Twilight: Bay City Paranormal Investigations, Book 3

be disastrous to the investigation.
Slinging Bo’s pack onto her back as if it weighed nothing, Anne started across the deck. “Y’all follow me. The cabin’s not far. You can ditch your junk, then I’ll show you around the property.”
“Actually, Lex said I could stay in the extra staff bed,” Dean said, grabbing his pack and the equipment bag and trotting after Anne. “Where’s that?”
“In the downstairs part of this building.” Anne stopped walking, turned and gave Dean a coquettish look over her shoulder. “You’ll have to share a room with me, I hope that’s okay.”
Dean’s teasing smile widened. “Oh yeah. That’ll be just fine.”
“Cool.” Holding Dean’s gaze just a little longer than was necessary, Anne turned around again and headed down the stairs.
Dean caught Sam’s eye, jerked a thumb toward Anne and mouthed hot! before hurrying after her. Sam chuckled.
“I hope he realizes we’re here to do a job, not literally charm the pants off as many staff members as possible,” Bo grumbled.
“Don’t worry. Sure, he’s a flirt, but you know he never neglects the job.” Sam hoisted his pack onto his shoulders, then wound an arm around Bo’s waist. “You going to be able to tour the property?”
“I think so.” Biting his lip, Bo levered himself carefully onto the first step, his hand gripping the frame of Sam’s backpack. “As long as there are no more steep slopes, I think I’ll be fine. Level ground is no problem. It’s the up and down that hurts right now.”
“Just promise me you’ll tell me if you need to rest, okay?”
“Sure.” Bo slid his hand down to squeeze Sam’s butt. He grinned. “I know I never tell you this, Sam, but I love how you fuss over me.”
Sam shot him a surprised look as they reached the landing halfway down the steps. “Really? I could’ve sworn you hated it.”
Bo’s expression turned sheepish. “I know. I’m sorry I’m so hard to deal with sometimes. It bothers me to feel helpless, and that makes me short-tempered and I snap at people. You don’t deserve that.” He stopped, staring into Sam’s eyes. “You’ve been my rock these last few months, Sam, and I’ve never once told you how grateful I am for that. So I’m telling you now. Thank you.”
To Sam’s utter shock, Bo tilted his face up and captured Sam’s mouth in a soft kiss. It was swift and chaste, just a gentle brush of lips, but it was the first time Bo had ever kissed him where strangers might see. True, Anne and Dean had already disappeared into the staff quarters, but there were other guests at the Lodge and any of them might be watching. It was a huge step for Bo, and Sam knew it. Fighting the urge to crush Bo’s body to his and open those silky lips with his tongue, Sam shut his eyes and savored the warm, sweet touch of Bo’s mouth on his.
Bo nudged Sam’s nose with his as he pulled away, making Sam smile. Neither said anything, but when their gazes locked, Sam knew they understood each other. Pressing his lips briefly to Bo’s brow, he tucked his arm more firmly around his lover and they descended the steps together.
Anne and Dean emerged from a narrow door in the wall beneath the deck as Sam helped Bo from the last step onto the pathway. Dean had left his pack, but still carried the equipment bag. “Bo and Sam, you have cabin number four,” Anne told them. “It’s the second one on the right.”
She strode down the path with Dean beside her. Trailing behind her with his arm still around Bo, Sam surveyed the area. Tiny wooden cabins dotted the gently tilted clearing, forming two staggered rows on either side of the narrow path through the grass. An oldfashioned hand pump was set in the ground beside the path. The dirt below the spout was damp.
“That’s where you get your water,” Anne said, waving a hand toward the pump. “There’s a water bucket in your cabin. Bathrooms are down that path there.” She pointed to a small building set apart from the cabins, down the slope a dozen yards or so past the dining hall. “No showers, but there’s flush toilets and running water in the sinks.”
“Thank God for that,” Sam muttered. Bo laughed.
When she reached the second cabin on the right, Anne bounded up the three shallow steps, unlocked the door and flung it open. Sam and Bo followed her inside. Dean stood on the steps, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed.
“Wow, this is cute,” Dean said, giving the place an appraising once-over.