Impulse (Isola dei Sogni) (11 page)

Mia looked relieved. "That's something then, and not because I'm thinking lust and sex. But I want to know something without you having known about it in advance. This island. What is it to you?"

Dylan knew that was the make or break question. He hesitated, not sure how to put everything into words. Before, he'd always been so negative about Isola Dei Sogni. No matter, it was part of him, engrained into his mind, body, and soul, and he'd chosen to ignore it. In a stereotypical flash of clarity, he realized it
was
important. He could no longer ignore the place and what it stood for, as he couldn't ignore the woman sitting next to him. Whether or not he could do as his father wanted was another thing. So much hinged on Mia. Somehow, he had to import this knowledge to her.

"The island. Where we make dreams come true. Where anything good and legal can happen and does. An island to experience your fantasy, and maybe find love. My heritage, if I chose to embrace it. I have to decide soon. Papa wants to, well, pursue his own happiness. It's time he was allowed to. My time is to take over or walk away."

 
"Not Blaine?"

 
Dylan rolled his shoulders; they were tight with tension. "No, it has to follow the bloodline. If I deny it, it goes to . . . someone we don't want. I can't say any more."

 
Mia stroked his shoulder, and some of the tension left him.

"What will you do?"

"That rather depends on you. It's said that if you do find you're true love here, it happens so fast you don't have time to worry or fight it. If it is right, then you know. I know."

He looked at her, and welcomed the compassion he saw in her eyes. He wouldn't look and see what she was thinking. She had to tell him of her own free will.

"Then it's just as well I know too, isn't it?" Mia kissed him, and he felt all her love spill into him. "What are we going to do about it, Dyl?"

"Us? Take it one day at a time. Learn about each other, strengthen each other and grow old together. Or is that going too far too fast?" He held his breath. The hairs on his arms stood upright, and a shiver stroked his skin and increased his tension.

Mia tucked her head to one side and fiddled with her ear lobe. "Yes." She paused.

Tentacles of fear twined around his heart. Dylan hated the closed look on her face. He'd promised not to look into her mind, and he managed to keep to that, but only just. When she spoke it was like the death knell.

"Much too fast."

Dylan's face went white and he swayed. Mia grabbed him in alarm. Had she been too brutal?
Damn it, he says he can read my mind, so why the hell isn't he doing it?
Mia remembered he'd said what needed discussing was too important for him to find out the answers through reading her mind.
Darn it.
She knew she had to explain, but that equally, it wasn't going to be easy.

"For goodness sake, sit down before you fall down." Worry made her voice sharp and she winced inside. It wasn't what she was trying to achieve. "If you're hell bent on not peeking into my mind, you'll have to put up with me trying to explain." Mia pushed Dylan into a nearby chair, and knelt next to him.

"It's complicated, and not something I talk about very often. It would upset Meryl if she knew, so I've just zipped up a big part of my life and locked it away. Damn it, can I have a cuddle?"

He looked startled, but nodded. "Love, you never need to ask. I'm trying to give you space. Come on, snuggle in. Up on my lap and I'll will my body to behave." He wiggled his eyebrows and the silly gesture lightened the atmosphere.

Mia sniggered and climbed into his lap. His cock wasn't listening to him. She wriggled.

"Ah, well," Dylan said in a rueful tone. "Sometimes my will isn't strong enough to sway my body."

She smiled and then sighed as he put his arms round her waist. "Well, try, or I'll wriggle and you'll . . . enough said. Change of subject. I need this. Just hold me and let me spill it all. Right?" Mia took a deep breath. "When Meryl was three, mum and dad died in a car crash. I was engaged to a guy I thought walked on water. I trusted him with, well, with everything. Ha, talk about young, silly, and gullible. We'd bought a house, or so I thought. Got a joint account, or so I thought."

His hands tightened on her waist.

"Yup, you've got it. I thought wrong. When he realized I intended to look after Meryl, he took off. And I discovered that joint was no such thing. The bastard had fooled me. I was so bloody stupid, and signed where he said, and believed him when he said I needn't. I trusted him you see. Green or what? Everything was in his name. He'd fooled me and mum and dad. They thought he was a lovely man. Ha. Yeah, right. It was lucky the house was left jointly to Meryl and me, and all tied up tight. They'd made their will long before he came onto the scene and thank god they hadn't changed the terms. It was lucky we hadn't actually married, and he couldn't get his sticky little mitts on it. I cut my losses, sold it, and bought something smaller for us, and well, I got on with it. Yeah, it wasn't easy, and shit, at times I wondered why I bothered. But I did it. No benefits, no handouts, just me. And here we are."

She looked up at Dylan. The expression on his face made her want to cry.

"Who is he? I'll have him strung up and you can throw rotten fish at him."

The image made her laugh. "He's the rotten fish. No, it's all well over and done with. And let's face it, not everyone wants a ready-made family, do they? And to be honest, better then than later. Meryl and I got on well, and things worked fine. I had the odd affair." She felt her face warm. "And well, you know, I, er, got on with stuff."

Dylan raised one eyebrow.
Damn, I wish he wouldn't do that, it makes me drool.

"Stuff?"

"Yes, stuff," Mia said. "Use your imagination. Or look, surely you can just do that and spare my embarrassment?"

Dylan nuzzled her neck. "I want you to tell me. If I look, how will we know if you meant to share?"

He has a point.
Mia realized how much she appreciated his honor. She took a deep breath and swallowed. His touch and his warm breath on her skin gave her a cosseted feeling.
I could get used to this.

"Okay. I had a few lovers, not many, and decided I'd never let my heart get involved with anyone ever again. Other people talked about their dreams and fantasies, and I told myself it was stupid. No point in them. Then Meryl got involved with a guy who dropped her without any reason. She was distraught, and then she swore he was nothing to her, and she was upset for being taken in by a pretty face. I'm not sure I'd call him pretty myself, but there you are. I thought she'd gotten over him; now, I'm not so sure. This trip was sprung on me. She'd gotten the chance for us to have a week on a dream island with some friends, and I'd love it. She said no way was I going to chicken out, and even if all I did was sit and read for the week, I was coming." Mia giggled. "Well, I've done that all right. Meryl said I needed to live a bit and climb out of my rut. There's climbing and jumping, and by god, I've jumped without a parachute."

A clit-tightening tingle danced down her spine, and Mia felt her thighs dampen when Dylan moved his hand to caress the curve of her breast.

"Do you mind? Are you still sacred of flying with me?" His voice was even. Too level, Mia decided, to be natural. He was trying hard to show he wasn't worried, but she'd bet if she could read
his
mind she'd know differently.

Come on, Mia, open up, and take that first step.

 
"Not of flying, but of flying too fast, too far. Oh, Dylan." Mia twisted and took his face in her hands. A shiver rippled over his skin, and transmitted his worry to her more than anything else had. "Dylan, I want to. I need to. But I have to be sure. For both our sakes. I've known you for bugger all time. It's been weird and wonderful, and you know damn well I fancy the socks off you." She glanced down to his bare feet. "Literally. So, one step at a time. No great leaps or anything. I'm only here for a week." She choked back a sob. "Bugger it. I knew Danny for three years and he was a perfect gentleman 'til he was thwarted."

Instead of firing up as Mia knew he could do, Dylan sighed. "So I have to atone for his sins then? No." He put a finger over her lips. "I hear you, without even looking. You're right to be wary. You don't know me from Adam, except I part own an island where fantasies and dreams come true, and am being asked to take over as head of all those who create things such as we do. I can read your mind and give you a screaming good orgasm. Not enough of a recommendation for a life together. I accept that. But enough of a testimonial for a let's take it one day at a time and see?"

Mia had never thought of herself as fanciful, but now she was certain the air stopped moving to listen to her answer.

"How? You said you need to decide whether to take over from your father. That's a big decision. Isn't it enough to worry about without me in the equation?"

 
Dylan stroked her breast and Mia's pussy clenched as the invisible string from boob to clit stretched and reverberated through her body.

"Without you in the equation, it would be so much harder. If there's a chance I might have you by my side, then any decision we make together will be the right one. But myself?" He shrugged. "Who knows."

That's one hell of an onus to put on me.
However, Mia relished the fact that Dylan was open and honest with her. "Where?"

"Eh?"

Damn it, I thought he'd understand
. "Where do we learn to lo . . . er, know each other?'
I hope he isn't looking in on my mind now. Talk about almost a Freudian slip.

 
"We can start here and now this week. Then I'm back in the U.K., so we'll carry on there? I work in the city and have a house in Hertfordshire, but it's amazing what you can do by video conferencing. I'll be with you whenever possible, if you let me. I'll move wherever you want."

"Scotland."

"Eh? Oh yeah, well, why not? I can shuttle down if I need to and we'll have Hertfordshire as a weekend place. Then, if you're happy, want to be with me and we decided to take over for Papa, we move here. If, and I know it's a big if. Each step is up to you, and I don't say that lightly. I'm used to being in charge, so if I fall by the wayside, you'll need to forgive me. However, I know, and I tell you now, love. Mia McKenzie, you are my completion, my other half, and my future. If you go, I'll accept it, and be half a man. But it's up to you. We'll go at your pace. Well, I'll do my best."

That sounded more like it. Mia was under no illusion that Dylan would keep to his no coercion rule. It was as clear as the sun in the sky that he'd push and shove and do his best to move things along. Mia was no fool. She ran her fingers under the edge of his t-shirt, found his nipple, and nipped it. "I think that sounds perfect," she said sedately, knowing fine well she'd like to punch the air and shout yee-haw. Dylan understood, and was happy to let her set the pace—sort of. "So can I start like this?" She 'tiptoed' her finger down his chest and slid it under the waistband of his jeans.

"You can start however you want," Dylan answered. "In this, I'm more than willing to let you set the pace."