Dream of Me: Book 1 The Dream Makers Series (13 page)

“What are you thinking so hard about?” he asked her after several minutes of silence.

“The whole
the male should be providing the food for his female
. It sounds so caveman like. We live in a different time now. It isn’t necessary for men to hunt for their food and the women to wait for them to bring home something for them to cook.”

Dair nodded. “I understand that, but the changing times haven’t changed how humans were fundamentally designed.”

“And how is that?”

His eyes narrowed as he looked at her. “Why do I think I might be walking into a trap?”

Serenity laughed. “I promise not to jump to any conclusions. I’ll let you make your point.”

He continued to stare at her. Finally, he decided she was being truthful. “Males and females were created with specific roles in mind. That’s not to say that they can’t adapt to other roles, but from the beginning of their creation, man was created to provide, protect, and shelter his female. Woman was created with the drive to nurture, support, and love. She is his helpmate and her role is just as vital as his. When the whole women’s rights movement came about, it was hard for most of us immortals to watch. The roles became so distorted and the need to prove equality became more important than fulfilling the Creator’s plan for man and woman. I am not saying that a woman is in any way weaker than a man. In some ways she is much stronger. All I’m saying is their roles are different, and when they are living out those roles, they have much more contentment than when they are fighting against the design originally intended for them. So even though men no longer go out and hunt, or battle enemies, there is still a very strong drive in them to provide for and protect their families. I think that many men would never confess to that because of how society has emasculated them. Television shows make the men in families out to be a joke instead of being the leader of the family. They portray wives as being manipulative and unwilling to allow their male to take responsibility for his family. Not very many males will stand up to this because they would be crucified as a sexist pig.  Those who think that the feminist movement hasn’t affected this world in both positive
and
negative ways are blind.”

Serenity was speechless. Not because she didn’t agree with him, but because Dair seemed so passionate about the topic. She had to admit there was something very, very attractive about a man who was willing to take control, to lead, and to protect. “You feel very strongly about this,” she observed out loud.

“I’ve watched the world for centuries and in so many ways humanity shoots itself in the foot because they rebel against their very design. It’s frustrating not to be able to do anything, to just be a spectator.”

Serenity turned into her aunt and uncle’s driveway, parked the car, and climbed out with Dair following. “I can understand that. So, forgive me if this seems insensitive, but you’re not human.”

Dair smiled. “Correct.”

“But yet you still have the same drive as human males? Everything you’ve described, you feel that?”

“It seems so,” he admitted as they entered the house and headed for the kitchen. Dair set the pizza on the dining room table and waited for Serenity to hand him a plate.

After his speech, she wasn’t surprised when he put a slice of pizza on the plate he was holding and then held it out to her. She laughed. “Is this you hunting for me?”

Then his entirely too sexy lips split into a smile that had her heart speeding up. “It is a small thing, I know. But to provide a meal for you brings me satisfaction. I’m as surprised as you are.”

She took a seat and Dair took the one next to her. Their knees were so close they nearly touched and, silly as it was, Serenity desperately wanted them to. Once again Dair seemed to know what she was thinking because he shifted his leg until it was resting against hers. When she looked up at him, her eyes a little wider than usual, he winked at her. Her face immediately flushed and she looked down at her half eaten pizza. The immortal should be banned from smiling or winking. It was just too sexy.

“Do you have any questions for me?” he asked just before taking a large bite of his own slice.

“Let’s go with the same ones you asked me.”

He swallowed before responding.
Even his swallowing is sexy,
she thought to herself and then mentally kicked herself for thinking such a thing.

“My favorite color is red, my favorite music is classical, and my favorite food is pizza,” he said and grinned as he held up his nearly eaten slice.

Serenity laughed; she couldn’t help it; the darn guy was entirely too cute, among other things, for his own good. After lunch Serenity washed their plates while Dair watched her. She didn’t want to admit it, but his attention was slightly flattering.

“So do you need to eat?” She asked attempting to distract herself from his scrutiny.

Dair shook his head. “I do not need sustenance to live. But, I can eat and do enjoy doing so on occasion.”

There was another pause and he simply continued to watch her.

“You aren’t going to offer to help?” she asked as she glanced at him over her shoulder.

A wicked grin spread across his face and his dark eyes seemed to smolder. “I know that it would be the gentlemanly thing to do, but if I come over there to help you, I lose the incredible view that I have from my current vantage point.”

Serenity was so shocked by his blunt comment that she dropped the dish she had been drying. Dair moved so fast that she hardly saw him. He caught the plate before it could hit the floor. Breathless from more than just his speed, all she could do was stare at him.

“Did I scare you?”

For a moment Serenity couldn’t find her voice. She cleared her throat before finally answering. “Which time? With the comment or the action?”

“Both,” he answered as he took a step towards her and another until he was standing less than a few inches from her.

“I wouldn’t say scared so much as shocked.”

His eyes roamed over her face and it nearly felt like a caress. When she licked her lips nervously, she saw and heard his sharp intake of breath and nearly smiled. She was glad at least that she wasn’t the only one affected. He felt the chemistry between them. That put her at least a little at ease. She felt more on equal ground.

“I’m comfortable around you. I find it hard not to say what I’m thinking. Though I will confess that I have managed to keep most of my desires to myself.”

“Most of them?” she asked hesitantly.

“Most,” he agreed as he reached out and gripped her waist with one of his large hands. He pulled her closer.

Serenity had to tilt her head farther back to look up at him. It might have been better if she hadn’t. His heated gaze left nothing to wonder about. He desired her and he was fighting that desire with everything he had.

“It is so new to me,” he whispered.

“What is?” she asked just as softly, not wanting to break the moment.

“This need. I’m like a man who has been denied anything to drink for decades, and you are the first glimpse of something, the only thing, that will quench me. I’ve never felt something so consuming. Does that make sense?”

Serenity nodded. “I’m beginning to understand that feeling myself.”

“You desire me?” His voice held awe and yet a hint of disbelief.

“Have you looked at yourself in a mirror? Only a blind person wouldn’t desire you and that was only if you didn’t speak. As soon as you opened your mouth, they’d want you too.” She wasn’t embarrassed by her openness, not when Dair was looking at her with such yearning. “So what do we do now?”

His lips twitched. “Do you really want
my
suggestion?”

Serenity chuckled as she looked away, needing a moment to collect herself. “I suppose your suggestion would include some sort of physical touch.”

She felt his finger touch her chin and slowly he lifted her face to look at him. “Does my touch bother you? Please be honest with me. Because if it does then I will stop. I won’t like it,” he admitted, “but I will always respect your wishes.”

“I think I like it a little too much,” Serenity told him.

“So you don’t want me to stop?”

She slowly shook her head.

“Good.” His voice was nearly a growl. “Because it would be very, very hard for me to be near you and not be able to touch you.”

“Is this moving too fast?” she asked suddenly. “I mean, we’ve only just met. The physical attraction is off the freaking charts; I’m not questioning that. I think we have chemistry and that can’t be helped but what about the emotions?”

“How do you feel about me?” Dair’s hand tightened on her waist.

“I don’t know. I like you. You’re different from the guys in my high school. You’re more confident, commanding, and interesting.”

“That comes with age. They are young and unsure of themselves. But then some males come by being dominant naturally. I didn’t realize until my feelings for you started just how dominant I am.”

“I guess I’m in like with you,” she said with a small smile.

Dair thought about this and finally gave a single nod. “It’s a start. One day you will be hopelessly in love with me.”

Serenity didn’t tell him that was exactly what she was afraid of. Falling for an immortal who didn’t belong with humans wasn’t the smartest thing a girl could do. She decided that it was time to change the subject. “I have a secret obsession,” she said as she stepped back from him. His hand dropped from her and she instantly wanted it back.

“Oh?” Dair’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “What might that be, Princess?”

“Video games,” she answered with a wry smile and then turned and headed out of the kitchen. She didn’t look back to see if Dair followed. She knew he did because she could feel his black onyx eyes on her. Serenity pushed the door to her room open and grabbed her TV remote off of the desk. She sat on the end of her bed and patted the space beside her as she looked up at him.

“I believe you will have a slightly unfair advantage in this competition,” Dair told her as he sat down next to her and took the controller she held out to him.

“Naw, you’re a dude. According to Glory, video games are like standing up to pee for a guy; it just comes naturally.” The look on Dair’s face at her words was all it took to remove any embarrassment she might have felt over the comment.

“Then I should hope that my video game skills are adequate or you will be worried about me using your aunt’s bathroom.”

Dair’s comment caught her off guard and Serenity let out an un-lady like snort. She shook her head at the obviously pleased with himself immortal and pulled up the game menu. Expertly clicking through several different screens until finally reaching the one she wanted, Serenity pointed to the right side of the TV. “Okay, you are on the right, and I’m on the left. It’s a split screen but we are racing each other. Controls are pretty simple. The thumb joystick is what moves you forward and backward and turns you. The arrows move you side to side. You ready?” She looked at him with a raised brow.

“Is this where you humans would say something like get prepared to eat my dust?”

Serenity laughed. “Yah, maybe twenty years ago. How about we just see if you can keep your car on the racetrack and then you can talk smack.”

Little did either of them know that it would be the beginning of many days spent getting to know one another while battling it out through video games―be they war, racing, or adventure.

“So when will I get to meet your aunt and uncle?” Dair asked as Serenity walked him to the front door, which Dair insisted on using despite his ability to appear and disappear from anywhere.

“Um,” she brilliantly replied, caught off guard by his question.

“Isn’t that what the guy in a relationship does? He meets the guardian of the female they are, for lack of a better term, courting, correct?”

She shot him a smirk. “Is that what we’re doing? Courting?”

“In a manner,” he said as he took her hand and lifted it to his lips. Dair pressed a gentle kiss to it, and Serenity felt the tingles clear up her arm and down into the pit of her stomach.

“Well, I’ll ask Darla about doing dinner.”