Soulsearch (Teen Paranormal Romance Series) (The Soulmate Series: Teen Paranormal Romance Book 2) by Kellie McAllen

her out to fancy restaurants and buy her presents.   He always left her generous tips when he came to see her at the night club.   He offered her more but she was hesitant to take it.   He never mentioned a wife or a family but Jessica wondered if he had one somewhere.   Instead, they talked about books and movies.   He was an avid reader and he encouraged her to broaden her horizons.   He brought her his favorites and she read them late at night when her shift was over and she was lying in bed, wishing he was there.   He seemed well-educated, so much smarter than her, but he never talked down to her or indicated he found her less than his equal.   He had seen the world and experienced the finest pleasures, but he seemed happy just to be with her.
    With her beautiful face and hourglass figure, Jessica had her share of interested suitors, but no one came close to offering the thrill she felt whenever she was with Michael.   They didn’t talk about the future, he made no promises and she made no demands, but she never considered seeing anyone else as long as Michael still wanted her.   She saw him frequently for the first several years, but after that his visits dwindled.   It had been 2 years and 11 months since his last.   She probably could count the days and the hours, but she didn’t let herself.
    “Jessie,” he murmured, gazing hungrily at her and taking her into his arms.   “You look lovelier than ever.”   He pulled away from their embrace to admire her.   “I missed you so much, darling.   I know I’m no good for you, but I just can’t stay away from you,” Michael admitted longingly.
    “What do you mean, Michael?   There’s no one better for me. There never has been.”
    “I know, Jessie, but there should have been.   You shouldn’t keep waiting for me.   You should find someone better than me, someone who deserves you.   Every time I give in to myself and come to you, I expect to see that you’ve found someone else.”   His hands traced the lines of her back through the silky curtain of her hair.   “Why do you always look so happy to see me?”   His face was soft with love but stern at the same time.
    “I can’t help it, Michael.   There’s only you,” she replied with a happy smile.   He responded by taking her mouth with his and kissing her till they both were left gasping for air.
    “So who were those people in the driveway when I pulled up?” Michael questioned when their lips finally parted.
    “Oh, just some kids doing a survey for a school project.   They had the weirdest questions!   They were asking if I believed in superpowers.   What kind of question is that?!   Then they asked what I believed about the soul.   What kind of projects do they do in school these days?   I don’t think I gave them the kind of answers they were hoping for, but they were nice enough.   Very polite,” Jessica explained.
    Michael’s whole body tensed at her description.   “You say they were students?   Do they live around here?   Have you ever seen them before?   What were their names?” He asked tersely.
    “Yeah, that’s what they said.   No, I’ve never seen them before.   I don’t know where they’re from, but I assume they live around here.   Why else would they come to this neighborhood?   I think the boy’s name was Rider or something strange like that, but I can’t remember the others’ names,”   Jessica replied, curious about his reaction.
    “Did they go to other houses, or just yours?”
    “I don’t know.   I assumed they were talking to everybody.   They said they needed a ‘cross-section of society’ or something like that.   Why?   You seem worried,” Jessica asked, looking for answers in his dark brown eyes.
    “I’m sure it’s nothing, darling.   Don’t worry about it,” Michael soothed, purposefully relaxing his tense muscles.   “It just seems kind of strange, like maybe they had an ulterior motive.   Make sure you