by Laura Burton
Love Me, Dreamy
A YA Paranormal Romance
Laura Burton
Edited by
R J Creamer
Burton&Burchell Ltd
Contents
From the Love Me Series
Dedication
Part One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Part Two
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
A Note From The Author
From the Love Me Series
Love Me, Dreamy
By Laura Burton
All characters, themes and storylines are fictitious and any similarities to actual events are purely coincidental. Copyright 2019 Laura Burton. The author holds all the rights. This book is for personal use only, copying any part of this book and distributing it online is strictly prohibited.
First Edition
This book has two points of view, one follows UK English and the other is in US English. The grammar and spelling will reflect this.
To discuss translation, audio or media rights, please contact the owner. [email protected]
All Rights Reserved. 2019
Edited by R J Creamer.
Created with Vellum
Dedication
In Memory of Richard
Part One
Chapter One
A Beautiful Day
What am I doing here? Amelia wondered as she pushed back the cuticles from her nails and stared at the purple satin material of her skirt. It shimmered in the sunlight. She sat perfectly upright and sighed while resting her hands in her lap.
“Excuse me.” Startled, Amelia looked up to see the owner of the low, friendly voice from above her head. A young man smiled back at her; his wavy blonde hair reflected the sunlight, dazzling Amelia, and she noticed that he had the bluest eyes she had ever seen.
“Is this seat taken?” he asked, gesturing to the empty space on the bench.
“No, you can sit down,” she said with a smile.
The male sat down and looked up at the sky with a satisfied smile. Amelia stared at him a little longer than she thought was polite.
“Have you ever seen the sky with so many colours?” he asked in awe. Amelia looked up. Swirls of pink, purple, blue and green covered the whole sky and the sunlight twinkled.
“Yeah, it is… amazing.” She breathed in, taken aback by the scene. They sat in silence for a few minutes, listening to the wind blowing through the billowing trees and the birds chirping. Amelia wondered whether to strike up a friendly conversation; they had already covered the topic of the weather—as is customary in England. She was not sure what to talk about next, having no recollection of the last time she checked the news or watched a soap opera. Usually a person would offer up an opinion of the latest dramas in the world or on TV.
“I’m Toby.” The young male offered his hand to Amelia and gave her a sheepish grin. His teeth were perfectly straight.
“Oh, I’m Amelia,” she replied in surprise, happy to be interrupted from her thoughts as she took his hand. Heat radiated through Amelia’s hand and the warmth spread through her being at his touch. She blinked in surprise at the sensation. What is that? As they broke contact, the warming sensation lingered. Toby sat back into the bench and looked out at the garden.
“So, are you from around here?” he asked. Amelia looked up at the gravel path that led to a little ornate bridge over a brook.
“No, I’m just visiting.” She turned to look at him curiously. Amelia judged that he spent a lot of time outdoors by his sun-bleached hair and tanned skin. He had that surfer boy look about him.
The air was mild, but not necessarily hot—just right. The heat of the sunshine countered by a cool breeze made it comfortable to sit in summer clothes. Amelia’s eyes heated as they lingered on Toby. He wore a white polo shirt and a pair of dark shorts. His exposed arms and legs were tanned and muscular. He sat with his hands clasped together and twiddled his thumbs with a somewhat goofy smile on his face. Amelia followed his line of sight and saw an elderly couple walk by hand in hand. They were slow and careful with each step, tenderly bracing each other in case one of them fell. Amelia smiled as she watched them cross over the bridge and disappear around a corner. She turned back to Toby who was looking up at the sky again.
“I’ve never seen anything like that before,” he said in wonderment. He looked back at Amelia; his watery blue eyes shone as he grinned. “Do you want to walk with me and check this place out?” he asked eagerly. Amelia raised her eyebrows instinctively. His hopeful expression sent flutters of excitement to Amelia’s midriff, and she bit her lip with a nervous smile as she considered it. Is it really a good idea to walk off into the Cotswolds with a stranger?
“Sorry. Is that crazy for me to ask? I just thought that seeing as you’re visiting… and it’s a nice day… I thought it would be, you know, a good idea, to not walk around alone,” Toby rambled. The friendly tone of his voice made Amelia feel at ease. If he was an attacker, she would certainly be a lamb going to the slaughter.
“That would be nice,” she replied and they both stood. The air was heavy and draped around Amelia’s body in a warm embrace. Every inhale intoxicated her lungs with the smell of pinecones and morning dew. She took a moment to straighten the creases out of her skirt and flicked her dark, plaited hair back from her shoulder. When she was finished, she caught Toby eyeing her with a look of amusement and frowned at him.
“Is something funny?” she asked, suddenly self-conscious. A bluebird swooped down from the trees above and hopped around on the gravel path by their feet. Toby squared his shoulders and imitated a soldier’s march as they walked towards the bridge.
“You just seem very proper,” he said with a light laugh. “I was thinking I need to up my game to be in your company.” Amelia was a little insulted by the observation but laughed despite herself. She couldn’t help it as she watched Toby marching along with a broad grin on his face.
“Stop that, you’ll offend someone,” she reprimanded him. Toby settled down into a natural stroll with his hands in the pockets of his shorts.
“You sure do worry about what people think,” he observed.
“You don’t?” Amelia asked. The wooden planks on the bridge squeaked under their weight as they walked across. Tall pine trees shrouded the sky as they rounded the corner and they were met with a long path framed with beautiful foliage. Slivers of sunlight sparkled on the pink and white blossoms of cherry trees in full bloom.
“If I had to worry about what people think of what I do all the time, man, that would drive me crazy.” Toby shrugged and shook his head at the thought. The two of them stopped walking for a moment, realising they were alone. The elderly couple was nowhere to be seen and the only company they had were two fluffy rabbits hopping in and out of a blackcurrant bush.
“It is very pretty isn’t it,” Amelia said. “Oh, look!” She bent down and took a closer look at the rabbits. They had large floppy
ears with long grey fur. One of them had so much fluff on its head it looked like a mullet.
“I used to have a couple of rabbits just like these ones,” she said, mostly to herself. Toby picked a handful of blackcurrants and popped them into his mouth. Amelia looked at him sharply.
“Careful, those might be poisonous,” she warned him. Toby shrugged his shoulders and chewed absent-mindedly. A gust of cool wind flurried through the trees and picked up fallen leaves encircling the two of them.
“So, what brings you to the Cotswolds?”
Amelia held her arms crossed in front of her and walked carefully in her silver sandals. The gravel path was becoming uneven, and she became starkly aware of that with every step.
“I don’t know,” she replied honestly. How did I end up in the Cotswolds? “I wasn’t supposed to. I was driving up to Birmingham but sort of went on auto-pilot and ended up here.”
Toby nodded. “Funny when that happens,” he said. “You know, when you don’t remember how you got somewhere… that happens to me all the time.”
“Perhaps you are a daydreamer,” Amelia mused. She eyed the golden waves in his hair and followed the hairline coming to a narrow point on the back of his neck. He turned his head to look at her and she averted her eyes shyly.
“What do you mean?” he asked. Amelia shook her head and gave a shrug.
“Just that, perhaps you daydream a lot and get lost in your own head,” she said casually. Toby gave her a strange smile as he considered the thought.
“Maybe,” he said with his eyebrows raised, then he laughed. “Actually, that is how I am.”
Amelia smiled at the sound of his laugh. It was light, uplifting with a little huskiness to it. “I don’t mean that to be a bad thing, by the way,” she said gently. Toby gave a nod with a goofy grin.
“Good.” They reached an opening in the treeline and peered through to see rolling fields of lush green grass. Daisies and dandelions were scattered all over the fields and the ground seemed to reflect the golden sunlight. The sight reminded Amelia of her childhood when she would lay down at the top of a hill and roll down the grassy banks.
“Hey, do you feel like doing something crazy?” Toby asked suddenly. Amelia jumped at the sound of his voice interrupting her thoughts.
“Um, I’m not sure—” she started to say but Toby had already run into the clearing, so she followed behind with a spring in her step. Her sandals slipped around her feet as she moved and the ruffles on her blouse flapped in the wind. Toby turned around and stood with his hands on his hips like he was imitating a superhero.
“Did you ever roll down a hill when you were a kid?” he asked excitedly.
Amelia looked at him in surprise. “That’s weird. I was just thinking about that!”
“Let’s try it!”
Amelia opened her mouth, but no sound came out; she wondered if he was being serious.
“I haven’t done that for years.” Without another word, Toby bent his knees and rested his hands on the ground as he lowered himself down and stretched his legs out. Amelia stood rooted on the spot and watched him with a mixture of amusement and disbelief.
“Are you really going to do it?” she asked. Toby laughed as he rolled onto his back and raised his arms above his head. His white shirt lifted to reveal the silver buckle on his belt.
“You’re doing it too,” he said, but he did not wait for Amelia to join in before he launched into a roll down the hill. He made gleeful noises as he tumbled down and collected green grass stains on his white top by the time he reached the bottom. Amelia stifled a laugh as she watched. He is crazy, she thought as she watched Toby get to his feet with a huge grin on his face. He waved an arm in the air as he shouted, “Come on! It’s awesome!” Amelia looked around sheepishly. All she could see for miles was lush green meadows.
“Stop worrying. It’s fun!” Toby shouted up to her with his hands held around his mouth like a speakerphone. Amelia bit her lip and laughed nervously, giddy with excitement. This is ridiculous, she thought as she slowly lowered herself to the ground. The grass was slightly damp, and Amelia awkwardly got into position.
“Yes, yes, you can do it!” She heard Toby chanting from below. Amelia scrunched her face up as she lay herself flat on the ground. She pressed her arms against her chest and started to roll down the grass bank. This is going to ruin my outfit! But there was no going back; she was committed. As she rolled at an increasing speed, her arms and hip bones bumped uncomfortably against the lumpy ground with every turn. She grimaced against the sensation. Finally the ground levelled, and the speed of her descent slowed, and she came to a disgruntled stop.
“Do you want to go again?” Toby asked brightly as he held his hand out to help her back onto her feet.
“No,” she replied determinedly as she patted down her satin skirt. As expected, the material had snagged in a couple of places and patches of dew soaked into her skirt. Toby laughed as they walked back towards the woodland path.
“Have you been here before?” Amelia asked as she brushed off pieces of grass from her blouse. Toby shrugged.
“No, this is all totally new to me. It’s my first time in England,” he confessed. Amelia raised her eyebrows in surprise.
“I thought you had a bit of an accent….”
“I haven’t been here very long and I’m already losing it.” He laughed again. Amelia smiled. She wondered what else to say to make him laugh just so she could enjoy the sound of it.
“So, where are you from?” Amelia asked. Noticing that her plait had loosened, she re-tied her thick brown hair into a ponytail as they spoke. They re-entered the woodland path and rounded a bend leading them to a forest glade. More cherry trees formed a large circle and the ground was scattered with pink and white blossoms. Amelia gasped at the sight.
“You really love nature, don’t you?” Toby asked as he eyed at Amelia closely.
“I’m a reporter. I spend most of my days sitting in front of a computer in a mouldy office. I can’t remember the last time I’ve gone out for a walk like this.” Amelia sighed as she stooped down and picked up a handful of silky petals, then spun around in a circle allowing them to fall down in a cascade of colours. Toby grinned and grabbed two handfuls of petals and threw them over her head. Amelia shoved his shoulder gently and protested but grinned back.
Several minutes passed by and the two new friends ran around the forest glade like children, curious and care-free, laughing and joking as they went. No one else entered the glade; it was their own magical world to explore and have fun together. They finally collapsed down on the soft ground, chests heaving as they gasped for air and waited for the rush of adrenaline to calm down. Amelia’s cheeks hurt from grinning so widely; she rubbed them with her fingers and watched Toby lay back on the ground resting on his elbows and looking up at the sky.
“Look at the sky now. Have you ever seen it change like that?” he asked. Amelia looked up and absent-mindedly plaited her hair. The sky was now golden, the morning had passed, and the sun was high in the sky.
“I think I should be going,” Amelia said as she stood up and patted herself down. Toby got to his feet and stood tall and squared his shoulders.
“I want to see you again,” he said bluntly as he swept his blonde hair to the side. Amelia blushed.
“This has been really fun. I didn’t realise just how much I needed it,” Amelia confessed as she played with her hair. Toby took that as an opportunity to hold her hand in his. The touch of his skin sent pulses of energy through her hands and straight to her heart, like a lightning bolt of excitement. If this had been a normal day, and Toby were anyone else, she would have pulled her hand back in horror. But this was not a normal day, and Toby’s touches sent shivers of excitement through her being. She could imagine herself becoming addicted to his touch.
“Do you believe in fate?” he asked, his blue eyes wide as he looked at her hopefully.
“Fate? How old are you?” She laughed.
&nb
sp; “I’m nineteen,” he replied quickly, as if it were an obvious fact. Amelia stared at him stunned by the fact he was so young. Oh dear, she thought as she raised her eyebrows. His energy, the innocent look behind his eyes, suddenly it was all clear—life had not yet touched his spirit. Amelia, however, had years of grief and drama to teach her to be more reserved, more careful. Less trusting.
“I’m not sure it is wise to meet again, Toby. I’m quite a lot older than you,” she said carefully as she slowly pulled her hands from his. Toby blinked at her for a couple of moments, while he looked deeply into her eyes. The intimate exchange made Amelia uneasy.
“How old are you?” he asked seriously. Amelia bit her lip. Toby was not yet old enough to understand female etiquette: Never ask a woman her age. However, his innocent nature had her putting aside her reserves.
“I’m twenty-eight, Toby, almost ten years older than you,” she said warmly. Toby pulled her in for a hug. It was not the reaction she had imagined. Amelia pictured him running for the hills—literally. Instead, he was hugging her. With a sigh of relief, she collapsed into his embrace. The musky scent of his cologne washed over her senses as she held him tightly; the pulse in his neck throbbed against her forehead.
When they broke apart, Toby looked imploringly into her eyes. “What is the big deal? For the record, I do believe in Fate, and I think we met today, in this place, for a reason. But if you think we can’t, well, I don’t know what you’re thinking. Why can’t we be friends? I wanna see you again Amelia.” His voice was even and sure. He had a confidence that stirred something inside of Amelia and prompted her to trust him.
