Page 82 of If I Stopped Haunting You

She leaned forward until their foreheads were pressed together. One of his hands went to her hips, and he was pleasantly surprised to discover she still wore only a shirt and underwear.

Neil caught her fingers in his, gently squeezing. He brought their joined hands down to her bare thigh, his hand engulfing hers. Smiling, he tucked the stray wisps of hair behind her ear.

“I suppose we have things to talk about.”

“Do we?” she murmured, her breath skating across his lips and sending warmth flooding down to his pants.

“We do.” He wove his hand into her braid, his thumb smoothing over her jaw.

“Couldn’t we talk about them after we figure out this whole ghost thing?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Are you avoiding difficult conversations again, Penelope Skinner?”

She cleared her throat and sat back, putting a bit of distance between them. “How about a proposal?”

“I’m listening.”

“We head to bed,” she murmured, her hand skating up his neck. “We go to sleep,” she whispered as she bent close, her lips to the shell of his ear, “and we deal with all of this in the morning.”

Neil shivered, leaning back to get a good look at her. One of his hands inched down, his fingers skimming the underside of her breast through her shirt. He could see the outline of her nipples through the thin fabric, and he rolled one between his fingers.

“I think you’re using your feminine wiles to quiet me.”

She shrugged and opened her mouth to protest, but her lips parted as Neil’s other hand dove down to the heat building between her legs. She inhaled sharply as his fingers inched down.

The small, barely audible gasp she made as he brushed two fingers over her wetness had Neil coming undone. He was lengthening and hardening beneath her, and if it weren’t for the pain…

Neil’s other hand snaked around to grip her ass, and Penelope bit down on her lip, gray eyes going to his. How could she of all people do this to him? Not even an hour had passed, and he was ready to sink into her again.

His hand slid from her ass to her spine and up until it cradled the back of her neck, fingers knotting in her braid. Neil tugged her down to him, ignoring the sharp stab of pain when she kissed him and their noses crashed together. Her tongue darted past his parted lips, tangling with his, and she tasted like sex and mint.

Neil’s other hand brushed aside her underwear and his fingers nudged her opening.

“You’re already soaked,” he groaned, slipping in a finger.

Her hips moved against him, riding his hand as he dipped in a second finger, the pain of his nose forgotten. Penelope leaned forward and clamped her teeth on his neck, hiding another moan against his skin. The sensation made him shudder and pick up speed, his cock twitching as her nails dug into his shoulder.

She pulled back with a tremor, her eyes half-lidded with desire. “I hope you weren’t planning to sleep tonight,” she said.

She lifted her hips, his fingers popping out of her. Grinning mischievously, she pulled his fingers into her mouth, running her tongue over them, tasting.

Wide-eyed, Neil stood, following her as she backed away.

“You know I would much rather stay up all night doing these things with you than sleep in my bed alone.”

Penelope laughed as she tugged him up the stairs to the east wing. “Sleep is the last thing on my mind.”

They paused in the hall between their rooms.

“Maybe we should sleep in your room,” she said, tugging him to his door.

“That’s a good idea.”

“You know what else is a good idea?” she asked coyly.