Free Spirit of Seduction by Wynter Daniels Page A

his property, calling her name but he found nothing.
    I didn’t imagine her.
    This might have been the first time he’d
actually seen her since she’d passed away, but deep inside, he’d
sensed her presence for weeks now. He’d shrugged it off as part of
his frustration over not knowing who’d murdered her. He wasn’t
ready to admit he’d seen a ghost but he was positive some unknown
force was at work.
    Had his mental images of Emily been a dire
prediction for her or had it just ? Maybe she was really in danger.
Desperate as he was to learn the identity of Becky’s killer, the
more urgent issue was to warn Emily she might not be safe.
    For some reason he’d clipped the article in
the paper that she’d helped the police over in Raleigh with a
murder investigation last year. His rational mind told him nothing
paranormal was real but he couldn’t deny what he’d just witnessed
with his own eyes. Like it or not, he had to look into it.
    His sister deserved justice and her friend
needed to know she could be in trouble.
    * * * * *
    Emily got up from her nail table and strode
to the front desk to check on her next client, the last of the day.
She glanced at the appointment book and blinked at the name written
there. Her mouth went dry. Could it really be…
    Stay calm.
    She swung around to search the waiting area
for him and tried to school the fear from her expression when her
gaze landed on Ryan Barnes, still as devastatingly handsome as
ever.
    Questions raced through her mind in a
millisecond. What did he want? How did he find her? Did he know how
badly she’d crushed on him years ago? Why had she left the house
without putting on any makeup that morning? Why did she still find
him so damn attractive even after he’d humiliated her in front of
all his sister’s friends?
    “Hey,” he said from a seat by the window. He
closed the distance between them and pulled her into a stiff
hug.
    She shut her eyes a moment, attempting to
banish her body’s response to him—the heat at every point of
contact, the almost dizzy feeling in her head and the pounding of
her heart.
    For God’s sake, he’s just a guy, a guy who
hadn’t treated very well. She didn’t have a lot of male clients but
it wasn’t as if she never saw any men.
    “It’s been forever,” she said, trying to
keep her tone light. “Well, I guess we saw each other at the
funeral but…” She tamped down the sadness at the memory of her
friend’s death. “How are you?”
    Why are you here?
    He was so tall, well over six feet with the
same sandy brown hair and crystal blue eyes as Becky. He looked a
few months past due for a haircut and the stubble on his cheeks
told her he hadn’t shaved for a couple days. His face wasn’t
perfect, far from it, but she still found him way too handsome. He
had an inch-long scar over his left eye and his nose looked like it
had been broken at least once. Hadn’t Becky told her he’d had a few
injuries from the martial arts tournaments he’d competed in?
    Pressed to his hard body, she drew in a
breath laced with his scent, like a pine forest. She quickly
extricated herself, given that they were in the middle of the
salon.
    “I’m okay. What about you?” He skimmed his
gaze over her, lingered at her breasts.
    Red hot awareness rushed through her. She
closed her arms over her chest and steadied herself. She sensed
tension in his face based on the lines fanning out from his pale
eyes and the taut set of his mouth. “I’m fine, great. So you really
want a manicure, huh? I never figured you for the type.”
    Definitely not the type. She guessed his hands were rough as
his boots, as well-used as the jeans he wore. What would those
hands feel like on her skin? The thought sent a shiver of
excitement rolling over her skin.
    Ridiculous.
    “I’d be happy to put you in with one of the
other nail techs if you prefer.” She hoped he’d refuse her
offer.
    He shook his head. “I want you.”
    Clearly he was only referring