by Unknown
Lying for Love http://jocelyndex.com/Books.html#LyingforLove_blurb
Short Stories in Boxed Sets / Anthologies
Sexy to Go, Volume 1 http://jocelyndex.com/Books.html#blurb_SexytoG01
Sexy to Go, Volume 2 http://jocelyndex.com/Books.html#Blurb_SexytoGo2
Come Again: Sex Toy Erotica http://jocelyndex.com/Books.html#Blurb_comeagain
Hungry for More http://jocelyndex.com/Books.html#hungryformore
Dreamwalker: Power of Attraction
by Pamela Moran
Audra Keller rubbed the tension spot between her brows. She loved her mom, but after flying cross county and then driving over two hours to get here, to take care of her injured mother, having to stand in for her at this installation dinner was fast giving Audra a headache. And she hadn’t even made it through the doorway, much less found her seat or feasted on the watery salad or rubber chicken they served at these type of functions.
Not like she wasn’t at loose ends right now, though. After her Dreamwalker partner with the PSI undercover agency had been shot last month, he’d been ordered to stand down for a minimum of two months. Maybe more. As his anchor in real time, that left her schedule wide open.
Which didn’t change the fact Mom owed her big time.
Unless this was all some sort of secret plan her mother had concocted. Break a leg. Get Audra home. Marry her off to the absolute perfect choice in son-in-laws.
No, that took conspiracy theories too far, even for Audra’s mother.
But damn, what she wouldn’t give to have her gun with her. Her real gun. Not that baby derringer in the tiny little bag Mom had insisted she carry. But she couldn’t hide her real gun anywhere in this dress.
The things she did for her mother.
A man, several people in front of her, shifted to lean forward and press both hands on the check in table and into the personal space of the woman checking people off the list. “I don’t have all evening. Why are you taking so damn long? Step it up already or find someone who can actually do the job.”
Joy. Mr.Sourpuss Jones. Science teacher. Bane of Audra’s high school years. Mr. There’s No Such Thing as psychic ability. How many times had he ridiculed her? Left her feeling inadequate, like a freak on display.
“Mr. Jones.” Audra straightened then lifted her chin when he swung that narrowed, myopic gaze towards her.
Recognition and something else flickered in his eyes.
She resisted the urge to shrink into herself. High school had been more than a few years ago and he was being an asshole. “Mr. Jones —”
“Clyde, are you offering to help check people in?” A tall, broad shouldered man, an Adonis really, in a dark suit stepped from out of nowhere and clasped a hand on Mr. Jones’ shoulder. “That’s awfully kind of you but I’m sure it’s under control. Why don’t you find your seat?”
Mr. Sourpuss met Audra’s gaze as he swung around. His eyes darted between her and the taller man and his lips thinned into a straight line before he stalked away.
“Disaster averted.” Mr. Even More Gorgeous Up Close smiled at the woman behind the table.
The woman, tears shimmering on her lashes, beamed at him. “You always know how to handle these tricky situations, Trigg.”
Trigg.
Interesting name.
While Trigg was busy with the woman, Audra let her gaze roam over his physique. Maybe this function wouldn’t be quite so boring or painful after all. Those broad shoulders narrowed to a trim waist and while the suit jacket hid his ass, those suit pants showed off a fine, muscular pair of thighs. Tanned skin, light brown hair kissed gold by the sun, eye candy at its finest.
Not hard to look at, at all.
He turned and caught her gaze with his warm blue eyes. Her heart skipped at the same moment her breath caught.
Well, shit.
That’s a bit too interesting. Too intense.
His eyes crinkled in the corners. “You’re Gayle Keller’s daughter.”
Statement. Not question. “And you know that, how?”
The smile that started with his eyes twitched at his firm lips. “Pictures on her mantle. On her desk at the flower shop. On her phone. And —”
“Got it. You know my mother.”
The full blown smile was killer. Totally deadly, aimed straight at her. “And I’ve wanted to meet you for awhile now. I’m glad you were able to make it tonight.”
She ignored the hand he held out, pretended not to see it because she sure as hell wasn’t touching him. This kind of internal reaction, just from looking into his eyes, meant she needed to stay far away from him. With a short dip of her chin, her dark hair, somewhat longer in the front, fell forward as she cut her gaze to the woman behind the table, the woman way too interested in this exchange. “Keller —”
“Oh yes, Audra. I already have you checked in. Trigg, she’s at your table, could you show her the way?”
Damnation and then some. Conspiracy theory on definite overload.
Boy did Mom have some explaining to do.
Audra sucked in a deep breath and aimed an insincere smile in Trigg’s direction. “Thank you.”
“This way.” Those eyes crinkled again.
She was too tired for this. Too many miles traveled during the daylight hours. She certainly wasn’t on her best game. Instead of running for the nearest exit, though, she merely inclined her head and moved forward on the only dress shoes she had, a pair of too high heels she’d left at her mother’s home. Heels that brought her eye level with the man’s square chin. His fingertips skimmed her back.
Heat spiraled through the thin material of her dress and across her skin. Up her spine.
Lord almighty, the man was potent. And he was touching her.
Something else she was way too tired for. Too jaded.
She stepped away from his fingers, shook back her hair. Get through the next couple of hours, get back to Mom’s. Ream her in the morning.
“Tell me I’m not causing that intense look on your face.”
“What?” Her gaze flicked to his.
He held a hand out, palm up, indicating a table a few feet away. “You have a ‘I’m going to nail someone to the wall’ sense about you right now.”
Images of them, naked, her back against a wall and her legs wrapped around his waist, her breasts tight against his chest and her hands tunneled through his hair, flashed through her brain. What the hell?
She stopped, angled her head to look up at him.
“You saw that, too?” Heat simmered, just below the surface, in his gaze. “Audra?”
She shook her head. No. Not happening.
“Gayle had said you were psychic. I just didn’t realize it would manifest quite like that.”
So Mom had been talking. This guy was definitely on her mother’s radar. “Who are you?”
He blinked and the fire in his eyes banked to a warm glow. “Trigg Maddix. I’m the new association President they’re installing this evening.”
Several puzzle pieces clinked into place. “You’re the contractor Mom has been raving about.”
A tinge of pink crept up his neck.
In other circumstances she’d find his slight embarrassment cute. Not tonight. Mom had led her to believe Maddix was old. Well, older. And not so damn hot.
“You’re single.” She’d been well and truly setup.
His eyes narrowed. “Yeah.”
“Word of warning. My mom’s sly. Especially when it comes to matchmaking. Watch your step.”
He cocked his head to the side. “And if I don’t?”
“You may find yourself sideswiped.” Again, she shook her hair back from her face. No hiding from this. Straight and to the point. No misunderstandings. “And I’m not responsible for any of the pieces. I’m here temporarily. Once Mom’s leg heals, I’m gone. My life isn’t here.”
“Pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you?”
She shrugged one shoulder. “I’m not interested in a one night stand or a short term af
fair.”
“What are you interested in?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing that ties you in any way to this town? Or nothing physical?” He moved closer then skimmed his fingers down her arm.
Her heart stuttered at the electric current following his touch. Dammit.
He leaned his head down, as if to catch something she said. Instead his breath whispered over her skin. “You said no to a short term affair. How about a long term one?”
“Maddix —” She pressed a hand to his chest. Oh, but he was warm beneath her palm. Like he was on fire and her skin was ice cold. Dangerous.
“Maddix.” Clyde Jones’ voice, from somewhere behind them, interrupted.
Thank you, Mr. Jones.
Audra pulled away, leaned her head forward and let her hair shield her. Trigg’s palm slid down her back, paused at the base of her spine then was gone.
“Clyde.” Trigg moved away, towards the other man. “What can I do for you?”
Audra sucked in a cleansing breath, blinked several times, then moved to find her name tag and switch it around so that she wasn’t sitting next to Mr. Too Damn Gorgeous for her own good.
Trigg, his suit jacket tossed on the nearest chair, his shoes kicked aside, and his tie undone, settled back in his recliner. Home. Finally. After ten at night and he was wiped. The dinner had gone well. All, except Audra, going just as he’d expected.
As he’d planned. As he’d rehearsed in his mind.
He kicked the footrest up and took a swig of his beer, the coldness doing nothing to quench his thirst.
But then this thirst wasn’t for anything liquid.
Unless Audra Keller could be considered one long-legged drink of —
Sure as hell wasn’t water.
Whiskey, maybe.
Potent. Intoxicating.
He took another swig of beer.
And off the menu.
At least according to her. He tapped his ring finger against the bottle he held.
He’d been intrigued by the images of her in her mother’s photos, by Gayle’s stories about her daughter, hadn’t been quite as prepared for the sight of Audra as he’d thought he’d be.
Why not?
He’d turned their eventual meeting over in his head how many times? Had let it play out in as many different scenarios as he could come up with. And he’d come up with quite a few.
None of them as hot as reality, though.
The woman, the real woman, got to him. Harder and faster than he’d dreamed possible.
And he bothered her.
He brought the bottle to his mouth. Paused. I’m not interested in a one night stand.
Yeah. He bothered her. Made her hot. Wet.
Hard himself with just the thought of her, he shifted in his chair then set the bottle on the end table.
Before tonight, he hadn’t known how she’d react to things. To him.
Prickly. Suspicious.
Stood to reason, considering she was some kind of special agent - a psychic agent - for the government. Weren’t cops always suspicious? But suspicions weren’t all those dark, dark eyes of hers contained. Secrets and passion. Promises.
That quick, future, flash of the two of them against that wall played through his mind. Naked. Her in his arms. Him inside her hot, tight body.
She’d seen it, too. There was something between them. Something more.
He yanked off his tie then undid the button of his pants and eased the zipper down over the ridge of his erection.
His fingers rubbed over the length of his cock, snagging slightly on the material of his underwear. If she was here, now, how could he convince her to change her mind?
To what? He knew one night with her wouldn’t be enough. How many nights?
How about a long term affair?
He wrapped his hand around himself. Squeezed. Shit, he sounded like a damn stalker. Even to himself.
What would he say to convince her?
What could he do that wouldn’t get him slapped? Or the cops called.
His fingers stilled and his eyes drifted close as he mulled possibilities over in his mind.
He was good at getting what he wanted. At looking at situations from all different angles, running scenarios through his head. Sleeping on it, working it all out in his dreams. Finding the holes, the arguments and having answers before he ever approached a business proposition.
Laws of attraction in action.
Granted, this was different. This was a woman he wanted more than he’d ever wanted any other woman.
Why wouldn’t the process work the same, though? Look at this from every damn angle, gauge any response she might have. Counter it. Convince her to take a chance.
Audra.
She’d surprised him earlier, hadn’t reacted as he’d expected her to react. But he’d never talked to her before. Never touched her before. Hadn’t known how her essence would fill him.
Audra.
He pulled in a deep breath. Filled his lungs with the memory of her scent. Roses. Spicy roses.
Audra.
“What the hell is this?” Her voice, sharp and maybe just a bit angry, came from the other side of his living room.
All right, so even in his lucid dreaming scenarios she wasn’t going to cooperate.
He opened his eyes, found her standing several feet away. Man was she even more beautiful mad. Dressed for bed in pale pink pajamas, those mile long, bare, legs of hers stretched from the edge of her pajama shorts to her painted pink toenails. Anger flashed hot in her eyes.
He let go of his cock and stretched his arms to lace his fingers behind his head. “Hi, beautiful.”
Those dark eyes narrowed in on him.
“I repeat. What the hell is this?”
“My dream.”
She straightened, her narrow gaze doing a quick scan around the room. “Your home?”
He nodded.
“Why am I here?”
Loaded question, tread carefully. “I was drifting off and then, bam, there you were.”
“Right.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
No bra. Down, boy.
“You were drifting off to sleep while you played with yourself.”
His mouth lifted in a half smile, he unlinked his fingers then rubbed a palm over his cock. “I was thinking about you. Trying to figure out how to approach you.”
“I just bet you were.”
“Come here.”
“In your dreams.”
“Seems to me, that’s where we are.”
Her brows furrowed. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why am I in your dream? How did you manage that?”
“It’s just a dream, Audra. Nothing more.”
“Somehow I don’t think so.” She shook her head, paced a few feet further away then spun towards him. “If this is simply your dream, then I guess it doesn’t matter what I do, does it?”
Why did that sound so right? He slid his gaze down her body then back up, taking his time before meeting those suspicious eyes again.
“Hmmm.” With one brow arched and her head tilted to the side, she did her own perusal.
He hadn't thought he could get any harder. He’d been wrong. The weight of her gaze was a powder keg to his heightened senses. “Audra.”
He kicked the footstool down. Stood.
She took a half step backwards, seemed to catch herself as that prickly chin of hers raised in challenge.
“Come here.”
“I don’t respond well to orders.”
This could go so many damn different ways. All of them designed to drive him crazy. He held out a hand. “Audra.”
Holding his gaze, she shook her head then spun on her heel to pace past him and towards his front door.
If she wanted to leave he wouldn’t hold her here inside his dream world. But hell, he hoped she didn’t.
A few feet from the door she stopped. Swung back. She stood less than two feet
from him. “What are you expecting from this?”
“This as in this dream?” With one step he closed the distance between them.
Her head back, the better to gage him he’d bet, she stared at him through those narrowed, suspicious eyes. He couldn’t help himself, he reached out, brushed the back of his fingers over the hair framing her face. Over her cheek. Damn. Her skin was as soft as he’d thought it’d be.
Her eyes widened and her lips parted.
“Or this as in this?” He cupped the back of her head, leaned down and claimed her mouth.
A small purr, deep in her throat, filled him even as the tip of her tongue met his.
God, woman.
Then she was in his arms with her fingers tunneled through his hair. He ran his hands up and down her back, over the thin material of her pajama top, pressed her tight against his erection.
Her teeth nipped his lip, the pain sharp and exquisite.
“Audra.” He breathed her name. Slipped his hand into her pajama shorts, to skim over the curve of her rounded ass. He reclaimed her lips.
She moaned into his mouth.
He squeezed. She rocked against him then pressed both hands to his chest.
And pushed.
What the hell?
His hands now at her waist, rather than down her shorts, he leaned back and stared at her. “What?”
“Let me go.”
“But —” He let her go. Hands forward, he took a step back. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
“This is what’s not happening.” Her face flushed, eyes flashing and her chest rising with each breath, she poked him in the chest. “I don’t want this.”
“Really?” He glared down at her. “You could have fooled me.”
“I told you, no sex.”
“That isn’t what you told me.” God, he needed to get a grip. “You said no to a one night stand. You also said no to a short term affair. You never said no to sex.”
“Dammit, Trig Maddix. You’re twisting words.”
“And you’re twisting me. Are you always such a tease?”
She slapped him. Hard. His head snapped to the side.
He touched his burning cheek with the tips of two fingers while holding her pissed off gaze. The imprint of her hand stung. “Are you done?” He angled his head and offered the non-slapped cheek. “Care to try again?”