Stacey Joy Netzel Boxed Set Read Free Page A

settled
her nerves until she realized it’d looped through the park and led
her back to the cemetery. Her feet rooted to the spot outside the
gate as she stared intently at that one specific shaded
gravesite.
    Everything looked normal. No shadow figures.
No shimmering air. No voices in her head.
    Most likely her subconscious had been
playing with her yesterday. Her imagination had been in overdrive
after all the wonderful history she’d learned.
    Still hesitant, Melanie entered the deserted
grounds and followed the path John had led the senior group along
the day before. Every so often she snuck a glance toward the black
granite, until at the end, she once again stood in front of the
stone.
    Deep breath. Let it out slow. Everything’s
fine.
    Squatting down, she reached to touch the
old, worn stone sunk in the earth.
    Cold . As it should be.
    Her gaze rose to the other one looming in
front of her. Nervous anticipation mixed with dread, raising goose
bumps on her arms like yesterday. Much as she didn’t want to touch
its smooth surface, she had to make sure. Her hand trembled
slightly as she extended her arm.
    Cool .
    Relief tingled through her entire body.
    With one finger, she traced the A in
Andrew, then flattened her palm over the name.
    In a single instant, the granite warmed,
almost to the point of burning her flesh. She yanked her hand back
with a gasp, then nearly jumped out of her skin when a male figure
materialized out of thin air right before her eyes.
    Dark, glittering eyes locked on her. A
scream froze in her throat and she found she couldn’t breathe.
    If she stayed still, would it go away?
    Her lungs burned. She needed oxygen or she’d
faint. Rising slowly, she drew in a deep breath of air, then
concentrated on repeating the process until her legs steadied. All
the while, her mind registered details.
    The man of her dreams. Tall. Dark, wavy
hair, worn long enough to hang over his forehead and brush the
collar of his black shirt. Eyes that at first glance appeared black
but now she saw were a sexy slate gray. His thick eyebrows shadowed
them, making them seem darker. A hint of a five o’clock shadow lent
a sinister air, yet she wasn’t truly afraid of him .
    “You can see me.” The husky
accusation washed over her.
    “This can’t be real,” she said out loud. She
was losing her mind. For heaven’s sake, she just thought of a
hallucination’s eyes as sexy!
    He stepped closer, his gaze locked with
hers. “No one has ever been able to see me.”
    Melanie backed up, still talking to herself.
“I’m hallucinating. He’s not real.”
    “But I am.”
    “No.” She shook her head. “He’s a figment of
my imagination. I’m going crazy.”
    “You may stop speaking as if I am not here.
I know you can see me.” A hint of irritation colored his deep
voice.
    Laughter bubbled up. She fought off the
hysteria, closed her eyes and wished him away. After counting to
ten, she lifted her lashes to find him still watching her. He stood
just a few feet in front of her, his gaze so intense she could
practically feel it touching her face. Yet his form didn’t seem
quite…solid. Her mind went back to the moment he’d appeared and she
shivered.
    “I don’t know what I’m seeing.”
    “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is
Andrew Lindeman.”
    Somehow that didn’t surprise her, but she
still shook her head in denial. “No.”
    “Yes.”
    She gestured to the tombstone. “Andrew
Lindeman is dead.”
    “Yes.”
    Melanie swallowed hard, heart thumping in
her chest. “That would mean you’re a…a...
    One eyebrow rose in a sardonic gesture.
“Yes?”
    “A ghost.”
    His lips lifted in a smile, flashing white
teeth. “That would be correct.”
    “Ghosts aren’t real.”
    “I beg to differ with you.”
    Annoyed with his enjoyment of the situation,
Melanie stuck a fist on her hip. “You can beg all you want, it
doesn’t make you real.”
    “To whom are you speaking, then?”
    She bit off a