Ghost Silk (Ghost Perfume, Book 2) | ✔

3 - Promise me - Part 7 (Michael)

Her slight figure banged open the front door before we'd quite parked. She put her hands behind her back, watching us from the top of the stairs. Sunflowers were visible from behind the open door. Her hair was damp from a shower, curling freely around her shoulders. She wore the white halter-top dress that she bought on a recent shopping trip with us. The light breeze ruffled the skirt around her thighs. She also had on a slouching and loose-knit pink cardigan, which I didn't think was enough to keep her warm.

"Password," the adorable thing said.

Simon's mastiffs nosed their heads out of the house and ambled to stand at her feet.

I was so happy to see her standing in the house I made for her, looking whole and happy and safe, I was briefly speechless.

Alexander scowled as he slammed the door to his car closed. "Don't I live here now?"

"Well, you left for ages for who knows what. It's my house now, so you better play by my rules," she threatened. "No password?"

Lukas walked up the steps and bent to whisper in her ear. He spoke so low, cupping his hand over his mouth, even I couldn't hear.

I watched the blush suffuse the apples of her cheeks. I couldn't tell if it was from his words or his proximity.

Either way, it was like he was just begging me to cut his lips off.

I hadn't failed to notice their accelerating closeness, and I understood that it was Lukas's mistaken, if instinctive, reaction after the nightmare with Adelaide, but it was bordering on unacceptable.

"You may pass," she allowed, moving slightly aside.

He walked inside, tossing back a taunting, "It may break your brain to guess it right, Alexander, I feel sorry for you ..." His voice got fainter as he disappeared into the house.

"The hell did he say?" Alexander asked.

She shrugged. The pink cardigan slid lower, revealing more of her vulnerable shoulders. I forced my eyes away.

"Come on, guess," she prompted.

"How can I? Narrow it down."

"Um ..." She shifted her weight from leg to leg. She was wearing over-large knit socks that bunched around her ankles. Her calves were bare.

"I can't be expected to guess what your mind came up with. It's hard enough to decipher the things you actually do and say," Alexander continued.

"That's not true. I'm simple."

He folded his arms. "Ghosts. Death."

"You're so creative!"

"Unicorns. Rainbows. Pink."

"I'm nineteen," she glared.

"Lovely Rose, I want to get dinner started for us," Gabriel said.

"That counts," she said, moving aside for him. He laughed.

Now I understood.

It was like a stab to my chest.

But I was distracted yet again as Gabriel brushed his lips over her temple when he passed her by. She blinked big doe eyes up at him.

What was this?

When did these people begin to blur all boundaries?

A few days ago he was weeping to have kissed her under Adelaide's takeover, and I had thought bitterly, if there was one silver lining, it was that Gabriel had gotten enough of a shock to step back from the girl in our care ...