Page 4 of Dreams That Bind Us
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a small body collided with his, making him stumble. A soft cry reached his ears as his coffee splashed over the rim and he was momentarily blinded by a riot of blonde curls. The sweet smell of honeysuckle enveloped him, and he wanted nothing more than to bury his face in those soft, platinum locks.
Realizing that he'd nearly run over a woman, he dropped the bag of coffee to the ground and clasped her elbows to steady her. "I'm sor?—"
James drew back, and the breath whooshed out of his lungs as startled teal eyes met his.
"You!" he ground out, feeling like he’d been punched in the gut.
She squeaked and her mesmerizing eyes widened even further, her posture shifting from surprise to panic in an instant, and if he wasn't mistaken, she recognized him, too. His hands tightened as she tried to yank free. His beautiful tormentor wasrealand in his grasp, and he wasn't about to let her go.
"James, what are you—" Annette's voice snapped him from his daze. She peered around him. "Oh, no! What happened? Anna?"
"Anna?" James stared into the beauty’s startled gaze. "Is that your name?" he muttered, his eyes roving her figure, drinking her in.
She was petite and perfect, practically elfin with smooth, porcelain skin. Even more gorgeous in the flesh than she had been in his dreams as she trembled beneath his stare.
"Jesus, James. You dumped your coffee all over her," Annette scolded.
The moment his gaze swung to Annette, Anna twisted sharply, breaking his grip on her arms. Her foot made swift contact with his shin, then she spun on her heels and was off like a shot. She darted down another dirty alley like an agile deer.
In mere moments, his mystery woman was gone.
"Wait!" James shouted, launching himself after her. He couldn't lose her now that he knew she was real. But it was as if the woman—Anna—had vanished into thin air.
"What in the world is wrong with you, James?" Annette's voice was tense behind him. "You scared the crap out of her."
"It's her! I have to find her!" The urge to chase the woman who had tortured him for months overwhelmed him. He clenched his teeth, forcing himself to take a calming breath.
"You have to find Anna? Why?"
James swiveled toward Annette. "How do you know her?"
"Nearly everyone on the island knows Anna." Annette's head tilted to the side. "The better question is howyouknow her."
"I don'tknowher, per se," he ground out. "She's the woman I see in my dreams every night." He peered down the alley again. "She's the reason I can't sleep."
Annette's entire countenance shifted in an instant, her eyes dancing with mischief as the corner of her lips ticked up. It was a grin he knew from experience meant trouble for anyone receiving it.
"You don't say," she drawled.
He glared at her, heart still hammering in his chest and patience hanging by a thread. "This isn't funny."
"And I'm not laughing…yet." Annette motioned with her chin. "Come on. I need to get back to Paradise West. Unless you want me to carry that big, heavy bag of coffee all by myself," she teased.
A snarl ripped from his chest, but he snatched up the bag and followed her. "What's that supposed to mean? That you're not laughing yet?"
"Because you'll be running into Anna again—figuratively speaking—very soon. And it won't be in your dreams. Just try not to scare the daylights out of her or dump more coffee on her when you do."
His brow dropped, irritated by Annette's cryptic answers. "I don't understand."
"Oh, you will." Annette patted him on the shoulder. "This is gonna be fun to watch," she crowed.
"Stop making jokes and tell me."
"And spoil the surprise? Uh uh." She emphasized the words with a head shake. "Not a chance. Just relax, big guy. At least you know she's real now, and you know her name."
"What's her last name?"
"Why? So you can set one of your private detectives on her and spoil the surprise?" Annette shook her head again. "Nope. You'll have to wait and see. Trust me, you won’t be waiting long."
