Protecting His Windflower (A Spirit Hunters Series Novel Book 1) by Temperance Dawn (best ereader for epub TXT) 📗

together. Liam pushed the fact that he’d only just met Emily aside, and focused on how his blood rushed through his body, and his heart ached when he thought of not being with her.

“Alright, listen to me. You need anything, you call. I don’t care what time it is. You call! Lean on Trey and Luke. They have your back. And you bring that girl out here to meet your mom and me. Remember what I’ve always told you.”

“I will. Thanks, dad.” Liam put his phone back down. His mind kept drifting to the window in Emily’s apartment blowing apart. He couldn’t shake the anguish of her being hurt had she been standing near it when it shattered, exploding into tiny shards of glass. What if she’d been alone when it happened? What if his friends had been hurt?

The team was used to investigating dangerous locations. Sometimes, they were miles away from any medical services. It was a risk they took on every job, willing to put themselves in danger to help others and get answers. But he still worried about his friends. And now, Emily too. She had never dealt with the haunting being violent. She said herself that she had always complied with it. Avoiding any physical relationships with men, which seemed to keep it at bay. What if he was the catalyst for the violence unfolding? It was an idea that twisted Liam’s gut, and at the same time, the need to protect Emily took hold.

He felt relief now that his father knew what was going on. Even if he couldn’t provide any answers, just knowing that his dad understood his worry brought him comfort. The sound of Emily turning the doorknob on the bathroom door pulled his attention to the hallway. She walked out, skin flushed from the warm shower, hair damp, and his clothes hung loose on her. She was a sight of pure beauty as she made her way to him. The closer she came to him, Liam noticed the slight puffiness and redness around her eyes. He was about to stand and go to her when her steps picked up, and she threw herself in his lap. “What’s wrong?” Liam asked.

Emily shook her head. “Nothing. I just had to break down for a minute.”

Liam tightened his hold on her waist. Her front plastered to him, she straddled his lap once again, like she had during their kiss.

“I’m not giving in to it anymore,” she whispered. “I’m done giving it what it wants. I’m not going to run from it anymore. I just don’t know where to begin to fight it.”

Liam shifted, placing his palm against her cheek. He gently nudged her back, keeping her close, but looking her in the eye. “You won’t fight it alone. You have me. We have Trey and Luke to help, and we know a lot of people in the field who can help. We will do whatever it takes to get rid of it.”

“Thank you,” Emily said. She closed her eyes and Liam leaned forward, resting his cheek against the side of her head.

“Can I get you anything?” he asked her.

“No. I’m okay.”

“Wait for me right here. I’ll be right back.”

Emily scooted to the side and settled on the sofa as he stood and went to his bedroom. He quickly changed into sweatpants, pulled the comforter off of his bed, and carried it to the living room.

He walked straight back to Emily. “What are you doing?” She looked up as he approached the sofa.

Liam sat next to her, unfolded the comforter from around his arm, and guided her back to lie next to him. Her back to the sofa, her front pressed to his side, the energy between them danced. “I’m not leaving you alone tonight. Not even to sleep.” Liam stroked her damp hair, pushing it away from her face. “Get some rest. Tomorrow, we’ll talk to Trey and Luke. We’re going to take this one day at a time. Tomorrow, we’ll start working on a plan of action.

Emily relaxed, and Liam felt her give him more of her weight. “Liam?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you feel it too?”

Liam tightened his arms around her and squeezed his eyes shut. “Feel what?” he asked, as his heart raced at the implication of her words. Was she feeling the same extraordinary sensations when their skin touched as he was?

“I don’t know how to describe it. Whenever we touch, there’s a burst of energy. A current. A pulsing. I can feel it leave your body and enter mine. Do you feel it too? What is it?”

Liam blew out the breath he had been holding. His body trembled with the confirmation that she, in fact, was experiencing the same sensation. “Yeah, baby. I feel it. Does it scare you?”

“No!” Emily stated, lifting her head to look up at him. “It doesn’t scare me at all. If anything, it’s…comforting.”

“I don’t have answers, but my gut tells me it’s because we’re connected somehow. I don’t know how yet. But I’m going to find out.”

Emily nodded and rested her head on Liam’s arm once more, pushing herself closer to his body as if she were trying to cocoon herself. Instinctively, Liam pulled the comforter up closer to their chins. He wrapped his free arm around her waist, allowing her to snuggle deeper into his embrace.

“I’m sorry our first dinner together was ruined by a pissed off ghost,” Emily quipped.

Liam’s body erupted in laughter, and when he looked down, Emily’s warm smile greeted him. “Hey, at least we’ll have a great story to go along with this date.” Liam kissed the top of Emily’s head, and within minutes, she relaxed and took long, rhythmic breaths, indicating she had fallen asleep.

Liam lay awake for a long while, thinking. The need to find out who she was overwhelmed his instincts. His intuition told him it was the piece of information that held the answer to why she was in his dreams.

Thirteen

Emily stirred to the