GhostlyPersuasion Page 15

  “Unreasonable,” he grumbled. “When have I been unreasonable?”

  The floor of the lift was carpeted and, like the outer doors, the walls were wooden panels. For being almost a hundred years old, it was in remarkably good shape. There was an intricately carved design along the top edge of each wall that anyone with an appreciation for woodcraft would admire.

  Sure enough, Seamus’ gaze was drawn to it.

  Katie inspected the metal panel near the gate. “So, which do you think? Three or four?”

  “Three or four what?” he asked absently.

  “Which floor should we go to?”

  “Any of them should be fine for your purposes. You said you just wanted a quick ride, right?”

  “Oh all right, party pooper.” She pressed one of the buttons then waited.

  “I believe you’ll need to close the gate before it will move,” Seamus suggested.

  “Oh yeah.” She looked at him sheepishly. “I’m used to elevator doors closing automatically.”

  After closing the gate, Katie returned to the metal panel. She pressed one of the numbered buttons again, only this time the box gave a little jump and the lights dimmed. Seamus instinctively stepped closer to Katie.

  Above them the sound of a motor started then slowly the lift began to ascend.

  “Isn’t it wonderful?” Katie exclaimed in delight despite the creaks and groans the contraption made.

  “Is what wonderful?” Seamus looked and sounded tense.

  She held both her arms out, as if to take in everything around them. “The elevator or lift or whatever you call it. It’s just grand!”

  Seamus grinned back even though he was obviously uncomfortable being in the small box. “It was quite the feat of ingenuity in its day. Many of the staff were fascinated when they learned what it did.”

  Katie clasped her hands together with a dreamy look in her eye. “I’ve only seen them in old movies but always thought they were rather romantic.” She looked his way, one side of her lip curling into a grin. “When the bad guy wasn’t chasing the heroine into one, that is.”

  “Of course,” he said, even though Katie doubted he’d seen any of the old movies she referred to.

  “One of my favorite—” Katie was cut off when the lift jerked to a stop. The lights flickered. On reflex, she reached for Seamus.

  Her hand connected with flesh and blood.

  Katie’s pulse pounded in her ears. Was she really feeling Seamus? She was almost afraid to move.

  “Seamus?” Katie whispered. “Is that your hand I feel on my side?”

  His hand inched upward. “You can feel this?”

  She nodded slowly then looked up at him. “How is this possible?”

  Without warning, Seamus’ arms wrapped around her and he crushed Katie against his chest as his lips descended on hers in a long-denied kiss. He held her so tightly she could barely breathe, but she didn’t care. She only knew she was finally able to feel him and he was holding her and she didn’t want him to let go.

  Her hands moved everywhere. She wanted to feel every inch of him. She pushed his shirt up so should could feel his back, chest and belly. When she brushed across one of his nipples, he jerked as if he’d been zapped by lightning.

  Without taking his mouth off hers, Seamus backed Katie against the wall of the lift and trapped her body with his.

  “I don’t know how or why I can feel you,” he rasped when he finally came up for air, “but I don’t want to waste this chance.” He attacked the closure of her pants with trembling fingers. “I’m sorry I cannot be gentle with you. I’ve needed you for far too long, Little Katie.”

  Katie’s breath came in short gasps. “I don’t need gentle. I just need you. Now.” She wrapped one hand around his neck and pulled him back down so she could kiss him again.

  When he was unable to work the closure of her pants, she pushed his hands aside and finished the job. As she slid her pants and underwear down over her hips, he loosened the buttons on his own but didn’t let them drop.

  Seamus dragged his lips away from Katie’s and made his way down the side of her neck. Her breath caught when he found a particularly sensitive spot. He pulled her shirt and bra up and feasted on her breasts. She squirmed and gripped handfuls of his shirt as he teased each nipple with his tongue.

  He dropped to his knees in front of Katie and pulled her pants and undies the rest of the way down her legs. She stepped out of one side but left the other pooled at her ankle in case the elevator started moving again.

  He placed a kiss on the neatly trimmed thatch of hair at the junction of her thighs and breathed in deeply. Like a starving man, he pulled one of her legs over his shoulder and buried his face in her heat. The first stroke of his tongue against the most intimate part of her stole her breath.

  He lapped and teased her sensitive bud and drove her closer to the edge. Despite being a spirit for over three hundred years, he still knew how to use his tongue. Finally she bowed against the wall as the fireworks went off inside her head. “Oh God, Seamus!”

  Seamus lapped up her juices as she rode the wave of her orgasm then stood and pushed his pants down to his ankles. He picked Katie up then, using the wall as leverage, wrapped her legs around his waist and plunged into her still-quivering pussy.

  With his forehead pressed against hers, he held still, giving her a moment to adjust to his invasion. The feeling of him finally being inside her was quite simply heaven. She pushed her hips against his, encouraging him to move.

  He tried to still her movements by gripping her hips. “Have mercy, lass. I’m not going to last if you keep moving like that.”

  “Good!” she panted. “Move, please!”

  “Ah, Katie,” he muttered then crushed his lips onto hers.

  It only took seconds for them to find their rhythm. Katie felt the familiar ripples in her pussy. She tensed and waited for the second wave to crash over her. When it hit, she clasped Seamus to her and screamed his name.

  Her pleasure triggered Seamus’ and they clung to each other as the world spun off its axis.

  Slowly they floated back to reality. Katie could feel Seamus’ heart pounding. She placed her hand over it and tried to memorize the sensation. As their breathing returned to normal, Katie noticed the tingles she usually felt whenever his spirit form passed through her body were coming back.

  “No,” Katie whispered. “Not yet. Please.” She tried to grasp the front of his shirt but was barely able to hold on to the fabric.

  Regret clouded his face. “I’m sorry, lass. I cannot control it. I would stop it if I could.”

  Seamus held up one hand. Katie guessed he was seeing the same thing she did. Her heart ached as more of the solid wall became evident behind him.

  No longer supported by Seamus’ body, Katie sank to the floor. Tears pooled in her eyes as she watched his corporeal form vanish once more.

  Seamus squatted next to Katie and tried to reach for her, but his hand passed through her cheek. The familiar tingles followed. “I…” He started to say something but stopped. Nothing he could say would ease the pain and disappointment she was feeling.

  The lights in the lift flickered.

  “You had probably best get dressed, lass,” he said softly.

  She nodded and slowly rearranged her clothing.

  It was almost pointless since very few people could see him, but Seamus righted his clothing as well. As they dressed in silence, the lift began to move. When it came to a stop, Seamus in her direction.

  Their eyes met and something unspoken passed between them. Both of them knew how lucky they were to have gotten even those few stolen moments together.

  With one hand on the gate, she turned and looked back at him. “You said people had disappeared in the castle before and that it had something to do with the elevator.” She hesitated. “Do you think we’re still in the castle?”

  Seamus shrugged one shoulder. “There is only one way to find out.”

 
Katie nodded then pulled the lift gate aside. Before she opened the outer door, Seamus put his hand on hers. “Even if we’re not still in the castle, we’re together.”

  “Yes, we are.” She smiled, took a deep breath then pressed down on the handle and pushed the door open.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Perhaps I should take a look first.” Seamus stepped in front of Katie, cutting off her exit.

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m sure it’s fine.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned.

  “You just got through saying, ‘there’s only one way to find out’, so let’s find out.”

  Seamus refused to budge. Not that she couldn’t have passed through him.

  “How about if we look at the same time?” she suggested.

  Seamus sighed and mumbled something about damn stubborn modern women but he did move to the side so they could both exit.

  Katie stuck her head out of the elevator and looked in both directions. “We’re right back where we started.”

  “Seems so,” he agreed.

  Oddly she was a little disappointed.

  “Can I help you?” a young lady carrying a stack of towels stopped and asked. Katie guessed she was a hotel employee.

  “No. We’re…er, I mean, I’m fine. Thank you,” Katie answered.

  The young lady shot a wary glance at the elevator then bobbed her head and quickly proceeded down the hall.

  Katie waited until the woman was out of range then said, “I suppose we should head back to the room.” She blushed. “I should probably take another shower.”

  Seamus scanned her from head to toe. The heat in his gaze made her squirm.

  Wow, could she want him again so quickly? There was no doubt in her mind that if he were corporeal, she’d happily strip him naked as soon as they returned to the room. She was never that way with any of her previous boyfriends. Why him?

  “Might be a good idea,” he said.

  “So… What did you think of the old elevator?” she asked with forced cheeriness.

  He looked at her with one raised eyebrow.

  “I don’t mean about that. Although I would kind of like to know what you thought of that also. But I meant about the actual elevator. I thought it was remarkably well-preserved and functioned properly. Other than the whole…” She swirled her hand around in the air to reference their interlude.

  He continued to look at her as if she were losing her mind.

  “Don’t you think the craftsmanship of the elevator was remarkable? The wood carvings. The polished metal. It must have been very well taken care of over the years.”

  “Most people are afraid of it. It is well-preserved because no one uses it.”

  “I don’t see…” Katie’s voice trailed off. She stopped and stared at Seamus.

  “What?” he asked.

  “You’re doing it again. You’re fading.”

  He held one hand up in front of his face. “Damn. I knew it was too much to hope for.”

  “Seamus.” Katie’s heart ached. “I don’t want you to go.” He might not be able to hold her, but she had grown to like his company and she didn’t want to be alone right now.

  “It will be fine. I always come back in the morning.”

  “Tomorrow morning is a way off. And what if you don’t—”

  “Don’t borrow trouble,” he cautioned her. “I will find you when I come back.” He stepped closer and tried to touch her cheek but only left a patch of tingles.

  As his form faded more, Katie told him, “Rest well.”

  “Stay out of trouble.”

  She watched as he vanished completely and sniffed back the tears that threatened to spill.

  It took a moment but she shook herself out of her daze and headed to her room. She sat on the edge of her bed and toed her shoes off. Her mind wandered back to the interlude on the elevator with Seamus.

  She could still smell him. Instead of ozone, she detected a rich, manly spice mixed with wood shavings. The thought of washing it off was disheartening but there was no way she could not take a shower.

  To delay a bit longer, she grabbed her cell and called Riona.

  “Top of the morning, coz. How are you?”

  “Fine. How are you?”

  “Very well, thank you.”

  “What are you doing today?” Katie asked.

  “Was thinking about making a run to the castle to drop off another batch of soaps later. What about you and your ghostly friend?”

  “Seamus’ batteries ran out, so he faded for a bit. I was thinking it would be a good day to for us to get together.”

  “For a little girl talk?” Katie could hear the smile in Riona’s voice.

  “Absolutely.”

  “That’s an excellent notion. I have some information for you anyway. Shall we do tea then?”

  Katie glanced at the clock. “What time?”

  “About an hour? Down at the café?” Riona asked.

  “Sounds good.” An hour would give her enough time to take a shower and change. And maybe even pull herself together.

  They finished their call and Katie headed to the bathroom.

  An hour later Katie found Riona sitting at one of the tables in an out-of-the-way corner of the café.

  “You look a bit flushed. Feeling a bit peaked?” Riona asked.

  “I’m fine.” At Riona’s doubtful expression, she added, “Really.”

  Riona grunted. “I took the liberty of ordering a pot of tea and scones.”

  “Oh excellent. I didn’t realize I was getting hungry until you said something.”

  “Good timing then.” Riona smiled.

  They exchanged pleasantries until the tea was served. As they enjoyed their first cup, Katie told Riona, “I made a trip up to the battlements to see Etain.”

  Riona choked on her drink. “Alone?”

  “Of course. Seamus wants nothing to do with Etain and refuses to talk to her. Besides, I’m not sure she would be able to see him.”

  “True.” Riona put her cup down. “You appear to be unscathed, so I’ll assume she didn’t hurt you. What did she say?”

  Katie shrugged. “She earned her crazy title honestly.”

  “Based on what I read in her journals, I agree.”

  “Oh that’s right. You said you’d read them. What did you find out?”

  “Nothing much. Her early entries were easy to follow. Lots of talk of dresses and jewelry and parties. By the end it was whiny and more random. There was a lot of gibberish to sift through. All the journals did was confirm that Etain wasn’t trying to kill Seamus. She wanted him to fall in love with her and she didn’t understand why he didn’t.”

  Something twisted deep inside Katie’s gut. Part of her pitied Etain but her more savage emotions burned hotter, making Katie wish really hateful things on her.

  “My goodness, that’s a hateful look,” Riona pointed out.

  “Yeah, well, Etain brings it out of me.”

  “And why is that, I wonder?” Riona took a sip of her tea and rolled her eyes away.

  Katie thought she saw a smirk behind Riona’s cup. “Oh whatever.” She took a bite of scone.

  “Your turn. What did you find out?”

  “I did a little better than you. I was able to get Etain to confirm that she did purchase a love spell but then she went back and stole the spell book so she could make her own spell.”

  “But what was she hoping to make?”

  “She said she was told the love spell would only enhance a lover’s feelings. It couldn’t make someone fall in love with her. So she decided to mix the love spell with a summoning spell. That way she could make him fall in love with her.”

  “Goddess above,” Riona murmured. “She had no idea what she was doing.”

  “Etain certainly thought she did. She said it was easy.”

  “Harrumph.” Riona slumped back in her chair with her arms folded across her chest and a frown on her face. It sounded as if she
was mumbling something about people meddling in things they knew nothing about.

  “Okay, so we know what spells she used. And we know what Etain’s intent was behind the spells. And we know how she delivered the potion. What else do we need to know to solve this?” Katie asked.

  “There are a few more details about the potion that I would like to know.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like, did she use fresh or dried herbs or extracts? And what kind of containers or utensils did she use? There are so many things that impact the effectiveness of a spell. I want to know as much as possible. Do you think Etain would talk to me too?”

  Katie shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s possible but I strongly suspect it depends on the day and her mood.”

  “What did you tell her when you went up to see her?”

  “I told her I was reading about the history of the castle and was curious about her life.”

  “I bet we could play off that some more. Maybe tell her that we wanted to hear her side of the story.”

  “Would Etain know who you are?” Katie asked.

  Riona shook her head. “I don’t think so. I’m not aware that I’ve been around her, but it is possible. Even if she asked, I could just tell her that I’m helping you find more history of the area.”

  “True. When do you want to go?”

  “I’m flexible. When did you go up to see her?”

  “This morning.”

  “Oh. After Seamus faded out?”

  “No. Before. He doesn’t usually show up until midmorning so I made sure I woke bright and early so I would be done before he did.”

  “So he doesn’t know?”

  “Oh he knows all right. I ran into him as I came down from the battlements.” She shrugged one shoulder. “He asked and I didn’t see any point in lying.”

  Riona leaned closer to the table. “Did he flip out?”

  “A little.” Katie grinned at the memory. “I certainly heard all about why he thought she was too dangerous for me to be around.”

  “Hmmm.” Riona had a look on her face that reminded Katie of her mother. “If you were just up there this morning, we should wait to see her again. From everything I read, she’s too unpredictable.”

  “You’re probably right.”