Rachel murmured, kissing Leslie lightly below the ear. “Have we made enough
of an appearance that we can sneak out?”
“I’m sorry, you must be tired,” Leslie said. “Of course, let’s go.”
“Thank you, darling.”
Once outside, Leslie took Rachel’s hand to lead her along the path.
Rachel stopped her in a moonless spot and nuzzled her neck.
“Did I mention I’ve been desperate for you for days?”
“Do you know that bears can smell pheromones?” Leslie asked lightly, edging
away.
• 201 •
RADCLY fFE
Rachel laughed. “Then get me home, darling, or we’ll be in real danger.”
Leslie had left the porch light on in her cabin, and she had no dif? culty leading
them to it. She searched the trees around Dev’s cabin for any sign of her, but
there was only darkness and an eerie sense of emptiness. Leslie couldn’t help
but remember the last time Dev had left a party at the boathouse hurt and angry.
That night she’d nearly died.
But Dev was an adult now, and sober, and Leslie wanted desperately to believe
that she hadn’t hurt Dev that badly again. Leslie forced her attention back to
Rachel as they climbed the stairs to the cabin.
“I can certainly see how staying here for any length of time would be relaxing,”
Rachel said wryly as she walked in.
“What do you mean?”
“It barely feels as if we’re in the twenty-? rst century. I half expect to ? nd you
handing me a candle and directing me to the outhouse.”
Leslie laughed and turned on a table lamp. “Voila. All the modern
conveniences.”
Rachel turned in a small circle, eyebrows raised as she surveyed the living room.
“Internet? Cable?”
“Ah, no cable. Wireless if the wind blows in the right direction.”
“Well,” Rachel’s voice dropped as she took Leslie’s hand and pulled her into
her arms, “we’ll have to ? nd something else to occupy our time.”
Rachel moved so quickly, Leslie had no time to anticipate the kiss.
They’d made love countless times and the pressure of Rachel’s mouth, the
possessive sweep of her hands down Leslie’s back to cup her hips, the
demanding thrust of her tongue were all so familiar. Rachel was a skillful lover,
and Leslie’s body responded automatically, accustomed to the knowing touch.
When her mind caught up to her body, she tensed, feeling unexpectedly uneasy.
“Wait a minute, Rach,” Leslie said, pulling back from the embrace.
“I don’t want to get carried away out here. Let’s go in the bedroom.”
“Why,” Rachel murmured, nipping her way down Leslie’s neck to the base of
her throat. She insinuated one hand between them and skimmed her ? ngertips
over Leslie’s breast. “There’s no one to see.”
Leslie gasped involuntarily as her nipple tightened instantly.
“Mmm, I love exciting you.” Rachel ? icked open the top button of Leslie’s
blouse and slid her hand beneath it, her ? ngertips gliding under
• 202 •
WHEN DREAMS TREMBLE
the edge of Leslie’s satin bra. “You have wonderful breasts, darling. So
responsive.”
Rachel tugged Leslie’s nipple as she massaged her breast in ? rm, sensuous
circles.
“Oh God,” Leslie whispered, closing her eyes as tendrils of pleasure snaked
downward, burying themselves deep inside. Somewhere in her rapidly blurring
consciousness, she was aware that something felt wrong, but the sensations
racing through her body screamed otherwise.
Trembling, the intoxicating burn very close to claiming her, she steadied herself
with a hand against Rachel’s shoulder and pushed her gently away. “Please,
Rach. Not out here.”
Rachel’s green eyes were hazy, her breath coming in short, quick pants.
Grasping Leslie’s hand, Rachel pulled her toward the bedroom.
“Then hurry, darling. I’m ready to explode.”
Aroused, confused, Leslie couldn’t make sense of her jumbled emotions. This
was Rachel, her lover, and they weren’t doing anything they hadn’t done dozens
of times before. The strangeness, the frightening disconnection, was just because
they’d been apart. She undressed methodically. Rachel threw off her clothes
and then impatiently pushed aside the last of Leslie’s. When Rachel pulled her
down on the bed and immediately rolled on top of her, moaning Leslie’s name
and frantically grinding against her thigh, Leslie blocked the unsettling thoughts.
Whatever was happening, whatever was wrong, was none of Rachel’s doing.
And Rachel needed her right now.
Leslie cupped the back of Rachel’s neck in her palm, holding Rachel’s head to
her breasts, and arched to meet her thrusts. Rachel would come quickly this
way, and then they could sleep, and tomorrow it would all make sense.
Rachel shuddered and cried out. After a few minutes, her breathing steadied and
she slid off Leslie’s body, laughing softly. “Sorry, darling.
I’ve been wound up for days and I just couldn’t last.”
“I know, it’s okay,” Leslie said quietly, pulling the sheet over them.
“You need to get some sleep. You’ve got that early ? ight tomorrow.”
“You didn’t come yet,” Rachel whispered, caressing Leslie’s stomach.
Leslie caught her hand. She was aroused. She could feel the wetness on her
thighs and the tightness in the pit of her stomach. But she didn’t want to come.
Instead, she had the terrible feeling she was
• 203 •
RADCLY fFE
going to cry. She pulled Rachel’s arm around her and turned on her side into the
curve of Rachel’s body. “I don’t need to. I’m still not feeling all that great. Just
hold me now.”
“You sure?” Rachel asked drowsily, stroking Leslie’s hair. “In the morning,
then.”
“Just go to sleep, Rachel.” Leslie closed her eyes, but she lay awake long after
Rachel’s breathing had dropped into the slow rhythm of exhausted sleep. Rachel
wasn’t the stranger in her bed.
She was.
v
Leslie braced her arm along the roof of the sedan and leaned down to the open
window. “Be careful driving. You’ve got plenty of time.”
“Sorry to leave so early,” Rachel said, propping the travel cup ? lled with coffee
that Eileen had just given her into the space in the console. “I just want to check
