Dream Wedding

“Yeah, I do.” Even though she found it hard to concentrate, what with them being so close and all. If she closed her eyes, she found herself mentally drifting back to that night in the cave when they’d made love. If she kept her eyes open, she got lost in his dark gaze and never wanted to surface again. It was a tough choice.

He solved her dilemma by wrapping his arm more tightly around her waist and drawing her closer. His cheek rested against her temple.

“Women have always been available,” he said. “I don’t claim to understand what combination of genes and luck make that true. It started when I was about thirteen and it hasn’t let up yet. When I was younger, in my teens and early twenties, I took advantage of that fact.”

He pulled back enough for her to see his face. His expression was earnest. “I was smart enough to be careful, so no one got pregnant and I hope no one got hurt. But it wasn’t my finest hour. Fortunately, it got old very quickly. I learned it was more fun when I got to know the lady in question and took the time to develop a relationship to her.”

He pulled her against him again. She liked being close. For reasons she couldn’t explain, being with him made her feel safe.

“A wise old woman, and I do mean that, helped me see the light. She was a shaman and had to be close to a hundred years old. Anyway, this wise old woman once told me that every time people make love, they give away a piece of their soul. If one makes love with the same person again and again, eventually they exchange souls and that is what was intended for married couples. But if one makes love with many people, one will find oneself with nothing left to give to the one who matters. Worse, we end up with no soul of our own.”

“I hadn’t thought of it that way, but the theory has merit,” she said.

“I agree. Now. At the time I was all of eighteen, and if I remember correctly, all I could think about was getting her great-granddaughter into bed, so I wasn’t the most appreciative audience.”

The music stopped. They broke apart and applauded. “Let’s go get some fresh air,” Arizona said.

She allowed him to lead her to the open patio at the far end of the room.

The night air was clear and balmy. She reminded herself she was working and should be trying to get a story from him. But she couldn’t think about anything but the man standing next to her. There was something about him—something that called to her. If she was the kind of woman who believed in destiny, she would be willing to admit he was the one for her. But she wasn’t and he wasn’t. Still, he was a very good time.

“You’re beautiful,” he said, leaning against the railing and drawing her against him.

She supposed she could have resisted, but she didn’t want to. She wanted to be next to him, to feel his arms around her again. It was almost like dancing, but they were alone in the shadows and the only music came from inside her head.

His face was so familiar, she thought. It was as if she’d known him forever. Had they really made love or had it just been a dream? Did he own a piece of her soul?

“What are you thinking?” he asked. “Sometimes you look at me and you get the strangest expression on your face. I always wonder if I have spinach in my teeth.”

“It’s nothing,” she said quickly. There was no way she could tell him she’d been thinking about that dream. He would want to know the details. He was already intrigued by the story of the Bradley family nightgown and the legend. She didn’t dare think what he would make of her story.

“It has to be something,” he insisted. His expression turned teasing. “I have ways of making you talk.”

“Some spell or curse?”

“Nothing that drastic.”

He tilted his head toward her. Instinctively she raised hers. This was not professional, she reminded herself, then she decided she didn’t care. They’d been heading toward this moment since they met. She wanted to kiss him. She needed to kiss him. She had to know if it was the same as she remembered.

His mouth brushed against hers. They weren’t standing all that close. His hands rested on her waist, hers were on his forearms. For a second—as her body registered the sensations of his heat, the firm softness of his mouth—she couldn’t do anything more than absorb what was happening.

Then she felt it. The absolute electrical jolt that shot through her. It was hotter and brighter than lightning. It was recognition and need and passion and color, as if every part of her being responded to this man. Even more terrifying, it was familiar.

She knew what he was going to do even before he parted his lips. She knew the taste and feel of him. She knew how his hands would slide up her back, how she would step into his embrace, how their bodies would fit together. The knowledge only increased her desire. She wanted him because being with him was so incredibly perfect, she thought as his tongue slipped into her mouth.

Her breasts swelled, that secret place between her legs dampened. She felt his hardness press against her hip bone. They breathed in sync. She tilted her head one way, he moved the opposite, so they could deepen the contact. Reunited lovers kissing for the first time.

It was better than she remembered, she thought, then wondered how she could remember kissing a man she’d never kissed before. The dream didn’t count. It wasn’t real. Then she stopped thinking because her brain shut down. She could only feel him next to her, holding her, touching her. Their bodies fit perfectly together. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her fingers in his cool, soft hair. His shoulders were broad, as was his chest. Every part of him had been put together with her pleasure and enjoyment in mind...or so it seemed.

Tongues circled and danced and mated. She wanted more from him. She wanted to feel him inside of her; she wanted him to claim her and mark her in the most primitive, primal way of all.

At last, he drew back slightly, breaking the kiss. His breathing was as labored as hers. He rested his forehead against hers and exhaled.

“Pretty amazing,” he said, his voice low and husky. “Even better than I thought, and I thought it would be great.”

“Me, too.”

He tucked a loose curl behind her ear, then brushed his thumb against her cheek. His eyes were bright with passion. She could feel the need radiating from him. Faint tremors rippled through his hands.

“Chloe, I—”

He lowered his head and she knew he was going to kiss her again. She also knew that this time they might not stop at kissing.

“There you two are. We’ve been looking everywhere. Isn’t the ballroom lovely? They always do such a great job with the decorations.”

Cassie’s voice cut through the quiet of the night. Instantly, they stepped apart. Chloe touched a finger to her mouth and wondered if her lips were swollen.

“Hi,” she managed, hoping that her expression wouldn’t give her away. The last thing she needed was Cassie’s knowing glances, or getting the third degree when they were both home later.

Cassie gave her sister a quick smile and turned to Arizona. “I wanted Joel to meet you.” She looked at her boyfriend. “Joel, this is Arizona Smith.”

The two men shook hands. While Arizona looked elegant in his tailored tux, Joel was obviously ill at ease in his too-small navy suit. He had the disgruntled air of a man who would rather be home watching a movie on cable.

Chloe suppressed a sigh. Joel was perfectly decent. A pleasant enough man, with short blond hair and pale blue eyes.

“Did you catch the Giants’ score?” Arizona asked. “When I left my room, they were ahead three to two.”

Joel’s sullen expression eased. “Dodgers tied it up in the eighth, but that was when we got here and had to park the car. I don’t know what it is now.”

“I’m sure they have a television in the bar,” Arizona offered.

“Great.” Joel turned his attention to Cassie. “Would you mind if we checked?”

“Of course not.” She gave a little wave, then took Joel’s hand. “We’ll see you later.”

“Save me a dance,” Arizona called after her.

Cassie giggled.

Chloe watched her go. “It’s only the beginning of the baseball season and already he would rather watch a game than anything. What on earth does she see in him?” She leaned against the railing, then straightened abruptly. “Wait a minute. How did you know Joel was interested in sports?”

Arizona shrugged. “Many men are and he looks like the type. I wasn’t trying to get rid of him, but I figured if he watched the last inning, he wouldn’t sulk when Cassie wanted to dance.”

“Good thinking. I wish...” Her voice trailed off.

“That he were a different kind of man?”

“Exactly. She deserves better.”

“But he’s the one she wants.”

“Is he?” Chloe wasn’t so sure. “He’s the only man she’s ever dated. How is she supposed to know what she wants? She should get out there and experience life. She deserves someone who will love her and cherish her. Someone intelligent. Not Joel.” She rubbed her temple. “It’s an old argument and one I’ve never won. After all, it’s her life.”

“You and Cassie are very close.”

It wasn’t a question.

“We always have been.”

“It’s none of my business, but why are you so angry at your aunt Charity?”

She couldn’t have been more shocked if he’d suddenly grown horns. Her first instinct was to ask him how he figured it out. Her second was to tell him to mind his own business. Her third was to wonder if she was that obvious.

“I don’t know,” she said at last, glad the shadows on the patio would hide her face. She didn’t want him to know what she was thinking. She did know why she was angry with her aunt, but she wasn’t ready to deal with it. She might never be ready.

“Want to talk about it?”

His perceptions suddenly annoyed her. How did he always know what she was thinking? How dare he always know the right thing to say or do! “Only if you want to talk about why, if your father is still alive, your grandfather raised you.”

“Touché,” he said. “I’m sorry. I should learn to leave tender ground alone. I’m sorry.”

She ducked her head. “No, I’m being snippy. I’m the one who should apologize.”

“Okay.”

She looked up at him.

He grinned. “I’m waiting,” he told her.

“I apologize.”

“That’s it? That’s all you’re willing to say? No declaration of your unworthiness? Of how gracious I am to put up with you? Nothing about—”

She lightly slapped his arm. “Stop it.”

He stepped back in mock alarm. “Violence. I don’t know what to say. I’d been about to suggest we find a quiet room somewhere and make wild passionate love together, but now I’m not sure I can trust you not to take physical advantage of my person. I guess we’re just going to have to dance, instead.”

She didn’t know whether to laugh, agree to the lovemaking, or slap him again. “You make me crazy.”

“That was the plan all along, Chloe.”

“I figured as much.”

He held out his hand and she took it. Then she followed him back into the main room to have that dance.

CHAPTER SIX

“OH, MY GOODNESS, the man has a fan club!” Cassie said as she pointed at the computer screen.

Sure enough, an Internet search on Arizona’s name had unearthed an assortment of references, including a link to a fan club.

“We have to check this out.” Chloe clicked the arrow on that entry. She was at her home computer, continuing her research on Arizona, which she was starting to think was just a way of avoiding starting the actual writing. Once she figured out the first sentence of the article, she knew the rest of it would come fairly easily. But so far she was in the dark about her beginning.

Cassie pulled up a chair and sat down next to her. “I can’t believe it. I’ve never known anyone with a fan club before.” She laughed and touched her sister’s arm. “We could write him a letter. You could talk about how great he dances. Maybe you could talk about the other stuff, too.”

Chloe glanced at her sharply. “What other stuff?”

Cassie puckered up her lips and made kissing noises. “I saw what you two were doing out there on the patio last night. I figured we had better come interrupt before things got too hot and heavy. There wasn’t a whole lot of privacy.”

“Nothing happened. It was just a kiss.” She flinched, half-waiting for lightning to strike her down. It had been a whole lot more than the kiss—which was part of the problem. It should have been pleasant or even very nice. Instead it had burned her down to her soul. She wasn’t even sure if she was relieved or disappointed that he hadn’t followed up that first kiss with a second. Once they’d gone back inside to the reception, Arizona had been swept away by interested guests and Chloe had finally left alone around midnight.

“It looked like some major passion to me,” Cassie said, and leaned her elbows on the desk. “I wish Joel would kiss me like that.”

“Doesn’t he?”

Cassie shook her head. “Joel and I have a very comfortable relationship.”

“Comfortable is okay for year thirty of marriage, but you guys are still dating.”

“I know.” Cassie shrugged. “I don’t want to talk about it.” She pointed at the computer screen. “Look.”

The computer had located the web site for Arizona’s fan club. There were photos of him, a bulletin board on which to leave messages, letters to Arizona and a map showing all the places he’d visited.

“Imagine how much money we’d make if we could get a picture of him naked,” Cassie said thoughtfully. “We could sell copies. What do you think?”

Chloe laughed. “I think he would probably want to be cut in on the profits. Are you going to be the one to ask him?”

“It might go better if you did that.”

Chloe ignored her. She clicked on various pages of the web site and made notes. “These people need to get lives.”

“It’s romantic. He’s a very exciting man. You know, you should post your article here when you finish it. I’m sure they’d really like it.” She sighed. “He’s just so great. Gracious and funny. I really like him. I think you do, too. Wouldn’t you like to travel around the world with him? He’s just—” She clapped her hands together. “He’s exactly the kind of man I want to dream about when I wear the family nightgown. Don’t you agree?”

Chloe felt a surge of irritation. She was having enough trouble controlling her raging desires without her sister throwing logs on the fire. “Number one, you’re supposed to be engaged to Joel. Number two, I actually have work to do and that would be a lot easier without your editorial comments.”

Cassie stared at her for a second, nodded, then rose to her feet. “Sorry. I leave you to your research.” She walked out of the room without looking back.

Chloe returned her attention to the web site, then groaned. She was turning into a witch.

With a couple of clicks, she logged off the Internet and returned to her word-processing program. After saving her work in progress, she rose to her feet and headed down the hall. Cassie’s bedroom door was open. Her sister was curled up on the bed reading a book.

Chloe watched her. She didn’t know exactly what to say. At this point, she wasn’t willing to risk the truth. She didn’t want to admit that part of her problem was that she had dreamed about Arizona, and it was making her insane.

“I’m sorry,” she said at last. “I had no reason to snap at you. I have a lot on my mind and I’m just not myself.”

Cassie looked up. “I know. This article is very important to you. It’s your ticket out.”

Chloe entered the large room with pale pink walls and a lacy bedspread on the full-size mattress. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

Cassie patted the bed, indicating that her sister should have a seat. “It’s true. Come on, Chloe, it’s time for you to leave. It’s what you’ve always wanted. Sometimes I think you’ve stayed because of me, but I’m practically your age and I’ve been all grown-up for a long time. Aunt Charity and I will be fine without you. Of course we’ll miss you, but it’s time for you to move on. We can take care of the house until you’re ready to come back.”

Chloe reached out and squeezed her sister’s hand. “You’re way too nice a person. Why do you put up with me?”

“Beats me.”

Chloe smiled. Then her humor faded as the familiar guilt took its place. She knew that Cassie would take care of the house for her. Cassie wouldn’t think twice about it, but she, Chloe, was annoyed that it was an issue. Their parents had been wrong, she thought, as she had dozens of times in the past. They should have left everything to the girls equally. Instead Chloe had inherited the house and a small trust fund. Cassie had inherited a large trust fund—equal in value to Chloe’s inheritance—but not equal in spirit. The message had been clear. Their only blood heir had received the family home.

Chloe knew that Cassie put on a brave face; she never said anything. But Cassie was the real traditional one in the family. She was the one who believed in the legend—she was the one who loved the house. It should have been hers. She also knew that on some level Cassie had been hurt by the will. But Chloe didn’t know how to talk to her about it.

There was a knock on the open door.

“Chloe, there’s a call for you,” Charity told her. “It’s Arizona.”

Cassie made kissing noises again. Chloe rose to her feet. “I’m ignoring you,” she said as she crossed to her sister’s desk and picked up the extension. “Hello?”

“Chloe, it’s Arizona. I hope I’m not interrupting.”

“Not at all.” If the nerves soft-shoeing inside her stomach were anything to go by, she was very happy to hear from him.

“Something’s come up. I’ve been doing some research about a lost tribe up in the Pacific Northwest. I just got a call from some friends of mine working up there. They’ve found something I need to take a look at. The lecture series doesn’t start for a few days and I don’t have much holding me here, so I thought I would go and see what they’ve found.”

“I see.”

He was leaving. She’d always known that he would—it was the nature of the man. But she hadn’t expected it to be so soon. The nerves in her stomach fizzled into a cold knot of disappointment.

“I’ll work on the article while you’re gone and save any questions I have until you get back,” she told him, hoping she sounded calmly professional.

“That’s one scenario,” he agreed. “However, I thought it might be interesting for you to come along. You could observe what I do firsthand.”

She wanted to jump up and down shrieking “Yes, yes, oh yes!” at the top of her lungs. Instead she drew in a deep breath. “An interesting idea.”

He was probably coming on to her, a voice in her head said. As lines went, it was a good one, but still a line.

“I hope you don’t think I’ve made this up simply to get you alone in the wilderness. Actually I’m just not that creative, otherwise I would have. But the artifact is legitimate. I can give you a number to call to check it out.”

He could read her mind. Why was she not surprised?

Of course she wanted to go. Desperately. She wanted to spend as much time with Arizona as possible and she refused to question her motives. “I’ll need to run this past my editor,” she said. “Can I call you first thing in the morning?”

“Sure. I’ll be hoping for a yes.”

Me, too, she thought. “I’ll be touch. Bye.”

When she hung up the phone, Cassie was dancing from foot to foot. “You’re going away with him. This is so cool. You’ll be in wilderness. It’ll be romantic. Maybe you’ll see him naked and we can get that picture for his fan club!”

Chloe’s heart was pounding and she wanted to jump up and down like her sister. Instead she shrugged. “It would be okay to go. I think it will add some dimension to my article.”

“Article-smarticle. I’m talking about adding some dimension to your life! Chloe and Arizona sittin’ in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G.”

“I’m ignoring you,” Chloe said as she walked out of the room.

“Confess,” Cassie called after her. “You want to see the man naked.”

“I’m sure he’s not that impressive.”

“Liar!”

But Chloe didn’t know if the accusation came from her sister or her conscience. After all, she had seen Arizona without his clothes, and it had worked for her in a big way.

* * *

“I’M NOT sure what he’s going to look at,” Chloe continued nervously. “But I think seeing an archaeological dig and watching him work will add depth to the story.”

Jerry didn’t even look up from the papers he was reading. Her editor made a grunting noise low in his throat. She wasn’t sure what that meant.

“So you want me to go?” she asked.

Finally, he spared her a quick glance. “Yes, I want you to go. Keep track of expenses. The magazine will reimburse you for the reasonable stuff. Don’t go ordering any expensive wine with dinner. Don’t sit in poison ivy.”

“I think I can handle that.”

“Good.” His gaze narrowed. “How’s the guy? Is the piece gonna be decent?”

She thought about telling Jerry all she’d learned about Arizona, about the fan club on the Internet, the inherent charm, the way he actually believed in magic. But she didn’t think her boss really cared about the details. He would find all that out when he read the article.

“It’s going to be great,” she told him.

“Better be.” He grimaced. “Nancy said you were on the right track and I trust her. Not that I should. Pregnant. Do you know she actually expects time off after the kid is born? I asked her what for. She says she wants to breast-feed. Can you believe it? Like a bottle’s not good enough. What is it with women today?” He shook his head in disgust and glared at her. “Don’t you have a story to write? Packing maybe? Get out of here.”

“Yes, Jerry.” Despite herself, Chloe grinned. Jerry acted so tough all the time, but he would be the first one at the hospital after Nancy gave birth. He would be cooing like everyone else over the newborn.

She made her way back to her desk. She had her permission. She was really going away with Arizona. Out into the wilderness, where anything could happen.

* * *

CHLOE STARED AT the clothes folded neatly on top of her bed. “I don’t know what to take,” she admitted. “I’ve never been camping.”

Cassie sat in the chair by the desk and smiled. “You’ll do fine. Take jeans and underwear. Shirts and sweaters. You’ll want to layer if it gets cold, but you won’t want anything bulky.”

“Arizona says we’ll have to hike in the last part, so I have to carry everything with me.”

Cassie leaned forward, picked up the blow-dryer and waved it in the air. “In that case, I’d leave this behind. It’s big, heavy and you’re not going to have electricity.”

“I know. I just thought—” She shuddered. “I don’t know what I was thinking. It was a hideous mistake to agree to this. I’m completely out of my element.”

“You’ll be fine. Arizona will keep you safe.”

Chloe didn’t know whether to laugh or scream. What her sister didn’t understand was that Arizona was part of what she was afraid of. But she couldn’t say that to Cassie without going into detail. And how was she supposed to tell her sister that she had indeed had a dream the night of her twenty-fifth birthday and that the man in her dream had been someone she’d met the very next day? How was she supposed to confess that every time she was near him her body went up in flames, and that all the time they were apart, he was all she could think of?

Besides, not all of her fears were about Arizona. Some of them were about herself. She didn’t know what was wrong with her. She felt herself changing. Nothing was as it should be. She wanted... Chloe sighed. That was the problem. She didn’t know what she wanted.

Cassie stood up and walked to the bed. She opened Chloe’s cosmetic bag and dumped the contents.

“Toothbrush and toothpaste,” she said. She rummaged through the rest of the items, then eyed her sister’s long hair. She picked up a wide-toothed comb and a cloth-covered rubber band. “Don’t worry about makeup.” She fingered a tube of sunscreen. “This has moisture in it.” She added a tiny bottle of shampoo to the small pile. “Arizona will bring soap, I’m sure. Use his.”