“It’s okay, baby,” she crooned to the cat who seemed more and more agitated as she neared the top of the steps. Just before she’d reached the landing Barney hissed and jumped from her arms, jetting back down the steps as fast as he could go.
“That was odd,” Maggie said into the darkness. She slowly made her way toward the West wing, wanting nothing more than to crawl under the covers and wait out this thunderstorm. Behind her Maggie heard the distinctive sound of a door closing. She jumped at the sound and whirled around holding her phone up, but the light was not enough to see more than a foot or so in front of her. Beyond that was utter darkness. Maggie held perfectly still listening and staring into the black void. After a moment of silence she finally turned and fled to her room, slamming the door shut behind her and running for the safety and comfort of her bed.
Maggie pulled the covers over her head, just like she had done as a child, and waited out the storm, counting the seconds between the flashes of lightening and the following thunder. Finally as she felt confident that the worst of the storm was passing Maggie began to slowly relax. The power was still out but the sound of rain outside had quieted and the sounds of thunder had faded into the distance.
Maggie decided to try to fall asleep. She slipped out of her jeans and pulled off her bra leaving only her blouse and panties. She listened to the sounds of the receding storm, but her mind wouldn’t calm. She wondered about Barney’s strange reaction to being carried upstairs, and realized for the first time that the cat had never stepped foot on the second floor, which seemed odd considering how much he’d made himself at home downstairs. She also wondered about the sound she’d heard from the deserted East wing and considered whether or not the two incidents could be related. Had the cat sensed something upstairs that had frightened him? Or had it just been the storm itself that had him spooked?
As Maggie lay in bed trying to convince herself that she was overreacting she heard the unmistakable creak from the staircase just down the hall. She knew that sound. There was a loose floor board on the third step from the top and it creaked each time she stepped on it. Maggie held perfectly still as she listened for another sound. Was someone in the house?
Again she heard the creak of floor boards, this time closer. Maggie sat up in bed and stared at the door of the room. Through the darkness she saw a light sweep across the crevice under the door. She blinked her eyes, hoping that her mind was playing tricks on her. Then the door to her room swung open.
Maggie screamed, scrambling from the bed and getting tangled in the blankets as she fell to the floor.
“Maggie!?” Aaron’s voice broke through the darkness like a beacon in the night. Relief flooded through her instantly.
“My God, Aaron! You scared me to death!” Maggie exclaimed as she fumbled around on the floor trying to unwrap herself from the bed sheets.
Aaron’s laughter filled the room, which only irritated her more. “What are you doing on the floor?” he asked as he came around the bed and shined a flashlight down on her. She indignantly removed the last of the tangled sheets from her legs and stood in front of him brushing herself off.
“I thought I was hiding from some psycho killer who’d broken into the house to murder me!” she informed him irritably.
“Hiding in the sheets?” Aaron asked and she could hear the laughter in his voice. She slapped his chest.
“It’s not funny,” she insisted, crossing her arms over her chest. “You still haven’t told me what you’re doing here.”
“I came to make sure you were okay,” Aaron said, and some of her irritation melted away.
“Oh.” Her heart rate was finally returning to normal.
“So are you?” he asked as he stepped forward, closing to distance between them and wrapping his arms around her.
“Am I what?” she asked dreamily, all annoyance forgotten at his touch.
“Are you okay?”
“Never been better,” she breathed, staring up into his eyes as he brought his mouth to hers. He kissed her tenderly at first, stroking her back in a soothing rhythm. She melted against him, responding to him instantly and grasping onto his broad shoulders to pull him closer. His kiss intensified, delving deeper with a need that belied his subtle approach.
“You didn’t call,” he breathed against her neck as he trailed kisses down to her collarbone.
“Andi told me not to,” Maggie admitted as she leaned her head back while he kissed her throat. “She told me to play hard to get.”