Dreaming in Color by Cameron Dane (mobi reader .TXT) 📗

and just in time snatched his hand away. No. This is not your dreams. He isn't ready. Colin tore his gaze away and turned, busying himself by walking to the open back door. A storm door with a screened upper half kept the bugs out, but the waft of sweet, tropical flowers and damp, rich earth tickled Colin's nose. Again, the sense of belonging reared itself, and the floor vibrated beneath his feet.

Lifting one foot then the other, Colin turned to Marek. “Did you feel that?”

Marek glanced up from drying his hands on a towel. “Feel what?”

“Never mind.” He already thinks I'm crazy enough, no point in adding to it. “So,” Colin started again, “with the second couple, the husband was totally smitten with his wife, really all out there proclaiming his love for her. He gave her everything, including this house, which she loved on sight and wanted for her own. He bought it for her, and while they didn't live here, they came often for vacations. The wife sometimes came without him. One day, the husband decided to surprise his wife with a visit and found a couple of local guys balling her, right on the floor of their living room. Some of the rest is speculation, a lot of 'this person told this person, who found out from that person' but, the general thought is the wife was pretty arrogant at first, laughing in the husband's face, comparing his ability as a lover to her other men.”

“I bet the guy didn't like hearing that,” Marek said. He moved in beside Colin, immediately charging and heating the already warm air around them. Leaning his shoulder against the side of the fridge, Marek stared through the screen. Colin followed his gaze to the mountain beyond. “Even the biggest asshole has pride and likely wouldn't enjoy walking in on two men fucking his pretty young trophy wife.”

“Especially if she was loudly enjoying it. She had some staff here,” Colin explained, “and they talked. The husband was shrewd, and she was either stupidly naive or ridiculously arrogant, because the only thing she wanted was this house, and she let her lawyer know it. She played her hand, and the husband made sure she never got it. He supposedly actually really loved her, and when he found out she was never faithful to him, it became his purpose to make her suffer. He dragged the divorce out and made it long and ugly, kicked her out of this house, and made sure to keep it so there was no possible way she could ever step foot in it again.”

Marek grimaced. “The man meant business.”

Nodding, Colin rubbed his arms, absorbing the cruelty and cold riddled throughout the tale. He moved away from the door and sat back down, his legs suddenly feeling a little unsteady. Marek followed, taking his seat, and his warmth abated Colin's unease enough to continue. “His plan certainly wasn't rational, but I guess revenge isn't. Only, see, the husband didn't live in the house either. He fired everyone who worked here and left the house sitting, empty, rotting, and dying, all to keep it out of her hands. He kept it until she died five years ago, then put it on the market for some astronomical price, not really caring if it sold.” He met Marek's gaze, and his heart thudded at the open interest he found there. “At least that's what your realtor thinks. She believes he didn't really want it to sell and that he was still in love with the ex, all these years later. It was the realtor's job to keep pushing the house though. Then you came along…”

“And gave him the asking price without negotiation.” Marek didn't so much as blush at the confession. “I guess he couldn't refuse.”

Can I? Should I? Biting the bullet, Colin blurted, “Why did you buy it?”

“Truth?”

Relief wobbled Colin's tight smile. “Yeah.”

“It was available, she showed it to me first, and it was secluded enough that I knew I would be alone.” Darkness clouded Marek's eyes, and a roughness Colin was already accustomed to hearing took over his voice. “I didn't need it to be or do any more than that.”

“And here I come barging in on your solitude, making outrageous claims, and disturbing your peace.”

“Yeah, that you did.” Nothing in Marek looked remotely pleased.

Colin leaned into the rejection, absorbing the emotional bruising that knocked him in the gut. This can't be my destiny if only half of us wants it. “Right. Listen.” Standing, he forced himself to hold his head high. “I think it'll be a damn sight harder, but I will figure out these dreams without bothering you anymore. I can see that's what you want.” Fuck. I will not hang around where I'm not wanted. “Thank you for your time.” He spun from the table and speed-walked across the kitchen.

“Wait.” Marek caught up to Colin in two steps and grabbed his arm, burning Colin's flesh. Tugging, he turned Colin around. “I apologize. I'm not used to a lot of the social niceties anymore. I didn't mean to make you feel bad.”

“I won't lie; it stung to hear,” Colin admitted. “Maybe because deep down I know it's the truth. I did barge in here and disrupt your life. Regardless of the powerful dreams I've been having and what I want to know about them, I really had no right.”

“Listen, what's done is done. You're here, and so now I'm involved in trying to figure this out too.” Marek's face still held all blunt, unforgiving edges, but his eyes lost some of the hardness. “How about I take you out on my boat for a few hours?” he asked. “I can take you to a place where there's a good chance you'll see some bull sharks.” His hand slid down Colin's arm, briefly curling around Colin's wrist, sparking fire and making his breath catch. Marek's gaze shot up, and as quickly as it felt almost like a hold,