The Knight of Her Dreams (Dragons and Dreamphasers) (33 page)

“You never learn, Riff,” Dominick
said quietly, giving a forced laugh.  “But fortunately for me, I have.  I
suspected this, even when you said nothing at Lost Limbo earlier.”

“Look, I was curious, because you
wouldn’t tell me anything.  I just came here to see what this Julianna of yours
was like, that’s all.”

“Really?” sneered Dominick.  “Well,
let’s just say I don’t like your
methods
of introduction.  And if
you weren’t my brother...”  Stopping himself, he drew a forced breath.  “But
seeing as you are, however unfortunate that is, I’m above killing family.”

“Gee, Phase, thanks a lot!” Riff
replied sarcastically.

Ignoring him, Dominick continued,
“Meaning I’ll just have to settle for this retribution instead.”

Punching his unsuspecting brother
again, he knocked him to the floor just before delivering more blows.

Having similar strength, Riff used
this to advantage, tripping his brother to fall to his level, before taking the
initiative to strike back this time.  Julianna gasped with each blow that
contacted against Dominick, feeling as if she was being similarly struck, yet
helpless to interrupt the struggle between the arguing pair.

“You and your petty women,” sneered
Riff, pinning Dominick to the floor.  “How long are you going to fool this one
into believing you know the meaning of the word love?  Another week?  Two
maybe?”

Rage contorted Dominick’s features as
he gave a low growl, punching Riff in the stomach and rolling away from him. 
As his brother clutched his stomach in pain, Dominick looked to him with
loathing.  “I’m not letting Julianna go, you idiot!  Whether you believe it or
not, I do love her, and not for some damned temporary affair!”

“Sure,” scoffed Riff.  “And what
happens when the passion fades and the bed sheets turn cold?”

Dominick mumbled a low curse before
attacking him anew, the pair wrestling amidst their punches and jabs.  Julianna
stood back from the fray, unable to hear everything said, but unwilling to
leave Dominick, no matter what the outcome.

After a time, the fighting pair
finally broke apart to steal some much-needed breaths.  “Geez, Phase, why
didn’t you just tell me you were so possessive of this one?”

“You have the gall to ask me that
after what you pulled tonight?” sneered Dominick.  “You may have tricked some
other women I’ve known, Riff, but Julianna’s different.  She’s not going to be
yours in any way whatsoever.  And if I have to beat this knowledge into your
thick skull all night, I will!”

Seeing Dominick looking all too
anxious to do just that, Riff held up a hand in protest.

“Okay, okay!” he yelled.  “You’ve
proven your point.  You said you were above killing family, remember?”  Dominick’s
jaw flexed tightly, but he said nothing, while Riff rubbed the back of his
head.  “You sure are one hell of a headache when you’re angry.  And a
backache... and a stomachache.”

Eyeing his brother warily, but
finally satisfied, Dominick walked over to Julianna.  Longing to hold her, yet
worried over her seeing his anger so blatantly demonstrated, he ran a hand
through his hair instead and sighed.

She merely stared at him, remaining
silent.

“I’m sorry you were here to witness
this,” he said quietly.  “It’s not the first time Riff and I have tangled over
something.  And when I got here to find him holding you trapped...  Julianna, I
swear I’d never hurt you.  At the most, my anger might surface verbally, but
that’s the extent of it, so don’t ever think...”

Her arms encircling his neck
interrupted him, hugging him close.  “I love you,” she whispered simply.  “And
I know you’d never hurt me.  I’m just glad you showed up when you did, and that
you don’t seem too badly hurt.”

Not one to question this, Dominick
welcomed her embrace, fully intending to hold her that way forever.  For long
moments, he savored the feeling that she was safe in his arms again, until he
gradually remembered his brother.  Still holding Julianna, he turned to Riff
warily.

“Are
you
in one piece?”
he asked evenly.

“Not by much, thank you,” Riff
replied sardonically, cursing his sore body as he tried to stand with
difficulty. 
Damn dreams can be too real for one’s own good
, he mused,
surprised when Julianna slowly broke away from her companion to stand before
him, giving him her hand in assistance.

He turned a worried look to his
brother, but Dominick merely watched him coolly, his gaze speaking both
acceptance and warning at the same time.  When Riff was fully standing and
Julianna tried to move away, he wouldn’t relinquish her hand.  Sensing his
brother’s eyes darkening upon him, he persisted nonetheless.

“For whatever it’s worth, I’m sorry,”
he said quietly.  “I guess part of me is sorry that my brother found you
first.  You do seem different from the rest.”

“And you’re certainly… unique
yourself, Riff,” she replied, earning an amused laugh from him.

“Tactfully put, lady.”

“But although you may own this
company of sorts...”  Her gaze turned to meet Dominick’s with a smile.  “My
heart belongs to the other Mr. Westbrooke.”

“Right,” sighed Riff, recapturing her
attention.  He flashed her a brief smile.  “Friends then?” he asked.  She
hesitated, but then shook his hand with agreement, even as his smile became a
grin.  “So, what are we all doing tonight?” he asked cheerfully.

“
We
are going
elsewhere,” Dominick said decisively, stepping forward to place a protective
arm about Julianna’s shoulders.  “
You
, my dear brother, are going
back home, or at least somewhere far away from us tonight.  If there’s anything
else, it can wait until tomorrow.  Understood?”

“Does my battered body have a
choice?” Riff asked, tossing a mischievous look over his shoulder as he turned
to leave.  “But if I
may make a
suggestion, skip the frozen lake idea next time.  It would
have been even worse if you decided to...”

“Good night, Riff!” he replied
emphatically.

Riff’s amused laughter echoed as he
vanished in a brief flash of light.

Always a comedian!
thought Dominick, turning upon
hearing Julianna laugh softly.

“A bit too incorrigible for his own
good, isn’t he?” she told her curious companion.

“Mildly put,” he agreed, smiling
slowly as he reached forward to lift her off the ground.  “Now then, my lady, I
believe I suggested earlier for us to return to our dream castle.”

“Ready to leave when you are,” she
replied, hugging him closer as the scenery about them vanished, soon replaced
by the walls of their castle room.

Julianna expected him to place her on
the bed, as he often did when they arrived here, but instead, he set her down
in one of the chairs by the window.  Before she could say a word, he knelt
beside her, gently holding her hand.

“Julianna, are you sure you’re all
right?” he asked softly.  “Riff didn’t... hurt you in any way?”  Knowing
instantly what he referred to, she shook her head.  “Thank Chavernos,” he
sighed.  “Even so, you must be shaken up.”

“I was afraid,” she admitted.  “I
didn’t know it was your brother, and even if I had, I would have been
frightened by his earlier actions.  Even though he did stop trying to seduce me
to listen to reason at one point, I’m afraid I wasn’t too sorry when you gave
him a few good punches, after the way he treated me initially.”

Dominick smirked slightly.  “Well, he
asked for it.”  Brushing a curl from her cheek, he added, “But I promise I’d
never vent my anger on you like that.  I’d only do what’s necessary to protect
you from any who might hurt you, and especially other men.  There are things
about you that I refuse to share with them.”

“I’d never want to share what we have
with anyone else,” she agreed.  “I love you, Dominick, and you’re the only one
I can ever see in that way.”

“How fortunate the feeling is mutual,
my lady,” he whispered with a smile, leaning forward to kiss her.  Shutting her
eyes, she welcomed his gentle touch to wipe away the recent events.

Not breaking the kiss, he stood up to
draw her from the chair, sweeping her into his arms again, and carrying her to
the bed.  As he placed her atop the covers before sitting alongside of her, she
couldn’t help noticing the interest in his eyes.

“I conjured this dress up earlier,
thinking it was you in that room with me,” she explained.  “That was before I
realized it was a stranger, of course, and then...”  Her voice trailed off, as
he reached forward to clasp her hands.

“What did happen?” he asked quietly.

Julianna told him all, but stressed
that Riff had started to back down just before he’d arrived.  His earlier
behavior at their initial meeting was still enough to magnify his anger against
his brother.  Just the thought of Riff trying to put his hands on her made
Dominick want to go after his departed sibling.  But for now, he knew that any
dealings with him would have to wait.

“Come here, love,” he said gently,
holding his arms out to her, which she accepted gladly.  Clasping her tightly
in his protective embrace, Dominick stroked the long hair streaming down her
back, kissing her cheek as she held him tightly.

“I know nothing happened,” she
stammered, “but at first, it reminded me of that incident with Daffordshire,
and I didn’t know who he was.  I was afraid you wouldn’t come for me, and that
he might...”

“Shhh, it’s all right, love,” he
whispered.  “You’re safe with me now, and no one can hurt you.”

He kissed her eyes, while smoothing
back the curls from her forehead.  Slowly, she began to respond, moving her
head to welcome his kiss.  His lips brushed hers tenderly, as light as the
wind.  While she understood his extra attentiveness to her earlier fears,
another part of her craved more.

“Dominick, I’m not afraid with you,”
she whispered against him.  His eyes met hers, questioning them as her
trembling hand reached up to touch his cheek.  “Please... love me like you
always do.”

Sensing an unspoken need for comfort
within her words, a soft smile crossed his expression.  “If you’re certain, let
it be as my lady wishes,” he replied, pulling her close to kiss her more
passionately.  The flames of their ever-present desire for each other kindled
anew, burning away the bad memories.

Cradling her face gently, Dominick
caressed her as his kisses deepened, his mouth teasing hers open.  A soft moan
escaped her, spurring him to pull her closer, his hands stroking upwards.  With
the low-cut back of the dress, his hands instantly came in contact with her
bared skin, even before they slid within to reach what was still hidden.

Julianna gave a short gasp against
his kisses as the dress fell away, feeling his hands cover the softness of her
breasts, warming and awakening them as his kisses traveled along her neck to
earn a greater response.

“So beautiful,” he murmured, still
caressing her as he held her.  Raising her chin for a moment, Dominick caught
her gaze, allowing her to see the protective gleam in his own eyes.  “I
promise, my love, I’ll let no other touch you again as my foolish brother did
tonight.  This which is between us is ours alone... forever.”

Kissing her passionately to emphasize
his words, she responded sweetly in kind, feeling that the bond between them
had only grown stronger.

As if having read her thoughts, which
of course she knew he could, he flashed her a smile, kissing her deeply once
more before his kisses traveled lower.

She arched back in pleasure as his
mouth warmly fell to her breasts that he’d just inflamed with his touch, her
hands clutching his shoulders while he stroked her bare back.  All memories of
Riff’s actions were erased, replaced by Dominick’s loving caresses, as his
mouth gradually sought hers again.

Impishly, she began tugging at his
shirt, sliding it off his shoulders, to feel his skin grow heated beneath her
touch.  As her hands drew along his chest and lower, his breathing became
ragged, while his eyes blazed fire.

His kisses held the same fire,
consuming her as she entwined her arms about his neck.  Easing the dress from
her completely, Dominick’s kisses trailed down the length of her, casting the
thin fabric aside.  Julianna felt rapture from his ardent kisses, feeling an
intensity of possession from him that surely stemmed from what happened
earlier.

Her last clothing melted away as
Dominick kissed her deeply, just before he pulled away to take care of his
own.  Nearly breathless, she smiled as the sight of him, watching the muscles
flex in his bare back.

Casting patience aside, she reached
out to put her arms around him, giving a laugh when he started at her touch.

He turned to her with a mischievous
smile.  “Can’t wait half a moment?” he chuckled.

Julianna shook her head.  “Not when
it’s you,” she replied, kissing his shoulder before resting her head upon it,
her arms reaching about to hug his waist.  “Wake me when you’re done,” she
murmured teasingly.