Because Erin had been caught up in a dream, a beautiful dream …
* * *
“I need to know where Jack Sen is, Catherine.”
Cameron, she realized drowsily.
Then she came wide-awake. “I thought you were only to come visiting by invitation only, Cameron. You woke me.”
“I’ll make sure you go back to sleep. And I’m suspending that promise for the duration. Things are going to get very edgy during the next few days. Where is Jack Sen?”
“At St. James Hospital. Why didn’t you link with Hu Chang as you did before? He could have told you.”
“Because I wanted to be with you. And I’ve decided that it’s time I did what I wanted to do. I tried to get through to Sen, but they must have drugged him. I just knew he was hurt.”
“And he’s in trouble. I don’t know when the police will transfer him to county facilities.”
“I’ll take care of him. I just had to know his location.”
“What are you going to do?”
“At the moment, nothing except make a few plans and preparations. I’m in a jet over the Pacific and won’t arrive in San Francisco for another six hours.”
“You took a jet? I’m surprised you just don’t don your Superman cape and zoom faster than a speeding bullet. And what will you do when you finally arrive here?”
“I won’t let Jack Sen be punished anymore for doing a service for me. He’s already suffered enough.”
“I was going to ask Venable to do—”
“That’s not the way I operate. Keep Venable out of it. I’ll handle it.”
She stiffened. “I’ll do what I think best.”
He was silent. “I know you will. But don’t start a chain of actions I’ll have to dodge around.”
“You mean don’t get in your way.”
“That’s another way of putting it.” He smiled. “Any other time, I’d be delighted to have you in my way. It would be pure pleasure having to deal with you.”
“Deal? In what way?”
“Mentally or physically or both.” His voice was soft, infinitely sensual. “I’ve had quite a few hours on this plane to think about all the things I want to do to you. Would you like to see a few?”
Heat.
Her stomach clenched, and she found it hard to breathe.
“No.”
“I believe I’ll show you just a glimpse. I owe you for that Superman crack.”
“You should be used to it. I’m sure other people resent the—”
He was over her, his hand parting her thighs, his lips on her nipple. Then, with one plunge, he was inside, huge in her tightness, hot, moving, lifting her with each thrust.
Madness. Frantic need. Every nerve and muscle in her body convulsing as he moved.
The scene changed.
He was still inside her, but her wrists were cuffed above her head. She couldn’t move, but the erotic need was now even more intense. He was moving slowly, his fingers plucking, teasing, doing things to her that were indescribable. The muscles of her stomach were tensing, convulsing. Her very helplessness made the acts even more arousing. She wanted to move, take him, all of him. Draw him into her make him—
He was gone from her body.
And she was left panting and frustrated and wanting to kill him.
“You son of a bitch.”
“Which one did you like better?” He was smiling. “I was wondering about that exotic variation, but your response was pretty close to equal. Which makes me think that you’re going to be a magnificently diverse lover.”
“Not your lover.”
“You’re angry and indignant at the moment, but did I do anything you didn’t want, except stop? You’re still wanting it, and that isn’t me, it’s you.” He added, “And that was very close to how it’s going to feel, only better. I took as much of your physical sensory potential as I could gather to make it absolutely real and good for you.”
“Real? You said you were doing it to punish me.”
“I lied. I did it because I had to have you. I’ve wanted you from the beginning, and I had to show you what we’re like together.” He added softly, “I can’t wait to taste your breasts, to get inside you. You want that, too. We’re both hungry and a little wild with it. It has to happen soon, Catherine.” His eyes were glittering with that wildness, and she could feel the hot, sweeping lust melt deep within her. He saw it, felt it, and his voice hoarsened. “No force. No games. Your rules.”
She swallowed hard. Her heart was beating so hard, she couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t even argue that what he’d said wasn’t true. She was hot, shaking, her breasts still taut and aching.
She wanted him.
“Then that’s all I needed for now,” he said. “I want you to remember that I’ve never wanted a woman the way I want you. I think about you all the time. I don’t think it’s going to go away even after we have sex. It’s like a crazy, aching fever and not like me at all.” He leaned back in the chair, and his beautifully shaped, sensual lips were curved in a rueful half smile. “That’s a big admission for me. I regard it as a weakness. Enjoy it. I’ll see you soon.”
He was no longer with her.
And she wanted him back.
She wanted him in her body, she wanted his hands touching her, bringing her to the point of climax and past it. She wanted to stare at that beautiful, sensual face and watch his mouth, listen to the deep masculinity of his voice. Feel him, see him, taste him.
She drew a deep, uneven breath and forced her clenched hands to relax.
Block it. Block him. Though she didn’t believe that he had anything directly to do with what she was feeling at this moment. He had left her, dammit. It was a lingering aftereffect from that searing explosion of carnal need.
She tried to relax her muscles, but it wasn’t easy. Her entire body was ready for sex. She wanted to blame it on Cameron, but she knew it wasn’t entirely his fault. This had been coming from the moment she had seen him in that cozy library he had mentally created for her, looking so damn sexy that she had been immediately turned on. Which was completely uncharacteristic of her. He had said what he felt for her wasn’t at all like him. Well, this wasn’t like her either. She didn’t like it. She wouldn’t have it.
Only what could she do about it when she was unable to fight it? She didn’t even want the desire to go away, she just wanted it satisfied. Celia had said something like that, and she hadn’t understood.
Now she understood. Only Celia was enamored with the act itself, and Catherine was lost in a barbaric sexual fascination for one damnably difficult man.
Work on it. Take apart the physical response and try to make sense of it and then downplay it. Or go back to sleep and push it away. That would probably be the best solution. Then when she woke, she would be busy and not thinking of Cameron.