She was shaking her head even though she knew her friend couldn’t see her. “Not today. I’m just not feeling well.” The silence was almost deafening. She realized that in all the years they’d know each other, she’d never said no to the other woman before.
“You’re obviously not yourself today.” She could hear Brenda sniff. “You have more important things to do today than to talk to your best friend. But I understand.”
Christina almost caved. Almost. It was more habit than anything. But for once, she stood her ground. This was important to her. If Brenda was any kind of a friend, she’d understand that and offer her support.
“I’m glad you understand.” She almost smiled at the sputtering she heard. Brenda obviously hadn’t anticipated her reply.
“I’ll talk to you next week. Hopefully, you’ll be over whatever is bothering you by then.” She heard the click in her ear before she could reply. Sighing, she replaced the receiver.
Cold right to her bones, she rushed into her bedroom and yanked off the silk nightgown, stuffing it back into her dresser drawer, before hauling on some clothes. Jeans, warm socks, and a sweater helped to warm her slightly. She made the bed without really thinking about it, her mind was already focused on the chore ahead. She had to return the tapestry.
Plucking the wrapping off the floor where she’d left it the night before, she laid it on the bed before she went her dresser. She didn’t dare unroll the tapestry. If she did, she knew she’d never be able to take it back. Carefully, she bundled it back into tissue paper before placing it in the plastic sack.
Hurrying to the front door, she grabbed her heavy jacket off the hook and slipped it on. Stuffing her feet in her old sneakers, she unlocked her door, grabbed her purse, and left the apartment.
Her feet felt like lead by the time she climbed the stairs leading out of the subway station. She’d spent the entire ride arguing with herself. The closer she got to the shop, the worse her head and stomach hurt. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as she dragged herself down the sidewalk. The store had to be along here somewhere.
Christina walked all the way back to the bar where she met Brenda, but didn’t see the store. Frowning, she turned around and retraced her steps. The bundle in her arms seemed to get heavier the closer she got to where she thought the store should be.
She slowed, stopping in front of a run-down building with a large picture window in the front. This has to be the place. There was no sign on the door, but she couldn’t remember seeing one the night before in the dark and the rain.
Reaching out, she gripped the handle and tugged. Locked. Cupping her hand, she squinted into the dark store. She could make out the counter in the distance, but it looked different somehow. Backing away from the door, she turned and looked in the front window. A layer of dust and grime covered the glass and dust filled the front display. Beyond the dim light of the window lay an empty room. A few boxes were scattered about and the cash register was gone.
It didn’t make any sense. She’d bought the tapestry here last night. The interior of the store was familiar even though it looked abandoned. They couldn’t have moved out that quickly. Could they?
Of course they could. This was the city, and businesses came and went in the blink of an eye.
That had to be it. She wouldn’t have noticed the grime and run-down feel to the place in the gloom last night. The tapestry had held all her attention and the lighting hadn’t been very good. There was no way she could return the tapestry now.
Wrapping her arms tight around her precious parcel, she spun around in a circle as laughter spilled from her lips. The headache that had plagued her all morning was gone and her stomach was settled. Christina felt as light and happy as when she’d first bought the tapestry.
It was hers. For keeps.
She stopped spinning around when she realized that people were beginning to stare and point at her. Flashing them a smile, she began to walk back towards the subway station. No wonder the older lady had bargained so hard. If she knew she was closing her shop, she’d have wanted to make as much money on the deal as she could.
The thought that the woman needed the money helped Christina justify the purchase in her own mind. It was an even trade for both sides. Her feet felt lighter as she boarded the train and rode back to her neighborhood.
She was still smiling forty minutes later when she walked back into her apartment. Kicking off her sneakers, she padded to her bedroom to safely store the tapestry. Taking her time, she removed the wrapping and then unrolled it. Spreading it across the bed, she admired it before gathering up the packaging and taking it to the kitchen, where she stuffed it into the garbage. It wasn’t going anywhere.
The rest of the day was spent on mundane chores. She picked up her dry cleaning and bought some groceries before returning home to tackle her house cleaning. It had been a quiet day, but a good one. After the turmoil of the morning, she’d been grateful to have a boring afternoon and evening, finding comfort in her routine.
She decided to go to bed early and convinced herself that it had nothing to do with wanting to dream again. But when she reached for her sensible nightgown, her hand touched the silky lavender-colored one again. Tugging off her bathrobe, she slipped it on over her head. The fabric caressed her skin that was still flushed from her shower.
Tossing the robe on the end of the bed, Christina climbed beneath the covers and pulled them over her. The tapestry rested on the top of the blankets and she reached her hand out to touch it. She no longer needed to see it to know what it looked like. The images of the castle, but especially of the two warriors were burned into her very soul.
Closing her eyes, she kept one hand on the tapestry, gently rubbing the edge of the fabric. She knew that some people would think she was slightly crazy, but she didn’t care. It made her happy and that was all that really mattered.
Her bed shook beneath her and she grumbled slightly. Her downstairs neighbor must be having another party. She scowled, but she could hear no music. Usually, he had his stereo cranked so high that the entire apartment trembled. Listening harder now, she heard the heavy clomp of footsteps that sounded remarkable like horse’s hooves.
But that wasn’t possible. She was on the fifth floor of her apartment building. Her neighbor must have a movie turned up loud. That explained the strange noises and the slight vibration of her bed. Leather creaked and a horse whinnied. It sounded incredibly close now.
Christina opened one eye and frowned slightly when the only thing she could see was a large pair of leather boots in front of her face. It was then she became aware that her mattress was rather lumpy and that her pillow smelled suspiciously like fresh grass. She closed her eye tight, took a deep breath and then opened them both. But the picture remained the same no matter how many times she blinked.
“I must be dreaming again,” she mumbled to herself.
“And here I thought I must be the one who was dreaming.” The voice was deep, masculine and amused.
Tilting her head back, she followed the boots up over an incredibly long pair of muscular legs encased in a tight pair of leather pants. An open vest emphasized his lean waist, a six-pack of abs and an impossibly wide chest. Her eyes kept traveling upwards, all the way to a face that took her breath away.
The man was gorgeous. His straight black hair disappeared behind his shoulders, but a thin braid came down each side of his temple falling all the way to his waist. The braids framed a rough-hewn face with a prominent nose, thin lips and a high forehead. His eyes, a golden-brown, blazed with desire as his gaze ran over her scantily clad form.
She sat up quickly and scuttled backwards away from the giant in front of her. Her fingers dug into the moist ground beneath her. Twisting her head from side to side, she tried to get her bearings. Her bed was gone, her room was gone, and she certainly wasn’t in her apartment.
Instead, she was sitting on the ground in the middle of a grassy field with a tall, thick forest surrounding
her. Somewhere in the distance, a bird was twittering and a butterfly fluttered past her nose, coming to rest on a small patch of purple flowers on her right.
“Are you alone?” The giant frowned down at her and she swallowed back a scream, shaking her head. There was no way in hell she was telling this man that she was alone.
He took a step towards her and she scrambled to her feet, thrusting her hands out in front of her to ward him off. Her heart was pounding in her chest now and her entire body trembled with fear. True, he was the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid her eyes on, but he was also a total stranger.
However, the longer she stared at him the more familiar he seemed.
He stopped immediately and his gaze softened. “There’s no need to fear.” He held one hand out to her and his voice became calm and almost hypnotic. “You cannot be out alone without protection. Come to me.”
She almost took a step towards him. Almost.
Standing her ground, she glanced about for something she could use as a weapon. Anything. “Who are you?” If she could keep him talking, it might give her time to figure out what in the heck she should do. “Where am I?”
“I am Jarek of the House of Garen.” He paused. “And you, little one, are on my land.”
“Well, I don’t know how I got here, Jarek of the House of whatever, but I’d sure as heck rather be home in bed.” She remembered what she’d first thought when she opened her eyes and suddenly everything began to make sense. “I’m dreaming, again.”
His outfit looked familiar and it finally came to her why she felt she recognized him. Sizing up the man in front of her one more time, she suddenly decided that it wasn’t such a bad dream to be having.
The look of hot lust in his eyes was not the kind she was used to being directed her way. Under his gaze her nipples pebbled into tight buds that pushed against the silk of her nightgown. Her body certainly remembered the pleasure he’d given her in her dream last night.
She licked her dry lips and stood a little taller, thrusting her breasts out slightly. If possible the heat in Jarek’s eyes grew more fiery. As she watched him, a very large bulge grew in the front of his breeches. A shiver of desire shot down her spine.
It was nice to have a name to put with one of the warriors from the tapestry. Jarek. She liked the sound of it, strong and solid and noble. “You’re one of the warriors from the tapestry.” She knew he had to be, but for some reason she wanted him to confirm that.
The lust in his eyes disappeared in a blink and a cold, hard gleam appeared there instead. “Tapestry?”
Christina swallowed back her fear. After all, this was just a dream. “The one with the castle and the woods and the two warriors standing in front of it.” She motioned with her hands to show him the approximate size. “I bought it from a strange little shop a couple days ago.”
“The prophecy has begun.” His voice was low, his tone almost reverent as he bowed his head for a moment. When he raised his head again, his face was set in determined lines. “You are alone and must come to the castle for protection.”
Christina didn’t like his imperious tone and she liked his command even less. “I think I’ll stay here until I wake up if it’s all the same to you.”
The dumbfounded look on his face told her that no one said no to this man very often. He cocked his head to one side as he stared at her as if trying to figure out whether she was being difficult or if she was just plain crazy. At the moment, she’d opt for the second one. This whole dream was nuts.
Part of her wanted to go with him. If she were lucky, maybe this would turn into another long, erotic dream. A woman didn’t get a chance to have sex with a guy this hot very often, even if it was just a fantasy. But in the harsh light of day, he looked too big, too powerful and just too intimidating as he took another step towards her.
Panicking, she once again threw up her hands in front of her to stop him. “If you’re the warrior from the tapestry, where’s the other one?”
Strong arms enveloped her from behind and a pair of tan muscled forearms clamped around her stomach. She was pulled back against a rock-hard chest as a soft voice whispered in her right ear. “I’m right here.”
Christina shrieked and tried to pull away, but his grip was like iron. Tipping her head back, she caught a glimpse of another giant of a man with long dark brown hair and similar features to the other one. Brothers. They had to be brothers. The only difference was that this one had fuller lips and different colored hair.
Frozen in place by his heated gaze and his unbreakable grip, she didn’t even flinch when he leaned down and covered her lips with his.
Chapter Four
Heat. That was her first thought and then she couldn’t think at all as his firm lips slowly brushed hers. One of his hands flattened on her stomach and urged her backwards until her bottom was plastered against his growing arousal. He rotated his hips, pressing his erection against the soft cleft of her ass. His other hand cupped her chin, keeping her face tilted at the right angle for him to continue kissing her.
She could hardly breathe. She felt surrounded by him, branded by his hand that was caressing her stomach and by his hard cock that throbbed against her behind. She’d never had dreams like this before she’d bought the tapestry. Never.
Her only real sexual experience had been during college and that uninspiring relationship had only lasted two months before it had fizzled out. But this. This was incredible.
She was only grateful that it was a dream, otherwise she’d be scared to death to have such a virile stud kissing her and touching her while another one watched. This dream was very different from the one she’d had last night. It had less of a dreamy quality about it. It felt more vibrant, more tangible.
The earth was firm beneath her feet and a light breeze brushed her skin. Birds chirped and sang, while the air was filled with the piney scent of the forest mixed with the sweet scent of the flowers. Last night’s adventure had an almost veiled and hazy quality about it. Tonight’s felt almost too real.
The kiss was a mere brush of the lips, but Christina felt as if she was on fire. Her entire body burned with desire and she could feel a dampness growing between her thighs. Her bare toes curled into the grass. She wanted to grab him by the hair and drag him even closer to her.
“If you’re finished, I’ll introduce you to my brother.” Jarek’s sardonic voice cut through her sensual haze like a knife.
Her hand covered her mouth and her eyes grew wide as she stared up at the stranger she had allowed to kiss her. At least she knew Jarek’s name. Quite unexpectedly, shame washed over her and she could feel the warmth creeping up her face.
The arms around her waist loosened as the stranger captured the hand that covered her mouth and drew it slowly towards his. He placed a soft kiss on each knuckle before slipping his tongue between two of her fingers and licking the skin between. Heat surged between her thighs and she gasped for breath.
His lips curved up into a small, knowing smile as he released her hand. “I am Marc of the House of Garen, and I am very pleased to meet you.”
His voice was not as harsh as Jarek’s and there was humor in his eyes as he looked down at her from his great height. Christina pulled away from Marc, relieved when he let her go. Her gaze went back and forth from brother to brother.
“Um. Christina Beaumont. It was nice meeting you both, but I’m ready to wake up now.” She gripped the skin of her upper arm between two fingers and pinched hard. Nothing. She pinched harder until tears came to her eyes.
“Stop. You are harming yourself.” She flinched at Jarek’s harsh tones.
“You don’t understand.” Her breathing was getting more rapid and panic threatened to erupt within her.
“What don’t I understand?” He was closer to her now, looking more worried by the moment.
“This is just a dream. I’m going to wake up in my own bed any moment now and I’ll find the tapestry still draped over me and the room will still be t
oo cold and…”
Jarek was shaking her head at her now and that scared her almost as much as the fact that she couldn’t seem to wake herself up.
“It is no dream. The magic of the tapestry has brought you here to us. You belong to us now.” All traces of softness fled his face and his golden-brown eyes glittered like a bird of prey. “And we will not relinquish you.”
“No.” She stubbornly shook her head in denial. “There’s no such thing as magic. In books, maybe. In dreams, sure. But not for real. Not my life anyway.”
“If that were so, you would not be here.” His male logic and the smug look on his face made her want to smack him.
“I’m not really here.” She kept both brothers in view as she backed carefully away from them. The breathing on her neck stopped her dead in her tracks. She turned slowly and came face-to-face with a gigantic black horse that eyed her curiously before giving its head a shake.
Bending its large head towards her, it butted her chest. Grabbing the bridle with one hand, she steadied herself. Carefully, she reached up her other hand and touched the beast. It chuffed happily when she rubbed its long neck. The smell of the horse, the creak of the leather saddle when the animal moved, and the feel of the wiry coat under her fingertips was all too real.
She glanced back at the two men. They were both watching her, their eyes devouring her from head to toe. If the horse was real and she couldn’t wake herself, then she had to face the possibility that the men were real as well. However impossible it was, it seemed that she had traveled to another place and time.
The hand that was petting the horse trembled and she dropped it and turned and walked towards the woods. She needed to get away from them and think about this.
“Where are you going?”
She ignored Marc’s question and kept walking.
She heard Jarek swear under his breath and she turned in spite of her resolve not to. He strode to the horse and swung himself easily into the saddle, his long legs clamping around the sides of the animal to control it. Man and animal whirled around and started towards her. Christina shrieked at the sight of them bearing down on her. Spinning around, she raced for the protective cover of the forest, but knew she’d never make it.
Christina's Tapestry Page 3
