existed. Hilly reached for where they’d been, her hands digging through the black grass as though they hid in its dark recesses. “No. Where are they? What happened? Bring them back.”
She scrambled to her feet and rushed toward the mist, but Tanner grabbed her and held her.
“Hilly, listen. This is a nightmare. Your sisters are all right. They’re home. They’re safe.”
Hilly glanced around. “A nightmare? No. It’s too real. Where are we?” She slumped against him, trusting him not to let her fall. “I don’t understand.”
“Come with me.”
She closed her eyes and nodded, her mind whirling with the images of her dead sisters.
He pressed his lips to her forehead in the spot where the monster’s spittle had struck her. “Trust me.”
In the next second, she opened her eyes and found herself lying next to him in a large bed. The room was warm and lit with several candles of various sizes, their soft light flickering shadows against the walls. She let out a long moan then let her body relax against the silk sheets.
“Where are we now?”
He brushed a strand of hair off her cheek. “In my home.”
“But—”
“Shh. For right now, just breathe.” He pulled her closer.
She tried to do as he told her, but she couldn’t stop shaking. “What was that thing? Was it really a nightmare?” She reached for the phone sitting on the nightstand. “Are my sisters all right? I have to call them.”
“Let it go until later. I promise you they’re fine. Concentrate on my voice and on my touch.” He slid his hands along her back, both comforting and caressing her.
Meg and Allie were safe. She was sure he spoke the truth. As long as they were alive, nothing else mattered. “Is this real or am I still dreaming?”
He smiled. “This is real.”
She pressed a palm to his chest and watched her hand rise and fall. She sighed, the trembling of her body easing until, at last, she could draw in a soothing breath, then let it out again without a shudder.
“Thank you for saving me. For waking me up. That was the worst nightmare I’ve ever had.”
“You need to remember that. It was only a dream. Nothing more.”
He kissed her, soft at first, then harder. Surprised by her renewed energy, she answered his fervor with her own. She clutched his hair, holding him to her. Moaning, he gave her his breath and, somehow, his strength. Heat lit inside her, swirling in a ball of fire in her stomach.
She answered the heat by moving her leg on top of his. He shifted his thigh, pushing against the moistness between her legs. A memory of the monster rushed through her to create another tremor, but the warmth of his body next to hers rid her of the fear.
He cooed soothing words and held her, stroking her hair. She moved closer, wanting him, needing him.
“Hilly, I know this isn’t the time, but I need you. I want you.”
She lifted her lips to his again. He groaned and slid his hand under her nightgown. He was firm, yet gentle, asking permission in the pauses he took. She clung to him and opened her legs.
“This is the time. I need you, too,” she murmured. He was her reality, her way to get rid of the lingering effects of the dream.
He ran his hands over her back, somehow comforting her and reviving her at the same time. She lifted up, pulling the nightgown off, then tugged him on top of her.
He scanned her body, hunger evident in his quickened breathing. “You’re beautiful.” He sought her eyes, then cupped her cheek. He feathered kisses along her cheek to travel down her neck to her shoulder as he tugged her panties over her knees. She kicked them free and pulled at his shirt.
His chest was hard, giving her the comfort she needed. A sprinkling of dark hair traveled over the ribbed abdomen to the patch of hair exposed when he pushed his slacks down.
Desire surged into her, sending away all thoughts except those of him. She laughed, tunneling her fingers through the thick mass that was so much like her
She scrambled to her feet and rushed toward the mist, but Tanner grabbed her and held her.
“Hilly, listen. This is a nightmare. Your sisters are all right. They’re home. They’re safe.”
Hilly glanced around. “A nightmare? No. It’s too real. Where are we?” She slumped against him, trusting him not to let her fall. “I don’t understand.”
“Come with me.”
She closed her eyes and nodded, her mind whirling with the images of her dead sisters.
He pressed his lips to her forehead in the spot where the monster’s spittle had struck her. “Trust me.”
In the next second, she opened her eyes and found herself lying next to him in a large bed. The room was warm and lit with several candles of various sizes, their soft light flickering shadows against the walls. She let out a long moan then let her body relax against the silk sheets.
“Where are we now?”
He brushed a strand of hair off her cheek. “In my home.”
“But—”
“Shh. For right now, just breathe.” He pulled her closer.
She tried to do as he told her, but she couldn’t stop shaking. “What was that thing? Was it really a nightmare?” She reached for the phone sitting on the nightstand. “Are my sisters all right? I have to call them.”
“Let it go until later. I promise you they’re fine. Concentrate on my voice and on my touch.” He slid his hands along her back, both comforting and caressing her.
Meg and Allie were safe. She was sure he spoke the truth. As long as they were alive, nothing else mattered. “Is this real or am I still dreaming?”
He smiled. “This is real.”
She pressed a palm to his chest and watched her hand rise and fall. She sighed, the trembling of her body easing until, at last, she could draw in a soothing breath, then let it out again without a shudder.
“Thank you for saving me. For waking me up. That was the worst nightmare I’ve ever had.”
“You need to remember that. It was only a dream. Nothing more.”
He kissed her, soft at first, then harder. Surprised by her renewed energy, she answered his fervor with her own. She clutched his hair, holding him to her. Moaning, he gave her his breath and, somehow, his strength. Heat lit inside her, swirling in a ball of fire in her stomach.
She answered the heat by moving her leg on top of his. He shifted his thigh, pushing against the moistness between her legs. A memory of the monster rushed through her to create another tremor, but the warmth of his body next to hers rid her of the fear.
He cooed soothing words and held her, stroking her hair. She moved closer, wanting him, needing him.
“Hilly, I know this isn’t the time, but I need you. I want you.”
She lifted her lips to his again. He groaned and slid his hand under her nightgown. He was firm, yet gentle, asking permission in the pauses he took. She clung to him and opened her legs.
“This is the time. I need you, too,” she murmured. He was her reality, her way to get rid of the lingering effects of the dream.
He ran his hands over her back, somehow comforting her and reviving her at the same time. She lifted up, pulling the nightgown off, then tugged him on top of her.
He scanned her body, hunger evident in his quickened breathing. “You’re beautiful.” He sought her eyes, then cupped her cheek. He feathered kisses along her cheek to travel down her neck to her shoulder as he tugged her panties over her knees. She kicked them free and pulled at his shirt.
His chest was hard, giving her the comfort she needed. A sprinkling of dark hair traveled over the ribbed abdomen to the patch of hair exposed when he pushed his slacks down.
Desire surged into her, sending away all thoughts except those of him. She laughed, tunneling her fingers through the thick mass that was so much like her
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