Ghoul Interrupted Read Online Free PDF Page A

face back into the pillow.
    My body was still exhausted. My mind was still fried. And my mood was still grumpy. Fat load of good those nine hours had been.
    I felt Heath roll over and lay his chest on my back, squishing me a little in the process, but I wasn’t about to complain. I liked his weight on my back. “Morning,” he said.
    “Mmmf,” I replied.
    “I better hit the shower.”
    “Mmmf,” I agreed.
    Heath sighed. I could just feel the thump , thump , thump of his heart drumming a beat against my back. “Feel like joining me?” he asked.
    “Mmmf,” I said wearily.
    Heath chuckled. “I didn’t think so. I’ll be out in a few. You get a little extra sleep.”
    With that, he kissed my shoulder and I felt his weight lift off, leaving me cold without him. I sighed and tried to get a little more sleep, but Heath’s phone rang and it startled me. In the bathroom I could also hear the water being turned on, and I decided not to call out to Heath. He deserved to take his shower in peace. I waited through all four rings for the call to go to voice mail, then sighed again and tried to will myself back to sleep.
    Heath’s phone gave off a loud chime and I opened one eye moodily. Voice mail.
    Closing that eye, I thought sleepy, happy thoughts and just as I was starting to sink back into slumber again, there were three firm knocks on the door. My eyes flew open. “You gotta be kidding me,” I grumbled. Sitting up on the bed, I called, “Who is it?”
    “The clerk from the front desk, Ms. Holliday,” said a male voice. “Your telephone is sending out a busy signal. Are you all right?”
    I stared at the door incredulously. Was he serious? “I’m fine,” I said tersely.
    I could hear the guy clear his throat. “Yes, well, there’s someone in the lobby wishing to speak with a Heath Whitefeather, and she believes he’s staying with you in your room.”
    I scratched my head. Who? What? Huh? With a groan I got out of bed and said, “Hold on,” then grabbed my sweatshirt and jeans. Tugging them on quickly, I trudged to the door to peek through the peephole. Some guy with salt-and-pepper hair was standing there all fidgety. I cracked the door open a smidge. “Say what, now?”
    “Sorry to disturb you,” he began, “But there’s a woman in the lobby who says she’s Mr. Whitefeather’s cousin, and that she needs to speak to him right away. There’s been a death in the family, ma’am.”
    I blinked and tried to focus on him. “Yeah,” I said. “Their uncle was killed a few days ago.”
    It was the clerk’s turn to look confused. “Oh,” he said. “No, she said that her aunt died last night.”
    That got my attention. I opened the door wide and grilled the clerk. “What’s this woman’s name again?”
    He looked down at a note he’d written to himself. “Arianna Whitefeather, ma’am.”
    That fit. “She said that Heath’s aunt was dead?”
    “Yes.”
    “You’re sure she said aunt and not uncle ?”
    “Yes.”
    Behind me I heard the shower shut off and Heath began whistling. I swore softly. This was bad. Really, really bad.
    “I’m sorry, ma’am,” the clerk said, pulling my attention back, “but what should I tell the woman in the lobby?”
    “Send her up to the room, please,” I said, already turning to shut the door.
    “Yes ma’am, I’ll send her—” That’s as far as he got before the door shut in his face. I’d have to apologize later.
    I walked quickly to the bathroom and knocked softly. “Heath?”
    He opened the door to reveal his naked glorious self, his shoulder-length wet hair slicked back away from his face, his toned shoulders and chest still dripping with water. “Change your mind?” he asked me, wrapping his arms around my waist playfully. “Because I can get back in, you know.”
    I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. I just stood there trying to tell him the terrible news, not knowing how to phrase it to soften the blow. “Oh, Heath,” I