Lover of My Dreams by Lynnette Bernard Page A

her that she really did long for the enjoyment of a man paying attention to her and giving her warmth and affection. Hiding away in her home in Connecticut didn’t disguise the fact that she really did long to be a part of a supportive relationship that would confirm that she was a woman that a man could like and enjoy.
    Richard’s handsome face lit up with a smile when he spotted her as the cab pulled up to his apartment building. He opened the door and climbed in to sit beside her with an ease of motion and strength of body that spoke of years of physical training. He leaned forward to kiss her lips quickly.
    “Right on time as always,” he told her, reaching for her hand and grasping it tightly.
    Rachel only smiled at his comment. “You look nice,” she told him finally.
    “Thanks,” he answered, looking out the window at the tangle of traffic. “Let’s hope we can get there in time. You probably should have come earlier so we wouldn’t be cutting it so close.”
    His words were mumbled to himself, but Rachel was able to hear them. She knew a moment of annoyance at his chastisement and had to take a calming breath. She was determined not to allow her tiredness to spark her anger and ruin their night. Richard was probably right. She should have left earlier to go to his apartment.
    The night was warm and a cool breeze was blowing across the river. The lights of the Brooklyn Bridge twinkled against the soft blues and pinks of the summer night sky. It was a beautiful evening. The weather and the location made the evening perfect for the romantic night she hoped was in store for her. She looked across the seat of the taxi and smiled as she faced the silent man beside her.
    Richard Damian was handsome and smart. He had a casualness about him that had helped to draw her to him. She felt special to be a part of his small circle of friends. He was so self-assured and so motivated that she couldn’t help but admire him.
    She had been somewhat surprised that he had shown any interest in her when they had met. She was not exactly the city type that he usually went for. She was quiet, intelligent, usually a homebody, and extremely strong-willed. She was not at all the sophisticated, blasé type that he seemed to like to date. They were total opposites. Where he was glib and had street savvy, she was sensitive and family oriented. They were the last two people in the world that would make an obvious couple, but he made her feel as if she were the most important woman in the world and that he wanted only her. The very things that were so different about them were the precise reasons he told her that he enjoyed being with her so much.
    Her years away at college and the time she had spent honing her writing skills had made her independent and very much a loner. Her days of carefree exploring had disappeared the day she had left the McCoy estate so many years before. She had made choices for the good of her family and friends, and she had stuck by them over the years. She would do anything to protect her Aunt Kay and her cousin Roy.
    They had been her family from the time she had been five years old. After her father had died there was no one but his sister Kay to raise Rachel since her mother had died shortly after her birth. She knew no other mother, and no other brother, even though they were aunt and cousin. They were her lifeline. They were her heart. They deserved the best, and she could never, would never, jeopardize their lives, their safety, or their happiness in any way.
    She had gone home to visit her cousin and aunt at their ranch during summer breaks from college but was always careful that her weeks there did not coincide with Sam’s breaks from medical school. Her letters and phone calls to her cousin and aunt were as frequent as her schedule allowed, but she always made sure to keep them brief, with only a casual mention that she hoped that all was well with Sam. She was sure never to ask them to mention her to