Tempting The Beauty Queen. Carolyn Hector

then, there had been subdivisions in Southwood, but people still lived in these split-plan residences. Without the use of cell phones or any other modern technology a postman in the past never knew when he’d have to meet an incoming stagecoach with the US Postal Service or send a telegraph.

      Focusing back on the woman in his lap, Ramon blinked. “Are you okay?”

      “I’m fine.” Kenzie’s voice was weak but she tried to smile. “Just shaky.”

      “That’s to be expected,” he said, easing her off his lap, where the proof of desire grew. That old, familiar, lascivious feeling crept through his veins. Logic fought the uncontrollable rush of excitement and impulse to touch her again. “Let’s get out of here before something else happens.”

      Kenzie stood first but used his shoulders to steady herself, not realizing her breasts were in his face. Given what just happened, Ramon knew this was not the right time to reach around for her hips and pull her back to him. This was how things worked when he was around Kenzie. She took all common sense out of the equation, just as she had last summer when he needed to concentrate on business.

      Ramon cleared his throat. “Let’s try to find a way out of here.”

      Once he reached full height Ramon brushed off the debris from his jacket and did the same to Kenzie’s body. His hands smoothed over the soft contours of her hips and breasts. Again Ramon needed to mentally call out the starting lineup of the Yankees.

      “Are you okay?” Kenzie asked him.

      Ramon glanced down at his pants, afraid of what she was asking, but realized she meant after the elevator’s fall. “Yeah, I’m good.”

      Despite the decrepit state of the building the ground floor wasn’t in a state of disarray. Dust piled on either side of the hallways. A half dozen doors stood outside the elevator shaft and Ramon grabbed Kenzie’s hand to help walk her through the threshold of the door he figured was the exit. A pile of ceiling tiles blocked them and they had to step over it. The red heels she wore were covered with gray dust and the fabric of her jeans was frayed at the knees.

      If Ramon had to hold her hand the whole time, he was going to end up pressing her against the wall and kissing her senseless. They needed to get out of here. Alexander Ward should be here by now and Ramon didn’t want the man to think he’d changed his mind about buying the place. It did need a lot of work but he couldn’t beat the downtown location. “Wait here,” he told Kenzie.

      Ramon left Kenzie’s side and jogged down the end of hall to the exit door. The silver bar wouldn’t budge. Damn it. Guided by the glow of her cell phone, he hurried back to Kenzie. “It’s locked.”

      “Still no service. We can check some of these old offices,” Kenzie suggested, making her way to the first door. Ramon followed her inside to the empty space. The faded paper covering the glass offered light but not a view of people walking around outside. Since Ramon was taller, he started toward the window to peel off the paper but Kenzie did some cheerleading jump and tore off a corner, bringing the whole sheet down. Impressed with the move, Ramon clapped for her and she took a bow.

      “Six years of middle and high school cheerleading,” she breathed, “are finally paying off.”

      “Are you sure? You’re breathing heavier, unless you’re having another panic attack.”

      Kenzie’s eyes widened and her face flushed a deep pink. “I’m older.”

      “Ancient,” Ramon teased. He held his hand out for her to take. “Let’s check another room—no one is out on the street here. Maybe we’ll come across the stairs.”

      “I think the stairs are filled with furniture.”

      “Why do you think that?”

      Kenzie moved out the door and explained. “When I was in high school, kids loved coming here and running through the halls, especially during Halloween. This place is haunted.”

      “What?” Ramon scoffed and closed the door behind them.

      “I’m serious. I heard some kids came out Halloween Eve and things would be rearranged from the last time. So they’d booby-trap the place with rearranged furniture and come back and things would be different the next day.”

      “Sounds like kids were playing tricks on each other if you ask me.” Ramon imagined his older cousins doing the same thing to the younger group.

      “Maybe, but I believe this place is haunted. I grew up hearing a story about the forties. My great-aunt came here and sent letters to her soldier boyfriend off in the war. She came here every day and mailed a letter. Her beau came back and married another woman from Peachville.”

      Southwood bordered three other cities—Peachville, Samaritan and Black Wolf Creek—and had become home of their first post office. Like Southwood, the other cities were founded by citizens tired of the Civil War. Union soldiers tore through South Georgia and burned old buildings and land. When Confederate soldiers came home to nothing, some left and some stayed. Those who stayed worked with the lasting people of the land, former slaves and Native Americans, and rebuilt each city. All three worked in unison into the next century. With so many single women writing to shipped off military men during wartime, this soldier had probably met another woman.

      “I think your aunt’s boyfriend was a player.”

      Kenzie stopped walking and pondered his statement. Her lips twisted to the side and finally she nodded. “I never thought about it like that. But your belief doesn’t answer the question about the noises heard here. The theater next door flooded last summer, which is why we had to hold Miss Southwood at Magnolia Palace.”

      “So?”

      “So the flood started from here. The water has been turned off for decades.”

      “I’m sure there’s a logical explanation.” They came to the next office. Kenzie took a step inside but Ramon held her back. “Let me inspect first in case there’s a ghost.”

      “Okay,” Kenzie sang skeptically. “But if there’s a ghost demanding the blood of a virgin, you’re out of luck.”

      His blood pulsed, as he knew firsthand Kenzie wasn’t a virgin, then settled with a splash of jealousy. Sex with her was addicting and it took everything he had to keep his distance. Clearing his throat, he entered the room. The smell of mildew assaulted his senses. Like the previous room the windows were boarded up with paper. Ramon moved to take the paper down before Kenzie.

      “We’re looking out the back windows,” he deduced. “Let’s try a room facing the street.”

      “Makes sense,” Kenzie surprisingly agreed. She turned and crossed the hall before he had a chance to exit the room and like before, did her cheerleading jump and tore down the papers. Bright light spilled into the room. Dust particles floated through the rays of sunshine. “Bingo!” She banged on the windowpane. Her red-tipped nails sounded off in a rhythmic beat and the hairs on the back of Ramon’s neck rose. He recalled what those nails had done to his back.

      Ramon cleared his throat again. Kenzie turned and faced him. “I think we need to hurry up and get you out of here. You sound like your throat is closing or something.”

      “Or something,” Ramon agreed. Sweat began to form under his arms. He took the jacket off and laid it on the desk once he entered the musty room. “Do you see Alexander out there?”

      Her hand paused in midair, about to knock on the window, Kenzie turned to face him with a scowl on her face. “I’d rather he not be the one to rescue us.”

      “History between you two?” Ramon inquired before holding his hand up and swallowing down his first bitter pill of jealousy. “On second thought, this is a small town. Everyone has dated everyone else at one point.”

      “I don’t want Alexander to know I’m here. He purposely didn’t tell me about selling the place.”

      Ramon wiped his finger against