A cool sensation brushed against Sebastian's lips. He flicked it away with the back of his hand. He didn't want to wake up just yet. Not when he was dreaming of a sexy blonde and the night of passion they'd shared. Their brief encounters still haunted him.

"Sebastian." His name, spoken against his mouth by a voice he didn't recognize, made him stir. The dream flickered, just when things were heating up, and he anticipated what would happen next. He wasn't ready to let go yet, so he pressed his eyes shut, trying to hold on.

It wasn't until the cool touch travelled away from his mouth, down his torso, and paused at his crotch that he sat upright.

"Goddammit!" He punched the mattress with both fists and looked around the dark room. For a second, he forgot where he was. Such was the life of a vagabond. The type of man who woke up in a different bed almost every night--sometimes alone, others with company. Tonight, he lay alone on the plush and comfortable bed, wanting nothing more than to get back to the recurring dream he'd been enjoying so much.

It never gets old...even if it's the worst possible thing for me to do right now.

It had been months since his sexual encounter with the blonde, so her memory should've faded already. It usually did. Women came and went all the time. Sure, sometimes he'd enjoy their company multiple times, but the encounters remained in the moment. Attached to a memory he could capture or forget as he chose. Yet, this one refused to get the hell out of his head. He wasn't stupid and knew that sharing some of his inner magic to help with her troubles had somehow connected them. Did she dream of him, too?

He couldn't even bring himself to think her name. It affected him in ways he didn't want to face and would continue to deny.

"Sebastian Morrow," said a silky, female voice in the dark. "Come with me."

A shiver raced down his spine. He yawned, brushed the hair out of his eyes, and noticed the bedroom door was slightly open. He knew he'd closed it before going to bed, so who the hell had opened it?

His latest assignment, situated in Sydney's North Shore, had proven to be busy. The huge mansion housed only a handful of people and gave him the creeps, but the business side of things occupied the majority of his time.

Maybe Abegail Crosse had finally decided to take the step he'd wanted from her since they'd met only a week earlier. She'd proven to be a workaholic. Even her initial interest and brazenness seemed to have faded under the pressure of her job. He'd hoped she would turn out to be a welcome distraction from the one woman he couldn't get out of his head, but the brunette chose to keep him at a distance. And now, I definitely can't get the blonde outta my head.

"Abegail?" he whispered. Surely, it wasn't her.

No one replied, but Sebastian caught the glimpse of a pale leg and foot as someone left the room--a female who had somehow sneaked in and was now calling him out.

Groaning, he jumped out of bed and headed for the corridor. As annoying as this was, he couldn't ignore it.

"Sebastian, don't fall behind," the voice whispered, and it felt as if it were wrapping him in a sheer blanket of cool air.

He released a breath, and it misted in front of him. It wasn't what he expected in the middle of summer--even if the air conditioning was kept at arctic levels inside this house.

Great, I'm either dreaming about a phantom chick, or this place is haunted. That's the kinda shit I don't want to deal with right now.

He continued down the empty corridor, his bare feet slapping against the pale tiles glimmering in the moonlight. He kept his eyes focused straight ahead, trying to ignore the creepy, framed artwork adorning the walls on either side of him. Almost every pristine hallway wall of this mansion was decorated with these bizarre, nightmarish pieces of art.

Grinding his teeth, he continued forward as he focused on the large, oval window at the end of the corridor. The full moon provided the only light, making this situation seem that much more eerie. For someone who dealt with death, chaos, and the demonic almost every single day, it was saying a lot. Sebastian didn't scare easily, but certain things freaked him out.

Maybe, I'm still asleep.