CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“Can’t sleep again?” Jess asked. Not that tonight was any different than every other night. It was no wonder Allison always looked so tired. Jess didn’t think her roommate slept more than a few hours at a time.
Allison shook her head. “You’d think I’d be used to it by now.” She pushed the sheets back and sat upright. “Sorry. I know I’m keeping you awake.”
Jess sat up and sighed. “No, not really. I’m not real sleepy, either. Feel like going to the kitchen and maybe getting a cup of tea or something?”
Allison retrieved a book from the nightstand. “I think I’ll just sit here and finish this.”
“What are you reading, anyway?” Jess asked.
Allison opened the book. “Oliver Twist.”
Jess raised her eyebrows. “Really? Oliver Twist?”
Allison shrugged. “Beats thinking about Riley lurking in the mirrors.”
“We’ve covered the mirrors. He can’t see us.” Jess took a seat on the edge of Allison’s bed, hoping she might change her mind about going downstairs. Since the incident with the knives, Jess didn’t like wandering the house alone at night. Not that having Allison with her would do much good. If anything, having a demon magnet for a roommate should have meant keeping away from her. But not one demon had manifested itself yet, and Allison was a pretty good Riley gauge.
Allison didn’t look up from her book. Not a good sign she would give in and go along. “Doesn’t mean Riley’s not still there and getting really ticked about the towels over all the mirrors. I bet he’s thinking of some other way to watch us. The walls and floors only tell him where we are.”
Jess got to her feet and took off her sleepwear shorts and top and put her shorts and t-shirt back on. “Come on! Come downstairs with me. Please?”
Allison shook her head.
“Well, I’ll be back in a little while then,” Jess said, resigned.
“Be careful if you do any exploring. Don’t go into any rooms where we haven’t covered the mirrors.”
“I won’t,” Jess replied. “I promise. See you in a little while. Want me to bring you anything?”
Allison’s attention had already returned to her book. “No. See you later.”
Jess let herself out and headed down the hallway. Mrs. Hirsch had taken to leaving the lights on by the staircase and on each floor’s landing. Since the knife incident, Mrs. Hirsch wasn’t keen on anyone walking the halls at night. Especially alone.
It turned out she didn’t run into Mrs. Hirsch at all. Only Bryan, who was raiding the pantry for a late-night snack.
“Jess!” Bryan said, seeming surprised.
“Couldn’t sleep either, huh?” She opened one of the cabinets in search of a mug. It hadn’t occurred to her one of the guys might be down here. Too bad it wasn’t Gage instead.
“Potato chip?” Bryan offered.
Jess smiled. “No, thanks. I’m just going to have a cup of tea.”
Bryan leaned against the counter as he ate. “Allison keeping you up again?”
“She’s awake, but it’s not her,” Jess replied as she filled the cup with water and put it into the microwave. “Just couldn’t sleep, is all.” She rummaged through the pantry for tea. “No decaf,” she said. “Guess regular will have to do.”
“But won’t that keep you up?” Bryan asked. “I mean, that stuff has caffeine in it, right?”
Jess laughed. “Yeah, it does, but that’s all that’s here. I’ll have to ask Mrs. Hirsch if we can get some other kinds.” She added the teabag to the cup.
“Do you want sugar or milk with your tea?” Bryan asked, heading to the refrigerator.
Jess raised an eyebrow.
“My mom,” he explained. “She’s a tea drinker. She usually puts milk and sugar in hers. I guess it’s a thing.”
“Sure,” Jess replied with a smile.
Bryan sat the milk on the counter while Jess retrieved the sugar bowl.
“So, I guess three of us have insomnia tonight,” Jess said, as she stirred in the sugar. She didn’t want to mention the real reason she’d been restless the past couple of nights—Gage.
Bryan laughed. “I think all of us have insomnia. Gage is wide awake, too. He just wasn’t hungry.” Bryan grinned. “Say, maybe you should check in on him.”
Jess nearly spilled her tea. “What?”
His smile grew wider. “You heard me.”
She looked over her shoulder, half expecting someone to be standing close enough to hear them, but mostly to hide the fact she felt a blush coming on. “Bryan!”
He stuffed the bag of chips back into the pantry. “Oh, don’t give me that Bryan crap. Come on.” He headed out of the kitchen, stopping only when he realized she wasn’t right behind him.
“Would you prefer I go get him?” Bryan asked, still grinning. “Because, I’m sure he’d love to see you. You could just…sit on the sofa and talk.”
Jess was about to say that might be a safer idea, but Bryan was already back in the kitchen. He took the cup from her hand and dumped the tea into the sink.
“Hey! What’d you do that for?” Jess asked.
He rinsed the cup out, quickly dried it with the dishtowel and placed it back into the cabinet.
“Bryan!” But by now, his attitude was infectious and she couldn’t help but laugh.
“It’s clean enough,” he said, taking her by the wrist and pulling her from the kitchen. Jess would like to have thought she offered some resistance, but realized that was laughable at best. She let him lead her through the Great Room and up the stairs to the second floor landing.
Jess waited while he scoped the hallway, but even she could tell Mrs. Hirsch wasn’t around. Whenever the housekeeper was checking out a locked room, she always left the door open while she was in there. The lighting in the hall wasn’t great, but Jess didn’t notice any open doors. Mrs. Hirsch was probably on the third floor, or in the music room.
Or in the basement with Dr. Brandt.
Bryan walked back to her. “Coast is clear. I can go get him, and we can all go back downstairs,” he whispered. “Or, you can stop in and say hello by yourself. Your call. Whatever you’re comfortable doing.”
Jess let the thoughts of how heated things were getting with Gage fill her head. She recalled how perfect his lips felt on hers, how warm his hands were, how she’d run her hands under his shirt.
She was still thinking of these things when she realized Bryan was going into his room. Damn! She’d missed her chance to be alone with Gage. She padded down the hall after Bryan.
“Gage,” Bryan called out quietly as he opened the door. “You have a visitor.” Bryan turned and smiled when Jess walked up beside him.
“For God’s sake, put each other out of misery,” Bryan whispered in her ear.
Gage rolled off the bed wearing nothing except a fairly thin and loose pair of well-worn and equally faded gray sweat shorts. Add to that the sight of him shirtless, and she didn’t think she’d ever catch her breath again.
He looked puzzled at first, but then that grin, the one that melted her into a puddle, spread across his face and Jess didn’t care that she was staring at him in full appreciation.
Gage’s eyes met hers, then he glanced at Bryan.
Beside her, Bryan laughed softly. “I’m just going to go get a snack,” he said. “Another one. I’ll be back in… half an hour?”
Gage’s attention turned to Jess once more. Everywhere his gaze fell, she felt as though her skin had become electric. He stepped into the doorway, standing so close she had to lift her head to look at him. Her eyes lingered on his mouth and everything else but her need for him faded away.
Gage’s eyes held hers. “Better take your time, Bro.”