Closer: Bay City Paranormal Investigation, Book 4

the rail and gazed into the darkness. The night air felt wonderfully cool on his face. He could smell the ocean, could hear the whisper of the waves on the sand, but he couldn’t see a thing past the glow of light spilling across the sand from the house. A thick cloud cover had rolled in over the last couple of hours, obscuring the moon and stars. The blackness mirrored Sam’s mood.
Footsteps sounded behind him. He didn’t turn around, but when Bo’s arms enclosed him, he laid his hands over Bo’s and leaned back into his lover’s embrace.
“I shouldn’t have said that,” Bo murmured against Sam’s ear. “You’re right, we were only there because I insisted. I had no right to accuse you of not doing your job. Especially when you’re one of the most conscientious workers I’ve ever known.”
“No, you really didn’t have any right to say that to me.” Sam lifted one of Bo’s hands and kissed his knuckles. “I have to tell you the truth here. It really worried me that you wouldn’t even consider the possibility of what you experienced having any kind of significance. After Oleander House, and especially after that thing bit you at South Bay High, I’d think you’d at least want to keep an open mind. You could be in danger here.”
“What kind of danger are you afraid of, Sam?” Bo tilted his head sideways and rested his cheek against Sam’s shoulder. “I don’t feel as if my safety is threatened, if that makes you feel any better.”
“It doesn’t.”
“Then tell me what you’re afraid is going to happen to me. Help me understand.”
Sam stared into the night, trying to find the words to articulate his fears. Everything he could think of to say sounded paranoid, even to him.
“I don’t know,” he admitted at last. “It’s just that you’ve never had any experiences like that before, and this one just happened to be exactly like my dream. When that happened at Oleander House, when we all had the same dreams, Amy died.”
Bo’s arms tightened around Sam’s waist. “This isn’t the same. Whatever it was that happened to me at the fort, it was only for a second. I didn’t actually see anything, I just felt as if I were somewhere else. Something like that can be attributed to a thousand different causes.”
“What about what Cecile and Andre felt?”
“You didn’t feel it, and you’re the one who’s usually the most sensitive to the…” Bo trailed off, his body shifting. “To changes in a place’s energy. Even without your senses in full use, I’m positive you would’ve noticed if it were anything strong enough to be dangerous. Besides, Cecile and Andre both agreed that it’s difficult to get an accurate psychic reading at the fort.”
Sam laughed in spite of himself. “There’s no such thing as an ‘accurate’ psychic reading.”
Bo’s soft chuckle vibrated against Sam’s back. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah.” Turning in Bo’s arms, Sam framed Bo’s face in his hands. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m letting past experiences cloud my judgment in this case.”
“That’s all it is.” Bo’s hands covered Sam’s, holding Sam’s palms to his cheeks. “After all we’ve been through in the past few months with the portals, I can’t really blame you.” He leaned forward and pressed a swift kiss to Sam’s lips. “I’m not in any danger at the fort, Sam. None of us are.”
Sam wasn’t sure he believed that, but he had to admit Bo had a point. It was possible that Sam’s mind, fueled by memories of Bo’s near death, was making connections that weren’t there.
Dropping his hands to Bo’s hips, Sam pulled him close. “Just promise me you’ll tell me if you have any more of those visions, okay?”
“Hallucinations,” Bo corrected with a grin. He molded his body to Sam’s. “Let’s go to bed.”
One of Bo’s legs slipped between Sam’s. A firm thigh pressed against his balls. Sam gulped. “Promise me first.”
For a second, Bo’s eyes hardened. Then his mouth curved into the smile that always made Sam’s knees weak. Bo stepped back, letting his hands slide down to grasp Sam’s. “Whatever you want, Sam. Now come to bed.”
Sam’s feet were moving before he gave them permission, led by the promise of a different sort in Bo’s smile. He followed Bo inside, shut the door and drew the curtains.
Later, lying wide awake with Bo sleeping beside him, Sam realized Bo hadn’t promised him anything at all.
    Sam jolted awake, his heart