Once upon a Dream by Nora Roberts

smooth.
    His heart was thundering against hers still. What a fantastic sensation that was, to be under the weight of the man you loved and feel his heart race for you.
    Perhaps that was why her mother kept searching, kept risking. For this one moment of bliss. Love, Kayleen thought, changes everything.
    And she loved.
    Was loved. She repeated that over and over in her head. She was loved. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t said it, in those precise words. He couldn’t look at her as he did, couldn’t touch her as he did and not love her.
    A woman didn’t change her life, believe in spells and fairy tales after years of denial, and not be given the happy ending.
    Flynn loved her. That was all she needed to know.
    â€œWhy do you worry?”
    She blinked herself back. “What?”
    â€œI feel it. Inside you.” He lifted his head and studied her face. “The worry.”
    â€œNo. It’s only that everything’s different now. So much is happening to me in so little time.” She brushed her fingers through his hair and smiled. “But it’s not worry.”
    â€œI want your happiness, Kayleen.”
    â€œI know.” And wasn’t that love, after all? “I know.” And laughing, she threw her arms around him. “And you have it. You make me ridiculously happy.”
    â€œThere’s often not enough ridiculous in a life.” He pulled her up with him so they were sitting tangled together on silk roses. “So let’s have a bit.”
    The stone in his pendant glowed brighter as he grinned. He fisted his hands, shot them open.
    In a wink the bed around them was covered with platters of food and bottles of wine. It made her jolt. She wondered if such things always would. Angling her head, she lifted a glass.
    â€œI’d rather champagne, if you please.”
    â€œWell, then.”
    She watched the glass fill, bottom to top, with the frothy wine. And laughing, she toasted him and drank it down.

6
    A LL OF HER life Kayleen had done the sensible thing. As a child, she’d tidied her room without being reminded, studied hard in school and turned in all assignments in a timely fashion. She had grown into a woman who was never late for an appointment, spent her money wisely, and ran the family business with a cool, clear head.
    Looking back through the veil of what had been, Kayleen decided she had certainly been one of the most tedious people on the face of the planet.
    How could she have known there was such freedom in doing the ridiculous or the impulsive or the foolish?
    She said as much to Flynn as she lay sprawled over him on the bed of velvety flowers.
    â€œYou couldn’t be tedious.”
    â€œOh, but I could.” She lifted her head from his chest. She wore nothing but her smile, with its dimple, and flowers in her hair. “I was the queen of tedium. I set my alarm for six o’clock every morning, even when I didn’t haveto get up for work. I even set alarms when I was on vacation.”
    â€œBecause you didn’t want to miss anything.”
    â€œNo. Because one must maintain discipline. I walked to work every day, rain or shine, along the exact same route. This was after making my bed and eating a balanced breakfast, of course.”
    She slithered down so that she could punctuate her words with little kisses over his shoulders and chest. “I arrived at the shop precisely thirty minutes before opening, in order to see to the morning paperwork and check any displays that might require updating. Thirty minutes for a proper lunch, fifteen minutes, exactly, at four for a cup of tea, then close shop and walk home by that same route.”
    She worked her way up his throat. “Mmmm. Watched the news during dinner—must keep up with current affairs. Read a chapter of a good book before bed. Except for Wednesdays. Wednesdays I went wild and took in an interesting film. And on my half day, I would go over to my