“I’m not sure,” he said. “It might be Eve or it could just be…” He trailed off, which wasn’t very comforting. “Either way, I knew you’d end up holding onto me tonight.” He gave me that cheeky grin, the one that drove me mad but also made my heart pound.
I tried to pull my hand back, but Riley tightened his grip and prowled down the hall. The feel of his hand was warm and steady, and the flickering lights led us across the threadbare carpet and creaking floors.
An indistinct voice drifted down the hall from a room, and Riley turned toward it. “Do you think that’s her?”
“Only one way to find out.” I sped up so I could walk beside him, though I couldn’t bring myself to let go of his hand.
Riley reached for the door, which creaked open before he even touched it. “It wasn’t closed all the way.”
“Right.” I followed him inside, looking around. Pale sheets covered furniture, filling the room with the shapes of immobile ghosts among the darkness.
“Relax, Kitty.” Riley ran his thumb across the inside of my wrist, revealing my racing pulse. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
I couldn’t tell himhewas the reason my pulse raced. “I know,” I whispered.
A gust blew through the room, putting out Riley’s flame, and the door snapped shut behind us.
Chapter 9
Rileypulledmeagainsthim, his body tense as if preparing for an attack. But all I could focus on was the feel of his arm around me and how my hands had naturally settled against his chest. His warmth surrounded me, and in the darkness it was too easy to be aware of the muscles in his chest even through our silly costumes.
When nothing else happened, Riley met my gaze with a lopsided grin. “Guess we overreacted.”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
But I didn’t move, and neither did he. The silence stretched between us, taut and unyielding. Some of the tension bled from him into the space between us until theair grew charged, like the pause before a storm—or a kiss. Riley’s lips lifted in their usual smirk, but he said nothing. His dark eyes gleamed with a flash of gold, a wordless challenge that stole my breath.
His fingers tightened around my waist, pulling me infinitesimally closer. The tension thickened until the only way to escape it was to drop my attention to his lips, which hovered just a few inches above mine. But that just made things worse. My fingers curled into fists where they rested against his chest that rose and fell with quick, uneven breaths.
“I thought you weren’t scared of haunted houses,” I whispered, staring at the top of his tuxedo costume.
“I’m not, but I am scared of how you might react to this.” He moved his hand from my waist up to my chin, gently tipping my face up.
I needed to pull back, to end this moment before it could turn into something we both might regret, but I couldn’t make myself move.
His hand cupped my cheek, then his thumb coasted along my cheekbone with the gentlest touch, like the flutterof dragonfly wings. Even that was enough to send a shiver racing through me.
The air between us hummed, a gravitational pull urging me to close the distance between us. Unable to resist, I took one step closer.
“Riley, I…” I wasn’t even sure what to say, but it didn’t matter because Riley leaned down and pressed his lips to mine.
Warmth blazed through me like Riley’s magic heated me from the inside. At first it was soft and exploratory, but then he tilted his head to the side, slanting his lips against mine. His hand slid back to tangle itself in my hair while his other tightened on my waist.
I gasped and went onto my tiptoes to press against him, holding onto his broad shoulders for support. Heat radiated from him, chasing away the last of my chills and uncertainty and making me feel like butter melting over a fresh apple cinnamon croissant.
Riley tasted the way he smelled, like an autumn bonfire and a hint of coffee. The slight scratch of his stubble contrasted with the softness of his lips.
“Boo!” a girl shouted as the door behind us flew open.
I sprang away from Riley, trying to calm my breathing.
The girl swung her flashlight around like a strobe light, then she froze. “You’re not Kimberly.”
“Um, no. We’re not.” I pulled my Sally hood back on over my slightly disheveled hair so she wouldn’t recognize me.
“What a bust,” she said. “What are you doing up here?” She flicked the flashlight between us, blinding me. “Actually, never mind. That was a stupid question.”
I blinked a few times, trying to get rid of the spots in my vision. “We came up here because we’re looking for someone.” At least no one could tell I was blushing since my face was covered.
