Page 38 of Veiled Fantasies

Then he was prone, an ear pressed to her pounding heart, beating hard enough to leap out of her body and go after him, once and for all.

She crooked her head down to gaze at him from close quarters. The chocolate eyes were already on hers, dusky with passion—and something more. Something serious and deep. Some emotion trying to fight its way out.

Then he blinked, and the room clawed its way back into focus, leaving the two of them nuzzling like a pair of lions on the savanna.

“Your endurance is going to kill me,” he chuckled.

“What?” She smiled just because he was.

“Martin used to make that joke. The one about the best way to go.” A memory of his brother, together with a smile.

And Jill thought she was already in heaven.

Chapter Thirteen

Jill could have stayed there forever, comfortably engulfed by Erik’s frame. They were a perfect fit in every way—making love and at rest. No need to stretch awkwardly or shift around hard edges like the princess and the pea. With Erik, she was all princess, no pea.

And she’d always thought reality could never exceed fantasy. Ha!

But that could be a bad thing, too. When this was over and done with, this beautiful desert dream, she would have to resort to fantasies again.

Or at least memories.

So why not make a few more?

“Hey,” she whispered, letting her fingers spike his sweat-dampened hair. If he let it grow a little longer, it might even curl. “Do you have time to go out and do something?”

Erik remained buried in her arms, face planted firmly along her neck, apparently content to lie quietly on the carpet for another long winter or two. “Time?” He rumbled vaguely. “Maybe. Energy…”

She squeezed him tighter and lay still, relishing the full contact. Try as she may, she couldn’t make her mental inventory of all the places on her body that felt good add up to the sum total of happiness coursing through her right now. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, right? With Erik, she was whole, and it wasn’t just physical, this lofty plateau.

The way he touched her, like he needed her, made something in her melt and want to stroke him, assure him that everything would be all right. A man so strong, so confident, yet so fragile.

A twitch started in her brow.Don’t go poking around in dangerous places. Dark forests, spooky houses. Crazy feelings pulsing through her heart, impossible futures. They were all in the same category—Keep Out.

Erik only seemed perfect because this was just another variation of a dream. If this were reality, he’d be leaving yesterday’s underwear on the floor and stacking dirty dishes in the sink. They wouldn’t be talking about day trips but tax returns and arguing over which movie to rent. A daily grind would tarnish even this man’s golden shine.

But what if it didn’t? He wasn’t Roger, after all. Not anything like Roger.

But that was the point. He was a dream. She was simply molding Erik into the person she wished for instead of finding out who he really was.

So who was he?

A workaholic, for one thing. Didn’t she know all about that type? Wounded, too with serious issues hidden back there. Did she really want to deal with all that?

Yes. Yes, she did. But what about him?

“How about I help you in the shower, with those hard to reach places.” She stroked the center of his spine. “Then you finish work up and we get out.”

“Leave?” he mumbled, holding her tighter.

“Just the room, dummy,” she teased, squeezing him back. “You get to keep the broad.”For now, at least.

His head popped up. His eyes pierced her with an unexpectedly ferocious glare. “You’re no broad,” he insisted, suddenly all lion, protecting his turf with a very insistent kiss.

Nope. Nothing like Roger at all.

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