Page 55 of Purrfectly Haunted

James raises an eyebrow. “It does?”

“You didn't read it before signing?”

“I skimmed it.”

“Let’s just say we’re still pretty much in the boundaries of what working for ExorSquad entails.”

It’s his turn to laugh. “Wonderful. I’ll call Pickett first thing tomorrow. The least they can do is send us reinforcements to deal with this ghost. And we need to learn proper ways to exorcise evil spirits. This one looks like she’s here by choice, and simply ask her to leave nicely won’t really cut it.”

Lana looks between us, hopeful. “You’re staying?”

James smiles at her. “Of course we are.” He looks at me, expectant, and I nod. “We’re not letting you deal with this alone. And I’m getting quite attached to this house.” He pats the wood floor by his feet. “I don’t want anything bad to happen to her.”

The lights in the room glow brighter for a moment in response, and both women come around the desk to hug us.

There is a loud meow from the hallway and Misty enters the office, her fluffy tail up. I let out a sigh of relief. Misty jumps over the desk and unto Lana’s lap.

“Told you they’d be fine,” she says, stroking the cat. “They’re unstoppable now that they’re part of the house. No door can keep them in check and no one can hurt them. I saw them fight off a group of drunk men once. Let’s say the men bit the dust.”

To my surprise James smiles and tentatively pets Misty. She rubs her face on his hand, and he looks tense but pleased. “Thank you for saving us,” he says to her.

She purrs like an engine.

“Do you think it’s all connected?” I ask. “The house, the ghosts, the cats...”

Lana shrugs. “Who knows? I’ve been wondering the same since I came here. Do all places become sentient over time, or do some things need to align for it to happen? Is it the occult practices of Earl Lynch that started this, or the ghosts?”

“Or it could be us,” Shirley says, smiling fondly. “It could be the many people who work and live here. Or the guests who come and go. There is magic in human interactions.”

Lana smiles too. “You’re right. This house is good, so it’d make sense if she came from something good, too.”

The flames in the fireplace burn brighter for a moment.

“We’ll deal with this mess. I promise,” James says, standing up. “Now, we still have a few hours before sunrise, and we need to sleep. Tomorrow—or today, I guess, considering the hour—we’ll take a look at that old journal of yours. We’ll figure out a plan. It looks like the ghost is under control for now.”

We all nod tiredly.

James offers me a hand to pull me to my feet, and we bid the girls goodnight then head out to our room.

Once the door is safely closed behind us, he helps me undress without saying a word and drops gentle kisses on my lips. There is nothing sexual about it, we’re both exhausted to the bone. It’s almost four in the morning. In the past hours we hunted the ghost of a French nobleman, made out on the rooftop under the rain, sucked each other’s dicks, took a shower, then faced another ghost in the basement. My emotions are a tangle of knots I don’t have the energy to unravel tonight.

We get rid of our dusty clothes and only keep our boxer briefs on. Then James gently urges me to climb into bed, and he turns off the light. He spoons me from behind—being the little spoon is almost the highlight of my night, right after sucking him—and we both fall asleep in no time.

I’m awakened by the best sensation ever: something pleasantly warm and wet around my cock. It takes me a moment to connect the dots, to understand where I am and what is going on. The light is subdued in the room, it’s raining heavily outside, and droplets are hitting the small window. Then I peek under the cover and find James nibbling the tip of my erection.

“Oh...” I gasp.

“Is that okay?” he asks, fluttering his lashes. “Your morning wood was poking me in the stomach, so it gave me an idea.”

“Aye... It’s okay...” I whisper. It’s more than okay, in fact.

He grins. “Good. Just lie back and let me feast on you.”

I let out a shaky breath, blessing the day Lucifer deflated my air mattress.

James trails kisses along my shaft, his warm breath tickling my skin, before swallowing the head. My hips buck, and his fingers dig into the muscles of my thighs. He’s so... good at this. He begins slow, by licking and sucking, then takes more of me, until his head is bobbing and his right hand jerks me in rhythm. At this rate, I won’t last long.

“James... Let me...”