“Hello.”
“Caitlin?”
At the sound of his voice, tension left my body, and I returned to the world of the living. “Hello, Patrick.”
“Did I call at a bad time?”
“Not at all.” Liar, liar . Torn, I wanted to talk to Patrick, see him again, and I wanted to talk to my ghost. Was he all right? How did Anna’s escape affect him?
“I had fun last night.”
“Me too.” I strolled into the great room, where the sun poured in through the window. With the cordless held to my ear, I drew the drapes before I flopped on the couch.
“I’d like to see you again.”
“Would you?”
“Dinner tonight?”
I nearly groaned. I’d need to do another ten laps. “That would be great.”
“Give me your address and I’ll pick you up at seven.”
I don’t think so. I liked Patrick, but I wasn’t giving my address out to anyone on a first date. “How about if I meet you?”
“Works for me.”
We decided on a small Italian restaurant two blocks from Jimmy’s. As I hung up, my nerve ends tingled, then settled as Liam materialized in front of me. “Don’t do that.” My heart had nearly crashed through my ribcage.
“Sorry.” He sank down into the chair across from the couch. “So where are we going tonight?”
“We?” I didn’t care for the sound of that. In this case, three most definitely was a crowd.
“Have you forgotten?” His fingers were locked behind his head as he leaned back in the chair.
“Forgot what?” I guess I had.
“Wherever you go, I go. We’re linked.” He stretched out his legs and crossed his ankles.
The look on my face must have given away my lack of enthusiasm.
“I won’t get in the way. Besides, you need a chaperone.”
A sigh started in my belly and escaped my lips. “Liam, this is the twenty-first century. Women don’t go out with chaperones anymore. Do you recall seeing any chaperones last night?”
“Hadn’t really given it much thought.” He shrugged.
“Well, trust me. They don’t. Besides, it’s not like I’m a virgin or anything.” Jeez, I was even lying about my virginal state to a ghost. For the life of me I didn’t know why I’d brought it up, except for the fact I wasn’t about to admit to a guy I’d never been tempted. It was just not cool to be a virgin in the circles I ran in, but I doubted if that was the case in Liam’s world. I should have never mentioned it, and wished I hadn’t, but it was too late.
I wondered if it would be any different with Patrick? I knew instinctively it would be with Liam, if he were flesh and blood instead of ectoplasm.
His breath caught, and he looked like I’d sucker punched him. My throat thickened. His fingers tightened on the ends of the chair.
“Are you a virgin then?” I asked rudely, going on the offensive.
“That’s different. I’m a man.” He lifted his chin, an affronted expression on his countenance.
“Oh, please.”
“It’s different.” He placed one arm over the other and hooked them across his chest, his chin raised, lips tight.
“Not today, it’s not.” I crossed my bare legs. His glance followed the movement before he looked away. A trail of red climbed up his collar, then flooded his face. Intriguing . “I told you, women don’t need to marry for sex. If they’re involved in a relationship, it’s a perfectly normal outcome.” Well for most . I did a mental squirm . “Or if they want a one night stand, that’s okay too.”
“One night stand?” He cocked an eyebrow.
“You know, if you’re attracted to someone and don’t want any strings attached.” My role of worldly sophistication, and the smugness that accompanied it, lasted for ten seconds.
“And what kind of relationships do you form?”
He sized me up. Disappointment flickered in his eyes, quickly masked.
“None of your business.”
“You’re right. Of course it isn’t.” He disappeared. One moment, he was there and the next he wasn’t.
“Liam?”
“Practicing your lines?” Marcy
“Caitlin?”
At the sound of his voice, tension left my body, and I returned to the world of the living. “Hello, Patrick.”
“Did I call at a bad time?”
“Not at all.” Liar, liar . Torn, I wanted to talk to Patrick, see him again, and I wanted to talk to my ghost. Was he all right? How did Anna’s escape affect him?
“I had fun last night.”
“Me too.” I strolled into the great room, where the sun poured in through the window. With the cordless held to my ear, I drew the drapes before I flopped on the couch.
“I’d like to see you again.”
“Would you?”
“Dinner tonight?”
I nearly groaned. I’d need to do another ten laps. “That would be great.”
“Give me your address and I’ll pick you up at seven.”
I don’t think so. I liked Patrick, but I wasn’t giving my address out to anyone on a first date. “How about if I meet you?”
“Works for me.”
We decided on a small Italian restaurant two blocks from Jimmy’s. As I hung up, my nerve ends tingled, then settled as Liam materialized in front of me. “Don’t do that.” My heart had nearly crashed through my ribcage.
“Sorry.” He sank down into the chair across from the couch. “So where are we going tonight?”
“We?” I didn’t care for the sound of that. In this case, three most definitely was a crowd.
“Have you forgotten?” His fingers were locked behind his head as he leaned back in the chair.
“Forgot what?” I guess I had.
“Wherever you go, I go. We’re linked.” He stretched out his legs and crossed his ankles.
The look on my face must have given away my lack of enthusiasm.
“I won’t get in the way. Besides, you need a chaperone.”
A sigh started in my belly and escaped my lips. “Liam, this is the twenty-first century. Women don’t go out with chaperones anymore. Do you recall seeing any chaperones last night?”
“Hadn’t really given it much thought.” He shrugged.
“Well, trust me. They don’t. Besides, it’s not like I’m a virgin or anything.” Jeez, I was even lying about my virginal state to a ghost. For the life of me I didn’t know why I’d brought it up, except for the fact I wasn’t about to admit to a guy I’d never been tempted. It was just not cool to be a virgin in the circles I ran in, but I doubted if that was the case in Liam’s world. I should have never mentioned it, and wished I hadn’t, but it was too late.
I wondered if it would be any different with Patrick? I knew instinctively it would be with Liam, if he were flesh and blood instead of ectoplasm.
His breath caught, and he looked like I’d sucker punched him. My throat thickened. His fingers tightened on the ends of the chair.
“Are you a virgin then?” I asked rudely, going on the offensive.
“That’s different. I’m a man.” He lifted his chin, an affronted expression on his countenance.
“Oh, please.”
“It’s different.” He placed one arm over the other and hooked them across his chest, his chin raised, lips tight.
“Not today, it’s not.” I crossed my bare legs. His glance followed the movement before he looked away. A trail of red climbed up his collar, then flooded his face. Intriguing . “I told you, women don’t need to marry for sex. If they’re involved in a relationship, it’s a perfectly normal outcome.” Well for most . I did a mental squirm . “Or if they want a one night stand, that’s okay too.”
“One night stand?” He cocked an eyebrow.
“You know, if you’re attracted to someone and don’t want any strings attached.” My role of worldly sophistication, and the smugness that accompanied it, lasted for ten seconds.
“And what kind of relationships do you form?”
He sized me up. Disappointment flickered in his eyes, quickly masked.
“None of your business.”
“You’re right. Of course it isn’t.” He disappeared. One moment, he was there and the next he wasn’t.
“Liam?”
“Practicing your lines?” Marcy
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