She glanced down at her nightshirt. She hadn’t realized she was wearing it in her dream. And what did her choice of sleeping attire have to do with anything? “Yes, I like bears.”
Reaching out a huge hand, he cupped her jaw. Or rather the entire left side of her face. His hand was as big as a dinner plate. She swallowed hard. She really should make a run for it. He was so big he was bound to be slower. She could run like a jackrabbit when necessary, and this situation certainly was that.
Not giving herself time to think, she ducked beneath his arm and took off. She hadn’t gone five feet when a large, muscled forearm wrapped around her waist. She was yanked backward and right off her feet. A large male chest cradled her back and a very impressive erection pushed against her butt.
Kellsie opened her mouth to scream, but all that came out was a squeak. She sounded more like a mouse than a scream queen. With his forearm banded across her diaphragm, she couldn’t suck in enough air to generate even a mild yell.
“Shhh,” he whispered in her ear. “I won’t hurt you.”
The rough stubble of his jaw grazed the sensitive skin of her neck and jaw, sending a shiver through her entire body. And it wasn’t brought on by fear, but arousal. She was in big trouble. She strained forward, trying to get away from him. It was like trying to move a block of granite.
His lips caressed the nape of her neck and she moaned before she could stop herself. “You have to stop,” she gasped.
“Why?” he countered. “If this is a dream, why not enjoy it?”
Kellsie froze in his grip, no longer trying to escape his grasp. This was a dream, wasn’t it? It had to be. She was running around in her nightgown, for heaven’s sake. But how weird was it to know it was a dream? She was confusing herself just thinking about it.
He slowly lowered her until her feet were touching the floor. Except it wasn’t a rocky floor any longer, but a soft mossy forest floor. She could smell the fresh scent of pine in the air and a light breeze brushed over her skin. He loosened his hold but didn’t release her. Instead, he shifted his hands over her sides and under her sleep shirt.
His skin was warm, his fingers callused and strong as he stroked her torso and around her breasts. Her nipples tightened, the traitors. God, she wanted him to touch her. Was it wrong if it was a dream?
His movements pushed her shirt higher, and she felt the heat and pulse of his erection against her bare back. It throbbed against her skin. A matching beat started deep in her core and her sex swelled. Kellsie bit her bottom lip to keep from moaning as his clever hands lifted her shirt over her head and tossed it aside.
He stilled. Before she could figure out what was wrong, he began to trace the tattoo on her shoulder. “You really are mine, aren’t you?” She could hear the wonder in his voice. “You belong to the bear.”
“I belong to myself.” Never again would she allow a man to mean more to her than herself. She’d made that mistake with Jonathan and wouldn’t make it again. She didn’t need a man in her life, not even in her dreams. Didn’t matter how damn sexy he was.
“No.” He tightened his hold. “You’re mine.”
She began to fight him in earnest. She wanted to get away from here, from him. Panicked, she kicked at him with her heels and reached behind to tug on his hair. “Let me go.”
“I will never hurt you, but I cannot let you go.” He sounded sad. Resigned. She felt his pain as if it was her own, and it staggered her in its scope and depth. For a moment, she almost stopped struggling. Then common sense kicked in and she began to pummel at the arm holding her captive.
“Let me go. Let me go…”
Kellsie sat up in bed, gasping for breath and still muttering aloud. She scrambled backward and hit the headboard with a loud thud. She glanced around the nondescript motel room. She was alone.
“Shit.” She swiped at her forehead, not surprised to find it damp with perspiration. “That was one hell of a dream.” And not surprising when she thought about it. She hadn’t had sex in so long it was no wonder she’d dreamed about a good-looking guy. Once upon a time, she’d wanted to belong to someone, with someone, knowing she could depend on them. But those days were gone. She was alone and, as the first male voice in her dream had stated, she was a survivor.
“Jesus, I really should have eaten something last night.” Lack of sleep and food, mixed with the few intense days of work and all the stress, and it was no wonder she’d had such a crazy dream. She relaxed and then tensed again. She was naked.
She shoved back the covers and found her shirt balled up near her feet. “Must have ripped it off during the dream.” Her limbs quivered as she sat up and dragged in a deep breath.
She checked her watch and noted it was nearly dawn. No way she’d go back to sleep now. “I need another shower and some food. Then it’s time to hit the road.”
She made her way into the bathroom and under the cool spray of the water. Her enthusiasm returned as she thought about her new movie role. By the time she was halfway through her shower her dream was all but forgotten.
Chapter Three
Kellsie studied the map. She wasn’t lost, not exactly. She just wasn’t quite certain where she was. She’d taken the I-5 before turning off onto a secondary highway in Skagit County. The scenery was breathtaking with the majestic North Cascade Mountain Range rising in the distance. She needed to hit Rockport and then the town of Marblemount before she found the movie set. Although, given the size and population of both, they could barely be called towns, according to Maury. Kellsie thought they’d be beautiful and quaint, much like the other places she’d passed on her drive.
She’d driven most of yesterday before finding another motel to crash for the night. She hadn’t rushed the trip, taking the time to stop and eat so she wouldn’t be exhausted when she arrived. According to Maury, as long as she hit the movie set sometime today she was fine.
Thankfully, she’d slept long and hard last night, rising refreshed to hit the road in Betsy once again. With the window rolled down and The Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil” blaring through the speakers, she’d put Jonathan and Los Angeles out of her head and focused on the job ahead. She’d left all the turmoil behind her and was currently in the great state of Washington.
Several hours ago, she’d stopped at a drive-through for a chicken burger and parked in the lot to eat it. Usually she was very careful with her food, but today she’d needed the junk-food kick.
While she was stopped to eat, she’d read some of the stories in the tabloids she’d picked up at the convenience store back in L.A. She hated that they’d brought up her childhood history, the death of her parents when she was little more than a toddler and her years as a ward of the state.
They had several quotes from former foster parents. Kellsie curled her upper lip into a sneer, wondering how much they’d been paid. She was realistic and cynical enough to know money was involved, especially when dealing with these particular folks, none of whom had been particularly good or caring foster parents.
That in and of itself was enough to make her sound pitiful. Then they piled on the fact that Jonathan had dumped her and his career had flourished while hers had trundled on much the same as it had for years.
Over coffee, she’d studied the old pictures of herself, most of which were totally unflattering shots from film roles. Thankfully most of them were on the inner pages of the tabloid with only one plastered on the front cover.
She’d consoled herself with the fact they were small pictures. The larger ones were of the movie exec’s daughter who’d come after her, Jon’s current wife and the actress he was reportedly currently sleeping with. The cheating bastard.