat with Kaidan and Jay, and we talked.

Kai said, “I suppose my father decided to make the change of the guard, because Richard Rowe died three days ago.”

“Change of the guard?” Jay asked.

“It’s when they get rid of their bodies,” I explained. “The old body dies when their spirit leaves it, and they have to possess a new one—start a new life.”

“Nasty,” Jay whispered.

“My father was going to wait a few years, but he must’ve changed his mind,” Kai said, looking at me. “I’ve worried he’d come to you as a spirit and you wouldn’t recognize him, but he’d need a body to smell you, so I’m guessing we still have time. It can take a while.”

“Yeah,” I said. “About that . . . he found a body.”