Page 26

With a creak, the rocking chair tips forward, then back, forward, then back, in controlled small movements. Like the skeleton is actually rocking it.

When Bram walks in front of the yoga skeleton, it turns its head and red lights flash in its eye sockets.

A knock sounds from inside the wardrobe.

He looks at me. “Am I supposed to open that door?”

I try for an innocent smile. “Why don’t you walk toward it and see what happens?”

Shaking his head, he grabs my hand, linking us together. “Not without you.”

With slow footsteps, we get closer to the ornate piece of furniture. The wardrobe’s doors click open, then swing wider and wider, and the third skeleton looms out with hands outstretched, backlit by deep red.

Bram smiles. “Okay, that’s fun. Kind of tame compared to the other rooms?—”

The lights go out, leaving us in total darkness. The music quits.

“Trev,” Bram’s voice is close to me, though I can’t see him. His hand tightens around mine. “Is this part of it, or did we lose power?”

I wait. Three, two, one…

A flash of red lights the room. The strobe light’s erratic pattern matches the music which returns full-force, at a louder volume. Other items on the desk, shelves, and walls light up thanks to blacklight paint. And the six-foot skeleton slowly rolls his chair away from the desk .

The door behind him opens, revealing a darkened room with an illusion of various tunnels on the walls.

Bram raises his brows at it, then me. “Let me guess, we’re going in there.”

“Of course, we are.” I tug on his hand. “Let’s go.”

We slip past the skeleton, which sets off cackling laughter that makes Bram jump, and step into the shadows.

The whispered voices attempting to misdirect us begin. “This way,” one breathes, with a rush of cool air.

“Over here,” another teases from the other side.

Cold breezes float around us and more spiderwebs trail over our skin. A current of air pushes against our shins, like the room is trying to keep us inside. Then, a mist filters in, slowly rising.

“Stay,” a breathy voice begs. A touch tickles my hand, thanks to feathery ribbons attached to the air vent.

“Forever…” a wispy, eerie whisper comes from behind us.

Bram jumps and curses, and in the dim misty light, pulls his hand to his chest. I guess the “ghost” touch got him too. “Trev, how do we get out of here?”

I’m still holding his other hand, so I give it a squeeze. “We just have to walk in a straight line. See the blue safety light? We’re going there.”

The warm weight of him leans into my side. “Okay.”

More voices whisper around us and cobwebs cling as we make our way to the door.

The door handle sticks. I huff and try turning it again. This isn’t part of the effects.

Huddling closer, Bram presses against my back. “I’m tense, waiting for that creepy dude’s voice.”

“Don’t worry. He’s not in here.” I wrench the handle, and it gives way. “I’ll leave a note for tomorrow’s team to make sure that’s fixed before we open.”

We step into the hallway, leaving the spooky world behind. Though, outside, the storm still rages.

He wraps his arms around me. “Trev, that was something. Really. Awesome, and scary. I’m so proud of you.”

I return his embrace, pressing my nose to his neck, letting his feel and scent wash over me. “You helped put everything together.”

“Yeah, but you came up with the concepts and executed them.” He kisses me. “Good job.”

“Thank you.” I’ve been doing this for years, and every year we get compliments, but hearing Bram’s adulations means more than all of them combined.

The lights flicker again. I’m happy we haven’t lost power, but don’t want to be caught here in the dark for real. I glance at the window. “Okay, let’s shut it all down and go home.”

Turning everything off doesn’t take long. We work well together and make a good team. I like having him in my life, in my house, and in my bed.

Stepping outside into the rainy night, I reach for his hand. “Ready to make a run for it?”

He links our fingers together and tightens his hold. “I want a hot drink in bed with you and the dogs.”

I want that too, and so much more.

We run down the path, our sneakers pounding the sidewalk, splashing through puddles. Sheets of rain soak through our clothes. I dig my keys from my pocket and Bram crowds my back much like he did when we were trying to escape that last room of the haunted house.

Laughing, I finally get the key in the lock. We hurry through the doorway. The dogs rush to greet us, jumping up and cuddling close.

Bram takes my keys and sets them in the bowl, then lays his phone beside it.

Stepping out of my shoes, I put my phone and wallet on the table and scan the wet clothes plastered to Bram’s skin. “We should take a shower.”

“We didn’t get wet enough outside for you?” He smirks as he tugs off his shoes.

I shove his shoulder. “Ha ha. Warm shower then warm clothes. Now.”

Wrapping his hand around mine, he pulls me toward the stairs. “Let’s go.”

The dogs race ahead of us, darting into my bedroom. I grab the TV remote and turn on the live feed of an animal preserve to give them a distraction from the storm while we shower.

Bram guides me into the bathroom then closes the door behind us. I get the shower going, then turn, with my hands on the buttons of my flannel, to face him.

He knocks my hands away. “Let me.”

“Okay.” I lock my hands on his hips and tease my thumbs in small circles above the waistband of his jeans.

His eyes flash with heat, but he continues diligently opening my shirt. The fabric clings to the shirt I have on underneath, but he peels it down my arms, then tosses it to the floor. We both work my Henley up and over my head. It joins the flannel on the floor.

I take over, working open the buttons of Bram’s borrowed flannel.

I love that he wears my shirts and that he’s taken to pulling on my sweats or pajama bottoms sometimes too.

The flannel joins the pile on the floor, followed by his long sleeve tee.

Goose bumps dot his skin and the edges of his lips have turned purple. “You need to get under the hot water.”

Bram steps into my space and slides his body against mine. “I’d rather get under you.”

My cock throbs at the image that pops into my mind. “That can be arranged. After we’re warm again.”

Steam billows out from the shower. Since we’re undressing each other, I open the button of his jeans, then lower the zipper and slide my hand inside to stroke along his boxer-covered cock.

Groaning, Bram glides his palms up my chest then, with a hand in my hair, directs my mouth to his. As we kiss, I get my jeans open, and Bram pushes them down.

Our boxers follow next. Before we get into too much, I pull him with me under the spray. Hot water beats down on us. I turn, adjusting our positions, making sure Bram’s getting the brunt of it so he’ll warm up.

His skin slowly heats under my hands as we kiss in the misty storm of our own making. We take turns soaping each other up with teasing touches and wandering explorations, then dive back into kissing as we rinse away the bubbles.

I turn off the water and pass him a towel before taking one for myself. We make quick work of drying off.

I pause with my hand on the doorknob. “It’s going to feel cold once I open this. We should’ve brought clothes in with us.”

“No worries.” He pins me in place with a smile and glittering heat in his gaze. “We won’t need clothes right now anyway.”

The thrum of desire pulses through me. “Won’t we?”

He shakes his head. “Remember that thing I said about being under you?”

“I do.”

“What if I was over you instead?”

Clutching my towel at my waist, I groan. “I’ll take you any way at all.”

“Good.” He kisses my shoulder. “Go lie on the bed.”

With him at my back, I open the door. Cool air rushes in.

The TV is on, but the dogs aren’t in the room.

Holding the towel at my waist, I cross the room and listen at the doorway.

The faint sounds of a collar jangling and one of the dogs lapping water in the kitchen drifts my way.

I nudge the door shut and turn to find Bram standing by the bed.

A bottle of lube and a condom in hand, he pats the mattress. “Come here.”

Aching for him, I comply. “How do you want me?”

“Stretch out and get comfortable.”

I climb onto the bed and settle at the center with my head on my pillow. “How’s this?”

“Perfect. You’re perfect.” He rakes his gaze over me from head to toe. Then he climbs on and sits between my legs.

A vision of us positioned like this in the tent the night I had my cock inside him for the first time comes into my mind. Whatever he wants right now, I’ll give him.

He places the condom by my hip then pours lube onto his fingers. “I was thinking about this at the haunted house.”

“When we were walking through the rooms?” I can’t help grinning.

“No. During all that down time in the hallway before we took our tour. I pictured laying you out like this and taking my time with you.”

I’m edging toward rock hard from his words alone. “We could’ve talked about that instead of cryptids.”

“I know.” He places a warm hand on my knee. “But I thought that if we started talking about it, I’d need to act on it. Couldn’t drag you out of there while we were on duty, now could I?”

My fingers itch with the need to touch him. “I’m pretty sure that if you started talking about us being together like this, I would’ve grabbed you and claimed the nearest horizontal surface.”

Bram’s smile is quick and devilish. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Holding my gaze, he strokes his lubed fingers along my cock. Biting back a groan, I fist the blankets. He smiles and leans in, planting his hand by my shoulder, and kisses me.