“Go on. It’s pretty neat.”
I glance at Ana, expecting her to look confused, but she just gives me an encouraging smile.
My hand trembles as I reach out and let my fingertips brush his skin. Goosebumps rise instantly. His chest is warm and solid, my fingers tracing the ridges and dips of sculpted muscle. I feel the strength beneath the surface, the steady beat of his heart.
“It feels… indeed… very…”
My dick hardens as I trace a red streak down to his nipple.
For a long, intense moment, the world fades into the background. It’s just him and me, his warm skin against my fingertips, the rise and fall of his chest under my touch.
Then I realize how long I’ve been groping him and jerk my hand away.
“Real…” I finish with a long, shuddering breath.
“Right?” he says, a smirk tugging at his lips.
We look at each other, and for a split second, I wonder if he can see the dirty thoughts dancing in my mind. The urge to grab his horns, pull him close, and press my lips to his. To taste the punch on his tongue. To lick the fake blood off his chest and feel his heartbeat against my tongue.
It all flashes through me in an instant.
Raw, desperate need.
Then the power cuts. A loud snap, a gasp from the crowd, and everything is swallowed in pitch-black darkness.
5
Ana squeals.
Screams burst through the house, followed by a wave of laughter. Someone yells, “Happy Halloween, suckers!”, and a round of cheers goes up.
It takes a second for my eyes to adjust, and when they do, I can vaguely make out the outlines of Josh, Ana, and the rest of the people gathered in the kitchen. The only source of light comes from the full moon shining through the stained glass windows.
“What the fuck?” Ana mutters. “Are we having a blackout?”
“Told you this place is haunted,” Josh says, a grin in his voice.
“It’s just a power cut, I’m sure. Nothing supernatural,” I say, trying to sound reasonable.
“But the timing is suspicious, don’t you think?”
“What do you mean?”
Before Josh can answer, Ana speaks up.
“I’m gonna check what’s going on.” She pulls out her phone and uses the flashlight to guide her toward the living room, her heels clicking against the tiles.
A few others follow behind her, murmuring to each other.
But Josh and I don’t move. We stay right where we are, standing inches apart, surrounded by darkness.
He’s so close, the warmth of his body radiates onto mine. I feel his breath on my skin, smell the woodsy scent of his cologne, hear the hitch in his breathing.
My hands ache with the urge to touch him again, so I shove them into my pockets.
“What do you mean, the timing is suspicious?”
“Well, the ghost is feeding off our energy. And there was a lot of energy building up in here, wasn’t there?”
