Once upon a Dream (24 page)

“Mmm.” She sipped, then looked up at him with a smile. “This more than makes up for it. Besides”—her laughter came again, quick and light—“it seems we got a little sidetracked before we could drink our coffee.”

She was wearing his tennis sweater for warmth. The deep V at the neck revealed the cleft between her breasts.

Across the room a cozy fire burned on the hearth.

On the bed between them lay a tray of assorted snacks. She spread a thin wafer with cheese and held it to his mouth.

He plumped the pillows behind him and leaned back, sighing with contentment,. “Do you know, Annie, I can't remember when I've had a better time.”

“I was just thinking the same thing.” She shook her head, sending dark waves tumbling. “Wouldn't you think the loss of power, combined with the malfunction of all our gadgets, ought to have us wild with anxiety? Instead, here we are, feeling as relaxed and refreshed as though we'd been on a month's vacation.”

He nodded. “I really ought to be feeling at least a little guilty about my missed appointments. But I don't.” He drew her close for a slow, lazy kiss, enjoying the taste of champagne on her lips.

She spread more cheese and offered him another bite, then made a second one for herself. He topped off her flute with more champagne before filling his own.

As she sipped she wondered if it was the alcohol that made her lightheaded or the man beside her.

He had his hands on her again. It seemed he couldn't help himself. He loved touching her. Her hair. Her skin.

He leaned close to press a kiss to the slope of her shoulder, where the oversized sweater had slipped to reveal a tempting expanse of flesh. “I've been meaning to tell you.
You look much better in this than I do. And I'd be willing to bet my grandfather never looked this good in it.”

“I'll bet your grandmother would disagree.”

He chuckled. “You're right. There were times when the two of them looked at each other that I could almost hear the sizzle. She'd smile, he'd wink, and the rest of us just seemed to fall away, leaving them alone in their own little cocoon of love.”

“That's so sweet.”

“Yeah.” He took the flute from her hand and set it on the night table beside his.

“Wait. I'm not finished.”

“Neither am I.” He turned to her, and she saw that the dark, hungry look of a pirate was back in his eyes.

“I meant the champagne.”

“I know what you meant.” In one smooth motion he tugged the sweater over her head and dragged her into his arms.

Then there was no need for words as he took her on another fast, dizzying journey into that place where only lovers can go.

A
NNIE FELT HERSELF
drifting on a cloud of contentment. There was something heavy pressing her into the mattress, and it took her a moment to realize it was Ben's leg, tossed possessively over hers. His arm was around her, pinning her to the length of him.

It felt good, so right, lying here beside him, feeling the warmth of his body seeping into her pores.

They had stayed the night in this big bed, alternately loving, then dozing, then waking to love again. Looking back on it, she marveled that they had indulged themselves like two greedy children, wanting more, and then more. At times their lovemaking had been as comfortable as if they'd been old lovers. At other times they'd been caught in a torrent of emotions, tossed and buffeted like driftwood in a hurricane. Taking each other with a savageness that left them both dazed and breathless.

It occurred to Annie that the night had seemed to spin on forever. Without a clock, they were completely un
aware of the passage of time. Even now, with the sky outside the window still in darkness, she wasn't certain whether it was midnight or almost dawn. But her stomach told her it had been hours since she'd eaten.

She tossed aside the blanket and started to sit up. A hand closed around her wrist.

“Does this mean you're tired of me already?”

She turned to find Ben watching her with that dark intensity that always seemed to touch her heart in a special way.

“I've decided to throw you over in favor of food.”

“Oh, yeah? Maybe I can tempt you with this.” He dragged her close and brushed a kiss over her lips.

At once she felt the heat and was amazed that even now, sated from a whole night of lovemaking, he had the ability to arouse her so easily.

“Mmmm.” She nibbled his mouth. “Very nice. But I can't live on love alone.”

“You really know how to hurt a guy. How about this?” He took the kiss deeper and ran his hands along her spine, lighting fires with each touch until she sighed from the pure pleasure of it.

“Well. Maybe I could stand a few more minutes of this.”

“I'm happy to oblige.” He dragged her down until she was pinned beneath him. Then he pressed his mouth to her throat and heard the little hum of delight. “How about an hour?”

“Okay. As long as you promise not to stop doing what you're doing.”

“I promise.” He chuckled, then moved his mouth lower, until he heard her gasp of surprise. “You see. I'm a man of my word.”

But she was already beyond hearing. Under his ministrations, she'd slipped into that dark cavern of pleasure, and he was only too happy to follow.

 

“I can't remember ever feeling like this.” Ben lay on his side, cradling Annie against him.

Her hair lay in dark curls against the pillow. He played with the ends, loving the way her eyes stayed steady on his. He would gladly drown in their depths.

The bed linens were tangled around them. They were both pleasantly sated, though they knew it was only a matter of time before passion would rise up again to thrust them back into the whirlwind.

He touched a hand to her mouth. “I've never believed in love at first sight. But I don't know what else to call this.”

Annie felt her heart bounce once and fall nearly to her toes, before leaping to her throat. She'd been thinking the same thing, but had been terrified to speak the words aloud.

She touched a hand to his cheek. “This has been the most amazing night of my life.”

“Mine, too. And what I feel for you isn't just lust.” He gave her one of those heart-stopping smiles. “Though I must admit the lust part isn't bad either.”

She chuckled until he brushed his lips over hers. At once she felt the jolt to her already charged system.

Would it always be like this? she wondered. Would he always have the power to make her heart jump through hoops with a single kiss?

“But there's more here, Annie.” With a finger he traced the outline of her lips. “There's the fact that I love everything about you. The way you talk. The way you laugh. The way you've chosen to live your life. I especially love the way you handled this awkward situation, with no power, no conveniences, and no way to leave.”

She brushed a lock of hair from his forehead. “If you hadn't been here with me, I'd have run the twenty miles to the nearest town. I'm basically a coward.”

“Not you, Annie. Aren't you the woman who gave up her life in New York for the unknown here in Maine, just because your grandmother needed you?”

“But that's not the same as this. I stayed because you're here with me, Ben. I would never have stayed here alone through all of this.”

“But that's just it.” He linked his fingers with hers, loving the way their two hands looked. Hers small and soft. His large and slightly calloused from his work on the sailboat. It had felt so good to work with his hands again after years in a confining office. “We're here together. And we've found something special. I know it's sudden, Annie, but I don't want this to end. I'd like us to find a way to stay together.”

She sighed. “You make it sound like some sort of fairy tale. We meet, we fall in love, and we live happily ever after.”

“Why not? We're two adults. We know what we want. Why can't we make it happen?”

Why not? she wondered. At any other time she could probably come up with a dozen different reasons why this wouldn't work. But at the moment, with his hands linked with hers, his hard, firm body pressed against hers, and her head spinning from his touch, she couldn't come up with a single one.

He lowered his head to whisper against her temple, “Do you feel the same way about me, Annie?”

She nodded, too overcome at the moment to speak.

He tucked a finger under her chin and lifted her face so that he could look into her eyes. “What's this? Tears? Over me?”

“I…feel so silly. But I never thought…” She sniffed. “I never thought I'd feel this way about anyone. Ever again.”

“Neither did I. Oh, Annie. You've made me believe in the impossible.” He drew her close and pressed his lips to her temple. “This is too wonderful for words.”

Then he showed her, in the only way he could, just how much he cared. With slow, deep kisses and soft, whispered sighs, they took each other to a higher, sweeter place than they'd ever been.

 

“What's this?” Annie stepped out onto the patio to see Ben closing the lid on a wicker basket.

“Our lunch.” He looked up, then gave a smile of approval. “You'd better watch out. I might decide to make you lunch. In that outfit you look good enough to eat.”

“You like it?”

He watched as she slowly twirled. The dress of ivory voile had short, fluttery sleeves and a softly fitted waistline, then fell in a long, straight column to her ankles. To fill in the deep V of the neckline, she'd pinned a cameo brooch to a velvet ribbon tied at her throat. Her dark hair was swept up and held with mother-of-pearl combs. The effect was stunning.

“I'm beginning to really love wearing your grandmother's clothes. I think I'll actually be sorry when my own are dry and I have to go back to wearing jeans and sweaters.”

He traced a finger down her arm, watching the way her eyes heated at his touch. “I think I'll be sorry, too. I like looking at you in these old-fashioned things.”

She gave an exaggerated flutter of her lashes. “Maybe it's because I'm just an old-fashioned girl at heart.”

“You're making a joke. But in truth you are.”

“And how would you know?”

He brushed his lips over hers, and though he thought he was prepared for the jolt, it still managed to catch him by surprise. “I just know. Every time I touch you, every time we kiss, I know you, Annie Tyler. As though I've known you for a lifetime.”

Strange, she thought as he picked up the wicker basket and caught her hand, but it was true for her as well. She felt as though she'd been waiting for this man, and this moment, all her life. And that everything that had happened before had been in preparation for this very special time.

“Where are we going?”

“On a picnic.”

“Where?”

“There's a little sandy cove. It's ringed with rocks and very secluded. But it has a great view of the bay.”

“Sounds like fun.” She linked her arm through his and they started out.

They crossed the overgrown lawns of White Pines and slipped into the cool darkness of a pine forest.

Annie breathed in the fragrance of evergreens as they made their way between huge boulders and around fallen logs. Then, just as suddenly as they'd entered the forest, they emerged into a sun-dappled cove overlooking the bay.

“Oh, Ben. This is wonderful.” Annie stared around, enjoying the spectacular view of water ahead of them, the towering forest at their backs.

She slipped off her shoes and followed him across the sun-warmed sand to a shady spot between two egg-shaped boulders.

“When I was a kid, I thought of this as my secret place.” Ben opened the basket and lifted out a blanket, which he shook and lowered to the sand. “I thought of these two rocks as giant dinosaur eggs. I used to climb them and balance on the very top, staring out to sea. All alone here, I was master of my universe.”

“I can see why you loved it.” Annie walked to the water's edge and felt the brush of waves against her bare toes. “I don't think I've ever seen a prettier place.”

“Then I'm glad I brought you.” He walked up beside her and caught her hand, lifting it to his lips. “A pretty woman deserves a pretty place.”

“Such lovely words rolling off that silver tongue of yours, Mr. Carrington.” She was laughing when she looked up into his eyes. But the smoldering look she saw there faded her smile.

“I've never said such things before, Annie. I never felt the need. Until now.” He drew her into his arms and kissed her. “Until you,” he whispered against her mouth.

She could have sworn that the sand shifted and her world tilted as he took the kiss deeper.

When he lifted his head he caught her hand. “Come on. I promised to feed you.”

Annie knelt on the blanket and watched as he opened a bottle of champagne. “I've never been on a picnic before.”

“Really?” He looked up. “Never?”

She shook her head. “My parents were always working. After they were gone, my grandmother and I never seemed to have time for anything except getting through the next few years.” She looked over as he popped the cork. “Have you been on many picnics?”

“Too many to count. My parents used to take us across the bay in their boat. They always brought along a picnic lunch. We'd walk the shore, searching for driftwood and fancy stones.” He stared into the distance a moment, lost in thought. Then he shook his head. “Funny. I'd forgotten how many wonderful memories we've shared here. For too long now I've thought only of the reasons why I didn't want to be here.”

She waited, hoping he would explain. What tragedy had driven this loving family away from White Pines? Why had they allowed it to fall into such disrepair?

Instead, he held his silence as he filled two flutes and handed one to her.

She smiled. “Shall we drink to happy memories?”

He nodded. His eyes were steady on hers. “To happy memories. And to happily-ever-after.”

They sipped in silence, watching each other over the rims of their glasses. Then he turned away and began unwrapping an assortment of foods. Croissants, which had been sealed in foil and warmed on the grill. Several types of cheese—Cheddar, Gouda, Swiss—cut into cubes. Shrimp and lobster still steaming from the barbecue.

Annie burst into laughter. “Who's supposed to eat all this?”

He looked up. “Aren't you the one who told me you couldn't live on love alone?”

She shook her head. “I may have been in need of a
little food, but this is a lot more than a little. This is a feast.”

“You'd better enjoy it, then, because I'm not sure how long I can wait to try the love diet again.”

She laughed until she saw the fire in his eyes. She turned serious and touched a hand to her chest.

His tone was rough with passion. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing.” She managed a smile. “It's just my heart. It keeps on turning somersaults whenever you look at me like that.”

“Good. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one suffering like this.” He offered her a bite of cheese.

When she swallowed it, he reached over and took the glass of champagne from her hands, setting it beside his. “Okay. That's enough food for now. If you don't mind, I'd like to get back to that other thing we do so well.”

“Ben.” She allowed herself to be drawn into the circle of his arms and shivered slightly as he reached to undo the buttons of her dress.

“What?”

She sighed as his mouth followed his fingers and began to weave that wonderful magic once again. “Nothing. I just wanted to tell you that I approve of this diet.”

They came together with laughter, which quickly changed to sighs as they lost themselves in the wonder of their newly discovered love.

 

The sun was at their backs as they made their way back to the house. Annie glanced at their linked fingers and thought how easily she and Ben had slipped into this slower, lazier rhythm.

As they approached the patio, they both began to slow the pace, almost as if they dreaded what they might find.

“Think the power's back on?” She saw Ben frown before he shrugged.

“We'll soon see.” He opened the French doors, then reached for a light switch.

When nothing happened, they burst into laughter and
realized they'd both been holding their breath.

“Looks like we're stuck with candles and wood fires for another night.” Relieved, Ben set the basket on the kitchen counter, then turned to Annie. “I think I'll head out back to the woodpile for a fresh supply.”