The Curse of Redwood (Ivy Grove #2) - Jaclyn Osborn Page 0,22
windows along one wall. But as I moved the candle closer, I saw all the books. They were literally everywhere. Most of them were organized on shelves, though plenty were spread out over tables and stacked against the wall. He’d run out of space to store them all.
“A library?” I asked, glancing at him.
“When you’re stuck in the house all day, every day, reading allows you to visit other places.”
“I hate reading,” I said, inspecting more of the books. Most of them looked ancient, the kind that didn’t have covers. They were bound in leather with simple writing across the front.
“Now that is a pity,” Z responded, running his fingers along the spines. “I would’ve gone crazy long ago if not for books. They’ve made my isolation nearly tolerable.”
I stopped when seeing a modern cover I recognized. “How the crap do you have a Stephen King book? Pretty sure he didn’t live in your time.”
A light laugh reached my ears, causing me to drop the book and turn to Z. The laugh had sounded genuine, and I realized I wanted to make him laugh countless more times just like that.
“Spirits are allowed to leave their dwellings on All Hallow’s Eve,” he explained. “It’s the one day when I can leave this prison and see the world again. Which is how we were able to spend time together.”
I nodded. “Another ghost I know told me about that rule. You can eat and drink on that day too because the veil between worlds is thin, and you almost have a real body again.”
“You know another ghost?”
“Why, you jealous?” I challenged, wiggling my brows at him. At his scowl, I snorted. “I tried telling you last time I was here, but you kicked me out before I could. My friend Ben is dating a ghost. Long story of how they met and fell in love, but yeah, they’re together. And it’s why you being a ghost isn’t a deal breaker. Because I know it can work.”
“Interesting.” He drifted over to the window and peered up at the moon. His pale hair caught the light and gave his skin an ethereal glow. “Do not get any ideas, Carter. I welcomed you into my home tonight, but it was not an invitation into my life. I possess no interest in you romantically, so I suggest you forgo any expectations on the matter.”
How did he make rejection sound so polite? It was a gift. Truly.
“Okay.”
“Okay?” he asked, finally looking at me.
“If you don’t want me romantically… what about sexually?” I placed the candlestick on the table and stepped toward him, noticing how his blue-eyed gaze trailed up and down my body. I heated in response, my skin tingling. “Because I so want you to fuck me again.”
“Carter…” But even as he said my name, he reached for my face. His cold hand cupped my cheek before he pressed our lips together.
I moved my hand to his side, gripping the material of his vest.
Kissing him took me back to my dreams of Ezekiel. In them, I was always the man he was with. Were the dreams real or only in my head?
Stop thinking about it. The dream didn’t matter when Z was kissing me.
This was real.
Z pinned me to the wall as his mouth grew heavier on mine. My heart raced and my blood coursed through my veins like liquid fire. Which was perfect, since he was like ice, soothing my flames with each pressing of his lips. Only his touch, his kiss, could stop me from burning.
“Touch me,” I moaned, moving his hand to the bottom of my hoodie. “I wanna feel you.”
He slid his hand under the material, his fingertips like cool kisses on my bare stomach. It was strange, though. The longer he touched me, the warmer his skin felt. As if my internal warmth was chasing away his cold.
“Are you certain this is what you want?”
“Yes.” The word came out as a breathy gasp as he tweaked my nipple between his fingers. Fuck, I was hard. Damn these skinny jeans. I felt so constricted.
He picked me up in one quick swoop and carried me over to one of the tables. Books fell to floor, but Z didn’t seem to pay them any mind. He gripped my upper thighs as he stepped between my legs. I stared up at him, horny and needy. Also, amazed. Because no one else had ever made me feel that strongly in such a brief amount of time.