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“So you could have gotten up and left if you wanted?”
He drew his head back in exaggerated surprise and flashed a quick grin. “Would you have?”
She tried not to glare. “Go on.”
“Let’s see, oh, yeah…the redhead cuffed me to these two pole lamps on either side of my chair and then she finished unzipping my pants.” He paused, frowning, as though he were trying to recall something.
“Was there anything familiar about her?”
“Which one?”
“Any of them.”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Yeah, maybe.”
“I’m not trying to put words in your mouth. Think about it for a minute and see if anything comes to mind.”
“Uh, sorry, Doc, but it wasn’t my mind they was appealing to.”
Emma sighed. “Would you be serious?”
“You kidding? I’m being so serious and honest, it’s scary.”
She groaned inwardly. She had to give him that one. “What else?”
“The dark-haired woman was just about to turn around but the blonde blindfolded me with one of the silk scarves before I could see the brunette’s face. And then I felt all these different hands on me, yanking off my shirt, pulling down my pants.”
He paused to take another sip of water, and Emma braced herself for what came next. “Maybe you should just use my notes for the rest.”
She forced her gaze to meet his as she stopped the recorder. “You don’t need to be embarrassed.”
He leaned back, totally at ease. “I’m not. Actually, I’m enjoying the replay. I figured you might be a little uncomfortable.”
She gave her best breezy laugh and shoved her glasses into place. “I’ve heard hundreds of dreams. I’d hardly be embarrassed at this point.”
And then she caught her reflection in the brass stapler. Oh, God. If her cheeks got any redder, Nick would probably think she was having a stroke and call the paramedics.
“Okay, Doc. Have it your way.”
She stared down at her notebook, and thought about how many loads of laundry she had to do, how she’d waited too long to defrost her freezer, again. When heat still stung her cheeks, she thought about how she’d already eaten her backup pint of chocolate ice cream and hadn’t replaced it. That helped sober her a little.
“Ready?” She started the recorder again without waiting for his reply.
“After they had my clothes off, one started kissing me while another one licked and bit my nipples. I was irritated that I didn’t know who they were, and then they both backed off and I remember being cold where the air hit the damp spots on my skin where they had their mouths.”
Emma swallowed…mostly to make sure her mouth wasn’t hanging open. “So it was important to you to know the aggressors’ identities?”
“Do I seem like the kind of guy who’d go for anonymous sex?” Nick grinned with that devilish twinkle in his eyes, and for the first time she could recall, Emma wanted to smack a test subject. “No, Doc, I didn’t care particularly who they were. I wanted to know if it was the blonde or the redhead who was sucking me so hard I thought I’d come for a week.”
She tried her damndest not to show any reaction. “I guess you left that part out,” she said crisply, attempting to cool her rising temper. He was trying to goad her, she was sure of it.
“Actually, I was just getting to that— Hey, why are you looking at me with malice in those pretty hazel eyes? It’s a dream, Doc, I can’t help what went on in my sleep. You said so yourself.”
“You’re right.”
“You also told me not to hold back or censor myself.”
“Yes, I did.” It was difficult to maintain her composure when she truly had the urge to smack that innocent look off his face.
“So why are you looking so pissed off?”
“I’m not pissed off. That would be unprofessional.” She pushed up her glasses, enormously thankful they hadn’t fogged up. “I’m disappointed that you seem to think this is a joke.”
“Not true.” He gave his head an emphatic shake. “You may be used to all this blunt talk but I’m not. I have to look for a little humor to ease the tension.”
Oh, yeah, she was really used to all this. She cleared her throat as she readied the recorder again. “I apologize for misjudging the situation. Please continue.”
He tried to hide a smile, but she saw it, lurking at the corners of his mouth before he passed a hand over his face and blew into his palm.
She didn’t believe for a minute that this talk made him uncomfortable. He’d already admitted that he was getting off on it, and that she believed. Because, dammit, she wasn’t making it through this session totally unaffected herself. She’d had to shift twice to make sure he couldn’t see how much her nipples had tightened, and how they pushed against her flimsy bra and thin cotton shirt.
“Well, Doc,” he said, stretching, his arms wide, his chest broad and muscled under his snug blue T-shirt. “I hate to disappoint you but that’s about it. After they got me out of my pants and started—” A ghost of a smile played about his lips again. “Doing ‘the nasty,’ I woke up. I had urgent business that was best taken care of in the bathroom. But I don’t think you need to know about that.”
She gave him a disapproving glare in answer, and clicked off the recorder.
He immediately straightened. “We’re done?”
“Yes, unless you have another dream you remember.” She almost hated to ask.
“You’re in luck.” He indicated his notes with a jut of his chin. “The next one I call In Broad Daylight.”
4
“HOW DID YOUR MEETING with Nick go yesterday?” Brenda had gotten to Big Joe’s diner first and was already working on a strawberry milkshake.
“Fine. We had our first session this afternoon.”
Brenda switched her interest from the milkshake to Emma. “And?”
“You know I can’t tell you what we talked about. If he wants to discuss his dreams with you, that’s up to him.” Emma stared down at the menu, even though she knew it by heart.
Even though she always got a cup of chicken vegetable soup and a side of fries.
“Oh, no, don’t tell me he got to you, too.”
That ridiculous crack made her look up. “What are you talking about?”
“I no sooner mentioned his name and your cheeks got pink. What’s up with that?”
“That wasn’t about Nick.” She sighed with indecision and studied the small jukebox on the table. “He has some rather racy dreams. And that’s all I’m saying.”
Brenda burst out laughing. “Poor baby. I should have warned you. Nick is totally uninhibited.”
“Really?”
At Emma’s sarcasm, Brenda laughed again. “That’s just Nick. He skipped so many grades in school that from the time he was ten he hung out with older kids. At sixteen he started college. Mom and Dad kind of left him alone because he was such an excellent student, and sometimes he hung around with too racy a crowd. Made him immune. Nothing bothers him. He doesn’t mean anything.”
“Right.” Maybe today she’d splurge and add a chocolate malted to her order.
“Oh, come on, Em. I know him. I give him a hard time, and yeah, I’ve made cracks about him, but he has a lot of good points. He’s loyal to a fault, a real pushover for the underdog and the best listener. If I ever need an ear or sound advice, I go straight to Nick. Honest, he’s okay. I wouldn’t have offered him up as a sacrifice to your study, otherwise.”
“Gee, thanks.”
Brenda slurped up the last drop of her strawberry shake.
“Think about it. Would you want to tell a virtual stranger about stuff your subconscious dreams up?”
Emma shifted with unease. No, as a matter of fact, she probably wouldn’t. “Yeah, but we all know that most of it is metaphorical for other things that are happening in our lives.”
“You may know that, but the rest of us just squirm at the vague recollections the next day.”
“That’s why this study is important. We should be able to use our dreams as messengers from our inner voices. Let the dreams help solve our waking problems. Look how many cultures considered dreams messages from the gods. In the ancient world, countries like Greece and Egypt, dreams were considered the ultimate form of guidance.”
“Don’t get huffy. You’ve got to admit, not all your colleagues agree with that theory.”
“The informed ones do.” Emma pushed up her glasses. In spite of the fact that she was bone-tired, she’d been in a fairly good mood until a moment ago. “Most scientific theories have opponents. That’s why studies are important to prove them.”
“I’m not disputing that, but merely pointing out that a layperson would naturally be a little squeamish about spilling out their midnight mental escapades.” Brenda’s gaze narrowed. “Why are you so touchy today? It isn’t like you.”
Emma sighed. Where the heck was their waitress? She needed a malted now. “Sorry if I bit your head off. I didn’t sleep well. Talk about midnight escapades.”
Brenda leaned forward with interest. “Do tell.”
She didn’t get it at first, and then Emma realized her friend wanted to hear about her dreams. To Emma’s utter amazement, she almost physically recoiled. The thought of sharing last night’s walk on the wild side made her want to run and hide.
Brenda laughed. “Not so easy, is it?”
“It’s not that…”
“Yes?”
Bless Callie’s heart. The waitress appeared at the perfect time to take their order. As usual, Brenda was indecisive and had to ask for a description of every special. Emma welcomed the brief respite.
She was genuinely startled by her own reluctance to share her dream. Reluctance heck, abhorrence was more accurate. Of course the dream did involve Nick and Brenda might misunderstand. Emma herself still hadn’t figured out what her inner voice was trying to tell her. But nor had she tried too hard to figure it out.
The dream was still so real in her head that she could almost feel Nick’s hands on her skin, palming her breasts, rubbing her nipples, sucking them. Their session today was going to be a nightmare. She’d have to force herself to concentrate and not drift back to last night’s subconscious frolicking.
She came out of her preoccupation just in time to give her order to Callie.
And meet Brenda’s expectant gaze. “Well?”
“Well, what?”
“You were going to tell me about your dream.”
“Actually, I was going to tell you why I couldn’t. I don’t remember most of it.”
“Emma Snow, I can scarcely believe it, but you’re lying through your teeth.”
“I am not.” It was a little scary how indignant she could get when Brenda was right. Emma was lying through her teeth all right, and she’d hang on to the lie till her dying breath.
Brenda toyed with her straw, a worried frown drawing her brows together. “I hope this isn’t about Nick.”
“Don’t be silly.” Emma gasped when her friend tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You finally bought them.”
“What? Oh…” Brenda touched the diamond stud on her right ear. It had to be at least a carat. “I was still saving up for the suckers. Nick bought them for me. I found the jeweler’s box in my desk drawer after he left the other evening.”
“Wow!”
“I shouldn’t have mentioned I wanted them. He’s always doing things like that.”
“Interesting.”
“You look doubtful.” A sisterly defensiveness rose in Brenda’s eyes. “I told you he’s a nice guy.”
“I’m sure he is,” Emma said lightly.
“Do me a favor and don’t mention the earrings. He’s funny about that. He never gives a gift outright. He tucks it away somewhere for you to find, and then acts like he doesn’t know anything about it. It’s weird, almost like he’s embarrassed.”
Emma smiled. She wouldn’t have guessed that about him. “That’s actually kind of sweet.”
“Don’t be foolish and fall for him. I mean it, Em.” Brenda shook her head, her eyes concerned. “I love my brother but his idea of a serious commitment is staying the night.”
“Fall for Nick?” Emma laughed. “I’d sooner eat chocolate-covered grasshoppers.”
“THANKS FOR THE EARRINGS.”
Nick finished drying the hood of his ‘55 Chevy before he turned around. “What earrings?”
Brenda gave him an indulgent smile as she entered the garage and sidestepped the assortment of chrome polishes and car washes he’d left on the ground. “They’re exactly what I wanted.”
He shrugged and shook out the rag. “They aren’t from me.”
“Then I won’t bother to insure them. They’re probably fake.”
He slid her a sidelong glance. “I begged Mom and Dad to get a puppy instead of a sister. But no, they had to hatch something they could put in frilly pink dresses.”
“The luckiest day of your life was the day I was born, admit it.”
