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Category: Erotica/Paranormal Erotica
Description: When Mrs. Vanderhorn is assaulted by a ghost in her river front home, she turns to P.I.A., the most prestigious private investigative firm on the east coast, for help. Agent Skelley, a seasoned veteran with the company, and her new partner, Sly Muellin, are assigned the case, but neither are prepared for what they must face when they confront the entity that haunts the Vanderhorn cottage. This title is a reissue.
eBook Publisher: New Concepts Publishing, 2012 2012
eBookwise Release Date: September 2012

Available eBook Formats: OEBFF Format (IMP) [114 KB]
Words: 24290
Reading time: 69-97 min.

"Don't get me wrong, it's not that I mind being partnered with a woman. I've heard she's a darned good investigator, but...." Despite his best efforts, Muellin felt a tinge of heat flush his cheeks.

Leonard 'Lee' Skinard, head of operations at P.I.A. Inc., did not look amused. "But?"

"I've heard things that lead me to believe I could serve the company best if I was partnered with someone a little more...uh...serious."

This time Skinard's bushy brows rose almost to his hairline, or would have except that his hair line had receded beyond capture. "She's one of our best," he said lazily, leaning back in his chair and toying with the pen he'd been tapping on his desk.

Muellin saw that beating around the bush wasn't going to get him anywhere. He wanted the job, needed it, but his goal was to build an impressive portfolio. He didn't see that working with a nut case was going to help further his career. "Sir, I'm told she believes in ghosts, alien abductions-- in fact pretty much anything that's weird and unbelievable. They call her Miss Gullible, among other less charitable things."

"They?"

Muellin stared at the man across the desk from him in tightlipped silence, unwilling to admit that he'd been listening to gossip. He certainly wasn't willing to admit to having taken part in it. It was too undignified.

A look of resignation crossed the older man's features. "You've been listening to the talk, I see."

Muellin shrugged.

Skinard leaned back in his chair, studied Muellin for a long, measuring moment, then said, "Diana Skelley is one of the most brilliant investigators that I've ever run across. Whatever her personal beliefs, she doesn't allow them to interfere with her doing the best job she possibly can for this company. She hasn't once failed us. Now, I'll admit that she tends to be more ... ah ... zealous than average, but I think that's part of what makes her good at what she does. However, she's not always as discreet as I'd like and that's why I want to partner her with you. She needs someone completely logical and level headed to ... ah ... balance her out, so to speak. With your background, I figured you'd be up to the task. However, if you have some doubts about your abilities...."

Muellin wasn't about to get suckered into that one. "I have no doubts--"

"Good!" Skinard exclaimed, cutting him off mid-sentence, then leaning forward to press the intercom buzzer on his desk before Muellin could recover himself. "Alice, show Ms. Skelley in, will you?"

Muellin's eyes narrowed. "As I was about to say--"

The door behind him opened.

Muellin didn't give a damn if she was in the room. He meant to finish his say. Nevertheless, he instinctively glanced toward the woman who had come to stand beside him.

His words dried in his throat.

The first thing he noticed was that her breasts, which were at eye level with him since he was still seated, looked in danger of bursting free from her tailored jacket. The second thing he noticed was a mane of the most awesome red hair he'd ever beheld, mainly because she tossed it in his direction and nearly put his eye out.

"Sir?"

Her voice was pleasant, a little husky. It would have made Muellin think dangerous thoughts except that his brain seemed to have ceased functioning altogether.

"I wanted to introduce you to your new partner before we get down to the particulars of your assignment." Skinard gestured toward Muellin. Muellin was grateful for that, because it brought him out of his state of mesmerized stupefaction just a split second before she turned to look at him. He leapt from his chair as if he'd been catapulted out of it, bumping his knee on Skinard's desk in the process.

He gritted his teeth, trying to pretend he wasn't in excruciating pain, but found after only a moment that the pain had dissipated as he looked down at the woman--very down. She couldn't have been much more than five feet tall. He wondered if she realized that from his viewpoint of six feet he could look right down her jacket and get a clear view of the lacy strap that held her straining bra together in the center.

She crossed her arms. Muellin waited with baited breath to see if the bra would withstand this additional pressure or if those two glorious globes would pop right out the neck of her jacket. He was acutely disappointed when the bra held.

"Agent Diana Skelley, this is Agent Sylvest..."

"Sly," Muellin broke in hurried, revolted at the usage of his given name.

Skinard nodded, smiling faintly now. "Sly Muellin, formerly of the Florida Bureau of Investigation."

Muellin was never certain afterwards how it was that he found himself briefed, shuffled out of Skinard's office and down the hall to Agent Skelley's office, but he was fairly certain he'd behaved with all the aplomb of a pimple faced teen-ager. Thus, he was not in a wonderful mood.

Diana Skelley studied her new partner with impatience. He was good looking, if one liked the fresh faced, boyish look; clean cut; tall and dark; a bit on the lanky side, but a pretty good build, if she was any judge. He was slouched in the chair in front of her desk, for all the world like a sulking, sullen school boy who'd been sent to the principal's office. Finally, she decided just to take the bull by the horns, so to speak.

"I suppose you're not overjoyed about being partnered with me, Mr. Muellin."

It occurred to Muellin that he was slouched in the chair, sulking. He straightened up in an attempt to regain his dignity. "An understatement," he muttered ungraciously.

Diana Skelley's lips tightened.

It was the first time Muellin had actually noticed anything above her breasts. Curious now, he studied the face that belonged to the body that was going to be torturing his nights for a very long time.

The face was ... actually pretty nice. Small mouth, rather thin lips ... tight ... best not go there, he chastised himself, ever aware of the beast in his trousers that seemed determined to stand up and say hello. Straight nose. Very nice eyes. His gaze went back to her mouth and he crossed his legs unobtrusively.

Hell! How was he supposed to keep his mind on business when he'd been saddled with a witless cupie doll, with tits bigger than her brain, a nice round ass and a mouth that looked like it had been specifically designed.... "Excuse me?"

"I said, I thought you were a serious investigator," Diana repeated, more than a little irritated that he didn't seem to have heard a word she'd said, despite the fact that he'd been staring at her unblinkingly. "Do you think you could stop staring at my breasts long enough to carry on a conversation?"

For the second time that day, Muellin felt a blush creep into his cheeks, but this time it was only partly from embarrassment. Mostly, it was from irritation. "I beg your pardon. I didn't realize I was staring at you. I had my mind on something else," he replied with stiff dignity.

Diana gave him a 'right' look. "The case, perhaps?"

"As a matter of fact--"

"All right. I thought it would be best to clear away any misconceptions you might be harboring about me, but if you want to get right to work. What did you think?"

As a matter of fact he had no opinion about the case, mostly because he couldn't recall a word that had been said after Agent Skelley had entered the room. "I'd be interested in hearing your opinion first, since you're senior agent here," Muellin replied finally, pardonably pleased at his clever repartee.

Diana studied him suspiciously for a moment, but decided to let it slide. He hadn't sounded patronizing. Perhaps he was actually being sincere. "According to the report Skinard gave me, the client believes her lakeside cottage is haunted. She wants us to--"

Muellin sat bolt upright. "Haunted?" he said incredulously. "How the hell ... excuse me. How are we supposed to investigate that, let alone resolve it! Put together a seance? Call ghost busters Inc.?"

Diana looked at him in surprise. "Were you thinking of another case I'm unaware of?"

"What?" Muellin asked, all at sea.

"You said you weren't staring at my breasts. You were thinking about the case. Now you act as if you've never even heard anything about the case."

Muellin found his brain simply could not function at these speeds, not under present circumstances. Since he couldn't think of a logical response, he fell back on the old 'attack defense'. "Contrary to what you apparently believe, Agent Skelley, every man who comes in contact with you isn't out to get in your ... ah ... bed. Don't get me wrong. I think a person should use whatever they have at their disposal to achieve success in their life and if sleeping your way to the top--"

Muellin felt the air leave his lungs as he landed flat on his back on her office floor, effectively cutting his last thoughts, and comments, off. Uncertain of just how it came about that he was seated one moment and lying on the floor the next, he stared up, bemused, at the furious red head now straddling his mid-section.