She turned a corner, suddenly surrounded by trees. Dark and high, they loomed over her, providing warning. No shelter or protection. No. She didn’t get those. But warning. That was a nice change.
Something crashed into the brush behind her.
She yelped and ran harder, but the grass grew into weeds. They held her fast, not letting her move. Oh, no. It was too late. She opened her mouth and screamed.
“Whoa.” Warmth and strength encircled her. “Wake up, lady. You’re having a bad dream.”
She jerked awake, her head hitting something hard. Pain flashed through her skull.
“Damn it,” Theo said, wrapping a hand in her hair and pulling her away.
Oh. She’d hit his chin with her head. “Sorry.” She reached up to rub her forehead.
“You okay?” He loosened his hold, his eyes glowing in the dim light.
She blinked. Bed. She was in bed with Theo Reese. He smelled fresh and clean and male. A shadow covered his hard jaw, and his hard cut chest was bare. Oh, goodness. Did he have any clothing on? She stilled. Did she? She looked down. Nope. “You, ah, you took my clothes off.” Her heart started to race.
“They were wet and dirty.” He released her hair and smoothed his hand down her arm. “I didn’t look.” His teeth sparkled with his grin.
She blinked. Her brain went fuzzy. The bed was soft and the sheets luxurious. The world smelled strong and good…like him. “Why, I mean how, is there a light on?”
He slowly nodded. “Bathroom light. I thought you might be confused when you awoke, so I left the light on.”
Now wasn’t that sweet? Her body went all mushy, and she was too relaxed to stop it. “Thank you.”
“That was quite the nightmare you were having,” he rumbled.
She snorted. “That was nothing, believe me.”
His gaze narrowed. “Really. Do you often have horrific dreams?”
Was that a weakness? She couldn’t let him get that close. “No.”
His lips thinned. “I thought we already discussed lying versus telling the truth. Stop lying to me.”
Her chest felt heavy. The vampire had saved her from an attack squad, and he’d brought her to his home to keep safe. Then he’d left the light on for her so she wouldn’t be scared. Liars really ticked him off, apparently. “Fine, Theo. I won’t lie to you again.” She meant every word.
His head lifted just slightly. “Do you have nightmares often?”
That was the question he’d wanted to start with? She should move away from him, but the male was all heat, and she was still cold. “Yes.”
“About what?” he murmured, his gaze searching deep.
She breathed out. “Somebody chasing me. Torturing me. Killing me.” It was difficult, but she forced a smile. “Normal scary dreams, you know?”
He studied her. “Who’s chasing you?”
“Everybody bad,” she said softly. “In the dream, I was looking for you.” Heat rose to her face, making her cheeks hurt. “I mean, after last night, when you saved me, I guess that makes sense.” Could she sound any more like a wimp? The idea caught her up short. When had she wanted to look strong to him? That wasn’t her skill, darn it. “Thank you for saving me last night.”
“You’re welcome.” He rubbed a gentle finger across her aching cheekbone. “Who was after you?”
“I don’t know.” She lifted a shoulder and then caught the sheet before it fell off her chest. “Could be anybody.” Oh, she had an idea, but with her past, it really could be anybody. When was the last time she’d been in bed with a sexy, tousled male? It had been a while. And she’d bet her last pair of high heels that she’d never been this close to anybody this masculine. “I had a crush on you. Way back when,” she confessed.
His eyes flared. “Then why seduce my brother?”
She winced. “I didn’t seduce your brother. We were friends, and he was halfway to the high seas when we briefly dated. We shared one kiss, and it was like kissing…mybrother. If I had one.” Memories flooded her, and she smiled. “We were so young. So silly.”
“Was it a cover?” Theo asked, once again threading his fingers through her hair.
