before he stuck a needle into her arm and everything went black.
Chapter Three
Sonia came awake with a gasp and sat up in a strange bed. Her gaze flew around the room, what looked like a studio apartment with a leather couch and chair directly in front of her and a dining room to the right.
“You’re safe,” came the familiar male voice that she knew couldn’t be real.
She turned slowly and went to her knees to bring the black leather chair sitting in the corner by the bed into her view. And there he sat, the man she’d loved, the man she’d lost. His hair was longer now, loose around his shoulders, his eyes the same iridescent crystal blue.
“I’m dreaming again,” she whispered, her heart beating wildly in her chest. He couldn’t be here.
“You’re not dreaming,” he said. “It’s me.”
She didn’t go to him. She wanted to, but she was afraid the dream would shift and he’d be gone. He seemed as if he was afraid to move, too. “You aren’t real.”
He nodded. “I’m real.”
“Kel?”
“Yeah baby, it’s me.”
She was off the bed and in his embrace in a flash, wrapping her arms around him, feeling his heat sink in through her thin shirt. “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe you’re here. You’re real. You’re really here.” He kissed her and it was heaven, spicy and male, and so very Kel, so real, so perfect. “How? How is this possible?” She couldn’t stop touching him, trying to prove to herself he was flesh and blood.
“It’s complicated,” he whispered, his mouth caressing hers, holding her close, like he thought she might escape. “God, I missed you.”
She pulled back, tracking the lines of his face. Kel. Kel was alive. After nearly three years of believing he was dead. “Are you sure this isn’t a dream?”
“It feels like one to me,” he murmured, his lips brushing her neck, her ear. “I didn’t think I’d ever hold you like this again.”
A shiver of pure heat rushed down her spine, the kind of need no one but Kel could create. “Me either,” she said, kissing him, caressing his cheek. She was sitting across his lap now, and all she wanted to do was get lost in the man she’d lost and now found, but memories rushed over her of their free will, and Carrie’s screeches of fear ripped through her mind. “You’re sure my friend from the bar is safe?”
“Absolutely.”
“The men, they came out of nowhere. There was wind and then they were there. And you too. I’m confused. I don’t understand what happened back there at the bar. I don’t understand how you’re alive or how I’m here and why did you put me to sleep?”
“We’re at one of the top secret facilities where my special ops team operates,” he said. “I had to put you to sleep. It’s protocol.”
Her stomach knotted. Something wasn’t right. “Kel, what’s going on?”
He maneuvered so that she sat in the chair and he knelt in front of her. “Sonia, I...it’s not easy to explain. I...” He lowered his head and a wave of emotion rolled off of him.
Her hand stroked his hair. “What is it?” she asked gently, certain whatever he’d been through must have been horrific, since everyone had believed he was dead.
When he lifted his head, his expression was etched with torment. “I didn’t want this for you, Sonia. I didn’t want you in danger. I didn’t want you to give up everything you knew to live in a world that is this messed up. But you got the wrong people’s attention when you made that phone call about the missing woman, and now, now everything has changed.”
She stiffened, dread pooling in her stomach. “What are you saying? Oh, God. No. I don’t believe this. You faked your death to get me out of your life, didn’t you?”
“It’s not like that, Sonia-”
Confirmation hit her hard. She shoved away
Chapter Three
Sonia came awake with a gasp and sat up in a strange bed. Her gaze flew around the room, what looked like a studio apartment with a leather couch and chair directly in front of her and a dining room to the right.
“You’re safe,” came the familiar male voice that she knew couldn’t be real.
She turned slowly and went to her knees to bring the black leather chair sitting in the corner by the bed into her view. And there he sat, the man she’d loved, the man she’d lost. His hair was longer now, loose around his shoulders, his eyes the same iridescent crystal blue.
“I’m dreaming again,” she whispered, her heart beating wildly in her chest. He couldn’t be here.
“You’re not dreaming,” he said. “It’s me.”
She didn’t go to him. She wanted to, but she was afraid the dream would shift and he’d be gone. He seemed as if he was afraid to move, too. “You aren’t real.”
He nodded. “I’m real.”
“Kel?”
“Yeah baby, it’s me.”
She was off the bed and in his embrace in a flash, wrapping her arms around him, feeling his heat sink in through her thin shirt. “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe you’re here. You’re real. You’re really here.” He kissed her and it was heaven, spicy and male, and so very Kel, so real, so perfect. “How? How is this possible?” She couldn’t stop touching him, trying to prove to herself he was flesh and blood.
“It’s complicated,” he whispered, his mouth caressing hers, holding her close, like he thought she might escape. “God, I missed you.”
She pulled back, tracking the lines of his face. Kel. Kel was alive. After nearly three years of believing he was dead. “Are you sure this isn’t a dream?”
“It feels like one to me,” he murmured, his lips brushing her neck, her ear. “I didn’t think I’d ever hold you like this again.”
A shiver of pure heat rushed down her spine, the kind of need no one but Kel could create. “Me either,” she said, kissing him, caressing his cheek. She was sitting across his lap now, and all she wanted to do was get lost in the man she’d lost and now found, but memories rushed over her of their free will, and Carrie’s screeches of fear ripped through her mind. “You’re sure my friend from the bar is safe?”
“Absolutely.”
“The men, they came out of nowhere. There was wind and then they were there. And you too. I’m confused. I don’t understand what happened back there at the bar. I don’t understand how you’re alive or how I’m here and why did you put me to sleep?”
“We’re at one of the top secret facilities where my special ops team operates,” he said. “I had to put you to sleep. It’s protocol.”
Her stomach knotted. Something wasn’t right. “Kel, what’s going on?”
He maneuvered so that she sat in the chair and he knelt in front of her. “Sonia, I...it’s not easy to explain. I...” He lowered his head and a wave of emotion rolled off of him.
Her hand stroked his hair. “What is it?” she asked gently, certain whatever he’d been through must have been horrific, since everyone had believed he was dead.
When he lifted his head, his expression was etched with torment. “I didn’t want this for you, Sonia. I didn’t want you in danger. I didn’t want you to give up everything you knew to live in a world that is this messed up. But you got the wrong people’s attention when you made that phone call about the missing woman, and now, now everything has changed.”
She stiffened, dread pooling in her stomach. “What are you saying? Oh, God. No. I don’t believe this. You faked your death to get me out of your life, didn’t you?”
“It’s not like that, Sonia-”
Confirmation hit her hard. She shoved away
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