secret to himself, and she wasn’t about to ask and risk embarrassing herself.
A sinful smile curved his damp lips, and he stepped back so that their bodies were no longer touching, giving her some much-needed breathing room. “You liked that kiss,” he said, his expression much too self-assured. “A lot.”
She had no idea if he was referring to her physical reaction, and decided to take a more playful approach. “Don’t flatter yourself, Romeo.”
He chuckled, the undertones in his laughter wickedly sexy and downright delicious. “That sounds like a challenge to me, sweetheart,” he said, his eyes dancing with an irresistible allure. “Let the fun begin.”
Chapter Four
The dream came again, slipping through her mind with images of broad shoulders; tan, taut skin; and skillful male hands that created pure magic as they slid lazily along her bare thighs, her quivering stomach, and over her naked breasts, leaving a trail of sizzling lust in the wake of his beguiling caresses. His touch was smoldering hot. The slow, deliberate stroke of his fingers electrified her nerve endings and increased the promise of exquisite pleasure building between her legs.…
Valerie awoke with a startled gasp, her entire body quivering with a feverish arousal that left her physically aching. Then there was the overwhelming and persistent soul-deep hunger that had nothing to do with the relentless desire coursing through her, and instead tugged at something more elemental in her—a need that grew stronger and more powerful with each ensuing dream.
Sitting up on the bed, she dragged her fingers through her tousled hair and willed her galloping heartbeat back to normal. It would be so easy to blame the sleep-induced visions on a residual effect of last night’s heated kiss with Chase and their wild attraction, but the truth was, the tantalizing dreams had started a few months ago, and she’d written them off as a result of being without a man’s touch for nearly a year.
Heck, more than a few times she’d used those stimulating dreams as a source of sexual release, but lately, her fantasy lover’s visits were increasing in frequency. Not only that, but she was starting to feel an emotional connection to him, as well—protected, cherished, and accepted—as if he could quite possibly fulfill all the hopes she’d once had for a normal future with a man.
Which was ridiculous, since he wasn’t real.
As to who the mystery man in her dream was, she hadn’t a clue. She never saw a face, and the only distinguishing mark she’d seen glimpses of was some kind of symbol tattooed somewhere on his body—a design featuring two intertwined jagged lines in what she could only describe as tribal art. She’d never seen the pattern before, and she didn’t know the significance of the inking, but she had a gut feeling that she was having this recurring dream for a reason that had nothing to do with her current celibate state.
A glance at the clock on the nightstand told her it was past eight in the morning. Too wired to go back to sleep, she got out of bed and changed into a tank top and running shorts for her morning jog. Hopefully, the run would help her think things through, as well as burn off the restless energy left in the aftermath of her erotic dream before she had to get ready for her trip to San Francisco with Chase that afternoon. More than anything, she needed a clear head to deal with Chase on a business level, and to figure out what to do about her attraction to him.
Leaving her apartment, she headed toward the jogging trail built along the greenbelt that ran through the community she lived in, three miles outside the city of Las Vegas. While the main Strip provided a constant hubbub of activity twenty-four hours a day, out here in the suburbs it was blessedly quiet and low-key. And on an early Sunday morning, the jogging trail was nearly deserted, which Valerie appreciated.
She started out at a steady pace,
A sinful smile curved his damp lips, and he stepped back so that their bodies were no longer touching, giving her some much-needed breathing room. “You liked that kiss,” he said, his expression much too self-assured. “A lot.”
She had no idea if he was referring to her physical reaction, and decided to take a more playful approach. “Don’t flatter yourself, Romeo.”
He chuckled, the undertones in his laughter wickedly sexy and downright delicious. “That sounds like a challenge to me, sweetheart,” he said, his eyes dancing with an irresistible allure. “Let the fun begin.”
Chapter Four
The dream came again, slipping through her mind with images of broad shoulders; tan, taut skin; and skillful male hands that created pure magic as they slid lazily along her bare thighs, her quivering stomach, and over her naked breasts, leaving a trail of sizzling lust in the wake of his beguiling caresses. His touch was smoldering hot. The slow, deliberate stroke of his fingers electrified her nerve endings and increased the promise of exquisite pleasure building between her legs.…
Valerie awoke with a startled gasp, her entire body quivering with a feverish arousal that left her physically aching. Then there was the overwhelming and persistent soul-deep hunger that had nothing to do with the relentless desire coursing through her, and instead tugged at something more elemental in her—a need that grew stronger and more powerful with each ensuing dream.
Sitting up on the bed, she dragged her fingers through her tousled hair and willed her galloping heartbeat back to normal. It would be so easy to blame the sleep-induced visions on a residual effect of last night’s heated kiss with Chase and their wild attraction, but the truth was, the tantalizing dreams had started a few months ago, and she’d written them off as a result of being without a man’s touch for nearly a year.
Heck, more than a few times she’d used those stimulating dreams as a source of sexual release, but lately, her fantasy lover’s visits were increasing in frequency. Not only that, but she was starting to feel an emotional connection to him, as well—protected, cherished, and accepted—as if he could quite possibly fulfill all the hopes she’d once had for a normal future with a man.
Which was ridiculous, since he wasn’t real.
As to who the mystery man in her dream was, she hadn’t a clue. She never saw a face, and the only distinguishing mark she’d seen glimpses of was some kind of symbol tattooed somewhere on his body—a design featuring two intertwined jagged lines in what she could only describe as tribal art. She’d never seen the pattern before, and she didn’t know the significance of the inking, but she had a gut feeling that she was having this recurring dream for a reason that had nothing to do with her current celibate state.
A glance at the clock on the nightstand told her it was past eight in the morning. Too wired to go back to sleep, she got out of bed and changed into a tank top and running shorts for her morning jog. Hopefully, the run would help her think things through, as well as burn off the restless energy left in the aftermath of her erotic dream before she had to get ready for her trip to San Francisco with Chase that afternoon. More than anything, she needed a clear head to deal with Chase on a business level, and to figure out what to do about her attraction to him.
Leaving her apartment, she headed toward the jogging trail built along the greenbelt that ran through the community she lived in, three miles outside the city of Las Vegas. While the main Strip provided a constant hubbub of activity twenty-four hours a day, out here in the suburbs it was blessedly quiet and low-key. And on an early Sunday morning, the jogging trail was nearly deserted, which Valerie appreciated.
She started out at a steady pace,
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