His Lost Mate (A Steamy Paranormal Romance Novel) by Kathy Kulig Page A

night.”
    “Dreams can tell you many things. You should write them down. It’s your subconscious speaking to you in symbols.”
    Lauren nodded as she remembered the details of the last dream. Kayab the warrior had given her a gift. How would you interpret that? A good-looking Mayan warrior could be her subconscious mind reminding her that she hadn’t had a man in her life for a while. Every time she looked at Deven, the tumbling butterfly feeling in her stomach was another reminder. It had been a long time since she’d made love. Too long but there was nothing she could do about it or wanted to do about it at the moment.
    Her last dream also included the shaman called Muan, who said he had been her father. What did these dreams mean? Why was she having the same one over and over? At least she hadn’t seen Muan in her room again like she had on the first night.
    A shiver raced through her as she thought about the figure gliding into her room. Was he a ghost, or had that been a dream too? Lauren shook her head, trying to shake the images out of her mind.
    Margaret was watching her closely. “Do you want to tell me about your dream?”
    Lauren hesitated. If these dreams were going to haunt her throughout her stay, it might help to talk about them. “The dreams are about the ancient Maya. But one dream, I don’t think was a dream. I think I saw a ghost in my room. Please don’t tell Deven. He’ll think I’m crazy.”
    “I won’t, dear.”
    When Lauren saw Justin and Kyle stroll into the dining room, she whispered to Margaret. “Maybe we can talk later.” She knew that Margaret was open to the strange and unusual happenings, but Lauren wasn’t up for being the joke of the day with the other students.
    Margaret nodded and smiled reassuringly. “I’m fascinated. I’d love to talk more about your ghost and help you interpret the dreams. Come talk to me anytime.”
    “Morning,” Kyle said as he and Justin sat down at the table. Kyle eyed Lauren’s empty breakfast plate. “Are we late, Dr. Hughes?”
    “No, just arrived myself.”
    At the entrance to the dining room, Sylvia and Deven ambled in, absorbed in conversation. By their solemn expressions, Lauren suspected the topic was serious. Hopefully, it wasn’t bad news concerning the field program. When they sat next to Lauren’s table, they abruptly ceased their discussion. Deven turned to the group and his expression brightened. “Morning,” he said cheerfully. “Sleep well?”
    Lauren smiled and glanced at Margaret who was also smiling. “Like the dead.” Lauren had no intention of giving him any details of her bizarre dreams.
    “I hope everyone is well rested.” Deven held Lauren’s gaze. “Looks like the rain will hold off, so we’ll have a full day of exploring and hiking.”
    “Sounds great,” Lauren exclaimed.
    His gray eyes glimmered with mischief and stirred her curiosity. His voice had a sensuous rhythm and also a deep and authoritative tone that stroked and excited her nerves. When he got his coffee, Lauren couldn’t keep from admiring his seductive mouth as he drank from the mug. As silly as it sounded, she envied his coffee cup, wondering what it would be like to feel his lips open to hers and press against her mouth, her neck, her breasts… And those rough outdoor hands that cradled the cup, how would they feel touching her in all the places she ached to be touched?
    Deven could easily fit into her fantasy man image—attractive, adventurous, international traveler and very sexy. She imagined him scaling Mount Everest or skiing deep powder snow in Zermatt or scuba diving in the exotic waters of Palau.
    Deven Chandler was definitely not a sit-behind-the-desk professor, but he was her teacher and she’d better cool it. She had other priorities pressing right now. A casual fling was not one of them. It might even be a hindrance.
    Deven smiled widely as if he knew what she was thinking. “You have very expressive eyes, Lauren, are you