Dreams That Bind Us (Romancing The Keys #3)

Chapter 20

K ey West

James ushered Anna down The Majestic’s main staircase, his hand resting on her lower back. A rush of heat flooded her cheeks as they reached the lobby when the Royal Conch ladies erupted in an obnoxious cheer. Huddled around the bar, they waved their arms and alternated between catcalls and shouting borderline obscene encouragement, completely undeterred by the crowd of bewildered hotel guests.

“Yay, Anna! Go get you some of that!

“Tie him to the bed this time! Better yet, use handcuffs!”

“Put him on his knees and make him work for it, honey!”

James chuckled by her side. “All good ideas,” he commented out of the side of his mouth, his deep voice sending chills down her spine.

Anna choked on a laugh as he hustled her out to her truck. He held the door for her as she hopped in and buckled her seat belt.

“I’ll follow you to my place,” James muttered, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Okay.” She started her truck, watching as he jogged to his Range Rover.

It took just five minutes to reach his house, but for some reason it felt like an eternity. Anna’s body was tight with anticipation. She’d experienced pent-up need before, but this time it thoroughly consumed her. Every cell of her body vibrated with need, with a deep craving to feel James’s body worshipping her.

Maybe it had something to do with the drastic switch in emotions she’d experienced in the last thirty minutes—from dread and sadness to euphoric happiness and desire. It was enough to make a girl dizzy.

Anna drove her truck into its spot in the garage and hopped out, reaching for an overnight bag that wasn’t there. Glancing at her dirty clothes, she chewed at her bottom lip, now wishing she’d taken a shower or changed her outfit before she’d made the delivery at The Majestic.

But how could she have known what James had planned for her?

She smiled as the scene replayed in her head. By enlisting help from The Royal Conch Society, James easily circumvented any barriers she would have thrown up. She’d been forced to face her fears and make a decision.

Did she walk away from the one man who made her whole? Or did she let go and embrace a life she’d literally dreamt of?

Judging from the lightness and bubbling joy she felt, she’d made the right decision.

James parked his SUV behind her truck and snagged her hand as he rushed toward the back entrance. He barely paused to lock the door behind them before he rushed her to the bedroom.

“I’m sorry, Kitten,” he ground out, his voice dropping into a gravelly pitch filled with animal need that made her core clench. “But I can’t wait.” His eyes were hot on her as he started stripping, toeing out of his shoes and unbuttoning his shirt.

He gave her a sexy chin lift. “You’ll wanna shed those or I’ll rip them off you.”

“Wait!” she cried. There was no way she was allowing him anywhere near her body as gross and smelly as she felt after a long day of working in the warm warehouse.

He froze, his face tightening.

“I need to shower first. I’m filthy,” she added.

Relief sparkled in his eyes as his mouth curled up in a sexy leer. “A sexy shower sounds perfect. I’ll wash every inch of your body before I get you all messy again.”

Her jaw dropped at his steamy suggestion, her pulse thrumming as he peeled off his shirt, revealing his powerful torso.

“Get naked now,” he ordered.

With a shiver, she did as he commanded, enjoying the way his gaze heated even further as he watched her. His hardened length bobbed in appreciation as she kicked her panties to the side.

James groaned and pulled her close. “Finally.” His mouth swooped in, claiming hers in a dominating kiss. She purred, rubbing her tight peaks against his chest.

He walked them backward into the bathroom, never losing contact with her lips, and turned on the shower. After several moments, he lifted his head and tested the water.

“It’s perfect.” He drew her under the water spray with him. “Can I wash your hair?”

She bobbed her head, tugging her heavy tresses out of the messy bun she’d been sporting.

“Beautiful,” he muttered as he finger-combed through her unruly tangles. Pouring a blob of shampoo into his hand, he efficiently cleaned her hair then applied a conditioner.

She’d never had a man do this before and was shocked at how unbelievably erotic it was. Anna closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his hands on her.

His touch became more seductive as he began soaping her body, focusing first on her heavy breasts and then moved lower. She gasped and writhed as his touch glided along her sensitive flesh, leaving behind suds and lingering electricity, eventually sliding between the globes of her ass.

Her eyes popped open as James dropped to his knees. He spun her to the left so her back was to the shower wall and draped her right leg over his shoulder.

She shuddered at the hot lust in his gaze as he stared up at her. “I need to make sure you’re completely clean,” he growled before his lips sealed around her clit.

Anna hissed as her entire body seized with sensation, her hands clenching his hair as his mouth worked her sensitive bud relentlessly, driving her toward a quick release. In just moments, her body arched with a powerful, mind-blowing orgasm.

James nuzzled her soft flesh as she rode out the turbulent waves. Without any further preamble, he stood, his stiff member fully engorged and lifted her, pinning her against the wall and filling her with one thrust.

Anna’s scream reverberated through the room and she threw her head back as he set a pounding pace, ruthlessly striving for his own release. His mouth was latched onto her neck and he wasn’t gentle, but she didn’t care. She sensed his frenzy, his desperation, and she wanted to feel him touch that place deep inside.

His thrusts became frantic and he released a belly-deep shout as he slammed into her one last time, throbbing with his own orgasm. Her hands smoothed over his back soothingly when he slumped against her. They panted in rhythm, their breaths and heartbeats mingling.

“Fuck,” he moaned. “It just keeps getting better with you.”

Anna hummed. She couldn’t agree more. Their sex had always been amazing, but each time they seemed to outshine their previous effort.

He drew back, his grin mirroring hers. “I don’t know about yours, Kitten, but out of all the dreams, that was one of my particular favorites.”

Anna blinked. They’d never discussed the specifics of their dreams before. But if that had been one of his, then hers were just as hot.

Her mouth twitched as she fought a smile. He set her on her feet and turned off the shower, his gaze narrowing.

“What? Did you have that dream, too? Tell me,” he urged as he toweled her off.

“I’ve had a similar dream,” she admitted. “But it’s not my favorite.” She threw him a coy glance as she stepped out of the shower and towel dried her hair.

His eyes widened and he followed her. “Oh, you have to tell me now.”

She smiled slow and wicked. “I’d rather show you later.”

His deep groan was her only answer.

A warm hand stroked up her bare belly before cupping her breast.

Anna moaned and stretched against the hard body behind her, blinking at the faint light peeking between the wooden slats of the blinds.

"Don't move," his deep voice murmured. Anna's lips lifted in a sleepy smile. She held still, but this time in delight, wondering what other delicious torture James had planned for her.

"Good girl," he purred into her neck as his hand kneaded her sensitive flesh.

She winced as his fingers hit a particularly tender spot. It was a small move, but he caught it.

"Are you sore, Kitten?" His deep voice rumbled through her body.

"A little." She arched into him, not wanting his hands to stop, and brushed the rigid length pulsing against her rear.

James chuckled and rolled her to her back, hovering over her like a leopard about to pounce. He braced his arms and stared down at her, a mix of love and tenderness in his gaze.

"I've been rough on you." His comment was light, but she could sense he meant more than just last night. "Let's take a bath in that amazing tub you picked out for me." His finger leisurely traveled from one tight nipple to the other. "Every time I look at it, I imagine you there, soaking with me."

James rolled from the bed and Anna watched his sculpted backside as he padded to the bathroom and started the water. "I have several types of bath salts in here. Do you mind if I use honeysuckle? It's my favorite," he called out.

"Honeysuckle is good." She smiled, secretly loving that he smelled it on her.

"Good." He strolled toward her slowly. "I smelled it that first day we ran into each other and I haven't been able to get it out of my head." He plucked her off the bed and carried her into the bathroom.

"I'm not a child," she protested. "I can walk."

The corner of his mouth lifted, and his eyes twinkled. "I'm aware of that. But I need to touch you and you're sore." He set her by the edge of the tub and tested the water. "Perfect."

"Hold on. I need to use the bathroom first, and then I'll hop in." Anna took care of her business and grinned when she heard his loud exhale as he climbed into the tub. She washed her hands, then carefully stepped into the steaming water.

"Wow, that's hot." She inched down into the swirling mass, hissing when it hit her sensitive flesh, then sighed as the water worked it’s magic, soothing her aches. "This feels amazing," she murmured, her eyes half-closing as her body relaxed against him.

His arms circled her, and his lips dropped to her shoulder, peppering it with soft kisses. " You feel amazing." His fingers linked with hers at her waist and his body slackened even more.

They were both quiet for several minutes as the tub finished filling. Anna grinned as James turned the water off with his feet. "That's quite a talent," she teased.

His deep chuckle vibrated through her. "You should see what I can do with my other body parts."

"I already have a pretty good idea of that," she retorted.

"Hmmmmm," he hummed in her ear. "There's still a lot you haven't seen yet." She could only imagine what else James might have hidden up his sleeve.

“Speaking of…” she muttered as she pivoted in the tub and climbed on his lap. “I promised to show you later.”

His gaze brightened with interest as he gripped her hips. “Yeah?”

“And this particular bathtub is where it takes place…” She dropped kisses along his collarbone. He shivered as she captured his earlobe between her teeth. She gave it a sucking kiss and released it. “This is my favorite dream,” she whispered in his ear.

He lay sprawled on the tub’s lip panting as she peppered kisses down his hard torso. She stopped to lick his sensitive spots as her hands massaged his hard cock.

“Fuck me,” he ground out, lifting his hips to give her better access.

“I plan to,” she purred as her lips continued down until she engulfed his turgid length. Drawing her tongue along the underside, her tongue circled the tip and sucked him in, working him until he was a gasping, shuddering mess.

“Anna, baby, I’m gonna come,” he groaned.

She clamped down as he tried to pull her off, refusing to stop.

“Fuck,” he shouted as he pulsed down her throat. She hummed as she licked him clean, enjoying the way he twitched under her ministrations.

“Goddamn,” he muttered, settling back into the tub. “That was better than any dream I’ve ever had.”

Anna pivoted and relaxed against him, inordinately pleased that she could surprise him. She started to nod off as she luxuriated in the water swirling around them.

"Anna," he rumbled, his voice taking on a serious note.

"Yeah?"

"I need to explain what happened, so you understand. I need you to know so you'll forgive me."

She squeezed his hand. "I do forgive you."

"No, I need to explain it to you, Kitten. I was scared."

Anna tensed, dreading to hear the words. James lifted her left hand to his lips and he pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

"That morning when you spoke to me and it was my mother…" He released a shuddering breath. "I've carried so much guilt for not being there when she passed and not spending more time with her. Instead I focused solely on my career. I was a selfish bastard for so long and it was a kick to the gut to hear her words. I took that out on you. I'm so sorry, baby."

Anna swiveled, the water sloshing around them. She climbed on his lap and cupped his face in her hands. "I understand." She kissed him softly. "And I forgive you. Sometimes the things that come out of my mouth frighten me, too," she teased.

He shook his head, his eyes imploring. "No, don't do that. Don't make light of your gift. You gave me a message from my mother—one I desperately needed to hear. I just didn't realize how precious it was at the time. And then I reacted so poorly, pushing you away. I'll never forgive myself for that."

"Stop." She laid a finger against his mouth. "You’ll forgive yourself and we'll move on from this. I mean…" She smirked. "You did build a garage especially for my truck. You're not getting rid of me now."

In a swift movement, James sat upright, his arms wrapping around her in a crushing embrace. His forehead dropped to her chest and he let out a shuddering sob.

Anna gently stroked his hair as he worked through the powerful emotion, her hands moving from his head down his neck and over his shoulders. "It's okay, James. It's okay. I love you."

James drew back, his mouth slack and his misty eyes wide. "Say it again," he rasped.

"I love you, James." She kissed him. "And even if you left me again to go traipsing around the world, I'd still love you."

His face tightened, hands clamped around her waist. "I'm never leaving you again. You can count on that."

"I'm very glad to hear that. Besides, if you travel around the world again, I'd rather go along with you than stay here in Key West by myself."

"Done!" He sealed the promise with a swift kiss. "Now, let me explain why I was gone for so long."

One week later

James focused on the rhythm of the knife rising and falling as he methodically chopped the bell peppers with precise, practiced movements. Anna perched on a nearby barstool wearing a very low-cut tank top and a pair of cut-off shorts that showed off her creamy thighs. He had to focus on the task at hand or he'd end up in the emergency room less a fingertip.

After some cajoling and a few debates, he'd finally convinced Anna to move in with him and get out of that warehouse by the water. Now that he was back in her good graces, there was no way he was letting her out of his sight. He wanted her around him all the time. Being perfectly honest, he craved her presence. Her scent and touch soothed him, and he never wanted to be apart from her again.

It was official… he had become one of those lovesick fools and he loved every minute of it. He'd never realized how good those “fools” really had it.

But getting her to agree to live with him was only the first part of his plan. The second would have her operations moved to a small building on Sunset Key that he thought would be a perfect place for her to work.

With her furniture on full display at The Majestic, his staff had already fielded numerous questions about the artist and Anna had a quickly growing backlog of commission requests. The problem was she wasn't really interested in working for a while, and he was to blame for that. Not that he regretted it in the slightest. He preferred to have all her attention right now anyway.

Since he'd sold off a good chunk of his business portfolio, he didn't have much interest in working either. Instead, they spent the time together—in bed, in the tub, eating out, walking through Old Town—basically doing whatever they wanted. It was the first time he could remember taking time off, and he was enjoying every second.

Eventually she'd feel the pull to work again, and he hoped to have her new workshop established when that time came.

He grinned at the way her teeth worried at her bottom lip, her eyes narrowed and brow furrowed in concentration as she read his proposal. He hadn't known how to present the idea to her, so he'd asked Gwen to type up an official business document, hoping it would make her slow down and think about the concept before refusing it outright.

The tactic worked perfectly because she'd been quietly reading for the past fifteen minutes and it looked like she was nearing the end. For the moment, it was looking good. There had been a few “hmms” and several eyebrow raises, but there hadn’t been any protests as of yet.

Fingers crossed, he'd have her installed on Sunset Key before she could say, 'boo'. In the meantime, he had another important proposal on his mind. He just had to wait for the right time.

Before he cut himself, James returned his attention to the vegetables, then dropped them into the hot pan. He sprinkled herbs and spices as the vegetables sizzled and steam began to rise, then began prepping the scallops and shrimp.

"If I'm reading this correctly," Anna started, "you’re proposing that I move my furniture workshop from Stock Island to Sunset Key."

"That's correct."

"But how would I get there every day?"

"The ferry runs all day, Kitten. You can come and go as often as you'd like." He turned the heat down on the stove and pivoted to face her.

Her expression was a mix of confusion and intrigue, with her head tilted to the side and her brows beetled. She was delightful, with her emotions playing out on her gorgeous face. There was absolutely no guile with her. What you saw was what you got.

But more importantly, what he didn't see was absolute refusal. She was considering it, which was all he needed.

"How would I get supplies there? Or do deliveries?"

"They have boat deliveries every day. Look at all the homes and buildings already there, as well as furniture or other supplies we need." He gave her a sweet smile as he sensed victory. "Yours would be no different."

"Huh…" Anna stared off into space for several minutes and James rounded the island, his hands landing on her tight shoulders. She groaned as he kneaded away the tension.

"You don't have to decide right now. Just think about it," he purred in her ear. "There's plenty of time." He hadn't mentioned, other than previous conversations they'd had on the subject before he'd left, that he intended to make the house on Sunset Key his primary residence. But before he committed to that, he wanted her on board.

Of course, he hoped by that time, she'd have agreed to more than just moving in with him.

"Okay. I’ll think about it." She moaned out. "God, your hands feel amazing."

James chuckled. "You should be familiar with how my hands feel by now, Kitten."

"Mmmmmmm…yeah, right there. I think it's a knot."

"It feels like a rock, so I'm inclined to agree with you." The sweet smell of cooking scallops permeated the air, so he dropped a kiss on her head and returned to the stove. Just as he'd hoped, they were perfect. He dumped them in a large dish to rest then turned around and froze.

Anna's teal eyes were brilliant with delight as she stared at him, her mouth parted. “I could watch you cook for me all day.” The love was evident in her gaze and he knew instinctively this was the moment he'd been waiting for.

Patting his pants pocket, he felt the small box, then moved toward her with measured steps. Her lips slowly curling up as he neared, her gaze widening when he dropped to one knee. She audibly gulped, but didn't say a word, just held very still as if she didn’t know what to do.

"I hadn’t mentioned this yet, but my mother reminded me, through you, of a place in her Upper West Side apartment where she liked to hide things." He took her hands in his and kissed her fingers softly. "While I was in New York, I stopped by the apartment before it sold. What you'd told me was right. She had left me a present. Something very important that I would have sorely missed."

He dug in his pocket for the jewelry box and held it up, watching as her lovely lips dropped open. Lifting the lid, he revealed the antique sapphire and diamond ring that had belonged to his great-great grandmother. The two-carat square cut sapphire was circled with another two carats of diamonds with more sloping down each side. It was old world elegance and his mother had always treasured this ring.

"I know this is soon and I realize you just moved in with me." He swallowed what felt like a boulder down his throat, terrified she'd say no. "But when I make my mind up about something, I go for it. Anna, I knew you were mine long before I met you. It was the first moment I saw those beautiful eyes in my sleep. It has always been the dreams that bind us, Kitten. It's how we found each other, and I can’t imagine my life without you."

A tear streaked down her cheek, and he licked his lips, needing to get the words out. "Will you marry me, Anna?"

She held perfectly still for a moment, staring at the ring like it was a snake about to strike. The breath froze in his chest and apprehension twisted his gut and for one horrific second, James wondered if he'd made a terrible miscalculation.

He exhaled with relief and felt his heart began to beat again when she bobbed her head and tears streamed freely down her cheeks.

"Yes! Of course I will."

She threw her arms around his neck as elation washed through his body. He stood and twirled her in a circle as she giggled hysterically. Remembering the box in his hand, he raised her hand.

"Hold on! I want to make it official before you change your mind," he teased. He slid the ring on her finger, watching as she examined the antique piece.

"It's breathtaking."

"Just like you, my love." He drew her in for a steamy kiss, his hands supporting her bottom as her legs wrapped around his hips.

She grinned mischievously. "I guess there's no need to think about Sunset Key now. I'll move my operations when I decide to start up again."

"Thank god!" He set her on her feet and kissed her again. He’d never get enough of her.