Page 24 of Stolen Dreams

The kiss I’ve been dreaming of, the kiss I’ve wished for on so many stars, is finally happening.It’s even better than in my dreams.It’s even better than I thought it would be.It’s a kiss I’ll remember for the rest of my life.It’s a kiss I would use my last lifeline to have again and again.His hand moves from my face into the back of my hair as he wraps it around his fist, turning my head to the other side and deepening the kiss.The moan escapes me at the same time I swallow his moan down.It’s as if this is the moment we’ve both been waiting for, but both of us are scared to take it.We moan as if we’ve been waiting for this moment for our whole lives.

Lost.That is the only word that comes to my mind.I was lost without him.Lost without his touch.Lost without his kiss.My hand is on his chest, pressed palm down, feeling the way his heart beats, making sure my heart beats the same way as his, afraid to move, but wanting to feel his hair between my fingers.My hand creeps up his chest, hoping this kiss lasts my whole lifetime.The kiss deepens, but there’s a softness to it.It’s almost like we both don’t want to push it, both of us scared of the other person pulling the plug on the kiss, leaving us both breathless.

I spend the whole kiss making sure I never forget it.I spend the whole kiss making sure I don’t fuck it up.I spend the whole kiss secretly telling him I’ve waited my whole life for this kiss without saying the words.My fingertips tingle when they touch the skin at his neck, moving to the side and up and onto the nape of his neck.His hair through my fingers feels like satin, soft and silky.His fist tightens even more in my hair, and I arch my back, pressing into him.The hardness of his chest makes my nipples tingle and get even harder, aching for him to touch me.The hand around my waist moves down to grip the swell of my ass, his fingertips digging into me and pulling me to him even closer.As I feel all of him, the moan crawls up my throat again.This time, the kiss deepens, and his tongue twirls frantically around mine.My tongue begs him for more, wanting to never stop this kiss.I feel his fist lessen the grip on my hair, and I want to beg him never to let me go.I can feel the kiss coming to an end, the dread rolling on me like high tide.

His tongue slowly slips out of my mouth, and my eyes flutter open to watch his every single movement.His eyes open right after mine.His hand moves off my ass, and the hand in my hair now drops to his side like dead weight.He takes one step back, giving us space.My hand falls from the heat of his chest, and the other falls from the back of his neck.My fingers tingle from his touch.“Lilah,” he says, and it feels like it’s pained.“Fuck.”His hand comes up to touch my lips before he comes back and kisses me again.This time, I savor it like it’s the last thing I’ll ever do.This time, the kiss is quick, like he wants to kiss me but something is stopping him from giving in to me.

I keep my eyes closed for longer than I should, and when I open them, I see him staring at me.

His eyes look blank, like he shut them down, and I have to get away from him.“I should go.”It’s a whisper, and when I walk away, I want him to grab my hand and pull me back, beg me not to leave.My body yearns for him like it’s never yearned for anything in its life.

I walk down the steps, focusing on walking and not tripping over my own feet.My knees are about to lock, making sure I don’t leave him.I can feel his eyes on me, but I can’t turn around.I don’t want to turn around.I don’t think I could ever handle him telling me what a mistake this was.His mistake was my everything, and my heart can’t handle being told anything else.I get into the truck and start it with the keys that are still in it from when I got here.

Pulling away from him, I don’t even look in the rearview mirror.Instead, my hand comes to my lips.I can still feel his lips on mine.My heart doesn’t stop beating heavily as I pull out on the roadway, begging me to go back.But my mind pushes me farther away from him, knowing if I stayed, he would undoubtedly break my heart with his words.Or maybe he wouldn’t; maybe this would be a turning point for us.

I pull up in my parking spot and get out, walking to the staircase that leads to my apartment.Walking up the outdoor stairs five flights until I get to my landing, I go left to the two apartment doors that are side by side, facing the same doors on the other side.Sticking the key into the door, I slowly turn to the right and unlock the door.I step into the darkness of the apartment and stop in my tracks when I see the light over the stove on.I look right and left to see if someone is here, but the apartment is exactly how I left it this morning, except for the light over the stove.Taking a step into my home, I toss my keys on the little round table in front of the stove, I step in and turn around again.“Stop being paranoid,” I tell myself as I head back to the door and kick off my shoes.

Ignoring the light, I head straight past the two-seater couch set I put against the wall facing the counter that separates the kitchen from the living room area and head to my bedroom.Pulling my shirt from my body, I smell him as I do it.The butterflies in my stomach pick up again, and when I close my eyes, I can feel his lips on me.

Turning, I unclip my bra, smelling my shirt once more, not ready to let the smell of him go.Kicking off my jeans, grabbing a clean shirt before I slide between my covers, turning on my side.“That was some fucking kiss,” I tell myself.I knew that man could kiss.I’ve heard stories from around town but actually having his mouth on me was something I had always hoped for, yet knew might never happen.Except tonight, it did, and now I’ll be chasing that kiss for the rest of my life.

The lone tear escapes the side of my eye, rolling over my nose and across my face, where it joins another tear that has somehow escaped, becoming one.I close my eyes, reliving it until I fall asleep.

All my dreams are pretty much the same all the time.I’m riding on a horse, and he’s scowling at me from the side.Sometimes when I get off the horse, he’s there waiting for me to yell at me.But this time, when I get off the horse, he scowls at me, grabbing the reins in his hand, while the other one grabs my hip and pulls me to him.“You drive me crazy,” he says, the scowl fading into a full-blown beautiful smile that only Emmett can give.“Absolutely fucking crazy.”

“That’s what I live for.”I put my hands on his chest and look up at him, the smile on my face hurting my cheeks before he kisses me.His head tilts to the side as his mouth crashes on mine.All night long, that’s all I dream of, him kissing me, and all night long, it’s an itch that doesn’t get scratched.The itch is at the edge of the surface, and the only one who can do anything about it is the one I know I can’t turn to.

For the first time in a long time, the alarm wakes me up.I sit up in my bed, confused and looking around for a second before turning and slapping the phone with my hand.I fall back onto the bed on my back and look up at the ceiling.My eyes slowly open and close until the sleep is out of them.

I think about my dream, and if I didn’t still smell him on me, I would think again it was my dream.I toss the covers off me, getting up.This time, I take the shirt off and toss it on the bed before stepping into the shower.

I nervously get into the truck and make my way over to the barn, wondering how the fuck it’s going to be today.How do I act in front of him?Do I pretend it didn’t happen?Do I ask him to talk about it?My head is all over the place when I step in and come face-to-face with Sammy.“Hey.”He smiles at me.“Good morning.I have her ready for you.”

“You’re a lifesaver.”I get on my tippy-toes and kiss his cheek.“Thank you.”

“Anytime.”He nods at me and walks away to finish his chores while I walk up to Rosy.

“Good morning.”I pet the side of her neck before putting my foot in the stirrup and pushing myself up on her.“What do you say, girl, want to let loose?”I ask before nudging her with my foot as she starts off trotting.It takes five minutes to warm her up, and then I push her.Going around and around, I turn her right and left, pushing her.

Then I finally stop and lean down.“You are a superstar,” I say, dismounting her and walking with her to the barn.

I spot Charlie and Emmett at the side of the fenced arena.Charlie has his coffee cup in his hand.“Morning.”I nod to him and then turn to Emmett.

The scowl on his face is plastered on.“One of these days, you’re going to end up on your ass,” he snaps before turning and storming into the barn area.

“Don’t mind him,” Charlie says.“Someone’s gotten under his skin, and he’s taking it out on you.”

I look back at Charlie.“I would really like to meet the one who got under his skin.”I try not to sound like the words sting.

He takes a sip of coffee.“I can introduce you to her one of these days.I just need a mirror.”He snickers, then turns and walks into the barn, leaving me speechless for a whole other reason.

ChapterFifteen

EMMETT

Istop at my desk, grabbing my cup of coffee and bringing it to my lips as Charlie walks in with a smirk.A smirk I wish I could smack right off his face.“Well, I can see you are in a fine mood this morning.”He brings his own cup to his mouth and takes a sip.“Literally, she said good morning, and you jumped down her throat.”

I swallow the hot coffee, ignoring the stinging of the heat going down.“Did you see she almost fell off that horse twice?”

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