Masque (7 page)

“And what the hell am I doing freezing up here when warm
clothes await me?” Reassured, he dematerialized and floated through the floors
until he reached the Toy Room below.

Mary and Beth were the only spirits in it. He nodded at them
as he strode through. They winked but didn’t stop playing simply because he
appeared. Moving through the next two rooms, he stopped for a moment in the
library. Maybe taking the sex journal out of the bookcase had been the wrong
course of action. If he wanted Rena to continue the Masque, she had to feel
free to enjoy new experiences. The book could build her curiosity.

As soon as he reached his room, he would slip into hers and
leave the book on her nightstand. His gut told him he had an adventurous sex
partner on hand and with a bit of coaxing, he might unleash her wildest side.
So much depended upon it.

* * * * *

Rena hesitated before entering the dining room. She didn’t
want Valerie to learn of her nighttime activity with Synn. It was bad enough
that she was ashamed of what she’d done, never mind that Val had told her not
to get involved with Synn in the first place. That didn’t sit well on her
conscience. Plus, she had woken up to find the sex journal next to her bed.
Obviously, Synn not only liked the kinky sex they had last night, but
encouraged it. She shuddered to think of what Bryce’s reaction would have been.
She had to stop thinking about Bryce and start thinking about herself.

Valerie sat at the head of the table with her head in her
hands. Rena swallowed her own burgeoning high spirits. “What’s up, Val? Did you
sleep okay last night?”

Her friend didn’t look up. “No.”

She pulled a chair out next to her. “What is it?”

Valerie lifted her face and spat, “Men.”

Whoa, Valerie dealt with men in the construction business on
a daily basis. She never let them bother her. This wasn’t good. “Can I help?”
As if she were any good in that department.

“Yeah, you can start by putting a leash on Matt. That boy is
hornier than a mare in heat. Don’t really care that he ogles my ass all the
time, but I caught him trying to look down my shirt. Mine! Can’t he tell there
is nothing to see in there? Really, Rena, that boy has got to be desperate.”

Matt was maybe twenty-three at the most. Valerie certainly
didn’t need the hunky college boy underfoot. “Let me see if I can’t give him a
few projects that will keep him busy. I hear exercise is a great cure for
sexual need.”

Her friend drew her brows together. “Excuse me?”

“I find watching his biceps work while he’s cutting brush
keeps
me
sane.”

The glimmer of a smile reached Valerie’s lips before
disappearing. “That takes care of one problem. But the other two I don’t think
you can help me with.”

“Try me.”

Valerie sat back in her chair and folded her arms across her
chest. “Okay, Miss I-can-solve-the-world’s-problems. I had a male ghost in the
middle of the night who decided he liked walking around my room naked, touching
my stuff.”

Rena’s gut tightened. Synn had walked around the Abbey naked
last night. Did he go in Valerie’s room? Why? “What’s this ghost look like?”

“Don’t get too excited. He’s tall and skinny and has short
blond hair. His face is skull-like and his penis is thin. He gives me the
creeps.”

Rena shivered. That was one ghost she already didn’t like.
Thankfully, the description didn’t match Synn or Jonathan. “I’ll ask Synn about
him. He may know who the man is and maybe we can get him to move to another
room.”

Valerie rubbed her tired eyes. “Right, our resident Ghost
Keeper. I’m glad he’s helping you because he hasn’t done anything to help get
this place ready. You’d think he… Do I smell coffee?”

Rena sniffed the air. “Yes, you do. But how can that be? We
don’t have any electricity yet.”

“That’s Maxwell House. I know that smell anywhere. I did buy
a canister in hopes we could rig something. Oh, wow.”

As Valerie’s gaze swept past her, Rena looked over her
shoulder. Mrs. McMurray carried a silver tray with a large antique coffeepot
and two cups. She set it down in silence.

Rena caught the woman’s arm as she backed away. “Thank you.
This is very welcome.” She gave her a warm smile to let the woman know how much
she appreciated the gesture.

Mrs. McMurray bowed a little, but didn’t try to speak.
Instead, she beamed and slipped back into the kitchen.

Rena turned back to the table to pour the coffee when she
noticed Valerie staring at her as if she’d just made every green light on
Connecticut Avenue. “What?”

“You touched her. What did she feel like?”

Oh wow, she forgot Mrs. McMurray was a ghost. The ghosts
were people to her, possibly because Synn helped them come alive. “She felt
like you and me, solid, but a little cool. You know, like people you meet who
always have cold hands.”

Valerie shivered and Rena shook her head. The ghosts didn’t
seem strange to her at all.

In case Valerie’s shiver was more from caffeine withdrawal
than a reaction to ghosts, Rena quickly poured them each a cup of the coffee
and they drank their first few sips in heavenly silence. “Is it me, or is this
really good?”

Valerie grinned, a good sign she was back to her old self.
“It’s really good. Either that or the fact we didn’t have any yesterday makes
it taste better. I don’t know.”

After a few more sips of companionable enjoyment, Rena
couldn’t help teasing. “Have I solved all your problems for you, or did Mrs.
McMurray’s coffee chase them away?”

Valerie put down her mug. “I wish. It gets worse. I found a
stone mason right here in town.”

Rena leaned forward. “Wait, that’s good news, isn’t it?”

Her friend’s shoulders sagged. “I guess, but the man has got
to be ancient. An old woman answered the phone and he wouldn’t come to it. I’m
just guessing here, but I think it was his wife and he had her relay his
message, which was that he would decide what needed to be done and he’d get
here when he was good and ready.” Valerie dropped her arms in defeat. “I knew
if I found one, he’d probably be an old codger. I’m warning you now, if I lose
it with him, you may have ugly metal conduits running along the dining room
walls.”

Rena smirked. “Come on, Val. I know you. You can keep your
cool with the best of them. You’re cooler than the iceman, the arctic, the
abominable snowman.”

“Nice try. But I gave you fair warning.”

Rena held up her hands. “Okay, okay, so I can’t solve all
the world’s problems, but I did help, right?”

“Yeah, I guess. If you can keep Matt busy and get rid of
creepy naked ghost, I’d appreciate it.”

Rena stood with her coffee cup in hand. “Good, then I’ll go
scope out Matt right now.” She wiggled her brows. “Don’t want to leave him by
himself for too long. It would be such a waste.”

As Valerie rolled her eyes, Rena turned away and headed for
the kitchen door. Yesterday, she would have truly enjoyed watching Matt’s back
muscles move as he worked, but since last night, the image of Synn’s tight ass
moving between her legs just wouldn’t leave her alone.

* * * * *

Rena shut down the computer and sat back in the chair. As
much as she tried to concentrate on the website, her mind kept wandering back
to the drawings she’d glanced at in the sex journal. She’d ignored it for two
days, but her curiosity finally won. She’d only gone through a few when Valerie
called her. She could make decisions for a special event with ease, but
renovating an old abbey challenged her abilities.

As did the sex journal, though she found it enlightening.
She hated that she wanted to review every page. The drawings were
extraordinarily detailed. The ones she’d been viewing earlier were of two men
and a woman. She couldn’t imagine that happening.

“Rena, may I come in?” Matt stood at the door to the
library, the room she’d made her temporary office. His clean-cut appearance
reminded her of a Marine, but he’d never been in the military. He just
graduated from college last year. “Of course. What do you need?”

He sauntered in, confident in his physical appearance but
with a hint of boyish energy. He was still bare-chested, which she didn’t mind
at all, but he was sweating, the perspiration dripping down the side of his
face. “I’ve finished the trimming around the Abbey, but you need more plants,
especially annuals.”

Oh good, an easy decision. “That sounds like a great idea.
Please plant what you think would work the best.”

He stood in front of her desk and she could see him trying
not to stare at her breasts. At least he tried. That was an improvement. The
smell of his sweat combined with whatever spicy cologne he wore was an
interesting scent, not unpleasant. “Was there something else?”

He hesitated before finding the courage to look her in the
eyes. “I discovered an old pond in one of the courtyards and think it would be
good to get it going again. That would mean new plumbing and stuff. I talked to
Valerie about it, but she said I needed to ask you.”

She sat back. Synn had mentioned a pond the other day. It
would probably be gorgeous in the summer, but useless the rest of the year.
Could there be a ghost story attached to it? She scrunched the hem of her
shirt. How much would it cost? She had to keep her priorities in mind.

“I think resurrecting the pond is an excellent idea.” Synn’s
deep voice as he entered the room sent goose bumps gliding along her arms, and
she switched her gaze to feast on him in his tan wainscot, white shirt and tan
pantaloons. “Don’t you agree, Rena?” He sat on the corner of her large desk
facing Matt but looked back at her.

“I’m not sure. I do have to stay in budget.”

Synn turned his attention to Matt. “You could do it cheaply,
right?”

Matt nodded vigorously. “Oh sure, I have a buddy with a
junkyard. I bet he’s got plenty of piping for pennies on the dollar that we
could use.”

“What do you think, Rena?” Synn returned his gaze to her and
she caught the impish delight in his face.

What was he up to?

He raised an eyebrow. “It could be fun. You know, a secret
rendezvous for a lovers’ tryst?”

Matt piped in. “Yeah, it would be a great place for skinny
dipping.”

Rena let her head drop to hide her grin at Matt’s
suggestion. When she looked at both the men again, she’d regained her
composure. “Okay, if we can do it within budget, I think it would make a nice
added attraction for my guests.”

“All right!” Matt slapped his hand down on the desk. “I’ll
go talk to my buddy right now. Can’t do any planting yet as I still need to buy
the plants. You wait. This pond will be real romantic.” Matt turned to Synn.
“By the way, thanks for the help earlier. I appreciate it.”

Synn gave his usual regal nod. “It was my pleasure.”

Matt didn’t hang around for more conversation. He raced out
of the library, excited to work on his pond project.

Now what had Synn helped him with? She looked at Synn to
find him studying her, his expression impossible to read. “Does this pond have
any significance to the history of the Abbey or one of the ghosts?”

He pushed her hair back away from her face before answering.
“Doesn’t everything here relate to both?”

She found the blue flecks in his eyes fascinating. There
were so few, but they were the color of sapphires. The color combination of
bold blue among murky gray made her think of raw, naked sex on a soft down
comforter. Ach. She broke eye contact. “Speaking of one of the ghosts, Valerie
has had an unpleasant experience, and I was wondering if you could help. After
all, you are the keeper of the ghosts.” She smirked because she liked how he
had first introduced himself, but his face hardened.

“What happened?”

She wanted to lighten the mood, but he had stiffened like a
pointer finding a scent. The phrase “Just the facts, ma’am” flitted through her
brain. “Val said a male ghost with blond hair appeared in her room last night,
naked. He woke her up as he examined her belongings. But it wasn’t Jonathan
because she said this man had a skull-like head and a skinny, um, penis.”

Any levity her hesitation might have engendered was lost on
the man. He rose from the desk and walked to the iron spiral staircase that led
to the second half-floor of the library. He stopped beneath it and spoke without
looking at her. “Did Valerie mention anything else?”

His body language made it clear this ghost was serious
business. “Not that I remember.”

He touched one of the books on the shelf near the stairs.
“I’ll look into it.”

Synn’s stance had her thinking of a mafia hit man. He
wouldn’t simply “look into it”. He would take care of the situation. When did
she ever feel that from a man? And when had she known such confidence in his
abilities?

Actually, two nights ago. She’d had the same confidence in
Synn when he coaxed her through the Purple Room in a way that protected her and
helped her enjoy it. Oh sugar, she trusted him.

But right now he was too deep in thought for her comfort.
History. They were talking about history before she mentioned Valerie’s issue.
“I want to know all about this place. I want to feel like I lived it, so when I
speak with my guests it feels authentic.”

He refocused on her. “I can tell you all, but some of it you
may not want to share.” His gaze turned devilish as he moved toward her with
the grace of a fisher cat. “I can tell you about the prince and his famous
Masques. About the revelry and debauchery that occurred here. Would you like to
learn more about the colored rooms after the stroke of midnight?”

Synn cupped her cheek, his thumb stroking it sensually as
his eyes filled with remembered pleasure.

Rena swallowed hard. “After midnight? Is that when I
happened into the Blue and Purple Rooms?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me more about the Blue Room. For instance, where is
the bed? There is nothing in the middle of that room. Was it a ghost bed?”