Sweet Reckoning (The Sweet Trilogy #3)(47)

“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.”

Kaidan bolted upright. “You’ve seen him?”

“Yes. He’s about your age, maybe a little older. Tall. Blond.”

His jaw tightened. “When did you see him? What did he say? Did he touch you?”

I told him everything. He stared at the wall, and pulled out his knife as he listened. He continued to open it. Close it. Spin it on his palm. Weave it through his fingers. Jay and I gave it nervous glances.

“Bloody hell . . .” Kaidan thought for a while then shoved the closed knife back into his pocket. “Would you say he’s better looking than me?”

Jay laughed. “Dude. Weird.”

“I’m only curious,” Kaidan said.

“Ew, Kai, no. I can’t even think of him like that. His eyes are pure evil. I don’t know how anyone can look at him and not get a bad feeling.”

“They probably do get a bad feeling,” said Jay. “But they like it. They feel like he’s dangerous or something.”

Oh, he was dangerous, all right. I rubbed my temples.

The doorbell rang, and Jay practically tripped over his own feet jumping up.

Kaidan slipped an arm around me. “You did well. That’s over, and we’ll be safe for a bit now.” He kissed my temple, then bit my earlobe, pulling me closer. I lifted my face to kiss him since we were semialone. As soon as his hot mouth met mine, I wished we were really alone.

“I can’t stop thinking about you,” he whispered. His words and touch held an urgency that was stronger than it had been before we married, like his self-control had lessened now that we’d been together. This was going to be a long day.

From the kitchen I heard Patti set down her stirring spoon with a clatter and say, “Well, hello, Kope. And you must be Zania! I’m so happy to finally meet you.”

I smiled up at Kaidan’s handsome face before getting to my feet.

“Z!” I ran, crashing into her in the kitchen. We hugged tight, and I smiled at Kopano over her shoulder. He gave me a half grin. More people were coming in behind him.

“Well, if it isn’t my sweet Ginger!” Patti said now. “And Marna! And you’re Blake, right?”

I couldn’t even bring myself to scoff at the “sweet Ginger” comment. We had a house full of friends and the kitchen smelled divine. The holiday had officially begun.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

LOVE IN THE AIR

We all stood in the kitchen talking over one another. Marna and I noticed at the same time when Zania made her way back to Kopano’s side and slipped her arm snuggly under his. And then they shared a look so tender that Marna turned and gave me a hand-over-her-heart “Aww!” face. She then wrapped her arms around Jay, and they stood there holding each other with their eyes closed. So much emotion filled the room, but one stood out above the rest. . . .

Love was in the air.

Among other things. Like lust. And the smell of turkey. A weird combo.

Kaidan finally made his way into the kitchen with a serious demeanor. He greeted everyone, but whenever his eyes met mine, the air got hotter until a palpable tension had woven its way around the room. I could feel the warm sunbeam of his stare on me, though I pretended to ignore it. Our friends kept eyeing us. Even Patti noticed.