Dream Four, Chapter Twelve

(Anything in asterisks is meant to be italicized.)

Dani and I were flying over the Gulf Coast side of Florida less than an hour later, looking for the right spot that was hopefully abandoned. As luck would have it, we found exactly what I hoped to find. A little coaxing of the earth and I was able to restore both beach houses before throwing some quick glamours up. Then she flew us to a mall we had spotted where we found some beachwear we'd need. Once we had that bagged up, I sifted us back to Chester's before returning to my bookstore to pack. Ryodan and Barrons were going to eat before packing but they assured us it wouldn't take them as long as me to pack.

Even though it was morning in Dublin when we left, Dani and I crashed on a couple of couches when we got to the beach houses where it was still night. She had been going without rest for a couple days and I'd used a lot of power. The sun wouldn't be up for a while, anyway.

I vaguely remember Barrons carrying me up to a room and tucking me into bed at some point. He eventually crawled in next to me, too, holding me close, but he was gone when I awoke the next morning.

"Good morning," I chirped when I came into the kitchen and found him there, cooking. He was slumming it today, which for him is dark pants and a t-shirt. I had immediately gotten ready for the day upon waking. Today's bikini was pink leopard print. A black sarong was wrapped around my waist, black sunglasses were perched in my hair, and wedged sandals adorned my feet.

"There was one thing you forgot about, Ms. Lane," he told me, keeping his back to me as I hopped up onto a bar stool at the kitchen island.

"What'd I do wrong this time," I said with an eye-roll as I dropped my chin into my hand.

"Since this area has been relatively abandoned, power has not been restored. Ryodan and I had to go searching for generators while you and Dani slept," he told me.

"Clearly, you found some," I said with a shrug.

"Not the point," he growled.

"Then what is?"

"Neither of these houses are warded, Ms. Lane. It meant one of us staying here because there's nothing else to protect you." I swore under my breath. It was possible I hadn't entirely thought this through in my excitement. "You just had to go to the bloody fucking beach."

It took a conscious effort not to ice anything or cause the temperature to plummet a single degree because he was causing all of my excitement to evaporate. That's when I let out a deep breath and told him what I'd waited to tell him for when I inevitably screwed something up on this trip.

"There was another reason I wanted to go to the beach that I didn't give at Chester's," I said quietly. He didn't say anything but I hadn't expected a response yet. "All of the other times I've been to an earth beach since leaving Georgia was with Cruce." He went very still. "All of those times are tainted by memories of him. I chose the beach because I want better beach memories so the beach isn't ruined for me. That's why I wanted to come with you and Dani and even Ryodan. You know how much I love the beach and lately every time I've thought about it, there he is. He took me to the beach enough times that in my mind it's begun to be associated with him and I really don't want that to be the case."

Barrons was suddenly in front of me with his hands on my waist and his mouth against mine. My hands slid from his abs to his chest to up around his neck. When we finally pulled away, he held my face in his hands and said, "That fucking fairy can't take anything from you that you don't let him take."

"Tell that to my memory," I muttered. "I've been trying—" He silenced me with another kiss.

"But if this is really what you want," he continued when he pulled away again, "then that's what we'll do." I grinned and threw my arms around his neck. He pulled me off the stool and held me to him.

*Thank you*, Jericho, I sent along our connection.

That's how I tell him I love him, that he's my whole world. He held me tighter.

*Always, Mac.*

That's how he tells me I'm his sun, moon, and stars. I kissed him again before he put a fork in my hand and told me to eat.

&&&

We were on the beach about an hour later with Dani and Ryodan. Dani's fair Irish skin wasn't used to this much sun so I insisted she reapply sunscreen every hour. Ryodan was happy to get whatever spots she couldn't reach. The two of them at one point slunk away into the surf, going to the edge of the glamour, so I took the time to tan my back on a fully-reclined beach chair.

Barrons sat in a chair next to mine, reading a book and looking unbelievably gorgeous with no shirt, black swimming trunks, and dark sunglasses. His copper skin turned to a dark bronze in the sun, making his black and crimson tattoos contrast delightfully. I at one point reached over and took his hand. He gave it a light squeeze as I entwined my fingers with his.

The next few days were some of the most blissful ones of my life. Dani and I built sand castles and even buried Shazam and Barrons in the sand at one point. My skin became wonderfully tanned again. Barrons and I had some amazing beach sex a number of times. He and Ryodan and I taught Dani how to play volleyball, but we made it a rule that no super speed or super strength was allowed during play.

I'd chosen this side of Florida because it faced the west, meaning the sun set out over the ocean. It allowed for wonderful walks at sunset. Ryodan, Dani, and Shazam joined us for the first one, but the rest ended up just being Barrons and I.

We were on the back porch of the beach house Barrons and I were occupying our last night there. Lights were strung up around the perimeter and there was a fire going in the fire pit. I had my iPod playing as we drank beers and laughed. Dani and I even got Barrons and Ryodan to tell us a few stories from their past exploits that had us roaring with laughter.

But one of my proudest moments from that last night was getting Barrons to slow dance with me on the back porch.

I was lying in bed with him the next morning when I propped myself up on an elbow and kissed him. His fingers danced up and down the length of my spine, sending shivers throughout my body.

*Did you do everything you wanted?* his eyes asked.

"Everything and more," I told him with a grin before I kissed him again.