His Haunting Kiss Read online

  “Hello, Timothy,” I said softly. I’d researched the family to prepare for this. “My name is Boston Kane. I’m here to help you.”

  He was deathly pale in the beam of my flashlight, though he still appeared so solid. He stepped away, fear in his eyes.

  “You deserve a second chance,” I told him, remaining at the top of the ladder. “A chance to get it right the next time.”

  Timothy opened his mouth, smacking his lips twice as if he weren’t used to speaking. “Hell.”

  “You’re afraid you’ll go to hell?”

  He nodded.

  I smiled. “I don’t promise your next life will be easy. I don’t promise you won’t find yourself in the exact same situation. But maybe this time, you’ll make a different choice.”

  I crossed to him, glad to see he stood his ground as I drew near.

  He didn’t move as I wrapped him in a hug. “I release you from your fears.”

  A flash, brilliant, intense.

  And my arms were empty.

  *

  I found the son, Brandon, in the same seat at the kitchen table.

  He smiled when he saw me. “You’re back.”

  “Take a walk with me,” I said, holding out my hand.

  Brandon had the unabashed trust of a young kid. He stood, his cold, transparent hand as solid in mine as Ian’s. Maybe a simple Shade, but to me — a true Earthbound, more evolved than a human yet fully of the Other Realm — Brandon was solid and real.

  I concentrated on allowing Brandon to cross the boundary of the back door, hoping I wasn’t being an idiot in thinking I had the power to give him one last glimpse of the outside world.

  A pregnant moon hung low in a cloudless sky, casting an ethereal glow on the backyard of the Albert Street Murder House. Brandon clung to me, his big eyes even wider as he saw his swing set for the first time in years.

  I let him go, laughing as he ran for the swings. He fell against the seat, swinging as hard as his legs would take him. A moment later, he jumped from the seat and ran for the slide, his laughter filling the air.

  I let him play, cognizant of Ian’s warm presence behind me. We stood silently, letting the boy relish his freedom.

  As I knew she would, his mother appeared in the window on the second floor, shining like a star. Drawn by his happiness, Hattie floated through the glass, uniting with her son at the swing set.

  “How does it feel, my sweet?” Ian’s question brushed across my skin.

  “I know why I am the way I am,” I said, turning to grin up at him. “And having you with me makes me stronger.”

  Ian kissed my nose. “Go free them, my love.”

  I joined Brandon and Hattie, their faces alight with joy.

  No words were exchanged. They moved into my arms, the force of their collective embrace nearly throwing me off balance.

  Nobody but the love of my life and the moon in the sky witnessed Brandon and Hattie’s emancipation.

  After they were gone, Ian joined me at the swings. I settled into the curve of his arm, sharing his warmth and strength. I ebbed with the energy we raised together.

  “Life is heat, death is cold,” I murmured, rubbing my hand up and down his back.

  “No, my sweet.” Ian dropped a kiss to my forehead, his lips warm and wet. “Love is heat. Those who are cold simply haven’t found their way yet.”

  Did you enjoy His Haunting Kiss? Tell the world! Please consider leaving a review where you bought it, even if it’s only an informal line or two. Reviews are crucial to an author’s success in this digital world, so your support and generosity would be MUCH appreciated!

  Stay up to date with Heather’s new releases, including the next book in the His Kiss series, His Ordinary Kiss, coming fall 2014, by joining her MAILING LIST. Or here: heathermarieadkins.com/mailinglist

  Did you know Heather will mail you a signed print copy of one of her books (your choice) for every 5 books of hers you read and review? And for every 1 review you write, you can receive a signed trading card for that book! Contact her at [email protected] or join her Facebook group, Books by Heather Marie Adkins, for more info.

  Coming Soon!

  The second book in the His Kiss series, His Ordinary Kiss.

  Ghost hunter Vespers Malone prides herself on being independent. She doesn’t wear makeup, won’t shave her legs, and has more ink than a biker. Her persona keeps men away, and Vespers is fine with that. She already had her heart broken. Once.

  But Vespers didn’t count on her childhood friend Trevor growing up quite so… fantastic. The little geek in the thick glasses went away to the Marines, and came back hotter than summer in hell. Trevor sees through her attitude and façade… but is there now more to him than meets Vespers’ wide eyes?

  Coming Fall 2014! Be the first to know by joining Heather’s MAILING LIST.

  If You Liked His Haunting Kiss…

  Check out The Temple!

  Vale Avari has a mysterious past and a laundry list of super-powers, but that’s nothing compared to what she finds upon moving from small town U.S.A to even smaller-town England.

  A chance dart throw lands her in Quicksilver, an off-the-map place with a big problem — people are dying, and word is, it’s supernatural.

  At her new place of employment, a temple dedicated to the ancient Mother Goddess, Vale learns something even more shocking — women guards are disappearing at an alarmingly patterned rate; women who possess special gifts like her own.

  Supernatural powers aside, Vale isn’t ready to believe in the Wild Hunt as the culprit, and she’s determined to prove the deaths are acts of human violence.

  Plagued by a brute with a history of domestic violence and lusting after a dark-eyed man with a secret, Vale has a limited amount of time to discover the killer before he strikes again. In the process, she’ll learn things aren’t always what they seem and the supernatural might not be so extraordinary after all.

  The Hunt could ride for her.

  Find it at Amazon.

  Other Books by the Author

  SERIES

  The Temple, Book One in the Vale Avari Novels

  Abigail, Book One in the Witch Faery Trilogy

  The House, Book One in the Old Houses Series

  Heaven Below, Book One in the Goddess of Ptalonia Trilogy

  Saffron, Book One in the Vengeance Goddess Serials

  STAND-ALONES

  Constant State of Disaster

  Cause & Effect

  Eternal Youth, co-written with Julia Crane

  Visions of the Witch, co-written with Tara West

  SHORT STORIES

  The Darkest Night, A Hedgewitch Novelette

  Underneath, a FREE novelette

  May I Go Play?, a short story

  PIECES: A Collection of Short Fiction

  Short fiction featured in these anthologies:

  Eclective: Halloween Collection

  Eclective: Holiday Collection

  Eclective: Celtic Collection

  Eclective: Pride Collection

  Eclective: Haunted Collection

  Eclective: Apocalypse Collection

  Eclective: Time Collection

  Pink Snowbunnies In Hell

  Acknowledgements

  A big thank you to my betas for HHK: Mayme, Katy Ravensong, and Katrina W. I can always count on honest feedback and a little bit of ego-stroking!

  I could never have written such an awesome blurb to this book without Ed’s help, and the cover came out wonderfully thanks to Tamra.

  I owe this book to my love of ghost hunters shows.

  About the Author

  Heather Marie Adkins loves magick and words, but not necessarily in that order. She can often be found wrangling chickens in her backyard, pulling weeds from her herb garden, and saving field mice from her cats—when she isn’t plotting her eventual move to Ireland. She worships the moon and stars, and loves the feel of grass beneath her bare feet. She lives in north-central Kentucky with
a house full of animals and the love of her life—all of whom drive her crazy.

  She is the author of numerous titles including: The Temple (Vale Avari, Book One); Abigail (Witch Faery, Book One); His Haunting Kiss (His Kiss, Book One); Mother of All (Hedgewitch Mysteries, Book One); and Heaven Below (Goddess of Ptalonia, Book One). Her novels have hit several bestseller lists since she began publishing in June 2011.

  Heather loves to hear from readers! She can be found daily (mostly) at her blog, heather.bishoffs.com, so visit and leave a comment!

  You can email her at [email protected]

  Friend Heather on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

  Or join her Facebook group! Books by Heather Marie Adkins, run by the author to interact with people who like her books. Be the first to see new covers and know behind-the-scenes information about Heather.

  She can also be found on Tumblr, Instagram, and Goodreads.

  For more information on Heather and her books, visit her website at heathermarieadkins.com.

  Wanna be the first to hear when she releases new books? Sign up for her MAILING LIST, and you could win free books, be notified of giveaways, and even enter to win book-related prizes! Your email will never be shared with anyone, and you will only receive one or two emails a month.

  To My Readers:

  I’m just going to lay it all out for you—I am an indie author. Everything I do, I do without the help or backing of a publishing company. This means I pay for everything up front: cover design, editing, proofing, interior design. These services can cost upwards of $2000 per book, if not more. Unfortunately, I don’t have the kind of resources available to pay for these things as fast as I write; I’m just a Starbucks barista in my spare time! So I do a lot of it on my own, or with the help of close friends and colleagues.

  This note is to let you know this particular book has been edited and proofread within the realm of my ability, but it’s probably not perfect. If you see any errors, or you have any general comments about the storyline or characters—what works for you, what doesn’t work for you, etc. please don’t hesitate to contact me at [email protected]. I want your feedback. Every cent I earn from this book is going into my editing fund, and with any feedback I receive, I will do rewrites and a massive professional edit once I’ve raised enough money.

  If you’re interested in becoming a beta reader for me, drop me a line at [email protected]. I’m always looking for people willing to help me make my books better.

  One day, I hope that my novels will be my career, and they’ll pay for publishing services anytime I need them. Until then, thank you for supporting me, and I hope you enjoyed the read!

  Heather

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Coming Soon!

  If You Liked His Haunting Kiss…

  Other Books by the Author

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  To My Readers: