Page 55 of To Steal a Heart
She’d been too overcome by his gesture of giving her a bracelet to make note of those. No other man had ever given her jewelry before. Tears rose in her eyes as she took note of the two charms. “A dancer and a sailboat.”
“Yep,” he said proudly. He threw her a crooked grin. “I would’ve added a pizza slice, but I didn’t think you’d like to go around with that on your wrist.”
Laughter bubbled in her throat. “Just what every girl wants to tote around on her wrist—a pizza slice. Thanks for not including that.”
He undid the clasp and placed it around her wrist. “Perfect,” he proclaimed, “like someone else I know.”
“You are charming,” she sighed dreamily.
He pumped his eyebrows. “Now, you ready to go for that swim?”
“No way,” she protested, touching her bracelet. “I can’t get this wet.”
“Of course you can. It’s real gold. Won’t hurt a thing.”
“Not gonna do it,” she chimed as she turned and ran up the shoreline, her gown flowing out behind her. Here beneath the inky blue sky amidst the humid air and crashing waves, she felt unencumbered and free—free to explore a new and abiding relationship with the most thrilling man she’d ever met. It only took a few seconds for him to catch up.
He wrapped his arms around her in an iron grip. “Now that I’ve got you in my grasp, I’ll never let you go,” he murmured in her ear.
The warm tickle of his breath on her skin drove her to distraction. As if she would ever run anywhere but straight into his arms.
CHAPTER 13
Later that night, Arden sank into the comfort of the soft cotton sheets. With a smile, she ran her mind back through the events of the day, the highlight being Crew professing his love. Her thoughts ricocheted to the waiter. She wondered if she should’ve been more persistent in trying to find him. No, probably not. It had to be a trick of the eye. She needed to put the incident in the past and never revisit it again. Otherwise, it would eat away at her.
She chuckled, remembering Crew’s wisecrack about getting her a diamond necklace at Costco. The startled expression on Grandmother’s face was worth a thousand diamond necklaces. And then Crew had torn up the dance floor. Who would have guessed? The man she loved was a skilled dancer. Grandmother was right. She had finally met her match.
Crew was such a romantic. She loved how he’d given her such a thoughtful gift. The charm bracelet was perfect.
Her thoughts moved to the following day. She and Crew would eat breakfast with her family. Of course, Sylvia, Hector, and Wesley would be there. Bleh! She sighed. It was just breakfast. She could tolerate them for that short amount of time. After breakfast, Arden planned to take Crew sailing. Later that evening, her family was gathering for a cookout by the pool. Sylvia, Hector, and Wesley would probably be there too. Arden would simply ignore them. Sunday, she and Crew planned to find a church to attend. It would be nice if all of Arden’s family could go together. She grinned, thinking of how Mom and Talon would be shocked that she was instigating them all to go to church. Crew was a good influence on her.
When her eyes grew heavy, she welcomed the sleep that enveloped her. This is a dream, her mind inserted as the boat cut through the sparkling water with the ease of a knife slicing through soft butter. The sun was warm and bright on her face. A salty breeze tickled her skin and tongue. She glanced at Crew, who was captaining the boat like a pro as he sported a reckless grin that spoke to her inner child. Being with Crew made her feel so alive. No obstacle was too large to overcome. She could do anything as long as Crew was by her side. Their future stretched before them, long and lustrous, like the placid sea that blended seamlessly into the horizon.
The dream changed, and they were dancing. Arden marveled at how her hand fit so perfectly in his, their bodies moving in rhythm. He pulled her close, scoping her face with his pristine eyes that were as clear as a summer day in June. It wasn’t just Crew’s looks that drew her in. He understood her in a way few others did. It was the soldering of hearts and minds.
His lips grazed hers with a tender persuasion that wafted heat through her veins. “Crew,” she sighed as his mouth took hers. The faint taste of mint on his breath pulled her in deeper. His lips were warm and insistent. She wanted to drink in his essence to forever keep him close to her heart.
This is a dream, her mind asserted, but it was so amazingly real. Her hand went up to touch his face. She trailed her finger along the defined edge of his jaw, noting the beginnings of stubble on his skin. She slid her arms around his neck. Just as her lips were about to touch his, he pulled away. Panic fluttered in her stomach as she tried to grasp him, but it was no use. Her fingers slipped through him like he was air. He stood just outside of her reach. Anger twisted his chiseled features and then morphed into a gut-wrenching pain that tore at her insides.
“Let me help you,” she pled.
The scene changed and she was chasing Crew on the beach. Her feet pounded against the sand as she pushed her body harder. Her lungs burned like she’d swallowed fire, but she kept going—keeping her eyes glued to the angular frame of Crew’s broad shoulders. Her heart beat in time with her rapid steps. The need to reach Crew was all-consuming. She managed to get close enough to grab hold of his shirt. The force pulled him back as they both toppled to the sand.
She gasped as she turned him over to see his face. It wasn’t Crew who was staring back at her but the gaunt, hollow-cheeked face of the thief who tried to steal her car. His cold black eyes cut into her soul, filling her with inexplicable dread.
She shot up in bed, heart pounding as she gripped the sheet.It was only a dream, she reminded herself.Or a nightmare. Relief rolled over her as she collapsed back against the pillow. She scrubbed her face as she tried to regulate her breathing. It wasn’t hard to surmise why she’d had the dream. Her brain had assembled disjointed pieces of tonight’s events—the dancing, Crew’s fury on the beach when he was talking on the phone, the face of the thief. She hugged her arms. Was her subconscious mind trying to tell her that the waiter was the thief? She went hot and clammy cold at the same time. Her throat closed. She sputtered out a cough, gasping to take in slivers of air. It was highly unlikely that the waiter was the same man who’d attempted to steal her car. Arden was sure that in the sunny light of the morning, these fears would seem preposterous. However, in the thick darkness of night, her terrors were slithery monsters lurking just outside the periphery of the sane world.
She inhaled through her nose and forced herself to exhale slowly through her mouth. After repeating the process several times, she was able to regulate her breathing. She lay back against the pillow and tried to relax. She went back to the part of her dream where she’d tried to grasp Crew, but he pulled away from her reach. It was as plain as the nose on her face that she was afraid of losing him. What was he hiding behind his charming exterior? She wished he would realize that he could trust her with his secrets. Arden liked that Crew was complicated. Any good novel needed conflict. In many aspects, life was the same way. Not that Arden was dumb enough to go through life searching for conflict. However, conflict came to every person in one way or another. What Arden wanted more than anything was to build a life with Crew. She wanted them to weather the storms together.
A contented smile nestled over her lips. Crew had told her he loved her. He bought her a bracelet with charms that held significance to the two of them. Given time, he would open up. They would build their relationship layer upon layer. She tended to be impatient, but there was no rush.
With that thought in mind, she drifted back to sleep.
She awoke the next morning to a pounding at the door. At first, she groaned and rolled over the other direction, but then the pounding grew louder and more insistent.
“Arden! Open the door.”
It was Forge. She got out of bed while trying to come fully awake. She unlocked the door and opened it. “What’s going on?” she grumbled, raking a hand through her tangled hair. Before she could even take a step back, he charged in.