09

“Lilith, this is not game. Do not wonder off like an insolent child.” Ward scolded to her in the dark.

“I thought I-“ her eyes strained against the dark but when she noticed Ward watching her peculiarly, she straightened and realizing what he had said, felt her temper flare. “You’ve made it quite clear that this is not a vacation, so do me a favor and lighten up and don’t chastise me.” She stomped away from him before her temper could get the best of her.

She wondered what angered her more, the fact that he treated her like a child or that he insisted on parenting her in ways that was clearly not his forte. She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself; she had done so for many years.

Why did she come? She wondered thoughtfully as she slid quietly into the backseat of the jeep. She continued to tell herself that she didn’t need him but she knew, deep down, that abandoned child longed for her father.

As Ward slipped in beside her, she chanced a glance at him. This man, the scientist, with his determined scowl and heavy brow, was not her father; he was a different man, a man she was uncertain to know. He confounded her, at times it appeared he wanted to make amends and than, he did things way out of left field, making her question her reason for being here.

The ride back to the hotel was silent and from her point of view, awkward. He appeared blissfully unaware as he entertained the binder in his lap.

When they finally pulled up onto the curve, she didn’t wait for the driver to assist her; truly, she felt it completely foolish to have someone help her out of the vehicle when she could do it all her own. She started into the lobby and was surprised to hear Ward call her name.

She would have kept walking, wanted too in fact, but that small part of her that was very unlike her, demanded she stop.

She turned and crossed her arms against her chest as Ward approached her. He studied her a moment before saying, “You did well tonight. Tomorrow, the real work begins.”

He didn’t offer an apology, nor would she ask for one. She merely nodded and proceeded towards the stairs.

As she made her way to her room, she wondered if she should return to Cove Neck and forget all this. She swiped her key card and the little light blinked green. Was she making a big deal out of nothing? She groaned inwardly as she slipped into her room and closed the door firmly behind her.

She needed a hot, soothing bath, something to chase away the remnants of today. She was beginning to feel lost in her own body. She was thinking things that usually never bothered her, imagining things that clearly weren’t there, and dreaming of things that just, possibly couldn’t be.

Yes, a bath is what she needed.

As she ran her bath water, she walked to her room and grabbed a set of clothes to sleep in. She tossed them on the bed and moved to flip the television on. When her fingers hovered over the remote, she pulled away. Why was she falling back into her Cove Neck routine? She was in Romania, why not do things contrary to what she would normally do.

Smiling to herself, she crossed the room to the telephone and called for room service. She undressed and slipped into her robe. She walked to the bathroom and settled onto the brim of the tub and waited until it filled nearly to the edge.

When her food arrived, she set the silver tray on a small wooden table and lifted the lid. She laughed when her eyes settled on the perfectly trimmed PB&J. Whoever had taken the time to make her midnight sandwich, no matter how ridiculously simple it may be, certainly took extra care in snipping the parchment paper in an intricate pattern.

Okay, so maybe she hadn’t left Cove Neck completely back home, but the combination of a sticky jam and a creamy peanut spread slapped onto two slices of bread was like a little piece of childhood, and it was the one delight she wouldn’t deny herself.

She finished her sandwich and unclasped her robe. It dropped aimlessly at her feet as she slipped into the tub. She breathed a sigh as she slipped to the bottom, letting the water smooth over her in a blissful tepid caress.

With her hair piled atop her head and several strands grazing the surface of the water, she felt completely at ease, letting the water soothe her muscles and relax her body.

She closed her eyes.

The bath water had gone cold, the room, oddly enough, was lit in dim candlelight. Had she lit the candles?

The flames flickered on the wicks, casting dancing shadows against the walls, and the shadow that followed, took shape into a solid frame.

Her eyes shifted away from the candles and widened on the man standing at her tub. Her heart jumped not with fear, but exhilaration.

Even in her dream, he was so incredibly handsome. Should she tell him that she had hoped for this? Had hoped to dream of her phantom lover?

He knelt down and extended a forearm over the brim. She shuddered. The faint candlelight emulated from his fixed stare. She could peer mindlessly into his eyes; lose herself in that unusual beautiful gaze.

The water was cold but beneath the intensity of his dark stare, her limbs grew warm and tingly. She was afraid to move, afraid that the moment would be severed with awareness. She didn’t want to wake. If she could sleep an eternity, just to know this beautiful dark stranger, she would sleep infinitely.

He leaned forward and a tiny, hollow breath left her. His alluring eyes settled hungrily on her lips. She tilted her head invitingly and in the dimly lit light, his mouth curved crookedly.

“What do you do to me, Sunlight?” his deep, lilted words caressed her inwardly and out, doing wondrous, explicit things that she had only read about in Harlequin Romances.

She smiled, “Sunlight?”

He reached out and tugged her hair free. The waves tumbled loosely around her face and she watched as he clasped a fistful. His eyes rested firmly on his hand, gripping her helpless strands and he said in a hushed breath. “Sunlight.”

She was startled as the candles in the room flickered, the flames diminishing until snuffed by an unseen gust, followed by a sudden darkness.

Lily bolted upright in the tub, startled to awareness as cold water sloshed over the brim. Her heart pounding, she pressed a hand to her chest and peered warily around the bathroom.

Everything was as she left it, with no burning candles, no beautiful mysterious man speaking softly to her of sunlight.

Inhaling a shaky breath through her nose, she hurried from the tub and seized her robe. She didn’t care that she was soaked and sprinkled a trail of water along the carpet as she walked to the bed; she just needed to get out of the bathroom, in fact, getting out of the room seemed agreeable.

She quickly dressed and piled her hair into a knot and fled the room. She didn’t know what had startled her, was it simply because she had dreamt of this man more than once? Had heard his voice whispering to her even in the mountains? Was it possible that she was going insane?

She groaned aloud as she walked quietly down the hall and shook her head as if trying to shake out all the nonsense.

“Miss Lily?” She was surprised to see Louis coming towards her.

She offered a tentative smile, “Hi Lou.”

He arched a brow at her, “Something troubling you, Miss Lily?”

“I just couldn’t sleep.” She said, but something about the knowing look in his eyes told her he knew more than what he was letting on.

“Can I get anything for you?”

The stare he had given her, she had seen many times before, not only from Louis, but from the desk clerk as well. She wondered if Romania was truly mysterious as the tales proclaimed.

“Actually-“ she started, “I wouldn’t mind a little company.”

Louis smiled and stepped aside, motioning her along. “Right this way.”

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