From A Dream Read online

  “I am waiting right here.”

  Jennah raised her eyebrows when she heard the tone he used.

  The doctor looked at the curtain and then back to Dom. “Well, we are almost finished. We’re just waiting on a few test results. I don’t see any reason for concern, though.”

  Dom took three large strides across the room and towered over the doctor. With one large hand waving around, he leaned down until his face was almost in his. “You don’t see any reason for concern? She was locked in a mud-floored cellar with no air, no light, with God knows how many things living in it.”

  Jennah tried to keep a quiet, patient voice. “Dominic.”

  He didn’t move, just continued to glare at the frightened man.

  “I want everything checked.”

  Huffing out a breath, Jennah swung her legs off the bed and hopped down. Grabbing at the back of her faded gown to make sure nothing was hanging out the opening in the back, she sidestepped quickly between Dom and the doctor. She placed her free hand on his chest to get his attention. “Dom, they’ve done everything but measure each limb to see if I’m lopsided.” He looked down at her. She could see the worry and fear in them. Sighing, she leaned her forehead against his chest and closed her eyes when his warm arm closed around her.

  The doctor cleared his throat. “I’ll just go see about those tests.”

  She turned her head and watched the man all but run from the room. Lifting her head, she gave him an annoyed looked. “You’re not playing nice, Detective.”

  He wrapped both arms around her and pulled her against his hard chest. “I’m not feeling very nice right now.” He ran his hand slowly down her hair. “Nothing has gone as I planned all day.” He stepped back and picked her up so that she was back on the bed in two short movements. “You were supposed to go with Brody and get clear of any action.”

  She tried to ignore where he was going. “How is Brody doing?”

  “He’s medicated and doesn’t have a care in the world.” He leaned a hand on either side of her and bent down so they were eye to eye. “If anything had happened . . .”

  She placed a hand lightly over his lips. “I’m fine. I still feel dirty, so I may soak for an hour in bubbles to get rid of the mildew odor, but other than that, I’m fine.”

  He searched over her face. He gently pulled her hand from his lips and kissed her open palm. “I’ve never been so scared in my life, Jennah. When I heard Brody over the com say you were heading toward him with a shooter in the trees, my heart stopped.” He palmed the back of her head and brought his mouth roughly against hers. “I don’t think I’ve ever moved that fast in my life. The thought . . .”

  He pulled her into his arms again and crushed her against him. She could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest against her cheek. “Dom, I’m okay.” His hold didn’t loosen any. She sighed and pushed gently against his chest to get him to ease off. “I am trained to be in situations like that.”

  A nurse came through the opening in the curtain and smiled at them. She waved a piece of paper around. “It looks like you’re definitely pregnant.” She went over, picked up the folder, and put the page inside before turning and continuing. “The doctor says your blood work is perfect, and you’re free to go home.” She paused at the end of the bed and smiled at both of them again. “You will want to start prenatal vitamins and schedule an appointment with your own doctor to discuss anything else, but you’re free to go.” She turned to head through the curtain. “Just check out at the nurses’ station when you’re ready to leave.”

  Jennah sat there and watched the opening in the curtain. She was going to be a mom! She was turning back to Dom when she found herself scooped off the bed and pinned against Dom’s muscled chest in a very tight hug. She squirmed until she got both arms free and wrapped them around his neck.

  “Let’s go home.” He stood there and grinned at her.

  She smirked and tried to ask him to put her down when he began kissing her. She grasped his head lightly and tried to pull it back so she could get dressed, but his mouth just traveled down her throat. Laughing, she tried to shimmy down him so her feet were on the floor again.

  “I’m hobbling around on crutches trying not to fall on my face and you two are in here making out.”

  Dom lifted his head and looked over at Brody leaning on his crutches. “We’re not making out.”

  Jennah squirmed until Dom remembered and lowered her feet to the floor. He reached around behind her and held the gown closed. Jennah smiled at Brody. “How are you doing?”

  He shrugged. “I get time off for good behavior and not screaming like a girl when they closed up the gaping hole in my leg.” He looked her up and down. “How are you doing?”

  She grinned. “I’m going to have a baby.”

  He raised his eyebrows and looked from her to Dom. “Congratulations.” He teetered on the crutches and then grinned. “I can’t be mad at you now for trying to beat me to death.”

  She laughed. “I hit you once.”

  He frowned. “With a piece of metal, and then tried to cut my head off!”

  She smirked. “I didn’t even leave a mark.”

  He shrugged again and winked at her. “The emotional scar will never heal, not when the guys find out a little thing like you got the jump on me.”

  Jennah’s jaw dropped she took one step toward him only to be stopped by the grip Dom had on her gown. She pouted. “I hope they never forget.”

  Tess came through the curtain, almost at a run. She stopped short and looked from one to the other. “I can see drugs don’t make him any more charming.” She looked at Dom for a second and then to Jennah. “Everything okay?”

  Jennah nodded. “Yes, I’ve been released.”

  Tess nodded quickly, looking relieved. “I’m going to drop you guys off and then head over to meet up with the rest of the team.”

  Dom stiffened. “Have they got him?”

  She shook her head. “Not yet, but they’ve got a location.”

  Jennah looked up at Dom. She could see the indecision in his eyes. Her or the warden? “Go, I’ll just grab a lift home.”

  He shook his head. “I’m going with you.”

  She looked over at her clothes. As much as she’d like clean ones, she wanted to see Warden Light behind bars more. “I could go with you . . .” The look he gave her said that he was not willing to negotiate.

  Dom shook his head. “I’ll take you home. They don’t need me to sit there with them.”

  The surprised look Brody gave him told Jennah that Dom even offering this was not something he would normally do.

  “Okay,” she answered quietly.

  Tess turned to the swaying man on crutches. “Are you ready to go?”

  Brody shrugged, but with the medication in his system, it looked more like a twitch. “I could tag along.”

  Tess laughed. “You’re not even supposed to be conscious.” She gave her head a quick shake as she reached to steady him when he tried to turn. “I don’t see why you wouldn’t let them knock you out and keep you over night.”

  He wobbled when they reached the door. “Not real fond of hospitals.”

  Jennah waited until they went through the door before turning to find her clothes. “I’ll get dressed so you can drop me off and go help your team.”

  Dom chuckled. “If you think I’m going to toss you out the car door on the way by and take off, you’re wrong.”

  The tone of his voice had changed and her body recognized it before she did. She turned back and looked at him. The possessive look he was giving her made her cheeks heat. She bit her lip and turned back to her clothes.

  * * * *

  Jennah slid down farther into the warm water. She smiled and ran her hand through the mounds of bubbles. Dom must have used the entire bottle.

  “Hey, beautiful, do you want something to eat, or tea?”

  She smiled and closed her eyes. “Just tea. I’ll eat later.”

  “Y
ou should try something to eat, too.”

  She opened her eyes and looked over to see him standing in the door. “I think I need a nap more than food right now.” She pushed up so she could see him over the bubbles. “I’m suddenly exhausted.” His dark eyes immediately filled with concern. She laughed. “I’m fine, relax.”

  He walked silently across the tiles and knelt down beside the tub. “I may never relax again.” He pushed a damp piece of hair back from her face. “At least not until Light is behind bars.”

  She closed her eyes as his fingertips gently moved down over her throat. “Did you call and see how Brody was doing? Should he be there alone?”

  He chuckled. “He was quite happy when I called. I think the shot they gave him at the hospital, combined with the pain medication, just kicked in. He’ll probably pass out and sleep for the next six hours.”

  She grinned. “We’ll check up on him later than.” She started to sit up and stopped when she saw the look on his face. His eyes were soft and serious at the same time. She smirked. “What?”

  He shook his head slowly. “You.” He stood up and grabbed the towel. “You are so beautiful that I forget to breathe when I look at you.”

  She felt herself blush, and she stood up and let him wrap the big towel around her. Taking his hand, she stepped out of the tub. He pulled her closer and started to rub the towel against her. “I thought I’d lost you.”

  She looked up to see the pain in his expression. Reaching up, she touched the side of his face and smiled. “You didn’t.”

  He paused and searched her eyes with his. Without a word, he began to dry her off. He moved the soft towel over her skin in slow, gentle movements, as if he was afraid to move too fast. He knelt and ran the towel over her legs. With him kneeling in front of her, looking up at her with his eyes filled with emotion, she felt cherished and couldn’t ever remember feeling that in her life.

  He stood and scooped her up into his arms. She rested her head against his chest and sighed, feeling completely safe while he carried her to the bedroom and gently laid her down on the bed. He pulled the covers up over her and lowered himself down beside her. Leaning over, he kissed her mouth gently, lingering, lovingly. She closed her eyes and ran her hands up his chest.

  He lifted his head and feathered a kiss over her lips once more before he moved down to kiss her cheek. His lips moved down her throat and across one shoulder, dropping light kisses over her skin as he went. He slid lower in the bed and trailed his mouth down over collarbone. Nuzzling his head between her breasts, he kissed the sensitive skin between them and then moved to her ribs.

  She inhaled deep and opened her eyes when his lips brushed over her stomach. He lifted his eyes and looked at her. She had never known what love would look like until that moment. She smiled and ran her hand over his hair. He held her with his eyes for a few seconds longer, then lowered his dark lashes and placed another sweet kiss against the softness of her stomach.

  A slow heat began to burn when his mouth moved over to her hip and then down her thigh. She took another deep breath and relaxed as he worshipped her with his mouth. He lifted one leg and ran his mouth slowly across her skin from her knee to the inside of her thigh. She sucked in a breath when his hair touched her sensitive folds when he moved his head.

  She felt the bed shift as he moved between her legs. She could feel his breath on her inner thigh and held her own in the anticipation of what was to come. His warm lips moved against her thigh, once, twice, each time moving a little higher. He licked a slow, teasing path down the inside of her other thigh. She held the blanket in her fists to stop herself from grasping his head.

  She could feel his breath against her, making her wetter than she already was. With a slow, gentle touch, he opened her and then blew on her. She inhaled quickly and then released it just as fast. He lifted his lashes and looked up at her. The look warned her that he wanted to consume her, possess her. Without hesitation, he plunged his tongue into her and brought it out to lick over her roughly. She huffed out a breath and then groaned when he did it again. He sucked on her hard, and then suddenly eased off and blew on her once more before licking across her wetness so lightly she wanted to squirm down into his face.

  She lifted her hips and tried to shift, only to be held in place by his hands firmly on her thighs. He chuckled softly at the frustrated sound she made and lowered his mouth back to her flesh. His mouth and teeth assaulted her, pitching her body into a heated frenzy one moment, and then he would caress her with his tongue. She was gasped as he drove her to the very edge of orgasm, only to ease back and keep her hovering there.

  It barely registered that he was shifting in the bed. She couldn’t think as long as his mouth was on her. She heard his belt and then the zipper on his pants, but when she tried to lift herself to help him, he stabbed his tongue into her again so roughly that she moaned and arched up on the bed completely at his mercy.

  She was so close that she could feel her muscles clenching in the anticipation of her climax. He moved quickly and had his body wedged between her legs. His mouth crushed hers as he thrust into her without warning, she cried out into his mouth when a violent orgasm crashed through her.

  He didn’t give her time to catch her breath because he withdrew and thrust into her again. When he took his mouth from hers, she could only cling to him. Aftershocks flashed through her each time their skin met. His breathing was as ragged as her own as he moved faster into her. Her muscles contracted around his hard length each time he pulled out, causing her to gasp in short breaths. Driving into her, he groaned against her neck, and she thought he was near his own finish when he stopped pushing hard into her. He reached under her and hugged her into him, and in a dizzying movement, flipped onto his back, bringing her on top of him.

  Lifting her face to his, he claimed her mouth with his in heated desperation, and his hands moved to her hips and moved her off him. He slid her back down slowly and broke the kiss to hiss out a breath. Bracing her hands on his shoulders, she lifted away from his mouth and followed the rhythm his hands were showing her. When she dropped her weight back onto him, he closed his eyes and groaned in the back of his throat. The sound encouraged her, and she knew that she affected him as much as he did her. Placing her hands on his chest for balance, she raised up again and dropped her weight back onto him.

  His hands grasped her hips tightly in his and thrust up to meet her movements. Her own legs were shaking, and she wasn’t sure she could keep going, but the way he groaned again drove her on. Around him, her muscles tightened, squeezing the length of his each time she rose off him.

  “Jennah, look at me,” he gasped out.

  Opening her eyes, she looked down at him as she impaled herself on him. He released her hips and grasped her hands to give her the leverage she needed. His eyes held hers and it was the look in them, the way they burned into hers, that drove her close to the edge again. Biting her lip, she raised herself up again and dropped all of her weight on him. She fought to keep her eyes open and on his while the familiar heat flashed up through her and made her breath catch. His jaw was clenched, but he continued to look at her. Driving him through her flesh again, she moaned as the dizzying feeling filled her. He groaned loudly and dropped his hands to bring her down onto him with brute strength.

  She watched his eyes with hazy vision as the orgasm ripped through him at the same moment hers did. She tried to move slowly to draw it out, but her legs were weak and she lowered her face to his neck and settled against him. His chest was rising and falling quickly, and he slid he hands gently up and down her damp back.

  She swallowed and tried to say something, but she still couldn’t control her breathing enough to speak. He tensed under her. She lifted her head to see him glaring at the table beside them. His cell phone was vibrating across it. With a shaky hand, she reached out, picked it up, and held it out to him.

  He grabbed it and flipped it open. “Yeah,” he said into it as he still tried to slow his
breathing.

  He went from relaxed to tight and alert. She lifted herself from his chest and looked down at him.

  “Where?” He took another deep breath. “No.” He looked up at her and she could see the indecision. He didn’t want to leave her, but she knew his team was on the other end and that they wouldn’t have called if they didn’t need him. “Keep me informed.” He flipped the phone closed and set it on the table. His eyes filled were filled with conflict. “They’ve located where he’s been holed up.”

  She nodded, slipped off him, and knelt beside him. “They’ve got him?”

  He nodded as he sat up. “Not just him.” He leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her mouth.

  She shook her head. “Go. End it.”

  He studied her for a few seconds and then nodded. “I’m not leaving you again.”

  “Take my car and go help your team.” She watched the light in his eyes and knew, deep down he was having a problem with not being there in the end. “I understand, Dom. Your team needs you, and if we’re ever going to have a peaceful life, he needs to be stopped.”

  He studied her for a moment before sighing and getting up to look around for his pants. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  She leaned back and pulled some of the covers up. “I know. Do you need me to go?”

  He paused with one leg in his pants. “No. I need you to stay here and be safe.”

  She nodded. “I’ll be fine.” She pulled the covers up farther. “Use my keys. There’s a house key on it, too.”

  He paused at the end of the bed, his eyes moving over her like he was memorizing her. “I’ll be back soon.” With that, he turned and left the room with long, determined strides.

  From A Dream

  Chapter Eight

  Jennah hung up the phone and looked back out the window. It was snowing lightly, which created a peaceful scene. Peaceful was something she wasn’t feeling. Brody hadn’t been any help. Sitting at home recovering from a gunshot wound took him out of the information loop as much as her. She hadn’t heard from Dominic since he’d been called to assist the team. The only thing she knew at this point, according to Brody, was Warden Light was now behind bars, as were the rest of his associates. He’d told her not to worry.