Ceaseless Read online

  “Follow me,” Dank said as he took my arm and steered me away from a girl in midsentence. I had to run to keep up with him as he led me toward a large oak tree behind the building. There was a picnic table underneath it. Was he hiding?

  “They won’t notice me back here,” he explained, making sure the tree was blocking him from the view of everyone else before he sat down on the picnic table. Something about seeing him sitting there seemed familiar. Almost as if I were experiencing déjà vu. He smirked as if he’d read my mind.

  “I’m surprised you walked off and left that last girl. If you’d brought her back here I am more than positive you’d have gotten some pretty naughty action. She was getting ready to offer to carry your first born.”

  Dank chuckled and shook his head, “I’ll pass. Not my type.”

  So far I wasn’t sure what his type was. Not only did he seem to be stalking me, but I hadn’t seen him with anyone else. Was it because I was a challenge?

  “Why the interest in me? If I offer to strip for you, will that send you running away? Am I the unique toy you never got to play with?” I made sure to smile as I asked. I didn’t want to sound like a jerk, but I really wanted to know, why me. There were plenty of girls available who were more than willing to do what he wanted, when he wanted it. Dank let my bag drop to the wooden planks of the picnic table and slowly stood up. His eyes were focused on me and the intensity of his gaze almost scared me. Sometimes his eyes didn’t seem real. They seemed unnatural---beautifully unnatural and haunting.

  “Understand this, Pagan Moore,” he began in a deep sexy voice, “if you ever offer to strip for me then you will have my complete undivided, attention.”

  Oh my.

  Swallowing hard I managed to give a semblance of a nod. Dank didn’t back away, instead he moved closer until I was pressed against the tree. “You aren’t a game. You will never be a game to me,” he said as he traced my jawline with the tip of his finger. The longing in his eyes was too strong. It didn’t make sense. We’d just met each other yesterday. Why did he react this way to me? And why did my heart go crazy when he got close?

  “It’s been too long. I can’t not kiss you,” he whispered before his mouth covered mine. His words made no sense but that faded to the back of my mind when his tongue slid into my mouth and the rich decadent foreign taste teased my senses. My hands flew up to his shoulders and I held on for dear life. My knees were weak and I needed support, but mainly, I just wanted to keep him there. Just like this. I inhaled the warm dark scent that engulfed me as his body crowded mine. His teeth grazed my bottom lip and I whimpered as his lips began kissing the spot behind my ear. The heat of his breath tickled my skin. Gripping his shirt tightly I pressed closer. One of his knees slid between my legs and settled between them, causing sparks of pleasure to shoot through me.

  “Ah,” I cried out as he moved his knee higher. My body trembled in response. Dank buried his head in the curve of my neck and shoulder. His heavy breathing accompanied by his sudden stillness told me this was about to end. I didn’t want it to end but then again the way I was reacting to an innocent kiss might mean I wasn’t ready for Dank Walker’s kisses. I started to move and his arms tightened their hold on my waist.

  “No. Please. Not yet. Let me have this,” the pleading sound in his voice as his words were spoken against my skin compelled me to do as he asked. Who could say no to that?

  His heavy breathing made very bad thoughts run through my head. His arms slid around me and pulled me closer as his knee lowered, but his leg stayed there between mine. “Are you coming Friday night? I want you there,” he said as he finally lifted his head to look at me.

  He wasn’t my type. He wasn’t safe. But I didn’t care. I was a college student. I’d been safe long enough. It was time I gave in a little to the wild side. “Yes, I’ll be there.”

  Dank closed his eyes in relief and a smile tugged the corner of his lips. “I was prepared to bribe you. That was easier than I thought,” he replied.

  “Bribe me, huh? Maybe I should have held out longer.”

  Dank’s eyes lowered and studied my lips. “What do you want, Pagan? Just ask.”

  Whoa. He was once again a little too intense.

  “Um, well, right now I want to take a nap because I didn’t get nearly enough sleep last night.” I was sure that was not the answer he’d been hoping for but it was true.

  Dank stepped back and I suddenly felt cold. “Don’t let Gee make you do things you don’t want to. She doesn’t require as much sleep as you do.”

  Were they related? Nothing else made sense. She seemed close to him but they weren’t a couple or anything remotely close to that. “I’m a big girl. I can handle Gee.”

  Dank let out a short sexy laugh and nodded, “Yeah. I know.”

  Dank

  “She doesn’t remember you either. I expected her to forget me. But why doesn’t she remember you?” I’d felt his arrival but I had waited until Pagan was far enough away to turn around and look at him.

  Leif, the voodoo spirit that had once held a claim to Pagan’s soul, stood several feet away from me. I had thought taking her from him with the warning to end his world would be enough to keep him away. The boy was verging on stupid. “She isn’t your concern. I suggest you go back to Vilokan and play with your friends there. My patience with you is wearing thin, Voodoo prince.”

  He glared at me and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not doing anything wrong. I’ve left her alone. I just came to see if she was okay. Before you showed up, protecting Pagan had been the only life I’d ever known.”

  Leif had been Pagan’s dark angel. One she hadn’t known existed. His sick and twisted claim on her soul had been something I’d fought his father, the Voodoo lord of the dead for in his own dwelling.

  “You’ve screwed with Pagan’s future enough. She is just now learning what a normal human life is like. I’m the only one that she needs to assure her protection. I won’t tolerate your hanging around. This isn’t your business.”

  Leif started to say more when Gee appeared by my side. “Well look what Hell has done drug up,” she said with a sigh and plopped down on the table. “Do I need to make sure you boys play nice? Because I will and I’ll enjoy every second of it.”

  Leif’s glare turned to one of hatred when he shifted his focus to Gee. There was no love lost between the two of them. “She doesn’t remember you either,” Leif snarled.

  “Ooooh look, Dankmar. He’s still just as quick as he ever was. Doesn’t that just make us the lucky ones?”

  “I’m not leaving until one of you explain to me what is wrong with Pagan,” Leif demanded.

  Gee cackled and I knew her small bout of humor was running thin. The Voodoo prince was pushing it. “Pagan is fine. She is finding herself without the claim of evil on her soul. “

  Leif started to take a step forward and Gee was in his face in less than a tenth of a second. She’d moved at inhuman speed and I looked around quickly to make sure no one had seen her.

  “You take one more step this way and I will cut.you,” she hissed.

  “You need to leave. This is your final warning.”

  Leif didn’t argue. He was gone.

  Gee cursed and spun around to look at me, “Dammit. I was hoping he’d stay here. That woulda been fun. I’ve been wanting to beat his voodoo ass for a year now.”

  “That would have been fun to watch, “ I agreed. “But we need to get to work. There’s been an earthquake in Haiti. It’s a bad one.”

  Gee sighed, “Guess you’re taking me too, this time.”

  Surprised at her lack of enthusiasm I stopped and raised an eyebrow her way.

  “Oh, don’t look at me like that. Can I help it if I like being a college student? It’s a helluva lot more fun than dealing with dead people.”

  Chapter Six

  Pagan

  Miranda was standing at her closet with several outfits laying over both our beds and the desks when I walked i
nto the room. I’d spent the rest of the day checking out my classes, meeting with professors, and finding a coffee shop close enough to stop by in the mornings on my way to each class.

  “Did our closets throw up?” I asked as I closed the door behind me and took in the mess in front of me.

  “Maybe,” she nibbled on her bottom lip nervously. “I have nothing to wear. Nothing.”

  I knew for a fact she had enough clothes to clothe a small country. What she meant was she didn’t have anything to wear on a date. Must be someone she really liked because I hadn’t seen her go this crazy over what to wear in years.

  “Who’s the lucky guy?” I asked, moving over a blue jean skirt that belonged to me and her royal blue scarf shirt so I could sit down on my bed.

  “Nathan. The guy from the club,” Miranda clapped her hands excitedly, “And get this! He is in the same fraternity as Jay. They want both of us to go out to dinner tonight and go see a movie.”

  Uh-oh. That wasn’t going to work.

  “Um, well, see here is the thing. Jay has a girlfriend or is obviously in a relationship. I saw it last night at the club. You know I don’t do drama and that is some serious drama there. You’ll have to tell Jay ‘no thanks’ for me.”

  Miranda’s face fell and she dropped the red jacket she’d been holding up in the mirror. “Pagan, please. This is important to me. Nathan is, he is like, I just haven’t felt about anyone like this, since, well since,” I saw tears well up in her eyes as she stared pitifully at me.

  “Since Wyatt?” I asked.

  She sniffed and nodded. “It isn’t as strong as what I felt for Wyatt, but I just met him. He makes my heart race and I get all tingly when he touches me. He isn’t Wyatt. No one will ever be Wyatt. But when I’m with him my heart doesn’t hurt.”

  Well, crap. She finally finds a guy to move on with and he is a friend of my ex. Just freaking perfect.

  “I’m sure Nathan will still want to date you even if I don’t go out with Jay,” I assured her.

  Miranda walked over and pushed the clothes beside me out of her way and sat down. “I am sure he would. But I don’t know him that well. We just met. We had coffee today and ended up talking for hours. He kissed me. It was… wow. I just want to have you there with me on our first official date. I’ll feel better knowing I’m not alone.”

  Double crap.

  “What about Jay’s girlfriend?” Please tell me she is a psycho and she may come after my head if I go anywhere with him. This will be my only way out.

  “Nathan said that Jay and Victoria aren’t an item. She is in the sorority that does things with their fraternity. She has been after him for over a year. Jay puts up with her clinginess but until he saw you walk into the club he hadn’t had a problem with it. Now he is putting a halt to things with Victoria. Nathan said you are all he’s talked about since he saw you. Come on, it’ll be fun. I need you there.”

  This was trouble. I looked at Miranda’s pleading eyes and knew I wouldn’t be able to tell her no. “What time are they going to be here?” I asked and she jumped up and squealed.

  “At seven,” she replied. It was only three. What was she doing getting ready now?

  “We have four hours. Why the clothing panic?”

  Miranda rolled her eyes, “because it’s gonna take me four hours to do all that I have to do to be presentable.”

  I gathered the clothes up that she’d left on my bed and took them over to hers and dropped them. “You put the clothes away. I’m taking a nap. If I have to do this then I definitely need some sleep. I’m exhausted.”

  “Fine. I’ll find you something to wear. But promise me you’ll get up in plenty of time to shower and shave your legs. I’m going to pick you out a mini. Jay always liked your legs.”

  Ugh.

  Dank

  A teenage girl not paying attention to a stop sign. It was all too familiar. The difference was, I hadn’t been stalking this soul. She hadn’t intrigued me. The crumpled car was wrapped around an electricity pole. Her parents stood over to the side crying as the desperate hope in their eyes stayed focused on the car. They wanted there to be some chance that their daughter had made it. That when the Jaws of Life pulled the car free they’d find her alive inside. I knew she wasn’t. He soul was releasing as it sensed my presence.

  I reached into the rubble and drew her soul out. It came willingly. The confused look on her face as she looked back at herself and then toward her parents was one I saw daily. She didn’t understand just yet that she was no longer in the body.

  “Come on, Chick, time for you to head up. You’ll have another life before you know it. Say your goodbyes to this one,” Gee informed her as she grabbed her hand and they left.

  I didn’t stay around and wait for her parents to figure out their worst fears were true. I’d had enough of that for one day. I just wanted to go see Pagan but I had thousands of souls still left to collect.

  I walked toward the truck that had flipped in an attempt to miss the girl’s car. I stopped where the paramedics were performing CPR on the driver. As the paramedics worked to save him, his soul had already released from his body and was staring down at his empty shell. Gee appeared beside me and without a word she took his hand telling him he’d get to start over and maybe this time he could keep from getting a beer gut.

  Pagan

  “It is unfair. Completely unfreakinfair.” Miranda scowled into the mirror she had us standing in front of. “I spent hours getting ready. You spent less than thirty minutes and you still look better.”

  Miranda was gorgeous. She had styled all her wild ringlets perfectly around her face. The red sleeveless top she’d paired with the silver pencil skirt that stopped way before it hit her knees, highlighted every curve she had. Nathan didn’t stand a chance. “You seriously are confused. You’re hot. Embrace it and let’s go,” I replied before she could change her clothes again.

  “Are you sure? You aren’t just saying that are you?” She was still standing in front of the mirror fidgeting with her shirt and hair.

  “I am positive. Come on. They are probably already down there waiting for us.” And I wanted to get this over with.

  “Maybe I should have gone with boots. You look killer in those leather boots,” Miranda replied without moving.

  I glanced down at the tan leather knee high boots I’d put on with the blue jean mini skirt Miranda had made me wear. “You can wear the boots if you want to. I don’t care. I’ll go find some other shoes to put on.”

  Miranda scowled. “No. Those boots won’t match what I’m wearing. Besides, you’d end up putting on your Converse or something ridiculous like that. It’s a miracle I managed to get you in those. I’m not messing up my luck now.”

  I smiled because she was correct. If I took these boots off I would slip on my Converse. “Then let’s go,” I replied, and opened the door.

  “Okay. Fine. Okay. I can do this,” Miranda reminded herself in the mirror, then turned and headed my way. Maybe I’d get her out of here before midnight.

  “It’s okay Miranda. He’s just a boy and this is just a date,” I assured her as I pushed her out the door and into the hallway.

  She nodded, “You’re right. He’s just a boy. It’s just a date.”

  We made our way down to the great room where they’d said they would meet us. I could hear feminine laughter and deep voices, as we got closer. “I hear them,” Miranda whispered.

  “Yep. Sounds like they’re entertaining some of our neighbors,” I replied. Maybe Jay would see someone he liked and leave me alone. Then she could deal with crazy Victoria.

  We stepped into the room to see Jay talking and laughing with a girl I hadn’t met yet, but I’d seen her yesterday when we moved in. Girls always flirted with Jay. He had that friendly kind of personality. Nathan’s eyes zoned in on Miranda instantly. The smile on his face as he looked at her made this all worth it. I liked that guy.

  Nathan elbowed Jay as we approached and he stopped talki
ng to the redhead and turned to look at us. His eyes swept over me slowly. The girl he’d been talking to reached out and squeezed his arm and said something about seeing him tomorrow night. I almost laughed. He’d just been caught making a date with another girl while waiting for me. That was priceless. If I weren’t going on this date for Miranda’s sake, I’d use this as my excuse and back out now. I couldn’t do that to her though. Not when Nathan had the look of awed worship in his eyes as he stared at her. Yeah, I’d have to deal with Jay the Romeo all night. Maybe Miranda and the redhead could meet and they could double date next time.

  “Pagan, wow. You look amazing,” Jay said as he stepped toward me, leaving his new friend behind.

  “Please don’t let me interrupt you,” I replied, turning my attention to the girl left waiting on his response.

  He was nervous. I smiled at him reassuringly. “Really, Jay. I don’t mind. Finish your conversation. I’m in no hurry.”

  Jay studied me a moment and I could see the indecision on his face. I wasn’t the lovesick seventeen-year-old he’d left behind. That ship had sailed. He shook his head and closed the distance between us and rested his hand on my lower back. “I’m ready to go. I was just being friendly.”

  The frown on the girl’s face said otherwise. I moved his hand from my back and took a step back. “If you were asking her out then please go finish what you started. You’re being rude.” I whispered.

  He let out a sigh. “Fuck.”

  I watched him as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. I knew him too well. I could read his body language. “You weren’t supposed to hear that. Dammit. I’ve screwed this up. Asking her out while waiting on you was disrespectful. I’m sorry.”