Only In My Dreams

by Dana Marie Bell

  If Jim were a shifter, however, Gabe wouldn’t have been able to hold back. There’d be one less dickhead in the world sniffing after his Sarah, Chloe’s intended mate or not.

  He lay down, intent on taking a short nap before his shower, hoping it would ease the growing headache that always seemed to be present these days. He was dreading what was going to happen at dinner. If Jim touched Sarah’s soft skin one more time, he was going head first into the mouth of an animatronic gorilla.

  ***

  “Sarah.”

  She shivered as that deep voice rolled over her. She didn’t dare look up, knowing that would earn her a spanking. Not normally a bad thing, but that wasn’t what she wanted just then. I wish I’d taken another one of those damn sleeping pills. She slept like the dead when she did, not dreaming at all, not even the silly little dreams she’d had before she’d met Gabe. Unfortunately she’d decided not to, not wanting to be light-headed through dinner. The sleeping pills always made her groggy when she woke up too soon. Besides, Gabe didn’t seem the type to take an afternoon nap.

  Admit it. Part of you thought he’d be in Chloe’s room.

  She gritted her teeth at the thought of him with the redhead. It made her even more determined than ever that he wouldn’t get what he wanted easily. Not this time.

  “Look at me, Sarah.”

  She peeked up at him through her lashes, allowing her defiance to shine through.

  “That’s one, baby. Now look up at me.”

  Fuck it. She would not submit. As far as she was concerned he’d betrayed her. He no longer had her obedience. He’d have to earn it back along with her trust.

  “Put your hands behind your back, baby.”

  Sarah stubbornly kept them where they were, in her lap.

  He studied her, circling her, his stride sleek and commanding. “I said, put your hands behind your back.”

  “No.”

  He stopped, one brow rising arrogantly. “No?”

  She turned her face from him, the first time she’d dared to do that in their dream.

  He crouched down, one hand going to her chin, pulling her face around. She closed her eyes, refusing to look at him. “Sarah.”

  She opened her eyes, hoping he would see the anger and the pain. She wanted him to know what he’d done to her. “You no longer have me.”

  He reared back, his hand dropping from her face. Anguish flitted briefly across his face before anger washed over it. “Jim.”

  “Chloe.” She glared at him. “Apparently she’s the one who should be here right now.”

  “What?”

  “Are you sleeping with her?”

  For one second he looked stunned, confused, before determination settled in. He grabbed her upper arms, pulling her into his body. “I am not sleeping with Chloe!”

  “Bullshit.”

  His expression turned cold. “That’s two.”

  “That’s none! How could you?”

  She gasped as his eyes turned to gold. “I give you my word I have not slept with Chloe.”

  She turned her face away. He’d been home over Christmas, given Chloe that pretty little bracelet. He’d had the time and probably the inclination. “Liar.”

  Out of the corner of her eye she saw his jaw clench. “That’s three.”

  Uh-oh. He had a hard and fast rule: three strikes, and she was out.

  She fought him as he pulled her over his knee, but he was too strong for her.

  “One: I have never, ever lied to you. Not even in dreams.”

  SMACK. His palm landed, stinging her backside. She howled, trying to pull away from him, but he held her down firmly. The sting faded quickly, her arousal growing as she tried to squirm off his lap.

  “Two. I have not slept with Chloe.”

  Smack. This one was not as hard as the first. He caressed the mark his hand left behind. She licked her lips as her belly flipped. Normally, she loved it when he spanked her. The heat of his hand, the sting of his palm, would give way to an arousal so intense he didn’t need to do anything else to get her off.

  Which was why she needed to get away. She wriggled harder, pinching his thigh, trying to get him to let her go. If that third smack landed...

  SMACK!

  She shuddered. Licking her lips, she looked up at him through her bangs and wondered what he would do if she just sank her fangs into his leg.

  “If you so much as let Jim touch your little pinky, you won’t sit down for a week. Do you understand me?”

  She blew a raspberry at him. He was so stunned she actually got free.

  Unfortunately, it didn’t last long. “Oh, no you don’t.” Hard arms wrapped around her, holding her against him, back to front. “A little something to remind you to be a good girl, other than your sore ass.” He bit her neck, and she just knew he was sucking up a mark. If he’d let his fangs drop he’d have been marking her as his. One hand drifted down to her dripping pussy, pushing up against her clit, stroking her fast and furious until she was writhing in his embrace.

  She screeched as she came, but it felt empty somehow.

  With one final smack on her ass he set her free. “Now...”

  ***

  Sarah woke, grateful the alarm clock had kept the dream from going any further. She just knew what he’d had in mind. Another quick, hard fuck followed by yet more rejection. With a sigh she stood and headed into the shower, stripping as she went. She was still tired. The nap had hardly been what she’d call restful. Damn him, anyway.

  She washed quickly and toweled off, pulling her underwear out of the drawer. She didn’t have much time, thanks to Gabe’s little game. If she had her way the games would end one way or another before the end of this trip.

  She wanted her hair and makeup to be perfect tonight, so she’d need to hurry. She had to do her damndest to outshine the perky female who had her mate’s undivided attention. Dinner was in under an hour and she still needed to catch the shuttle to Animal Kingdom.

  She dressed quickly in the strappy little red sundress and matching sandals, plugged in her blow-dryer, and began taking care of her short bob, curling the ends under to frame her face. Just as she lifted her brush she noticed the bite mark on her neck. She turned the dryer off and leaned in closer to get a better look.

  “Rat bastard.” It wasn’t the first time he’d marked her in a dream. Light hand prints had shown up more than once on her backside, hickeys on her shoulder blades and breasts, and now this. It was nice and dark too, and right where anyone could see it. The first time it had happened she’d been freaked out. Now, she was just annoyed.

  It took her a while, but she finally got it covered with makeup. How do I explain to people a dream hickey, anyway?

  Shaking her head she started the dryer up again. If she didn’t hurry she’d be late, and it would all be Gabe’s fault.

  ***

  It rained of course. What else could you expect in Florida in April? Hell, at least it had helped get rid of the unfulfilled hard-on he’d been sporting since his dream of Sarah had been interrupted. He didn’t even have the heart to be pissed about the aborted dream; seeing her there had been more than worth it. His Puma was actually growly again, something he hadn’t thought he’d miss until it was gone. He got to the restaurant before the worst of the rain hit, so he wasn’t too soaked. Still, the damp clothing and the cold air-conditioning was sending shivers down his spine and pulling up goose bumps on his arms.

  He thought he was the first one there until he spied Emma shopping. The Rainforest Café was set up so that one entered the restaurant through the gift shop attached to it. He smiled as he caught Max’s wince, but Emma’s laughter pulled her mate to her like a magnet to iron.

  He watched them, so happy together, and wondered if he and Sarah would ever be that happy. The dream this afternoon had disturbed him on more than one level. Sarah’s defiance had startled him, turned him on and hurt him, all at the same time. Her pain had struck him deep, made him question his decisi
ons like never before, even more than seeing her with Jim had. The only thing he could come up with was that his Puma was bound and determined to have him finally claim her as his own.

  Even in dreams she’d never argued with him like that before. He’d been telling dream-Sarah the truth. He couldn’t bring himself to lie to her, even there. He hadn’t slept with Chloe. He hadn’t been with a real woman in a long time. Hell, even his dreams were faithful to her! How could she think for even a second that he would betray their bond that way? The pain in her eyes had been too much for him to bear, and when she’d told him he didn’t have her any longer, he’d nearly broken down and ended his torment, marking her for all to see as his, if only in his own mind.

  He had to stop this. He had to remember that they were only dreams, or that pain he’d seen in her would drive him mad.

  Why had his dream of her accused him of infidelity? That really bothered him. Was he secretly attracted to Chloe? He tried to picture kissing her and shuddered in revulsion.

  Nope. That isn’t it. The thought of touching any female flesh but Sarah’s was revolting. So why did Dream Sarah accuse me of that? What was his subconscious trying to tell him? Could his closeness with Chloe be the root of his problems with Sarah? But why?

  He shook his head and wondered what Sarah’s dreams were like. How did he act in them? Did he bring her flowers and candy? Did he make sweet, gentle love to her? Did they argue constantly? One thing was for sure. He very much doubted he spanked her until she came.

  He stopped, stunned by a single, horrifying thought. What if she doesn’t dream of me at all?

  He heard Sarah’s tinkling laughter and turned towards the entrance of the restaurant, compelled to catch a glimpse of her. She was shaking water out of her hair, giggling up at the walking dead man beside her. She was soaked through, her short red sundress clinging to her curves in a way guaranteed to raise the blood pressure of any male who wasn’t gay, showing off legs Gabe had felt wrapped around his waist more than once. Gabe stepped forward, instinctively looking for a way to shield his mate from other men’s eyes.

  Before he could reach her Jim led her right over to the towels and began gently drying her off. “Don’t worry about it, sweetheart, I’ll just buy it for you.”

  “Thank you, Jim.” She gazed up at the soon-to-be corpse with affection. Affection that rightfully belonged to him. When Jim’s towel-covered hands drifted dangerously close to her cleavage Gabe snarled, unable to hold himself back a second longer.

  That’s it. Dickhead’s gonna find out what that towel tastes like.

  The towel lifted just enough to reveal the side of Sarah’s neck, halting Gabe in his tracks. His entire being was focused on the mark on her neck.

  The mark he’d put there not two hours before.

  He stared at it, wondering what the fuck was going on. How the hell was that possible? He hadn’t actually bitten her! It had been a fucking dream, for God’s sake!

  She caught him staring at her. Her expression turned wary, and her hand moved up to cover the mark.

  He caught her gaze with his own, trapping her, mentally demanding answers she couldn’t possibly give him.

  When her eyes lowered submissively, he nearly cursed out loud. His cock twitched, his erection growing to painful proportions behind his jeans despite their cold dampness.

  She’d somehow been there in his dreams, in his arms, writhing on his cock, every damn night for months. And she’d done everything he’d asked of her.

  She blushed, pulling back, away from him and closer to the man who was going to become cat chow.

  Gabe felt the purr of his Puma, a feral sound, one that he’d become familiar with over the last few months. Oh, hell no, baby. You can try to run, but I will hunt you down. And when I do I’m going to have a few things to say about your relationship with Dr. Deadman.

  You’re mine.

  Chapter Four

  Gabe was watching her with obvious irritation as she settled in next to Jim, his growl of disapproval so low only the other shifters could hear him. The one time she’d dared glance at him, he’d smiled that sexier-than-hell grin of his, the one she’d seen only in her dreams, and held up one finger. She could almost hear him in her head.

  That’s one.

  He virtually ignored Chloe, who wavered between sending him questioning looks and smiling sweetly at Jim, who in turn ignored her in favor of Sarah.

  This weird love triangle was beginning to look suspiciously like a rectangle. Gabe wanted Chloe (and Sarah, if the glare he kept steadily on Jim was any indication). Sarah wanted Gabe, Chloe wanted Gabe (and Jim, from the lustful looks she kept sending his way). Jim wanted...Emma? Maybe? The vibe she got off the vet was strange. He watched Emma when he thought she wasn’t looking with a sort of wistful regret, but when he looked at Chloe, he felt guilt, and enough hot lust to melt paint off the space shuttle. He really needed to get over the fact that Chloe was only twenty-two and just make a move on her. If Gabe lets him, that is. Because despite his glare at Jim he’d seated Chloe next to him with a gentle smile he hadn’t bothered to give his mate.

  She sighed and took another sip of her margarita. A love hexagon just doesn’t have the same ring to it somehow. She needed a distraction or she was going to wind up with a migraine from all the tension at the table. Luckily it wasn’t hard to be distracted in a restaurant like The Rainforest Café. Every few minutes the “animals” would squeal, squeak, roar or shout. It was hard to hear yourself think, let alone make conversation with someone else, but she and Jim managed it, mostly by leaning into each other and yelling in each others’ ears.

  If it wasn’t for Gabe and Chloe glaring at the two of them it would have been a lot of fun.

  “I think lover-boy is pissed at me,” Jim shouted discreetly in her ear over the “thunderstorm”. “He looks like he wants to beat me with my own head.”

  She giggled, leaning into him. “Wouldn’t that be kinda hard?”

  He cupped her cheek, conveniently hiding their mouths from Gabe. “Not if he rips it off first.” His lips touched her ear. “He’d probably have it encased in resin and use it as a bowling ball so the pain would be eternal.”

  “I don’t think you’d be feeling much pain in your bowling ball.” She tapped his chin with her finger. “Now, if he decided to use your hollowed-out balls as castanets?”

  He blinked and quickly hid his face against her shoulders. “I’m frightened. Hold me?”

  She threw her head back and laughed, ignoring the anger beating at her skin like a living thing, desperate to break through the façade of cheer she held in front of her like a shield. She knew whose anger she was feeling, but she completely ignored her mate in favor of the human sitting next to her. Quite frankly, after months of ignoring Sarah, Gabe deserved to see what it felt like.

  Jim’s smile tickled the bite mark Gabe had left behind. “When did you get a hickey, Sarah?”

  Her eyes went wide. “Um...”

  “Did you burn yourself with curlers or something just to make him jealous?” He leaned back and put his arm around her shoulders, smiling at Gabe. “Gotta love a smart woman, eh, Gabriel?” he shouted across the table.

  Gabe smiled back, showing more teeth than should be humanly possible. “Some women are smarter than others, I’ll grant you that.”

  Her lashes lowered at the look on his face. She had the feeling that if they’d been in their dream her ass would be burning right now.

  “Sarah? I need to speak to you privately.”

  She looked up at Gabe and noted the smile had turned into fierce determination. She opened her mouth to reply, not quite sure what she was going to say. Her heart was pounding, partly in fear, partially in anticipation.

  Jim interrupted her before she could speak, kissing her cheek. “Are we still going dancing after dinner?”

  She smiled sweetly up at Jim, taking the out he handed her, ruthlessly ignoring the seething man across the table from her. She knew at some point
there would be a reckoning, but for now she was going to enjoy the support of her friend. Something about the way Gabe was watching her reminded her of what he’d been training to do for the last several months. “Sounds great!”

  Jim picked up her hand and kissed her fingers again. A small shiver went through her, but not because of Jim. The two fingers Gabe tapped against his plate were a warning, and she knew it. Luckily the restaurant’s animated animals chose that moment to begin their screams, distracting Jim from the golden-eyed glare Gabe was sending his way. That had to be giving him a headache. She’d never seen a Puma’s eyes remain gold for so long.

  Gabe’s sudden turn-around was startling, and she didn’t quite trust it. He’d spent the better part of two months ignoring her in favor of Chloe, but a couple of hours of Sarah flirting with Jim had him doing a countdown to a spanking? Hah!

  The Pride leaders were standing, laughing and joking about dancing the night away over at Universal Studio’s nightclubs. Her plan was to dance and have fun with the blond god next to her. She would deal with the consequences tomorrow. Tonight she had a date with a good friend and a little white pill that guaranteed her a dreamless sleep.

  ***

  Gabe stood next to one of the many sofas that surrounded the dance floor and watched as his mate shimmied to the music with Jim. Part of him wanted to storm over and cart her off into the sunset.

  The other part was stuck listening to Simon and Adrian while he sipped a beer and pretended to listen. At least she wasn’t dirty dancing with the asshole.

  Actually, he couldn’t call what she was doing dancing. She looked like she was having spasms. He hid his grin behind his beer as he watched her happily gyrating to the music. The look on Jim’s face as he watched his partner was priceless. He doubted the man would stay on the dance floor with her for much longer. He at least seemed to know what he was doing. Sarah, on the other hand...

  “She looks like someone’s poking her ass with a stick.” Simon cocked his head, watching as Sarah’s body bowed in a way that should have been physically impossible while standing. In fact, Gabe was surprised she was still standing.