“I was sleeping,” he said, lowering his head, sweeping his lips across my knee. “And I woke to find a beautiful woman flying across the room to me.”

“She was flying?” I asked. Nathaniel was always so practical, so exacting, I’d always assumed his subconscious would be the same. I had no idea his mind was even capable of thinking about flying women.

“It was a dream,” he said, as if that explained everything. And it would have if anyone other than Nathaniel was having it. “Women can fly in dreams.”

I wasn’t in the mood to debate whether his dreams could or should follow the personality he presented to the world. I was way too interested in hearing about what happened and finding out if he’d ever move his fingers so they did more than tease me. “Of course they can. Please go on.”

“She whispered to me softly and sat on the edge of my bed. She shimmered all silver and white and then she was gone. I reached out to touch her and she disappeared.”

For some reason hearing him describe his dream made me sad. “It doesn’t sound like a happy dream.”

He lifted my leg slightly and placed a kiss on my knee’s underside. “You haven’t heard the best part yet.”

“There’s more?”

His tongue licked the skin he’d just finished kissing. “Yes, because when I couldn’t find her, I looked over the side of my bed. And do you know what I saw?”

The floor? The answer danced on my lips, but I shook my head. “No, what did you see?”

“I found a woman even more beautiful. In fact, she was so beautiful, I had to climb out of bed to get a closer look.” He lifted his head and ran his hands up along my waist.

My body responded immediately and I sighed.

He whispered against my skin,

When she rises in the morning

I linger to watch her;

She spreads the bath-cloth underneath the window

And the sunbeams catch her

Glistening white on shoulders,

He paused to kiss my shoulders. First one and then the other.

“D. H. Lawrence?” I asked as he nuzzled my neck.

“I’ve been reading poetry lately.”

“I’m impressed.”

“There’s more,” he said, moving down my sides and placing kisses along my collarbone and breasts.

While down her sides the mellow

Golden shadow glows as

She stoops to the sponge, and her swung breasts

Sway like full-blown yellow

Gloire de Dijon roses.

His lips traveled even lower, brushing my hips as he continued.

She drips herself with water, and her shoulders

Glisten as silver, they crumple up

Like wet and falling roses, and I listen

For the sluicing of their rain-dishevelled petals.

In the window full of sunlight

Concentrates her golden shadow

Fold on fold, until it glows as

Mellow as the glory roses.

Nathaniel reciting poetry was enough to drive me wild. Throw in the way he was kissing his way down my body as well and I was as good as gone. I clutched his head as he made his way between my thighs and slowly inched his lips closer and closer and—

“Oh, my, shit!” I screamed as his tongue delved inside me.

He didn’t stop, but continued licking and swirling and nipping until I was writhing on the blankets, the pleasure so intense my toes were curled.

“I can’t … when you … fuck … please …”

He stopped long enough to say, “Come,” and I jerked against him, panting as I climaxed. He placed a soft kiss on my belly.

“Don’t you think that was the best part?” he asked.

I had no idea what he was talking about. “The best part of what?”

He laughed softly. “Go back to sleep, my lovely.” And with a press of his lips to my cheek, he climbed back on the bed.

I fell into that strange dream state where you think you’re awake, but you’re really asleep. I woke several times during the night, but Nathaniel remained where he was and in the morning, I’d convinced myself our entire encounter had been a dream.

Chapter Nine

I glared at the clock and went back to writing in my journal. Ten minutes until nine. Ten minutes until I had to do the damn, stupid tortuous exercises Nathaniel gave me before he left for his morning meeting.

“Fucking sadist,” I murmured, finishing the page I was on.

When I agreed to this week, I’d envisioned days spent doing what we’d done last night. Lots of play followed by lots of sex. Subspace and orgasms, thank you very much.