Lie to Me (Pearl Island Trilogy #4)(28)

Luc chuckled as he stood. “That’s some kid.”

“He’s a handful.”

“With an imagination that big, I’ll bet he is.”

“Oh?” She moved closer, smiling up at him.

“According to him, your opera-singing ghost is a big tattle-tale.”

“And thank goodness for it,” Chloe exclaimed.

“Excuse me?” He frowned.

“We watch AJ as closely as we can, but he has a way of getting into trouble in the blink of an eye.”

“No, I meant ‘excuse me’ as in, your ghost actually tells y’all when he’s getting into trouble?”

“Well, sort of. Most people don’t hear her or see her. They just feel when she’s near. You know, cold spots.” Chloe shivered playfully. “AJ’s parents have learned any time they feel a cold spot followed by a sense of foreboding, they need to find AJ fast.”

“Does this happen a lot?”

“Often enough,” she said. “The family claims that before Captain Jack joined Marguerite, they used to sense her mostly at the front of the house, as if she were standing at the windows, looking out at the cove. That’s where Captain Jack’s ghost used to be trapped, on the shipwreck.”

“His ghost was underwater?”

“Apparently. When they excavated the ship, it freed him. Now Marguerite and Jack roam all over the island. We’ve had a few guests claim to see them walking hand in hand along the beach in the moonlight.” She ignored a sting of envy, since she’d never seen or felt them. “So, are you ready for your tour of the island?”

“Almost. I need to call Zeke and let him know I checked the file.”

“Go ahead. I can wait.”

“I’ll be fast.” He pulled out his phone.

Chloe busied herself tidying magazines on the coffee table while he placed the call. When someone picked up he launched into an excited conversation filled with technical jargon she didn’t understand. His enthusiasm made her think of a big kid. A rather yummy-looking big kid, she thought as she watched him pace. Memories of last night’s kiss gave her belly a little quiver. Oh, how she’d love to get him somewhere private for a repeat of that.

“Okay, done,” he said abruptly, making her blush at her own thoughts.

“Great,” she said. “We can start your tour with the rooms here in the main house.”

“You have others?”

“We have several bungalows scattered about the island.”

“Cool.” He packed his computer and gear into the bag. “Just give me a few minutes to stow my laptop in my car.”

“Will it be okay in the heat?”

“I parked in the shade, and it’s not that hot today,” he assured her as they crossed the lobby.

She waited for him on the veranda, surprised by her eagerness to be with him. Something about Luc, that slight insecurity around women she sensed in him, lowered her normal wariness. By the time he returned, she was smiling in anticipation.

“Okay,” he said. “I’m ready.”

“Well then, follow me,” she said with a hint of suggestion as she led the way back inside.

“This is quite a place,” he told her as they crossed the lobby and started up the grand stairs.

“I think so.” She noticed him taking in every detail, from the stained glass that bathed the landing in jewel-toned light to the intricately carved railing. They reached the top of the stairs and entered a wide hall that served as a second sitting area. Sunlight streamed in through a bank of windows at the far end. “We have five guest rooms on this floor. But, why don’t we start with the third floor and work our way down?”

“What’s up there?” he asked.

“The ballroom,” she told him. “It’s pretty spectacular.”

“Ah.” He nodded, remembering many old mansions in the South had the ballroom on the top floor to catch the breeze.

“We rent the space for events,” she told him, walking to a set of wide, spiral stairs behind the main stairs. “It might make the perfect setting for your tournament.”

She turned on lights when they reached the top, revealing a vast room that took up the whole top floor. His jaw dropped when he saw the frescos and gilded molding. Since the room currently held only a few settees around the edges, his footsteps echoed as he walked into the center of the cavernous space. “This is awesome!”

“We rent furniture depending on the function,” she explained. “Do you think this would work for one of your tournaments?”

“Heck yeah!” He turned in a circle until he faced a bank of heavy curtains. “How’s the view?”

“I’ll show you.” Going to the curtains, she pulled them back with a whoosh. Afternoon sunlight poured through a bank of French doors. Opening the doors, she stepped out onto a large balcony.

“Wow.” Following her outside, he went straight to the rail. Coastal breezes washed over him, filling his senses with the fragrance of spring on the Gulf. “Just wow.”

“Exactly.” The smile in her voice told him his reaction pleased her.

His attention, however, remained riveted on the panoramic view of the island, the cove, and the shimmering water beyond. The wind lifted his hair and plastered his shirt against his chest as he stood there, utterly captivated. “I have so got to add this place as a brand new world for Vortal.”