later... She sighed and a sad smile curved her lips. All those years of denying her love for Culley were past. Now she could remember him fondly and grieve for him.
And forgive herself for the years of doubt and suspicion...
Gradually, the image of Culley faded and another replaced it. This man was older, his hair long and shaggy, falling in dark waves to impossibly broad shoulders. His skin was bronzed from the sun, and his lips didn't display even the ghost of a smile. In fact, he scowled. Dark and brooding, Riley Mulligan's image filled her mind just as sleep finally overtook her.
And she dreamed.
The corner of the bed dipped from his weight and she felt his warmth before he touched her. He stroked her shoulder gently, trailing his fingertips to the slope of her throat, then along the neckline of her nightgown.
She wanted to touch him, too, and reached out to place her palms flat against his chest. Brazenly, she inched her hands lower to his ribs, marveling at the tautness of his abdomen. Reminding herself she was dreaming, she explored his body, outlining the slight indentation at his navel with the tip of her finger. Suspicion niggled at her just before his erection brushed against her hip.
He was naked.
So it was that kind of dream. But it was a dream, so the forbidden was allowed. A thrill shot through her and she didn't resist when her faceless lover eased her gown from her shoulders and slipped it down to her waist, baring her breasts to the cool night air. Her nipples tightened and puckered against the chill and a shiver skated down her spine.
Pressing her back against the soft bed, he hovered over her, his hard body burning her without touching. Then his lips sought hers, gentle at first, coaxing her mouth into a more pliant line. He traced the seam of her lips with his tongue and she opened to him, welcoming his hot, wet kiss as he buried his fingers in her hair.
Her nipples thrust upward and her breasts grew heavy. The crisp hair of his chest brushed against her taut peaks and a fire ignited her blood. No longer cold, she stared through the darkness without seeing his face at all.
She wanted him. Needed him.
He left her mouth and kissed her jaw, her throat, the curve of her shoulder. Her breath came rapidly now, her body suffused with liquid fire. No trace of chill remained as he blazed a trail along her collarbone, inching his way lower.
When at long last he cupped the weight of her breasts in both hands, she watched the dark shape of his head lower. Anticipation soared through her, but she resisted the impulse to link her hands behind his neck and drag him to her. She wanted his hot, wet mouth on her breast. God, what had come over her? She was out of her mind with desire. Hunger. Need.
He outlined her nipple with his tongue, lapping nearer the peak with each revolution. Finally, he covered one nipple with his lips and drew her deeply into his mouth as he massaged the other with his thumb.
She was on fire. So hot. She'd never felt this way before. He shared himself equally between her breasts and she finally surrendered to the urge to clutch him to her, pressing her bare flesh more fully into the heat of his mouth.
He eased one hand along the curve of her hip, pressing his rigid length against her bare thigh. He was so large, so hard, so ready. Something deep in her core tightened around an unbearable emptiness—a void she knew without a doubt that he could fill. And then some.
She murmured something shameless, though she wasn't sure of her words. All she knew was the wanting, the needing, the burning.
Then he left her breasts and hovered over her, poised between her thighs. A momentary panic stole through her, but she reminded herself yet again that this was a dream. Only a dream. She'd never had such an explicitly erotic dream before, but she figured as dreams went this one was a humdinger.
All right. She placed her hands on his slim hips, felt the muscles rippling in his buttocks. Any
And forgive herself for the years of doubt and suspicion...
Gradually, the image of Culley faded and another replaced it. This man was older, his hair long and shaggy, falling in dark waves to impossibly broad shoulders. His skin was bronzed from the sun, and his lips didn't display even the ghost of a smile. In fact, he scowled. Dark and brooding, Riley Mulligan's image filled her mind just as sleep finally overtook her.
And she dreamed.
The corner of the bed dipped from his weight and she felt his warmth before he touched her. He stroked her shoulder gently, trailing his fingertips to the slope of her throat, then along the neckline of her nightgown.
She wanted to touch him, too, and reached out to place her palms flat against his chest. Brazenly, she inched her hands lower to his ribs, marveling at the tautness of his abdomen. Reminding herself she was dreaming, she explored his body, outlining the slight indentation at his navel with the tip of her finger. Suspicion niggled at her just before his erection brushed against her hip.
He was naked.
So it was that kind of dream. But it was a dream, so the forbidden was allowed. A thrill shot through her and she didn't resist when her faceless lover eased her gown from her shoulders and slipped it down to her waist, baring her breasts to the cool night air. Her nipples tightened and puckered against the chill and a shiver skated down her spine.
Pressing her back against the soft bed, he hovered over her, his hard body burning her without touching. Then his lips sought hers, gentle at first, coaxing her mouth into a more pliant line. He traced the seam of her lips with his tongue and she opened to him, welcoming his hot, wet kiss as he buried his fingers in her hair.
Her nipples thrust upward and her breasts grew heavy. The crisp hair of his chest brushed against her taut peaks and a fire ignited her blood. No longer cold, she stared through the darkness without seeing his face at all.
She wanted him. Needed him.
He left her mouth and kissed her jaw, her throat, the curve of her shoulder. Her breath came rapidly now, her body suffused with liquid fire. No trace of chill remained as he blazed a trail along her collarbone, inching his way lower.
When at long last he cupped the weight of her breasts in both hands, she watched the dark shape of his head lower. Anticipation soared through her, but she resisted the impulse to link her hands behind his neck and drag him to her. She wanted his hot, wet mouth on her breast. God, what had come over her? She was out of her mind with desire. Hunger. Need.
He outlined her nipple with his tongue, lapping nearer the peak with each revolution. Finally, he covered one nipple with his lips and drew her deeply into his mouth as he massaged the other with his thumb.
She was on fire. So hot. She'd never felt this way before. He shared himself equally between her breasts and she finally surrendered to the urge to clutch him to her, pressing her bare flesh more fully into the heat of his mouth.
He eased one hand along the curve of her hip, pressing his rigid length against her bare thigh. He was so large, so hard, so ready. Something deep in her core tightened around an unbearable emptiness—a void she knew without a doubt that he could fill. And then some.
She murmured something shameless, though she wasn't sure of her words. All she knew was the wanting, the needing, the burning.
Then he left her breasts and hovered over her, poised between her thighs. A momentary panic stole through her, but she reminded herself yet again that this was a dream. Only a dream. She'd never had such an explicitly erotic dream before, but she figured as dreams went this one was a humdinger.
All right. She placed her hands on his slim hips, felt the muscles rippling in his buttocks. Any
Similar Books
