MAN IN MY DREAM
SLOANE
“You’re mine…Mi Vida,”
My breath hitched. My body vibrated with intense pleasure as strong hands claimed every inch of my curves.
“You’re so wet,” his breath brushed against the bare skin of my shoulders. “Me encanta, Mi Vida,” I love it, my life. He groaned, in a husky voice.
He traced his hands over my silk lingerie, and pushed it to the bulging warmth between my legs. I gasped, biting down on my bottom lip. My vision blurred, as my words got caught in my throat.
My back arched involuntary as his statement. Simple, but ferocious enough to set my entire body ablaze.
The dark room was dimly lit by a scented candle. Black saffron, and smoked vanilla undertone set the mood into motion.
Sweat. Skin against skin. Strong hands, and a growl that rumbled through his chest.
With his free hands, he made to flip me, so I’d come face to face with him, when a loud thump against the door jolted us.
“Wake up Sloane…” A familiar voice echoed in my head, followed by a heavy tap on my shoulder.
I groaned, as I pried my eyes open to meet my mother’s unimpressed gaze glaring daggers at me. I pushed myself from my lying position, and sat up.
I had the same dream again, with the same huge man.
It was a reoccurring dream since I clocked twenty last summer. It’s gotten worse over time. The troubling part was that the only man I knew was Nicolas Carrington, and for the love of me, I haven’t shared a kiss with him.
That’s if we’re not counting the cheek kisses.
“We don’t have all day, you have a lot to put in place,” The middle-aged woman snagged.
I rubbed the back of my neck. My body still felt light, like I was stripped out of the middle of something intimately carved for me. A small smile tipped over my lips.
That was a huge mistake.
In that instant, a smack cut across my face, and objects around me lost their colours. I clenched the side of my face she’d hit. “Mother…”
Her face turned bright red. “To you it’s Camille Ashford,” her voice brooked no opposition.
Camille Ashford, my mother and the wife of one of New York’s prominent lawyers. Since she got legally married to Ashford, and birthed a daughter, our relationship strained to the abyss.
I was the product of a one night stand with a total stranger she detested with all her entirety. When he left, she discovered she was pregnant. The result— me.
Camille started as Ashford’s personal assistant before she made her way into his bed. Given how charming she looked despite being in her early fifties, I don’t blame the man.
I groaned. “Today’s my birthday,”
“More reason you should pack your stuff, you’re leaving New York, right away,” She said casually in the same tone she used when she was worried about me.
Unfortunately, Camille never broke a sweat about me.
To her, I was inconsequential. I didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. Why was I shocked she had me apply for a scholarship to be able to study law? In her words, she’d never foot my tuition. Ashford did every of her bidding to the tea.
I don’t want to start with the treacherous things I had to put up with in order to keep my scholarship going.
Surprise flickered in my chest. “Leaving New York? To where,”
No response.
Camille started pulling my clothes from the closet and spewing it all over the floor. She was serious. It wasn’t like she’d ever joke around when it trickled down to me.
Anxiety pinched through my spine. “At least, tell me what’s going on,”
She hissed, and continued what she was doing. “I have to send you off to the airport,”
“Moth—” the rest of the words got stuck in my mouth when she tilted her head, and stared me down with an icy glare.
“Not a single word from you,”
I pressed my lips together. “We had a deal…”
She paused, and turned to face me. “Remind me.” Camille said dryly.
My throat was parched. “I graduated law school with really good grades,” I paused, and added almost immediately. “You said I could accept Nicolas Carrington’s proposal on my twenty first birthday, while I get a spot at Navarro legal counsel,”
Camille smirked. Her eyes glistened with mischief. “Navarro holdings would never employ an attorney like you, stop dreaming,” Her tone held a subtle jab. “It’s the biggest law firm, you don’t stand a chance,”
She sized me from head to toe, giving her head a small shake. “You know, I’ve always known you were the greatest mistake of my life. I just didn’t know how grave my actions were,” She seethed through clenched lips. “You’re a dent I really want to get rid off, dear child. I honestly shouldn’t have gotten down with that stranger,”
My heartbeat slowed to a crawl. I could barely drag oxygen into my lungs.
Mother…No, Camille always pierced me with her words. It started when I was six, and got worse as I grew older. I should’ve gotten used to it. Maybe my academic prowess didn’t extend to the love I craved for. One, I just would never get.
That was why I had Nicolas right?
He was going to propose to me tonight. That means I wouldn’t have to leave New York, and I could still get into Navarro legal counsel. It’s been my dream since law school.
“You don’t have a place here, Sloane,” Camille began. “You don’t belong here. You belong in the woods where your kind are,”
I flinched. “My kind?”
Camille let out an exasperated sigh. “Don’t give me the impression that you passed your bar exams with that IQ,” She spat. “Haven’t you noticed you’re different from Isabella? Your aversion to normal things should tell you everything you need to know,”
No response. Well, that’s because I didn’t know what to say.
Camille looked down on her wristwatch. “Damn! We need to go now. Isabella’s proposal is in five minutes.”
I flinched. “Isabella is getting proposed today? And I’m just finding out,”
Camille simply shrugged. “Oh. I didn’t know I have to seek your opinion first,” She spat. “Besides, it’s not a surprise you already know who the groom is,” She finished in her signature icy tone.
