Grave Destinations (26 page)

“Ruby?”

Her eyes tracked toward the sound of Jack’s weary voice. She found him sprawled on the carpet a few feet away, his hair soaked with sweat and his chest heaving with exertion. With a grunt of effort, he pushed up to his hands and knees and crawled in her direction.

“Ruby, talk to me. Are you all right?”

“Sure, I’m fine. What’s a broken neck in the grand scheme of things?” She tried to laugh, but the sound hurt her throat. “How about you? Are you both all right?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I’m—We’re both fine.”

“Good, because I need you to straighten my neck.”

Jack visibly paled. “Won’t that hurt?”

“Well, sure, but it’s going to take a lot longer to heal if you don’t set the break.”

Judging by the look on Jack’s face, he’d rather perform a do-it-yourself root canal. His lips pressed into a thin line, his brow creased deep with worry. Hands trembling, he gently gripped the sides of her head.

“Go ahead,” Ruby said, a note of impatience seeping into her voice. “Just give it a good jerk to the side and everything will pop back into place.”

He didn’t look convinced. “Are you sure about this?”

Not really, but she wasn’t about to tell him that. “Positive. Now do it before somebody sees me like this.”

Jack gave a curt nod. “And what happens when all of this is over?”

“You mean between us?”

“Yeah.”

Ruby let out a huff of exasperation. “You want to talk about this now?”

He shrugged. “I could use a distraction from what I’m about to do.”

It was hard to stay irritated when he put it that way. “Well . . .” She licked her lips and his eyes followed the movement. “I guess—I’m not saying this has to be anything. But I kind of think it is. When this is all over, do you think maybe we could give it a shot and see how things work out between us?”

A ghost of a smile warmed his mouth. “Is that your roundabout way of telling me you want to go steady?”

Her eyes thinned to slits. “Don’t you get smart with me, Jack Deverell. You asked me a question and I’m trying to give you an honest answer. You of all people should know I’m not used to this kind of—”

The sound of bones crunching filled her ears when Jack wrenched her neck back into alignment. She opened her mouth to scream, but managed only a high-pitched whimper. Then the pressure in her neck lessened, followed by a prickly sensation along the base of her skull.

Jack’s worried face filled her vision. His gaze swept over the length of her body as if searching for signs of trauma. “Are you okay? Are you dizzy? Nauseous? Can you feel my hand?”

She coughed to clear her throat. “Yes. No. No. And a little.” The last one surprised her. She hadn’t expected the nerve damage to repair so quickly. She still couldn’t move anything below the neck, but the immediate return of sensation was a welcome relief.

“Oh, thank God. I was so scared I was going to hurt you.” He gently stroked her hair and cheeks as the tension ebbed away from his face.

A knock turned their attention toward the open door. Two men and a woman, all wearing security uniforms, stood shoulder to shoulder in the hall. The woman held what looked like a canister of pepper spray in one hand and a walkie-talkie in the other. “What seems to be the problem in here?” She cautiously stepped inside and the two men followed.

Jack turned back to Ruby and gave her a questioning look.

“Just tell them the steward attacked me, but make sure you leave out all the demon parts,” she replied in a low voice. She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing. “Then freak out about me being unconscious. It’ll keep you from having to explain as much.”

He made a guttural sound from deep in his throat. “You owe me, Beulah.”

It was all she could do to hold back the smile. “Don’t worry,” she whispered. “I’m good for it.”

R
uby checked her watch for the fourth time in as many minutes. “He’s late.”

“Relax.” Adam leaned against one of the large concrete planters situated just outside the security checkpoint at Orlando International Airport. “He’ll be here any minute.”

She glanced at the wall of monitors to her right, scrolling down until she found flight 1128 arriving from Charleston. “He should have already been here.”

A month had passed since the end of their fateful cruise. During that time she’d relinquished Keisha’s soul to Samuel’s custody, sent Jessica’s soul through the portal to the next realm, and given Dmitri a full report of what happened after he’d disembarked. Most important, she’d carved out a special place in her life for Jack. It was a big adjustment for them both. To accommodate Ruby’s responsibilities as a reaper, Jack was in the process of relocating to Orlando. He’d put his condo on the market and moved his belongings into the cute little house they’d picked out together. But until all of his business dealings were completed, he would be making frequent trips to Charleston.

Like a hawk, Ruby continued to watch the arrivals gate. There was still no sign of Jack, even though his plane had landed twenty minutes before. A shuttle glided into the main terminal, loaded with arriving passengers. The automatic doors whooshed open and people poured out like ants. Her gaze darted from person to person, searching for recognition in the crush of humanity, but finding none. Passengers slowly made their way through the glass-covered corridor leading to the main concourse, some heading straight for Baggage Claim, while others reunited with loved ones waiting to greet them.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this impatient.” Adam hooked his thumbs in the front pockets of his jeans. An amused gleam brightened his eyes, and his mouth seemed on the verge of smiling. “You must have it pretty bad.”

Ruby glanced in his direction. A little less than a year ago, he’d been the bright-eyed, idealistic, fledgling reaper of the group. And while time on the job had dulled him a bit around the edges, he still carried himself with a natural swagger that gave her hope for his future. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure you do.” His mouth split into a devilish grin. “Man, I can’t wait to tell David you’re all mushy over some dude. He’s never going to believe me unless I cough up photographic evidence.”

Ruby narrowed her eyes, folded her arms across her chest. “I am not mushy.” Well, maybe just a little, but she refused to admit that to Adam.

“Yeah, you are. I bet you’re gonna get sloppy all over this dude when he finally shows up.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Jack and Ruby, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S—”

He grunted when she elbowed him in the ribs.

“Knock it off.” She rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to the incoming passenger area. One shuttle was moving away from the depot while another pulled into view. “What was I thinking when I asked you to come?”

“You were thinking you needed my truck for hauling your man’s luggage.” He gave her a pointed look. “Remember?”

“Oh, yeah. That.” Since Jack was bringing back more luggage than her sporty little two-seater could handle, she’d asked to borrow Adam’s extended-cab pickup truck. He’d been happy to oblige, but insisted on driving. She should have known to expect a rash of grief in return.

Adam slung an arm around Ruby’s shoulders, tugged her close, and pressed a kiss against her hair. “Lighten up, babe. He’ll be here before you know it.”

She stole another peek at her watch. “I hope so.”

The week without Jack had felt like the longest in her entire life. She missed having him around, and she especially missed having him in her bed. Something about him centered her mind, took the sting off a lousy day, and made her heart pound with lust and longing. For the first time in her entire existence she had a companion as well as a partner, and she couldn’t possibly be happier.

Another shuttle glided into the terminal and Ruby’s spirits soared. She sensed his presence before the doors opened, that unique combination of human and immortal that belonged to Jack alone. He was one of the last passengers to step out of the shuttle, looking a little tired from the flight. He hadn’t bothered to shave that morning, and his jaw was darkened with stubble. With a duffle bag slung over one shoulder and a laptop case in the opposite hand, he skirted around a young woman pushing a stroller and made a beeline for the exit.

His eyes scanned the crowded terminal like a hunter searching for prey. When his gaze caught hers, his expression brightened and heat rose in her blood. Silver rimmed his irises for a split second, and she felt the unmistakable flare of excitement from Gilrov. Jack altered course, taking long strides to close the distance between them.

She didn’t bother saying hello. Instead, she launched herself at him, her fingers tunneling through his short, brown hair as her lips locked with his. His mouth tasted like coffee, smooth and rich. The computer bag and duffle dropped to the floor, and then his arms were around her, pulling her so close she could feel the warmth of his body through the layers of clothes.

Oh, yes. This was what she’d been missing. That mind-blanking explosion of heat and desire, coupled with a feeling of such belonging it made her weak at the knees.

Breaking the kiss, he took her face in his hands, easing her back until their eyes met. “God, I missed you.” His eyes softened with affection and arousal. “You’re so beautiful. I don’t say that nearly enough.”

“You say it all the time.” And yet it never failed to make her grin like an idiot.

“Yeah, but it still isn’t enough.” That fantastic mouth covered hers, his tongue stroking hers in a rhythm that made her wish they were someplace private.

The flash of a camera broke the moment. When they ended the kiss, Ruby whipped her head in the direction of the flash and saw Adam grinning from ear to ear.

“Photographic evidence,” Adam said by way of explanation. With a wink, he tucked his cell phone into the back pocket of his jeans. “Sorry to break up your special moment, but I have a two-fifteen down by Disney, so we need to get this show on the road.” He extended his hand in Jack’s direction. “I’m Adam, by the way. Nice to finally meet you.”

“Likewise.” Jack shook Adam’s hand, both men doing that thing where they try to gauge each other’s testosterone levels through the strength of their grips. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Oh, really?” Adam shot a questioning look in Ruby’s direction. “I’m almost afraid to ask.”

“Don’t worry, it’s good. For the most part.” She flashed Adam an impudent grin, leaving him to wonder what she’d actually said about him. Turning her attention back to Jack, she reached for his hand and threaded his fingers with hers. With Adam leading the way, they walked together toward Baggage Claim. “How was your flight?”

“Bumpy. We ran into turbulence over Georgia.” He dipped his head to whisper in her ear. “Do you have to work tonight?”

“Nope. I had an appointment this morning, but the rest of my day’s clear.” After a bit of sweet-talking and calling in favors, Dmitri had agreed to handle her nighttime appointment, while Adam traded his morning reap for her two-fifteen.

“Great, because I’ve got plans for you, Beulah.” The husky rumble in his voice vibrated throughout her entire body.

She glanced down at their joined hands, and the simple connection felt so right it ached in her bones. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Growing up the youngest of three girls,
Lori Sjoberg
never had control of the remote. That meant a steady diet of science fiction and fantasy:
Star Trek, Star Wars, Twilight Zone, Outer Limits
—you name it, she watched it. It fed her imagination, which came in handy when she needed a creative excuse for being out past curfew. After graduating from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Lori worked for nearly a decade in retail management, then switched to financial planning, and then insurance.

The writing bug bit a few years later. After completing her first manuscript, Lori joined the Romance Writers of America and Central Florida Romance Writers. Now she exercises the analytical half of her brain at work and the creative half writing paranormal romance. When she’s not doing either of those, she’s usually spending time with her husband and four-legged children.

Readers can visit Lori online at
www.lorisjoberg.com
or
www.facebook.com/AuthorLoriSjoberg
.

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