Heart of Stone - Book 1: Fighting Fate

Aubree woke with a start, her heart in her throat and obstructing her windpipe. Gasping for air, she clutched her chest with one hand as she gripped the blankets with the other.

Holy shit. Did she really dream of Stone naked?

Dan snored in his sleep once before he rolled over.

She stared at him, guilt washing over her and making her cringe.

How could she dream of another man when she loved Dan so much?

And Stone of all people! Naked!

She buried her head in her hands, willing her heart to slow down its frantic palpitations.

What was wrong with her? What kind of a girlfriend does that?

His words echoed in her mind. I cannot accept you, he had said.

What was that supposed to mean? Why was he so angry with her?

And why did it make her stomach churn and her heart twist in agony?

More than anything, what troubled her the most was the ache in her loins as she recalled the muscle definition of his naked body. How the mere sight of him aroused her when every fiber of her mind told her to run or scream profanities at him.

Water, she told herself. A glass of cold water ought to calm her down and the walk to the kitchen might unwind the tense muscles in her body.

Drawing the blankets from her, she carefully crawled to the end of the bed, as her side was pressed against the wall to make room for the wardrobe on the other side.

She stopped in the bathroom first to splash some cold water on her face.

When it didn’t work to bring her fever down, she moistened a face cloth with cold water and pressed it to her neck. The coolness shocked her system and she hissed under her breath like a kettle. She brushed it over her shoulders, her chest, and back, avoiding the spaghetti straps and hem of her white nightie.

After a few minutes, she started to feel better and tried to not think about the dream. It continued to tug on her mind though, making her stomach flip-flop.

Flicking the light off, she left the bathroom and tiptoed down the short hallway in the dark to the living room and the kitchen across from it. Pulling a glass from the cupboard and opening the fridge, she helped herself to a glass of water from the pitcher and poured herself a second before putting the pitcher back and closing the fridge door.

She ran a hand through her hair, wondering how she was going to be able to fall back asleep now. She was wide-awake and still worked up about that dream.

With her glass of water in her left hand, she turned from the fridge and walked out of the kitchen. As she passed through the living room, something flickered from the corner of her eye.

Pausing, she looked over to the balcony and saw a silhouette against the backdrop of city lights.

She blinked and it was gone.