Haunting Savannah: 8 Dark and Seductive Tales Read online

  Violet bit down on her bottom lip and laced her clammy hands together. “I don’t think I could stand the suspense up there, but I’m also a bit afraid of what’s behind Curtain Number One. I know there could be nothing, but still.” She conducted a quick “pro versus con” debate in her head. “Oh, go ahead. Just do it. I’m staying.”

  Noah leaned down from his towering height of well over six feet and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. “That’s my brave girl.” He winked, smiled, and turned to retrieve his hammer, leaving her to deal with the shock and thrill of his lips having graced her skin for the very first time.

  Thankful for the horrible lighting, she knew a full-on flush had crept up her throat and cheeks. Did he know how he affected her? How thankful she was to know he was unattached? How very much she wanted those lips to kiss the bloody shit out of her? Hell, she got wet just listening to him call her his brave girl!

  “Violet,” he called, as she heard the chinking of the hammer. Plaster pieces gave way to stone. Rocks thudded on the dirt floor. “I was right.” He grabbed a small flashlight and peered through the small hole he’d opened. “There’s definitely space behind this wall, but I can’t see anything else yet.” He put the flashlight down and used his powerful hands to remove more material. He stopped, and once again shone the flashlight into the space. “No bones! Would you like to help me with the rest of these?”

  “Absolutely!” She hurried over and grabbed at a stone. A strong tug, and it gave way. Stone by stone, she and Noah worked to open the space up as wide as possible. When her hands weren’t strong enough, he gave her the hammer.

  In little over a half an hour, the hidden room was revealed. Violet dropped to the ground and dragged a hand across her sweaty brow, dejected. Noah brushed off his hands on his jeans and sat beside her.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “We did all this hard work, for what? It’s an empty room.” She coughed and swiped at stray hairs that tickled her nose. “This can’t be the safe room like we thought.”

  Noah reached over, tucking her long hair over her shoulder and behind her ear. He settled his hand on her thigh and shook his head. “Think, Violet. If the room was sealed from this side, what must there be somewhere in there?”

  She crinkled her brow and closed her eyes. Yes, what must there be? Her mood instantly brightened. “A passageway out!”

  “Right! We just have to find that now.”

  “And given where we’re located in the house, that could easily lead out to the back and close to the river bank. That makes sense. They offered up this house because it’s back yard is the river. It flows eventually into Florida.”

  “I don’t know about you, but I could sure use a cup of lemonade. How about a break for a while from the physical labor? We can do some research about where these people may have gone after this stop.”

  “Sounds like a plan. I just happen to have a full pitcher upstairs. I have cookies, too.”

  “That’s downright southern hospitality right there, Violet.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m learning. Been here two years now. A house should never be without lemonade or cookies to eat in the afternoon.”

  “Come here. Lean in.” He took a rag from his tool belt.

  “What? Do I have something on me?” She swiped at her face and shook her hair.

  “Easy now, I got this.” He wiped the rag across her forehead and along her cheekbones. “There, that’s better. You looked like you’d turned to stone.”

  “With you so close, that’s impossible.”

  “Hmm?”

  “Oh, my God.” She bent her head down in mortification. “That was meant to be heard by none.”

  “I heard it just fine. Violet, look at me, would ya?”

  She lifted her head slightly and peered through a curtain of long bangs into his lust-filled eyes. “Yes?”

  “When I kissed your forehead before, I really wanted to kiss you elsewhere.”

  “You did?” She could barely speak, breathless from her heart thrumming stronger than a heavy metal band. “Where?”

  “Here.” He touched her mouth with his thumb and leaned in to replace it. Her eyes shuttered closed as his warm, moist lips pressed against hers.

  Fireworks. Tiny electric explosions screamed across her skin. Her arms reflexively lifted and wrapped around his neck, drawing him closer. He teased her mouth with his tongue, and she opened for him. A moan rumbled deep in her throat, and he answered with one of his own as he enclosed her in his arms and swept her up into his lap.

  She didn’t know how long they sat on the dirt floor building passion’s fire with rubble all around. It would’ve made for a great editorial picture, she mused as he moved from her lips to her throat. “Noah, we should, uh, go upstairs. Don’t you, uh, think?”

  “Mmm, um hmmm. Sure,” he murmured through kisses feathered across the sweet spot behind her ear. He planted one more searing kiss against her lips, then released her from his embrace. She stood and reached her hands to help him up. He turned her around and dusted off her ass, getting a good feel for her in the process.

  “Such a gentleman. Thank you.” She laughed lightly and he joined in.

  “Well, I try. You are quite a woman.” He ran a thumb across his lips and wiggled his eyebrows.

  “Some people bring out the best in me.” She winked and turned to head upstairs.

  Lemonade and cookies were the perfect foil to what could have been quick, hot, down and dirty sex. Something she didn’t want with this man. Not now anyway. He’d only been in Savannah since the night before, and at her house since noon. Yes, they’d spoken for hours every day for months now, but it had never taken a romantic turn. Not until a few minutes ago. No, let the tension build some. Make them both sweat for it. Tonight, hopefully she’ll have him in her bed for real. No more fantasizing. And it will be hot, fast, hard, and mind-blowing. For now, though, she’ll thrill in the knowledge that this man, whose voice had been the cause of many a change in underwear, whose rock-solid body and powerful hands had vibrated beneath her minutes ago, felt the same way about her. How was that for a major shot in the arm?

  “Hey, since you’re going to be here for the weekend, I was wondering if you’d be up for a Halloween party tomorrow.” Violet busied herself with the dirty plates and glasses. What she really wanted was to get all dirty with Noah. She held strong to her resolve. It’d be so rewarding in the end. “A colleague of mine lives in the historic district and is having one. From what people have told me, her parties are epic. They’re always themed, and since Savannah is turning two hundred in just a few months, she’s going all out. What do you say? Wanna mix it up, old Southern style?”

  “Sure. I don't have a costume, though. Maybe you could help with that.”

  “We could head into town, try to find us some costumes, and grab dinner before heading back to the deep, dark cellar.”

  “I like that idea.” He’d come up close behind her and placed his hands on her hips. He nuzzled her neck. “And I like spending time with you. In person.”

  She reached a hand up and cupped his head as he nibbled on. “I like spending time with you, too.” Turning in his arms, she gazed up at him, capturing his dark eyes with wonder. “How? How did I ever get so lucky? I thought…. I thought.” She didn’t want to go there. “Never mind. Go back to your nibbling.”

  “You thought what?”

  She shook her head with regret. “I need to keep my thoughts to myself sometimes.”

  “And sometimes it’s best to share so you won’t obsess over them. You can tell me anything, Violet. I won’t judge.”

  She pursed her lips and nodded. “After my disaster of a marriage, I thought I’d never find anyone that would see me as desirable, let alone interested in being my friend. Despite leaving him, I still have an issue with acknowledging my self-worth. I guess that’s his abusive conditioning talking, but I’ve been working on believing it less and less.”

  “Violet, I find you ex
tremely desirable, and you’ve become a very important part of my life. I gotta admit, I’ve been crushing on you hard for a while now. The past months have been amazing for me. My life’s been the same old thing day in and day out. Don’t get me wrong. I love crafting one-of-a-kind pieces of woodwork for houses, but nothing’s been better than coming home from the workshop and talking to you over dinner or before going to bed. Okay, there is something I could conceive being even better, but—” He tickled her ribs and she squealed and squirmed in his arms.

  She raised herself up on her tiptoes and held his face in her hands, and when she peered into his eyes, she hoped to convey total honesty. “Noah, I believe we were meant to come together like this. I believe fate’s at work here.” She brought her lips to press against his and kissed him gently, sweetly. As she lowered herself back down, he held her close and stroked her hair.

  “I believe that, too. I really do.”

  Chapter 2

  “Going as our ancestors to the party is a brilliant idea, Noah.” Violet shoveled a spoonful of seafood gumbo in her mouth and looked as though she’d died and gone to heaven. She’d brought him to her favorite seafood restaurant in the historic district to celebrate finding costumes the day before Halloween. He was enjoying watching her as much as eating the sumptuous fare. “Oh! We should wear name tags so people know who we are, and that we’re not wearing some tasteless, stereotypical costumes.”

  “Good idea. I figured I’d go as Benjamin Blackman. I’ve spoken to you about him. He’s the slave who ran away and used the Underground Railroad to escape to the north.”

  “Oh, right. I remember completely. He’s the whole reason you’re here.”

  “I guess our ancestors are pushing us together. Holy hell, this Crawfish Étouffée is incredible. So, who is it you’re going as again?”

  “I found a portrait covered with cloth in the attic. I haven’t looked into who the woman was within the family yet, but she certainly was beautiful and young at the time of the painting. I figured I’d go as her.”

  “Maybe we can find out before tomorrow. Then we can give you a proper name.”

  “I hope so, but if not, I can always use the name of the first mistress of the house here.”

  Violet chatted on about life in Savannah on the river. Having been raised in Philadelphia, it was quite the change for her. She loved living on the Forest River. She said it was like going on vacation every time she left school at the end of the day. She spoke of warm humid days, bugs and frogs and fishing, the terror of hurricanes, the tranquility of sunrises. She painted such a lush picture, Noah found himself yearning to experience it, too. What would it take to move his business down to Savannah? What would it cost him to stay in New York? Questions left for another day. Right now, he gazed over at the woman that had completely enchanted him and awakened a raging desire.

  “Why don’t we head on back to your house? I’m curious about what we’ll find next in that room and hoping it’s incredible.”

  “All right.” She waved a hand in the air. “Excuse me, Paul? We’d like the check, please.”

  “Of course, right away.”

  Once he stole the bill away from her and paid, he took her hand in his as they walked to her car. Then he twirled her in close and kissed her. He’d wanted to kiss those lips of hers all during dinner, but they would never have eaten. He opened her car door and closed it behind her before he went around to his side. As she drove them home, he gazed upon her. How different she was from the other women he’d dated back home!

  Most women had been interested in his career as a woodworker, but then weren’t interested in talking about it. Some would even say how great that he didn’t have to work out to get hard muscles, as if his physique was the only reason they wanted to be with him. Other women were just plain not interested in what he did at all. Violet, asked for pictures of his work in progress and when they were finished, too. She loved listening to him talk shop and mentioned that one of her hobbies was photographing historic homes and their architecture inside and out.

  To meet her in person was the icing on the cake. Her beauty knocked the wind out of him when she’d picked him up at the airport. Her eyes struck him first. Crystal blue orbs surrounded by long black lashes. Then, her hair drew his attention as it swished across her shoulders and fell at her waist. Long, wavy, sensuous black hair that he was dying to wrap around his fingers. Her lips, he could suck on all day. So soft, warm, and heart-shaped. She had a body that spoke of hours spent outside gardening, kayaking, and other outdoor activities.

  He wanted that body beneath him in the worst way. He’d a feeling they were headed in that direction. It was just a matter of time. Who knew that researching his family’s history would bring him romance, as well? They had one weekend together. They’d need to make the most of it. With Halloween the next day, it all seemed extra magical, extra intense. Just... extra.

  “Boy, I’m glad you’re not the one driving.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “You’d run us off the road from staring at me.” She offered a crooked grin.

  “Guilty as charged. Here I thought I was being discreet. Guess I shouldn’t be a spy in my next life. Sorry, if I made you uncomfortable, but I find you to be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.”

  Even in the darkness he could see her blush. He planned on making her blush all weekend long.

  The road leading to Violet’s house seemed to take a lifetime to reach its end. The sooner they returned to the basement to research its mysteries, the sooner he could take her upstairs to her bedroom and research her.

  “I’ll get us better flashlights. They’re in the junk drawer in the kitchen. Would you take these costumes and put them on the living room couch, please?”

  “Sure. No problem.” She left him to his own devices. Was she having as difficult a time as he was at this game? She must. There was no denying she wanted him as much as he wanted her, but he did come to Savannah for a reason that hadn’t initially included hooking up with her.

  “Here we are. “She entered the living room and tested each flashlight to make sure they worked. “Now, let’s go find ourselves a way out of that room.” Her smile glinted, and he appreciated how involved she’d become in his family’s history.

  He took one of the flashlights from her and led the way. Once in the room, with flashlights turned on, the search began. “What am I looking for, Noah?”

  “Anything in any of the walls that looks off to you. Maybe the pattern of plaster is off a little, or a crack could be the edge of an opening. Use your eyes, your ears, your hands. This could take a while.”

  “Okay. I’m up for it.”

  They settled into comfortable silence as they focused their energies on finding a way out. Minutes went by, then an hour. Noah was no closer to uncovering anything than he’d been at the start.

  “Maybe, I was wrong. Maybe I read the records wrong and I’m at the wrong house. Damn it.”

  “Hey! I think I found something. Come here.” Noah hurried over to her. “Look at this right here.” She pointed to a hairline crack, barely visible, but there. “Do you see it?”

  She glanced at him and saw hope wash over his face.

  “I do. Have you followed it to its end?”

  “I did. I waited to say anything until I was sure. I think this is it, Noah. Look for yourself. Follow it.”

  She stepped back to let him investigate. Inch by painful inch, he followed the crack up from the floor about four feet, over to the left about three feet, and back down again. “If this is what I think it is, this area is covering up a passageway out of here.” He spun around, his face covered in a light sheen of sweat. “Can you grab the tool belt? I’ve got some tools we can use to chip away at this. I think they may have boarded it up and plastered it when it was no longer in use. Once we’re through, the trick will be to find out where it ends and if we can get out.”

  Adrenaline kicked into high gear as the pair chipped away
at the wall. As predicted, there were boards behind the plaster. Using his hammer, he plied them away to reveal the hidden opening.

  “Holy shit, Noah! This is unbelievable!” Stunned, Violet took a step back to marvel at what they’d uncovered. “You know, we’ve been talking about this for months, about the possibility that this house was used as a station stop. Even my family’s diaries hold some evidence of that. But to see this room, this tunnel right in front of us. Jesus, it’s freakin’ real! Ha ha!”

  “Holy shit is right.” He wiped his brow with his shirtsleeve. “You wanna see where this tunnel leads?”

  “Oh, hell yeah. Let’s finish this.” She rubbed her hands on her jeans.

  He knelt down and cast the flashlight beam into the tunnel. “I see a straight run as far as the light will shine. I’ll go first. You’re not claustrophobic, are you?”

  “Nope, I’m good. Do you feel any breeze coming through, at least?”

  “Not since opening it up initially. If we can keep track of how far we go and which direction, we can possibly dig down from above.”

  “Okay, well, I know what’s above us right now. It’s the kitchen and back porch. The opening to the tunnel faces directly at the river. If we find the tunnel goes straight, it should be easy.”

  Down on hands and knees, she crawled behind her fearless leader. She counted roughly in yards along the way. There were no twists or turns, and for that she was thankful. It only took a few minutes before Noah stopped.

  “Hold up. I think we’ve reached the end. Yup, we’ve run out of tunnel.” He shined the light up against the dirt ceiling. “No sign of any kind of doorway. Damn it. Okay. They probably filled it and it no longer exists, or it just needs to be found again from up above. Time to get outta here. Can you turn around?”

  “Yeah.”

  “All right, lead us out, okay?”

  “You got it. I’m sorry, Noah,” she said, resting a hand on his dampened cheek. “I know you were hoping to find the way out of here. But I counted and measured. We’ll find it tomorrow. I know we will.”