Dream Lover (23 page)

“And set me free.” He inclined his head and his shoulderlength black hair brushed his shoulders. “I would thank you for that.”

She took another step into the room and caught a glimpse of a roaring fire in the fireplace, a pair of golden goblets on a tray and little else. “I don’t understand.”

“It is quite simple. I was imprisoned in the stone for many centuries. I needed the kiss of a maiden to set me free.”

“I’m not exactly a maiden,” Rose muttered.

“But you did set me free.”

She stared at him, felt her feet moving her even closer to the bed. Her backpack slid to the floor with a heavy thump. “But this isn’t real. How can it be?” She gestured at the huge bed, the
warm fire. “I must have bumped my head really hard. I’m either in the middle of my favorite dream, or I’m in a coma.”

He rose to his feet with a smooth grace that reminded her of a leopard and took her hands. He was at least six inches taller than her, so she had to look up at him. The ivy tattoo covered the left side of his body from his fingertips to his toes and gleamed with life.

“You are not dreaming. You brought me back to life from the sacred stone, and I am here to please you.”

“For how long?”

His smile was breathtaking. “Until morning, or until you beg me to stop because your body cannot take such exquisite pleasure.”

Rose felt herself blushing. “Oh.” She glanced down at his chest and swallowed. “But it doesn’t make any sense…”

He leaned forward and kissed her, and she forgot what she was saying. His taste seemed somehow familiar. She parted her lips and his tongue delved into her mouth and took possession. As his scent and taste engulfed her, she forgot how to breathe or think anymore. She brought her hand up to his dark hair and held on tight, let him blot out the humiliations of the past twenty-four hours and allowed herself to be desired.

He framed her face in his hands. “That man was a contemptible fool to deceive you.”

“You know about him?”

“When I’m encased in the stone, the only way to prevent madness is to allow my mind to go free, to live through others’ experiences—to exist in the only way I can.”

“And you’ve visited my dreams?”

“Of course, why else would you be here? I found you, and I could not let you go.”

Rose reached up to touch his cheek. “You saw
all
my dreams?”

His smile this time was wicked. “Indeed.” He smoothed his
hand down her back. “And I remember every single fantasy you have ever had.”

He bent his head again, and she placed her hand on his lips. “Wait.”

Rose knew it was time to make a decision. She was pressed from knee to nose to a beautiful desirable man who wanted to thank her for setting him free from the stone. It seemed impossible, it was impossible, but she didn’t care. “If I do this, what will happen to me? Will I still be the same?”

He gently prised her fingers away from his mouth and his eyes danced with amusement. “Why should you not be? Do you think I mean to harm you? The woman who has given me freedom and the ability to join my physical body with another’s?” He placed her hand over his heart. “I swear to you on this green earth, that I will never hurt you.”

She studied his face and nodded. “I know this is crazy, but I believe you.”

His smile widened, and he hooked a finger under the strap of her dress. “Then may I undress you, my lady?”

She nodded and closed her eyes as his fingers moved over her, baring her flesh. He breathed out her name with such reverence it sounded like a prayer. She shivered as he cupped her small breasts, his thumbs covering her nipples and rubbing them into taut, aching peaks. He kissed her chin and her throat and then fell to his knees and kissed her belly.

“You are beautiful, my Rose.” He encircled her waist with his arm. “Let me taste you.” His tongue touched her swollen clit and she gasped.

“But I don’t even know your name!”

He slowly licked his lips. “I have many names in many cultures, my lady. Itztli, Obsidian and Lugh—but perhaps you would prefer, Camalus?”

Rose grabbed his shoulder as he urged her thighs slightly apart. “Yes, whatever, just…”

His wicked chuckle reverberated against her sex as he teased her with his tongue in a swirling, gliding pattern that made her clit throb and her hips angle toward his mouth. She dug her fingernails into his muscled shoulder, but he didn’t seem to mind. He delved deeper, his fingers adding to her torment, flicking, widening and opening her to him until she could hardly stand.

“Please…”

He tightened his grip around her hips and continued, the hard tip of his tongue now plunging inside her as his fingers danced over her clit. She gave herself over to the pleasure, heard his deep groan of satisfaction as she pulsed and throbbed against his mouth and palm. With effortless strength, he picked her up and deposited her on the bed. She sank down into the feather mattress and he reared over her, his cock erect and wet, his muscles rippling with coiled energy.

“Now, my lady.”

She opened her legs and he surged inward, his thick cock thrusting deep and sure as if they had been lovers for years, for centuries. With a satisfied sigh, Rose curled her arms and legs around him and absorbed his fast rhythm, felt each shock and pulse deep inside her, until she stopped thinking and only existed as flesh to flesh, mouth to mouth, and need to desperate need. He groaned and knelt up, bringing her legs around his waist, making the angle more acute, and pounded into her, his face drawn with lust and something far more intense.

He came with a growl and then whispered her name as he filled her, bringing on another climax for Rose. With a sigh, he sank down over her and buried his face in her neck. “Thank you, my Rose.”

She smiled against his muscular shoulder and let him roll
her over until she lay sprawled on him. She traced a path over his tattooed chest with her fingers until he caught them beneath his own.

“If you touch me like that, I’ll want you again.”

She regarded him seriously. “I don’t mind. You’re not one of these men who only gets it up once a night, are you?”

His body shook with laughter, and he placed her hand over his newly erect cock. “I’m not quite sure what that means but I’m always eager for more. I was trying to be considerate.” She squeezed his shaft quite hard and his ivy green gaze narrowed on her face. “By the gods, touch me like that again.”

“I can do better than that.” Rose shimmied lower until she crouched between his legs and wrapped her hand around the base of his shaft. He shifted up the bed until he could look at her. Slowly, she used her tongue to lick a salacious circle around the crown of his cock. “I dreamed of doing this to you: did you dream it too?”

“Aye,” he whispered. “And much more, and yet still you offer me more than I could ever have imagined.”

She drew him deeper until the crown of his cock filled her mouth like a ripe plum and then deeper still until he groaned her name and tried to ease himself even farther down her throat. She took all of him in and continued to suck until he was thrashing on the sheets and arching his back. With a rough sound he grabbed her around the waist and flipped her around. He entered her from behind, one hand locked around her hips, the other braced on the sheets as he thrust into her.

Rose climaxed with a fierceness that surprised her and then again, until her existence narrowed to the slap of his flesh against hers and the incredible sensations roaring through her body. His movements became shorter and less fluid and he came hard, roaring his triumph as he brought them both down to the bed.

After a little while, he moved off her and gathered her against his chest again. “You are a miracle, my Rose. You are everything I dreamed you would be.”

“Do you dream of many women?”

He stroked her hair. “It is true that I pass through many people’s dreams, but only a few women respond to me and can meet me there.”

“How many?”

His laughter was a slow rumble against her ear. “Over the past ten centuries, maybe half a dozen.”

Rose raised her head to look at him. “Ten centuries? This house is only a hundred years old.”

“But my stone came from a quarry in Eire where my race, the Stone Walkers, came into existence many millennia ago.”

“But why didn’t anyone else see the carving?”

“Because only those we dreamwalk with can do that—and the chances of us meeting are slim. I have been trying to coax you over those walls for three years.”

She snuggled against him. “I was so unhappy tonight. I wanted to escape.”

“And that is why you found me. Your emotions were very strong.” He hesitated. “I wanted to break out of the stone and come to you.”

Rose levered herself up again so that she could look down at his beautiful flushed face, tangled black hair, and compelling green eyes. “Can you ever be free of the stone?”

“Some can merge and leave the stone at will.” A hint of sadness passed over his face. “But it requires a willing sacrifice.”

“What kind of sacrifice?”

He looked at her steadily. “A life. My gods are ancient and believe in blood sacrifice. I am not inclined to ask that of anyone.” He reached up and drew her back down to him. “What I do ask,
is that you will share this night with me. It will leave me with many happy memories when I return to the stone.”

Rose stared at his calm face. What could she say? He asked for so little, and yet she wished she could give him so much more.

He smiled and brushed her cheek with his fingertip. “Don’t cry for me, my Rose. You have given me more joy this night than I’ve had in a thousand years.”

She swallowed down her grief that she’d finally met the man of her dreams, and he was unable to stay with her. If they only had the one night, she would enjoy it and take it with her into a new life. With a sigh, she kissed his luscious mouth and allowed him to draw her back into his arms.

 

Rose woke up to the roar and grind of machinery and leapt out of bed and found her clothes. She grabbed her backpack and ran down the stairs only to find herself surrounded by a lethal mass of mechanical machines and the sound of destruction. She ran up to the first man she saw and tried to shout above the noise.

“What are you doing?”

“We’re knocking this place down, Miss. You shouldn’t be here.”

She grabbed his arm. “You can’t do that! There’s a man up there in the tower!” She pointed up at the small window.

With a curse, the man shook her off and marched over to another group of guys all wearing hardhats. Rose followed on his heels. “Boss. Lady says there’s a man up there in the tower.”

“What?” yelled the oldest and obviously most senior man. He glared at Rose. “There’s no door in that tower. There’s no one up there.” He looked around impatiently. “Find someone to escort this young woman off the premises.”

Rose protested, but no one took any notice. Before anyone could stop her, she ran back toward the tower, but the door had
disappeared. Where was Camalus? Behind her, a shout went up and she swallowed down the sobs tearing at her throat. The wrecking ball was slowly winding back and headed straight for the tower. As the tower reeled and crumpled from the impact of the huge weight, Rose heard him whisper good-bye.

Without thought for her safety, she ran toward the now half-ruined tower and scrabbled through the stones, her fingers bleeding from the sharp unforgiving shards. Hard hands descended on her shoulders and she shook them off.

“Miss, get the fuck out of here! Are you nuts?”

She ignored the voice and crawled farther into the damaged tower. “Where are you?”

“
Rose?
”

She found what she was looking for, folded it into her arms and avoiding the angry looking guy, sprinted for the driveway. No one followed her. When she reached the gates she paused and slowly uncovered the stone face she had pressed to her breasts.

There was nothing on the stone. It was as blank as her future. With a hopeless cry Rose sank down onto her knees and started to cry.

“That was a very dangerous thing to do, my Rose. You could’ve been killed.”

With a gasp, she spun around to see Camalus sitting crosslegged on the grass behind her. The joy in his face was as glorious as the morning sun.

“You…are here?”

“I am, thanks to you.” He touched her bloodied cheek. “You were prepared to sacrifice your life for me. My gods obviously approved.”

“Are you able to go back into the stone at will now?”

His smile died. “Why, do you wish me to leave?”

She studied his muscular body. There were going to be many
problems ahead, but she didn’t want to think of them right now. But at least one thing had to be addressed. “You’re naked.”

“And you do not wish to look upon me?”

“I wish to look upon you very much, but I’m not sure everyone else will approve.” She hesitated as he sighed and reluctantly eyed the stone. “You will be able to get out of there again, won’t you?”

“If you kiss me, I’m sure I will.”

“Then let’s go and get my stuff and plan what to do next.”

He winked at her. “Don’t worry, Rose. I have a few abilities you haven’t seen yet. We’ll survive.”

Somehow, she didn’t doubt it.

 

 

 

 

 

I
used to be able to summon him by calling his name: “Zack!” He’d show up; a tall, pale, beautiful youth, with long black hair and twinkling obsidian eyes. That was in the distant past.
My
distant past, that is. The last time we were together he said he’d leave me to figure things out in my own time, and a lot of that sort of time has passed.

I wanted other things: marriage and children. I wanted sunlight, food and drink. I wanted to age and die and go to heaven. I was young.