Chapter Twelve: Somewhere in Her Dream
Beth glanced sideways at the clock on the nightstand. Two in the morning and she couldn’t fall sleep. She tossed from one side of the pillow to the other, but found no relief.
Her body still burned from Evan’s kiss earlier. Closing her eyes, she commanded herself to fall asleep, but it was no use.
Finally, after several agonizing minutes had passed, she tossed the covers and slid her feet over the side of the bed. Then making her way across the hardwood floors, she threw open the terrace doors.
The night was clear and a dull breeze brushed with gentle ease through her hair. Her eyes slanted in the direction of Evan’s bedroom, but all she saw was complete darkness coming from inside. Of course he sleeps, probably like a man without a care in the world. She doubted he had even given her a second thought once they parted ways when they’d returned from the restaurant.
She gave a mental sigh and moved over to the balcony. The pool below looked soothing and for a minute she contemplated going for a swim. A good way to vent some of the frustration she was feeling inside. But glancing back to Evan’s door, she changed her mind for fear she might wake him since the pool was beneath their rooms.
Tearing her eyes away from his closed doors, she closed them tight and replayed the events of the night in her head—the dance, the kiss, which had been so intimate she was surprised their combined body heat hadn’t set off the sprinkler system.
Tonight had been the perfect evening. Almost perfect, until he reminded her they were just friends, until he walked her to her bedroom door and politely told her goodnight. No kiss, no friendly hug, not even a handshake. As far as she could tell, the later would have been the appropriate response now that it was official—he had put her in the friend zone permanently.
Tossing her hair to one side, she ran her hand down the side of her neck to the opening of her sheer gown, as a tortured moan forged from her lips. Running her fingers slowly back and forth across the curve of the plunging neckline, she could almost imagine a lover’s touch, Evan’s touch.
The slumberous night air suddenly awoke with a renewed force and blew open the side slit of the luminescent material, exposing her thighs to the cool whirling breeze.
The leaves on the tree next to the balcony made a heavy rustling sound as the gust swept through the branches. The water in the pool rippled, forming tiny waves on the expanse of the azure surface. It was as if the earth’s energy was intoned with hers. Alive and restless and too inspired to sleep, like the pulling desire inside her.
“Beth,” she knew her subconscious need for this man had now manifested to a higher plane. Not only could she almost feel Evan’s touch, but now she imagined him calling her name. Arching her back, she pushed her windblown hair from her face and held it to her nape, while the tempest continued to mold her body with unrestrained turbulence.
Suddenly she felt two warm hands run along the inside of her upper arms, gliding gently to the sides of her breast, encircling her waist from behind and pulling her against a lean, muscular chest. “Beth,” he said her name again, hungry and raw.
This time she knew it wasn’t her imagination.
She lowered her arms, catching his thighs beneath her palms. Even through the soft material of his sleep pants she could feel the solid muscles below her touch.
“It is you,” she whispered. “I wanted it to be you and not a dream.”
“If this is a dream, I hope I don’t wake up unless it’s to find you’re still here…with me,” he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to her temple. His strong hands pressed the flat of her stomach, dragging her tighter against his abdomen.
