Dana Bell - Only In My Dreams

“Look at me, Sarah.”

She peeked up at him through her lashes, allowing her defiance to shine through.

“That’s one, baby. Now look up at me.”

Fuck it. She would not submit. As far as she was concerned he’d betrayed her. He no longer had her obedience. He’d have to earn it back along with her trust.

“Put your hands behind your back, baby.”

Sarah stubbornly kept them where they were, in her lap.

He studied her, circling her, his stride sleek and commanding. “I said, put your hands behind your back.”

“No.”

He stopped, one brow rising arrogantly. “No?”

She turned her face from him, the first time she’d dared to do that in their dream.

He crouched down, one hand going to her chin, pulling her face around. She closed her eyes, refusing to look at him. “Sarah.”

She opened her eyes, hoping he would see the anger and the pain. She wanted him to know what he’d done to her. “You no longer have me.”

He reared back, his hand dropping from her face. Anguish flitted briefly across his face before anger washed over it. “Jim.”

“Chloe.” She glared at him. “Apparently she’s the one who should be here right now.”

“What?”

“Are you sleeping with her?”

For one second he looked stunned, confused, before determination settled in. He grabbed her upper arms, pulling her into his body. “I am not sleeping with Chloe!”

“Bullshit.”

His expression turned cold. “That’s two.”

“That’s none! How could you?”

She gasped as his eyes turned to gold. “I give you my word I have not slept with Chloe.”

She turned her face away. He’d been home over Christmas, given Chloe that pretty little bracelet. He’d had the time and probably the inclination. “Liar.”

Out of the corner of her eye she saw his jaw clench. “That’s three.”

Uh-oh. He had a hard and fast rule: three strikes, and she was out.

She fought him as he pulled her over his knee, but he was too strong for her.

“One: I have never, ever lied to you. Not even in dreams.”

SMACK. His palm landed, stinging her backside. She howled, trying to pull away from him, but he held her down firmly. The sting faded quickly, her arousal growing as she tried to squirm off his lap.

“Two. I have not slept with Chloe.”

Smack. This one was not as hard as the first. He caressed the mark his hand left behind. She licked her lips as her belly flipped. Normally, she loved it when he spanked her. The heat of his hand, the sting of his palm, would give way to an arousal so intense he didn’t need to do anything else to get her off.

Which was why she needed to get away. She wriggled harder, pinching his thigh, trying to get him to let her go. If that third smack landed…

SMACK!

She shuddered. Licking her lips, she looked up at him through her bangs and wondered what he would do if she just sank her fangs into his leg.

“If you so much as let Jim touch your little pinky, you won’t sit down for a week. Do you understand me?”

She blew a raspberry at him. He was so stunned she actually got free.

Unfortunately, it didn’t last long. “Oh, no you don’t.” Hard arms wrapped around her, holding her against him, back to front. “A little something to remind you to be a good girl, other than your sore ass.” He bit her neck, and she just knew he was sucking up a mark. If he’d let his fangs drop he’d have been marking her as his. One hand drifted down to her dripping pussy, pushing up against her clit, stroking her fast and furious until she was writhing in his embrace.

She screeched as she came, but it felt empty somehow.

With one final smack on her ass he set her free. “Now…”

Sarah woke, grateful the alarm clock had kept the dream from going any further. She just knew what he’d had in mind. Another quick, hard fuck followed by yet more rejection. With a sigh she stood and headed into the shower, stripping as she went. She was still tired. The nap had hardly been what she’d call restful . Damn him, anyway.

She washed quickly and toweled off, pulling her underwear out of the drawer. She didn’t have much time, thanks to Gabe’s little game. If she had her way the games would end one way or another before the end of this trip.

She wanted her hair and makeup to be perfect tonight, so she’d need to hurry. She had to do her damndest to outshine the perky female who had her mate’s undivided attention. Dinner was in under an hour and she still needed to catch the shuttle to Animal Kingdom.

She dressed quickly in the strappy little red sundress and matching sandals, plugged in her blow-dryer, and began taking care of her short bob, curling the ends under to frame her face. Just as she lifted her brush she noticed the bite mark on her neck. She turned the dryer off and leaned in closer to get a better look.

“Rat bastard.” It wasn’t the first time he’d marked her in a dream. Light hand prints had shown up more than once on her backside, hickeys on her shoulder blades and breasts, and now this. It was nice and dark too, and right where anyone could see it. The first time it had happened she’d been freaked out.

Now, she was just annoyed.

It took her a while, but she finally got it covered with makeup. How do I explain to people a dream hickey, anyway?

Shaking her head she started the dryer up again. If she didn’t hurry she’d be late, and it would all be Gabe’s fault.

It rained of course. What else could you expect in Florida in April? Hell, at least it had helped get rid of the unfulfilled hard-on he’d been sporting since his dream of Sarah had been interrupted. He didn’t even have the heart to be pissed about the aborted dream; seeing her there had been more than worth it. His Puma was actually growly again, something he hadn’t thought he’d miss until it was gone. He got to the restaurant before the worst of the rain hit, so he wasn’t too soaked. Still, the damp clothing and the cold air-conditioning was sending shivers down his spine and pulling up goose bumps on his arms.

He thought he was the first one there until he spied Emma shopping. The Rainforest Café was set up so that one entered the restaurant through the gift shop attached to it. He smiled as he caught Max’s wince, but Emma’s laughter pulled her mate to her like a magnet to iron.

He watched them, so happy together, and wondered if he and Sarah would ever be that happy. The dream this afternoon had disturbed him on more than one level. Sarah’s defiance had startled him, turned him on and hurt him, all at the same time. Her pain had struck him deep, made him question his decisions like never before, even more than seeing her with Jim had. The only thing he could come up with was that his Puma was bound and determined to have him finally claim her as his own.

Even in dreams she’d never argued with him like that before. He’d been telling dream-Sarah the truth.

He couldn’t bring himself to lie to her, even there. He hadn’t slept with Chloe. He hadn’t been with a real woman in a long time. Hell, even his dreams were faithful to her! How could she think for even a second that he would betray their bond that way? The pain in her eyes had been too much for him to bear, and when she’d told him he didn’t have her any longer, he’d nearly broken down and ended his torment, marking her for all to see as his, if only in his own mind.