During dinner, Juliet found it increasingly hard to make small talk. So much so, that Brannick finally asked, “Is anything wrong?”
She couldn’t tell him the whole truth, but she had to say something. “I’m overwhelmed with what we’ve been through in such a short period of time. Three nights in all. I mean, you and I barely know each other—”
“Except for the conversations you said we had in the dreamglide.”
“Yes, except for that. But this conscious side of yourself is still new to me and I can’t be more than a stranger to you. Most of the time, I find myself wanting to say something, to make a comment or even a joke. But then I realize you won’t get it, that it would be about one of our dreamglide conversations. I think that alone has taken a toll. I keep having to weigh my words.”
He glanced away from her and sipped his beer, then set it back on the table. “The few, full-blown memories I have of you are amazing. So I have some insight into what we were like together, as well as who you are.
“But truthfully, I don’t know what to make of this situation either. I mean, you must know how I feel about relationships in Five Bridges.”
“I do know,” she said. “And in that sense we’re the same. Yet we’ve carried on a very close, intimate relationship all these months.” She looked away as that feeling of impending loss returned.
He reached over and grabbed her hand. “Hey. I didn’t mean to make you feel sad. Maybe we should both try not to think about it right now. Instead, how about we celebrate that we brought Mary out of hell tonight.”
At that, Juliet relaxed. “You’re right. I’ve been caught up in the wrong things.”
She left the table and brought back two more beers.
He opened both, handing her one. He then held his bottle angled toward her. “To Mary.”
She smiled once more as she tapped the neck of his bottle with hers. “To Mary.”
Conversation fell to a pleasant recounting of the rescue and his gratitude that Agnes had a safe house for women like Mary where she could stay and begin her recovery.
After dinner, clean up was quick since Brannick helped. She liked that he’d brought dishes over, scraped them clean and washed while she dried. She was reminded of the few times he’d actually talked about his wife, Olivia, and their marriage. She’d heard the love in his voice and his great appreciation for her.
Now Olivia was gone, along with their two children, one of them unborn, and Brannick was a vampire living out his life in Five Bridges.
And she got to share beers with him, steaks, and even wash the dishes.
When she’d hung the damp towel on the oven door handle, she’d started to leave, but he caught her arm and pulled her back.
He searched her eyes. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you all through dinner. It’s been hard not to reach for you. But you seem upset, so I’m not sure what to do here. I’ll leave you alone, if that’s what you want.”
She gasped. “No, that’s not what I want at all.” The rest of the wo
rds got jammed up in her head.
Because she was afraid she would blurt out something terrible, like the truth, she leaned up and kissed him. And not a gentle kiss but one full of exactly what she wanted from him right now.
He responded with a heavy groan, encircling her with both arms and holding her tight against his chest.
The feel of him was what melted all restraint. She no longer cared exactly how the next hour or so progressed, or even whether or not they ended up having a combination of real-time and dreamglide sex.
She just wanted to be with him, nothing held back.
He deepened the kiss so that his tongue pulsed within her mouth, short erotic jabs that reminded her of other things he liked to do with his tongue.
She grabbed the back of his neck and pressed her lips harder against his.
When he drew back, his eyes were at half-mast. “How’s the bed upstairs?”
She couldn’t help it; she grinned. “Big.”
His lips curved as well. “Good. But I need a shower.”
“Sounds like the perfect place to start.”