The Knight of Her Dreams (Dragons and Dreamphasers) Read Free Page A

meant well.  But
every time Julianna came to these silly gatherings, she could count on having
to force at least one plastic smile for an unknown guy who would be interested
when she wasn’t.
    At twenty-five, all shades of her teenage years
had vanished, replaced by a very attractive woman.  Although she was happy with
her looks and wouldn’t change them, sometimes the unwanted attention she got
left her wanting to become a hermit.
    While the music blared in the main room, Julianna
sneaked over to a quieter one, resting her head against the armrest of a sofa. 
And silently counting the minutes until she could leave.
    Staring at the floor absently, she heard an
unexpected voice.
    “Doesn’t look like the floor’s moving tonight, no
matter how hard you stare at it, Julie.”
    Gasping with wide eyes, Julianna bolted upright
and would have fallen over if she hadn’t already been sitting.  “Roger?” she
gasped.  “What are you doing here?”
    “Same as you I imagine.  Heard there was a party,
and got dragged here, right?”  At a loss for words, she simply nodded as he sat
beside her.  “Been a long time, hasn’t it?”
    “A lifetime,” she agreed absently.  “Are you with
someone?”
    “Not anymore.  How about you?”  She shook her
head but retained a look of curiosity.  “I just got out of a relationship a
month ago, so I figured I’d start socializing again.  Never thought I’d find
you here.”
    “Small town,” she laughed.
    He smiled, reaching out to clasp her hand.  She
returned the gesture, their eyes speaking volumes, erasing the years of
separation.
    “It’s good to see you again, Julie,” he said
quietly.
    *****
    After that evening, everything seemed to fall
into place for them.  Their conversation that evening led to their dating, and
for a few months, Julianna starting enjoying herself again.
    But then a rift developed, when it became
apparent that each had a very different view on what they wanted from their
relationship.
    One evening at Roger’s place, Julianna was
surprised to find he’d set up dinner, complete with candles and soft music. 
The evening had gone well, until she got ready to leave.
    As had become the norm, Roger tried to persuade
her otherwise.
    Julianna smiled against him, gently trying to
keep him at arm’s length.  “Roger, you know how I feel about this.”
    “And you know how I feel about you,” he murmured
against her mouth, silencing her protests while threading both hands through
her hair.  “Stay with me tonight, Julie.  I promise it will be wonderful for
the both of us.”
    His kisses temporarily swayed her, only reminding
her of how persuasive he always was.  Part of her yearned to give him what he
wanted, yet there was still another part that was hesitant.  Although waiting
for marriage seemed strange to some these days, Julianna felt strongly about
wanting at least an engagement before giving herself completely to anyone.  Or
at the very least, to know the person she was with loved her. 
He’d never spoken the words.
    “Roger, not tonight,” she broke
in, pushing against his chest this time.  Beneath his impassioned gaze, there
was no mistaking the look of hurt.  “I know you want me, and I’m not saying a
part of me doesn’t want you too, but...”
    “But you’ve been saying that for two months,” he
sighed.  “Julie, for the thousandth time, it’s not like we just met.  We’ve
known each other for years.  Since we were teenagers, in fact.  What is it you
want?”
    To know you love me , her heart answered, though she couldn’t tell
him this.  Either he loved her or he didn’t.  And at this point, she wasn’t
sure.  Asking for the words wouldn’t necessarily bring an honest response.
    “I need more time before jumping into something
serious,” she replied finally.
    “Fine,” he said heavily.  “Whatever you want. 
Maybe we should just call it a night.”
    She didn’t want to simply leave it at that