Page 90 of The Devil and His Ghost

Chapter 31

Kendyll

(One Year Ago)

I DIDN’T WANT TO ENJOY Xander’s company. I didn’t want to find the demon’s presence and antics comforting. I didn’t want to see why I should stay instead of run.

But nothing ever went how I planned with Xander.

Not when I was younger, not last year, not last night, and not now.

I couldn’t think about last night without heating up from head to toe and yearning between my legs. It was hard to believe that we’d finally had sex, but the soreness lingering at my center was plenty confirmation that we’d crossed that line.

And I wanted to do it again.

Look. One day back together, and your resolve is already gone. How weak can you be?

I glanced at Xander as he politely smiled and listened to Jonathan and his wife talk about their manor and all of their memories from within it. I’d already heard their entire story, but the ghost couple was excited to have another eager listener, even if it was a “scary demon.”

Most ghosts longed for company, especially if there weren’t other spirits to talk to. Thankfully, the ghosts of Brookdale Manor had each other, which was why they were all so lively and remained here together. Regardless of whether it was a lone ghost or a group of them, one who knew they were dead or one who didn’t, I loved giving all spirits that space to share their stories. Seeing Xander listen attentively to the man as he chatted about his once prized blue roan steed made my chest constrict with something warm and light.

Eventually, Alex and Bethelma gathered themselves after Xander’s reign of terror, but Bethelma was such a frazzled mess that she called it a night.

“We’ll come back tomorrow night, and hopefully, that d-d-demon won’t be here. I’ll have the network send over a priest to get rid of it.” She whipped around to scurry off to the car.

I glanced at Xander, who smacked both of his cheeks with clawed hands and shook his head in horror. “Not the priest! My weakness!”

With Bethelma gone, I pursed my lips and questioned, “I take it that doesn’t work on you?”

“Not even a little,” he laughed and dropped his hands. “But whatever brings simple minded humans their comfort, I suppose.”

Jonathan, his wife, and the servant bid us goodbye until tomorrow. Catsper meowed his parting words to Sebastian the dog, who returned the farewell with a bark and lick of his spectral tongue. I climbed into the SUV with Bethelma and Alex. We’d gained an extra passenger, though they still couldn’t see or hear Xander. He sat next to Bethelma in the backseat while Alex drove and I rode passenger with Catsper invisible in my lap.

“It’s freezing back here,” Bethelma complained. “Turn on the heat!”

“Yes, ma’am,” Alex complied.

I glanced back, only to find Xander blowing on Bethelma. A white cloud of frigid air flowed from his lips toward her. I bit my lip to hide my smile, and even as Bethelma raged about the heat not working the entire way back to the hotel, I couldn’t stop grinning.

The Mischief demon just brought happiness out of me too easily.

It was already almost half past two in the morning by the time we made it back to the hotel. Unsurprisingly, Xander followed me back to my room, but he wasn’t the only one.

“Kendyll,” Alex called.

I stopped in the threshold of my room to face my coworker. Xander made a not-so-subtle disgusted scoff behind me, and I felt him draw closer to my back to listen in on whatever Alex wanted.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I’m sorry for acting so, you know … scared back there. We’ve been doing this for so long, but we’ve never encountered a demon before.”

“Speak for yourself,” Xander purred, his lips brushing the skin under my jaw.

I sucked in a hard breath but managed to keep my face schooled, not giving away the fact that the very being Alex spoke of was currently kissing and biting along my chin and neck.

Clearing my throat, I managed to respond normally. “It’s fine. He was definitely giving you and Bethelma a hard time.”

Alex rubbed at the back of his head with a humorless laugh. “Yeah. I’ll probably have some bruises from all those books.”