Page 73 of The Curse of Redwood

What would it take to lift the curse?

The question made me stop walking. Maybe that was the reason fate had brought Zeke and I together. I was meant to help him. With that thought playing in my mind, I continued toward the mansion. Countless souls were trapped inside. It wouldn’t just be him I helped, but all of them as well.

As I reached the back patio, I came to a quick stop. A figure glimmered in front of the door, not fully materialized. Yet, even with no solid body, I recognized Zeke’s shape. My heart pounded faster. Did that mean he was okay?

“Leave, Carter,” he said in a distorted voice.

“You should know by now that I don’t listen to you.”

Ever so slightly, he became more visible. His hair took on a silvery-blond hue, and his blue eyes stared into mine, no longer like a corpse.

“When will you learn?” Anger penetrated his tone. “William told me what happened. You were nearly killed!” Zeke appeared in front of me and gripped my upper arms. “Have you no sense in that beautiful head of yours?”

“I’m not stupid.”

“Then why are you back here?” His fingers dug into my skin before he jerked away. He fumed in front of me.

“Because I needed to see you.”

“Foolish,” he spat, and his body reminded me of static for a moment, flickering in and out. “I can’t protect you from everything. The darkness in each of us is relentless. When it takes us over, there’s little we can do to stop it. And as you experienced, spirits like Jasper have no desire to stop it. They thrive off fear.”

“I won’t lie. I was scared. Terrified, actually. I didn’t think I’d come back.” I reached up and clutched the stone around my neck. It really did keep me calm. “But running away won’t solve anything, Zeke. Redwood is a part of me now.You’rea part of me.”

His face softened as he lifted a hand to my cheek. His touch was delicate, as if he was afraid he’d break me. “Oh, my darling. It both pains me to hear those words and pleases me. When you’re not here, I feel a part of me is gone with you. My soul is shattered beyond repair, yet your presence puts some of those pieces back together again.”

“Like Humpty Dumpty?”

I couldn’t help it. I turned to humor when I struggled getting my true feelings across.

Zeke’s lips twitched. “If memory serves me correctly, Sir Humpty Dumpty’s tale ended tragically. His pieces were never put back together.”

“They didn’t have super glue back then. It would’ve been a whole different story if they did. Humpty would probably be married now with a bunch of egg babies and—”

Zeke grabbed my face and kissed me.

It was a surefire way to shut me up. I smiled against his mouth and tugged him even closer, returning the kiss with everything I had in me. That’s how it was between us; we could be arguing one second and then laughing the next.

“Can I come in?” I asked, panting against his lips.

He answered me by picking me up and carrying me into the mansion. I wrapped my arms around his neck and nuzzled his hair as we moved at an inhuman speed through the first floor, up the staircase, and to his bedroom. Once there, he lay me down on the bed and kissed me tenderly. My chest cracked at how gentle he was with me.

There was so much we needed to discuss, yet all we could do in that moment was kiss. Touch. Forget about the things trying to keep us apart and instead focus on the connection drawing us closer.

His soul might’ve been shattered, but mine felt whole when in his arms.

When we finally came together, Zeke eased into me slowly. He caressed my face, my neck, my collarbone. His lips pressed to my temple. I moaned and clung onto him, needing him like I never had before. My body temperature skyrocketed, and the coldness of his skin was a reprieve against it.

“You’re burning up,” he said, resting his cheek on mine.

“I’m okay. Don’t stop.”

I would die if he did.

His hand found mine and he linked our fingers. He moved inside of me, slow but deep, each thrust sending me higher and higher. I whimpered as his cock nudged my prostate. Then, it was as if something feral and lustful took me over. I flipped him to his back and straddled his hips before riding him hard and fast.

“Carter,” he said with a groan, gripping my hips. His eyes fluttered closed as his mouth popped open.

“More?” I asked, coming down on him faster.