Midsummer Dreams Cindy Spencer Pape
Holiday Hearts, Book Four
Matt Warren has always been the man of Summer’s dreams. He was her childhood imaginary playmate, her teen crush, and the wildly sexy fantasy lover of her adulthood. She’s always known he wasn’t real, but after experiencing his imaginative, passionate touch, no real man has ever measured up. However, alone on a beach shortly before her birthday, Summer discovers that the Holiday family magic hasn’t left her behind. Matt is real, standing on her beach, and he’s there to make Summer his in every way possible. Matt has always known he has a gift as a dreamwalker, and that Summer was out there and would someday be his—if he didn’t get himself killed first. Now that his career as an Air Force pilot is over, he’s moved to Charleston to find Summer and teach her that their shared erotic dreams are even better in real life, and that their love can last a lifetime.
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
www.ellorascave.com
Midsummer Dreams ISBN 9781419934223 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Midsummer Dreams Copyright © 2011 Cindy Spencer Pape Edited by Mary Moran Cover art by Syneca Electronic book publication May 2011 The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
MIDSUMMER DREAMS Cindy Spencer Pape
Dedication To all the veterans who fight for our country then come home and have to build whole new lives. Even more to the ones who don’t come home. Thank you.
Acknowledgements To the people of Charleston and the barrier islands, my apologies for making up my own island to suit the story.
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Chapter One Summer Holiday tossed and turned in the middle of a dream that had visited on and off her whole life. She knew she was dreaming, but she didn’t want it to end. The sand was warm beneath her feet and the surf lapped softly against the shore. No one else was around, just the two of them. The handsome, golden-haired man gazed at her with his midnight-blue eyes. He reached for her and she walked into his arms. He was mostly naked, a pair of cut-off jeans his only covering. She had on a sundress, with a bikini underneath. This part of the dream was the same, had been since she could remember. As she’d gotten older though, it had grown more and more explicit. Now, sometimes the dream carried through until they’d both come, and Summer wanted that tonight. It had been a long week, and she needed some sort of release. “Summer.” He murmured her name into her hair as he hugged her close. That had been added to the dream sometime in her teen years. They’d shared names and told each other about their lives. Her subconscious had built quite a character for her dream man. He was three years older than she, had parents who were divorced, a married sister, and since Summer’s college years, he’d been in the military. “I’ve missed you.” “I’ve missed you too, Matt.” Matthew Harrison Warren, that’s what she’d named him. Major Matt Warren. Her childhood dream friend who’d grown into her adult dream lover. “It’s been a long time.” “I was in the hospital for a while,” he told her as he kissed her earlobe, the line of her neck. “I didn’t dream while they had me pumped full of drugs.” This was her dream, not his. Still, she wasn’t going to waste it asking questions. She wanted him inside her—now. The minute she’d seen him coming down the beach in her dream, she’d grown wet and ready for him. It had been months since her last dream
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of Matt and years since she’d had a real lover. None of the guys she’d dated had ever measured up to the man of her dreams. Summer was impatient. She tugged open the buttons of his fly and pushed his jeans down around his ankles. There was a new, angry-red scar on his hip, stitch marks clear through the center of it. “I have an artificial hip joint now,” he said. “Like an old man. I’m not in the Air Force anymore of course. I’m working on what to do next.” When had her dreams decided she needed a lover who wasn’t a fighter pilot? No matter since he only existed in her head. Maybe this was her subconscious reminding her she wasn’t getting any younger. “You’ll find something. You’re a qualified engineer, right?” Before he’d gone off to the Air Force, she’d dreamed he was an aeronautical engineering student. “That I am, sugar. I’ll find a job, don’t you worry about it.” She leaned over and kissed the scar. Her cheek rubbed against his thick cock, already fully erect. Of course she wouldn’t worry—or shouldn’t. He was simply a dream. But the scar looked so inflamed and painful, her heart lurched. “Does it hurt too much?” “Too much to make love to you? Never.” He pulled her sundress over her head and tugged open the ties of her bikini. The sun warmed her nipples but they stayed as hard as if she stood in a snow bank. One by one, Matt dropped kisses on the dark pink buds. “Every time I see you, you’re even more beautiful than I remember.” “I’m almost thirty-three,” she reminded him, feeling positively ancient. “Just another few weeks until my birthday. My youngest brother just got married, and my oldest has a two-month-old little girl. My younger sister’s been married for a year, and now they’re talking about having a baby. That leaves just me and Sam as the singles in the family.” Summer was the middle of the five Holiday siblings while Sam was second oldest.
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“All the men in Charleston are idiots.” Matt dropped to his knees in the sand, though there was miraculously a blanket underneath them. “I’m coming, Summer. Will you wait for me? I promise I’m on my way.” He pulled one of her nipples into the wet heat of his mouth and sucked. Summer speared her hands through his thick, blond hair, longer now than the buzz cut she’d grown used to. “I’ve waited for you my whole life, Matt. Why would I stop now?” Done talking, she held his head to her breast and arched her spine. Every time she was with Matt, every dream was more magical than the one before. His touch tingled along her skin as he peeled down her bikini bottoms. His tongue rasped roughly against her swollen, sensitive nipples. Needing to be closer, she gripped his shoulders and eased down so she was straddling his thighs. “Am I hurting you?” She bent her knees to lower her wet, aching cleft onto his thick, rigid cock. “It’s a dream, darlin’. I’m just fine. So much better now that I’m inside you. Nothin’ like my own sweet Summer to make everything right.” When Matt got passionate, the Texas twang of his voice emerged, something that always made Summer feel sexy and desirable. As she took him deep into her pussy, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him for all she was worth. Ah, yes. Matt’s tongue plundered her mouth and she reciprocated, tasting him, seeking out the familiar ridges and hollows. He always had a hint of peppermint about his mouth, as if he’d just brushed his teeth. “Ride me, darlin’,” he whispered as their lips finally parted. “I’ve needed you for so long now. Take me to heaven, sugar.” “You’re here. This is already heaven.” She held tightly to his shoulders as she began to lift and lower her core on his sturdy penis. It felt so damn good to have him buried deep inside her, and since it was a dream, no precautions were necessary. She could feel every inch of his skin as it rubbed in and out of her slick channel. “God, yes. I didn’t think I’d ever get to see you again.” 8
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She ran her hands down his back as she rode him, feeling other scars some old but another one new. He’d been hurt badly this time. She could have lost him forever. “Don’t leave me, Matt.” She buried her face in the crook of his neck, her teeth sinking in the way she knew he loved. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” “I’m not going anywhere just yet, Summer.” He slid his hand between them to knead her heavy breast. “And soon, we’ll be together for real. I promise.” His other hand slipped between their bodies and one finger pressed down on her turgid clit. Summer screamed as the climax ripped through her, glorying in the feel of Matt’s orgasm pulsing in her cunt, filling her with hot jets of cum. “Summer!” The sound of him calling her name sent a ripple of aftershocks through her already pulsating core. She buried her face in his shoulder and squeezed her eyes shut at the beauty of the moment. “Ah, beautiful, I’ve missed you so much.” He kissed her hair and rocked her back and forth. Slowly, they eased down to the blanket, lying in each other’s arms. “My nephew Tommy started junior rodeo this summer,” he said as they snuggled under the warm sunny sky. “Annie, that’s the youngest, you remember, she starts kindergarten in the fall.” “Your mom is well?” She knew he didn’t have much contact with the father who’d left them when Matt was a child. “Oh, she’s doing just fine. Retired from the beauty shop to watch the kids while Tanya works.” Matt’s sister was a nurse in the small Texas town where they’d grown up. His voice took on a teasing tone. “So tell me about this new niece of yours. Was she born on the equinox? I bet you love being Auntie Summer.” “She was, so Star is claiming her as a birthday present. They named her Dawn, since Eos is the goddess of the sunrise, and she’s the prettiest little thing I’ve ever seen.
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She has this gorgeous red hair and her mother’s green eyes. We’re all going to spoil her rotten of course. Noel and Shelby are exhausted, but happy as can be. Now Theo and Star are making noises about having one of their own.” “That’s good. And Val got married? What’s she like?” Semi-dozing, Summer told him all about her new sister-in-law Cora, a social worker who’d fallen in love with Valentine, the baby of the family and the computer geek for the Holiday Card Company. “Good things are happening then, darlin’. Glad to hear that ol’ Holiday magic is still at work.” She’d told him years ago about her dad’s insistence that the Holidays were all descended from the actual Celtic and Roman spirits of the sacred times of the year. Even though every one of them had been born on either a modern or ancient holiday, they’d never really believed it, not until Noel and Shelby had gotten together in an enchanted Christmas decoration. Matt had been the only person Summer had told the whole story too. Then last year, Star had had a spring equinox to remember, and most recently, Val and Cora had been fixed up by a nonexistent computer dating site. Now they all reluctantly believed. “I keep wondering if it will ever be my turn,” she admitted. “It seems unfair since Star and Val are both younger than me. Couldn’t the magic just go poof, and make you real, here in my arms?” “Well, maybe that can just come true, sugar. Can you be patient for a little longer? After all, it’s not your birthday yet, is it?” He smiled sweetly and gave her a kiss. Even as he did, she could feel the edges of the dream fading away, feel his body grow insubstantial. “I told you that I’m coming for you, Summer, my love. You wait for me, you hear?” And then he was gone. Summer woke up in her apartment, damp and sweaty, her body still sated but completely alone. A glance at the clock told her it was just an hour before she was due at the office. She was the head of sales and marketing for the family 10
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company—the level-headed one, or so everybody else thought. She wondered what they’d think if they knew she’d had the same lover in her dreams since she was old enough to know what one was. There was no point in trying to get back to sleep. She pulled herself together and headed for the shower. Time to get back to the real world. Still, all day, his words rang in her brain. “I’m coming for you, Summer. Don’t give up on me.”
***** Matt shook hands with his new boss. The deal was done. He was officially employed by the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer at their new Charleston facility. Now all he had to do was find someplace to live, and then go get Summer. He’d loved her since he was six years old. Their shared dream last week had cemented in his mind that moving here had been the right thing to do. The only problem was that Summer had never realized the dreams were shared. She thought he was a figment of her imagination. Over the years, he’d tried to convince her otherwise, but never succeeded. He’d sent letters, back when they were both kids, but they’d been returned for one reason or another—the stamp had fallen off, the zip code was wrong or the envelope was damaged. He’d tried phone books, but her family’s phone number was unlisted. Emails bounced. Clearly, Fate intended to keep them apart until the time was right. Finally, after bailing out and damn near dying in Afghanistan, Matt had decided the time was now. He’d started applying for jobs in South Carolina while he was still in rehab and done his interviews via video conference over the computer. He figured getting the job was a sign that he was on the right track. He’d kissed his mom and sister goodbye as soon as his wound was healed enough for him to walk without a cane and made the move to Charleston. The real estate agent he’d contacted had found him a handful of houses to look at within walking distance of the beach on one of the barrier islands—nice but not in the
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million-dollar ballpark. Between his new salary and his government disability pension, he wasn’t hurting for money, but he didn’t want to put every last dime into a house payment either. Still, he wanted to have a place of his own before he went looking for Summer. He’d driven past the Holiday Card Company offices half a dozen times already, but he kept telling himself to wait. Everything had to be perfect. He was her dream man—and wanted to stay that way, even when they were together in the flesh. By the end of the first day, he’d found the perfect house. Just a few blocks in from the beach, less than a half-hour commute from her office or his, and big enough for the family he’d like to have someday. It was older, a sprawling ranch, built of sturdy cinderblock covered with sunny-yellow stucco to withstand hurricanes. On the outside it didn’t look like much, but the inside had an art deco charm he was sure Summer would love. The backyard was full of azaleas and magnolias, with a flagstone patio and a small pool. Matt put in an offer on the spot. Since the house was vacant, it was quickly agreed that he could take possession immediately after the initial papers were signed. By next Monday, he’d be in his own place.
Lying in his hotel room that night, he wasn’t surprised that he dreamed of Summer again. He couldn’t control when the dreams came—he never had been able to, though he could control the content to some extent. Just as holiday magic ran through Summer’s family, moderate psychic powers popped up here and there in his. Matt’s had always been dream speaking. Normally, he could only talk this way with his mom or sister. There had been one other incidence, with a friend from his unit, a part-psychic Navajo who had used the dream speech to locate and rescue Matt from under a pile of rubble after his plane had gone down. Summer was the only other person he’d ever met in his dreams, and the only one he’d ever been able to touch. From tentative kisses as teens, to heavy petting when they became adults, to frantic, full-blown sex on her twentieth birthday and ultimately to more and more passionate encounters over the last thirteen years, their relationship had
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grown and deepened. Everything in Matt knew she was the one. And the time had finally come to claim her. “Matt. I didn’t expect to see you again so soon.” She walked toward him on the beach where their dreams always occurred. She wore the same cobalt bikini, the same blue-and-white-flowered sundress over top. Only the curves underneath and the way the garments plunged and clung had changed over the years as she’d grown. And how she’d grown. Summer had been a slightly chubby little girl but slimmed down in her teens, except for her full hips and lush breasts. She was the image of a fertility goddess, her hips swaying as she walked. Her long, wavy hair was the rich brown-black of freshly turned soil, and her eyes were as blue as the summer sky. Her skin was fair, a faintly golden peaches and cream, no matter how much time she spent in the sun. Her lips, dark pink and full, parted in a joyous smile as she ran toward him on the sand of their shared dream. “I told you I was coming, darlin’. It won’t be long now.” He wanted to prepare her, but somehow he was never quite able to spit out the truth in one of the dreams. He could make vague promises, but he could never just say, “I’m real, here’s my phone number.” Whatever magic connected them, his or hers, had its own set of rules. “I can’t wait.” Her gaze shined up into his as she twined her arms around his neck. She kissed him hard, and soon they were both lying in the sand on the blanket that he always made appear just in time. Even in a dream, he didn’t want sand in his ass or in Summer’s pretty pink pussy. They rolled around, kissing whatever they could reach as they stripped off each other’s clothing. Soon they were naked, and Matt knelt between Summer’s thighs as she lay back on the blanket, her glorious hair flowing across the turquoise cotton and onto the sand. “You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he told her as he gazed down at her waxed mound, the plump labia pink and slick. He bent his head and licked along 13
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her crease, lapping up the thick juices that coated her folds. “And the sweetest thing I’ve ever tasted.” “Matt.” She rolled her hips and breathed his name. “Please.” “Please what, sugar? Remember, you have to ask.” He loved getting her to tell him explicitly what she wanted, what turned her on. He knew in her day-to-day life, Summer was a buttoned-down kind of woman, but here, in their dreams, they both got off on her talking dirty. “Suck my clit.” Her hands dug into the blanket as she lifted her hips toward his mouth. “Fuck my cunt with your fingers. Make me come.” “Ah, that’s my darlin’. Anything you want, coming right up.” He bent and sucked that swollen little pink bud between his lips. Shifting her a little, he then slid two fingers inside her tight, drenched pussy. He damn near went off at just the feel of her snug inner muscles clamping down on his knuckles. Soon it would be for real. At that thought, a bead of pre-cum leaked from his tip. He just knew she’d be even hotter in person than in their dreams. He fucked her slowly with his fingers, nibbling lightly on her clit. She tasted like heaven, so he licked down to where his fingers penetrated her cunt. She bucked up against him, whimpering, “More. Suck it.” Obediently, he licked his way back up to her protruding clit and sucked hard, just as he added a third finger to her channel. Summer grabbed his hair and screamed as her body convulsed. Hot rushes of her cream ran over his fingers and the tight walls of her pussy gripped him hard. He continued to suck, easing up just a little as she settled. Slowly, he withdrew his fingers, petting her wet flesh until the tremors slowed. “Now what, sugar?” He flicked his tongue along her still-swollen clit, triggering another shudder. “Whatever you want.”
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“I want your ass, Summer. You up for that?” It was something they’d only done once before, but he wanted her to be used to the idea from their dreams before they met in person. “Hell yes.” Summer tugged Matt up to kiss his lips, licking her own juices off his skin. “Anything with you.” “Ah, darlin’, I hope you still say that when we meet for real.” He couldn’t believe he’d been allowed to say those words, but maybe it was because Summer didn’t hear them. At the very least, she didn’t respond. She was busy rolling over onto her stomach on the blanket. On the corner of the blanket was a bottle of coconut oil, and Matt grabbed it, hurriedly coating his cock in the sun-warmed, fragrant liquid. Then he poured some into his hand as Summer came up on her knees in front of him, her face pillowed on her crossed arms and a folded beach towel. “Yum.” She sighed happily as he coated the outside of her anus with the oil. “You know I use coconut oil in real life because it reminds me of you.” Matt’s cock leaped. “Me too.” It was his favorite lube for jerking off, ever since the first time they’d used it in one of the dreams. Just a massage, back then, but it was always there and available for whatever they needed as the dreams grew more erotic. He poured more on his hand then carefully pushed it inside her sphincter, rubbing into the tender flesh of her rectum. “I never thought I’d like this,” she said with a happy hum. “Maybe I wouldn’t for real, but here, with you, it feels so good. Give me your cock, Matt. Fill me.” Matt wiped of his fingers on the hanky he always seemed to have then positioned the head of his cock at her pink rosette. “I bet you would. You should get a butt plug and try it on your own—stretch yourself out a bit.” The words, “so you’re ready when I find you,” didn’t come out, just as he’d expected. “I’ll do that.” She pressed back against him, easing his way as he pushed slowly into the tight confines of her ass. 15
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“And who will you think about every time you use it?” He gripped her hips hard with his fingertips and began to withdraw until just his tip was hugged by the tight ring of muscles at her entrance. “You. Only you.” She wiggled her hips, inviting to move. “Now fuck me, damn it.” “Always.” He slid home, leaning over to kiss her neck. “Anything you want, anytime. I’m all yours, darlin’.” She did that shimmy thing with her hips again, and Matt lost the capacity for coherent speech. His spine bowed as he stroked in and out, feeling her muscles tighten with every stroke and hearing her fragmented little cries. With one finger, he reached around and pressed against her clit, and Summer exploded into another orgasm, more powerful than the last, based on her screams and the way she clenched down on his dick. He bellowed as his own climax hit, ripping though him like a missile. He filled her ass with his cum until he was sure there was nothing left in him, and then he came some more. Just knowing he’d see her soon made this the most potent experience ever, even exceeding their first time. He eased them to their sides and held her, still inside her, still feeling her aftershocks. He peppered her shoulders and neck with kisses, cupped one breast possessively with his hand. “So beautiful, so loving.” “Mmmm. You’re pretty hot yourself, dream man.” She turned to kiss him. “Why couldn’t you be real, Matt? No other man ever seems to measure up?” “I am,” he whispered…or tried. “Soon, sugar, soon.” The dream faded around the edges and he was alone in his bed, the sheets twisted and soaked with cum, as always. Probably why he’d never dreamed of her midmission, or at least not a full-out sex dream. They’d talked sometimes. She’d kissed him and wished him luck. The same had been true when she’d shared a room in college. The dreams were infrequent, only going the distance when they were both alone.
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Matt took a shower, dried off and then found a clean spot on the far side of his king-sized hotel room bed. He fell back to sleep, holding on to that one last thought. Soon.
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Chapter Two Summer dipped her toes in the water on the small private beach. She’d taken the week off for her birthday and rented a house on one of the more isolated barrier islands. The best part about this place was a small spit just to the north and a bayou to the south, so it was as truly isolated as a person could get within an hour of Charleston and for under ten thousand a week. Her family had rented the same place several times, so the house was comfortable and the layout familiar. It was almost a second home. Today was Friday, and she had the place all to herself until Tuesday, her actual birthday, when her family would join her for the rest of the week. The long weekend to just unwind and kick back was a huge luxury. Maybe tonight she’d even dream of Matt. It seemed like forever since the last dream, though really, it had been less than a week. For the last month, though, they’d come more often than usual, and each one had been hotter than hot. That was one of the reasons she’d wanted some time away from work, without being swarmed by her loving family. She’d never even told Star about the dreams, but they’d comforted her during the rough times in her life and encouraged her even in good. They’d never been an obsession like they were right now. Every morning when she woke without seeing him, she felt like crying. Even walking through the grocery store, she kept thinking she’d seen him out of the corner of her eye. Then she’d turn and he’d be gone. Maybe she should see a shrink. That was the big decision she’d come down here to wrestle with. A professional therapist was sounding like a better idea every day. The only reason she hadn’t already made an appointment was that she was honestly terrified of giving him up. He’d been a part of her life for so long. 18
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What the hell was she going to do? If she ever wanted a husband, kids, a family of her own, she was going to have to let herself fall for some nice, normal, real guy. That was hard to do when none of them were ever as sexy, as thoughtful, as sweet or as heroic as Matt, her imaginary lover. She spread her blanket down on the beach, dropped her bag with her towel, ereader, coconut oil and water bottle onto one corner. Not bothering to pull off her sundress to expose her bikini, she sat in the center of the soft fleece. Inhaling a deep breath, she did a few simple yoga stretches before reaching for the coconut oil. Summer had been blessed with skin that didn’t burn no matter how long she spent in the sun, but there was no sense in letting it dry out either. As always, the fragrance reminded her of Matt. Damn it. She was going to have to do something—and soon. Hell, even the word soon reminded her of him. With a yawn, she finished her yoga stretches and lay back on the blanket, using her rolled-up towel as a pillow. After pulling off her sunglasses, she closed her eyes against the bright afternoon sunshine and concentrated on making her muscles relax. She’d been so wigged out the last few days that she’d gotten barely any sleep—and when she did, she’d dreamed. The sound of the waves soothed her senses, along with the warm sunlight on her skin. Sea birds cried in the distance. Summer let herself mentally drift along with the receding tide. “Summer?” Her name jolted her up into a sitting position, her eyes flying open. She knew that voice. “Matt?” She must have fallen asleep. There he was, rounding the spit of beach in his cut-off shorts, a pair of aviator sunglasses in his hand as if he’d pulled them off to get a better look. Just the way she always saw him.
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How had she never realized that this small stretch of beach was the setting for her recurrent dreams? It was all here—the sun, the sand, her turquoise beach blanket, even the bottle of coconut oil. She’d worry about what to do later, when she woke. For now, she’d enjoy the dream. Smiling joyfully at Matt, she stood and walked across the sand, into his open arms. She’d never dreamed of him in the afternoon before, but obviously the location and her fatigue had inspired her. She hugged him hard and tipped up her face for his kiss.
“I can’t believe you’re here.” After a kiss that about knocked him senseless, Matt held Summer close to his chest. What was she doing here? She was supposed to be in the city, working. Since he didn’t start until the following week, he was spending time getting to know the area and had hiked down the shoreline from a public fishing dock on the other side of the spit. He pulled back and looked at her. “And you’re wearing the same outfit you wear in my dreams.” Summer’s laugh was the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard. “Of course I am, silly. So are you.” She looked down at her sundress. “Funny—this is exactly what I had on when I went to sleep. I must have subconsciously bought it because of the dream.” “Sugar, I hate to tell you this, but you’re not asleep.” He pulled away just far enough to look into her big, dark-lashed, sky-blue eyes. “This time we’re really together. This time it isn’t a dream.” “Damn, this is worse than I thought.” She bit her lip and looked away. “I am losing it, if I can’t even tell anymore when I’m dreaming.” “Pinch yourself, darlin’. We’re wide awake.” He kissed her hard again then cupped her cheek in his hand. “Don’t look so scared. You said you wanted us to be together. I just moved to Charleston to find you.” “No.” She stepped away and shook her head then pinched her own forearm, hard. Her voice rose into a shriek. “No! Don’t do this to me. I’m the sane, stable one. I can’t be 20
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losing my mind. I just can’t.” Tears pooled in her eyes and began to trickle down her cheeks. Matt took one step forward. “You’re not losing your mind. Didn’t you ever wonder if I was out there somewhere, real? If our dreams were shared and not just a figment of your imagination?” She shook her head. “No. It just— No.” “It just what, sugar? Can’t be? Why not? Is it any crazier than two people getting stuck in a Christmas ornament? Or a dating service that doesn’t exist fixing up a perfect couple?” He took another step, hands out, reaching for her. “How about a girl turning into a rabbit until she makes up with her ex? You know all those are true. You’re the one who told me about them. Magic happened for your siblings, so why not for us?” “Because nothing happened to the others when they were six. You—you’ve been part of my whole life.” She stood her ground, fists balled as he continued to approach. God, she was every bit as stunning as he had dreamed. “What the hell, have you been somehow stalking me in my dreams, and now you’re taking it up a notch?” “What?” Anger was the last reaction he’d expected from her. “No.” “And just how long have you known that the dreams were shared—that I was a real, living person?” He shrugged. “Since I was twelve or so, I guess. Psychic stuff—well, it’s not that uncommon in my family. I tried to write, email, phone, but somehow something always went wrong. The letters came back. Emails bounced. Hell, even when I thought I was about to die, all I could think of was you—that I’d never gotten to see you for real, to actually touch you.” “And you think you can just show up here out of the blue and pick up where we left off in our dreams?” “I don’t know.” He searched her face for any sign of the tenderness he’d grown to love. “I guess I thought you’d be happy to see me.”
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She shook her head, her dark hair cascading around her shoulders. “I don’t know what to think. Most of me still believes I’m dreaming.” “Why don’t we try just sitting down and talking?” he said. “I didn’t expect to see you today. I’d assumed you’d be at work.” “I took some vacation time.” She turned and walked back toward the blanket, sitting down with her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them, but she nodded toward the opposite corner. “It’s my birthday later this week.” Matt took the offering and sat. “I know. Thirty-three. Hard to believe we’ve known each other for twenty-seven years and only just met.” She snorted. “Try impossible. Why are you here, Matt? I don’t understand.” “I think I told you that I’ve taken a disability retirement from the Air Force, right?” Summer nodded. “Was that real? Were you honestly hurt?” Matt tugged up the hem of his shorts to show the bottom edge of the surgical scar on his hip. “Yeah.” Then he turned to show her the collection of angry welts on his back. “Everything I ever told you in the dreams is true. You want my sister or my mom’s phone numbers? Hell, look them up. They’re in the book. Sarah Warren and Tanya and Mike Stephens, all of Morgan’s Creek, Texas.” She bit her lip and nodded. “And you said you just got a job here in Charleston.” “Aircraft engineer, remember? Y’all have this big-ass facility right here in town.” Actually, Charleston was one of the best places for him to work, aside from Seattle. “True.” She paused, studying him for a long time. “You really tried to contact me before?” “For years.” He gazed into her eyes, hoping she could see the truth in his. “I think it just wasn’t the right time for us yet. Maybe Fate wanted to wait until I was done risking my life on a daily basis.” “Maybe.” She shrugged. “So where do we go from here? Pretend we just met?”
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He dragged in a deep breath. “That’s up to you. I’m not a stalker, Summer. I’m just a guy who’s been crazy about you since I was nine years old.” “Crazy, huh?” She gave him a little lopsided grin. “That’s exactly what I’ve been afraid of. I was sitting here trying to talk myself into seeking counseling about my obsession with my dreams.” He held out his hand, and when she didn’t flinch, he touched her cheek. Damn, but she was even more beautiful in person than she’d been in his dreams. Her figure was the true hourglass, fashionable generations earlier, but not as trendy today. Modern men were fools. Her body was perfect, with full, heavy breasts, curvy feminine hips, and a dainty waist in between. She was a fucking sex goddess, and Matt had been hard since the moment he saw her on the beach. “You’re not crazy, sugar. I can’t explain how we found each other in our dreams, but we did. And now, after all these years, we have the chance to see if what we felt is real. To get to know one another in the real world. Don’t you want to at least try?” She paused for so long he thought his heart would pound its way out of his chest. Then she took a deep breath and shook her head. “I can’t do this, Matt. I don’t know you. Not really. None of this seems real, and I can’t trust myself here.” He backed away and sat on a fallen chunk of driftwood several yards away. “I’d argue that you know me better than anyone else in the world. But it’s clear you need some time to come to grips with the idea that what we have is real.” That she might reject him outright had never really crossed his mind, and it hurt, maybe more than getting shot. He clenched his hands on the driftwood. “What will it take, Summer? How can I convince you that we were meant to be together?” She stared out over the waves, silent for a long few moments. “We get to know each other like normal people. Where are you staying?” He named his hotel. “But I’m only there until Monday. I bought a house, not far from the beach.”
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“You already bought a house?” She lifted one dark eyebrow. “Pretty sure you were staying, huh?” He shrugged. “I took the job. And I wanted a place of my own, after living in crummy on-base apartments and barracks for so long.” “And if things don’t work out between us, will you be staying in Charleston?” She turned her face toward the ocean again. “I accepted a two-year contract. So at least that long, yeah.” Though being here and not with Summer would just about kill him. “So we have plenty of time.” Matt winced. His cock would have cried if it were possible. “Where do we start?” Only the desolate tone of her voice eased his agony. He’d hurt her, scared her, and it was up to him to make it right. Unfortunately, right then his stomach growled, loudly. He watched as her shoulders start to shake then she turned to face him, tears on her cheeks but a smile on her lips. Summer was laughing. It felt like angels singing. “I think,” she said, “maybe we should start with lunch.” She picked up her bag and her blanket. “Come on up to the house. I’ll fix you a sandwich and you can tell me about your new house and new job.” It was an olive branch, and Matt’s mom hadn’t reared a stupid son. He smiled and stood. “Lunch would be great. We can go out somewhere if you want—if you’re not comfortable being alone with me yet.” She tipped her head and looked him up and down then grinned. “We’ll eat on the deck. It’s just barely visible from the house next door, and I warn you I can scream really loud. Deal?” She stuck out a hand. Matt shook it, even though he’d have rather pulled her into his arms. Then he stepped back and gestured for her to lead the way to her rental house. “Deal.” 24
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***** Matt waited for her out on the raised wooden deck while Summer went into the kitchen to collect things for sandwiches. Her stomach churned so violently she didn’t know if she was going to be able to eat, but putting together fresh bread, turkey, cheese, lettuce and tomato slices gave her something to do with all the nervous energy fluttering through her body. She added a jar of pickles and a bag of potato chips to the tray, along with two big glasses of sweet tea. Odd that she remembered some of his likes and dislikes from her dreams. She didn’t try to add mayonnaise to the sandwiches or offer him a glass of wine. If he was going to be around, she’d have to pick up some beer. What was she thinking? She couldn’t even be sure the things she thought she knew about him were real. Shaking her head, she carried the tray out to the deck. When Matt jumped up to take it from her, she wasn’t surprised. He’d been reared a gentleman—at least she thought so. Maybe she should take him up on the suggestion to call his mother. “This is a nice place,” he said as she took a seat across from him at the glass-topped iron table. “Is it the same one your family rented last summer?” “For the last five summers.” She took a half sandwich and laid it on her plate, watching as Matt helped himself to a whole sandwich, a pickle and a handful of chips. “So where’s the rest of the clan? I thought you always came down as a group?” He bit into the sandwich and gave a happy sigh. “They’ll be here Tuesday,” she said before she could stop herself. She should probably not be advertising that she was here alone. Now that she’d already opened her mouth though, she shrugged and continued. “I wanted some time by myself, so I convinced the rest of them to let me come down ahead.” “And right now you’re thinking you probably shouldn’t have told me you’re here all by yourself.” He took another bite, chewed slowly then swallowed, the muscles of his throat moving in a way that made her want to touch. 25
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Hell, everything about him made her want to touch. She couldn’t help remembering every moment of their erotic dreams. “In fact, if this was one of our dreams, I’d have lectured you about telling those kinds of details to a stranger. I’m sorry if this is scaring you, sugar, but I’m willing to do just about anything to help you come to grip.” He took a long swallow of his iced tea. “Ah, that’s just the way I like it. You remembered.” She shook her head. “No, it’s just the way I like it. The sandwiches though, would be better with some mayo.” Matt scrunched up his long, elegant nose. “Ew. Disgusting.” He looked so much like a little boy, she couldn’t help but laugh. “Ah, now that’s the sound I’ve waited twenty-seven years to hear. Your voice, your face—they were the memories I held on to when I was baking out in the desert or blasting my way through caves.” His gaze sharpened, his dark-blue eyes going almost black with intensity. “You have no idea how much you’ve meant to me, Summer. My whole life, I’ve known you were out there somewhere, waiting for me. It kept me going. A couple times it even kept me alive. I’m not going to give that up without a fight. Whatever it takes, darlin’. You want dinners and roses, we can do that. You want to hire a detective to look into my background, go right ahead. You can even send your three brothers plus your brother-in-law to beat me up. I’m not going anywhere. Not unless I’m absolutely convinced we don’t have a chance together.” She gave up any pretense of eating and leaned her elbow on the table, her chin on her hand. “Why didn’t you ever tell me? How come you got to know I was real, but I never had any idea you were more than a dream?” Matt shrugged, chewing another chunk of his sandwich. “Different abilities, different magic, I guess. Like I said, mild psychic ability pops up in my family every now and then. My Scottish nana called it The Sight. A Native American friend calls it dream walking. My dreams have always been lucid, sometimes a little precognitive. I can talk to people close to me in shared dreams. Your family deal is finding your soul 26
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mates. I figure our dreams were where the two different powers, if you will, came together.” “So, you think we’re soul mates?” She heard the skepticism lacing her tone. He set down his food and laced his fingers on top of the table. “If this was one of our dreams, would you even argue?” No. In her dream world, she’d utterly believed he was her perfect mate. “But, apparently, that’s going to take some time to establish. It’s not what I expected, but I can play along.” He munched on a pickle spear. “These are good. So tell me, sugar, what do you want to know? There’s got to be something you always wanted to ask in the dreams but never got the chance.” Huh. She had to think about that. Was there anything important they hadn’t talked about? An idea popped into her head. “Do you have pictures in your wallet of your family?” “Not in my wallet, but on my phone.” He reached into the back pocket of his shorts and pulled out a leather wallet. “ID’s in there. You should look at it.” From the other pocket he pulled a smart phone and started pushing buttons. Summer opened the wallet and looked at the driver’s license showing through a clear plastic window. Matthew H. Warren of Morgan’s Creek, Texas. The picture was undoubtedly his, though his hair was shorter and he looked younger. The birth date was November second, the one she remembered. He was three years older than she. Everything added up, except for one thing. “No South Carolina license yet?” “I didn’t want to get a new one until I can use my new address.” He nodded at her to keep going. “My military ID should be right underneath. It has a more recent picture.” It was. Matt looked out at her with solemn intent from the plastic card. “Major, U. S. Air Force. Retired.”
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“Now look at this.” He turned the phone toward her, showing a group of five people in front of a Christmas tree. It was clearly a family, with a couple in their thirties, a boy of about ten, a girl of maybe five and an older woman who looked almost exactly like her daughter. Both of the women had Matt’s blue eyes. “Tanya, Mike, Tommy, Annie and my mom Sarah. Taken last Christmas and emailed to me while I was in rehab.” “Tommy has your smile.” Looking at these people, it was impossible not to see the relationships. And the way Tanya and Mike gazed at each other instead of the camera let her know they were definitely in love. Summer had seen those same tender glances between Star and Theo, and Noel and Shelby, heck, even her parents. It’s what she’d always secretly wanted for herself. Was it actually possible for her to find it now, with Matt? She was almost too afraid to hope. “Can I take you out somewhere nice tonight?” He bit into the last half sandwich. “I know you like dancing, though I might not be up to a whole lot of two-stepping.” “Does it still hurt a lot?” She might not totally trust him, but she couldn’t stand the thought of him in pain. “Only when I do something stupid,” he assured her. “The long walks on the beach this week have actually been great therapy. I’m game for a few slow dances.” “Or we could go to a movie. That’s a little less strenuous.” And she wouldn’t be constantly tempted by his touch. “But harder to talk and get to know each other.” She could see he was putting serious effort into maintaining his easygoing patience. When it came down to it, she couldn’t turn away the chance to know him better, to find out if he was really the man she thought she’d imagined. She gave him a smile. “Dinner and drinks it is then. I know a place on the beach—it’s pretty casual, and we can just hang out or go for a walk instead of dancing. You’ll want a shirt and some
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shoes, but the shorts would be fine.” If he really was her Matt, casual would be much more his style than the quiet elegance of some of the finer restaurants. “Whichever you want,” he said with an easy smile. “I can manage shoes and a shirt as soon as I get back to my car, which is just a half mile or so around the spit. I parked by the fishing pier.” “I can run you back there, if you want to rest your leg for a while.” She didn’t want him to stay, but another part of her was afraid if she let him out of her sight, she’d wake up and he’d be nothing more than a dream again. “Or we can just go now, maybe play some mini-golf before dinner or poke around the town. There’s a great little antiques shop on the island—if you have a new house to furnish, we could do some scouting there. You do like old stuff, right?” “I do. Everything we learned about each other in our dreams was real. I’m still into art deco and craftsman-style furnishings.” Without being asked, he helped load up the lunch tray and carried through the French doors into the kitchen. “I can clean this up. Get your stuff and you can show me around.” Summer only hesitated for a moment then she squared her shoulders and smiled. “Give me five minutes.” She could wear the sundress but wanted real underwear rather than her swimsuit beneath it. She also needed time to brush her hair and maybe add some makeup, as well as grabbing sandals and her purse. As soon as she was alone in the bathroom, she stared into the mirror and pinched her forearm, hard. Nope. Still not dreaming. She looked down at her shaking hands. Now what? And a tiny voice deep inside her heart replied, Now, silly girl, you fall in love.
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Chapter Three Matt collected his T-shirt and sport sandals from his pickup then climbed back into the passenger seat of Summer’s classy little blue sedan. He didn’t really care how they spent the day, as long as she let him spend it with her. Sooner or later, he had to believe she’d let down the walls she’d built and remember how good they were together. Of course he also enjoyed the idea of shopping with her to furnish his house. After all, if he had his way, she’d be living there soon herself. She might as well like whatever he bought. Besides, it would be good to see how their tastes coincided. The long, narrow island just off the coast had a Victorian downtown at the far end, giving it a small-town feel even though it was only thirty minutes or so from Charleston. Matt had looked at houses out here, but they were beyond his price range. One thing that hadn’t occurred to him was the differences in how he and Summer had been reared. She’d always been wealthy, never done without. Matt had learned to be frugal from the time he could walk. He hoped that wasn’t going to be a problem. “I want to stop at the toy store too, and pick up something for Dawn.” Once they found a parking spot in front of the gaily painted shops on Main Street, she parked and hopped out of the car before he could come around and open the door. “It’s a great place if you want to send anything home to your niece and nephew sometime. An oldfashioned toy store with cool, sometimes handmade things, not just the plastic junk you find at every other shop in the country.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his shorts to keep from trying to take her hand and shrugged. “Lead on.” “A guy who puts up with a shopping trip. You’re winning points, Warren,” she teased, flitting up the steps to a bright green storefront. The window display was kites, and Matt began to see the appeal. Tommy would love one of those. Heck, he might 30
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have to buy one for himself. Now that he had a nine-to-five job, he was going to have to come up with some hobbies. Free time wasn’t something he was used to. Of course, one glance over at Summer and he had a whole bunch of ideas on how to spend those extra hours. “I’ll need a bed,” he blurted out then winced as she raised one delicately arched eyebrow. Hurriedly he added, ticking items off on his fingers. “A kitchen table and chairs, a couch, a couple of dressers, maybe a bookshelf. That should get me started. My TV and stereo are being shipped with my clothes and stuff, but the furniture at my last place wasn’t worth saving.” “Well, you won’t want to buy a mattress at an antiques store.” The teasing glint was back in her eyes. “I can point you at some places in Charleston for that. But we might find you a table and chairs.” Inside the toy store, Matt found himself staring around like a little kid. So much bright, colorful fun. Not something that had been a big part of his life in the last eighteen years. Even college had been regimented, since he’d gone on an ROTC scholarship. He immediately gravitated to the kites while Summer scurried over to a display of infant toys. The beach in front of Summer’s vacation house would be a great place to fly one of these beauties. “Very relaxing.” Matt looked up to see an elderly gentleman had joined him. “Better than yoga or meditation, to my way of thinking. Which one were you looking at?” “The dragon.” Matt immediately pointed to an elaborately painted kite that wasn’t the most complex design but somehow called to him. “He looks like he should be flying.” Until this moment, Matt hadn’t realized how much he missed being up in the air. Between his injuries, and the fact his vision was no longer twenty-twenty, he’d have been grounded, even if he hadn’t been discharged. “There are many ways to fly,” the older man said. He lovingly lifted down the dragon kite and handed it to Matt. “Some of them more satisfying than others.” 31
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“I’ll take this one.” The clearly handmade dragon kite felt right in his hands. “And I need a couple for kids—a ten-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl.” There was plenty of wind in Texas for his niece and nephew to get a kick out of the kites. “The pink butterfly is good for a small child.” Matt studied a small, simple kite painted with a glittery butterfly. Annie would love it. He glanced up and pointed to a colorful box kite. “And that one?” The older man nodded. “You have a good eye. I have boxed versions of those two, for easier shipping. The dragon is one of a kind, but I’ll wrap it before you leave.” He lifted the kite from Matt’s hand and slipped away. How could the old man know he intended to ship the two smaller kites? He’d ambled off behind the counter before Matt could ask. Ah well, as a dream walker, he couldn’t really point a finger at someone else’s psychic abilities. Instead, he moved over to where Summer was playing with a wooden duck pull toy. “At just three months, I suspect she’d just gum it rather than pulling.” It seemed the most natural thing in the world to slip up behind her and slide his arm around her waist. “Wouldn’t one of the plushies be a better idea?” “Probably. But the duck has such a cute face.” She looked up at him. “You’re close to your niece and nephew, aren’t you, even though you weren’t in the country much since they were born?” “My sister and I can dream talk, so can my mother. I got updates whenever one of them happened to be asleep at the same time I was.” “I’ll bet they were terrified when you were hurt.” She put down the duck and reached for a soft, stuffed bunny. “Pretty much. My mom flew to Germany for a while once I was moved there.” He picked up a pink terrycloth teddy bear and wiggled it. “So why aren’t you staying in Texas with them?” Summer quit pretending to study the toys and gazed up at him with a guarded look in her beautiful eyes.
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“I think you know the answer to that.” He popped the soft nose of the teddy bear onto hers, miming a kiss. “My family is important to me, but they’re only a short plane ride or a couple days’ drive away. And there’s nothing for me to do in Morgan’s Creek, anyway. Charleston is where I want to be.” “I’ll take the bear.” She gave him a smile that he thought was full of hope. “And the duck. She’ll grow into it.” Matt laughed. “Good call. Now come over here and pick out a kite. I don’t want to be down on the beach goofing off by myself.”
***** Shopping with Matt was fun. They dropped the kites and toys in her car before walking hand in hand to the antiques mall across the street. It was a huge, old feed store that had been converted so numerous dealers each had areas for their wares. Consequently, the place was piled high with junk and treasures. Summer loved poking around in here because she spotted something new every time, even if she hardly ever bought anything. Her tiny apartment was already overflowing. Seeing the place through Matt’s eyes was even more enlightening. He had an appreciation for craftsmanship and vintage technology that she hadn’t known about from her—their— dreams. She watched him examine antique tools and machinery with a connoisseur’s eye. “There’s an old workshop in the garage of my house,” he said absently. “Maybe later I’ll get to building or fixing up things on my own.” “I imagine you’d be good at anything you try.” Oops! She hadn’t intended to say that out loud. “Thanks.” He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “Totally untrue. You’ll find out how much so as soon as you try to eat something I cook.”
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Summer laughed. “Well, I can’t even change my own oil, so there you go. And truthfully, I’m nowhere near as good a cook as my brother Sam. Notice I fed you sandwiches.” “Good thing we’re going out to dinner then, isn’t it?” She had the feeling he’d been about to say something else. Just then, though, something in the next booth caught her eye. “Ooh, look at that dresser, Matt. The burled walnut one they’re just bringing in.” Summer was already calculating whether it would fit in her bedroom, even though she liked the cherry wood set she’d had since she was a teen. “Oh wow.” He set down the saw he’d been looking at and moved toward the furniture display. As the two men in overalls set down the big, golden walnut chest of drawers, Matt strode right up to it. “This is a beauty.” Made in the art deco waterfall style, it really was. Summer walked up beside him and pointed to some other pieces that had already been brought in. “Look, there are the matching nightstands and a blanket chest.” “Got the bed frame and one more dresser in the back,” said one of the workmen. The owner of the stall, sensing a possible sale, Summer was sure, eased up to them. “The bed was originally a custom size, but has been modified slightly over the years to take a standard king mattress.” He gave them a snake-oil smile. “Just right for a happy young couple starting out.” “Oh, but we’re not—” Matt squeezed her shoulder and cut her off. “I’d like to see the rest of it.” “Come on out here,” the dealer said, walking toward the storage area out back. “It’s all in near-perfect condition.” They followed him into the barnlike addition at the back of the building filled with rows of furniture and other large items. When Matt saw the bed, his eyes lit up the room, and Summer knew he was going to buy it.
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A tiny thrill ran through her—approval mixed with a dash of envy. The set would never fit in her apartment, but she’d loved it from the moment she’d spotted it. “So, what do you think?” She jumped a little when Matt turned to her. “Will this work for a master bedroom?” Her cheeks warmed. Did he think they’d be spending a lot of time in there together? She couldn’t say she objected to the thought. Opening one drawer of the dresser, she inspected the dovetail joints and the sturdiness of the old piece. Slowly she nodded. “I’d check the other pieces, but if they’re all in this shape, I don’t see a problem, provided the price is reasonable.” “I’ll need a dining room set too,” Matt told the salesman. “I’d like to keep the period similar. Do you have anything along those lines?” Before they left, Matt had purchased a table, chairs and sideboard in a warm mahogany, a massive oak desk for his study and the bedroom set, arranging to have them all delivered to his new home the following week. “I think a modern couch in a vintage style is a better idea,” he said as they walked toward the exit. “It’ll hold up to a lot more use. Once the basics are in place, I can look around for the small stuff—end tables, artwork, whatever.” “That’s smart.” She paused just for a moment in front of a display of vintage jewelry—one of her small vices. “Does the house need a lot of work or can you move right in?” “Probably some painting, but that’s about it. I can take you to see it tomorrow.” He followed her gaze then studied the delicate Victorian sapphire pendant, in gold filigree with tiny seed pearls surrounding the center stone. “The realtor will let me in any time I want. Basically, I rented it until we close but agreed not to move in until the paperwork is done Monday.”
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“If you’re picking paint colors or remodeling, you should get Sam to help. He’s amazing with interior design.” She glanced at the price of the pendant and turned to walk away. She liked vintage sparklies, but not that much. “I’ll take that pendant,” Matt said to the lady behind the counter. “Do you have a chain to go with it?” The sixty-something brunette smiled broadly at him and began to dicker. Summer just wanted to hide. When the woman asked if Matt wanted a box, he shook his head and accepted the pendant, now on a thin gold chain, and held it out in both hands. “Turn around,” he said to Summer. “Matt, you don’t have to…” “Do you really want to have this argument here?” The corner of his mouth twitched into a grin. “I’ve waited a long time to buy you presents. And your birthday is coming up this week.” He was right on all counts, so she turned around and held perfectly still while his fingers brushed against her skin as he fastened the necklace. “There.” He turned her back to the counter and picked up a silver-backed hand mirror. “What do you think?” It sparkled against her skin as if it had been made just for her. Summer swallowed the knot in her throat. “I love it. Thank you, Matt.” He kissed the side of her neck. “It’s almost as pretty as you.” He turned to thank the woman then grabbed Summer’s hand and all but ran for the door. Once outside in the sunshine, he pulled her closely against his side as they strolled down the sidewalk toward the beach. As it wasn’t quite dinnertime, they took their time, window shopping in various little stores. Summer kept pointing out things he’d need to set up housekeeping, and Matt kept grunting. Apparently buying furniture had exhausted his interest in shopping.
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The sidewalk ended at a small playground right in front of the sandy ocean beach. They stood together for a while, watching half a dozen children playing on the swings and slide. Matt squeezed Summer’s hand. “You know, we never once talked about kids,” he murmured in her ear. “Well, maybe back in high school. But never as adults.” “That’s because I thought you were a dream,” she reminded him. “Didn’t seem pertinent. Whenever we were together, we had better things to do than talk.” “True.” His heartbeat quickened audibly. She was sure hers did too, thinking about the dreams. “So, do you want a big family?” His voice was little more than a rumble in her ear. Summer shrugged. “Not as big as mine, I don’t think. Maybe two, if any. I can’t imagine the loneliness of being an only, but it’s a little late in life for me to have half a dozen. And that’s assuming I ever get married.” “Two or three sounds like a good number.” Once again, she sensed that Matt started to say something more but stopped. Good. She wasn’t ready to be talking about families with him. Maybe not ever, but certainly not today. She was still trying to process the fact he was a real person. Still, as she watched him observe the kids in the park, she couldn’t help but think he’d make a great father. And it said something about her that she never pulled her hand away from his. After a little while, they made their way over to the beachfront bar and grill and sat at an outdoor table. “Tell me more about your new job,” she said as they sipped their drinks. He’d ordered a beer while she had a fruit smoothie. Matt launched into a detailed explanation of the design work he’d be doing, starting out as an assistant on a project already in progress. She was sure that in no time he’d be heading up his own projects. He was just that bright.
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Then she talked for a while about her work, running the sales and marketing division of the family company. It was nice to chat with someone else who understood numbers for a change. Most of her siblings were artistic, and even Val didn’t discuss much beyond how she was mistreating her computer. She loved them dearly, but she’d always felt the square peg—the uptight, buttoned-down sparrow in a flock of brightly colored, exotic parrots or maybe flamingos. Finally, dinner was over and they’d lingered as long as they reasonably could over a shared dessert. “How about a walk on the beach?” Matt offered. “There’s still a pretty good crowd here. It’ll be safe.” Summer smiled across the table. “I’m not afraid of you, Matt. You’ve convinced me that I do know you, at least to some degree. It’s myself I’m unsure of. I’ve had enough trouble believing in the things that happened to Star or Noel or Val. But the idea that we’ve been connecting for decades? That still has me thrown for a loop. It’s like finding out your imaginary friend was real all along.” “I’m sorry.” He slumped his shoulders and gave her a sympathetic smile. “I tried, so many times, to explain it in the dreams. But whatever the magic was, it wouldn’t let me. Against the rules, I guess.” “I would have worried about you, of course, when you were in the service. That would have been a lot harder to cope with. But I could have written you, sent care packages…” Summer tried to imagine what life would have been like if she’d known Matt was real all along. The last fourteen years would have been a bitch, that was for sure. And she didn’t know if she’d have ever been able to date any other guys—not that there had been many. “So, I suppose I should ask if there’s any other woman in your life at the moment. I don’t imagine you’ve been celibate since you were nine.” Matt let out a rusty laugh and ran his hand through his short hair. “No, there’s no one. And yes, I’ve dated—I’m not a virgin, if that’s what you’re asking. But there’s never been anyone serious for me, and no one at all in the last year or so.” 38
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“Oh.” She took a minute to process that. “Me either—though I think it’s been closer to two. And none of them ever lasted beyond a month or so. Most of them only one or two dates.” Because none of them ever measured up to Matt. Damn. “Can I see you again tomorrow?” It was the last thing she’d expected to hear. Honestly, she’d assumed he’d try to come home with her and spend the night. Part of her was disappointed that he hadn’t tried. But this was probably a lot better idea. They both needed time to think things through. “We can try out the kites,” he added, laying on his Texas drawl. “I’ll bring a picnic lunch. You can teach me to body surf.” “Okay.” It wasn’t as if she had the willpower to say no to him. “Come to the house at noon?” His grin lit up the night. “Great. You like fried chicken, right?” “Right. Lots of coleslaw.” “Blech.” He made a face. “But for you, I’ll buy it. Just don’t expect me to eat the stuff.” “Oh—mayonnaise.” Summer laughed. “You can skip the coleslaw and just get a green salad instead. The chicken shack on the main road to the island is pretty good. Stop there instead of one of the chain places.” “I was going to. And a green salad it is.” They didn’t speak as they walked back to her car, just held hands and looked up at the stars. Even once they were in the car, silence reigned, but it was a comfortable quiet, not an awkward one. When they reached the lot where he’d left his truck, Matt got out and came around to her open window. “I’ll see you tomorrow at noon then.” “I’ll be ready.” She licked her lips, nervous already. 39
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“Good night, Summer.” He leaned down, giving her plenty of time to pull away. Instead, she leaned out the window farther. “Good night, Matt.” His kiss was soft and gentle, a mere brush of his lips against hers, but she still felt it all the way to her toes. She couldn’t help grabbing his shoulder, holding him down for another, longer, more thorough kiss. When that ended, they were both breathing heavily. “Noon,” he rasped, grazing her cheek with one thumb as he stepped back. “I’ll follow you home, make sure you get inside. And, Summer? Sweet dreams, darlin’.” Dreams? She snickered as she pulled back onto the road. Yeah, as if she were going to be able to sleep tonight.
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Chapter Four Matt sat on his lumpy hotel room bed and tried to pay attention to the television. His meeting today with Summer hadn’t gone as well has he’d hoped, but it had gone better than he had any right to expect. She hadn’t told him to take a flying hike, but he was still stuck here while she was in her lonely bed, miles away. At least now she knew he was real. What was it going to take to convince her he was serious about her, about them? He’d spent his whole life falling in love with Summer. He didn’t want to wait months or even years for her to fall in love with him. He’d done more walking than usual today, and his hip ached. Since he was trying to keep his use of pain pills to the bare minimum, he went down to the hotel’s pool area and lounged in the hot tub for a while, letting the heated jets relax the stiffened muscles. A small spa was definitely something to consider for his backyard. He figured it could be added unobtrusively, without significant damage to the landscaping. That thought led to even more ideas, like what he and Summer could do in the bubbling water, and suddenly Matt decided he’d better go back up to his room. Even if he didn’t sleep, at least there he wouldn’t freak anyone out with an inexplicable hard-on. Good thing his swim trunks were baggy. Back in his room, he opened his computer and answered some emails until he was relaxed enough to fall asleep. He wasn’t at all surprised when he dreamed of Summer. Now that he’d seen her in person, she seemed even more beautiful than ever, looking at him through startled blue eyes. “Well. I didn’t expect to see you tonight.” She twisted her hands in front of her.
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Matt sat on the piece of driftwood that was always there. “Sorry. I can control what I do and say, but the dreams come when they want to. I’ve never been able to bring one on or fend one off.” “It’s different now, knowing you’re real, that we could pick up the phone and talk instead of meeting in our dreams.” She didn’t move toward him but didn’t run away either. Her teeth toyed with her lower lip. “I had fun today though. I’m glad I finally got to see you in the flesh.” “I had fun too. But then I was sure I would. I’ve known you most of my life, after all.” He gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “And yeah, it was hard keeping my hands to myself when I wanted to touch you.” “Awkward, at least.” She took one tentative step forward. “In our dreams, there’s nothing we haven’t done—even some kinkier things I thought I’d never try in real life. But in person, we’ve barely kissed.” “I’ll be happy to fix that whenever you’re ready.” Given half the chance, he’d spend the whole day kissing her, touching her, fucking her until neither of them could stand. Another few steps forward. “I want to. A big part of me wants to just fall into your arms and pick up where we left off in our dreams. But the logical, rational side of me isn’t sure. We could be totally different in real life—not at all compatible.” “I don’t believe that—and I don’t think you do really, either. But you can take all the time you need to get used to the idea.” He’d hold out if he had to, though it would be the most difficult thing he’d ever done. She took a deep breath, making her breasts rise against the filmy fabric of her sundress. “We definitely need to spend more time together.” “No arguments from me on that, sugar.” He’d take whatever he could get. “When you come tomorrow—bring your suitcase. You might as well stay here with me until you can move into your house.”
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Joy and relief flooded his soul. She was opening up to him, giving him a chance. He believed down to his bones that once they were together, she’d realized their love was as real as it had always been in their dreams. “I can’t wait.” He closed the distance between them and dropped to his knees in front of her on the sand. Lifting her hands in his, he dropped kisses on each of the fingers. “I’ve waited my whole life for this, darlin’. It’s what I thought about to keep myself going through all those years in combat. I swear I’ll make sure you don’t regret this.” “Matt…” She reached down and tangled her hands in his hair, drawing him up for a scorching kiss. “I don’t know what to do. I want you, but now that we’ve met, having sex in our dreams feels weird.” “I know.” He kissed her nose, her cheeks and her forehead. “Next time we make love, I want it to be the real thing. Not that the dreams weren’t real—aren’t real—in their own way. I swear one time I woke up with a hickey, and a couple times with scratches on my back.” Summer laughed. “That’s nothing. You know that the first time—even in the dream I was still a virgin?” Matt groaned at the memory. Not something he could ever forget. He deeply regretted that he hadn’t had the good fortune to be her first in real life. “I woke up with blood on my thighs, Matt. I think I must’ve used my hand in my sleep or something. Or else it was just some kind of magic. The first time with a guy in college, there was no tearing. So, in some way, you really did take my virginity.” Matt shook his head. “Now that’s just weird, darlin’.” He couldn’t help being glad though, that no other man had that same sweet memory. Summer yawned then slipped off the log to sit in his lap and lean her head against his shoulder. “I think we should go back to sleep now and rest up for tomorrow.” “That’s not a bad idea, sugar.” He loved the feel of her in his arms, even if it was a dream. 43
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“Oh and, Matt—” Another yawn interrupted her. “Might want to bring some condoms. I don’t have a stash with me at the beach house.” Matt knew his own laugh sounded raspy—or maybe desperate. “I’ll be sure and do that.” If he had his way, they were going to need several boxes. Soon.
***** Saturday morning, Matt had mixed feelings about loading his luggage into his truck and checking out of the hotel, but he reminded himself that if Summer threw him out, he could find another place to stay until Monday. As he loaded his briefcase, he picked up a small velvet box and flipped it open. The round diamond solitaire in a gold flower setting winked up at him. He’d bought it in Switzerland a year ago, when he’d been on leave from a posting in Germany. The moment he’d seen it, something about it had just said, “Summer”. He’d been carrying it around like a talisman ever since. Wishing himself luck, he stashed it at the bottom of his laptop bag. On the way out to her rental house, he picked up several boxes of condoms, a sixpack of his favorite beer, a big bunch of bright gerbera daisies, and the chicken he’d promised her for lunch. He even bought her coleslaw, along with a green salad for him. Trying not to look too anxious, he drove slowly, not pulling into her driveway until quarter to twelve. Summer came running out the front door to meet him. She had on a yellow halter top and white shorts, with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, making her look like a college kid. Her smile though, was all woman. Especially when he handed her the flowers and the bag of food. “This is called sucking up, you know.” “You want me to throw them out?” He arched an eyebrow as he pulled the grocery store bag and his smallest suitcase out of the space behind the driver’s seat. She clutched the flowers to her chest. “Don’t even think about it.” 44
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“I stopped by the store and ordered a mattress,” he told her once they’d gone inside. She found a vase for the flowers while he took the food out to the deck. “Good. Now how about sheets, pots and pans, that sort of thing?” Carrying a pitcher of sweet tea and two glasses, she joined him on the porch. Matt shrugged. “Not yet.” Honestly, he figured she already had most of that stuff. Since he hoped she’d move in with him soon, it didn’t make much sense for him to buy new. Summer shook her head. “I guess tomorrow it’s off to the mall.” “We’ll see.” His plan was to keep her too busy to shop. “Today I want to fly kites and swim.” And maybe make love to Summer in a real bed.
Summer didn’t know what to make of Matt’s playful mood, but as soon as they had lunch cleaned up, he grabbed her hand and the two kites and tugged her down the steps to the shore. She’d really expected him to just try to take her to bed. She’d even decided she’d let him. So she honestly didn’t know if his insistence on kite flying was a good thing or not. One thing she was pretty sure of, though, was that Matt hadn’t had a lot of time for fun in his adult life. That, at least, was something she could give him. Considering how little time she took away from work, some silliness and laughter wouldn’t do her any harm either. First they assembled her kite—Matt’s had come fully put together, but hers was in a box. Then, using the instructions the man at the toy store had given Matt, they attempted to get them to fly. For the first time, Summer saw the competitive streak in her dream lover. He was determined to get his dragon in the air before she mastered her much smaller hummingbird kite.
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“Ha, it’s flying, look,” she called, sticking her tongue out. He might as well learn that she was no pushover either. Of course her kite chose that moment to nosedive back to earth. She ran down the beach to retrieve it, relieved to see it wasn’t broken. Meanwhile, Matt had gotten his golden dragon up in the air. He whistled happily when she returned. “It’s gorgeous,” she said. “He certainly looks like he belongs up there.” “I used to think I did too,” Matt said softly. “But maybe the old man was right. Maybe there is more than one way to fly.” Tears stung her eyelids. She hadn’t thought about how hard it would be for him not to be able to fly anymore. Could he get a private plane one day, or were his injuries too much for even that? Losing that must hurt as much as his damaged hip. She watched the dragon soar for a few minutes while she untangled her string. Eventually, she got the hummingbird back up in the sky, though not as high as Matt’s. They experimented and laughed for quite a while, until the wind died down. Then there wasn’t much point in trying to fly kites. “Well, now that we’re hot and sweaty, how about a swim?” She carefully wrapped up her string. “Sounds good.” When they’d both packed up their kites, he held out a hand to help her to her feet. “Let’s go change.” Since he’d worn khaki shorts and a USAF T-shirt, she figured he didn’t have a swimsuit on underneath. For that matter, neither did she. For some reason, she hadn’t wanted to take anything for granted today. She did leave her hand in his as they climbed the steps to the house. “So where should I change?” Matt stood in the kitchen and lifted his small suitcase. “For that matter, where do you want me to put this?”
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It was time to bite the bullet. Summer dragged in a deep breath. “In my room. It’s kind of designed for kids, but with three of the others married now, I got last pick.” Except for poor Sam, who would be stuck up in the overhead loft on a sleeping bag. At least her room had a full-sized bed, even if it also had a pink canopy and a shelf full of kids’ books and toys. If the family grew any larger, they’d have to start renting two houses for their summer vacations. “You sure?” His voice dropped to a husky rumble, and all thoughts of canopies and children’s books disappeared from Summer’s mind. She looked up at him and smiled. Who did she think she was fooling? She’d known from the moment he appeared on her beach that they’d end up in the same bed sooner rather than later. “I’m sure. It’s the one at the far end of the hallway.” Suitcase in hand, he motioned for her to lead the way. Once inside the tiny bedroom, he laughed. “You weren’t kidding, were you? I’m going to hang over three, if not all four sides of that bed.” He didn’t say a word about the décor, but his lips continued to twitch. “Well, it’s that or the floor upstairs, once everyone else shows up.” It hadn’t occurred to her that they could use the master bedroom until her family arrived on Tuesday. Duh! “But for the next couple nights, we could go across the hall.” “If it wouldn’t feel too weird to you, that might be a better idea.” Summer shook her head. “If it were my folks’ bedroom in their house, that might feel weird. This is a rental, and who knows how many people slept in that bed. We can change the sheets and everything before they get here.” She stepped into the master bedroom, which had warm, honey-colored wicker furnishings, and a wrought iron queen-sized bed covered in a cream comforter. A big palm-frond ceiling fan dominated the ceiling. “Much better.” He set down his suitcase and took Summer’s hands. “Do you have your heart set on swimming right now?”
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She shook her head, meeting his gaze and wallowing in the heated intensity of it. “Later.” Her lips felt parched, so she flicked out her tongue to moisten them. Matt groaned. He used their joined hands to pull her flush against his warm body. Then, finally, his lips crushed down on hers. Yes! This was what she’d waited for, what she needed. He smelled of sweaty male with a hint of sunscreen and a slightly citrusy deodorant. The muscles of his back were strong and sculpted though it was lean muscle rather than broad. She let her hands slide up under his T-shirt, loving the silky feel of his skin, ignoring the ridges of scar tissue. Matt’s tongue plundered her mouth, searching out every hidden spot—and a few she hadn’t known existed. Summer gripped his shoulders and kissed him back, putting all her pent-up longing into the slide of lips and tongues. His fingers speared through her hair, sliding it out of its ponytail and combing it down her back. When he found the fastening of her sturdy halter top at her neck, he swiftly undid the buttons and leaned back enough that the front triangles of fabric with their built-in support could fall to her waist. “Oh hell, sugar.” He filled both hands with her heavy, swollen breasts. “You are so much more beautiful in the flesh.” Temporarily distracted by the feel of his clever fingers shaping and exploring her curves, Summer leaned back—and accidentally fell onto the bed. Caught off-guard, Matt tumbled too, landing on top of her. “You okay?” His dark-blue eyes twinkled. “Yeah,” she squeaked. Matt shifted up onto one arm so she could breathe. Summer wiggled farther onto the bed. “Might be better if we pulled the covers back though.”
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Matt stood and held out a hand to help her up. “Easier to get your clothes off up here anyway.” With the hand not holding Summer’s, he pulled back the comforter and top sheet, all the way to the foot of the bed. Next, he pulled a couple foil packets from the front pocket of his shorts and set them on the nightstand. “We’ll have to go get the box from the kitchen at some point,” he said. Summer giggled again. What was it about Matt that made her feel positively giddy? “By that point we’ll probably want something to drink anyhow.” She tugged the hem of his T-shirt, and he obligingly pulled it over his head. Now it was her turn to stare and lick her lips. Scars or no scars, the man was gorgeous. Based on the size of the bulge pressing against the fly of his shorts, he was well built all over. She reached around and unfastened the waist of her shirt, letting the garment fall to the floor. “There. Now we’re even.” They’d both dropped their sandals and sunglasses by the front door, so all that was left was their shorts. Summer took a deep breath and undid the button and zipper on hers. Matt followed suit. “On three?” His teasing smile melted her heart. Summer grinned back. “One.” “Two.” Matt tucked his thumbs into his waistband, making it obvious his boxers were dropping along with his khakis. Summer did likewise. She took a deep breath, loving the way the rising of her chest made his eyes darken. “Three.” Both of them shoved shorts and underwear to the floor. Matt’s gaze smoldered as he studied Summer’s nude form. She resisted the urge to cover anything with her hands. How long since she’d had a wax? Six months? A year? She hoped he didn’t mind her au naturel.
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“You’re exactly as I imagined,” he said huskily. “I bet you even have that little starshaped birthmark on your butt I remember so well.” She nodded. Her sister had teased her about it their whole lives. “And you—damn, Matt. I can’t believe that you’re everything I dreamed about.” While the thick cock curving up toward his waist wasn’t freakish or anything, it was still impressive. She had absolutely no doubts, though, about his ability to fit perfectly inside her. Destiny wouldn’t be that cruel. Unable to resist, Summer stepped forward and reached for Matt’s cock. Odd that she knew exactly how he liked to be touched. She wrapped her hand around the thick length of his shaft and sighed at the feel of soft skin over steely flesh. A small bead of pre-cum gathered at the tip, and she swooped it up with one fingertip, bringing it to her lips. “You know I’m clean,” he growled softly. “After a month in the hospital, that’s one thing I’m sure of.” “I wasn’t worried.” She should have thought to ask. She’d always been so careful before, but this was Matt. With the tip of her tongue, she tasted the bitter, salty drop, closed her eyes and sighed happily. After a moment of savoring she remembered to tell him, “I’m healthy too. There hasn’t been anyone since long past my last annual physical.” “I’m not going to be able to go slow, sugar,” he drawled, stepping toward the bed. “I want to savor you, but, Jesus, darlin’, I’ve been waiting for this my whole fucking life.” “Who said I want slow, darlin’?” she teased back, easing down to the center of the mattress. “I’ve been waiting too, you know.” “But I knew you were real.” After tearing open a condom with his teeth, he sheathed himself quickly then followed her down to the bed. Leaning over her on his elbows, he kissed her again, so deeply she thought their souls might be merging. His erection prodded her stomach and she twisted her hips, trying to line him up with her 50
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aching, needy cunt. “Easy there, sugar. I said fast, but there are a few things I have to take time for.” He kissed his way down her cheek to suck lightly at the corner of her throat. His hands covered her breasts, thumbs flicking lightly across her distended nipples. “Matt!” She clutched at his hair as he slithered down her body farther until his face was between her breasts. He squeezed the full mounds together and buried his nose between them, inhaling deeply. She meant to say something else but all that emerged from her throat was a moan when he took one of her nipples into his mouth and sucked. Ah, yes, he knew exactly what she liked too. He knew her nipples were sensitive, and he knew she liked them sucked hard. When he switched to the other, he pinched the damp one tightly, rolling it between his fingers and thumb as he took its mate deep into his hot mouth. Summer whimpered and arched her back as she held his head to her breast. Nothing had ever felt so wonderful. Her pussy ached, wanting more, but she knew he’d get there, and she knew, to the core of her soul, that everything was going to be perfect. Eventually, Matt let her nipple go with a smacking kiss and slid farther down, kissing her not-quite flat tummy as he went. She wasn’t a perfect size six, but Matt didn’t seem to care. He tongued her bellybutton playfully before continuing down. When he reached her mound, he blew softly on her curls. “Pretty,” he murmured. “And so very wet and hot. God, Summer, you take my breath away.” He licked a long line along her slit, almost from her anus, then all the way up to circle her clit. “And you taste like heaven.” “Oh God, Matt. I need you.” “What do you want, sugar? Remember how to ask for it?” It seemed he’d slipped right back into the relationship they’d shared in their dreams. “Tell me. And while you do it, play with your nipples. I want them nice and hard for me.”
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“My clit,” she said, squeezing and rolling her nipples between her fingers. “Suck it, please.” “Ah, thought you’d never ask.” He licked a circle around her nub then latched on with his lips. He nibbled gently with his lips sheathing his teeth. “Suck harder,” she begged. “And give me your hand, please. I need something inside me.” It didn’t feel like the first time—they knew each other too well for that. This was stronger and more of a complete experience though, and she wanted to memorize every second. “One finger?” He penetrated her carefully with just a single digit. “Ah, you’re so tight, so hot and slick.” Then he put his mouth back on her clit, sucking in the same rhythm as his finger slid in and out. “Two.” Her breathing was down to erratic gasps as her orgasm coiled in her belly. “Or three.” She arched into his mouth as he added another finger. He curled them inward to stroke against her G-spot, and Summer came apart, screaming his name as she clenched. Sparks radiated from her pussy, out to her fingers, toes and everywhere in between. She forgot to breathe. All she could do was shudder as wave after wave of sensation rolled through her. Matt kept fucking her with his finger until the tremors started to slow down then he kissed her mound before crawling up over her and positioning his cock at her entrance. “Do you want me now?” “Matt.” Single syllables were all she could manage to say. “Now. Please.” “I’m right here, darlin’. Right here.” He laced his fingers through hers and held her hands above her head as he slowly slid home. “Keep your eyes open, Summer. I want to watch you as I take you. I want you to remember that this time it’s for real.” Summer nodded and forced her eyelids not to close. It was worth it to see the heat in Matt’s expression as he entered her. His jaw clenched and his eyes had darkened to almost black. Tiny beads of sweat popped out on his broad forehead. His long, thick cock filled her deeply until she wasn’t sure she could take any more. Except of course 52
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she could. When he was finally seated, his taut balls drawn up against her ass, he smiled so brilliantly it was like a solar flare. “Mine,” he rumbled. “Finally. Mine.” Looking into his eyes, there was only one response she could give. She wrapped her legs around his waist, gripped his shoulders hard with her hands, and met him, thrust for thrust. “Yes. Yours.” She was so close to coming again that when he speeded up, slamming into her harder, she shattered. “Ahh, Summer.” He pushed deep and shuddered. Summer could have sworn she could feel the spurt of semen filling the tip of the condom. His climax was that powerful. She simply held on, arms and legs still twined around him, her gaze still locked with his. When she could manage it, she smiled, and his in response was flat-out beautiful. He swooped in and once again, kissed her senseless, still inside her, still hard.
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Chapter Five When they both ran out of breath, Matt reluctantly pulled out of Summer’s snug, wet heat and all but collapsed on his side next to her. She rolled to face him, face glistening with sweat, her eyes gleaming and a smug smile on her face. Reaching up with one shaky hand, he smoothed a strand of hair off her cheek. “Wow.” She blinked and dragged in a lungful of air. “I always thought the dreams exaggerated reality.” “Me too.” There was a box of tissues on the nightstand and a trash can beside it so he rolled over and dealt with the condom before turning back to her. “I guess we both learned something new.” “Now it’s my turn to explore,” she said with a wicked grin. She rolled on top of him, forcing Matt to his back. He went without a fight, content to let her have her turn. “You’re leaner than you were a year ago but still in good shape. Did you lose some weight in the hospital?” “A little.” Damn, she was observant. “And all these new scars.” She knelt above him, kissing each and every one. “Tonight over dinner, you’re going to tell me what happened. Whether you crashed or what. But not now. I want to concentrate on the good stuff.” Since she’d reached his waist with her kisses, Matt was inclined to agree. She kissed the side of his hip, the one with the red scar from his hip replacement surgery. “Does it still hurt?”
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“Only if I overdo it or when it rains.” He played with one of her long, silky curls. “Mostly it’s fine. I’m one of the lucky ones. I survived and now I’m here with you.” After she’d kissed each stitch mark, she worked her way down one leg and back up the other. Matt was hard as a crankshaft again by the time she reached his groin. Christ, it was like being sixteen again. Not that he was complaining. “You’re the standard for me, you know. Every other guy I saw naked, I judged against you, even though I thought you were a figment of my imagination.” She kissed him right beside his cock then took the shaft in her hand. The other cupped his balls, and she explored each with her lips and tongue, until they were taut as rocks and pulled up tight against his groin. “Big surprise when every single one of them came up lacking in one way or another.” “You think it was different for me? No other woman had your humor, your kindness, your beautiful eyes or your fantastic ass.” He’d have kept going, but she licked a line up the ridge of his shaft and circled the underside of his glans with the point of her tongue. “And I knew you were out there, just out of reach. For years, I kept expecting you to meet someone and fall in love, leaving me in the lurch.” “Nobody was you,” was her simple answer. Then she slurped the head of his cock into her mouth and Matt forgot how to speak. Oh holy shit. Her mouth was hot and wet. She circled his shaft with both hands and pumped him slowly as she sucked. Yeah, he’d taught her that. Thanks to their dreams, she knew exactly what he liked and she proved it, pulling his tip deep into her throat. While she continued to pump the base with one hand, she reached underneath with the other and cradled his sac, gently toying with his balls. Fuck, she was trying to kill him with pleasure. He shouldn’t have been ready to go again this soon—he was thirty-six, damn it— but not only was he hard, he was damn close to coming down her throat. Every time she sucked him deeper into her mouth and pumped his shaft, his hips rose up off the bed and need coiled in his balls and at the base of his spine. 55
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“Do you want…?” he managed to gasp out. One hand tangled in the sheet, the other in her hair. Summer nodded, the extra movement caressing his cock even further. That was enough. Matt’s spine arched and his balls damn near exploded as he poured a river of semen into her mouth. She swallowed repeatedly, drinking down all he had to give her, then, when he was done, she daintily licked him clean before curling up against his chest and burying her face in the crook of his shoulder. Matt didn’t know what to say. Thank you? I love you? It seemed too early to throw that one on her, though he was more than tired of waiting. He’d loved her for his whole life, but had no idea if she’d believe him or if she felt the same. After this afternoon though, he was more hopeful than before. He kissed the top of her head and cuddled her close. As the ceiling fan cooled the sweat on his body, he asked, “Are you cold, sugar?” No answer. Ah, she’d fallen asleep. He moved as carefully as he could so he didn’t disturb her and pulled up the covers.
***** “Oh crap, I don’t think I can move.” Summer chuckled against Matt’s chest. “Me either.” He buried his nose in her fragrant hair, smelling her coconut milk shampoo. “But sooner or later, we’re gonna need food. Fluids. And the box of rubbers.” They’d used the second one from his pocket after they’d woken from their little nap. Three times in two hours—even with a nap, that had to be some kind of record. And he still wanted her, though at least this time he’d only rebounded to half-mast as they lay in each others’ arms. “I’m thinking a shower,” she said, stretching along the length of him. Make that three-quarters mast. “Not a swim?” He wondered if she had the guts to go skinny-dipping with him. 56
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“I’m so limp I’d probably drown,” she admitted. “What do you think about ordering in tonight? Pizza is about the only thing they’ll deliver here, but at least that way we don’t have to move very far.” “I’m good with that.” He didn’t want to share her with the world anyway. “Don’t suppose this place has a hot tub.” “Nope.” She yawned against his chest. “That’s one thing I love about my condo. Has a gorgeous pool and spa area.” “I’m thinking of adding a hot tub in my yard,” he said. “My hip loves the idea. There’s already a nice pool.” “I’m still shocked that you bought a house right away,” she mused, running her fingers through the sparse hair on his chest. “I might have asked you to stay with me in my place.” “I wanted a home.” He smiled at her words though. “I hope you like it too. Maybe you’ll… Well, it’s big enough for two. Maybe even a family some day.” “Wait.” Summer sat up in bed and glared at him. “You’re saying you bought a house, hoping I’d come live in it with you, and you didn’t even check with me first? You didn’t ask if I was interested in moving. You didn’t ask if I’d like the place. You just bulldozed ahead and picked the house all on your own? Before we’d even met face-toface?” “Well, I couldn’t exactly ask you to help pick a house if you didn’t even know I was a real person.” It seemed perfectly logical to him. “You could have gotten an apartment for the short run,” she pointed out. “Then if we decided to move in together, you could have moved into my condo. I like my home. What makes you think I’d be eager to move?” “Because it’s a condo, not a house.” He didn’t want to rear a family in a complex. He’d grown up in apartments and always envied the kids who had real houses and yards. “I wanted a real home.”
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“But my place is a home. And moreover, it’s mine.” She growled and crossed her arms over her chest. “And for the record, you haven’t asked me to move in either. I wouldn’t recommend this as a good time to try.” Standing, she flounced toward the door. “I’m taking a shower—all my stuff is in the bathroom on the other side of the hall. You can use the one over here.” She stormed out of the room. Ouch. Matt wasn’t sure why she was so pissed, but something he’d done had set her off good. This would probably not be a good time to break out the engagement ring and propose. He went to the other room, grabbed his suitcase and pulled it into the empty bathroom next to the master bedroom. The sound of the shower running came from the closed door across the hall. Apparently all five bedrooms shared just two baths. That ought to get interesting when the whole clan got together. Odds were she’d have kicked him out before then anyway. He knew he had some fast-talking to do tonight if he wanted her to let him stay. As he stood in the shower, reluctantly washing Summer’s scent from his skin, Matt pondered her anger. Had he really been too presumptuous? How the hell was he supposed to know? He was a guy. He was supposed to provide the house, the stability, right? Damn, you idiot. You know better. His mother would kick his ass if she was here right now. He knew perfectly well just how competent a woman alone could be, that it didn’t take two to create stability. Problem was he really loved the house and already didn’t want to give it up. But better the house than Summer. He figured he had the rest of the weekend to bring her around and convince her he was truly sorry. Matt wasn’t sure he’d ever been more scared—even buried under rocks behind enemy lines.
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***** Summer forced herself to breathe while she washed the sweat and sex from her skin. How had she ever thought she and Matt understood each other? It was screamingly obvious now that whatever link had bound them had only channeled limited information. Did he really think she was the kind of woman who just smiled and said “Yes dear” to whatever a man decreed? Sure, they were compatible—way beyond compatible—in bed, but she had no intention of moving in with someone just because of really great sex. She’d known his appearance in her life was too good to be true. So why did it hurt so much to have that pointed out? And now he didn’t even have a hotel room to go back to. Crap. She supposed she was stuck with him here until Monday. She’d sleep in her room and he could use her parents’. Unless he became even more of a jerk. Then he could sleep in his goddamn truck. She scrubbed her skin until it was red then dried off and dressed in her oldest jeans and a faded rock band T-shirt. Feet still bare, she went out and sat on the deck to comb out her hair in the early evening sunshine. “Hey there.” Matt approached cautiously, carrying two glasses of tea. “Thought you might want this.” “More assumptions?” She could have kicked herself for the snotty response the minute it came out of her mouth. His wince made her feel even worse. “Wait,” she called as he started to turn back into the house. “I’m sorry. That was just me being a bitch. Truth is I’d love a glass. Thanks.” “You’re allowed to be angry. I’m sorry too.” He handed her a glass then took a seat at the opposite side of the table. Now wearing jeans and a white T-shirt, he was still stunningly handsome. Just the sight of him made her breath catch. “I should have come to find you as soon as I moved to Charleston. I guess I just didn’t want to show up on 59
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your doorstep homeless and hat in hand. I wanted to have a job, a home, be settled before I courted you.” “Courted?” She almost smiled at the old-fashioned word. “Is that what this is?” Matt shrugged. “What it was meant to be anyway.” He looked so contrite, so adorably masculine and even hurt that her heart went out to him. “I suppose,” she said quietly, “that given our history together, we can’t exactly expect anything like normal in any part of our relationship.” “You’re a smart woman, Summer Holiday.” He lifted his glass and gave her a hopeful grin. “But you know that. And I can truly be an ass from time to time.” She grinned back. “True enough. Proves you’re human. With three brothers, I’m pretty familiar with men making asses of themselves.” “Can I take you out to dinner then? I think maybe we should slow things down, spend some time together doing the so-called normal things.” He clenched the table in both hands as he waited for her answer, and she’d bet he didn’t even know he was doing it. The fact that she had the power to make him nervous made her want to forgive him all the more. “I know a great barbecue place not too far away,” she offered. “We wouldn’t have to dress up or anything. Just throw on some flip-flops and go.” “You’re asking a Texan to go to a barbecue place in South Carolina?” The teasing glint was back in his eyes and her heart lifted. “Boy, you haven’t tasted real barbecue until you’ve had Charleston barbecue.” She stood and shook out her mostly dry hair. “Come on. Tonight you can drive and I’ll buy dinner.” She hoped he recognized an olive branch when he saw one. And a test. Could he stand to let her buy dinner? “Yes ma’am.” He drained his glass and stood. “Anything you want.” Well, at least he’s capable of learning. That was promising. She led him back into the house with a hopeful smile on her face.
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***** “I didn’t say it wasn’t good. I said it wasn’t barbecue.” They bickered good naturedly on the way back to Matt’s truck later that night. They’d decided to go see a movie after dinner, and now it was dark, a sky full of stars gleaming down on them. Since he hadn’t quibbled when she paid for their meal, Summer had graciously let him buy the movie tickets, though she’d sprung for the popcorn and soda. She hadn’t complained either when he’d held her hand through the entire film. “Let me take you to Texas sometime—you’ll taste the real deal.” Her heartbeat thumped. Did he still think they had a chance at a relationship that would go past great sex and into her meeting his family? “I’ve been to Dallas, buddy. I travel fairly often to keep in touch with our sales outlets. Trust me, your so-called barbecue sauce doesn’t hold a candle to Marty’s special blend.” “Well, I suppose differences in spice preferences is something we can get past if we try.” He held her door for her, holding out his hand to help boost her into the high cab of the pickup. Once he was in the other side and belting himself in, he asked, “Do you think maybe we can get past the other stuff too?” Summer didn’t even pretend to think he was talking about little things like mayonnaise on sandwiches. Even condo versus house paled against the big question. Were they ultimately compatible enough to be together? Did the emotional bond they’d formed in their dreams extend to real life? She didn’t have an answer. As they drove back to the beach house in silence, she thought about how hard he’d been trying tonight. That had certainly earned him points. And to be honest with herself, she really, really didn’t want to sleep alone tonight. Summer didn’t believe in cutting off her nose to spite her face. She had a chance in the next few days to get to know the man of her dreams and find out if he could be the man of her reality. 61
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She wasn’t stupid enough to waste it. When they got to the house, he said, “I’ll need to go inside and grab my suitcase.” Summer laid her hand on his. “No. You just need to come inside.” She heard him swallow hard in the darkened cab of the truck. The scent of barbecue and popcorn tinted the air. “You sure?” She loved that his voice wasn’t perfectly steady, but his fingers curled around hers as if by instinct. “We had a fight, Matt. People do. Now let’s go make up.” “Whatever you say, sugar.” She couldn’t stop the giggle that escaped her throat. “Now you’re getting the idea here.” Matt chuckled too. “I was serious about courting you. This isn’t playing around for me, Summer. I’ve been in love with you my whole life. I know I can be a bossy, grabthe-bull-by-the-horns kind of guy, but I don’t want to screw this up before we even get started.” He loved her? Her heart pounded and her breathing sped up to the point where she had to consciously slow it down. Matt took his other hand and rubbed her shoulder, soothing her before she hyperventilated. “I’m sorry I blurted it out like that. I don’t expect you to be able to say the same, not so soon, but do you think there’s a chance you could come to love me?” Summer choked on a rough giggle, her breathing still ragged. “Oh hell, I have no idea.” “I understand.” His voice was husky, sad. “Wait.” She put her hand up against his cheek and got her breathing under control. “In a way, I’ve loved you my whole life too. Seriously. It’s just taking some time to reconcile my imaginary lover with the very real one sitting here next to me. I want to fall into your arms, Matt, and damn the consequences, but that’s not who I am. Just give 62
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me some time to wrap my head around it. I need to know for sure that the feelings between us are real and not merely something dreamed up by an over-imaginative teenager.” “I understand. I’ll go get another motel room, if you want.” She shook her head. “Thanks, but no thanks. I want to spend time with you—in bed and out of it.” She was glad he couldn’t see her blush. “How about we just take the next couple days as they come?” “That’s about the best offer I’ve ever heard.” He leaned across and gave her a quick, hard kiss. “Thank you, for giving me a chance.” Summer undid her seat belt and scrabbled out of the truck. “Race you to the bedroom,” she called as she started toward the house. Of course she had the keys, so she was the first one in the door, with Matt just inches behind her. “Don’t forget the box of condoms.”
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Chapter Six All that ran through Matt’s mind as he locked the door behind him, grabbed the box of condoms and followed Summer through to the master bedroom was, Thank you, thank you, thank you! She’d given him another chance. He wasn’t stupid enough to waste it. Inside the bedroom, Summer waited beside the bed, which was still rumpled from earlier. She’d already kicked off her flip-flops and had her hands on the waistband of her jeans. “Hold it right there,” he said. “I’d like to undress you this time—if you don’t mind, that is.” “Not at all.” She licked her lips, and his cock pulsed against the fly of his jeans. He kicked off his own sandals and walked toward her. “Am I still allowed to tell you what to do in the bedroom?” It was a serious question. He’d always been the dominant one in their sexual encounters—well, almost always. She dipped her head. “I’d like that. But just in the bedroom. That’s the only part of my life where I’m at all submissive. Can you deal with that?” “I get it. I’m used to strong women, sugar. That’s part of your appeal.” “Cool.” Then she lifted one eyebrow as if she had an idea—a wicked idea. “I’ve got an old beach towel that could be cut into four five-foot strips.” She eyed the sturdy iron head and foot rails of the bed. “One thing you could never do down on the beach was tie me up.” Matt damn near came in his jeans. “Are you sure?” Her breasts heaved as she sighed. “Oh yeah. I’ve wanted to try that for years.”
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“Are there scissors around here somewhere?” He had a hunting knife locked in the toolbox of his truck. “Kitchen drawer below the silverware.” “You get the towel, I’ll get the scissors.” He all but ran down the hall to the kitchen and back. Summer handed him a worn terry cloth towel sporting a once-bright parrot. With no compunction at all, Matt sliced it into four narrow strips and laid them on the foot of the bed. He placed the scissors on the dresser. “I suppose you’re attached to that outfit.” “Just the T-shirt,” Summer admitted. “I loved this concert. The rest I could care less about.” Matt picked up the scissors again. “Take the T-shirt off and put it on the dresser.” Summer nodded and slowly peeled off the snug cotton top. Her hips swayed as she moved over to fold it and laid it on the dresser. The band of a pair of gray cotton panties peeked out of the top of her jeans, letting him know she really hadn’t expected to be having more sex tonight. She’d dressed for comfort, not seduction. Oddly, that was sexier to him than if she’d had on black lace. “And the jeans.” He didn’t think the scissors were strong enough for denim. She wiggled them down, stepped out of them and folded them atop her shirt. Then she stepped back into the center of the room, in her panties and a gray sports bra. “Stand still,” he instructed. He circled her slowly, taking in the view of Summer in nothing but her plain gray panties and bra. She was gorgeous. She shivered under his gaze and her nipples poked out like little pebbles against the cotton of her bra. “Cold?” He stood in front of her, and she lifted her gaze to his. “No. Excited.” Her flushed cheeks and rapid breath corroborated her statement.
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“Then hold very still.” He stepped up and with the hand not holding the scissors, he swept aside her hair. “Take both hands and hold your hair on top of your head so I don’t accidentally snip any off.” Summer obediently lifted her hands and laced them through the heavy skein of her hair, pinning it to her head. Of course Matt enjoyed the side effect of her breasts being lifted as she raised her arms. Carefully laying the scissors along her sternum, he cut into the band of her bra between her breasts. After three snips the fabric parted, falling away from her gorgeous flesh. Matt took the time to lean down and place a kiss on each taut, upturned nipple then moved around to her back, cutting the straps just above where they met. With just a little tug, the scraps fell off altogether, leaving her bare to the hips. He kissed her spine before running a finger down it and into the waistband of her panties, sliding the finger all the way down into the crack of her curvy ass. Her hips wiggled into his touch, and he tapped one cheek gently with his finger. “Hold still, remember?” “Got it.” Her flush extended all the way down to her breasts now, which rose and fell rapidly with her breathing. “Just a little more to go.” He cut one side of her panties then the other in rapid succession. The scent of her arousal hit him strongly as he bent to pull away the remnant of clothing and toss it aside. If he didn’t get on with things soon, he wasn’t going to have time to enjoy tying her to the bed. “Now go lie in the middle of the bed.” He kissed her neck to soften the command. While Summer obeyed, he pulled off his own T-shirt and made sure the box of condoms was open on the nightstand. He paused at the foot of the bed, just to look at her, lying with her legs splayed and her arms up over her head. All that beauty, all for him. Matt was one lucky son of a bitch.
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He picked up one of the strips of toweling and knotted it to the foot rail of the bed. “No safe words, no games. Just say no or ask me to stop at any time, and I will, no questions asked. Okay?” “Perfect.” She looked up at him, her eyes wide, her smile trusting. Lifting her foot for him to secure it, she stayed otherwise utterly still. He looked up at the wetness coating her pussy and could practically taste her on his tongue. It didn’t take him long to tie the other foot, spreading her open for him. “Hurry,” she murmured. He could tell she was struggling to keep her hips from wriggling. “I want you, Matt.” “I want you too, darlin’. But part of this game is that you only talk if I ask you a question. Got it?” “Yes, Matt.” She licked her lips and watched him tie her right hand to the headboard. Finally, when he had the left secured, he stood next to the nightstand, stripped off his jeans and rolled a condom onto his aching cock. He looked down at Summer, who eyed his erection hungrily. “Now where do you think I should start?” “Anywhere,” she answered breathily. “Wherever you want.” “Good answer, sugar. For that, you get a kiss.” He sat beside her on the bed and leaned over her. The kiss was long and deep, full of passion, and on his side at least, all the love in his heart. It was all he could do not to climb on her and thrust inside right then, without any further preliminaries. But that wasn’t what he wanted for tonight. This was about showing her how much he loved her. So against his body’s frantic urgings, he pulled away, dropping a kiss on her nose as he left. “Two more rules. Eyes stay open. And you stay as still as you possibly can. Nod if you understand.” As soon as she nodded, he knelt beside her and began kissing his way down her neck to her shoulder. He nipped lightly there, just at the spot that always made her
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squirm. She managed to hold still, though a tiny moan escaped her lips. With another light kiss, he moved on. He wasn’t going to punish her for feeling pleasure. Slowly he trailed lingering kisses along the inside of her arm, up to where she gripped the rail of the headboard with her fist. Once he kissed each knuckle, he licked his way back up to her shoulder. “You taste better than anything I’ve ever known.” He skipped her chest and kissed her belly and hips. He loved that she was soft, rather than having rock-hard abs. She was fit and active but obviously comfortable with her natural curves. “Better than movie theater popcorn, better than a cold beer, even better than real Texas barbecue.” She giggled then, as he’d intended, and he tickled her navel with his tongue. “Sshhh.” He tapped her hip with a finger. “Be quiet or I’ll tickle you.” “Mmmph.” She bit down on her lips, but her eyes still danced. “Good.” He treated her legs to the same kind of detailed attention he’d paid to her arms, kissing and licking almost every inch of soft, smooth skin. He even tickled the bottom of her feet with his tongue, not complaining when she laughed. He skipped over her pussy to head up and circle her breasts with his fingertips. He drew each loop tighter and tighter, until his fingers rimmed her areolas, making her raspberry-colored nipples stand up at attention. When he reached the center, he rolled them both between his fingers, loving the feel of her almost as much as he loved the passion-glazed look on her face. Her eyelids tried to flutter shut, but he watched her force them open. He rewarded her by sucking one of her nipples into his mouth. Another moan escaped as he flicked it with his tongue and then sucked hard. He knew exactly where and how she liked to be touched, and her nipples were incredibly sensitive. He pinched the other lightly while he sucked then switched, giving the other equal attention. Pleasuring her was such an amazing turn-on. A guy could lose himself in this for hours—though if any other guy tried, Matt would have to kill him. Unable to
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resist marking her as his, just a little, he moved his mouth to the upper swell of her breast and sucked at the tender skin. “Nod if you don’t mind me leaving a mark.” Had that sentence even made sense? His words weren’t exactly working since most of the blood in his body was below his waist, making his dick harder than it had ever been. She nodded eagerly and whimpered while her hips twitched as he started to suck. When he stopped, there was a rosy-pink mark just above the tan line on her breast. If she wore her swimsuit, it would show. Good. He blew on the small mark and kissed it. Now. Time for things to get really fun. With agonizing slowness, he moved to kneel between her legs. Once he was in position, he looked up to see her watching him, just as he’d instructed. She wet her lips and gasped as he slipped his hands beneath her ass and tilted her pelvis toward him. “You are so gorgeous.” He slipped his knees beneath her legs, propping her in position. Then he drew a line along her slit with his fingertip. “So wet, so tight, such a pretty pink.” When he spread her labia with two fingers, he saw her clit, swollen and poking out. He leaned in and lapped at it softly. “Your body responds to mine as if we were made for each other.” He looked up into her eyes. “I believe we were, Summer. I hope you can come to believe that too.” She nodded, and he swore he saw her blink back a tear. “You can speak.” “I want that too, Matt. More than anything in the world.” “Then it will come,” he said simply, his heart filling with hope. “And now I’m gonna make you come harder than you’ve ever come before.” He sucked her clit and slid three fingers into her dripping, wet pussy, stretching her to capacity.
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She went off like a rocket, her muscles clenching around his fingers and a rush of cream coating his hand. He kept up the suction and fucked her with his fingers, prolonging her orgasm and making sure she’d be ready for another. As soon as her spasms ended, he lifted his face and positioned his cock. “I love you, Summer.” He powered into her, hard, setting off another climax. His body felt electrified, the hairs on his arms standing on end. He pistoned in and out of her clutching sheath, savoring every ripple of aftershock that shuddered through her. He couldn’t last long. He gripped her hips and buried his cock as deep as it could get, holding himself still as he came. A rush of semen seemed to boil out of his balls, jetting again and again until he didn’t think there could possibly be anything left inside him. Summer moaned. Another, smaller orgasm struck her, milking even more from Matt. He damn near blacked out by the time they were both done. Finally, he had to move. He eased out of her cunt and untied the knots binding her ankles then crawled up her body to release her hands. When that was done, he collapsed beside her, panting and damp. Summer rubbed her arms to get the blood flowing then wrapped them around Matt as he kissed her. They lay there, tangled together, for several minutes getting their breathing back under control. “I think I love you too.” They were the sweetest words he’d ever heard. Matt cradled her close, hugging her for all he was worth. “When you’re sure, let me know. Then I’ve got something to ask you.” She chuckled. “You mean other than, ‘do we have any clean sheets’?” “Yeah. Besides that.” He pulled back to look her in the eyes. “Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be around. Deal?” She smiled as if she’d just won the lottery. “Deal.”
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***** The next two days flew by in a haze of passion, shopping and getting to know one another. Summer took Matt to the mall for sheets and towels. He treated her to ice cream cones on the beach. They swam and made love and occasionally came up for air. Monday, they waited at Matt’s house while things were delivered, and Summer fell in love with the twenties-era jewel. Looking around, she could see how well their tastes coincided. They even tried out the pool—without swimsuits. Now it was Monday night and the idyll was over. Summer’s family would arrive in the morning. Shortly before sunset, she put on her blue and white sundress and grabbed her turquoise beach blanket. “Come on. I want to talk to you down at the beach.” She took Matt by the hand, delighted that he was still wearing a pair of cutoffs, like her, mimicking their dreams. He came along willingly, taking the blanket and spreading it out on the sand. Both of them brushed off their feet before sitting down cross-legged in the middle of it, faceto-face. “I had fun today,” she told him first. “I love the house. You were right to buy it when you had the chance.” “I’ll happily put it right back on the market if you want to stay in your condo.” She’d taken him by there on their way to the mall—they’d even tried out her queensized bed. Summer gazed into Matt’s midnight-blue eyes and saw her future. She took both of his hands in hers. “I don’t want you to sell the house.” He lifted one eyebrow. “You don’t?” She shook her head. “It has spare bedrooms. My condo only has one, and we’ll need one for a home office.” “And the others?” She could feel him tremble between their linked hands.
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She took a deep, fortifying breath. “Well, I turn thirty-three tomorrow. I don’t want to wait too long to have those two or three kids I mentioned.” “Say it, sugar.” His entire body had gone taut. Summer looked right at him and said, “I love you, Matt. Your humor, your protective streak, even your stubbornness. I love you for real and for always.” “Thank heavens.” He crushed her to his chest, squeezing her almost until she couldn’t breathe. “I hoped, prayed, wished… But, holy shit, I was never sure. Thank you, thank you, thank you.” He peppered kisses on the top of her head and rocked her back and forth on his lap. “I love you so much. I always will.” “So you ready to meet my family tomorrow or are you running back to your place first thing in the morning?” Teasing him was fun, especially when she was safe in the circle of his arms. “I’m not going anywhere without you, darlin’. I can’t wait to meet your folks and get their blessing.” He eased her off his lap and pulled something from his pocket. “Blessing?” she asked, tipping her head. “Summer Holiday, will you marry me? Make me the happiest man alive? Live with me in my house or yours—or wherever the hell you want?” His earnest expression melted away any lingering trace of doubt she might have had. She reached up and cupped his cheek. “Matthew Warren, I would love to marry you. And live in your nice, big house. But thank you for letting me choose.” “All that matters is you,” he said with a shrug. “Home is wherever you are.” He flipped open the velvet box and held it out. “Now if you don’t care for this, we can exchange it too. But I’d like you to wear my ring.” A diamond set in a golden flower. It was stunning. “I love it.” She held out her hand, and Matt fumbled the ring as far as the knuckle on her finger. He was shaking so hard she had to push it the rest of the way into place.
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She held up her hand, letting the diamond catch the last rays of the sun. “Thank you. For loving me, for believing in us, for giving me time. I love you.” He kissed her then, bearing her down onto the blanket. “It occurs to me, sugar, that we never actually did act out the dreams and make love here on the beach. Though there might be a little sand.” She spared a moment to be glad this was a very isolated beach, and that they’d hear anyone coming from around the spit or the house before they could be seen. Then she grinned up at him. “Who cares? I’m wearing the sundress, but not the bikini. “Just undo your shorts and we’re good to go.” Matt swallowed hard. “I didn’t bring any condoms down from the house.” Summer winked. “I told you I didn’t want to wait to have kids. You up for that?” His laugh was pure joy. “Hell yes. When it comes to you, Summer, I’m up for damn near anything.” He proved his point by grinding his impressive erection against her mound. She reached down and eased up the skirt of her sundress while he very cautiously unzipped his jeans. He groaned when he sprang free and gazed down at her. An instant later, he covered her, and slid his hot, naked cock into her core. “Oh Lord. Nothing has ever felt this good.” He pushed down the stretchy top of her dress and pulled one of her breasts into his mouth. “Never,” she agreed, her legs coming up to wrap his waist. Then there was nothing else but the crashing surf and their surging bodies. Damn, she’d never think of the sound of waves during sex as cliché again, not as long as she lived. Finally, her world exploded into bursts of colored light, and she cried out Matt’s name. He bellowed hers, and she felt him empty himself into her, filling her with warm, thick semen. After a while, they adjusted their clothes and lay there, fingers entwined.
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“I’m rethinking the whole sand thing,” she said. “I’ve got just a little bit in some very uncomfortable places.” “Me too,” he admitted. “But I don’t care. I have you. Anything else, we can fix.” “Yep.” She let him help her to her feet and they hauled each other up the steps and then into the shower. “But I think I’ve had my fill of sex on the beach.” Matt laughed. “That’s why I bought that king-sized bed.” “I knew you were smart.” They helped each other with sand removal and made love against the shower wall before finally curling up together on the sofa, watching the stars out the window. “Here’s to us,” she said, holding up her wineglass. “To dreams coming true.” He tapped her glass with the neck of his beer bottle. “To dreams coming true. May this be just the beginning.”
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About the Author Cindy Spencer Pape has been, among other things, a banker, a teacher and an elected politician, though she swears she got better. Her degrees are in zoology and she currently works in environmental education, when she can fit it in around writing. She lives in southern Michigan with her husband, two teenage sons, a dog, a lizard and various other small creatures, all of which are easier to clean up after than the three male humans.
Cindy welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
Tell Us What You Think We appreciate hearing reader opinions about our books. You can email us at
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Also by Cindy Spencer Pape Awakening Augusta Between a Rock and a Hard-On Greek Love: Djinni and the Geek Geek Love: Teach Me Eagle’s Redemption Ellora’s Cavemen: Flavors of Ecstasy I anthology Ellora’s Cavemen: Jewels of the Nile III anthology Heroes of Stone 1: Stone and Earth Heroes of Stone 2: Stone and Sea Heroes of Stone 3: Stone and Fire Heroes of Stone 4: Stone and Sky Holiday Hearts 1: Yuletide Enchantment Holiday Hearts 2: Like Bunnies Holiday Hearts 3: Valentine’s Heart Immortal Cravings 1: Exploring Ari Immortal Cravings 2: Dani’s Demons Immortal Cravings 3: Just for Jess Immortal Cravings: Sporting Wood Marry Me, Marietta Mistletoe Magic: Elven Magic with Regina Carlysle & Desiree Holt Mistletoe Magic: Whispers of Magic One Good Man with Lacey Thorn
Three for All
Print books by Cindy Spencer Pape Djinni and the Geek Dragon in the System Ellora’s Cavemen: Flavors of Ecstasy I anthology Ellora’s Cavemen: Jewels of the Nile III anthology Mistletoe Magic anthology One Good Man with Lacey Thorn Stone Heroes Tantalizing Treats anthology
Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer e-books or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.
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