And was jarred awake by pounding on the door.
“What do you want?” she cried in exasperation, rolling over in the pitch black darkness. “Go away!”
“Lyssa?”
She paused, the soft brogue sweeping gently through the vast space despite the door between them. Her heart leaped. “Aidan?”
“Can I come in?”
Sitting up, she wrinkled her nose and wrapped her arms around her bent knees. “Where have you been?”
“Working.” There was a long silence, and then softly: “I’ve been worried about you.”
“Charmer,” she huffed, hiding the pleasure his words gave her. Using her mind, she opened the door with a sigh and wished for the thousandth time that she could see the man who went with that voice. She listened to him step inside, relishing the confident, steady stride that revealed so much about him and made her feel so safe.
“You can close the door now,” he said, so she did.
His steps slowed, and she could sense him searching for her. “It’s still dark in here.”
“You noticed that, did ya?”
As the footsteps drew closer, a warm, deep chuckle filled the air. “We’ll work on it.”
“I hope you’ve got a while,” she said dryly. “I’ve been working on it for years.”
“I’ve got all the time you need.”
She tried to ignore the little thrill that coursed through her, and ended up laughing at herself. She had a crush on a voice.
And a hard body. And strong arms. And patient tenderness. God, she was lonely. She missed having a social life and a boyfriend.
“Are you going to talk to me so I can find you?”
Her throat was tight with regret and bitterness, so she swallowed hard before speaking. “I’m losing it, Aidan. I’m getting sappy. The lamest shit makes me cry.”
He moved closer, his stride never faltering or hesitating despite his inability to see. “I admire people who allow themselves to feel.”
“What does that mean?”
“Exactly what I said.”
“You can’t admire a woman who sits in the dark,” she argued, “because she’s too stupid to turn the lights on.”
Aidan crouched down beside her. “I can. And I do.”
“How do you find me like that?” She shivered at his nearness and the intimate tone of his voice. Even without sight, she knew his gaze was hot with sensual intent.
“Your scent.”
A moment later his face was in her hair as he breathed deeply. Lyssa froze as goose bumps spread in a wave across her skin. A tiny flutter tickled her belly.
He settled back with her tucked up against him. “You open and close the door by yourself.”
Lyssa considered that with a frown.
“So you can control your surroundings if you wish to,” he pointed out with an odd note in his voice.
She frowned. Wow, I did do that, without hardly thinking about it. “Why can’t I wish up a cold beer, then? Or a vacation?”
“And a hot guy?” There was a delicious rumble of laughter in his voice.
I’ve got the hot guy. She bit her lower lip at the thought. Aidan’s voice dripped sensual promise; his hard body and long, powerful legs boasted his stamina. She reached up and touched his hair, finding it short-cropped, thick, and silky. With the darkness robbing her ability to see, lustful images flooded her mind, thoughts of her fingers in that rich hair while his mouth worked magic between her legs.
He hissed through his teeth, and she realized how her altered position pressed her breasts to his chest. Her nipples were hard in response to her thoughts, and she knew he could feel them. Pulling away quickly, Lyssa scrambled to put distance between them.
“Sorry,” she muttered, beginning to pace in the darkness she knew so well.
Aidan was silent for a long time, then he cleared his throat and said, “So let’s try to figure out how you control the door.”
She continued to stride back and forth restlessly, certain she had never felt as awkward in her miserable life.
“Lyssa?” He heaved out his breath. “You know what I think?”
“What?” That I’m a sex-starved nutcase?
“I think you’re too keyed up to focus on dreaming.”
“Don’t you mean ‘hard up’?” She walked away from temptation, her bare feet padding softly across the warm floor. For the first time in a very long time, she wished she were alone, which made her grumpy along with frustrated.
“You can dream just fine when you’re focused,” he called after her.
Snorting, she shook her head. “Say it,” she grumbled under her breath. “I need to get laid.”