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Her eyelashes flutter as her deep brown eyes stare up into mine in utter disbelief. I can sense she’s about to pull away and make a self-deprecating joke, so I tighten my grip on her hip and lean down to bring my lips closer to hers. She inhales sharply as I do; the sound going straight to my cock.Keep it together, Max.
“I won’t make you take anything from me you don’t want to. As much as we’re going to pretend that isn’t the case. Say the word and I’ll drop it. I’d rather chase you through the dark in a pair of sexy heels I bought you than practical flats, but it’s your choice.”
Her breath quickens, and her tongue darts out to wet her lips. “O-okay. Yeah, that’d be good.”
“Good girl.” My voice thickens with the desire to claim her lips, but if I do that now, we’re not leaving her apartment tonight. I squeeze her hip before releasing her, taking a step back to survey the surrounding space. “For tonight, let’s see if we can find the heels you already have. You have my professional investigatory skills on your side, so I think we can crack the case.”
Mona giggles, still trying to calm her breathing from when I held her. “Just promise me you won’t judge what you find during your investigation. I haven’t been the best about cleaning up since…” Her smile fades. “Uh, for a while.”
Since what? I’m about to ask, but get distracted by something brushing up against my leg. When I look down, there’s nothing there.Strange. “Trust me, I doubt what I find will be anywhere near the weirdest thing I’ve seen in someone’s house.”
She laughs again, a lock of her silky hair falling in front of her face. My fingers twitch, wanting to push it back for her. I’m worried even that small touch will be enough to send me over the edge.
We split up to search her place, Mona checking her office while I check the bedroom. I take my time soaking in this moment in her private space, eager for the chance to learn more about her. I was too preoccupied when I came here last night to notice the decor, but can see now it’s much moodier than the rest of her place. Dark green walls and bedding give it an intimate vibe that suits her. It’s slightly messy, but normal for someone who works full time and lives alone.
Scanning the room, my eyes are drawn to a slightly ajar nightstand. With a glance behind me to check if Mona’s near, I go to it and open the drawer. Inside there’s a neat row of silk bags, ear plugs, and lube. Unable to contain my curiosity, I open one of the bags and find a large purple vibrator. The rest of the bags hold a variety of vibrators, and I smile to myself as I inspect each one. Good to know what kind of toys she likes.
With a stiffening cock, I carefully set everything back how she left it and move on to the rest of the room. I check her closet next, but the only thing of note I find is a replica sword that I think might be from Lord of the Rings. It’s adorably nerdy and I make a mental note to ask her about it later.
My eyes catch on a framed photo on top of her dresser as I continue to search. Mona poses in front of a pyramid with a thin, rosy-cheeked blonde woman who shares Mona’s smile, and a guy with the same golden brown skin and eyes as her. This must be her family. They all look so happy together, and it warms my heart to see that she’s close enough to them to keep this photo in a prominent place.
Once all of the typical places where shoes might be are checked, I look under the bed, then dig through her laundry hamper. Something nudges against my leg again as I’m bent over the hamper, fighting with the desire to pocket the thong she wore last night. I startle, stumbling back to look down for the source.
There’s nothing there. At least, it doesn’t look like there is. But then I hear the slightest whisper of something in the room with me. Crouching down, I still my breath and listen, calling forth my magic to aid me. The sound becomes clearer.
Weird. It sounds almost like panting.
I sit down on the floor and close my eyes. If Mona were to come in right now, she’d think I’m nuts. Well, more nuts than she already does. A moment later, something crawls onto my lap. I gingerly reach out to touch it, keeping my eyes shut. Soft, short fur greets my fingers and the creature in my lap moves, rolling over to let me pet its belly. Gentle happiness radiates out from the…dog?
Continuing to stroke the soft fur, I slowly open my eyes and whisper a spell under my breath. A shimmering light surrounds me in a small radius, glittering motes of light falling to outline my body and a chunky spectral pug sitting on my lap.
A pair of heels thudding against the floor draws my attention away from the ghost dog to Mona, standing in the doorway with shock written across her face.
“Oh my god,” she gasps, sinking to her knees. The sparkly outline of the dog waddles from my lap to sit beside her, gazing up at her with loving devotion. I focus my magic so that it concentrates on the pug, making it clearer. Tears stream down Mona’s face as she reaches a shaky hand toward the dog, who meets her halfway to nuzzle its head under her palm.
“Nugget? H-how? Oh my god, this can’t be real.” The dog—Nugget—nudges her hand to encourage her to pet him more, and she sobs even harder.
“Shit, Mona. I didn’t mean to upset you. I felt something invisible touching me, so I used some magic to highlight unseen things. I didn’t know there was a spirit here.” My heart aches at her bittersweet tears as she bends forward to let the invisible dog rain kisses across her face.
“I thought I felt him and heard him so many times, but…it was just my grief. Ghosts aren’t real.” She looks down at the little pug again and makes a choked sound. “Are they? Is this really him?”
“Spirits exist. They usually linger near something they’re deeply attached to. Especially when they know they’re still needed. Nugget must have known you needed him.” My voice grows hoarse at the implications of Nugget’s presence.
“I’ve missed you so much, my sweet angel. But you don’t have to stay. I’ll be okay,” she whispers down into Nugget’s neck, so soft I almost don’t hear it. He looks up at her with enormous eyes, then kisses her one more time before jumping up onto her bed and curling up on a pillow. A weak smile forms on her trembling lips. “Guess he doesn’t believe me.”
Mona stands, watching Nugget as he falls asleep, then looks back at me as she wipes away some of the moisture from her face. “Fuck, I’m so sorry, Max. I didn’t mean to break down like that in front of you.”
I pull her into a hug. “Don’t you dare apologize. You just found out that ghosts are real and your dog is still here with you. That’s alot.”
“Y-you’re right. But this isn’t what you came here for. I’ll be okay in a minute, then I’ll try to fix my makeup so we don’t miss our reservation.” She pulls away from the hug, and a fat tear slides down her cheek as she takes a deep inhale to calm herself.
“Mona, I came here to learn more about you and to spend time together. Dinner doesn’t matter. I’ll cancel the reservation and we can go another time. I’m happy to stay here with you, but if you want some privacy, I’ll leave. The illumination spell will last for a few hours, but I’ll text my dad about making an enchantment to keep Nugget visible all the time.”
She wipes at her face again and looks over at Nugget, who is already dreaming. She sits down on the bed next to him. “He won’t go away if I leave?” The hesitant hope and worry on her face makes my heart clench.
“He looks pretty content. I don’t think he’s going anywhere unless you want him to.” I sit down next to her and wipe away a rogue tear that’s escaped my watery eyes.
“Okay.” She releases a shuddering breath and then turns to look at me with a soft smile. “We should still go to dinner. After all, I found my shoes.”
