Glimmer (Glimmer and Glow #1)

by BETH KERY

  “Nothing. You’ve just seemed a little … preoccupied all day,” he said, falling into step beside her.

  “Oh. I guess I have been. A little,” she said slowly, staring out at the crimson-streaked sky over the shimmering lake. The day had died in a glorious sunset.

  “Are you going to leave me in suspense?” Thad asked amusedly when she didn’t elaborate.

  She threw him a small smile. “Do you believe in ghosts?” she asked flippantly after a short silence, interrupted only by the waves caressing the beach in a silken rhythm.

  “Yeah, and vampires, too, but I have my doubts about werewolves and goblins.” He laughed and she gave him a sharp glance. His humor faded.

  “Are you serious?” he asked, his brows slanting in what she recognized as concern. For her sanity, no doubt.

  “Never mind,” she mumbled.

  “No, Alice …” He reached out and touched her upper arm, but she just shook her head, embarrassed, and kept walking. His hand fell away.

  “It’s not a big deal. I just had a bad nightmare last night, that’s all,” she said, her tone assuring him it wasn’t important. “What would you think about transferring Terrance to the offensive line? He could do some major blocking if we taught him how to use his heft to his advantage.”

  Thad paused for a moment at her abrupt change of topic to football, but eventually joined in the safe conversation. After a while, they fell silent, neither of them speaking as they progressed along the shoreline and darkness fell over them.

  Her heart gave a little leap of dread when he put his hand on her upper arm again, but this time, she paused. Best to get this over with.

  “I’m sorry for shutting you down like that. Earlier,” she heard him say, his voice sounding close under the cloak of darkness. “I didn’t realize you were serious.”

  “It’s okay. It must have sounded odd. I don’t believe in ghosts, either. Not really.”

  He laughed softly. “It must have been a hell of a nightmare for you to bring it up.” His hand tightened on her arm and she felt his heat. There was a half-moon. Between its light, the reflection in the water, and starshine, she could see when Thad’s head dipped toward her face. “Talk to me, Alice,” he murmured. His breath brushed against the skin of her cheeks. Her heart started to drum in her ears. His head lowered more. She felt his lips brush against her temple. The scent of his aftershave tickled her nose. She made a muffled sound of distress and stepped back.

  “Don’t, Thad,” she said.

  He was still touching her arm. She hadn’t stepped back as far as she’d thought.

  “Why not? You’re not involved with anyone, right?”

  “No, it’s not that,” she insisted, recalling how she’d told him during their training week that she didn’t have a boyfriend.

  “Because you must have caught on by now—almost every other Camp Durand counselor certainly has—that I’m kind of crazy about you,” he muttered, his tone warm and wry, like he was a little amused and embarrassed by his feelings. By his honesty.

  “I … Thank you. That’s so sweet,” she began softly. She stiffened when she saw movement behind Thad’s shoulder.

  “Hello.”

  Thad’s hand dropped away at the man’s voice. He spun around.

  “Who is it?” Thad asked tensely. But Alice already knew who it was. No one else possessed that tall, formidable outline.

  “Fall,” the looming shadow said. “It’s Thad Schaefer, isn’t it?”

  “Oh … yeah. Sorry, we didn’t hear you come up. Out for a walk, too, sir?”

  Alice had to hand it to Thad. He’d recovered remarkably well, given the circumstances.

  “Yes. I’m sorry to disturb you and—”

  Dylan’s words hung in the humid night air expectantly. She sensed Thad hesitate in saying her name, like he didn’t want to expose her unnecessarily. As if Dylan wouldn’t get his answer one way or another.

  As if he didn’t already have the answer.

  Irritation spiked through her chaotic state.

  “It’s Alice,” she replied, unable to hide the edge to her tone. She didn’t want to disguise her agitation at Dylan at that moment. She didn’t appreciate him spying on her. “Alice Reed,” she added darkly, hoping Fall felt her glare at his shadow.

  “Yes. I remember,” came his hoarse, vaguely amused voice from the darkness. “The head of the Red Team, right?”

  “Right,” she said through gritted teeth.

  “It’s a nice night for a walk,” Dylan said, his light tone making her grind the enamel off her back teeth. “Nicer by the beach than in the woods. I guess that’s why you two picked it.”

  She clamped her teeth tighter, hearing his veiled message. His barely disguised anger.

  “The breeze is nice,” Thad agreed.

  “I have to be getting back,” Alice said abruptly. The frothing tension of the moment was just too much for her. Let Thad and Dylan enjoy the nice night together. She’d had enough.

  “Uh—” Thad began.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow, Thad. Thanks for the walk,” she said not unkindly before she lunged onto the sand toward the tree line.

  “Alice—” Thad called out, but he stopped himself with a frustrated sound. He probably thought she wanted to escape because she didn’t want Fall to suspect she’d been fraternizing with another employee, even though there were no hard-and-fast rules about dating that she’d ever read in her packet. Her blood felt like it was steaming in her veins as she headed for the wooded path, her anger and longing and confusion a volatile brew.

  This time when she plunged into the dark woods and heard the firm, quick step behind her, she knew damn well it was a flesh-and-blood man, not a phantom. She flew around when he halted her flight by a firm grip on her upper arm, the front of her body coming into contact with his solid length.

  “Stop it,” she muttered, landing a fist in the middle of his chest.

  “Why are you always hitting me?” Dylan hissed. Despite his hushed tone, he sounded just as irritated at her as she was at him.

  “Because you deserve it,” she spat, her choppy breath mingling with his in the opaque darkness. “Why did you have to follow me? Can’t you take a hint?”

  “No. Spell it out for me,” he seethed. She couldn’t see him in the darkness, but somehow knew he was snarling. He stepped closer. Her pulse leapt at her throat as her skin began to tingle at the contact.

  “You know we shouldn’t keep doing this, Dylan,” she whispered between clenched teeth.

  “So you thought you’d take up with pretty boy instead?”

  “No. Jesus, I wasn’t taking up with him! We were walking.”

  “I want you to stay away from that kid.”

  “What?” she sputtered, finding it difficult to keep her voice muted in her fury. “He’s a year older than me, not a kid! He’s my friend. And at least he wanted to do something with me other than take me to bed,” she stated fiercely.

  “That’s not what it looked like to me,” Dylan replied dryly.

  “I was in the process of … Oh, forget it. Why should I explain myself to you?” she said scathingly.

  “Stay away from him. Take your walks with someone else. I don’t know enough about Schaefer.”

  She blinked at the cold. What a weird thing to say. “You’re crazy.”

  “Maybe,” he replied grimly. “But not about this.” His hand tightened on her arm and he brought her closer. Her breasts pressed against his ribs, her lower belly against his crotch. She placed her hands palm down against his chest. Instead of pushing him away, however, she just absorbed the sensation of him: the hard muscle, the strong beat of his heart. She sighed in frustration, resisting an almost overwhelming urge to plant her face beneath her hands and inhale his scent. “But maybe you’re right about one thing,” he said.

  She started in surprise. “One thing?” she asked derisively. “I can’t wait to hear which one.”

  “I haven’t taken you any
where nice. Anywhere … romantic, where we can talk and get to know each other better.”

  That gave her pause. “You want to talk to me?”

  “Yes,” he replied, ignoring her confused sarcasm.

  “And be romantic?”

  “Spare me the sarcasm, Alice. I’ll be the first to admit I’m not an expert on the topic, so there’s no need to patronize.”

  “I’m not patronizing you.” She gyrated her hips slightly, pressing tighter against him. “I thought you just wanted to fuck me.”

  She felt his cock swell at her purposefully crude taunt. The air surrounding them suddenly felt too thick to breathe.

  “I do want to fuck you,” he grated out. Triumph spiked through her at the anger in his tone. She’d gotten to him. For once. His hand skimmed down her spine, his fingers playing at the top curve of her ass. Alice trembled in excitement.

  “Among other things,” he continued more evenly, as if he’d gotten ahold of himself in the interim. “We’ll drive down the coast on Saturday night. I know of somewhere nice, and the owner will be discreet about our presence there. That’ll give us some time together. I have to travel tomorrow, but I’ll be back in plenty of time for that,” he mused, and Alice knew she hadn’t derailed his infuriating confidence. Trying to ignore his low rough voice and his hand caressing her back and ass was only making her more enthralled by the second. “Now. Are you going to tell me why you were avoiding me?” he asked. His warm breath brushed against her upturned lips, and she felt something give within her. Soften.

  “Don’t you think it’s obvious?” she asked. “We shouldn’t be doing this. You could get in trouble with the board. I could be sent away from Camp Durand. And I need this job, Dylan.”

  For a moment, he didn’t speak. She held her breath, wondering what he was thinking. His mind seemed so impenetrable to her at times. Her breath hitched when he cradled the side of her head with his spread hand. His thumb rubbed against her temple, the slightly rough pad sending prickles of pleasure beneath her skin.

  “No one is going to send you away from Durand because of this. You have my word on that.”

  “And you? What about you, and your job?”

  “Are you taking care of me?” he growled, sounding dangerous and vaguely amused at once. “Do me a favor, and don’t do it by taking romantic walks on the beach with Thad Schaefer.”

  “I’m serious, Dylan!”

  “So am I. I’m the largest shareholder and the CEO of Durand. No one is going to send me away, either. Maybe the situation isn’t ideal—”

  She snorted, but he ignored her.

  “—but that’s not going to keep me from you, Alice.”

  She went entirely still, his words affecting her whether she liked it or not. Her chin tilted back. She couldn’t have said whether she kissed him or he kissed her, but their lips were suddenly sliding together, nibbling and plucking in the darkness. Electrical charges seemed to zip beneath her skin, setting her to full, blooming life.

  “I’ve decided,” Dylan said next to her lips a moment later. “You’re going to spend the nights with me.”

  “Don’t be … such a … tyrant,” she hissed, her mouth closing and making a sandwich of his lower lip. He gave a soft grunt.

  “Don’t be such a rebel. Especially when you don’t even know what the hell you’re rebelling against.”

  “You expect me to change my nature for you?” she challenged softly, sandwiching his lip again, this time with her teeth. She felt him harden next to her belly at the rough caress. Arousal stabbed at her.

  “No,” he said, bending down over her. He grabbed her ass with both hands and sealed their bodies even tighter. Alice arched her back, bowing into him, her body responding of its own accord to his touch. Naturally. “As long as you don’t expect me to change, either,” he said before his mouth settled on hers, firm and forceful.

  Possessive.

  Her body went hot and liquid beneath that kiss.

  “Are you going to keep resisting me, Alice?” he asked her seconds later against her lips while he molded her ass cheeks to his palms. Damn him. He knew perfectly well what he’d done to her with that kiss.

  “Maybe,” she whispered edgily.

  “Then I might just have to punish you.”

  Her body quickened before she even fully understood what he’d said. It was the mere tone of his seductive threat that had done it; the warm hint of humor and, just beneath it, the thrill of steel that was like knuckles tracing her spine or the quick sting of skin against skin.

  “Are you afraid?” he asked. Perhaps he’d noticed the hitch in her breath.

  “No,” she said honestly. Fear wasn’t what she was experiencing, being pressed up against him as night enfolded them and he rubbed her ass lasciviously. Their hushed, prickly banter was akin to potent foreplay. “But do you really think that’d work?” she persisted mockingly.

  He slid one hand down the skin of her bare arm while he cupped a buttock firmly. His hand enfolded hers. She shivered. “Oh, it’ll work,” he said, and she knew he’d felt her reaction.

  “I’ll still be a smart-ass,” she assured.

  “Changing you isn’t the purpose of a little punishment,” he said, and she heard the smile in his voice, the one that reminded her of a pirate.

  Her heart started to race. His sexy threat caused any number of erotic scenarios to pop into her head, each of which left her anxious and breathless. Still … she couldn’t allow him to push her around like this. Just because she wanted him like crazy didn’t mean she trusted him. How could she trust him, when she didn’t even trust herself?

  “I’m not going to the castle tonight,” she said shakily.

  “Yes, you are,” he corrected.

  Her heart throbbed at that. There it was again. That extra jolt of excitement that went through her when she and Dylan were together in the darkness, that charged spike of the forbidden.

  “All right,” she conceded breathlessly after a moment. “I’ll come.”

  “Yes, you will,” he growled quietly, kissing the corner of her mouth, his tone leaving no doubt about how he expected her to come. Excitement rushed her at the thought, but she forced herself to ease back from his embrace slightly.

  “To look at the Durand reports, like you asked,” she clarified.

  She felt him stiffen. Was it her imagination, or did the chirping birds and crickets in the surrounding forest all go quiet? Dylan was one of those rare men whose moods could potentially alter the atmosphere, at least in her opinion. She waited anxiously.

  “Fine,” he said after a moment. “If that’s what you’d like.”

  “That’s what I’d like,” she lied.

  She heard his muted, derisive snort.

  He took her hand, and once again she was following his sure tread in the pitch dark.

  ELEVEN

  Dylan moved on the bed, straightening a long leg and inadvertently pulling down the white sheet to his waist as he did so. The sound of soft sheets hissing against naked skin fractured Alice’s already fragile attention. She leaned forward in the chair and cast a cautious glance in his direction, using the winged back to shield her curiosity. He was turned away from her, fast asleep. Once they’d reached the castle, she’d insisted on setting herself up to examine the reports in the sitting area versus in bed.

  On the dark, tense trip up to the castle, she’d considered insisting that Dylan let her study the reports in an empty office or den somewhere. By the time they’d entered the dark mansion, however, she’d changed her mind. The brooding house drew her in many ways, but there was another side to her fascination with it—a darker side. She hated admitting it to herself, but Dylan’s big house scared her. At night, it stood watchful and somehow secretive, perched atop the bluff above the camp and draped in shadow. When she’d entered earlier, hand in hand with Dylan, a hushed sense of expectancy seemed to cloak the hallways and far-off darkened rooms. The heavy pressing sensation tightened Alice’s chest and
made her jumpy.

  Only Dylan’s presence scattered the inchoate shadows. She didn’t want to be alone in some far-off study while Dylan lay in his bed.

  With the exception of Dylan’s movement just now, every time she’d warily glanced around the wing of the luxurious chair before, he had been utterly still. It miffed her a little, that he’d fallen asleep so easily, given her restlessness. She scowled as she set down the computer he’d given her to use on the coffee table. She input some numbers from the report into a calculator and jotted down some notes.

  The sheet and comforter had pooled around his waist. His back was beautiful, smooth skin gloving defined powerful muscles. She kept tracing the sexy slant from wide chest and back down to a narrow waist. Despite his bangs being longish, the hair at his nape was cut in a sharp line. Concise. She experienced an overwhelming urge to press her nose to that spot, to slick her tongue along his hairline while she inhaled his male scent and mussed the longer hair on top with her greedy fingers.

  Arousal prickled her clit. Her nipples chafed against the cups of her bra. She distractedly pressed her fingertips to her warm cheeks and then her lips, scraping the overly sensitive skin with her fingernail. Pleasure rippled through her. She shifted uneasily in the chair, pressing down on the cushion with her hips to get friction on the growing ache at her core.

  Time dragged by tortuously slow. For short periods she focused on her task, but she was far less efficient than usual. The ache between her thighs mounted until it was impossible to ignore. Increasingly desperate, she dropped her pen on the seat cushion and moved her hand on her thigh, sliding it upward toward her sex.

  Realizing belatedly what she was doing, she straightened the quarterly report in her lap, rattling the pages and lassoing her fraying attention.

  It didn’t work.

  Earlier, Dylan had walked out of the bathroom wearing only a pair of dark blue cotton pajama bottoms. His image was burned in her mind’s eye. Alice had tried to look away from the intimidatingly awesome sight of him, but had failed. He’d stalked around the foot of the bed, his dark gaze trained on her.