Ryan doesn’t expect too much from his weekend at the Shadows and Souls fan convention in Tahoe -- he wants to meet his online friends, engage in a few heated debates about the plot for the upcoming season, and maybe shake the hand of the TV show’s star, Johnny Marlowe. But his weekend goes off course almost immediately after his arrival. First, the hotel loses his booking. Then Johnny Marlowe talks to him like they’re actual friends. And while his head is still spinning, a ghost attacks him in the elevator.<br><br>Despite fighting ghosts every week on television, Johnny Marlowe does not believe in the spirit world. However, he does believe he should get to know Ryan better. Fan or not, the man is not only gorgeous, he’s down-to-earth, fun, and makes Johnny forget about the fake life he’s forced to lead and the ex-boyfriend who refused to participate in the charade. Unfortunately, every time Johnny tries to get close to the handsome ginger, something explodes or the earth shakes or lights blink out -- and none of that is as sexy as it sounds.<br><br>Johnny doesn’t believe in ghosts, but he knows he has to get to the bottom of this haunting if he ever wants to get close to his biggest fan.

Between the Shadow and the Soul

“You gotta get Johnny out of here,” she said, her voice almost too low to be heard. “He just promised a kiss to anyone who brought him back a beer, which means we need to cut him off now.”


Ryan knew the twinge of jealousy was irrational, but the thought of Johnny kissing anybody, even an excited fan, made something tighten in his chest. Concern followed quickly as Ryan tried to calculate Johnny’s total consumption. Considering the four he had before the cocktail party, he was probably well on his way to being totally shitfaced.


“Yeah, okay. I’ll see what I can do.”


“Just get him out of here. It probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to get him some fresh air and a cup of coffee.”


Abandoning his empty glass on a nearby table, he aimed for Johnny’s side, this time ignoring the throng who surrounded him. He reached to touch Johnny lightly on the arm to get his attention, only to have Johnny turn at the last moment and knock his hand away.


Chapter 10