Rendezvous at Midnight

By Lynne Connolly

A haunted ocean liner, a woman with a family mystery to solve, and a man who can talk to ghosts—what do they have in common? A timeless love and the very real threat of murder, that’s what.

Lisa, a host for the TV program Ghost at Home, and Michael, a medium also for the program, share a past together. But it remains to be seen if they have a future....

When the program gets offered to spend a weekend of ghost-hunting on The Gem of the Sea, Lisa sees her chance to discover what really happened to her mother the day she died on the great ocean liner. But over the course of one passion-filled weekend, Lisa and Michael must fight a malevolence the likes of which neither has encountered before.

Will they win or become two more of the unquiet spirits haunting the old ship?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Decadent Publishing
• Release date: Apr 5, 2012
• ISBN: 9781613332658

Lynne Connolly

Award winning, top selling author Lynne Connolly writes historical romance, paranormal romance and contemporary romance. She lives in the UK with her family and her Mews, Jack. She also loves travelling, and often incorporates the places she visits into her books.

Book preview

Rendezvous at Midnight

By

Lynne Connolly

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2012 by Lynne Connolly

ISBN: 978-1-61333-265-8

Cover art by LFD Designs

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC

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www.decadentpublishing.com

~DEDICATION~

To my new editor, Rie. Thanks for a great start to my Decadent career!

Chapter One

Hi.

Lisa Perez dragged her small luggage cart to where Michael Scott stood shading his eyes, looking up at the great ship before them. He lowered his hand and glanced at her instead. His smile warmed her from the inside out.

She decided to play it cool. Beautiful, isn’t she?

Stunning.

She couldn’t ignore the blatant compliment. I meant the ship, you idiot.

His gaze lingered over her, feeding her desire. He was gorgeous, but when he’d arrived at the TV network where they both worked, she’d been involved with Brant McManus. Now her relationship with Brant was history, although he was unfortunately present at this weekend’s shoot. She’d manage. Since their breakup, Brant had paraded a succession of beautiful women in front of her, but she couldn’t care less. What she wanted now was standing in front of her.

She’d had a couple of dates with Michael, dinner only, and now, because of their jobs, they had to spend the weekend in a luxury hotel. A nearly empty luxury hotel. She was ready to move on with her life, and she knew he liked her, perhaps more. It was time she stopped rebuking herself.

He pulled his jacket closer around his neck when a particularly sharp breeze whisked past them. His dark hair lifted and resettled.

She smiled. Sensing ghosts already? Michael’s ability as a medium astonished her every time she saw it. Though she’d started out a cynic, she couldn’t doubt him any longer. He was consistently accurate, naming people, describing them. He said he wanted to help them find rest. Looking at him now, so solid, so tall, she found herself doubting she’d seen some of the things he’d shown her through his psychic ability, except she knew he would reaffirm it in the first vigil. This time she feared it, but she wouldn’t have admitted that to anyone. This time, it was personal.

He shook his head. Nah. No ghosts out here. They say there are plenty on board, though.

Lifting his hand against the harsh autumn sunshine, he stared at the great ship towering above where they stood on the side of the dry dock. Farther up, the gentle slope led to the elevator, an external glass one used to take guests to the reception area. It’s like a great beached whale, he murmured. Dead.

Except it isn’t. That’s why we’re here.

A beached whale was a good analogy for this ship, one of the ocean liners that had plied the ocean between Southampton and New York from the fifties to the eighties. Now it was no longer fit for travel, but just as beautiful as ever. The great black exterior, previously half-submerged in the ocean, towered above them, and portholes glinted brightly on its upper levels. She could see the funnels soaring high above them and the railings gleaming in the autumn sunshine, but not much else of the upper decks, where the rich disported themselves for over two decades.

People came out of the scenic elevators, several looking disgruntled, although they must have been aware the ship was closed for the next month. The management had advertised the closure for some time. It didn’t stop the grumbles they heard as the guests walked past them. Breaking our vacation up. The next place had better be good. and Why can’t they do renovation piece by piece? Why do they have to close the place?

Lisa gave Michael a wicked smile. Except for us.

He returned the smile. Yeah.

He bent to pick up his sports bag. She had her handy-dandy little cart. Behind them, she heard a heavy vehicle draw to a halt and without turning, knew what it was. But she turned around anyway.

The brown truck proclaimed Ghosts At Home in gold letters down the side. Lisa lifted her hand as if to wave and then snatched it back, caught for a moment in her past habit. Michael touched her arm lightly.

Come on, let’s go check in. Otherwise they’ll have us unloading cameras and sound equipment.

She nodded, swallowing. Good idea. He must have seen her nervousness, but she was grateful when he ignored it.

Her ex stepped out of the truck and waved at them, obviously trying to signal them to come and help. A little shorter than Michael, Brant McManus had a rugged, dark attractiveness and a jock’s body that drew women in droves. Including Lisa last year.

They began to walk toward the elevators, going against the tide of people leaving. The success of other floating hotels had made it possible to extend the useful life of the Gem of the Sea. Its long history as a passenger ship seemed to be reflected in its spirit history. Guests and staff reported various phenomena, and with the closure of the ship for electrical repairs and cleaning, Ghosts At Home had grabbed the golden opportunity to take the weekend to conduct an investigation while needed repairs to the ship were being completed.

Two mediums, a presenter, two cameramen, and two soundmen had the place almost to themselves for the weekend. Only the security staff would be there with them at night.

Lisa looked forward to it, not least because it presented the perfect chance to get to know Michael better. Their dates and his gentle flirting showed her he wasn’t unwilling, and a romantic interlude in this setting would help move things along.

They ignored the curious looks from the people coming out of the elevator as they stepped into it. As the doors closed, Lisa saw Brant with Jerry, the other cameraman assigned to this shoot, trying to quicken their pace enough to reach them in time, but the heavy equipment hindered their efforts.

Michael punched the button for the upper floor and smiled blandly, shrugging to show them he hadn’t seen them before now.

Lisa turned to him, laughing. Why didn’t you wait for them?

He wasn’t laughing. Because I wanted to do this.

He hit the stop button, and the elevator juddered to a halt. Then he bent and kissed her.

A friendly, warm kiss, nothing passionate, but enough to show Brant