Sera tossed and turned. The red liquid oozing between her fingers. Blood. So much blood. She couldn't control it. Malcolm held her tight. "Sera, listen to me. You can do anything. All you have to do is say yes. Live life to the fullest. Don't let people push you around. Every—every breath counts. Be happy." And then he was gone.

She sat up with a start, the tears tracking down her face as always. When everything blinked into focus, she realized she was in the guest bedroom. But Dylan was nowhere to be found.

She yanked off the sheets and tossed on his discarded t-shirt. The digital clock showed just past two in the morning. Fantastic. She needed some damn sleep, but she knew from experience that if she tried now, she'd get sucked right back into the same dream. Instead, she dragged open the door determined to shake the dream. The hardwood felt cool and smooth beneath her feet as she padded into the kitchen.

"You couldn't sleep either?"

With a squeal she whirled around. "God damn. You have the feet of a ninja. I'm getting you a damn bell." She rolled her shoulders and added, "What are you doing standing in the dark watching the street? Is someone out there?"

He shook his head. "Not watching the street. I'm watching the water. It helps calm the dreams a little."

"You have a nightmare too?" she asked quietly.

Turning back to stare out the window, he replied. "Something like that."

"I was going to make hot chocolate, you want one?"

He turned with a grimace. "That constitutes cooking. You'd better let me handle that."

She huffed. "I can handle hot chocolate. Besides, I make it really good."

"Let me guess, microwave?"

"Yeah, it's instant. What's wrong with that?"

She couldn't see that well in the dark, but the way he crossed his arms and cocked his head, she imagined he was rolling his eyes.

"You go turn on the TV, I think there's a Nightmare on Elm Street marathon. I'll handle the hot chocolate."

"There are marsh—"

"Marshmallows in the top cabinet? I know. I saw them when I put the groceries away Sunday."

"I keep them there so I won't be tempted to just stand at the counter eating them."

"Have you considered not buying them?"

"Blasphemy."

In ten minutes, they were seated on the sofa watching as Freddy terrorized the city of Springwood. "It's amazing that this stuff is still scary." She might have nightmares. But these she could handle. It was the ones based in reality that were too much.

Dylan's voice was soft in the TV-lit living room. "Was it Malcolm?"

She nodded. "I haven't had Malcolm dreams for a long time, but they've started again."

"Understandable, obviously.”

"Yeah, I guess. I just wish I could let that shit go."

"Come here." He set his half-empty mug down on the dark wood coffee table and opened up his arms.

This was dangerous. But she didn't care about that right now. Right now, she remembered how good he smelled. How he made her feel. How badly her body craved his. She put her mug down and tucked into him. "Your dreams, are they about the day you saved my mother?"

He was silent for a long stretch before speaking. "Sometimes."

"You have other bad dreams?"

The muted voices on the television were the only sound for several minutes. "Sometimes I dream that I'm all alone, no family, no one."

"But you have so much family."

"When my mom took off I had the same dream. That somehow Dad would leave too and Derek and I would be separated."

"What happened that day? With my mother?" She clarified. She’d never had the whole story.

Dylan sighed and tucked her even closer until her head rested on his chest, the top of her head reaching his chin. They lay side by side and she could feel every hard length of muscle.

"Everything was such a blur. Your mother was having a rally. Threats had been called in. The reason the Feds were there and not just the Capitol Police was because there had been some bomb threats called in as well. I wasn't even supposed to be there. I'd been assigned to her the last day of the three-day event because someone called in sick. Some idiot with a 3D-printed gun had made it past the detectors, dogs, guards."

"I remember reading about that day and the young agent who saved my mother's life. I guess that was you."

"We advised her not to speak, and she insisted."

"Sounds like Mom."

"That girl, Sera, she was younger than us. Maybe nineteen." He shook his head. “I found out after that she'd been pregnant." "I can't shake that knowledge. It eats away at a little piece of my soul."

Sera stayed perfectly still. Counting his heartbeats, waiting for him to continue.

"She had every opportunity to save herself and her kid. I tried to reason with her, but she forced my hand." He shook his head and leaned back on the couch.

"It's okay, you did what you had to do."

"Did I? I keep asking myself that question." He was silent for a breath. “After that day my whole life changed, and I’ve just been trying to get it back to normal. At least what I thought was normal.”

Sera’s heart hammered against her ribs when she asked. “You lost someone?” She wanted to know. But she had enough of a sense of self-preservation to not want to know.

His breathing was even, his heart rate ticked up a notch. “Well as a result of not being able to deal with shit. I was seeing someone. But then I took the job in DC and that was it. I dunno, she thought I’d choose her or something. But she didn't get that the job wasn’t really a choice. Your mother didn't leave much room for negotiation.”

“That’s my mother for you.”

“When we split, it was rough. She had a daughter who I thought of as my own. And then she was gone. I kept thinking if I could get back to New York, I could put everything back the way it was. You know before that day. But deep down I know I can’t. In my head I created this idea that Symone was perfect and overlooked the fact that I liked being surrogate father more than I enjoyed the relationship. I guess it’s hard to let go of who I was.”

Sera placed a hand over his heart and whispered. "I’m sorry. None if it was your fault.” She curled into his side and held onto him tight. That was how she fell asleep.

* * *

Dylan snuggled into the warmth at his side. God that smelled like fucking heaven, and he relished in it. Sweat, warm, soft woman. The scent of honeysuckle and spices met him as he snuggled into her hair. Sera. Yo, dude, this is a dream. Fuck that, dream or not, he'd enjoy it while it lasted.

Kissing the top of her head, he held her tighter, certain the amazingly solid mirage would dissipate if he held on to the thread of realness for too long. But then soft lips pressed to his nipple, sending a pure electric jolt to his cock. Fuck.

She did it again and his brain tried to make sense of what was going on right now. While his brain might still think he was asleep, his body tipped him into the land of the wakeful and horny. Very horny.

His erect cock nudged her cleft and she groaned, sliding her leg higher onto his thigh.

That did it. His senses snapped to attention and he blinked his eyes open. In a second, he knew where he was and that there was no immediate danger. Unless he counted Sera pressing her hot center into his cock, practically begging him to dry hump her on the couch.

At some point in the middle of the night, she'd climbed onto him, hooking her leg over his and splaying those long limbs across him. Good thing the couch was so deep. It fit the two of them easily.

Again, she nuzzled his chest and kissed his nipple, this time licking the skin with her tongue. His cock throbbed in his basketball shorts, and there was no mistaking that he was hard, ready, and wanting. "Sera?"

"Hmm?"

Well, at least she was awake enough to respond. He'd have had to stop her if she wasn't coherent, and that would have been a crying shame. "Want to tell me what you're doing?"

"Seeing how you taste."

She licked him again and Dylan clamped his teeth together in an attempt to stave off the wave of lust rolling through him. Oh fuck. It was official, she was going to kill him. With words alone. She was going to put him under and pile dirt right on top of him because…reasons. "Yeah, I can feel that." His voice was gruff. Almost pained. "Anywhere else you want to taste? I'm sort of in an obliging mood. I'm eager for you to kiss me where you'd like."

Lifting her head, she peeked up at him with a sly smile. "Is that so? I never figured you for a toe person."

Even when she was driving him crazy, she could make him laugh. "We can start there if you'd like, but I have to warn you, I've got big feet."

"Yeah, I'm noticing that," she said as she wiggled her hips.

She hissed, he groaned. Fuck this. Enough torture. Rolling them both over until he lay on top of her, he grinned. "Seems like somebody's in the mood to misbehave."

She blinked up at him and shrugged. "Sometimes rules are stupid."

He lowered his head and for once, stopped thinking, stopped rationalizing, stopped editing, and let himself feel. Let himself do the things he'd been imagining doing since he first saw her dancing on top of the bar.

Taking over the kiss, he fully threw himself into it. Her lips opened in a surprised gasp and he took full advantage, delving deep with his tongue. Tentatively she met his tongue with hers. Siding hers against his. Beneath him, her hips moved in time with his, his cock nestling right against her. She wore the tiniest shorts he'd ever seen to bed. Hell, he wasn't entirely sure they weren't underwear.

So hot. So sweet, the roar of blood between his ears deafened him to any warning bells clanging. He wanted her too much. But he silenced the caution. Silenced the doubt and just felt. She rocked her hips up to meet his and he scooped a hand down under her ass, to hold her in place as he dragged his cock along her heat. Jesus fuck, that was so good . She bucked beneath him and threw her head back, giving him perfect access to her slender neck. He nipped and teased and licked. Sera dug her fingers into his hair and tugged him close. "God, right there. Yes."

As he sucked on her petal-soft skin, he rubbed his cock against her. The pressure building to near pain.

When he dragged his lips down, she panted heavily, her breasts rising and falling with each shallow breath. "I don't think you need this right now."

He tugged her tank top down and his breath caught. Jesus. She was so full but not too full. Her blackberry-tipped nipples catching his full, undivided attention. His mouth watered with the desire to lick, to taste, to devour. Take it easy, Donovan. He dragged a deep breath to steady himself. He wasn't going to rush this. He was going to take his time and savor this moment.

Sliding his lips over her skin, he smiled to himself as she arched her back, practically offering herself up to him. When his lips grazed a nipple, she moaned deep. "Dylan."

"Yeah, sweetheart?" He watched in fascination as her skin puckered around the tip. "So damn pretty."

When he wrapped his lips around her nipple, she bucked in his arms, and the tingles started low in his spine. He didn't even have her naked yet and he was getting ready to come.

Forcing himself to relax, he slowed the pace, wanting her soft and pliant. He wanted to take his time. Enjoy himself, not rush anything. Not like the blur of lips and heat yesterday.

Or at least that was the plan. With her hands in his hair and her hips rocking beneath him. And his tongue on her nipple, he was having a hard time remembering to take his time. Then he slid his hand into her shorts. Shit.

All night she'd been sleeping next to him with no fucking underwear on. His finger encountered soft, dewy female and all focus went to the finger grazing her tight entrance. She was so wet, and he wanted a taste, but he wanted to feel her for just a minute. To see how tight she was, how she'd take him.

Tight, so tight, but also soft and willing, her thighs fell apart and he forced himself to take it easy. "Do you have any idea how soft you are? All I want to do right now is sink into you and lose myself." He might never leave. Gently, he retreated his finger an inch before sliding back in. Sera lifted her hips with every slide. He suckled her gently while finger fucking her, then teased her with a graze of his teeth as he prepared her. His finger slid and retreated. Then he added another. She slid her hands from his hair onto his shoulders and he could feel the imprint her nails were leaving.

"Shhhh," he whispered against she breast. "Easy does it. I'm not going to hurt you. I would never hurt you."

"Dylan, oh God, oh my God."

"You want more, Sera?"

Her answer was a moan. And he stopped moving altogether. "I don't understand, Sera. Tell me, do you like it?"

She nodded vehemently. "Ye-yes. God, don't stop."

It didn't matter to him that the demons of lust were roaring through his blood, he wanted this from her, needed this from her. Her soft sounds were more than enough to make him want to thump his chest. She's mine.

He adjusted his hand position as he crawled back up to claim her mouth. He timed the thrust of his tongue with every glide of his finger. Sera clawed at his back and he hissed at the mix of pleasure and pain.

His thumb circled her clit on every retreat, dragging out her response and she whimpered and rocked her hips, trying to chase his withdrawing fingers. She was so electric. So damn pretty, open for him like this. So open and honest. She held nothing back from him.

"Sera, look at me."

She fluttered her lids open and her dark eyes met his. "I want to see you when you come for me."

"Dylan, I don't think I can." She sucked in her bottom lip and grazed it with her teeth, but nodded.

"It's us, Sera, all you have to do is let go."

"I don't know if I can."

"Oh, you can." He kissed her softly as his thumb slid over her clit, up and down, over and over. No rush, just a slow, gentle glide of his other fingers. He wanted her on the edge of control as long as he could keep her there. He wanted her to know exactly who was making her feel this good. Who was making her scream with pleasure.

Then he felt it, the quiver of her velvety soft walls around his fingers.

Sera's eyes went wide and she gasped his name. Dylan felt the electricity winding its way around his spine and he fought for control. This wasn't about him or what he needed. This was about Sera.

The moment she let go, her whole body bowed and she quaked as the orgasm sent aftershock after aftershock. Dylan didn't wait, instead he shoved off the blanket and slid her body. He tugged those useless shorts down her toned legs and spread her wide. "I've been dying to taste you since I saw you dance."

"Dylan—"

Anything else she might have said was cut off when he slid his tongue from cleft to slit. Hell, yes, she tasted like heaven. So sweet. He splayed her legs wide and licked, sucked, and fucked her with his tongue. Taking his time to explore her. With her legs shaking, he crawled up her body to kiss her again. Snatching his wallet off of the coffee table, he grabbed a condom. His shorts and t-shirt, he yanked off with a swift efficiency before rolling on the condom inch by inch. Sera watched him with wide eyes, a smile teasing on her lips.

"Look at me, baby."

Sera dragged her eyes up to meet his. "Dylan."

He teased her entrance with his throbbing erection, so desperate for release. Inch by inch he eased in. Sera held on tight to his forearms.

His body trembled and Dylan dropped his forehead to hers. "Do you have any idea how incredible you feel?"

She tensed beneath him and she pulsed around his cock. He knew she was close again. "Oh wow…"

"Look at me, beautiful. I want—"

But the words failed him at that point. When her body rocked against his and she bowed her back, he muffled her scream with a kiss. Sera locked her arms around him and Dylan couldn't think of a single place he'd rather be. With one deep stroke, then another, he followed her into oblivion.