Nobody's Dream (6 page)

“Thanks. That hit the spot.”

She held out her empty hand, and their fingers brushed. Luke had a feeling that’s what caused her to pull away so quickly. Why so spooked? Didn’t she know he’d never hurt a flea? Even if he were so inclined, he most definitely wasn’t going to hurt anyone in his current condition.

His eyelids grew heavy.

She set both mugs on the floor. “Lean forward.” Pulling the blankets out from behind his back, she left only the pillows. “Lie down. Sleep.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

All fight gone, he let sleep claim him.

*     *     *

Cassie watched his eyelids droop as his body relaxed into the mattress and pillows. He looked like a little boy, but that vulnerability was only temporary because of his weakened state. When he recovered, she would need to be on her guard every moment until she could send him home.

How long would that be?

As she spread the blankets over him, her smartphone buzzed. She returned to the living room before answering quietly.

“Hi, Cassie.” Angelina’s voice conveyed worry, but not as much as she had heard the first night. “How’s he doing?”

“He is sleeping again, but he did manage to drink some coffee and a weak soup.”

He no longer needs my body heat. Thank you, Goddess.

Angelina sighed. “That sounds great.”

Cassie filled her in on Lucas’s physical condition as best she could.

“Sounds like you’re taking good care of him. I hope he’s not giving you any…problems.”

Her hesitation reminded her that Angelina had been part of the cleansing ceremony around Adam’s hot tub that night. She understood why this situation was so difficult for Cassie.

“For the most part. It seems that I am the problem more than he is. When do you think Marc and the others can start digging out from the other side?”

The pause set her on alert. “I can’t speak for Marc…. He’s…not…” Angelina’s sniffle made Cassie wonder what had happened.

“Is everything okay?”

A longer pause punctuated with more sniffles followed. “I don’t know. He’s…” Angelina’s breathing sounded shaky. “We just haven’t been able to work things out. I don’t know if we ever will, but I’m sure my brothers and their rescue squad teams will help as soon as the blizzard is over up there.”

“Angelina, what happened? You two seemed to have a lot to talk about at daVinci’s the other night.”

“I can’t talk about it right now.”

“Okay. I understand.” Cassie would never pry. There had been many times she did not wish to share her feelings, too. “Thank your brothers for me.” Normally, being snowbound made her feel safer, but with Lucas in her bed, she no longer enjoyed that sense of security.

“Listen, Cassie, tell Luke not to worry about his horses. Matt’s loving every minute of this. He’d love to have a place like Luke’s. He’ll stay at the ranch until Luke returns home and is back on his feet. Beats his tiny apartment in Leadville.”

“How can Lucas contact him to check on the horses? I know he is going to worry no matter how much we try to reassure him.” Like Lucas, she would have worried if she had been on the other side of the avalanche and cut off from her alpacas, especially with Graciela in her condition. She walked over to her desk and jotted down the number on a slip of paper.

Angelina’s voice came through the phone, stronger now. “Lucas? Surely he hasn’t forgotten his name!”

“No! It is just that…Luke seemed so…familiar. I was not comfortable calling him that.”

“How are
you
doing, Cassie?”

I am trying to keep myself emotionally distant despite our being thrown together like this
.

Cassie cleared her throat. “I am fine, thank you. Just tired.” She had not slept much while in bed with Lucas the past two nights. Blankets and the space heater were enough to keep him warm now. She could sleep on the floor by the fire or on the nearby loveseat, which was plenty long enough for her. While the cot in her studio was much more comfortable, she should remain closer to Lucas in case he had a relapse or needed something.

“We love you for taking care of our friend. I know this isn’t easy for you.”

“I am only doing what anyone would do.”

Even if it kills me.

Something told her she would never be the same.

After saying goodbye and disconnecting the call, she stared at the open bedroom door a moment before pivoting around and heading to the kitchen. Certain he would sleep for a while, she decided to prepare a heartier soup to nourish his body—and speed up his healing.

The tactile memory of her body pressed against his sent an uncharacteristic wave of heat into her face before her stomach churned. She thought she might be sick. Even in his weakened state, the muscles under his skin spoke of strength she would be hard-pressed to overcome if she had to fight him off.

Being alone in this isolated cabin with any man other than her brother scared her beyond reason, but Lucas Denton had a charm about him that most likely weakened the resolve of many women.

Not Cassie. No man could charm her. Never again.

Lucas. Somehow calling him by his formal name made her feel less intimate with him, despite the fact they had spent two nights together in her small bed. She threw a handful of amaranth into the pot and stirred absently as she tried to shake off the memory of his body on top of hers. The smothered sensation dragged her back to the pool room at the Lima cantina. Feelings she thought she had long ago buried erupted to the surface. Raw. Exposed. Thankfully, Lucas had not taken advantage of the situation.

Drawing a ragged breath, she pulled back the curtain in the pantry and searched for the quinoa. Perhaps she would make a healthy salad for herself so Lucas could have more of the hot food. She doubted his taste went to the South American grains and delicacies in her pantry. No matter what, she needed to keep him from becoming feverish or chilled again, which would result in her returning to the bed with him.

“Maggie, no!”

The anguish in Lucas’s voice brought her hand to a standstill. She set the canister down and ran into the bedroom. Lucas thrashed on the mattress, sweat dotting his forehead as his powerful hands clenched the sheet.

“God, no! Can’t reach you!”

For a few seconds, Cassie weighed whether she should try to wake him or let him fight whatever monsters invaded his sleep until they passed. The suffering on his face made her cross the room and touch his shoulder, hoping to pull him back to the conscious world.

He grabbed onto her arm. “I have you! Don’t let go!” He yanked her arm, and she lost her balance, tumbling into the bed on top of him.

A scream reverberated in her mind. Lucas opened his eyes, and she realized the scream had not been a silent one. Breathing hard, she pushed off him, but he stared at her with unseeing eyes and placed his hands on either side of her head, pulling her toward his face as if he intended to kiss her.

She fought to escape him. “Let me go! I am not your Maggie. I am Cassie.” She pried at his hand, attempting to loosen his grip as bile rose in her throat. Her mind flashed back. The way they sneered their words in her native language and the sounds of their voices made her lose the love that she had for Spanish.

Cassie beat against Diego’s chest. She refused to open her eyes to see the look of triumph on his face. “Get off me, you pig.”

“She wants to fight.
Que bueno
. I like a
chica
with some fight in her.”

Her fear mounted as he undid his belt, and she pounded her fists against him again and again until her wrists ached and her hands grew numb.

“Whoa, darlin’. Wake up. You’re dreaming. Not sure what all you said, but you were screaming in Spanish.”

Her hands stilled. Even without opening her eyes, she knew that Texas drawl did not come from Pedro or his friends. She blinked several times and stared into Lucas Denton’s eyes, a mix of blue and green that looked like gray to her. What was he doing on top of her—again? Cassie shoved him away, a feat made easier when he simply rolled off her.

“Sorry if I scared you, Lucas. I am fine now.” How long had she become lost in the flashback? The two of them were a mess. She had probably bruised his chest if the throbbing in her hands was any indication of the impact of the blows delivered. She pushed herself upright and darted to the foot of the bed, gasping as she attempted to draw a deep breath. Her upper arm ached from some unknown reason.

Still not certain how she had gone from trying to ease Lucas awake from his nightmare to being submerged in her own, she contemplated how to explain her reaction to him without revealing more than he needed to know.

“You were dreaming about Maggie.” She gasped for a full breath, not realizing she had been breathing so shallowly until she tried to get a sentence out. “I heard you scream for her. I came in to check on you.”
Breathe, Cassie
. “When I tried to wake you, you grabbed my arm.” She rubbed the skin on her arm where it had grown tender from his grip, but more disturbing was the lingering tingle she felt from his touch.

No, not tingle. Memories of the touch of those other men so long ago made her stomach churn.

“I don’t remember anything, darlin’, until you called me a pig and screamed at me to get off you. I’m real sorry. I was asleep. I wouldn’t hurt you for anything. You sure you’re okay?”

She nodded her head. In reality, she had to admit his touch was nothing compared to… She swallowed the bile before it erupted. “I am fine.”

And I will be much better when you are off my mountain.

*     *     *

Luke fought the urge to pound his fist into the wall, but any kind of violence would only add to the fear he’d put in Cassie’s eyes. Sure, he’d been beyond sound asleep at the time, but he was solely to blame for scaring her, even if he had no memory of what he’d done. She continued to rub her arm where he’d hurt her. The thought of causing her physical pain burned his gut as well.

But the momentary terror he’d seen in her eyes shook him to the core. He would never hurt her—or hell, any living thing—not intentionally, anyway. Clearly, he couldn’t be trusted around her if he could lose control of himself like that. What if he hurt her again? Judging from her responses, someone had already wounded or abused her before.

Luke sat up and leaned toward her. “Let me see that arm.”

She shook her head fiercely and leaned away from him. Hell, he couldn’t blame her. Luke ran his hand through his sweat-matted hair.

“I just want to be sure I didn’t injure you.”

Cassie crawled off the bed and made a beeline for the door. “It is nothing to worry about. I am going to finish preparing dinner.”

Luke knew sleep would be elusive and didn’t want her to avoid him, even if she had a reason to run. Perhaps he could prove to her he was safe to be around by just, well, being around her. Time and proximity had a way of breaking down barriers. Sure had been working with O’Keeffe.

“Let me help.”

She pivoted sharply. “No!”

Fear again. No,
still
. She’d been showing signs of fear since he’d met her. Knowing someone had hurt her so badly burned his gut.

The girl had intrigued him from the moment he first met her. Seeing her nurturing side when Karla was beside herself after Adam’s cougar attack. Attending her art gallery showing last winter and seeing her amazing talent. Heck, even thinking at one point Cassie was the angel Maggie said she was sending him. He’d wanted to get to know her better for a while, but not like this. Still, they were stuck together, so he might as well make the most of the opportunity—if only he could get her to stop constantly shoving him away.

“I told you to stay in bed. You…” Her gaze darted sideways. “You need your rest.” Not waiting for a response, she turned and bolted from the room.

Luke pressed his back against the wall that ran the length of the bed. Damn it all, how was he going to fix this?

Remnants of the nightmare that had led to this mess played at the edges of his mind, but he didn’t want to think about Maggie right now. She was gone. Clearly, his own brush with an avalanche was stirring up memories he’d buried long ago. He couldn’t help Maggie then, and he sure as hell couldn’t do anything for her now.

He needed to do something to fix this situation with Cassie. He scooted off the bed and stood, but the room lurched so badly, he plopped back onto the mattress, leaned forward, and held his head in his hands until he could see straight again.

He sure as hell wasn’t going anywhere for a while. He had no experience with being incapacitated. Maybe having something more substantial to eat would rebuild his strength. With Cassie, timing would be everything, and his instincts told him she needed time and space to reach a place where she would trust him. He didn’t know if they’d be together long enough for that to happen, but in the meantime, he’d try to keep from hurting her again.

That meant he needed to find another place to sleep.

When he thought he would be able to stand upright, he rose again more deliberately and grabbed the bedpost until the room stopped spinning. His stomach churned, but he took a deep breath and put one foot in front of the other until he reached the doorjamb. Holding on, he steadied himself and waited for the room to stop swimming before his eyes.

It didn’t.
Aw, hell
. Who was he kidding? He gave up and went back to bed. Clearly, this ordeal had taken more out of him than he realized. Right now, the best thing he could do was rest. He’d have time to fix things later.

The next time he awakened, the room was still dark. Had he slept through another day? Glancing around, he realized the room had no window. It felt like a cave in here. Swinging his legs over the edge of the mattress, he sat up, happy the walls didn’t rush him this time.

Progress.

He stood and made his way slowly to the doorway. A fire roared in the fireplace, but after correctly guessing which door led to the john, he propelled himself into the living room. Outside the bedroom, the temperature dropped at least ten degrees. The space heater made a huge difference in that small, confined space, but wouldn’t do squat in a room this large. His gaze zeroed in on the fireplace, and he staggered somewhat as he made his way across the room. He searched for and found the blower switch and clicked it into the “on” position. Nothing. He checked the cord. Plugged in. No sign of fraying.