A Jar of Dreams Read online

  “Honey, let me tell you one thing. If anyone tells you that they didn’t know what they were doing because they were drunk, then you should know that’s a load of crock. They know exactly the shit they were up to. Alcohol just numbs those alarm signals that otherwise would have put a lid on their actions.”

  Anne stood quietly, nipping her lower lip with a strained expression on her face. Eric frowned. He supposed the woman had a right to berate Anne for trusting a man such as that bastard, William, but certainly not to the extent of making her anxious.

  It was then she caught eye of him, standing on the side. “Who is he?”

  “Oh… um… this is Eric. Eric Tanner,” Anne blurted.

  “The name means nothing to me.” Lucy shook her head, her lips upturned with disapproval. “Who exactly is he and what is he doing standing in your living room?”

  Anne’s face darkened. “Can I have a minute alone with Lucy, Eric?”

  He nodded and gave her hand a small squeeze. “Call me if you need me.” He gave a wary glance towards Lucy and walked out of the living room. But something nudged at him, telling him that things weren’t going to turn out fine with Lucy. He hid behind the sidelite of the door, listening in on their conversation.

  “I expect you to be a little more respectful to Eric, Lucy,” Anne started firmly. “He is important to me.”

  “After William… I can’t believe this.” She threw her hands up in the air in frustration.

  “He is nothing like William!”

  “And so you did say that about William too.”

  “He saved me from William.”

  “Is that what got you to decide he was better than William? Jesus, Anne!” She palmed her forehead. “Please don’t tell me you met him last night and then brought him home?”

  “I’m not an idiot, Lucy. I’ve known Eric for a while now. He is… he is my boyfriend. And there is nothing you or Dad can do about it! And Lucy, if you disrespect him ever again, I am sorry but I would have to sever any further relations with you.”

  Suddenly, the older woman began to shiver, her tears pouring out of her eyes, leaving stained streaks in her make-up. She clasped Anne’s hands gently and caressed her fingers. “How could you say that? You’re my child, Anne. I may have not given birth to you, but I raised you. How could you favor this man whom you have known only for a short time over me?”

  “Because… because I like him,” she stammered, breaking into sobs as well. “Why won’t you understand? Why won’t you let me get close to any man? I’m a woman too, Lucy, and I need that love which you or Dad will never be able to give to me.”

  Lucy pulled out a tissue from the tissue box and blotted out her tears. “I know, Anne,” she sniveled. “But we want to be sure you will live the rest of your life with a man who can truly protect and love you. No matter how much you think you can do without anybody’s help, the fact still is that you are not normal. There will be people out there who will want to take advantage of you. And since you are the sole heir of your father’s empire, that makes you even more a target for swindlers.”

  Anne’s face darkened. “So you and Dad sold me out to Nicholas Bradley.”

  “You… you know about that?” Lucy said, her trepidation sinking into her. “How did you know?”

  “You were setting me up when you told me to go to the party, isn’t it Lucy? How could you do that to me? How could you encourage Dad to go along with a marriage arrangement with Nicholas Bradley?”

  “I did it for you. Honey, whatever you may think of him, the man truly likes you.”

  “Did you ask him?”

  “Ask him? I don’t understand.” Lucy stared at her with bafflement.

  “Did you ask him if he liked me?”

  “No, but-”

  “Then how do you know what he and his father was really doing was making a business arrangement?” she said between clenched teeth.

  “Anne, it isn’t that I swear.”

  Anne straightened up with more resolve. “Tell Dad I have a boyfriend. And until he is in my life, I cannot think of the possibilities of being involved with another man.”

  The woman paled. “Honey, why don’t you give it a thought…”

  “I have known about you and Dad,” Anne interrupted. “I have known all along. But I understood. After Mom’s death, I could tell he was alone. And I appreciate that you were there to comfort him. I hope that you can return the favor. I hope you will be able to do the same for Eric and me.”

  The door closed behind her, leaving Anne shaking in the living room alone.

  “So is this why you asked me to stay?” Eric asked. He felt his jaw stiffening like it always did when he was annoyed or angry.

  “Eric, you heard….?” she stammered.

  “Is it true? Is that why you asked me to stay?” he repeated.

  “Yes…”

  “You were using me?” he minced angrily.

  “No!” she cried. “I did ask you stay in the beginning because of that. But then things changed-”

  “I am such a fool.” He ran his fingers through his hair as he swirled about at his spot. “And I thought you were different.”

  “Eric, please, let me explain…”

  “What is there to explain, Anne? What the fuck is there?!” he roared. “You invited me to stay at your house because you didn’t want an arranged marriage set up by your father. You wanted to use me as a ruse. So you could pretend I was your boyfriend. The entire time you were thinking of no one but yourself.”

  “No, no…” She shook her head fervently as she sobbed.

  “The truth of the matter is Anne, you like living all by yourself in this grand house. You never wanted to share your life with anyone. You’ve always said it. You are this modern independent woman who doesn’t need a man by her side.”

  She grasped the back of his shirt and wound her arms around him and to his front. “It started like that. I was afraid my dad would force me into that marriage. I didn’t know what to do. It didn’t look like I had a choice. I thought if he knew I had a boyfriend, he might consider living me alone. I thought I would finally be able to convince him that I was capable of finding someone I loved on my own. That I wasn’t truly as helpless as he always thinks I am,” she said, her voice muffled by his shirt. “And I trusted you. I’ve always trusted you. And so the more I thought about it, the more I thought it could be possible. You weren’t going to stay for long anyway and I assumed it would even work out between us. My dad would back-off on the idea of marrying me off and you would have left without knowing any of it. But Lucy came home. She was supposed to be away on a three month vacation. She wasn’t supposed to come back so quickly…”

  He pried her fingers from his shirt. “You shouldn’t trust me, Anne. I am not as nice as you think I am.”

  “Eric,…”

  “I have to go.”

  “No, no.” She cried again, clutching his shirt desperately. “Please, Eric, don’t go…”

  “I have to get away, Anne. I need to go.”

  “Eric, please,” she begged. “Don’t leave me...”

  He freed himself from her again and walked away, his shoulders hunched, his heart wounded. He gave her one last glance, unable to restrain the tears from falling out of his eyes as he opened the door.

  The door slammed and she knew she was all alone again. She fell to the floor sobbing.

  “Don’t go… don’t go… I… love… you.”

  CHAPTER 14

  She waited all day for him and when he didn’t return, she panicked. She raced down the hallway and burst through his bedroom door. He can’t have gone. He’s not gone!

  She fumbled about carelessly, looking for any signs of his stuff. His bag, his clothes… She staggered into the bathroom. His toothbrush, shaving gear… He will come back. At least for his things. I could tell him then how I feel about him. He won’t leave me. He will know and then he will stay…

  She fell against the wall of the bathroom, and
slid down to the floor in helplessness. Her breaths quickened as she tried to stifle another sob.

  “What have I done?” she cried. “What have I done? Eric…. Eric…”

  He stumbled into his bedroom. It had been a while since he binged on alcohol. He scratched his chin, itching to have a cold shower. He wasn’t as drunk as he had wished he could have been. Each time he downed a glass, he remembered she was alone and anyone could come and hurt her in their pursuit to find him.

  He pulled off his shirt in a daze and proceeded to unzip his pants when he realized that his clothes were strewn messily over his bed. His heart hammered inside him, panic surging through his veins. Anne.

  He raced towards her bedroom. Please, let her be okay. She’s got to be okay.

  There was thud and she cried.

  “Anne!” he shouted as he threw the door open. “Anne!”

  “I’m here,” she called from the bathroom.

  He saw her naked limp figure on the cold wet tiles through the glass panel and he hastily slid open the door, praying she wasn’t hurt.

  “Eric?”

  “Yes, it’s me. Are you okay?”

  She sobbed and laughed at the same time as if unable to decide which to do first. “Yes, I am fine. Damn, I keep tripping on these tiles. I just am so clumsy and careless…”

  He shot a glance at the uneven tiles of her bathroom floor and then pulled her towel from the towel rails.

  “I am so sorry,” she sobbed. “I’m not usually like this…”

  “Sshhh,” he said. “I’ve got you.”

  He covered her with the towel, wrapped it tightly around her and then picked her up into his arms. He knew she was slim, but he never would have guessed she was almost as light as a feather.

  She rested her head in the crook of his neck, her hands clasped around his neck as he carried her towards her bed. Her hair was damp and felt cool against his hot skin. She was blushing as she held tightly the two ends of her towel together.

  “I can walk,” she said softly, her breath brushing against his ear. “Really, Eric, you don’t have to…”

  He stopped midway as he looked down on her. He was far too aware of her nakedness. His cock was hard and strained against his pants. His hand itched to caress her breasts which were only inches from his fingers. He sucked in a deep breath. He was only a man. There was only so much he could endure.

  The fact that she used him didn’t matter. Hadn’t he done the same? Hadn’t he sneaked in like a thief into her house, only intending to use it as a hideout? He had never wanted to be involved with her. And here he was, entangled with her every breath.

  “Eric?” she asked with puzzlement when he neither moved nor let her down.

  “What do you want from me, Anne?” His voice rasped.

  She didn’t answer, her body shivering slightly. “I want you,” she said at last.

  She lifted her eyes up at him and he immediately leaned down and captured her lips. She was shy, reluctant at first as he tasted her lips, nipping it occasionally. He carried her to the bed and laid over her as he continued to kiss her. His tongue delved into her mouth, teasing her tongue to play with his.

  He lifted his head, the tip of his nose delicately caressing hers. “Do you trust me?” he whispered.

  She closed her eyes. “Yes.”

  He leaned down again, kissing her jaw and then slowly traced down to her neck. He gently pried her towel away from her clenched fingers and tossed it as far as he could from her. Tonight and on, she would be his forever and he wasn’t going to let some blasted towel come between them.

  She let out a quiet moan as his hands moved further down, caressing her contours on its path to her sex. He found her breasts and he sucked at them hungrily, taking her areola into his mouth. She bucked under him and he quickly placed his hand over her pussy, anchoring her down onto the bed.

  She groaned louder when he pressed down onto her clit. His fingers found her opening and easily slipped into her through her wetness. He loved the slush sound of his fingers as he pumped into her. She writhed, threading her fingers into his hair, unable to control the wave of orgasm surging through her.

  “Eric, I’m going to come,” she moaned.

  He removed his fingers and replaced them with his lips, flicking his tongue against her clitoris and diving into her opening. He sucked the lips of her sex and then her valley.

  “Eric, I… yes, oh….”

  His hand kneaded her breasts as she stiffened with pleasure, her orgasm finally on his tongue.

  His heart was palpitating. He wasn’t over. Far from it.

  “You ready for another?” he said hoarsely.

  She nodded, still delirious from the first.

  He gave her a small kiss on her lips and in one deft movement, he had removed his jeans and tossed them aside. He then sat on his knees, spreading her legs apart. He touched her clit and she groaned. He clasped his cock in his hand, giving it a short pump, not that he needed it. But seeing her lying there, waiting for him to take her, almost had him coming between her legs.

  He pressed the tip of his cock against her clit and then slid it down into her hole. He pulled it out and slid it back up and down until he heard that beautiful slushy sounds of her juices again. He put in two fingers to test her wetness. Finally satisfied that she was ready for him again, he pushed into her slowly. He found her barrier and nudged it a few times before pushing further in. She gripped her bedspreads as she bit into her lower lip. He gave her a quick glance to ensure if she could take it. She is okay. She is fine.

  He thrust hard into her, feeling himself tear through her hymen. But then her body relaxed as she lifted her bottom up to allow him further in. She is mine, only mine.

  He pumped into her, slow and hard and she pushed up, meeting him every step of the way. Finally, their hips jerked as their orgasms swept through them. He slid out of her, his head resting in the valley of her bosoms.

  They lay in bed, late into the morning. Sunlight streamed through the windows, glistening their naked bodies.

  He held her close to him, her head on his heart and their feet tangled together. This is how he wanted it to be forever. He didn’t know how many times they made love last night. And they had awoken early just to do it all over again. He smiled, a strange calmness settling over him.

  “I’m sorry about not telling you about the arrangement,” she said quietly.

  He sighed. “No, I shouldn’t have got mad with you. You did what you could to protect yourself. I just got angry because you made it too easy for me… to have you.”

  “To have me?” She crooked up her head. “Eric, do you even like me?”

  He rolled her over on her back, staring down into her face. “What do you think?”

  She traced his face with her fingers. “I think you’re attracted to me.”

  He caught her fingers and brought them to his lips. “I’m more than just attracted to you, Anne. You’re the beautiful dream I’ve never dared to have.”

  “And do you dare to dream now?”

  He smiled, leaned down and kissed her fully on the lips, his hand cupping her buttocks and tugging her into him. He then reluctantly released her, burying his head into her shoulders with a groan.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked with some disappointment.

  “It’s late and we should get up.”

  “Oh, no. Can we just stay in for today?”

  “As much as I would like to stay in and make love to you all day, we have to get up and do something that doesn’t involve nudity and a bed.” He kissed her shoulders. “There are some things I need to work on.”

  He leaped out of bed before he could succumb to another temptation to take up her offer and waste the day with her in bed. He grabbed a towel from the rails when he noticed a jar of neatly folded notes.

  “What is this?” he asked curiously, peeking at the jar.

  “What?”

  “This jar of colorful paper. Are you into origami?”
>
  She chuckled as she sat up. “No. Those are my dreams.”

  “Can I read one?” he grinned.

  “You can try, if you know Braille.” She tugged her legs up to her chest.

  “Braille, huh? Well, aren’t you a clever little minx.”

  “With noseys like you around, you’ve just got to be.”

  He looked at her, her head leaning against her knees. She was waiting for him to leave so she could refresh herself as well. Even after their several hours of sex, she was evidently still shy of her body.

  He sighed. “Don’t use your bathroom. I don’t want you tripping there again.”

  “Oh, come on,” she groaned. “It’s not like I do that every day.”

  “Yeah? And how many times did you get away with it without hurting yourself?”

  She didn’t answer, grouching instead.

  “Exactly.” He smiled. “So be a good girl and use the guest shower.”

  He browsed through the supplies in the hardware store.

  “Do you need any help?” an assistant asked him.

  “No, I’m fine,” he replied briskly as he picked out a concrete chisel. It had been a long while since he had done any DIY projects of his own. But as his fingers ran over the handle, his memories as a construction worker came flooding back to him. It would be like running a bicycle. I can do this.

  “Hi.”

  Eric stiffened. Someone had addressed him as if he was familiar with him. He tightened his grasp on the handle.

  “You’re the guy who saved us in the diner a month ago,” the man said, trying to walk around to get a better view of Eric.

  Eric glanced up carefully and recognized the father of the autistic child he had saved from being bullied. He recalled the card he still carried in his wallet. John Adelstein, Director, Adelstein Constructions.

  “I’m sorry, you’re mistaken,” Eric replied grimly.

  “Oh,” the man remarked disappointedly. “I was so sure. I’m sorry to bother you then.”

  Eric gave him a short nod and then tried to get back to choosing an appropriate chisel. He was still tensed from the man’s presence. He was stalling behind him, hesitant to leave.