Body of Water Ch. 04

"Avan!" I started running towards him.

I could feel the heat of the blaze against my skin, growing hotter the closer I got. I stopped about fifty feet away, feeling the waves of heat wash over me.

Avan was shouting at the fire, waving a fist at it and I couldn't do anything but watch in horror as the fire pulsed in his direction. Flames shot out and looked like they were brushing his body. I gasped as a flame wrapped around his wrist and yanked him so that he stumbled a half-step.

"Avan." I whispered, my voice hoarse. What the hell is happening?

Then something brushed against my face, soft as a lover's touch. An impossibly warm hand caressed my cheek, cupping my chin and then searing heat made my lips tingle. I inhaled, startled by the sensation and drew in a lungful of hot, tangy air. I gasped again, sucking in more of the molten heat and wondering if it was possible to die from inhaling imaginary scents.

"Miss? Are you there?" The voice of 911 dispatcher broke through my thoughts and drew me back into the present.

My eyes stayed on Avan as the sounds of sirens grew louder. I knew they'd be there in another minute and acknowledged the noise to the woman on the other end of the phone. I took another step towards Avan, intending to get him away from the fire but something prevented me from moving. There was a wall before me, a wall of hazy warmth, smelling of tangy musk and sulfur.

"Avan!" I was confused but still aware that I needed to get him away from the accident before there was another explosion.

"You'll pay for this!" he shouted. He glanced over his shoulder at me and his eyes grew wide for a moment. He threw one more look at the fire before retreating and running towards me.

Only when he reached my side, did I sense the wall falling away. Then Avan was there, holding me, his strong arms slipping around my waist as his familiar scent wafted around us both. I inhaled again, searching for that other scent, but found nothing.

A second later, the emergency vehicles appeared and a fireman hurried over, urging us to back away. We obeyed and I let the lady on the phone know that they'd arrived. We spoke for a few minutes longer before she let me go. Then there was nothing to do but stand back and watch the firefighters struggle with the blaze.

****

It was very late when I got home and I called the office before I went to bed. I knew I wouldn't be able to make it to work at my usual time. It was close to four a.m. when I walked in the front door and I would have had to have been up in two hours. So I called and left a message with Lindsay, asking her to reschedule my morning appointments.

Angela was waiting up for me because she knew it was unusual for me to not be home by six. She'd been off for most of the afternoon and worried that I didn't even come home before dark. I checked my cell and saw that she'd called me several times. I'd had my phone on silent for the evening.

In a tired voice, I explained what happened, starting with the date. After that, she almost wouldn't let me out of her sight. I snapped at her, telling her I needed a shower to wash the stench of burning gasoline from my hair. She agreed and then ordered me to sleep in her bed that night. I refused and she was on the verge of inviting herself into my bed. I told her I was fine, the house was fine and there was no need to share a bed.

After that, I stalked off, stripped out of my soiled clothes and got in the shower. I turned the water on as hot as I could stand it and let it pound against my back and shoulders for a long while. Then I washed my hair, shampooing twice and soaping my body three times. I told myself it was because of the strange accident, not the intimacy I'd shared with Avan.

I like Avan, I told myself as I rinsed the soap from my body the last time. He's handsome, gainfully employed and he's a great kisser.

I knew my standards should be higher but I was making excuses. I didn't want to face the reality of what had happened. It was too strange, too...fantastical to be real. I wasn't hearing voices and almost making love with Avan had freaked me out only because we've just met.

I finished in the shower and wrapped a towel around myself. I crossed to my room, relieved that Angela wasn't waiting in my bed. In spite of my firm words, Angela could be stubborn and I'd half-expected to see her in my room.

I fell naked into bed and let the dream take me away.

****

I was floating, sitting up in the middle of a turquoise sea. It was warm to the touch, which struck me as unusual. Even in the middle of a tropical ocean, the deep waters should still be cool.

Then a wave dipped me and rolled me face down in the water.

I flapped above the surface and sputtered with laughter. Another wave rolled against my body and this time it felt like a caress. I sighed, spinning to my back and gazing up at the sky. I blinked and focused on a full moon in a black sky that was punctured all over with stars. The light surrounding me, however, was almost full daylight.

I thought you liked the contrast.

I smiled, recognizing the cadence of the thought, and looked around for the owner. He wasn't showing himself and then I realized that the daylight, and the warmth surrounding me, was all him. He was there, just not in human form as I was.

I love the contrast, I replied. I love it even more when you're inside of me.

A deep vibration stirred my body and I shuddered. The warmth intensified and I spread my legs, inviting him to tease me there. He obliged. I lifted my head as a ribbon of heat shimmered below my feet. It coalesced into something more solid, something I could almost see. His fingers danced up my calves and spread my legs further. Then I felt the deep searching plunge of his molten tongue and dropped my head below the water to keep from burning up.

You don't burn up. There was laughter in his tone.

When I looked up again, bringing my head back into the cool air, I saw his laughing face above mine. He kissed me, sending sparks up around us. I laughed and watched them settle on my skin and in my hair where it swirled on the water's surface.

I blinked, noticing the space around us had grown dark. We were glowing, of course, his nature making it so.

I cupped his cheek in my palm. You make me want to burn up.

I stared into his eyes, his beautiful irises dimmed enough that I could see the actual color; golden-brown. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my hand melting and ordered it to remain solid. I wanted to be whole when he took me.

Do you want me so badly? He gave me a playful smirk and his eyes danced at me.

I laughed and reached for him, pulling his hot body down onto mine. We bobbed beneath the surface, and I heard the hiss as he turned part of me to steam. Laughing, we floated back up and he blew a stream of heat at my face, drying me just enough. Then he kissed me, a soft touch, so soft that I almost couldn't feel it.

But I did feel it, as I always felt him. I closed my eyes and knew without seeing that he was reaching up to run his fingers through my hair. I heard the crackle and he snickered, repeating the motion. This time, I felt the hair singe from my head and pushed him off as I reformed it around my scalp, even as he laughed again in playfulness.

You are so amazing, Ryujin. He stretched out beside me, running his fingers up the center of my belly. He splayed his hand flat between my breasts, tickling the nipples.

The name he used startled me and his golden eyes swept up to my face.

Am I?

It's the one I thought you preferred. He sounded cautious for the first time.

Is it? I hardly know what I prefer anymore.

My sleeping mind stirred, jostling the dream and making it waver.

As the vision settled, I looked up and saw my handsome lover hovering over me, his eyes glowing molten red again. His face was sad, resigned even, but in their depths, I thought I saw something else; hope.

I wish for so many things, Ryujin.

So do I.

Do you? Do you remember what you used to wish for?

I thought about it, strained against a strange pressure in my mind. The water lapped over my body, sucking my limbs down below the glossy surface.

I don't know.

You will. He sounded confident. I'll keep coming to you until you do.

Promise? I didn't mean to sound needy or whining and he didn't care.

His smile was brilliant and I watched the beauty of him as he burst apart into white hot fire.

I promise.

I sank beneath the water then, his words echoing in my mind. The water cooled, seeping into my pores and dragging me under. For the first time, I fought it, not because the submergence worried me, but because I didn't want to go.

I want you!

You have me. I promise you'll always have me. Try to remember that when you wake up.

I was no longer warm and the world was black as I sank deeper. Wake up? I don't sleep.

I twisted, diving deep, spreading far and wide. Then...nothing.

****

"These fucked up dreams are going to be the death of me," I groaned aloud as my alarm blared on my nightstand.

Try to remember when you wake up...

The words drifted through my mind and I rolled onto my back, glaring at my blank ceiling. Like I said, fucked up.

With a sigh, I pushed it from my mind, writing it off as too much excitement last night. I got up, startled when I saw the time on my clock and then recalled how late I'd arrived home. That reminded my that I'd only had about six hours of sleep.

It didn't help that the dream always felt like physical activity.

I darted naked across the hall to the bathroom. I showered, dressed and made a quick brunch of toast and grapefruit. Then I headed out to my car.

As I drove to Landbourne, I reviewed the events of the previous night. I hadn't managed to escape the authorities before my bosses had shown up, but the owners had been so upset about the damage, that they hadn't even bothered to acknowledge my presence. I'd slunk away a short while after their arrival and driven home unscathed.

My good-bye with Avan had been awkward as well. He'd still looked angry, which I couldn't figure out, and barely patted me on the hand. It was a stunning change from earlier in the night, when he'd been moments away from burying his penis inside of me.

That thought made me cringe. Then I wondered why it bothered me.

Hadn't I been attracted to him? He'd certainly seemed interested in me.

As I pulled into the parking lot at Landbourne, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was missing something; forgetting something vital about last night, and I didn't think it had to do with the accident itself.

Shaking it off, I walked toward the building, steeling myself for the questions. Luckily, no one seemed to know I'd been here last night. Maybe the policemen or fire inspectors weren't required to reveal any of that information to the company.

The corner of the building that had been hit was badly damaged on the outside, as was evident from all the tape and makeshift patching I'd seen on my way in. Inside, however, there was minimal damage. The walls in that corner had caved partially in, but only on the main level. The offices on the second floor weren't affected, except for cracks in one window. The entire corner of the building, first and second floors, was taped off, for everyone's safety.

As I walked through the lobby and eyed the mess of crumbled drywall and dust, I wondered at the lack of damage. It had certainly seemed last night as though the wreck of the car would have caused extensive damage to the building. Landbourne was a fantastic builder, but I didn't think even they were capable of making buildings fireproof.

I shook my head and paused by the reception desk to pick up any messages. The receptionist, Penny, handed over a couple slips of paper and a file that Lindsay had left for me before leaving for the rest of the day.

"She had an appointment with her dentist or something," Penny explained in a bored tone.

Smiling, I took the items and continued walking towards the showroom. Inside, I looked around for Bianca, the other designer. She was supposed to be returning from holidays today but I saw no sign of her. I headed to my office in the back and scowled at the continued absence of a computer from my desk.

Can't anything go right?

Ignoring the empty space under my desk where my computer should be, I organized myself without it. I arranged my file for my afternoon appointment, returned phone calls and started making notes on the files from the previous day. I'm not sure what time it was when I at last rose from my desk and went out to get some water.

I paused in the main foyer, staring at the damage in the corner. It was hidden from sight now behind a sheet of plastic that had been hung. I couldn't see through it, except for colored shapes moving back and forth - workers already working on repairing the damage. I watched the shadows and colored blobs move back and forth before moving on towards the stairs.

I smiled and said 'hello' to a few people as I made my way down the hall to the lunchroom. At the moment, no one else was in the room. I walked over to the water cooler in the corner and yanked out a paper cup from the dispenser attached to the side.

"Hey, Nerina," Kyle greeted me as he walked into the room.

I straightened and smiled at him before downing my water in one long swallow. He was a nice, older man, a little overweight, and had been with Landbourne Homes in the accounting department for about ten years.

Kyle moved around to grab his lunch from the fridge. "That's pretty crazy downstairs, isn't it?"

That's when I noticed the time; nearly one in the afternoon. It shouldn't have come as a surprise since I'd come to work so late that morning. I just didn't think I'd been working on my files for that long. I filled my water cup again and walked across the room.

"You're not taking a lunch today?" Kyle asked as I passed him.

"No, I was in late." I paused in the doorway and looked back at him. "And yeah, that is pretty crazy. I'll see you around."

I hurried back downstairs and through the showroom. I couldn't believe I'd let the time get away from me. I had my usual afternoon appointment today, and I'd almost forgotten all about it.

Just as I was heading back out to the main showroom from my office, the big doors opened and in walked my clients; a younger couple buying their first home.

The rest of the afternoon passed by in a blur. I did my best to concentrate but I was so tired, I couldn't tell the difference between chocolate and mahogany. In the end, the couple couldn't make any final decisions so we had to reschedule for next week.

By the time I was alone in the showroom again, I was exhausted. I sat down at my desk, eyeing my full cup of water with a scowl. I hadn't even touched it since I'd spoken with Kyle at one. It was after four now. With a sigh, I folded my arms on my desk and rested my head on top of my arms.

I'll just sit here for a minute. I blinked and squeezed my eyes shut as a yawn snuck out. Then I'll gather my files and take my work home tonight.

As much as I hated to do that, I couldn't deny that I needed to. So I gave myself a minute, letting my eyes stay closed and relaxing until my breathing evened out. The dream licked at the edges of my mind but I refused to sink into it. I rested without really resting, my mind turning to different things. As always, sleep, and the dream, pushed in without my consent.

I felt my slumbering awareness reach out and slide over my surroundings. The smooth desk under my chin, my warm arms cushioning my head, the full glass of water...

Oh, heavenly...

The words shivered through my mind and I wondered what was so wonderful about a glass of water. I watched, through my sleep, as the cup tipped and the clear fluid washed across the desk surface towards me. It soaked the sleeve of my shirt and tickled the ends of my hair. I sighed, sending a ripple across the surface of the spilled puddle and it responded to my caress.

I sank down, letting the miniscule amount of water sweep me away and I slept.

****

You must be stronger, Ryujin.

The voice was familiar and it didn't shock me that I heard it in my head at the same moment that the ocean rose around me. I rolled to my side, floating lazily along with the current. Heat singed my liquid skin and I sat up, glaring around myself.

Don't be angry.

Show yourself, I insisted and felt the warmth of him seep into my form, turning my errant hair to mist.

I'm sorry, Ryujin. I can only be strong if you are.

His words confused me, as did the panicked look in his flashing eyes. He wasn't solid before me, instead forming only a half-human, half-beast shape that was still familiar to me. His warmth licked at my skin and I smiled, remembering our last encounter. His eyes flared bright red and he slid further away.

You can't give in every time. He drifted further away and took with him all his heat. It's what he wants.

Who?

He looked so sad then, and my puddly heart ached for him, as much as it could. I swam towards him and he slid further away.

Why do you flee? I would hold you, make you feel better.

His face softened and his eyes dimmed, glowing a golden amber instead of fiery red. I would have you hold me as well, love, but you must wake.

I laughed. His words always amused me.

Trust me, love, and find the strength you must have.

His words lapped at my legs, my arms, swirled through my hair and sank into my ears, giving me a sensation of euphoria.

Then...nothing.

****

"Lord, Nerina, if you're that tired, go home."

I jerked upright so hard and fast that I cracked my elbow on the edge of my desk.

"Whoa, calm down."

I looked over and saw Penny giving me a strange look. I frowned, wondering how she came to be swimming in my ocean and the thought frightened me. Shaking my head, I put a hand to my forehead and that was when I felt the dampness on my sleeve. My eyes followed the trickle of water across my desk to the paper cup, tipped on its side. Some vague memory of my dream, a gentle deep voice urging me to wake up, washed over me and I stared at Penny.

"Are you all right, Rina?" Penny's look changed from surprise worry.

I nodded and brushed at the damp spot on my sleeve. "I'm just tired. I...it was a weird night."

She nodded and handed me a file. "Go home and get some rest. Tomorrow's Friday and then you can cut loose over the weekend." She grinned and walked away, leaving me alone with the echo of her words.

Cut loose. I blinked, brushing a hand over my hair. A vague memory of 'cutting loose' with Angela the previous weekend went through my mind. It had been a night out at a club but nothing eventful had happened.

Had it?

With a heavy sigh, I pushed all the irrational thoughts from my head and cleaned up the spilled water. After sorting through my files and arranging things for the following day, I grabbed my purse and walked out of the building.