Dark Flame (18 page)

In the end, she decided she should stay away from mixing real-time sex with dreamgliding.

Tears bit her eyes. Why was she being so emotional? She’d always known her time with Brannick would come to end.

Except … dammit … she loved him.

A long slow gasp filled her throat.

Somewhere in all the sex, and the dozens of long conversations in the dreamglide, she really had fallen in love with a vampire. And it was time to face the truth of it.

As she stared out the window above the sink, she watched a breeze push the trees around.

Oh, God, what had she gotten herself into? She loved Brannick. Maybe she had from the moment she’d met him in the White Flame club.

“Hey,” he called to her from across the dining area. “Are you okay?”

Glancing at him over her shoulder, she had to blink a couple of times to bring his face into focus. “Sure.” She didn’t say that she felt like her heart was being ripped from her chest. “I’m going to make a salad.”

He nodded. “I just put the steaks on.”

When she lifted her beer to him, he smiled then headed back outside.

The moment he was gone, she turned toward the window once more and let a sob escape her chest. Why had she let this happen?

She pulled red leaf lettuce, tomatoes and a cucumber from the crisper.

Fortunately, the sink placed her with her back to the rest of the room. As she washed the vegetables, she let a few tears fall into the stream of water. She didn’t try to stop them. She knew what she’d done and even at the time she’d understood the consequences. But she’d told herself she was just getting her needs met so it was okay.

Yet how could she have known he’d open up to her in the dreamglide and be such a wonderful companion? In that sense, he’d seduced her right back, not just with his phenomenal body, but with everything he’d shared with her through the five months of their time together.

By the time she had everything sliced up and placed in a bowl, she was better composed. She gathered up plates and silverware at the same time, then set the table.

Afterward, she took her beer outside to join Brannick.

He opened his arm to her. It was such a tender gesture that her eyes burned once more. But she bit back the tears and instead slid her arm around his waist.

He held her close, a comfortable sideways embrace.

She didn’t say anything. She didn’t trust herself to open her mouth. She just sipped her beer and stared at the grill. He’d already turned the meat.

Finally, she was able to say, “The salad’s ready.”

“Just a couple minutes and we’ll be good to go.” Brannick remained silent as well.

During dinner, Juliet found it increasingly hard to make small talk. So much so, that Brannick finally asked, “Is anything wrong?”

She couldn’t tell him the whole truth, but she had to say something. “I’m overwhelmed with what we’ve been through in such a short period of time. Three nights in all. I mean, you and I barely know each other—”

“Except for the conversations you said we had in the dreamglide.”

“Yes, except for that. But this conscious side of yourself is still new to me and I can’t be more than a stranger to you. Most of the time, I find myself wanting to say something, to make a comment or even a joke. But then I realize you won’t get it, that it would be about one of our dreamglide conversations. I think that alone has taken a toll. I keep having to weigh my words.”

He glanced away from her and sipped his beer, then set it back on the table. “The few, full-blown memories I have of you are amazing. So I have some insight into what we were like together, as well as who you are.

“But truthfully, I don’t know what to make of this situation either. I mean, you must know how I feel about relationships in Five Bridges.”

“I do know,” she said. “And in that sense we’re the same. Yet we’ve carried on a very close, intimate relationship all these months.” She looked away as that feeling of impending loss returned.

He reached over and grabbed her hand. “Hey. I didn’t mean to make you feel sad. Maybe we should both try not to think about it right now. Instead, how about we celebrate that we brought Mary out of hell tonight.”

At that, Juliet relaxed. “You’re right. I’ve been caught up in the wrong things.”

She left the table and brought back two more beers.

He opened both, handing her one. He then held his bottle angled toward her. “To Mary.”

She smiled once more as she tapped the neck of his bottle with hers. “To Mary.”

Conversation fell to a pleasant recounting of the rescue and his gratitude that Agnes had a safe house for women like Mary where she could stay and begin her recovery.

After dinner, clean up was quick since Brannick helped. She liked that he’d brought dishes over, scraped them clean and washed while she dried. She was reminded of the few times he’d actually talked about his wife, Olivia, and their marriage. She’d heard the love in his voice and his great appreciation for her.

Now Olivia was gone, along with their two children, one of them unborn, and Brannick was a vampire living out his life in Five Bridges.

And she got to share beers with him, steaks, and even wash the dishes.

When she’d hung the damp towel on the oven door handle, she’d started to leave, but he caught her arm and pulled her back.

He searched her eyes. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you all through dinner. It’s been hard not to reach for you. But you seem upset, so I’m not sure what to do here. I’ll leave you alone, if that’s what you want.”

She gasped. “No, that’s not what I want at all.” The rest of the words got jammed up in her head.

Because she was afraid she would blurt out something terrible, like the truth, she leaned up and kissed him. And not a gentle kiss but one full of exactly what she wanted from him right now.

He responded with a heavy groan, encircling her with both arms and holding her tight against his chest.

The feel of him was what melted all restraint. She no longer cared exactly how the next hour or so progressed, or even whether or not they ended up having a combination of real-time and dreamglide sex.

She just wanted to be with him, nothing held back.

He deepened the kiss so that his tongue pulsed within her mouth, short erotic jabs that reminded her of other things he liked to do with his tongue.

She grabbed the back of his neck and pressed her lips harder against his.

When he drew back, his eyes were at half-mast. “How’s the bed upstairs?”

She couldn’t help it; she grinned. “Big.”

His lips curved as well. “Good. But I need a shower.”

“Sounds like the perfect place to start.”

~ ~ ~

Brannick led Juliet upstairs, holding her hand the entire distance. He’d had a difficult time figuring out what was bothering her. She’d been upset about something from the time she’d changed her clothes. Though he thought he understood at least part of it. He was pretty sure she was looking too far into the future and not seeing him in her life.

He could relate because dammit this time with her, having hot sex on her desk in her home by the canal, sharing her fae abilities, watching her slam her feet into Roche’s chest, all made him want something he was determined not to allow into his life.

He despised Five Bridges and from the time he’d signed up to serve as a border patrol officer, he’d been sure of an early death in this stinking long-lived world.

But being so close to Juliet and having a memory of their intimacy, if not all of it, had created a powerful longing for more than he could possible give.

When he reached the top of the stairs, he felt oddly grateful they were both in an unfamiliar place though he couldn’t say why. From what he could remember of the dreamglide sex, they’d been in each other’s bedrooms a lot, but never in this one.

She led him to the bathroom. “Want to share?”

“Hell, yeah,” he said. “I’m remembering what happened last time.”

She tilted her head and played with one of her long curls. “Actually, I have something else in mind.” She turned on her heel and he followed on a quick trot like a begging dog.

The bathroom, in the same mode as the rest of the house, was small. The shower was part of the claw-foot bathtub. He took off his boots and socks, then stripped out of his leathers and tank top. The whole time he watched her as she very slowly lifted her arms and untied the halter of her clinging lavender gown.

He waited, as though struck dumb as men often were by the hope of getting to see a naked woman.

She played it well, easing the straps down very slowly. His arousal stiffened the slower she went. Seeing that her gaze was on his cock, he held his erection in his hand and stroked for her.

Her lips parted and her tongue made an appearance.

But the halter kept moving lower until the fabric dipped to reveal her peaked nipples. When she let the top go and took her breasts in her hands, his fist went faster.

It all seemed so familiar, yet not. She must have done this before, but he couldn’t remember.

He watched as she lifted a finger to her lips and slid it inside then drew it out. It was wet as she circled the tip of one of her nipples.

He groaned and released his cock. He closed the short distance between them, then took her in his arms. He let go of her in almost the same move since he had to get her dress off.

She was laughing as he tugged it over her hips to pool around her feet. She kicked her sandals off.

When she was naked, he drew back just enough to get a good look, but couldn’t bring himself to let go of her. He dipped down and took a breast in his mouth, or as much of it as he could manage. Juliet had beautiful breasts.

The sex earlier had been quick and very hot. But right now, he wanted to take his time. He didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, or even the next few hours.

Her hands were on his head. She used her nails to push his hair back. “I love that you’re doing this to me. I love it so much. You have no idea.”

At that, he rose up and met her gaze. “What are you saying?”

Tears filled her eyes. “I’ve been so freaking lonely, Brann. I was married and I loved my husband. Life was going to be so good. We were trying for a baby.”

He pulled her close and his own eyes burned something fierce. He squeezed his eyes shut not wanting to remember his family or what had happened to them, or even that in his recent delirium he’d spoken with his wife again.

“Maybe we could be together, or at least try.” Had he actually said the words out loud? He drew back and caressed her face.

Her head moved slowly back-and-forth as though in disbelief. “You mean like a relationship? A real one?”

He shrugged. Damn these words were so hard to say. “Maybe we could date.”

He was breaking his rule even speaking the words out loud.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Juliet gripped both of Brannick’s arms. “You want to date me?” They were the words she’d longed to hear for months. But even in the dreamgliding, Brann had held to his non-relationship position.

“Is that something you’d like to do?” His brows were drawn together and a dart of concern flashed through his green eyes.

She reached up and kissed him on the lips. “Yes, so much. You have no idea. I mean, if you knew what you were like, I mean when we made love—”

“I caught a glimpse of it in the dreamglide. The last time I was there, I felt how close we’d become and that sensation hasn’t left even though the memories are still spotty.”

While holding his arms, she smoothed her thumbs over his arms. His skin was warm beneath her hands and so real. She was overcome again and leaned into him, settling her head against his shoulder.

She wanted this so much with him. At the very least she wanted to date.

It occurred to her she’d made the ultimate mistake in engaging with Brannick in the first place because now she craved him. “Remember when we first met? At the White Flame club after Mary recommended me to you?”

His arms tightened around her. “How I could ever forget? You were so sincere, so determined to help.”

“I was. I am. Nothing else matters very much. But I loved your commitment as well. It got to me. I think that’s why I found you in the dreamglide.” Her breath caught. She’d almost told him the truth, but she doubted he had enough knowledge of fae things to fill in the blanks.

He drew back and took her shoulders gently in hands. “If I’d felt in any way free, I would have asked you out then and there. I kept biting my tongue to stop myself from asking for a second meeting. I kept trying to think up a reasonable excuse to see you again.”

She smiled and caressed his face. “I was doing the same thing. I was so attracted to you. Maybe it was your intensity, I don’t know.” She slid her finger down the habitual pinch between his brows, smoothing out the skin. “This is always here, you know. I see it as your doggedness to do what you can in our world.”

He inclined his head slowly. “That’s not likely to change anytime soon, if ever.”

“I know. But it’s part of what I love about you and yes, that’s me saying I’d love to date you, whatever that looks like in Crescent or here in Revel. Even if it’s a stolen, brief, secret time, I don’t care.”

She knew when the last words left her mouth she’d just described the five months of their dreamglide sex: Stolen, brief and secret. So, secret that even Brann didn’t fully know what had happened between them.

“Then it’s settled. Once we figure out how to neutralize Roche’s intentions toward you and Mary, we’ll start going out.”

She smiled, if a little. “We should revisit the White Flame since they honor all five species.”

“We’ll definitely do that.”

“Then you can take me back to your place and we’ll do some wrestling in your Alabama Crimson sheets.”

He drew back and held her gaze. “We’ll wrestle, and I’ll use my tongue a lot, the way you like it.”

She caught his face in her hand. “I love your tongue. Everywhere.”

“I know you do. And I love your mouth surrounding my cock and taking me in as far as you can.”

She nodded in three quick jerks of her head. Her lips had parted mostly because she was finding it hard to breathe. Her whole body trembled with anticipation.