I packed up my lunch and made my way back to work, steering well clear of the administration building. This day couldn’t be over fast enough.
At around five thirty, I parked my car at the curb in front of my potential new home, immediately spotting the first problem. It was an old house, and its previous occupant worked in the front garden. What was it with these old women who were so obsessed with their gardens that they haunted them from the afterlife? Lush palms, bold colourful flowers, and thick leaves in all sorts of colours crowded each garden bed forming a tropical oasis. Okay, she had good reason to be proud. I wanted to go exploring.
Shades of cream and burgundy coated the wooden house. Supported by posts, vertical wooden slats enclosed the downstairs area. Topping the railing of the wrap-around veranda, burgundy lattice screened out the world. Pretty tulip cut-outs carved into every fourth slat under the hand railing. The colours and carvings made it appear less imposing, but it was a wooden fortress.
I slung my bag over my shoulder, and locked the car before approaching the house. I kept my head down in the hopes of avoiding the spirit.
No such luck. As soon as I neared the house, I heard a soft voice.
“Hello.”
I didn’t look up or stop. No need to encourage her.
“Hello, Veronica. It’s about time you got here.” Her volume increased, her tone more forceful.
Well, that made me look up and stop. Who, the hell was she, and how did she know my name? I gripped my bag tighter, and braced a hand on the balustrade of the stairs, ready to run up and bang on the double lattice doors at the top.
Before I was able to ask any questions, the front door opened, sending more shock waves in my direction. At the top of the staircase holding open the lattice door, was the man who kept popping into my life unannounced and uninvited. Oh, for fuck’s sake! Could this day just go to hell already? He stared down at me, his face a mixture of shock and elation.
Elation?
I cleared my throat, gathered my wits, and made my way up the staircase, stopping two steps below him. Reluctantly, I looked in his eyes, my jaw going slack at what I saw. Recognition hit me deep down to my soul. He was mine. The search that I never intended to begin was already over. I was so screwed.
The setting sun cast a glow over him, setting off sparks in his grey eyes and highlighting the shades of red and gold in his hair. The splattering of freckles across his cheeks and nose was more prominent in the light. My heart beat erratically, and my ears rang as my mouth went dry. It was physically painful to look at him.
My eyes roamed further down. He wore paint-splattered jeans with a rip across his right thigh and a holey, faded blue muscle shirt. His feet were bare. My eyes flicked between the rip, the holes, and his feet, greedy for any little piece of him.
“Veronica. Hi.” He pulled on the hem of his shirt. “Sorry, I haven’t had a shower yet. I’ve been painting.”
My gaze rose to his eyes, watching him take in my face. Every part of it. He was drinking in the sight of me. I felt the heat of a flush reach my cheeks. Swallowing, I tried to focus on what he’d said. His freckled lips quirked up on one side. My flush grew hotter when I realised I’d been caught staring at the flashes of skin he tempted me with.
“Oh … no, it’s fine. I’m still in my work clothes.” I smoothed my sweaty hands down my hips.
He glanced down at my legs, chewing on his lips. “That’s a nice dress. You’re more presentable than I am.” His voice sounded gravelly as though he was parched for a drink. Taking a step back, he cleared his throat. “Please come in, Veronica.”
Oh damn! Why does he have to keep repeating my name?
His back pressed into the veranda door, holding it open so I had to slip past him to enter. My shoulder brushed his chest, and I heard him suck in a breath. He felt it, too. The anticipation. The zing. It was like a drug. I was scared I’d get addicted to it. If I ever touched him deliberately and purposely, I’d suffer an overdose I’d never be able to come back from. I might very well lose myself in this man.
I stiffened and hopped away. I couldn’t get close to him. He’d find out about me and I’d be ‘The Freak’ in his eyes. Somehow, I knew that that would devastate me like never before.
He shut the veranda, and opened the door to the house. I admired its oval, stained glass window, which featured a kookaburra perched on the branch of a gum tree. I could almost imagine the beautiful, coloured patterns of light along the walls when the sun hit it. The long hallway stretched out in front of me, as the smell of paint fumes and dust hit my nose. I took off my shoes before entering, and placed my bag on the small hallway table just inside. My feet made a soft thumping noise on the wooden floor as I passed the doors lining each side of the hall. I counted five. The hall opened out into the lounge on the left, and the dining room on the right, with the kitchen off the dining room to the very back of the house.
Brad trailed closely behind. The house seemed to shrink, closing in around me, or maybe it was those swirls of energy he seemed to surround himself in. The man was a hazard. One I needed
