DREAM LOVER (12 page)

“Thank God,” she said on a sigh.  “I was so afraid I wouldn’t live up to the woman in your dreams.”

“Trust me, sweetheart, you have no worries on that score.”

“You were pretty spectacular yourself,” she purred.

Desire speared through his belly but he tamped it down, albeit with great reluctance.  After a year of celibacy, his body was more than willing to go another round, but they’d already made love twice and it was well after midnight.  A good night’s sleep was in order for both of them, though he doubted they’d make it to morning without being disturbed by Rachel’s nightmare.  She mumbled something unintelligible when he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and told her good-night, and within minutes she was fast asleep.  Nic closed his eyes and quickly followed suit just as a clock somewhere downstairs chimed the hour before going silent again.

                        ***

A delicious warmth ran along the length of her body, a warmth that sank into her skin and made her tingle all over when she opened her eyes to find Nic watching her.  There was no need to ask what he was thinking; the answer was evident in the look of raw hunger on his handsome face and the throbbing erection that was pressing into her belly.  Rachel curled her arms around his neck and pulled his mouth down onto hers, already so aroused that Nic groaned when his hand slipped between her thighs and discovered she was more than ready for him.

It was different this time, even better than the night before because she could see his face and admire his sleek muscles as he levered himself over her.  She’d never made love with her eyes open before, mostly because her partner either had his eyes glued to her breasts or he was concentrating so hard on getting himself off his face was red and contorted, and it always left her wondering why she’d found him attractive to begin with.  But it wasn’t like that with Nic.  His dark eyes locked with hers, drawing her into their depths, making the connection she felt with him so much more than physical.

Oh, she wasn’t foolish enough to think she was in love with him, but she was falling fast and hard and knew it wouldn’t take much to push her over the edge.  Besides being a phenomenal lover, Nic was thoughtful and kind, and the fact that he seemed so oblivious to his own giving nature only made Rachel adore him even more.  While she’d been indulging herself by lounging in bed after they’d made love, Nic had dashed downstairs and returned a short time later carrying a breakfast tray.

“I hope you like your breakfast a la carte,” Nic said as he balanced the tray in one hand and opened the doors to the balcony with the other.  “There’s a nice cozy table for two out here,” he called over his shoulder.

Rachel sat up, tucking the sheet up under her arms as she scanned the room for her clothes.  “I don’t suppose you brought the suitcases up,” she asked when he came back in.

“Not yet.”  He leaned down and gave her a kiss.  “You see, I had this vision of you wearing my t-shirt while we ate out on the balcony, and decided I’d have a much better chance of convincing you to fulfill my fantasy if your only other choice was the sheet.”

“I still have the clothes I wore last night,” she pointed out.

Nic’s grin was smug.  “If you could find them, you mean?”

“You didn’t!”

“What can I say,” he shrugged, “I’m completely shameless.”  Nic peeled off his t-shirt and held out to her.  “Suit yourself,” he said when Rachel crossed her arms and refused to take it, “but I think I should warn you there’s a bit of breeze outside, so wearing the sheet could be a little risky…or should I say risqué?”

Rachel snatched the shirt from his hand.  “Don’t be surprised if
your
clothes go missing one of these fine mornings.”  She purposely let the sheet slip away, brazenly displaying her nudity as she stood up to put his shirt on.  “Oh, no you don’t,” she slapped his hand away.  “Looking is as far as this fantasy goes, Dr. Covelli.”

She didn’t get two steps away before Nic grabbed her around the waist and pulled her up hard against his chest.  Laughing at her feeble attempt to wriggle free, Nic easily subdued her with a long, sensuous kiss that left her as docile as a lamb by the time he let her go.  He was feeling quite pleased with himself as they headed towards the balcony, but when Rachel flashed him the same smug smile he’d given her earlier, he began to suspect she’d gotten one over on him.  He waited until they were seated and he’d poured them both a cup of coffee before leveling accusatory eyes at her.

“You weren’t irritated at all by what I’d done, were you?”

Rachel grinned.  “I thought it was a rather clever way of getting what you wanted.”

“So you baited me by pretending to be annoyed, knowing I wouldn’t let you walk way without trying to kiss and make up.”

Her smile broadened.  “If you weren’t playing fair, why should I?”

“Looks like we both got what we wanted then.”

“Not quite.”  Rachel’s lusty gaze wandered over his bare chest for a moment before returning to his face. 

“
You
are a greedy woman,” Nic said then added a mumbled, “thank God.”

“It’s your own fault,” she replied, spooning fruit onto her plate.  “I’ve never been with a man who was just as concerned about my pleasure as he was his own.  It was…nice.”

“It was
nice?”

Rachel’s lip twitched.  “All right, it was more than nice.  The sex was spectacular, explosive, freaking over the moon and back.  There.  Have I salved your male ego sufficiently?”

“Not even close,” he drawled, “but you can make it up to me later.”

Her eyes made an encore sweep of his broad chest.  “It’s the least I can do after assaulting your pride.” 

Nic tore off a piece of the croissant he’d been toying with and popped it into his mouth.  He liked knowing he’d made it as good for her as it was for him, and maybe it
was
just male ego, but he liked knowing she’d placed him above the other men she’d been with.  What he didn’t much care for was the image of Rachel in another man’s arms… or another man’s bed.  Had she looked at them the way she’d looked at him this morning?  Had those green eyes of hers gazed up at other lovers with the same longing, or was it simply arrogance on his part to believe it was for him and him alone?

“You’ve grown sullen all of a sudden,” Rachel said with a timid smile.  “It’s because of me, isn’t it?”

“As a matter of fact it is, but how did you…?”

“I was afraid of that.  God, I’m sorry Nic.  It’s just that I’ve never felt this way before and I guess I’m not very good at hiding it, but you don’t have to worry that I’ll become a clinging vine or expect you to stop dating other women just because we’ve slept together…” Rachel shook her head.  “Okay, scratch that because I really, really don’t want you to date other women.  Not that I’m the jealous type because I’m not… at least I wasn’t before, but I’m just crazy about you so I can’t promise….”

Suddenly aware that she was babbling, Rachel clamped her mouth shut and waited for the inevitable.  She’d been too obvious about the depth of her feelings for him and was convinced Nic was going to conjure up a forgotten business trip or urgent personal matter that would explain why he had to leave.  She gnawed at her bottom lip and stole a quick glance at him before looking away, unable to bear the blank expression on his face.  Maybe he was torn as to whether he should stay or not because he felt obligated by his promise to help free her from the nightmare. 

The nightmare
.  Rachel’s breath caught in her throat when she realized she’d slept through the night without dreaming at all.  Turning her eyes back to Nic, she seriously considered keeping it from him as a rouse to make him stay, but quickly changed her mind.  She didn’t want him here because she’d tricked him or because he felt obligated, and she certainly didn’t want to subject herself to the pain of listening to whatever white lie he’d come up with about why he had to go.  No, if he needed an easy out, she’d give it to him.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is that last night was wonderful but I’m not some naïve little virgin that thinks having sex means you must have deep feelings for me.  Obviously I’m attracted to you or I wouldn’t have slept with you but I’m not going to fall to pieces if you’ve changed your mind about staying here for the next few weeks.  Besides, I imagine one of the biggest reasons you even considered it was because of the dreams that seem to connect us in some way but that’s gone now so there’s no reason…”

“Gone?  You mean you didn’t have the dream or the nightmare?”

“No.  As a matter of fact I slept more soundly last night than I have in months.  The cycle is broken, so there’s no need for you to continue the sleep study on me… or to stick around here.”

Nic’s brows drew together.  “You’re throwing out mixed signals, Rachel.  First you say you don’t want me seeing other women and now you’re making it sound as if you don’t want me here at all.”

“I
do
want you here, and if I’m blowing hot and cold, it’s because I don’t want to scare you off by blurting out how I feel just like I did a few minutes ago.”

Nic’s eyes danced with amusement.  “Let me get this straight.  You think telling me you’re crazy about me and that you want me all to yourself is going to scare me off?”

“You don’t get it, Nic.  That was just the tip of the iceberg.  If I hadn’t stopped myself from babbling like an idiot and telling you how I really feel, you would have lit out of here like your tail was on fire.”

“You honestly believe that?”

“I saw the way you were looking at me,” her voice wobbled.  “It was pretty obvious you were having second thoughts, and I just wanted to make it easier for you.  That’s why I said you didn’t have to stick around.”

“You misread me if it was doubt you saw on my face.”  Nic rose from the table and went to her.  Taking Rachel’s hand, he pulled her to her feet and gathered her in his arms.  “This is unchartered territory for both of us, and even though my head keeps telling me to slow it down, that I couldn’t possibly feel as deeply as I do for you… my heart doesn’t seem to be getting the message.”

“If that’s the conclusion you came to, you didn’t look too happy about it.”

Nic couldn’t resist planting a kiss on her pouty lips.  “Do you want to know what I was really thinking?  I was thinking about this morning when we’d made love and the way you looked at me as if I was the center of your universe.  I was trying to convince myself I was the only man who’d ever been on the receiving end of it, so if I seemed a bit sullen it was because I didn’t like the idea I might be wrong.”

Rachel’s pulse raced as she slipped her arms around his neck.  “You weren’t wrong.  I just… I don’t want to mess it up by telling you things you might not be ready to hear.”

“It’s a self-preservation tool we’re both guilty of using; being overly cautious because we’ve found something we want to hang on to.  Neither of us wants to risk exposing too much of our emotions too soon, or take the chance our hearts will be crushed if we offer it up to the other.”

She nodded solemnly.  “I’ve never been so scared in my life, Nic.”

“Me either,” he admitted, “but we’re not really giving this a chance to develop into something more meaningful than mutual attraction and great sex if we’re afraid to let our guards down and trust one another.”

“It’s just moving so fast. I feel like I’m strapped to the engine of a runaway train.  I have no control and that scares the hell out of me, but it’s exhilarating too, because I’ve never felt so alive.”

“That’s a very interesting analogy and one I can relate to, except I have to wonder how much more thrilling the ride would be if we weren’t keeping our eyes glued to the tracks.”

“Worrying about each dangerous curve and whether the tracks might come to an end?”

“Exactly,” Nic said with a grin.

“It sounds like you’re suggesting a commitment.  I thought that was something most men avoided like the plague.”

“True, but I’m not like most men, which is what makes me such a fine catch.”

Rachel laughed.  “If you’re such a fine catch, how do you explain your current status as a bachelor?”

“Because up until now I’ve been very careful to just nibble at the bait, so there was never any danger of getting hooked.”

In a breathy voice she asked, “And now?”

“Now…” he drew her closer, “the lure is much too tantalizing to resist.”

“Even knowing you could end up in the frying pan?”

Nic chuckled.  “I’ll take my chances.”

“You’re a very brave man, Dr. Covelli.”

“Hmmmm… that would infer I have something to be afraid of by venturing into a relationship with you.”

“I’ll never tell,” she laughed.

“In that case, maybe I should offer to buy sister Monica lunch if she’ll divulge some of your deep, dark secrets.”

“Believe me, if Monica ever got you alone, the last thing she’d do is talk about me.” 

Rachel silently chastised herself for the twinge of jealousy that speared through her at the thought of her flirtatious sister dazzling Nic with her infectious smile and vivacious personality.  She’d always admired Monica’s carefree attitude, envied her ability to draw people to her like bees to honey, but she’d never been jealous of her before.  Besides, if Nic was interested in her sister, he wouldn’t have taken a two week leave from work to stay with her at the mansion, or made love to her half the night… or looked at her the way he was doing right now.