So hot.
When the kiss ended minutes later, they remained a breath apart.
“I think someone said something about removing my dress inch by inch,” she suggested.
“Sorry. I got distracted.” He released her hair and inched the zipper down the back of her dress, removing it from her shoulders and letting it pool at her feet before picking her up and carrying her to the bedroom.
An hour later, after making love, they lay cuddled in each other’s arms. She’d exploded twice during their lovemaking. Tony pulled her closer to him as if not wanting to let go even in sleep.
“You need to get some sleep, Tony.” Her fingers idly played with his nipple.
“Then I’d suggest you stop touching me, dolcezza.”
She laughed and withdrew her hand. “I guess I’ll retreat to my side of the bed.”
When she tried to pull away, he held on tighter. “No. I like having you right here.”
Her head lying on his chest, he idly stroked her hair. Sleep would take away from the precious few hours they had left together. She wished he didn’t have to head back to Aspen Corners, but knew Sunday dinners at his Mama’s were a command performance. Besides, he had a lot of work to do switching from a dive-team to planning for a water-rescue squad. After all, that’s what tonight had been all about.
Carm closed her eyes, focused on his breathing, and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Carm’s eyes shot open, momentarily disoriented. What had awoken her?
“Grab on!” Tony lay on his side with his back facing her, his arm extended off the bed, and screamed at someone she couldn’t see. She wanted to reach out and reassure him that everything was okay but dared not touch him. Suddenly, he turned onto his back and stared at the ceiling with unseeing eyes. The light from the parking lot illuminated his face, damp with sweat. He must be in the throes of the nightmare.
Carm turned on her bedside lamp to better assess the situation, hoping the change in light might bring him out of the darkness within his mind. The clock read 4:38.
Poor Tony.
At least he didn’t have to get up and go to work in a couple of hours. Remembering his worry about unconsciously harming her during one of his nightmares, she slipped out of bed and put on her nightie before grabbing a blanket and preparing to spend the remainder of the night in a chair if need be. She would keep an eye on him until he woke up and make sure he didn’t hurt himself.
His eyes closed again, and she watched the horror play out on his face. Maybe she could reach him with her voice. “Tony, it’s Carmella. You’re at my place. You’re safe, Tony. It’s Carm. I’m here, Tony.” She continued a litany of short, direct statements, but nothing seemed to pull him out of the depths of his nightmare. He didn’t call out, but the furrows in his brows spoke of reliving something horrendous.
How often did he have these nightmares at his apartment? She hated to think of him suffering through them and waking up alone, even though she wasn’t being much help right now. If this was the first he’d experienced in a while, had tonight’s gala and talking about the bad call triggered him? He’d mentioned back on Turks and Caicos that his therapist told him about techniques to help keep the nightmares at bay. She didn’t remember him doing any of those exercises before they went to sleep.
His forehead wrinkled as if in pain, but she knew he experienced an emotional ache far more intense than any physical one. What could she do to help? Suddenly, Tony extended his arm into the air.
“Grab my hand!”
She was tempted to do as he demanded, but from what she’d been told that could make matters worse. His arms and legs flailed as if he was trying to regain his equilibrium. Her heart broke for him. The urge to wake him grew stronger, but she remembered what she’d been taught.
Make sure he can’t harm himself or others, then wait it out.
The military family liaison’s words came back to her automatically.
Tony’s body became rigid, then completely still. He breathed heavily, lying on his back. She waited for him to open his eyes or to otherwise acknowledge that it was over, but he returned to a seemingly peaceful sleep. Then without warning he bolted upright.
“No! No! No!” He stared sightlessly into the semidarkness of the room.
“Tony, you’re safe. You’re at Carmella’s place. It’s just a bad dream.”
He wrinkled his brow then slowly shifted his focus to where she sat.
“Carmella?” He glanced at where she’d been sleeping, then back at her. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“No. I just wanted to give you some space until the nightmare passed.”
He still seemed confused. “Get back in here with me. You must be cold.” He patted the bed. “I’m okay now. Promise.”
Carmella stood and returned to bed, slipping under the blanket and comforter. Despite his body being clammy with sweat, she wrapped an arm over his torso and curled against his side. Her heart ached not being able to hold him during the worst of the fight with his demons. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that, Tony.”
He kissed the top of her head. “I’m just glad I didn’t hurt you.”
“You’re the only one hurting. I’m fine.”
“You’re sure I didn’t hit you or anything?”
“Stop worrying about me, Tony.” She rubbed his arm, happy to be able to touch him at last. “We can sleep in tomorrow.”
“Sounds good.”
Tony wrapped his arm around her.
“Sorry I disturbed your sleep, principessa.”
“Don’t worry about me. I don’t have anything pressing on the calendar today.”
“You deserve the day off after last night.”
She laughed. “I’m saving up my vacation days for another trip to the Caribbean with my hot, sexy dive
