Double Dating with the Dead by Karen Kelley (best fiction novels to read .txt) 📗

He’d always referred to his books as digging up the dirt on frauds. She’d been paying attention. Interesting that she would.

“Since it seems we’re going to be living here for the next two weeks, I won’t complain if they help clean the place.” When she turned toward the back of the hotel, he added, “As long as they’ve had their shots.”

Her shoulders squared, but she didn’t say anything as she tromped in the direction her mother had gone. His glance lowered. Damn, she had a sexy walk.

He raised his eyes when her father came from the back. It was a little unnerving having Selena’s father around when Trent lusted after the man’s daughter.

“Selena’s a good girl,” her father said as he came back empty-handed, apparently having deposited his box.

“That may be true, but it doesn’t mean I believe what she stands for.”

The same violet-colored eyes as Selena’s met his head-on. “Fair enough, but I figure by the time the challenge is over she’ll have made a believer out of you.”

He snorted. “That there are such things as ghosts? I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you.”

“We’ll see.” He glanced around the open foyer, a knowing look on his face. He started to walk away, but at the last minute turned back. “By the way, in case you get any ideas about Selena, I just want you to know I wasn’t always a lawyer. I grew up hunting wild boar, and I can shoot a fly off a stump fifty yards away.” He didn’t wait for an answer, but continued out the door.

“Hi, Uncle Jess. Hey, Selena! Where do you want this stuff?” A perky young woman with bobbed blond hair came in carrying another box.

“In here,” Selena yelled from the back.

The young woman cast Trent a saucy smile as she sailed up to him and stopped. “I’m Paige, Selena’s cousin.” She eyed him as though she wanted to eat him whole. “You’re yummy! If it gets too spooky here, you can always come stay at my place.”

“But then that would defeat the purpose, wouldn’t it?” he told her.

“Now, that’s according to what purpose you had in mind.” She slowly ran her tongue over her lips. Another sexy lady but for some reason he didn’t feel the same kind of pull that he did with Selena.

“You have any ghosts haunting your house?” he asked, wondering if she was every bit as crazy as the rest of the James clan.

“Not that I know of.” She chuckled, a low, kind of throaty sound.

“Then you don’t talk to the dead?”

“Not one little bit.”

“At least some of Selena’s family is normal.”

“Of course I’m normal. I’d hate for you to think otherwise.” Her eyes twinkled as if she knew a secret that he didn’t.

“What exactly do you do for a living?” he asked.

She shifted her box and waltzed past him, throwing back at him, “I’m a witch.” Right before she rounded the corner, she looked over her shoulder and grinned. “Be careful I don’t put a hex on you.” She traipsed out of sight.

His eyes narrowed. Yeah, right, a hex. That was how shysters worked. They played on what might happen and made people believe they had something to do with it. If he broke something, she would claim it was the hex. It was the easiest con in the world, and people fell for it every day.

He was right the first time; crooks ran in the Jameses’ family.

The next person through the now revolving door of the hotel made him sigh with relief. Tye.

“Damn, bro, this place is really spooky. I wouldn’t doubt for a second it’s haunted. You couldn’t pay me to stay here for two weeks.” He shifted the box he carried to his other arm.

Selena came from the back and had apparently overheard Tye’s comments because the look she cast Trent was full of “I told you so.”

“Apparently, your brother doesn’t share the same views as you,” she said, looking straight at him. “He knows a haunted house when he sees one.” She stuck her hand toward Tye. “I’m Selena James.”

Tye dropped his box on the floor and took Selena’s outstretched hand in his. “A pleasure to meet the woman who talks to the dead. You should have a lot to discuss with my brother since he hasn’t been with the living for quite some time.”

Trent frowned. “Funny.” Apparently, Selena thought so since she chuckled before skipping out the door to help cart in more supplies. “Traitor,” he told Tye.

“Can you blame me? How the hell did you get so lucky to spend two weeks alone with her?” He shook his head.

“Luck? I don’t think so.” His gaze moved to the door. Luck had nothing to do with it.

But as the hours passed he found his gaze more often than not straying to Selena as he watched her clean. She was a con, he kept reminding himself.

A damned beautiful one, though.

Selena stared out the upstairs window down to the circular driveway below her. She was tired and dirty. They’d all been working steadily for the last four hours. Her parents were finishing up the kitchen while she tackled her room.

A couple more of her cousins had shown up along with some of Trent’s friends, and everyone was busy cleaning. For some strange reason she hadn’t thought Trent would have any friends.

Now she was being catty. He deserved it, though, for saying what he had on television.

But as she stared out the window, she couldn’t for the life of her feel like living with him for two weeks would be that much of a hardship.

Wow, the man really looked hot in a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt. When he picked up something, the fabric pulled taut across his broad chest. Yum, bulging muscles. Very nice. Her mouth watered. The man definitely worked out.

It was nice to know he did more than persecute innocent psychics.

He stretched to get something out of Tye’s pickup, and she melted. Trent Sanders was a jerk,