by Leela Ash
“About…?”
“Whether or not I want to go through with this again.” He turned to her, his blue-grey eyes burning with anger. “I don’t believe in Fate. I make my own future. I won’t be bound to a woman just because my Dragon thinks she’s fine.”
“Couldn’t agree more,” she assured him. Even though half of what he said didn’t make any sense. “I really shouldn’t have to interrogate the figments of my own imagination, but, well, here we are. Go through what? What’s supposed to be happening here?”
“My Dragon wishes me to Claim a Mate. You.”
Okay, so this was a sex dream. Good. She’d started to worry. “What does that involve?”
“I bare my soul. You do the same. Once we’ve looked upon each other with no illusions, we Claim each other. Symbolically, by dipping this dagger,” he pointed at a small blade tied to his sash, “in your cup. Then physically, by making love. After that, we are bound together for all time.”
Sounded good to her! The sooner they moved on to the hot sex, the better. “Well, no harm in the show ‘n’ tell, right? How do I show you my soul?”
“Call it.”
“Um, right. Uh… here, soul,” she crooned, feeling completely ridiculous. “Here soul-y, soul-y, soul.”
Finn gaped at her like she’d lost her mind. But the grass at her feet rustled and a big, leggy rabbit hopped toward her.
Bree burst out laughing. “Oh, hell no, I’m not a bunny.”
“That’s a Hare, not a rabbit,” he corrected. The animal’s long ears plastered themselves against its back and it stared at her coldly.
“Bunny, hare, who cares? That’s not me. I’m a wolf.”
“No, you’re a Witch Hare. They’re powerful Shifters in their own way.”
“Uh huh. Whatever.” The hare stamped its hind foot in irritation. “There’s probably some ridiculous, Freudian reason why I’d dream of being a useless rabbit, but I don’t care. Get lost, Thumper.”
With one more furious stomp, the Hare spun and bolted into the grass.
“Now, you.”
Finn bowed his head and spread his arms wide.
The air behind him shimmered, filling with silvery light. Out of that glittering haze, an enormous figure came into view.
Despite herself, Bree took a step backward in shock. It was a Dragon. The Dragon. The one she’d hallucinated at the pool. As big as a small house, covered in creamy-white scales edged with bright silver. It’s eyes… they were Finn’s eyes. Pale grey orbs, like glacial ice, lit by some inner fire. Only, these eyes stared down at her from a sedan-sized head. One with a mouth full of six-inch fangs that would make a t-rex jealous.
Yet, after that moment of shock, joy flooded her. “It’s… it’s… beautiful!” she breathed. “Holy hell, I need a soul like that!”
With a snort that sounded like laughter, the Dragon faded from view, leaving an ache in Bree’s heart. This dream was starting to look up.
“So, what’s next? The cup and dagger thing?”
“If we wish to Claim each other.”
“Well, I’m game.” She eyed him up and down. “You’re handsome, strong, and, well, a Dragon. What’s not to like? I’ll Claim you.” And, most importantly, this was just a dream. Promises of eternal love would only last until morning.
Finn said nothing.
Seriously? The man of her dreams (literally…) was rejecting her? Damn, she needed therapy. “How about it? You going to Claim me?”
“I’m thinking.”
“It was the bunny, wasn’t it? I mean, who the hell wants to Claim a rabbit?”
“Hare. And no, it’s not that.”
“Is it me? Do you not like me?”
“No, I… It’s me. I don’t know if I can… if….” The sentence trailed off, unfinished. At last, though, he turned to face her. “I have failed so many times.”
Bree stepped to him and put her hand on his elbow. This close, she could feel the warmth of his body. A heat that rose from him, summoning an equal fire deep within herself. “Nobody fails until they stop trying. So, what’s you answer? Are you failing – or are you going to give this another shot?”
Even then, he hesitated, staring into the distance. Bree leaned closer, letting her bare thigh press against the taut lines of his muscles. At her touch, he tensed, and his breath quickened.
Good. No sign of any ‘failure’ here!
Back and forth he turned the blade in his hand, sunlight glinting off its edge. “Maybe you’re right. I never Claimed anyone else.”
Bree held her cup up, hopefully. With a worried grimace, Finn dipped the tip of his dagger into it.
At once, cup and knife both vanished. Bree’s eyes lit up. “Fun part now?”
Finn released a deep chuckle, but he still seemed lost in thought. Normally, she didn’t have to do much to seduce a guy. Yet, this was a dream (and a weird one at that) so she decided to take the lead.
The knot holding her robe in place proved delightfully simple to untie. One tug and the whole thing slid to the ground. Bree stretched, letting the sun set her tanned, golden skin alight, knowing damned well how it transformed her red hair into a brash, fiery crown.
Finn grew still. Eyes wide, he drank in the sight of her. Only his quickening breath and the pulse at his throat betrayed his mounting arousal. That control, that mastery, sent shivers of excitement down her spine. She needed to punch a hole through it, to reach the desire she knew burned beneath.
Slipping her arms around him, she snuggled closer. At the touch of her breasts, he tensed, and she felt his manhood stir. Her fingers traced the hard plains of his thighs and teased at his sash. She laid her head against his chest, listening as his beating heart hinted at the passion he held back.
Slowly, his arms circled her too, wrapping her in his heat. He bent his head, nuzzling her hair, until she tilted her head back. Then their lips met, softly at first, then firmer, more demanding as his hunger awoke.
When the kiss ended, he paused, lips parted. Some tension, locked deep within him, broke free and slowly drained from his face. Leaving him radiant, sure, and eager. “It has been so long…”
“Hope you haven’t forgotten how this works…”
“Hmm. Was it something like this?”
He swept her off her feet as if she weighed no more than a kitten. Bree gave a shriek of delight as arms like steel bars cradled her. In daydreams, she’d longed to be carried off. To be taken, like a prize, to bed. No man had ever possessed the power to truly do it, though. Until now.
With an impish smile, he bent over her breasts. Kisses whispered across her skin and his tongue, with sly, teasing stokes, lashed her nipples.
A purr of pleasure escaped her. Instinctively, her back arched, offering her body to his mouth. Her hand caught at his short-clipped hair, pressing him close. Held, she surrendered to him and felt herself grow damp at the strange, vulnerable joy.
Slowly, he knelt, lowering her to the ground. But when the first blades of grass flicked across her bare skin, she burst into giggles. “Oh Finn, don’t! That tickles.”
“Hmm.” He grimaced at the plains that spread around them. “That’s going to be a problem. Maybe the woods?”
“Oh no. Pine needles are awful. And the pool is covered with rocks and mud.”
“Not sexy,” he said.
“Not sexy at all,” she agreed. “Dammit! Work with me, dream!”
And the dream did! A sparkle of sun on bronze drew her eye to the middle of the field where a small platform covered in pillows lay amidst the long grasses. “Aha! Can I dream or what?”
Finn laughed and carried her to the bower with steady, sure strides.
Cradled against him, Bree felt a safety, a security, she’d never known. The power of this man, his strength, was the might of a Dragon, not a mortal.
Silken pillows, warmed by the sun, awaited them. Under the sun’s brilliance, she noticed a web of white lines that crisscrossed his pale skin. She traced one with her fi
nger, following it as it ran from his shoulder down his bicep.
“Gotten a bit beat up over the years,” Finn admitted.
“I don’t mind.” To prove it, she pressed her lips to the scar and kissed it, reverently.
The sash around his hips slid off and was tossed into the grass. Once more, their mouths joined, lips and tongues twined in pleasure. Strong, calloused hands explored her body. Sliding across the smooth curves of her buttocks, exploring the cleft between her legs with soft, secretive caresses. Curled close, she felt his manhood swell as the scent and feel of her body brought him alive.
One hand came to rest between her legs, claiming her. Bree gasped at that touch, that heat, pressed against her most secret places. A finger slid between the damp lips of her sex. It found what it sought, the nub of her clitoris, and caressed it with firm, gliding strokes. A primal cry of need escaped her.
Her moans of pleasure, the way her body writhed beneath his touch… they enflamed him. His manhood swelled, pressing against her in its need. Yet, in the face of passion’s maddening call, Finn was his own master.
Gently, he rolled over her. Muscled thighs slid between her legs and she opened herself to receive him.
His cock slid into her, filling her with its hard length. Bree moaned, fingers knotting in the silken mounds of the cushions. With slow, sure strokes, he claimed her. Each thrust fanned the fires blazing in her loins. Raging, burning, her need grew. She moaned, wrapped her legs about his hips, and clawed at the pillows.
And still, those strokes continued. Hard, measured, maddening.
Bree wailed, an animal cry of desire. And at the sound, the first cracks appeared in Finn’s control. His thrusts grew fiercer, hungrier, driven by her need. His own moans joined hers as they rocked, locked in the heat of passion.
Ecstasy blazed between her thighs. As she cried out, she felt him burst within her and his own guttural moan mingled with hers as he joined her in climax.
Gasping, he rolled to her side. Nestled in the cushions, Bree lay, panting, savoring the last traces of ecstasy as they faded away. “Damn,” she whispered. “Why can’t sex be this good in real life?”
Finn propped himself up on one elbow and kissed her shoulder. “It will be from now on. I promise.”
“Yeah… no.” She thought of Daven Kane and smiled. “Even in my dreams, my fiancé isn’t this good.”
“Your what?” Eyes blazing, Finn jerked away from her. “You have a… a…”
“Fiancé,” she sighed. “And a wedding to plan for New Year’s Eve.”
“Why did you…”
And Bree woke up. Wondering the same thing.
Why did I dream of Finn when I’m going to marry Daven?
Chapter 4
The dream lingered long after Bree awoke. It haunted her in the shower, where every drop of water, trickling down her naked body, reminded her of Finn’s tongue. It warmed her heart as she dressed and made her skip the loose, comfortable blouses she wore on her days off. No, today, she wanted something sexy. A skin-tight athletic shirt that made her curves sing. One with cleavage half-way down to her belly button. The kind of shirt that turned every man’s head at the gym.
And when she polished off her morning smoothie, that dream was still there, casting a glow over the future. Yesterday, at the conclusion of the Luxe deal, the future had seemed a gloomy, empty mess. Today, there was a bounce in her step.
All because of a dream.
Sadly, it was a dream about a trespasser, not her fiancé.
That detail bugged Bree. The night of her proposal, she dreamed of making love to another man. A big, brawny guy who had absolutely nothing in common with her savvy lawyer.
I should make an appointment with a therapist. That can’t be a good sign.
Later. After she took steps to protect her home.
First came a call to Jenna Magnuson, a private detective she sometimes used. “Hey, Jenna. Got a job for you. I want you to find out everything you can about a guy called ‘Finn Donnelly’. Nope. No idea where he’s from. The only thing I know is that he’s in town and wants to buy the Nielsen property next door. Charge it to me, not the office. And cost isn’t a concern.”
Next up: another trip out to the pool. There ought to be stakes marking the property line. Something that didn’t depend on the vagaries of Rainey’s Creek. Bree had never found them. Then again, she hadn’t looked hard.
Time to change that. No way she’d let that scum ball Nielsen steal her pool.
To Bree, the short path to the pool was the most beautiful walk in all of Jackson. But today…
Today, it was magical. Every breath of air she drew was rich with the lovely scent of pine and grass. Birds flittered on all sides, filling the woods with their songs. Beams of sunlight pierced the tree cover, lighting her path with golden pillars. There was a crispness to the air, an energy, as if some great storm had just passed.
When she emerged beside the pool, she gasped. The spring’s water glittered in the sun like a thousand diamonds. Everything seemed brighter, from the tufts of grass to the glint of Rainey’s Creek in the distance.
Clearly, I need more dreams like last night’s!
Bree laughed, giddy with joy. Not even the fear of losing the little pool could dim her excitement.
Though, as soon as she walked out into the meadow, she realized this was a lost cause. The field wasn’t huge, probably no more than ten acres. Yet, it was covered in thick, luxurious grass. Somewhere, hidden beneath all this wonder, was one lone solitary stake.
How could she possibly find it?
Bree nibbled her lip. Metal detector? Realtors used metal stakes that wouldn’t rot as the years passed. She could pop into town, buy one, and spend a day or two sweeping this area.
Or…
She could trust her gut. Bree considered instinct one of her greatest strengths. Over the years, her hunches had uncovered lying clients, falsified deeds, and a host of other deceits. She always knew how far to push negotiations and when a client couldn’t live without a property.
So, why not give luck a shot? At worst, she’d waste five minutes.
Bree closed her eyes, tilting her face back and letting the sunlight pour down around her. She threw her arms wide, like Finn had in her dream. Then, blind, she began to inch forward.
Something tugged at her. An urge, a phantom nudge. It pulled her to the right, slowly cutting an arc through the grass. Her heel landed on a gopher hole. She wobbled but refused to open her eyes. One more step, two… and then her foot struck something hard.
Dropping to her knees, she swept the long grass aside. There, driven deep into the soft earth, was what she sought: a property stake.
Proving that the pool belonged to her, not Nielsen.
“Ha!” Bree crowed. “Score one for Witch Bunnies!”
Quickly, she flattened down the surrounding grass. It wouldn’t stay bent for long, but a picture showing the distance between the stake and the pool would save her a ton of legal research.
She raised her cell phone… and froze.
Behind her, the pool had vanished.
In its place stood a patch of mist, thick as cotton. On some cool mornings, wisps of mist danced above the pool’s swirling waters. But never anything like this. Nothing so deep and foreboding. And sudden! Where on Earth had it come from?
Wary, she crept back toward it. Crazy theories popped into her head. Had she been wrong about the pool all along? Was it actually a thermal hot spring? One that was becoming more active?
Nonsense. Hot springs are hot. Duh. The pool has always been ice cold.
Still, she was cautious as she approached. Twisted in a knot, her gut warned her that something was wrong.
Something was dangerous.
As the mist swallowed her, all noise died away. The birds, the squirrels, the crickets in the field… all faded. Not even the pool’s never ending gurgle cut through the silence. Only her ragged breathing still echoed in her ears.
Hai
rs on her arms prickling, she inched forward, careful not to slip on the mossy stones.
Wait. Mossy stones?
The pool was surrounded by waist-tall grass, not rocks! Shivers swept over her and her heart raced. What had happened? No one could have crept up behind her and mowed the field without her knowing. That was insane!
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement. A figure, tall and impossibly thin.
Bree snapped around toward it – and it vanished.
More forms appeared in the periphery. Vague phantoms that faded away as soon as she turned toward them. Whispers echoed through the mist. Soft voices speaking in a lilting, musical language she didn’t understand.
There were creatures here. No, she corrected herself. People. A dozen of them, or more. Watching her. Melting away at the edge of her vision.
Fear rose. She turned to flee…
“Hold.”
A woman’s voice – or had she imagined it? Bree hesitated. Fear urged her to flee. Yet, the yearning in that strange voice held her in place.
“Your… mixing.” Wonder and longing. The words ached with them. “It is beautiful. Light and dark. Spirit and body. You are…”
As if a cloud had passed in front of the sun, the mist darkened. Cold air, dank and frigid, rose from the ground and chilled her feet. The whispers shot away, as if her invisible audience had all turned and fled.
A shadow loomed. The dark twin to the misty ghosts that had flitted at the edges of her vision.
Unlike them, this thing was cold. And it didn’t vanish when she stared at it. It grew stronger, clearer. Hate and revulsion radiated from it.
Eyes wide, Bree backed away.
From the darkness, a man’s voice hissed. “You are unclean. Leave.”
Bree didn’t need to be told twice. She spun on her heels and bolted for home. Stones, slick and damp, skittered underfoot. Then grass whipped against her hands and pelting feet. Grass gave way to pine needles, a tree loomed in the mist… then her foot caught on a root and she when sprawling onto the forest’s soft floor.
With a soft shriek, she spun, fearing that the dark figure pursued her.
The mist was gone. She lay at the edge of the woods, staring out at a clear, sunny meadow. Once more, the pool’s musical waters called.
