“Playing?” He backed her up against her door, ignoring the alarm on her face. “You think I’m playing? ”
He took her by her shoulders, lifting her onto her toes. “Don’t lie to me! You know exactly how I feel.”
He dropped her abruptly as a sudden thought struck him. “But this isn’t really about trust, is it?” He took a step back. “It’s about punishing me because I left before I marked you.” Her mouth was hanging open in shock. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, all of his anger draining, suddenly weary beyond belief. “Dream with me tonight.” He swallowed, suddenly terrified that she wouldn’t be able to give him even that much. “Please.”
She studied him, slowly relaxing. He was grateful for whatever it was she saw when she whispered, “All right.”
He closed his eyes in thanks before nodding. He wanted desperately to kiss her good night but didn’t know if it would be welcome. What he wouldn’t give to have Sarah’s ability to read emotions. “Good night, love.”
She started, frowning up at him, obviously confused. “Um. Good night, Gabe.”
He turned reluctantly away, not trusting himself to keep his hands off her.
“Gabe?”
He looked back.
She looked so alone, almost as alone as he felt. “Spend the day with me tomorrow?”
He smiled. “There is nothing I want more.” When she cocked her brows in disbelief he chuckled. “All right, there are one or two things I’d like more, but I’ll take what I can get.”
She nodded, opening her door. She stopped, hesitating before entering. “See you in a little bit.”
She rushed into the room, the door clanging shut behind her, missing the step he’d taken in her direction before he could stop himself.
God, it was hard to walk away from her. He headed straight to his room, mulling over what he would do once they were together in their dreams. This had to work. She had to trust him again, because if she didn’t he was going to mark her and deal with the consequences after.
Sarah leaned against the closed door of her room, her breath leaving her lungs in a rush. She’d just agreed to meet Gabe in their dreams, with no promise from him that it wouldn’t turn into yet another night of debauchery.
She pushed off the door, running her hands over her face, trying to decide whether or not she’d done the right thing by sending him on his way. What is wrong with me? One minute I want to open up the door, yank him back in and forget all about our problems. The next I want one of those pills and about three thousand miles of distance! Maybe if she allowed him to mark her some of that fear would evaporate. But months of rejection weren’t about to be erased in one evening.
She brushed her teeth and hair, draped the red dress over a chair and crawled into bed naked. It felt oddly wicked, since she usually slept in a nightgown, but tonight she wanted the feel of cool sheets on her skin. She could pretend that he was actually in the next room, waiting to crawl into bed with her after a long day’s work. Sarah yawned, curling up on her side, and waited for sleep ( and Gabe, her inner kitty purred) to claim her.
Sarah stared around the strange living room, her heart pounding as she realized where she must be. Gabe’s scent was everywhere, deeply ingrained into the very wood of the house. If he didn’t live here she’d be very surprised.
What she was completely surprised by was the look of his home. From the exterior it was a typical cookie-cutter ranch-style home, with a small front porch, beige aluminum siding and forest green doors and shutters. But on the inside it was a riot of rich colors mingled with deep earth tones. The hardwood floors looked like rough oak but were smooth under her bare feet. A bold geometric rug in yellow, green, red and dark brown was soft under her feet. The dark red was picked up in the contemporary sofa. Pale green and yellow throw pillows were tossed haphazardly at one end, a velvety blanket thrown over its back, the deep yellow color vibrant against the red fabric of the sofa. Mission-style stained glass and iron lamps sat on oak end tables. The walls were a soft shade of green, with thick oak baseboards and crown molding. A flat-screen TV sat on a wooden stand, a Playstation and Wii both hooked up to it. She smiled at the sight of the bright blue stoneware mug on the coffee table, the scent of its cooling contents letting her know that Gabe liked his sugar and cream with a little bit of coffee.
For all its bright color the room seemed to her to be missing something elemental, something that would make it truly a home. She picked her way across the room, wondering what that something was. She headed to the small kitchen, again done in the same bold colors.
No Gabe. She left the kitchen, turning down a hallway. The first door she came to was a small bedroom turned into a home office. She smirked at the sight of the papers scattered across its surface. The next room held a bathroom, this one in muted blues and greens. The next room was a small bedroom containing a single bed and a small dresser.
Last room. He’s got to be in there. Sarah opened the door…
…and stepped into a quiet summer evening. A breeze ruffled her hair, bringing with it the faint tang of the ocean. Her bare feet slipped into cool sand, the grains tickling between her toes. She smiled, burying her toes in and wiggling them just to feel that sensation. She’d always loved doing that as a child.
“Hey.”
She turned to find Gabe standing there in nothing but dark shorts and a T-shirt. In his hands was a huge picnic basket. “Hey.”
“You look beautiful.”
She blinked and looked down. She was wearing the same red sundress she’d worn for dinner that night. “Thank you.”
He gestured with his hand towards the beach. “After you.”
She smiled and began to walk. “Since when is your house on the beach?”
He shrugged. “This is a dream.”
They walked until, somehow, the spot seemed just right. Sarah waited until Gabe had laid down the blanket, anchoring it with the basket and both of his sandals. “Sit, Sarah.”
She sat, folding her legs beneath her.
“Good girl.”
She looked up at him. “I thought we weren’t playing any games tonight.”
She watched him sit in front of her, his own legs crossed. He dug into the basket without answering.
“Gabe?”
The heated look he shot her sent shivers down her spine. Her nipples tightened in response to the predatory gleam in his eyes. “Who says I’m playing?”
She opened her mouth to answer, startled when he popped something in her mouth. She bit down without even thinking twice. Mmm. Chocolate-covered strawberries. She moaned around the succulent fruit, her eyes closing in bliss. As far as Sarah was concerned there was no better sweet treat to be had.
Wait a moment.
The beach, the moonlight, chocolate-covered strawberries… Uh-oh. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Talk about cheesy seduction tropes. Any second now he’s going to break out champagne or something and I’m going to lose it and earn another spanking. This was so not Gabe. He was wild and bold and took what he wanted. It was one of the things she loved about him.
What was he thinking?