“I’m sorry, but I really do have to get to work.” She cupped River’s cheek. “Last night was incredible. Thank you for letting me stay with you.”
River’s cheek burned under Marina’s touch even as her breath puffed in the cold air. “Thank you for letting me have you.” She grinned, hoping the ache she felt inside didn’t show.
The Lyft pulled up and Marina’s hand fell away. “I’ll call you later.”
River nodded and waved, and then Marina was gone. She shoved her hands in her pockets and waited until the car had turned the corner, then, shoulders slumped, she turned to go back in. The stranger ghost was blocking the path.
River moved toward her slowly. “I know who you are.”
The young ghost wavered, her hands reaching out. River let the ghost’s hands rest on her palms, and she shivered as the ghost’s memories played out like a scene in a movie in her mind.
The laughter. The swings, her stomach rising and dropping as she went higher and higher. The way Marina’s laughter made her feel warm and happy. The leap and the sudden, definite knowledge that it was allwrong.
And then a world with no color. A body with no shape. A feeling of being hopelessly, utterly lost and alone. Watching and never being seen.
River slipped her hands away, tears making the ghost blurry. “I’m so sorry. Marina has never accepted that it was an accident. She’s always blamed herself.”
The ghost nodded, her expression one of infinite sadness.
“Do you want me to talk to her for you?”
The ghost nodded, and the relief in her eyes was obvious.
“I’ll try. But thanks to Marjorie, I don’t know if Marina will ever come here again. Can you meet us somewhere else?”
The ghost nodded again, and the sun crested the trees. She moved back into the shadows and was gone.
River sighed and got out of the cold. Shamus let his irritation at being denied his usual place in bed be known in loud yowls, only settling down when she’d sat and given him cuddles. Marina’s vanilla scent filled the house, and as she thought about the night before, she sighed with pleasure. Damn. That had been beyond fucking hot. She hadn’t expected Marina’s simple submission at all. She’d expected a little more aggression, a little bit of pushback. But instead, she’d been putty in River’s hands, and she’d taken what River wanted to give with such gorgeous abandon it had made River dizzy with lust and the desire to take her until she begged River to stop.
But she hadn’t needed to say it with words. River had read her body, felt her energy entwine with her own, matching it in a yin and yang kind of balance that was beyond rare. When she’d fallen asleep in River’s arms, River knew she’d do damn near whatever it took to keep her safe, to protect her, to be whatever it was Marina needed.
And now, here she was, alone as the sun rose. That didn’t mean nothing more could come of it, but it did serve as a reminder that Marina was focused on her career, and last night could very well be a one-off. It was a depressing thought.
River forced herself off the couch, much to Shamus’s annoyance, and into her gym clothes. A hard workout, unlike the one she’d enjoyed last night, would banish the blues and help her clear her head.
For the most part, it worked. Heavy weights and hard cardio made her sweat, but that made her think about how sweaty she’d gotten while fucking Marina. She left the gym horny and wondering how the fuck things were going to work out.
There were two vans with TV news station logos on them outside her shop when she arrived. She spotted Audrey’s lime green car half a block down and saw her shadow still in the driver’s seat. Not a surprise. Audrey had never wanted to bethe focus. Her ability to read thoughts meant she often saw, or heard, the worst of people. She always said she balanced that with the kindness she found in others.
River smiled at Adriana, who stood talking with another tall woman by the front door. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting you.”
Adriana pulled her into a quick hug. “It was a last minute thing.” She turned to the other woman. “This is Emmaline Smith. She’s?—”
“A journalist.” River reached out and shook her hand. “I’m sorry, I didn’t recognize you at first. I loved the work you did on the refugees of Somalia. The article and pics inNational Geographicwere incredible.”
She smiled. “Thanks. I’m lucky to be able to do those kinds of stories.”
Her deep southern twang was indicative of her Louisiana roots. River was pretty sure she’d heard that Emma was a lesbian too. “Not that I’m not glad to have you here, but this seems pretty different from your usual stories.”
“Emma’s looking into the larger issue of real estate developer thuggery.” Adriana grinned.
“I think I’ll use that for a title.” Emma winked. “This story is a springboard for the bigger issue so many communities are facing, both here and abroad. I’m investigating the shadowy side of how they get people to give in. I hope you don’t mind, but I spoke to Adriana, and we’d like to do a double interview with you today.”
River swallowed hard. What would Marina think when River went on the record about this? But then, it wasn’t like she’d be surprised either. Fucking complicated. “Yeah, of course. But I think we should bring in some other folks too.”
Adriana gave a little shrug. “Mrs. Crabtree, maybe? She’s awesome. But I think we need to keep it intimate, you know?We’ve covered the huge rallies, the public outcry. Now I think we need to move the camera in, get a closer, more personal view.”
Emma seemed to sense River’s unease. “What’s bothering you?”
