I thought you might enjoy another excerpt from my romantic suspense, Premonitions, the first book in the Dream Catcher series.
He had seen her first and couldn’t mistake the concern on her face. Chaz excused himself from the person he was talking with and was already heading directly toward her when she looked in his direction. He didn’t miss seeing the moment she noticed the sling supporting his left arm or the sadness that filled her eyes when theirs met.
“It’s nothing,” he dismissed as he reached her.
She leaned close and softly said that a gunshot wound isn’t “nothing” and saw confusion wrinkle his brow. He quickly told the bartender he’d be in his office and led her along the edge of the room to the hallway marked PRIVATE.
“What do you know about it?” he asked suspiciously as they stepped into the smaller room. He motioned for her to sit in one of the two leather chairs in front of his desk.
“Only what I saw in a dream.” She waited for the look of utter disbelief. It never came. She wiped her hands on the rough denim of her jeans and continued. “The first time I dreamed it was about a week ago, then again three nights ago.” She told him all the details that she could remember from that second night when everything had been clear.
“And you dreamed this? Twice?” He watched her nod and recalled the night they’d met and her question about whether he believed in people having strong vibes. He believed her. “How?”
“It’s something I’ve always done—have dreams that come true. It doesn’t happen all the time.” She stared back at him with relief. “You haven’t laughed at me, yet.”
His head shook. He wouldn’t laugh at the sincere concern that had brought her to him.
“Let’s just say that I believe the mind works in ways we don’t understand. And you weren’t with me, so there is no other explanation for your knowing what you do.” He sat in the chair beside hers and reached for her hand: it was trembling and he wanted to calm her.
“I got shot three nights ago; the same night as your second dream. The bullet didn’t do a lot of damage but the wound will still take a little while to heal.” His fingers curled more securely around hers before he added, “The weird thing is that I thought I saw you that night while I was recovering from surgery. Your hair was loose and you were wearing a blue nightgown. I assumed it was a hallucination because of the anesthesia. But it wasn’t, was it?” His eyes searched hers for the truth.
"This is a crazy question, but did you come to me in a vision, Stephanie?”
“I don’t know; maybe it’s possible.” She told him about the pain she’d felt during that second dream that hadn’t gone away until the next morning. “I’ve never been connected like that.”
Connected. It was the perfect word, Chaz decided.
“Do the police know who shot you?”
“They’re working on it.” He reached over to push a stray curl behind her ear.
Stephanie heard the evasiveness in his answer but didn’t say anything. Instead, she briefly touched the side of his face. The intensity of her concern showed in her eyes and moved him. He resisted an immediate urge to pull her onto his lap and just hold her; just let them enjoy whatever was drawing them together. But, he couldn’t ignore his surroundings or the truth about his job.
“This isn’t a good idea,” came from him.
“Life plays out like it has to, Chaz.”
“Aren’t you afraid to be with a man who just got shot?”
She shook her head. “I’m more afraid to not be with you,” was her honest reply. Whatever it meant, Chaz was part of her destiny. She leaned forward and kissed him, lightly at first and then again until he sighed and allowed the exchange to have more depth. As had happened when he’d touched her in the restaurant, Stephanie felt electricity pass through them.
Longing sprang to life and caused a conflict between his head and his heart. The timing was all wrong; his life was getting more dangerous and he wanted to shield her from it. Still, he wanted her, suspected from the way her kisses drew him that maybe he even needed her. But he might not be able to keep her safe, he argued with himself.
Well, he’d have to figure it out.
Chaz looked into her face and asked, “Do you trust me, Stephanie?” She nodded. “I’m not a bad person. But there are things happening around here that I can’t let impact you. So, for now, I won’t be able to let anyone know about us.” He studied her for a reaction. Nothing. “When we’re together, it can’t be here, okay?”
“Okay,” she agreed even though she didn’t understand. It didn’t matter. Stephanie trusted her instincts. At that moment, they were telling her that his concern for her was sincere, just as hers was for him.
Chaz asked for her cell phone and input his number. Then he allowed himself the luxury of holding and kissing her for a few minutes before he walked with her to the front of the pool hall and watched her leave.
His phone rang only seconds after she was gone.
“Who was that?” Morgan’s voiced asked.
“No one important.” Chaz glanced up at the black tinted dome above the bar that concealed a surveillance camera and was immediately reminded that the man downstairs was able to watch most of what went on above him.
“Don’t get careless, partner,” was a gentle warning. The call ended. Chaz understood. Morgan was being very protective since the shooting. And he had a right to be. A lot was at stake, and Chaz was the key to nearly a year of hard work.
