The Dream Runner by Kerry Schafer Read Free Book Online Page A

and immersed me in a sexual fantasy that would put a porn flick to shame.
    Marsh wasn't one to take his time. He crossed the room toward me, his gaze never leaving mine. A few inches away, he stopped and just stood there, lips tucked up in a smile, eyes burning with desire. "I've wanted you ever since tenth grade, Jesse Davison."
    "Could have fooled me." I aimed for flippant, but my voice sounded hoarse and my knees were wobbling.
    "You weren't paying attention. Too hung up on that Alderson loser to notice anybody else."
    "You shut up about Will."
    He grinned and leaned in to kiss me, but an emotion I didn't understand had bubbled up in response to his words, and I turned my face away. "You're an asshole, Marsh. I'm not interested."
    "Your body says otherwise." He put a hand over my heart, letting it slide down onto my breast. "See? Your heart is beating like a trip hammer. Come on, Jesse. Play before work. What do you say?"
    I put my hands on his chest and shoved him. Hard. "I'm not in the mood. What I'd like is for you to tell me how come all of this shit is still in my house, and why you told my former renters they could keep stuff in my barn?"
    "Come on, Jesse. They didn't have a lot of time. What does it matter?"
    "It matters! They showed up here last night. No warning. Seems like somebody should have told me about an arrangement like that."
    "So I slipped up on the communication. It's no big deal, Jesse."
    "It is to me. I want them out, today. And I want the keys to the padlocks on the barn."
    He sighed. "You're a piece of work, you know that? What will it take to make you happy?"
    "Are you deaf? What I just said. No negotiating. And no sex." I pushed him off me again. "Can we work now?"
    "All right, all right. I'll get the rest of the stuff out myself and take it to them, okay? No need for them to ever set foot up here again. Don't have the keys on me, though. I'll have to get those to you later. Now—can we finish taking the pictures so I can get this house listed? You do want to sell, right?"
    "Yes, I want to sell."
    He headed up the stairs with me trailing behind him, a tangled mess of relief and frustration. As his hand touched the doorknob of my room, I belatedly remembered there was something in there I didn't want him to see.
    "Hey, why don't you start in another room? I slept up here last night; I need to clean up before you take pictures."
    "I'll help."
    "Marsh…"
    But he already had the door open.
    As fate would have it, a ray of morning sunlight had fallen directly on the dream bottle, turning it into a rainbow shimmer that was impossible to miss.
    Marsh whistled. "What have we here? Pretty fancy toy for a girl who doesn't even own her own furniture."
    Before I could gather my wits to think of a diversion, he strode across the floor and had the shining thing in his hands.
    I didn't want that bottle opened again. Not ever. Besides, dreams are supposed to be a top secret business and I'd be breaking all kinds of rules if Marsh figured out what was in there. If I reacted, if I shouted no, he'd probably open it just to be mean. I couldn't take that chance.
    There was only one thing I could think of to do.
    I followed him into the room, kissed him and put one hand directly on his crotch. I deepened my kiss and began to rub him, my free hand grasping the bottle and tugging.
    "Wait." The damned man actually pushed my hand away. "You're weird today, Jesse. Yes, no, yes, like you don't know your own mind and I know that ain't true. Don't know what sort of game you're playing, but if I didn't know better I'd swear you don't like me holding this here bottle. What is it?"
    "Perfume," I said, true panic beating at me with a thousand wings. "It's a freaking bottle of perfume. Paid a fortune for it but I hate it. Don't open it—the room will reek for hours."
    He laughed. "Not much of a liar, are you?"
    "Don't call me a liar. It's not nice. Give it back…"
    "Seriously. What's your poison, Jesse? Drugs?