STORY EXCERPT

An hour after they went dark and officially started the investigation, Kal was nearly ready to toss Purson out of the room. He grew fidgety and kept playing with equipment, throwing off her whole routine. She liked to observe the teams on the monitors during filming and keep an eye on the fixed cameras as well.

After two hours, she’d reached her limit for his distractions. “You. Out.”

Another rubber band he’d been playing with shot out of his hands. “What?”

She pointed at the door. “You’re worse than a five-year-old strung out on M&M’S. Go send Will down and take his place before I bop you one.”

He looked a little sheepish. “I’m sorry, Kal. You know I don’t like sitting still for too long. I like to be in the middle of things.”

“I know, and I love you for caring enough to try, but go.”

“Maybe I should wait for Will—”

“Now! I’ll be safe for the ten minutes it takes Will to get down here. In fact, I need a break to stretch my legs. Go.” She also had to empty her bladder, and she didn’t need him babysitting her while she took a leak.

He reluctantly left. Kal breathed in a deep sigh of relief and stretched, her muscles groaning in protest as she did. She thought the world of Purs, but if she didn’t want to bean him, she needed him out of her base camp.

Kal grabbed her two-way radio and headed down the hall toward the bathrooms, in the opposite direction Purson went. Between the coffee and water she’d been drinking, she couldn’t hold it any longer. They were set up on the third floor, in an empty corner where tenants had already vacated but no construction had yet occurred because it would disturb the remaining occupants. It was perfect for what they needed, including air-conditioned.

The ladies’ room on this end of the floor only had one working florescent light at the far end, away from the door. That cast the rest of the room in a creepy, dim, flickering glow. She’d be better off with the small flashlight clipped to her belt.

After using the facilities she set her two-way on a little shelf over the sink and washed her hands. A sudden chill swept through her and she looked up when a flash of movement in the mirror caught her eye.

Behind her in the bathroom stood a young boy.

She whirled around and found herself alone.

Kal glanced in the mirror again. He was clearly visible. Red hair, freckles, dressed in what appeared to be white pajamas. Maybe nine or ten years old.

Kal looked behind her. No boy.

She looked back to the mirror.

He hesitantly smiled.

With shaky fingers, she grabbed her two-way without taking her eyes off the boy’s reflection. “Aidan.” She hoped her voice didn’t tremble too much.

After a moment, Aidan’s chipper reply. “Go for Aidan.”

“Where are you?” she whispered.

Now a slight hesitation. This was an open frequency, and she knew she had to be careful. If she had her druthers, she’d summon him demon-style, but she couldn’t do that with the film crew around and he knew it. “What’s wrong, sweetie?”

“Nothing’s wrong. Where are you?”

His voice definitely sounded concerned. “Tenth floor. We just finished a sweep and we’re heading down for break. Didn’t you see us on the monitors?”

“Who’s there with you?” She stared at the mirror as the boy stood a few feet away, watching her.

Aidan’s voice had changed tone again, from concerned to commanding. “It’s just me and Jeff, we’re waiting on the elevator. Film crew already went down.” Code for, We’re alone. “What is going on, babe? Talk to me.”

She put the radio down, then softly spoke into the room. “Aidan, appareo.”

He immediately appeared, alone. “Kal, what the fu—” His gaze followed hers into the mirror. “Holy shit!” he whispered.

“You see him, right? Please tell me you see him.”

He nodded. “Yeah, babe. You’re not seeing things. I mean, you are seeing things, just not imagining them. I’m seeing the same thing you are.”

“What are you seeing?”

“Little boy, red hair, and white pj’s.”

“Okay.” She felt palpable relief at the confirmation, immediately followed by more nervous anxiety.

Will’s voice, sounding tight with tension, barked over the two-way. “Kal, what’s wrong?” She knew he still had a film crew in tow because he was the star. Until he was back at base, they’d keep rolling on him. She couldn’t speak to him mentally that far away yet. She’d noticed her distance was constantly increasing as Will’s powers returned, but she was too nervous and scared to concentrate to even attempt to project that far right this minute.

Aidan replied through his radio as he stared at the apparition in the mirror. “Nothing, dude. Just a big spider. It’s okay. Under control. I’m taking care of it.”

“What do I do?” Kal whispered. In her time with the show she’d seen things, but never anything like this.

ADULT EXCERPT

In the limo, Kal sat back and smiled at Will. “We finally did it.”

He grinned. “We sure did, Mrs. Hellenboek. Or are you going to be Mrs. Martin-Hellenboek? Or Ms. Martin?”

“I’ll stick with Mrs. Hellenboek. I’m an old-fashioned kind of girl.”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “Whatever you want. You know that.”

“So when do I find out what Aidan planned for us?”

“What’s the one thing you always said you wanted?”

She arched an eyebrow at him. “What?”

Will playfully grinned. “When we were first together. You said you wanted one thing.”

Kal thought about it for a while, then stared into his eyes. “I said I always wanted to be normal. Is that what you mean?”

“Ding ding ding!” He kissed her again.

“So where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

A “normal” honeymoon covered a lot of real estate—literally. Unless they were heading to Niagara Falls, Kal had no clue about their destination. The limo took them to the airport, where they boarded a flight for Denver.

Well, that answers that question. Sort of.

Will carefully shielded his thoughts from Kal upon arrival. They rented a car and checked in to a nice hotel near the airport.

Kal laughed as Will carried her over the threshold. “Okay, I know I said normal, but I think Aidan took me a little too literally,” she joked with a smile. “I expected something a little more exciting than the Denver Marriott.”

He gently laid her on the bed. “This is just the first stop.” He called room service, ordered them dinner, then stretched out next to her. “We haven’t even got to our final destination yet.”

“We haven’t?”

“Nope.”

“No hints?”

His fingers started working on the top button of her blouse. “Nope.” He grinned. “Normal. That’s what you said.”

She stared into his eyes. “I love you so much. I can’t believe I get to spend eternity with you.”

He kissed her. “I’m the lucky one.”

He started working his way down her neck with his lips. Kal didn’t want him to stop, but the knock on their door a few minutes later from room service made her groan with disappointment.

“I’ll be right back,” he said.

They ate dinner. Kal thought she’d tackle Will immediately after, but she realized exactly how tired she was as she tried not to yawn in Will’s face when he stretched out next to her again.

He grinned. “A little worn out?”

She nodded. “Yeah.” Kal rolled on top of him. “But I still want to do something.”

From the feel of the stiff length in his slacks, so did he.

As she closed her eyes and let Will take over, Ryan’s words before the ceremony drifted back to her. Pretend it’s the first time. It’ll be just as special.

Not easy to do considering what they’d been through already, but what the heck, why not try?

Will slowly finished undressing her. When she was naked, he propped himself up on one elbow and brushed his fingers down her side. “What would you like me to do, sweetie?”

She smiled. “Make love to me like it’s the first time.”

He arched an eyebrow at her.

“Without the wraith possession,” she snarked. “Duh.”

He laughed. No way could she ever call him The Great Brooding One now. His smiles lit his face, warmed her heart, and liquefied her need for him.

Will climbed out of bed, turned off most of the lights, then returned to her. Kneeling beside her, he slowly unbuttoned his shirt. The blatant need smouldering in his eyes stirred her very core.

“I’m going to make love to you, baby,” he whispered. “I’m going to show you how much I love you and need you and want you.” He dropped his shirt to the floor. Then he bent over and took one of her nipples in his mouth, gently flicking it with his tongue until it tightly peaked.

She gasped.

“Do you like that, sweetheart?” he whispered.

She noticed how dark his eyes had changed, from slate gray to nearly the color of midnight. Had they always done that?

“Yes. Please don’t stop!”

He smiled and repeated the action with her other breast. “Don’t worry. I’m not stopping.”

She squirmed on the bed under the attention from his hot, moist mouth. He took her hand and placed it on the front of his slacks, where his hard cock strained for freedom. “See what you do to me?” He leaned in and kissed her again, hungrier, his tongue searching for access between her lips.

She pressed her body against his, hooking a leg around him. She grabbed his hand and placed it between her legs so he could feel how wet she was. “See what you do to me?” She nipped his ear.

He slipped two fingers inside her pussy. Between that and the heat of his flesh against hers, she moaned. Was this what it was always like between two people in love? She didn’t know. It seemed like her mind had gone foggy. She tried to think about prior encounters with Will, and she suddenly realized she couldn’t remember any. Was this their first time?

The memory of Ryan’s voice again. Pretend it’s the first time.

So he had done something.

No reason to question it. She rolled Will onto his back, eager to reveal the hidden length inside his slacks. When she freed his cock, she immediately sucked him into her mouth, licking and sucking on the head and tasting his pre-cum before going deeper. He tangled his fingers in her hair and closed his eyes as she stroked him with her lips and tongue. As he worked his hips in time with her motions, she felt his cock stiffen even more against her tongue.

“You’ve gotta stop doing that!” he gasped.

She finally lifted her head. “Why?”

He laughed. “If you don’t want me going off right now, you have to stop, sweetheart.”

She tugged on his slacks, and he helped her pull them off. Then he flipped her over onto her back. “You’re really eager tonight, aren’t you?” he teasingly asked.

“Make love to me, Will. Take me. Make me yours.”