Dream a Little Dream (29 page)

‘I thought,’ he gritted when, half an hour later, he had stalked like a lion into her sitting room, ‘that we’d had a conversation about me not needing your protection?’

She rubbed one chilly foot on the other. She’d jumped from the bath at the ding-dong of the doorbell and hadn’t taken time to do more than pull on her towelling robe and race down to fling open the door. Her hair was dripping down her neck. And now her stomach was sinking.

‘And you translated that into, “Please tackle Kenny and turn everybody against him so that Dominic can get The Stables lease after all”? I hate people trying to take over on my watch.’ Fury boiled in his eyes. She half-expected them to light up like a werewolf’s. Yanking off his jacket, he flung it on the floor. ‘Did it ever occur to you that I might have had my own plan?’

Erm … no. She bit her lip, flushing. ‘But it was me dragging my feet that allowed Kenny to get his offer in, and everything, and so I— I wanted to help.’

Dominic exploded. ‘But don’t you think I could have nabbed the other therapists and warned them about Kenny –
if I’d wanted them to know
? How would you feel if I interfered in your plans like that?’

Her face heated still more, but she folded her arms. ‘I wasn’t interfering, I was helping.’

‘If I need “help”, I’ll let you know. Till then, take it that your fucking help is not what I need. Back off.’ He glared at Liza. But, after several moments his gaze flicked to her mouth, her throat, sending a gentle flush of heat through her, and it seemed as if he was beginning to calm. He gave a twisted smile, his voice softening. ‘But suddenly Nicolas is keen to sell me the lease and I’m meeting him and Isabel tomorrow morning. Natalie has started making threats and suddenly they’re disenchanted with Kenny’s proposals.’

Her heart leaped. ‘Really? Because my first client tomorrow isn’t until two.’

His hand shot out to hook into the belt of her robe and drag her close. ‘I suppose that you think you ought to be there to catch any details I miss if I fall asleep?’

‘No!’ Her palms ended up on his chest, where she could feel his heart beat. ‘I want to know what I’m getting myself into, and I’m the right person to reassure Isabel Jones that the treatment centre’s going to exceed the hotel’s expectation. And Nicolas is a weasel and I know him.’

Slowly, his gaze dropped to her robe. ‘I suppose you’re naked under that?’

‘And because it’s not reasonable for you to complain about me meddling in your business, and then try and shut me out of my own.’

‘But you are naked under that?’ His grey eyes were hooded by dark lashes.

‘Entirely.’ She smiled her sweetest smile as she glanced at the back of the sofa. ‘And it’s a lot easier to get me out of this than out of a slutty hornet’s costume.’

Slowly, Dominic smiled back. His wasn’t a particularly sweet smile. It was calculating, predatory, intent.

She’d never seen him look hotter.

Liza had been impressed with Dominic from the first time they met. But, at the meeting with Nicolas and Isabel, he was mega. Calmly, he began by talking Nicolas’s premium down to a level that made Nicolas stutter, and even persuaded Isabel into moderating the rent for the big slope.

Liza supported him by running her well-prepared ideas past Isabel, letting her enthusiasm show, using what Cleo would term ‘persuasive language’ but keeping it accurate. Dominic watched her, listening closely as she made her vision of The Stables sound like paradise on earth. Isabel seemed impressed. Nicolas looked at Liza as if wishing he had listened to her ideas in the past.

‘OK,’ Dominic said, slowly, when it seemed as if every
i
had been dotted and
t
crossed. ‘Let’s all go away and think about it.’

‘Eh?’ Nicolas shone with sudden sweat.

Isabel looked wrong-footed. ‘So am I to get the new lease drawn up, or not?’

‘A seven-day cooling-down period should come first.’ And Dominic had ended the meeting, snicking his iPad into its case and striding out.

Liza acted as if he hadn’t thrown her, shaking hands like a businesswoman, ‘Isabel, Nicolas,’ and following Dominic through the door. He must have a sleep attack looming. It was the only explanation. He looked strange, distant. Almost shocked. She snaked ahead of him to open the car door. ‘Shall I get you home?’

‘Yes, please.’

He was silent as she drove back to his flat, but awake. When she pulled up in his car park, he said, ‘Can you come up with me?’

‘Of course.’

Crosswind leaped around in frenzied welcome, and Liza took him quickly outside.

When she returned, Dominic was wearing a bleak expression, an echo of how he’d looked on Wednesday when she’d first muscled her way into his flat. Liza felt her heart sink. Could depression strike that hard and fast? Dominic had held everything he’d been fighting for in the palm of his hand, but had jumped on the brake, bringing proceedings to a juddering halt.

He closed the flat door behind her. As if sensing tension, Crosswind skulked onto his beanbag without Dominic clicking his fingers.

‘What?’ she asked, softly.

‘What?’ he repeated, absently.

‘What’s going on? Everything’s possible again. Nicolas has come down to a reasonable price for the premium. Isabel is on board. Don’t you want your dream any more?’

‘I don’t know.’ He looked pale, unfocused. ‘I need to get a manager in to take the role Kenny should have fulfilled.’

‘So, advertise. Put the word out. There are always fewer jobs than people to fill them.’

‘Suddenly, the adventure centre seems a strange thing to want.’

She was mystified. ‘I don’t get you.’

‘More to the point, I don’t get you.’ He crossed to her like a man in a trance, eyes empty. ‘If I go ahead, we’ll be working together. If we’re working together, you won’t …’

‘What?’

His gaze skewered her, his words deliberate and low. ‘Were you running around putting out my fires so that I can go ahead with The Stables, putting us back into a working relationship, so you’ll have a lovely fat excuse for blowing me off?’

‘Oh.’ Truth prodded her accusingly with its iron finger. She hadn’t been doing that, had she?

‘If I don’t get you if I get The Stables but I
do
get you if I
don’t
get The Stables, I don’t want The Stables,’ he said, heavily.

She tried to read his face, the depths of his eyes. ‘You’ve moved mountains to get The Stables and now you’re going to throw that work away?’

‘If necessary.’

‘But—’ She struggled to make sense of his logic, her feelings. ‘I’m no good at relationships.’

‘Or you’ve only had relationships that are no good?’

‘So you’d give up The Stables? For me?’

He moved so that there was no space between them, kissed her forehead, her cheekbone, her ear. ‘In a heartbeat.’

Indignation warred with bewilderment. ‘But
I
want The Stables.’

His smile was wry, but some of the strain faded from his face. ‘I’ve been trying to work out whether you’ve been fighting so hard for The Stables – or to rescue me. And I can’t decide. But what if I say that we would have to come as a package?’

Her heart kicked up two notches. ‘Ergo, if I don’t want you, I don’t get The Stables?’

He hesitated. ‘I suppose that is what I was thinking. But now I’ve heard you say it … no.’ He tipped back his head, closed his eyes. He looked weary. ‘No. I’m not going to try to manoeuvre you into it. Either you want me or you don’t. That’s what’s important.’

Relief flooded through her. ‘Truly?’

‘Yes.’ He hugged her, suddenly, hard. Then released her. ‘No tricks, no ties, no traps. I’m not going to use the L word. Need, want, yes. I’m crazy about you, you’re in my head every waking moment.’ A rueful smile, one last brush of the lips, and he turned and stepped away. Backing off. Setting her free.

Liza watched him pick up a pile of mail from the windowsill and stare sightlessly at the top envelope.

Aware suddenly of an uncomfortable chill in the air, she took a hesitant step towards the cell of warmth that always seemed to surround him. ‘When I was, you know, “helping”, it didn’t occur to me that helping you get The Stables would mean we couldn’t be together. I did—I did feel guilty when I thought that dragging my feet had spoiled everything for you. But, mainly … I just wanted to help you make your dream come true. I’m sorry if accepting help to realise your dream doesn’t come easy to you.’

His eyes were flat. He didn’t move. ‘I have a new dream. You’re it.’

Something inside her broke away and disintegrated, some obstruction that had always been there, blocking her ability to be part of a couple, like other people. Like Cleo. Cleo was one half of a couple and was supremely, outrageously happy. But wanting what Cleo had wasn’t enough. She had to, had to … need it. She inhaled, trying to calm an invading squadron of butterflies. ‘You know I haven’t been good at relationships—’

‘Shit.’ He grimaced in disgust.

‘—but one of my dreams is that … I am.’ She took another step, and another, laid one hand tentatively on his chest, over his heart, trying to convey, with her touch, how much she wanted it. This time.
Needed
it. Needed him.

His gaze searched hers.

Then heat and hope flared in his eyes, igniting his killer smile. He reached for her. ‘Mine, too.’ He smoothed her jacket from her shoulders, down her arms and onto the floor, fingers walking her waist to the fastening to her skirt, eyes bright and burning. ‘I suddenly find I can let you help me realise my dream, if you’ll let me help you with that one.’

She managed a strangled laugh. ‘We have a deal.’ And, remembering the way that he’d removed himself from the business meeting, half an hour ago, ‘But maybe you’d better take a seven-day cooling-off period? Because I’ll give it my best shot, I really want it. I want The Stables but I want you more. I want dreams to come true. But—’

He pulled her into his arms, hard against the heat of him, and whispered against her mouth. ‘No buts. And we absolutely don’t need a cooling-off period because they’re for people who might change their minds. I’m not going to change my mind and you just had one chance to change yours and I’m not giving you another. We’re two people with one dream.

‘Take my word for it. Dreams are my thing.’

PWNsleep message board:

Tenzeds: I’m going through a great patch. My new job’s out of doors and keeping me busy, brilliant for alertness. And the relationship thing … wow! Suddenly even N doesn’t seem so bad. I want to really thank you guys for helping me out. You’ve stopped me feeling totally isolated.

Inthebatcave: Even if we all hate N, N isn’t all of us, it’s just a part of us. Glad to help out, Tenzeds.

Sleepingmatt: Good point, Inthebatcave.

Girlwithdreams: So glad to hear you say that, Tenzeds.
I’m in a new relationship, too.

Tenzeds: So how’s that going, Girlwithdreams?

Girlwithdreams: *Blushes* So far, so good.

Tenzeds: Go for it! Rip his clothes off, worship his body. You could even use the L word …

Girlwithdreams: *Sigh* The L word? You know it’s me, Dominic, don’t you? 

Tenzeds: I recognised your own particular way of giving me healthy living tips – even when you weren’t talking to me in real life you couldn’t resist chipping in to put me right on here. Love you.

Girlwithdreams: I love you, too.

Tenzeds: Whoa, the L word! There’s a dream come true, right there!
xxx

Inthebatcave: Wow! What just happened? Is there going to be a wedding? 

Tenzeds: That’s a dream for tomorrow. Don’t scare her away! I’ve only just got her.

Girlwithdreams: Actually … I have been practising writing ‘Liza Christy’.

Tenzeds: YOU’RE JOKING!!!??

Girlwithdreams: Am I …?
You did say you’d let me help you realise your dreams.