Potent Spirits Read online

  Speechless, she stared at Chris until she managed to pull herself together.

  "Wow, Chris. Thank you."

  His eyes shone like freshly minted quarters. “You are very welcome. Now we'll have to hurry if we want to make it to our next stop before time runs out."

  Vivian looked over at Caleb, shrugging into his black leather bomber jacket as Brianne watched him with narrowed eyes. She turned again to Chris, afraid to believe. She was afraid to hope.

  "So he doesn't feel anything for her at all?"

  Chris was serious as he replied. “He only has eyes for you."

  She shivered as the seeds of self-confidence began to take root inside her. Chris gently took her arm as he watched Caleb stride out the door and into the night.

  "He's heading home now. We have to follow him."

  The next thing she knew, they were inside Caleb's truck. He drove back to the city as fast as the weather conditions would allow. Vivian stared at his reflection in the rear view mirror as she used her new ability to read his emotions.

  He's wondering what I'm doing at this very moment. If only he knew.

  Several minutes later, the three of them entered Caleb's apartment. This time, Vivian didn't bother to look around at the decor of the place; all of her focus was on the man she loved, who apparently felt the same way for her.

  She bit her lip to hold back the tears of joy threatening to escape as the protective walls surrounding her heart came crashing down.

  Vivian looked on as Caleb pressed a button on his answering machine, hanging up his jacket as he listened to his messages. There was one from his mother, his brother and various other relatives, and each one asked if there was “someone special” that he could bring to the family dinner on Christmas Day.

  Caleb sighed heavily. “Yeah, but it's complicated."

  She felt his yearning and frustration, and she gasped.

  He thinks that I don't want anything to do with him! That's definitely NOT the case.

  Her heart sped up as he stripped off his white oxford shirt, revealing his breathtaking chest and abdomen. She licked her lips at the sight of him.

  The last message began to play, and the sound of her recorded voice filled the room. She had forgotten that she called earlier that evening. “Hi, Caleb. This is Vivian. I was just calling to wish you a Merry Christmas. So, um, Merry Christmas. Maybe I'll see you around sometime. Bye."

  She winced at how she'd sounded, glancing to see Caleb's reaction. He stood beside her, staring at the machine as it clicked off. His tawny eyes softened, and he played the message again as he removed his belt and unsnapped his jeans.

  Behind her, Chris leaned forward and whispered in her ear. She could feel his erection throbbing against her ass. She imagined his wicked smile. “Now the fun begins, baby."

  Vivian's mouth fell open as a half-naked Caleb strode into what must have been his bedroom. She turned to Chris, who was watching her with raw lust in his gaze. She felt warm all over from the lethal combination of his look and the fact that her man was undressing just a few feet away. And then it dawned on her that she was alone in the apartment with not one, but two gorgeous men. Oh, the possibilities!

  Her answering smile was positively feral. She trailed a hand down his body and firmly gripped his cock, giving it a few pumps before releasing it to walk toward the bedroom. “Shall we?"

  Chris followed closely behind her, his penis bobbing with each step. They entered the bedroom to find that Caleb had started without them. He was lying fully naked on top of the soft cotton sheets, moaning softly as he stroked his erection up and down. His hair flowed along the pillows behind him like molten lava down a volcano.

  Vivian's desire for him made her weak in the knees, and she shakily climbed onto the bed to get a closer look. Chris stood to the side, his silver eyes traveling over her curvy body. He whispered to her again. “Concentrate, and you'll be able to hear what he's thinking."

  Breathless, she nodded. She wanted to know everything about Caleb, his thoughts and his feelings. She wanted to learn about his desires, explore his deepest fantasies. More than anything, she wanted to make them come true.

  She knelt beside him, unable to tear her eyes away from the passion in his face as he pleasured himself. Was he thinking about her? Something inside her said yes, and she used her gift to confirm it. She opened the door to Caleb's thoughts.

  Oh, Vivian. Why can't you see how much I want you? I want to taste your mouth, feel your body against mine when I pull you to me. Christ, you drive me crazy. I don't know how many times I've gotten a hard-on just from running into you on the street. So hard that I could have cut diamonds. What is it about you? Is it the lost look in your beautiful, sad eyes? They break my heart every time I see them, but it becomes whole again whenever you smile. I wish you were here with me.

  "My God,” she whispered to Chris, who was stroking himself behind her, his eyes on her dripping pussy. She looked over her shoulder at him and felt a rush of heat run through her body. Without breaking eye contact, she licked a finger and brought it down between her legs.

  Chris made a choked sound deep in his throat and pumped harder, his eyes locked on her intruding finger. “Keep listening, and you'll know when the time is right to act."

  It was on the tip of Vivian's tongue to ask what he meant, but she was soon swept away by sensation and stopped caring. She turned back to Caleb, leaning forward as close as she dared before whispering in his ear. “Caleb, what would you do to me? Tell me how you would fuck me."

  He groaned loudly at her words and she jumped. Did he hear me?

  She looked over at Chris again. He removed her hand and began to rub his pulsing length between her thighs. She arched against him with a moan. “It's all right,” he managed to say, “He thinks that he's just fantasizing. Go on."

  Vivian rubbed herself harder against Chris as she eavesdropped again.

  God, baby. What wouldn't I do to you? First I'd slowly take off your clothes and kiss each and every part of your body as it's revealed to my eyes and hands. Then I'd gently lay you down and worship you the way you deserve.

  The sweet friction of Chris’ cock on the outside of her pussy was just what she needed at that moment. She gasped as she felt the familiar tingles build up inside her.

  "Tell me more, Caleb. How would you worship me, baby?"

  Another moan tumbled from his lips, drops of pre-cum falling down his shaft like rain.

  I'd kiss my way down your body, teasing you with my lips and tongue on all the places where you'd beg me to linger. I'd swirl my tongue around your hard nipples until you scream for me to suck them. When you've had enough, I'll continue my journey until I find your hot pussy, all wet and ready for me to fuck you. But I won't...

  Vivian groaned at his teasing words as she opened her legs for Chris. She needed relief. Now. Chris was happy to oblige, and she felt the head of his cock rubbing against her opening. He whispered to her.

  "Use me. Pretend that I'm him."

  She released a shaky breath. “Please, Caleb. Keep going. I'm almost there."

  Christ, you excite me. Don't you want me to lick your little clit until you cream? Pound you hard and fast with my fingers while my tongue plays peek-a-boo games between your legs? Tell me what you want, Vivian, and I'll give it to you.

  She was so hungry for him, so desperate for both of them that she couldn't stand it. She didn't even know which of them she was talking to when she screamed out, “Fuck me! Fuck me now!"

  They both penetrated her. One in fantasy, and the other in a twisted reality where the dead were once again made flesh, and cavorted with the living. Chris thrust hard into her from behind while Caleb dug his heels into the bed beneath him, arching into his closed fist. Vivian was caught in the middle and she loved every second of it. She buried her face in the blankets as she groaned like a wounded animal, her hips rising to take more of Chris’ cock as she talked dirty to Caleb.

  "Caleb, oh God! Fuck me baby. Oh
h."

  Jesus, you're so fucking tight! I've waited so long for this, baby...

  The explosion was coming, and she trembled as she pushed herself harder against Chris. She imagined that it was really Caleb taking her to such heights. Clawing at the sheets, her moans turned into lustful cries.

  "Mmm. Caleb! Chris, I'm coming! Oh God, I'm coming so hard! Ohh!"

  Chris growled behind her as his body stiffened in climax, and through her half-closed eyes Vivian saw the head of Caleb's penis pulse wildly right before it exploded, releasing milky-white jets of come onto his chest, stomach and the sheets beside him.

  * * * *

  Vivian closed her eyes with a purr of satisfaction. When she opened them again a second later, both Caleb and Chris were gone. The bedroom was gone, and so was the apartment. She was completely alone, standing in the pitch blackness of what appeared to be a graveyard. She was surrounded by tombstones. With every step she took upon the frozen ground, the icy wind tore through her flesh.

  "Hello?” There was no answer, but in the distance she heard the faint sound of footsteps on snow, drawing closer. She turned in the direction of the noise, but the blizzard of snowflakes obscured everything around her. She couldn't see.

  "Is there anyone there? Please, answer me!"

  As if it were an answer, the wind died and the snow stopped falling. It was then that Vivian saw him. Covered from head to toe in black, he walked toward her. The large hood of his cloak hid his face, but as he moved she saw a lock of silvery-white hair against the dark fabric. He stood before her without a word, motionless as a statue. She looked up at him, and she saw that his eyes were a very deep and beautiful shade of blue, cold like a glacier.

  She cleared her throat, meeting his eyes with more than a little fear. “Who are you?"

  His voice rumbled like thunder. “I have no name. I am the third and final spirit to meet with you tonight, and it is my duty to show you the future that is in store for you if you don't alter the present course of your destiny. You may have noticed that we are in a cemetery. I will not lie to you. This is your final resting place. You have yet to learn the way you lived out the rest of your life on this earth."

  Vivian shivered at the thought of being dead and buried in the ground beneath her feet. The spirit noticed her discomfort. Thinking she was cold, he slowly removed his cloak and handed it to her. Touched by his generosity, she accepted it and wrapped its thick folds around her as she regarded him. His white hair fell to the middle of his back, and his eyes were the kind that could see straight into one's soul and learn all the secrets hidden there.

  He was just as exquisite as the other spirits had been, if not more so. He had an otherworldly beauty that was hard to ignore, but she could also sense the beast within.

  The brief flash of tenderness in his eyes was replaced by something darker, and his voice grew cool and remote as he looked away from her half-naked form.

  "Shall we go? We are on a very tight schedule."

  Without waiting for an answer, the Spirit with No Name turned and walked at a fast pace along the snow covered path, high leather boots crushing the snowflakes and fallen leaves with each step. Vivian had to run to catch up with his long strides, her breath visible in the chilly night air. “How much further?"

  No Name glanced down at her. “It's not far. Look there."

  She looked in the direction he pointed and saw a shadowy figure approach a simple tombstone, a few feet away from where they stood. As they drew closer, she could make out the outline of a middle-aged man kneeling before the stone marker and placing a single red rose on the grave. With a sigh of regret, he rose and began to walk away, and beneath the man's hat she saw a flash of red hair lightly tinged with gray...

  Tears sprang to her eyes as she shouted at the top of her lungs, waving her arms wildly.

  "Caleb! Caleb, I'm here! Don't go! Please, don't go..."

  Caleb continued walking, deaf to her cries. He followed the path down the hill, and Vivian saw a car waiting below, a woman behind the wheel. She watched helplessly as he opened the passenger side door and slid in, the dome light reflecting off the gold band he wore on his left hand. Then the car was gone.

  She let her eyes mist over as No Name took her hand, leading her the rest of the way. They stood before the grave, and Vivian dropped to her knees before the tombstone, searching the chiseled surface for the information that she sought.

  "Here lies Vivian Woods: April 24, 1980—December 25, 2025."

  Vivian remained on the ground, staring at the brief message. When she spoke again, her voice was low and thoughtful. “That's all? No mention of a family or friends? Nothing like ‘She will be greatly missed'? Just my name, birth and death?"

  She looked up at No Name in disbelief. “What the hell happened to me?"

  His eyes burned like blue fire as he spoke to her, the anger obvious in his voice.

  "Why the shocked face, Vivian? What do you think happened? You died alone, don't you understand? Completely and utterly alone. Do you know why? Because you didn't have the courage to break out of your shell and take what you wanted out of life. You were content to stay in the shadows and let it all pass you by. And since you hate this time of year so much because of all the bad memories you have of Christmas—which you could easily have corrected by making good ones to replace them, but never bothered to try—you took your own life! Sleeping pills combined with Jack Daniels make one hell of a cocktail. You didn't stand a chance."

  He reached for her and shook her hard. “How could you have been so blind? Caleb loved you and you loved him! Why didn't you take a chance at love? You didn't trust him because you were afraid that he'd break your heart, but you didn't trust yourself, either! He got tired of waiting for you to make up your mind, and found someone else to share his life. But your memory will haunt him forever, a reminder of what could have been the love of his life. Yours was a love that never came to be."

  Vivian screamed at his words, her head throbbing from the shaking.

  "No! I won't let that happen! Let go of me, you're hurting me!"

  No Name ignored her pleas. He was lost in his own world, his eyes glittering with madness. He threw her hard onto the frozen ground, pressing her head into the dirt.

  "Listen! Listen carefully!"

  Her heart pounded with fear, her mind racing. There was no way to escape him; he held all the cards and she had no choice but to play along. She closed her eyes and could smell the earth beneath her, moist from the snow.

  The distant moans and cries were heartbreaking when they finally reached her ears. She knew immediately they were her own. She lowered a trembling hand to touch the ground, and felt the vibrations from six feet under. “Oh, my God. It's me! Oh, no..."

  No Name laughed at her, a cruel smile twisting his mouth as he continued to hold her down.

  "Seeing is believing. Perhaps you need a closer look, Vivian."

  His hands tightened on her shoulders and she knew what was coming. “NO!"

  She was trapped inside the terrible blackness of the coffin, deep underground. She couldn't see, couldn't move, couldn't think or breathe. She tried in vain to kick the top and sides of the wooden casket, hoping it was only a joke, but there was nothing to be done. She took one last breath and screamed into the darkness.

  "God DAMN you! I want to LIVE! I WON'T let it happen like this! I WANT TO LIVE!"

  * * * *

  Vivian shifted around the couch, shoving at the blankets covering her face.

  "I want to live! I want, ahh!"

  Jerking awake with a start, she threw the blanket across the room. She stared at the familiar surroundings of her apartment, her heart still in her throat from what had happened. Was it all a dream? She no longer knew what was real and what was fantasy.

  She slowly rose from the sofa, her eyes glued to the wall clock. It was three o'clock Christmas morning; exactly when the three spirits were supposed to be finished with her. She trembled with a mixture of fear and
pleasure as she reviewed the events of the night. She knew what she had to do next.

  Vivian immediately reached for the phone and dialed Caleb's number. She was still afraid of making a fool of herself with him, but after everything that she'd been through, she knew that she'd be seriously cheating herself if she didn't try. His voice was sleepy when he answered the phone. “Hello?"

  She smiled as she remembered the reason he was so tired.

  "Caleb, it's me. Vivian. I have to talk to you as soon as possible. It's important."

  His voice grew concerned as he became more alert.

  "Hey, is anything wrong? Do you want me to come over?"

  "No! I mean, I'd rather come over there if that's okay. Everything's fine, I just need someone to talk to. Do you mind?” She held her breath as she waited for his answer.

  "Hell no, I don't mind. How soon can you get here?"

  Her smile returned. “About thirty minutes. I'll see you then."

  Caleb's voice made her inner thighs tremble. “I can't wait."

  She hung up with an excited cry. Tonight she'd take a risk and shape her life into something better, instead of just coasting along. She was going to tell Caleb how she felt about him. She hoped that her visions were accurate and he actually returned her love.

  Vivian hurried to shower and prepare her body for what was to come. The night was still young, and she had a lot in mind. In her bedroom, she stood in front of the mirror and stared at her naked body from every angle. She smiled in approval, something she hadn't done in a very long time. She searched her underwear drawer for the sexiest lingerie she had. With a sigh of satisfaction she put on a red silk teddy that she'd recently bought. It had been an impulse buy, a naughty creation she'd spied in the department store window and imagined wearing for Caleb. Now was the time.

  Moments later, she parked her car outside Caleb's apartment building. She took a moment to collect her courage before forcing herself to leave the car and go to the front door. She buzzed him and he let her in. She climbed the stairs, wondering briefly if he was as anxious as she was. Then, he opened his door and she didn't think at all.