Double Dating with the Dead by Karen Kelley Page A

were started, with the creaks and groans of an older home that was settling…or hotel as was this case.
    He put his cell phone on the dresser and opened the top drawer, then paused. His pants were in the top drawer. That wasn’t where he’d put them. He opened the next drawer. Socks and briefs that were supposed to be in the top drawer. He shook his head. Childish stunts.
    â€œAhh, Selena, do you really expect me to fall for something so juvenile?” He grabbed a pair of pajama bottoms and tossed them on the bed. Her little tricks weren’t fooling him.
    After removing his clothes, he pulled on the bottoms and turned back the covers.
    â€œJesus!”
    Footsteps hurried down the hall, and his door was flung open.
    â€œWhat?” Selena rushed inside. She took one look at his bed and backed up a step, then forward two. “Is that what I think it is? Ewww…”
    â€œDon’t you think you’ve carried the pranks a little far?”
    â€œNot me,” she said, still staring at the mess on his bed.
    Damn it, he didn’t like being made a fool of. “This isn’t at all funny. Gelatin in the bed?”
    â€œDark red at that. Black cherry? It looks pretty gruesome.” He caught her barely restrained laughter.
    Trent flung off the top cover and grabbed each corner, bringing them together. “It’s not a bit funny, and if you think it’s going to convince me there are ghosts in the house, then think again.” He tromped off toward the bathroom with his bundle of soiled sheets.
    â€œIt wasn’t me,” she yelled after him. Not that he would believe her. “I warned you about taunting the ghosts, but would you listen…nooooo…”
    â€œYour whole family is probably involved in this,” he muttered, but she heard him quite well.
    â€œSee.” She looked up. “He still thinks I’m doing all this.”
    â€œBecause you are,” he yelled over the water running in the bathroom.
    â€œGrrr…”
    This wasn’t funny. Why didn’t they just show themselves and get it over with. Not only did she have two horny ghosts plaguing her, but apparently they were just full of practical jokes. She could live without their pranks.
    He came out of the bathroom a few minutes later minus the sheets. That was when she noticed he wasn’t wearing a pajama top. This was so not good.
    On the other hand, it was so damn good. He had a light dusting of dark hair on his nicely tanned chest and the sexiest abs she’d ever seen this close. She had to restrain herself from reaching out and dragging her fingernails over each hard ridge. Instead, she forced her gaze upward and ran headlong into a thundercloud.
    Not good.
    â€œThat was the most childish stunt I’ve ever had to deal with,” he told her.
    â€œI agree.”
    His frown only deepened.
    She opened her arms in supplication. “It wasn’t me.”
    â€œI wouldn’t put it past one of your relatives to have sneaked up here and done this.”
    She shook her head. “They promised to stay away.”
    â€œApparently, they lied.”
    â€œMy relatives are very honorable, and if I ask them not to do something, they won’t.”
    The look he cast in her direction had her snapping her mouth closed. She had plenty more she’d like to say, but she knew it wouldn’t do her a bit of good. He’d raised the barrier between them again.
    Not that the wall had ever really tumbled down, but there had been moments during the day when he’d acted human. But she knew without a doubt, there was no way she’d convince him that ghosts had put the Jell–O in his bed.
    Why couldn’t he see the world wasn’t just black and white? Colors filled the universe. Beautiful, bright colors.
    Yeah right, if she tried to explain that to him, he’d probably say she was on drugs.
    â€œBelieve what you want, I’m going to bed.”