Pretty When She Kills (Pretty When She Dies #2)(46)

As they climbed out of the SUV, Jeff snagged two sweating water bottles from a cooler tucked behind his seat and shoved them into his messenger bag. Again, he had anticipated their needs, and Samantha was grateful. It was already humid and sticky, the bugs in the trees lining the lake humming loudly. Samantha smiled as Jeff reached for her hand when they strolled onto the path. While they waded through the humid air and enjoyed the beauty of the midmorning sun glinting off the waves, she tried to pretend this was just a nice day out together instead of a ghost hunt.

Rubbing her lips together, she tried not to ruin the moment by saying anything about their true purpose for strolling along the trail. The tree boughs creaked above as the wind played in the leaves. Glancing upward, she saw a squirrel watching them pass with a thoughtful look in its beady eyes. She stuck her tongue out at it.

Jeff must have seen her because he laughed. His fingers tightened on her hand and he gave her a furtive look.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Samantha rolled her eyes. “Sure.”

“I just think you’re adorable,” Jeff confessed.

“Really?” Samantha nudged him with her shoulder. “I thought I was an annoying cartoon character.”

“Oh, you heard Eduardo say that, huh?”

“On more than one occasion.”

“He’s a coyote. They’re mischievous and moody. Just ignore him.” Jeff nudged her back.

Turning her attention forward, Samantha could see the Mopac Bridge looming ahead. Little flutters of anxiety in her tummy made her wish now that she hadn’t eaten. Beside her, Jeff seemed unaware of her sudden nervousness as he dug around in his bag.

“When we get to the walkway, I need you to wait until I take care of a few precautions.”

“Like what?”

Jeff pulled out a plastic bag with a cloth bag tucked into it. “I had this spell sent to me from a witch in Georgia awhile back. It’s a ward. It will throw up a barrier for about ten minutes.”

“Huh?

“It will make anyone coming close to it have the sudden desire to go somewhere else. If I estimated this correctly, the area of effect should cover the entire bridge.”

“What about the cars?”

“It won’t affect them. It specifically sends away people on foot. At least that’s what the directions say.” Jeff gave her a sheepish grin. “I have been dying to use one. I saw one in action a few years a back and...”

Samantha’s eyebrows couldn’t crawl up any higher on her brow. At her expression, Jeff finally seemed to understand this was not fun in her book.

He cleared his throat. “So, anyway, I’ll set this down, activate it, then we need to hurry up and find the ghost.” Jeff gave her a worried little smile. “You are ready to do this, right?”

Shrugging, Samantha stared straight ahead. No one was really out this morning, which was a relief. But it felt odd dealing with ghosts during the day, not that she would have preferred the night or early morning. It was creepy enough dealing with someone who was dead.

The warm air stirred the dry, dead leaves bordering the walk. The sound was usually soothing, but now it made her uneasy. Maybe she was just being paranoid now that she was mentally preparing herself to see the ghost again, but she was feeling watched.

“Samantha, I know this is hard for you, but we have to start figuring out exactly what you can do with your abilities.”

“I know.”

“And I’ll be here for you.”

“I know.”

“And nothing will hurt you. Ghosts can’t hurt you. You have to remember that.”

“Okay.”

“Is anything I’m saying helping?”

“Nope.”

Samantha couldn’t tear her eyes away from the footbridge sprawling across the lake tucked into the shadows of the Mopac Bridge above.

Jeff took hold of her hand again and stopped her in her tracks. Pulling her about to face him, Jeff looked down into her eyes. The warmth in them made her slightly smile. He really did care about her.

“You’re going to be okay. I will not let anything bad happen to you. I promise. A ghost can’t hurt you. They’re just a remnant of someone died. Okay?”

“Okay.” Samantha swallowed and tried to believe him.

Pressing a kiss to her temple, Jeff looped his arm around her shoulders and held her close. Lowering his chin, he rested his forehead against hers. Samantha raised her lips slightly to kiss the tip of his chin. A shiver slithered through her body, making her blush. With a little giggle, she looked away as he grinned down at her. Kissing her cheek, he cuddled her against him. He was warm, sweaty, and smelled like coffee, soap, and cologne. It was the closest she had ever allowed herself be to him and she was surprised at how comforting it was to be in his arms. Cian’s body had been cold, hard, and unrelenting in her embrace, but Jeff molded against her and she could feel his heart beating. Sudden tears filled her eyes and she drew away.

Fucking Cian. Why couldn’t she just enjoy being with Jeff without comparing him to the vampire?

Jeff started to let her slide out of his arms, but then changed his mind. He dragged her back and kissed her.

It was the sweetest kiss she had ever experienced. His fingers cradled her face as his lips pressed lightly to hers for a few tender moments. Gently releasing her mouth, his eyes peered into hers. “No more. Don’t let him stand between us anymore. Time is too short and too much could go wrong.”