don't know the danger they are in. And so I
wrestle with the cameras that are now the size of giants. "No," I
shout, straining against them. "You won't win. I won't let you in. You
can't find me anymore. I won't let you in."
I heave
the camera away from my attacker and hurl it to the floor where it shatters
into a million pieces. Shielding my eyes from the rain of glass, I wait to wake
up. I wait for it to be over.
But
this dream is different. From out of the shadows, my attacker steps into the
light. Sanniyah's gorgeous face smiles up at me. "You already let me
in," she smiles, radiant and contented.
"No,"
I groan, as the shadows close in. "You're not like them. You can't be like
them."
Dream-Sanniyah's
face begins to melt and contort, the beautiful color melting away into the
sallow, yellowed face of Howard Blair. "You already let me in," she
tells me again, just as I'm falling, falling away into the black.
My
whole body jerks on impact and suddenly I am wide awake, safe in my own bed. I
am covered in a fine sheen of sweat.
Sanniyah
makes a small, soft sighing noise in my arm, nestling against me with a little
squeak.
I
stiffen and count to ten, reminding myself that it was a dream. Sanniyah isn't
working for the tabloids. She has nothing to do with my parents.
I know
that.
I know that.
I
clench my whole body, every muscle, as tight as I can. Then one by one, I
release the tension, starting at my toes and working my way up. The last thing
to unclench is my fist, and I open my palm wide before resting it lightly on
the curve of Sanniyah's hip.
I could be different with her, I tell
myself as I smooth my hand upward. She mutters something in her sleep and pulls
away irritably and I have to suppress a laugh. Yes I could definitely be different with her. I want to. I am ready to
stop mistrusting the world. I am tired of grief and mourning, of shock and
hatred. I am ready to feel good again.
With a
shudder, I forcibly banish the nightmare from my mind and pull her closer,
pressing my lips to the soft place where her neck meets her shoulder. She
mutters again, rolling onto her back and brushing her hand up to my face. I
catch it and kiss her fingers, one by one, watching the smile curve around her
lips.
"Let
me be different for this one," I silently beg the universe. "Let me be whole again...for
her." I stare at her, watching her sleep, the rise and fall of her chest
hypnotizing the badness away until my own eyelids droop closed again and I am
sleeping without the bother of dreams.
Chapter Nineteen
Sanniyah
I jerk
awake. For a moment, panic grips me as I my bleary eyes resolve my unfamiliar
surroundings. There is something heavy weighing me down and I fight the urge to
fling it off me before understanding finally takes hold.
I am in
Carter's bed.
His arm
is slung over me.
And he
is fast asleep.
I shift
a little, trying not to disturb him as I roll over and regard his sleeping
face. It shouldn't be possible, but he is even more beautiful in the soft light
of dawn. There is a faint golden stubble along his jaw, and it glints in the
sunlight like he has been polished to a bright sheen.
I catch
myself smiling softly at him, and for just a moment all is peace. Little
twinges and aches sound in my body as soft, subtle reminders of the incredible
night I had with him. I can feel the tenderness between my thighs and flush
slightly as I remember how he looked up at me, watching me writhe as he slowly
drove me insane. Desire starts to
throb in my core, my body already craving his touch like an addict.
Carter
Easton, the reclusive billionaire, golden playboy, darling of the tabloids...I can't believe it. Carter fucking Easton is asleep next to
me. And all because I was lucky enough to plan his sister's wedding.
The
warmth in my body freezes to ice and I stiffen. Slowly, the dawning