Every Little Dream(15)

With my eyes closed, I reach out and feel for her. I touch her neck and move up to her face. She pulls my finger into her mouth and sucks on it, gently. She’s got to stop doing that. Holy shit. I can’t hide my arousal. She’s like this dream enchantress casting her spell. Whatever she’s doing working.

“Kiss me,” I whisper, demanding.

She lets go of my finger and catches my hand in hers. Then she trails the kisses down to my palm.

I step even closer, keeping my eyes shut, blocking out the noise: the increasing traffic, the roar of the cars rushing past. I open my eyes. Her eyes are closed and she’s wrapped up in the moment. I think how sweet making love to her would be. I’d be gentle. I’d be loving. I’d be everything she wanted. Everything she’s looking for.

She leans forward slowly. It feels like my first time. The way my heart is pounding and the anticipation swirling through my chest. I can barely breathe. Our eyes catch. Hers are cloudy with desire that she’s probably never felt. That creates a rush all of its own. I sway closer to her, not looking anywhere else. She licks her lips and glances at mine.

Oh, so gently, the breeze pushes us together, our lips brush against each other. And then again. Soft and sweet. We kiss, holding onto that tender moment, wrapped in desire.

That’s when the roar of a car gets louder. My instinct kicks in. I jerk away. A Camaro enters the lot, heading right toward us, the engine gunning. I push Katie behind me.

“Shit.” I’m ready to push her out of the way, except the car veers around us, circling us. The dust stirs up, clouding our view, creating a whirlwind.

“What do they want?” Katie yells, her hair whipping across her face.

“Don’t know.” I rack my brain for people I’ve offended, debts I haven’t paid, but I can’t think of one. I might be careless but I always pay what I owe. With a squeal, the Camaro circles a few times, blares its horn, then screeches back onto the strip, roaring away, but not before I recognize the blond hair, and the gleam in the guy’s eyes.

My arms wrap around her and I pull her against me. She’s warm, slightly trembling, and the desire to protect her seeps into my heart. A strange emotion I haven’t felt in forever.

And it scares the shit out of me.





Chapter 4





Katie



We sit like that for a while. The breeze dancing around us. The sun kissing our faces, warming us from the ocean chill and calming my nerves. That creep seems to show up everywhere I do. The whole experience if I really think about it freaks me out. I wonder if Chad knows this guy somehow. I sense there’s a lot more to Chad’s life than he shares with anyone, and I wonder how deep it’s hidden, how hard it would be to reach that part of him.

He grabs my hand and traces the skin on my hand over and over. He won’t look me in the eyes but is someplace else, thinking about something else.

“What?” I ask gently, trying to pull him back to the present moment. Something’s bugging him.

“Just sorry you got dragged into this. But I’ll always see you as my angel.” His arms loosen around me, signaling the moment’s over. “You should stay away from me.” Then he pecks my cheek and heads to his bike.

I’m not letting him get away that easily. “So that’s it?” He keeps walking away. “Why do you think I went looking for excitement the other day? I’m not a little girl.”

He climbs on his bike but if he drives away my brief stint with him will be over before it’s even started. There’s a part of me that wants this, longs for this, something different than the ordinary. A little excitement doesn’t scare me. I make up the distance between us and stop him before he can start the engine. “So that’s it? I don’t get a say in this at all? You get to walk away?”

“It’s for the best.”

“I haven’t always been perfect either, you know.”

He laughs for the first time. “Right. What, did you crush ants on a sidewalk? Run over a squirrel in your car?”

I shrug. “I’d tell you the truth but then I’d have to blackmail you to keep it a secret. You wouldn’t want to be responsible for me breaking the law, would you?”

“Never.” He sets his shoulder and I can see he’s determined. “I’m going to take care of this. Make sure this guy doesn’t bother you again. After this afternoon, you won’t have to worry about that clown anymore.” He glances at his watch. “I’ll see you back to the Inn and then stop by later. Okay?”

“Well, no.” I cross my arms across my chest. “I have a proposition for you.”