Untouched (12 page)

Dante
reached
out
and
brushed
one
large
tear
away
with
his
thumb. Kerry’s eyes remained locked on his, searching them for answers to her unspoken questions. She closed her eyes and leaned into him, nuzzling her soft cheek tantalizingly against the palm of his hand. The winds blew harder and hotter around them.

Is that all?
His
voice
sounded
gruff
and
strained. Keeping his desire for her at bay grew increasingly difficult.

No,
she
whispered
and
shook
her
head
softly.
When you touch me it feels absolutely marvelous… and that scares the hell out of me.
She
took
his
hand
in
hers
and
turned
it
over, stroking his palm gently with the tip of her finger. She traced the deep lines in his hand as if committing every crease to memory. Dante kept his own needs in check and allowed her the freedom to explore and maintain all of the control.

Touching people usually feels like acid is being poured in my brain and over my skin, but not with you.
She
looked
up
at
him, her large brown eyes peeking out seductively beneath long dark lashes. She uncrossed her legs and rose off the rock to face him.
Your touch is like honey, sweet and thick. Why, Dante?
She
took
both
of
his
hands, and holding them to her heart, she moved her soft body up against him. Her full lips hovered temptingly inches from his.
Why can you touch me like this?

The
last
of
Dante’s resolve slipped away. He leaned in and captured her mouth with his. She moaned softly as he took her head in his hands and deepened the kiss. Her lips parted as his tongue demanded entrance and delved deeper into the velvety warmth of her mouth. If it felt this good to kiss her in the dream realm, he could only imagine how sweet it would be in the physical plane.

She
wrapped
her
arms
around
his
neck
and
pulled
her
to
him, her full breasts crushed tantalizingly against his chest. Bit by bit she opened up to him and broadened their connection on every level. She kissed him back with passionate fervor and allowed their energies to mix and mingle, deepening their connection moment by moment. The winds howled around them, and the music grew louder. He suckled on her bottom lip and pulled back from her reluctantly. Her face was flushed and her lips swollen from his kiss. They stood there for a moment, their breath heaving in unison, and he knew now was his chance.

It’s time to wake up, princess.

The fog of sleep lifted, and Kerry slowly became aware of her surroundings. She was in bed, and she wasn’t alone. Her eyes flew open, and she found herself looking up into Dante’s big reddish brown eyes. She grabbed the sheet and pulled it up to her chin, mentally taking note of the fact that she still wore her dress from their evening at the bar. She looked to the window and saw that it was still dark out. How long had she been here?

Dante’s long muscular body was laid out next to hers. He laid there on his side, propped up on his elbow, with a satisfied smile, acting like lying in her bed was the most normal thing in the world for him to do. He still wore his suit pants and shirt, but he’d discarded the jacket and tie.

His thick auburn hair stuck up in several directions like a little boy with bed head. Kerry had to fight the urge to reach out and run her fingers through it. Memories of kissing him in her dream flooded her mind, and her face burned with embarrassment. She clamored for a witty comment about how he didn’t belong in her bed, but her mouth and brain couldn’t seem to cooperate and form a sentence.

“Nice to have you back in the land of the living.” The amusement in his voice made her want to smack him.

“What the hell are you doing in my bed?” she bit out. Then she looked down at herself. “What the hell am
I
doing in my bed?” she said a bit more quietly.

He said nothing, but his eyes spoke volumes as his gaze wandered slowly down the length of her body. Her heart thundered loudly in her ears, she held her breath, and suddenly it felt unbearably hot underneath the covers. Her skin felt too tight for her body and burned under the touch of his hot stare. She propped herself on her elbows in an effort to bring his attention back to her face, which she suspected glowed bright red.

His eyes locked with hers. “You fainted, and I carried you up here,” he said with an all too sexy edge. His face remained a mask of calm arrogance.

Kerry’s eyes narrowed, and she eyed him suspiciously. “And that’s all?”

“That’s all that happened.” A crooked smile cracked his handsome face. “At least that’s all that happened here,” he said with a wave of his hand.

Dread crept up her belly, and she swallowed hard. “What do you mean
here
?”

“Well, the dream realm,” he breathed. “Now that’s a different story entirely. I quite enjoyed the oasis you created in the middle of New York City. It was incredibly beautiful and seductive.” He reached up and traced his finger along her quivering lower lip. “Just like you.”

Kerry froze, and all the blood drained from her face. “What?” The word came out in a rush as every bit of air left her lungs.

“Kerry,” he whispered her name seductively, took her face in his hand, and kept his eyes locked on hers. Warmth flooded her body, and desire coiled tightly deep inside of her. “Please let me in.” He leaned in and trailed delicate kisses along her jaw and down her neck. Kerry’s breathing came quickly, and she wasn’t sure if it was from fear or lust. “Tell me,” he murmured against her throat between butterfly kisses. “Tell me again. What do you see when I touch you?”

Her mind raced frantically, unable to process the overwhelming pleasure and be logical at the same time. How could he know about her curse? She had told him in her dream. But that was just a dream, wasn’t it?

She knew that she should get up and run out of this room and never look back. From the second she met him, her life had gotten more bizarre with every passing hour. But she was tired of being alone and keeping so much of herself a secret. Hope glimmered cruelly—all of that could be behind her.

She closed her eyes and sank into the delicious sensation of his lips, soft and fluttering along her skin. He placed one last kiss at the corner of her mouth.

“Tell me. What do you see when I touch you?” he asked in a voice gruff with desire. “Kerry, look at me.”

Gathering her courage, Kerry opened her eyes and found herself looking into a pair of familiar glowing embers. They burned brightly, like fiery stars in a night sky. They were the very same eyes as the fox from her dream.

“Your eyes,” she breathed softly as he held her gaze. Tears spilled freely down her cheeks. “The fox,” she said with a mixture of relief and wonder. “I see the fox.”

Before she could say more his mouth crashed down on hers with a savage intensity that sent bolts of pleasure throughout her body. The fox image burst into her mind, and years of pent up passion bubbled inside and boiled over. She opened up to him and reveled in the feel of his lips melding with hers.

Kerry wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her, relishing the weight of his hard masculine body on top of her. It felt so good to touch and be touched. A delicious tingling spread across her skin, and heat pooled low in her belly. She moaned softly as he kissed her with devilishly talented lips.

Kerry felt more alive in these last few moments than she had her entire life. She loved the way his muscles moved in his back—rippling, raw power pulsed beneath her fingertips. He shifted and settled his rock-hard body between her legs. Kerry wrapped one long leg around his in an effort to get even closer. He kissed her thoroughly, his tongue sweeping velvet strokes along the roof of her mouth. She responded feverishly, exploring his lips with hers, and thought she might lose herself in the pleasure. His hands tangled in her hair; his fingers massaged her scalp. Instinctively, she moved her hips against him, the evidence of his arousal pressed insistently against her feminine core. Sizzling, carnal pleasure shot through her and stole the breath from her lungs.

One hand wandered downward and ran along her rib cage, leaving trails of honeyed warmth on every spot he touched. His knuckles grazed the underside of her breast through the silk of her dress, and all the while he paid thorough attention to her mouth. Gently, he pulled down the blue material and filled his hand with one full breast. Her nipples tingled and peaked in response to his touch. Her heart beat a mile a minute, and her breath came in ragged gasps.

Too fast. This was all going too fast.

Her head spun, and her body burned out of control. Her brain, the voice of reason, started screaming at her to put on the brakes. She reached out to him with her mind, hoping he would hear her.
I’ve never done this before. I’m sorry.

Dante’s body stilled, and his touch became softer. Gently, tenderly, he suckled on her bottom lip and placed a chaste kiss at the tip of her nose. He closed his eyes, let out low growl, and rested his forehead against hers. They stayed there for several minutes, bodies intertwined, clothes askew, and his mouth hovering temptingly just above hers.

“You’re everything I imagined,” he whispered between ragged breaths.

Kerry’s lips curved into a smile. “Funny. You’re
nothing
that I imagined. I didn’t dare imagine that anyone was out there for me,” she said breathlessly.

Dante shifted his body and stretched out next to her. He leaned on his elbow and looked down at her solemnly, while he played with a long strand of raven hair. “Haven’t you ever wondered where your gift came from?”

Kerry’s blood went cold.

“Gift?” She made a scoffing sound and sat up in the bed, holding the sheet to cover her bare breast. “You think what I’ve got is a gift? Are you fucking kidding me?” Furious that he could be so completely dense, she scrambled out of bed and stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door solidly behind her.

Kerry cursed. Great. She’d managed to get close to him and push him away all in less than one day. That must be some kind of sick, twisted record, she thought wryly. Kerry stripped off her rumpled dress and wrapped her heated body in a soft robe. She closed her eyes and leaned against the bathroom door, determined to get up the guts to go back out and speak to him. It had taken all of her life to find this dazzlingly unique man, and she seemed to be doing just about everything to sabotage it.

Kerry took a deep breath, swung the door open, and came face-to-face with Dante. His eyes flashed with desire. She knew how much he wanted her because she wanted him just as much. Right now, however, her head had to get control over her body. She tilted her chin upward in gritty defiance. She had gone this long without sex—she could go a little longer.

If he was so stupid and blind to think that her visions were a gift, how could she possibly be with him? Clad in slacks and a rumpled shirt that remained only partly buttoned, he looked undeniably sexy. His full lips were set in a determined line, and she had to fight the urge to jump his bones right there in the doorway.

“So—” she began, curtly placing her arms tightly across her chest. “You think this
thing
I can do is a gift. Is that right?”

Dante stepped aside and gestured for her to come back into the room. Kerry nodded with a tight smile and moved past him to the bar to pour a glass of water. She could feel his gaze on her.

“Yes,” he said quietly. “I think you have a gift.”

She turned to face him. He’d settled himself into the armchair across the room from her. Her hand trembled as she took a sip. She willed her body to settle and leaned back against the edge of the bar. She stared at him over the rim of her glass. Her robe had fallen away, exposing her bare legs, and she couldn’t help but notice the way he stole a glimpse.

“Hey, Tarzan, my face is up here.” She snapped her fingers and immediately drew his unabashed gaze back to hers.