Reid's Deliverance (24 page)

A car pulled up in the driveway. Jan. She had papers for them to sign. He was buying the cabin. That made sense, but so did what he said.

“Listen,” Reid continued. “Hear me with that part of you who knows who I am. Come back with me and let me show you what I mean.”

Glimpses of images, fragments of feelings pulled together into a jumbled collage. Confusing, intriguing, important. She wanted to understand. Needed to follow him through whatever rabbit hole he took her down for the answers.

Insistent knocking and his gaze battled for her attention. Underneath warnings of uncertainty, strong, unexplained desire welled. Why not go with him? “I’ll do it. So, what happens now?”

He tightened his arms. Excitement and relief sparked in his eyes. “You hold on to me.”

A golden mist surrounded them. Suddenly, the world shifted as if she were hurtling through space. Seconds later, it stopped.

They stood on the top of a hill covered with trees. Higher snowcapped mountains reached up into a bright blue, cloudless sky. This wasn’t Mazree. Here the colors popped with a vividness that made them seem unreal. Shape, texture, even from a distance it was if she could feel the lushness of the landscape. The air floated in her lungs, buzzing through her like a shot of pure energy.

A dream. That would explain why it seemed so perfect and normal. Why she felt so calm about him literally whisking her away to another place. Driving to the cabin. Calling Ari. Waiting for the Realtor to show up. A hot guy looking at her as if she mattered more than anything to him. Yep. Right now, she was lying in bed with a goofy smile on her face, and she was going with it.

“How are you?” His brow furrowed with concern. “Are you feeling okay?”

“A little dizzy.” She shivered, melding into his body heat. Could a person feel so warm and cozy in a dream? “And cold.”

“Good.” He grinned. You’ve gotten used to it.”

“To what?”

“Tell you later.”

“Just as long as you tell me before my alarm goes off.”

He gave her a quizzical look as he led her toward a blue tent. “Sure. Let’s get you into some warmer clothes. I think I packed everything you need, but if I didn’t, let me know. I’ll get it for you.”

“Shouldn’t it work the opposite way?”

“What do you mean?”

For a dream-fantasy guy, he was a little slow on the uptake. “Isn’t this the part where we take off our clothes and make mad, passionate love?”

His face flushed. “Well, I thought we’d work up to that.”

She slipped her hands under his shirt and skimmed rock-hard abs. Who knew you could feel body heat in a dream? She moved lower, unfastened his jeans, and yanked down his zipper. “Why wait?”

He swallowed hard. “Are you sure?” His arousal swelled underneath her palm.

“Absofrikenlutely.”

He swept her up in his arms and hurried to the tent. “Whatever the lady wants.”

Best dream ever.

Lauren snuggled deeper into the sleeping bag. The scents of coffee and bacon wafted into the tent. Wonderful days and glorious nights, they blended into one delicious blur of Reid treating her like a queen and making love to her like a sex god. And it wasn’t real. It would end with her waking up in her own bed heartbroken that the dream had finally ended. She’d tried to address the issue, but he always deleted the question. A wickedly handsome smile. A passionate kiss. Him just staring at her with love in his eyes.

They’d taken long hikes overlooking breathtaking views of lush green and swam in a warm, crystal-clear stream. They mapped out stars and just sat holding each other, listening to the crickets. He’d even made s’mores and sang to her. Yesterday, she’d awakened with him inside of her, filling her completely and claiming her heart. The joy of being his made her chest ache. She’d fallen in love not only with the man of her dreams but also the man in them.

She got dressed in a sweater and jeans and went outside, bracing for it. The moment she looked into his eyes, he’d tempt her into wanting to ignore reality, but this time, she’d stand firm. He had to let her wake up and go back to her real life.

“Good morning, beautiful.” He embraced her tightly, then slipped a hand in the back pocket of her jeans.

She wound her arms around his waist and burrowed her nose into the soft fabric of his black, long-sleeved pullover. His scent, if only she could take it with her and sprinkle it on her bed pillows. Maybe it would bring her back to him in her dreams.

He tipped up her chin. “Hey, why so sad?”

How could she explain to this beautiful man that she had to leave?

“I have to wake up. I don’t want to. I wish more than anything that I could stay with you forever, but I can’t.” She wasn’t going to cry. “Maybe you can visit me again. I’ll come back with you. I promise.”

Instead of a frown, Reid greeted her with a smile and one of those sweet kisses that made her weak. “It’s time for you to meet Dalir.”

“Who—”

A strong breeze rushed over them.

She brushed her hair out of her face. Like she needed one more handsome guy to add to this crazy, mixed-up dream.

Tall, dark, mesmerizing. Dressed similarly to Reid in a pullover and jeans, he looked normal, but he bore an invisible mantle of power, command. As he moved closer, static electric-like pulses grew stronger and stronger. It seemed like every part of her stood on end.

“Lauren.” His gray gaze pinned her to the spot. “I’m glad you returned.”

“Returned?” Images trickled in. Her standing near a pool of water. A stone engraved with an infinity symbol. Dalir crouched in front of her.

He needs you.

The image switched to Reid lying on a bed. Hurt, bruised, broken. Her heart slammed against her rib cage. Her knees buckled.

Reid kept her close and glared at Dalir. “What the hell?”

“She’s fine. So much of what she knows wants to break free.” He peered at her closely and held out his hand. “You helped me once. Now, let me help you.”

Reid nodded and let her go.

She took Dalir’s hand. Heat curled into her fingers, up her arm, and into her chest. It expanded wider until it engulfed her like a huge wave. She floated in a sea of images, feelings, thoughts. Then they lined up, and one after the other unfolded into the story of her and Reid from the night they’d first met at The Song. The day she found him on the steps at the cabin. Him helping her look through her father’s things. The barbecue with Thane and Celine. The moment he’d swept in to save her from Kell. The hours of agony when she’d believed she’d lost him. The time they’d spent in their own little bubble hidden from the world. The vision dissipated.

Dalir no longer stood in front of her. Reid did.

His remembered words at the fountain on their last night together settled in with sadness.

“You sent me away.”

He cupped her cheeks and laid his forehead to hers. “And it was the stupidest thing I’ve ever done, along with lying about not needing you. After you left, it hurt not be able to hold you, talk to you, see you smile, or make love to you.”

“So why all of this? Why didn’t you just let Dalir give me my memory back from the start?”

“Because I messed up. I wanted to win you back. Earn your trust. Show you how much you mean to me. Convince you to never leave.” He looked into her eyes. “I know asking you to stay here is a huge ask, but I’m asking.” He reached into his pocket and took out a ring. “You probably have a lot to work through before you’ll consider wearing this, especially about what I do.” He pressed the ring into her palm. “I want you to hold onto it until you’re ready to put it on.”

The marquise diamond sparkled in the sun. Not a dream but a gleaming light into the future. Days spent worrying about him. Sharing him with a team, a brotherhood he’d never betray, and a gift he couldn’t deny.

“You told me to listen with my heart instead of my head, but I can’t place one above the other. They have to agree, and right now, they’re telling me I can’t put this on.”

He swallowed hard. “And you won’t change your mind?”

“I will.” She handed the ring back to him. “With a proper proposal.”

A grin bloomed on Reid’s face. “Woman, I don’t know whether to kiss you or spank you.”

“Play your cards right and you can do both.” She couldn’t stop the smile tugging up her lips or the joy bursting within her. A life with Reid.

“I know I’m not the type of man you envisioned being with, but no matter where I am or what I’m called to do, you’re first, in my life and in my heart.” He took a knee, love and sincerity shone in his eyes. “Lauren, I want you with me forever. Will you marry me?”

“Yes.” Tears made the diamond gleam even brighter as he slipped it on. His kiss made the future sweeter. Lauren laid her head to his chest. Safe in the arms of her hero. Her man. Her love.

Nina Crespo
lives in Florida where she indulges in her favorite passions—the beach, a good glass of wine, date night with her own real-life hero and dancing. Her lifelong addiction to romance began in her teens while on a “borrowing spree” in her older sister’s bedroom where she discovered her first romance novel.

Curiosity about people and places, including what’s beyond the stars, fuels her writer’s imagination. This wellspring of inspiration allows Nina to create sensual contemporary stories and steamy paranormal tales, which she hopes will feed your own addiction for love, romance, and happily ever after. Visit her at: ninacrespo.com.

Read on for a sample of the first book in Nina’s The Song Series

The one night she'll want to remember, she'll be forced to forget.

It's been almost a year since Celine's fiancé's death and she's still struggling to move on. But when she meets Thane, aka Mr. Hot Ass-Scorching-Twelve, the lead singer of Thane’s Redemption, she finds her desire reawakening, and her heart opening. Soon one kiss leads them straight into a night of heated passion…

Thane’s unexpected connection with Celine only leaves him wanting more of her—but his life makes it impossible. For Thane's Redemption is just a cover for a deeper secret: A former Army Ranger presumed dead, Thane is really a time-traveling, covert operative charged with saving the world from disaster. Each jump through time forces those around him to forget he ever existed—and Celine would be no exception. But can time work in their favor to give them their second chance at love? Or will a choice Thane makes in the future put Celine in mortal danger?...

A Lyrical novella on sale now!

Learn more about Nina at
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/author.aspx/
31644

“Mayday, Mayday, Mayday! This is Lima Alpha Six going down. Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. This is Lima Alpha Six, and we are going down!”

The military helicopter whipped and spun, all control lost to the laws of gravity. Team Sergeant Thane Eckert gripped his harness and took repeated bone-rattling hits against the fuselage.

“Fucking son of a bitch.” Reid grunted.

Curses from the other three members of the team and terse commands from the pilots in the cockpit joined vibrating metal, whining engines, and the chop of the blades. Helplessness bottomed out Thane’s stomach. His team, his brothers…He couldn’t save them.

Time slowed, and memories flashed frame by frame. Graduating high school and going straight into basic training ten years ago. Working his ass off to become a Ranger in Regimental Recon. Shedding blood on parched sand, snake-ridden jungles, and the rubble of cities they’d fought to liberate. Sharing too many bottles of Jack. Chasing too many women. Finding redemption and numbing the pain in music. Few understood their bond, but it ran deep.

The back of his head smacked against metal. Agony exploded through him.
This is it.
Black smoke filled the air, and he gave into the force soaring him into oblivion. His vision cleared. Sunlight but no heat. Sand beneath his boots but no wind to disturb it. No smells of baking earth, hot metal or burning fuel. No helicopter.

“Where am I?” His question fell flat in the silence. Where was the team?

The placid view rippled open and a man, with skin as brown as the desert materialized a few yards ahead. He wore high black boots and dark pants, and his long strides easily closed the space between them. Leather strips crisscrossed his bare chest. The grips of what looked like two swords stood out at his back. The set of the man’s muscular shoulders along with the hardness in his probing gaze spoke to one thing. Warrior.

Thane reached for the pistol in his thigh holster and came up empty. His desert camouflage uniform remained intact, but he no longer had the weapons he’d carried into the mission. Shifting his stance for better balance, he watched and prepared. He’d taken down bigger bastards than this one. “Who are you and where’s the rest of my team?”

The dark haired warrior’s brow rose with his indulgent expression. “I am Dalir.” Years of foreign-language training didn’t help in placing his accent. Dalir pointed. “You and your comrades are there.”