Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

***ARCHIE***

A rchie was surprised by the anger in Felicity's eyes and backed away a step, "Fine, you're braver than I am," he said, feeling exposed and not liking it at all. "Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Felicity let out a long sigh, "This isn't about me," she said, then looked around. "I don't know what it's all about or why I'm here, I was just trying to help you."

He wanted to stay angry, wanted to tell her he didn't need her help, but he looked into her eyes and saw only compassion, "I'm sorry, Felicity," he said, then took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I shouldn't have attacked you like that. It wasn't fair. Sometimes, it's just hard to hear the truth. Maybe we should try to get out of here, I think I understand why we ended up here."

She looked up at him, "I'm glad you do," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "Now, how do we get out of here?"

He looked around, "I'm not sure; there must be a door somewhere," he said, then pointed behind them. "We came in that way."

They walked back the way they'd come, and a door slowly began to appear in front of them. He turned the handle when they reached it, and they were sucked back through the darkness. Off balance when they landed on the other side, he wrapped his arms around Felicity to keep them from falling, and she let out a little gasp of surprise, then steadied herself. When he didn't let go, she looked up at him and opened her mouth to say something, but the words died with a sigh.

Her eyes filled with desire, igniting a need deep inside him, a primal instinct to take what was his, and he didn't question it. Instead, he lowered his mouth to hers. Felicity melted into his arms with a soft groan and opened her mouth to him. Her arms slid up around his neck, and then she was kissing him back. Thrill after thrill rushed through him; his body began to tingle and tighten in all the right places, and he couldn't suppress a groan when he felt Felicity's nipples harden against his chest.

Desperate to touch her, he ran his hands up and down her back, then lower to cup her perfectly rounded butt in his hands. Felicity moaned into his mouth but didn't stop him, and he became more daring, telling himself that it was only a dream, he could give into the need building deep inside him. Trailing kisses down her neck, he slid his hands up her ribs, then cupped her breasts and gently massaged the taut peaks of her nipples with his thumb and finger.

Felicity moaned and threw her head back. He slid one hand behind her back, then used the other one to unbutton her shirt, exposing a lacy bra with a hook in the front that made his body begin to throb with anticipation. With a flick of his fingers, he had the bra open and pushed it aside to expose Felicity's plump breasts, then lowered his head to first one, then the other, until she was squirming in his arms.

He reached for the button on her shorts and slipped it free, but before he could discover what was underneath, he woke with a start on the beach, his shorts uncomfortably tight, his body throbbing with need. Disoriented for a second, he looked up and down the beach, shocked and embarrassed when he saw people all around him. Grabbing a towel, he bunched it up in his lap and took deep breaths until his body began to relax.

Trying not to think about the dream, he got to his feet and began packing up to go back to his cabin, sure that, like all his dreams, it would fade. But he was still thinking about Felicity when he got in the shower a few minutes later, reliving how she felt in his arms, the taste and smell of her skin, and the passion they'd shared. He'd never experienced anything as powerful in his life, but he knew that it was just a dream. No real woman could ever make him feel that way.

He threw on a pair of shorts and a tee shirt when he got out of the shower, then paced around the cabin, trying not to think about the dream, not ready to admit that he'd let his pride get in the way of making new friends and keeping old ones. Thinking about Max made him feel guilty, but he wasn't ready to face him, wasn't ready to admit that he needed his help.

There was really nothing wrong with his life. Maybe he didn't socialize with his neighbors, but he did have a few people in his life he considered friends, and that was enough. He didn't spend every night sitting home alone. He had a social life. He could even start dating again if he wanted to—not that he did—but just the thought made him feel a little ill.

Being alone was easier than playing all the games that went with dating, especially in his circle. He was perfectly content to be the confirmed bachelor in his group. It wouldn't be the most conventional life, but it had been working for him so far, and someday, Susan would move on, and he would be free to do as he pleased with his life. Until then, he'd do the best he could with what he had, just like he'd always done, scraping by and hoping that his luck would change around the next corner.

Taking a deep breath, feeling much better, he left the cabin in search of dinner and the company of strangers, something he had a feeling he was going to get good at over the next few decades of his life. The village was bustling with guests and staff when he arrived, and he realized that he'd forgotten about the crab boil that night, then decided it was exactly what he needed. Going along with the crowd, he headed toward the beach, the smell of woodsmoke filling the air, a sense of anticipation settling over him.

***Felicity***

Felicity had been slightly off balance ever since Brittany had woken her up on the beach because she was moaning in her sleep. Horrified, she'd sat up, her body still throbbing with desire, and hadn't been able to hide the blush that spread on her cheeks. Her sister had laughed, then laughed some more when she'd groaned and lay back down, her hands over her flaming cheeks.

"Oh, my God, you just had a sex dream," Brittany had said. "I thought you were having a bad dream. I'm sorry I woke you up just now."

"It's not funny," she said, wondering how her cheeks could get even hotter. "I haven't had a dream like that……well ever, it was so real, so……"

"Hot," her sister supplied. "So, who was it? Come on, you can tell me."

She pulled her hands off her face and looked over at Brittany, "You don't want me to answer that," she said, then looked away when her sister groaned. "Don't make that noise; it's not like I can control my dreams. "

"Okay, you're right," Brittany said. "I just wish you'd forget about that guy, even in your dreams."

"Yeah, me too," she'd said, sitting up. There was more to the dream, but I can't remember it now. Don't you hate that?"

"Well, it sounds like you remembered the good parts," Brittany said, grinning at her.

"You're doing it again," she said, then shook her head. It was just a dream. I don't know why I'm worrying about it so much. Let's go back to the cabin. I think I've had enough of the beach."

Now standing on the beach, darkness slowly falling, the smell of food slowly wafting to her on the breeze, she couldn't help but think about the dream again. It was driving her crazy that she couldn't remember anything but Archie kissing her, and she knew that there had been more to it, that something had happened that she should remember.

She smelled Archie before she saw him, and her heart began to beat faster. Then he was standing in front of her, looking down at her with a curious look on his face. "Oh, Archie, you scared me," she said. I guess I was lost in thought."

"You look nice tonight," he said, still studying her intently. "How was your day?"

His voice sounded funny, like he was suspicious of her, and she finally looked up at him. For a second, she couldn't breathe as the memory of being in his arms rushed through her. She felt her cheeks turning hot, and looked away, hoping he hadn't noticed her reaction and cursing the dream all over again.

"Fine, we went snorkeling all morning, then had lunch on the beach," she said, pleased that her voice was steady. "We lazed around all afternoon. Now here we are to eat all those crabs we caught yesterday."

"So, nothing strange happened to you this afternoon?" Archie asked, his eyes still on her. "I know it sounds like a strange question."

She looked up at him again, "Nope, nothing," she said. "It was a boring afternoon, if you want to know the truth."

"Well, okay, I just had to ask," he said, looking a little disappointed. "Have a good evening, Felicity."

"You too, Archie," she said. "Enjoy your dinner."

She watched him walk away, wanting to go after him and tell him about the dream, but she knew that was a mistake and kept her feet firmly planted in the sand. "Were you just talking to Archie?" Brittany said, handing her a plastic cup full of tea. "What did he say? Did you tell him about the dream?"

"No, I didn't tell him about the dream," she said, giving her sister a dirty look, then hesitated. "He asked me if anything strange happened to me this afternoon, though."

"You're kidding," Brittany said, a look of surprise on her face. "What did you say?"

"I told him nothing happened, but I would swear he knew about my dream. He kept looking at me funny," she said. "You didn't tell anyone, did you?"

"Come on, Felicity. You know me better than that," her sister said, clearly a bit insulted. Besides, who would I tell?"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry," she said, then sighed. "I just wish I could remember what the rest of the dream was about. It might help me sort this all out. Maybe I'm just being paranoid."

"Well, even if he knows, it was just a dream, remember?" Brittany said, putting her arm around her shoulders. "Now, forget about that dream, forget about Archie, and let's go have some fun."

"You're right," she said, shrugging it off. "It was just a dream. It doesn't really matter."

They ate crab, boiled potatoes, and sweet corn on the cob until it felt like they would burst, then managed to top it all off with dessert. Full and sleepy, they made their way back to the cabin, changed into their pajamas, and sat on the porch in the rocking chairs, listening to the sound of the ocean and soaking up the cool evening breeze for a while.

She was getting very sleepy when Brittany got to her feet, "I think I'm going to head into bed," she said. "It's been a busy day, and we have a surfing lesson in the morning. You'll never be able to get me up if I don't go to bed now."

"I think I'll sit out here for a while longer," she said, too lazy to move. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Don't fall asleep out here," Brittany said. "You'll wake up with a crick in your neck."

"Good night, Brittany," she said, smiling at her sister.

After her sister was gone, she closed her eyes with a sigh, letting the calm of the night soak into her, and only a few minutes later, she sank into a deep sleep. When she opened her eyes the next time, she was standing in the same chamber with a lit torch in her hand, her memory of the last dream firmly in place. After debating with herself for a second, she started down the dark passageway, knowing what she'd find this time, trying to ignore the anticipation thundering through her.