Page 28 of Haunt Me, Maybe

Invisible pressure gathered between us, but Wes didn’t move. He looked at me, jaw clenched like he held himself back by force of will alone. The cold around him deepened but never reached that biting chill, almost as if his aura was melted by the heat between us.

A ghostly version of body heat.

“You’re shaking,” he murmured.

“I’m not,” I lied. Could he tell I’d never done this before?

His thumb brushed my waist, barely there. An icy trail burned across my exposed skin in the smallest touch. It was a test, and my breath stuttered, betraying me.

“That right there,” he said, softly. “You can’t hide that from me.”

I swallowed, trying to bring moisture to my suddenly dry mouth. “I’m not trying to hide.”

“Good.”

He reclaimed the distance between us with one step. There was no warning this time. No space left to breathe except the air he stole from my mouth as he kissed me again. It was slower this time. Deeper. And less careful. His hand spread across my lower back, and pulled me flush against him until there was no doubt how real this was.

I felt the press of him against my lower stomach, and it sent a pulse of heat straight through me. My magic answered immediately; the lamplight softened to a warm glow. Shadows swooped in and clung to us, while little flashes of starlight blinked like mini flares. Wes groaned softly against my mouth.

“That thing you do,” he whispered between kisses, breath hot on my lips. “With the light.”

“I’m not doing it on purpose,” I said, panicked that this was all about to stop because I couldn’t control my magic.

But he didn’t seem angry—the exact opposite. “Could’ve fooled me.”

His mouth trailed from my lips, down my jaw, and along my throat, leaving fire in its wake. He paused where my pulse jumped the hardest and nipped, like he knew exactly what he was doing. A whimper escaped, and my head fell back.

His hand tightened at my hip. “That’s dangerous.” His voice was rough now. “You keep reacting like that, and I don’t know if I can be the responsible one.

“You already don’t seem all that responsible.”

Pulling back to look at me, his familiar smirk was back, but it was sharper now and edged with hunger.

“That’s because I passed it eight inches ago.” He rolled his hips, emphasizing a very awake part of his anatomy.

My blush was vibrant and unmistakable, and his gaze zeroed in on it, that smirk deepening. When he kissed me again, it was harder and without hesitation. I clutched at his shoulders, fingers searching for an anchor. He responded instantly with one hand sliding up my side, until his thumb brushed the underside of my breast.

I gasped, and the sound seemed to undo him.

Wes pressed me harder against the wall, one forearm braced beside my head and the other still gripping me as if he was afraid I’d disappear. His mouth moved with intent now, that skilled tongue of his flicking slow, deep, and unwavering, until my thoughts scattered and the only thing that remained was a heady mess of sensations.

Cold and heat.

Ghost and witch.

Solid and impossible.

My magic surged once more, heavier this time, and my skin prickled. Wes broke the kiss with a sharp inhale, his forehead dropping to my shoulder.

“Say the word,” he growled, voice strained. “Because I’m right at the edge here.”

I didn’t. Instead, I slid my hands down his chest, emboldened by the way his breath hitched like I hit something vital.

“Aven,” he warned, then swore under his breath. “You don’t know what you’re asking for.”

“Yes, I do.”

I really didn’t, but I didn’t care. I was too far gone. I wanted it all. The hand resting on my side went on the move again, gliding with purpose down to my hip before crossing between us and dipping even lower. My eyes widened as Wes pressed the heel of his palm between my legs.