Thousands of years ago, Mesopotamia

Selah

Night after night, Sariel has come to me in my dreams, his golden hair and bronzed skin aglow in the light of the moon. I wake with the feel of his lips grazing my body, his fingers gliding up my thighs, and my sex slick and aching. I should fear him. No human moves as swiftly as he. I know this is true. I am certain he’s not like me. But when I’m with him, the only thing I feel between us is a sense of completion. He is right for me.

Tonight, as I lie in my bed, gazing at the unusually bright moon from my window, I bite my lip at the tickle of excitement in my belly. Maybe he’ll come to me again. Closing my eyes, I will myself to envision our clearing by the river. I drift off, embracing the dream as it takes hold.

The soft babble of the water and the rustle of the leaves in the wind come into focus, and before I know it, his scent envelops me.

“Selah, why have you brought me here?” His words are tight and hold a note of confusion. I look around, but disappointment settles within me when I don’t see him. This is different. In my dreams, he slides between my blankets and holds me in his arms in my bed.

“I… This is our secret place. It is only for you and me,” I say into the wind, wishing this dream would allow him to touch me.

A soft caress glides over my exposed neck, sending shivers of pleasure through me. “Take down your hair,” he commands.

“Why can’t I see you?”

“I don’t want you to.”

Removing the binding at the end of my hair, I shake the braid, and my long locks fall free. “What are you?”

His deep voice sends a bolt of desire straight to my core. “Yours.”

Oh my. His fingers ghost under the neckline of my nightdress. The burn of his lips against my collarbone surprises me. Not being able to see him only heightens my senses. My breath catches as his hand cups my breast, and he rolls my nipple between his fingers. I shouldn’t be letting him do this, but it isn’t real. I’m dreaming.

“Sariel,” I moan.

“Don’t make a sound. Just feel me.”

I bite my lip as his hand leaves my breast, and the whimper that escapes me is pathetic, but I don’t care. I want him touching me.

Blanketed by the inky darkness of a cloudy night, I wait for him to return. He’s still here. His energy surrounds me, but he’s teasing me. And then, warm palms settle against my neck, running over the sensitive flesh under my jaw before his lips are on mine and he’s whole, right there in front of me. My gaze locks on his beautiful silver eyes as he worships my mouth, all while staring into my heart. How can I possibly leave and marry a man I have seen only one time, when Sariel makes me feel this way?

Pulling away, he drops to his knees and slips his hands under my skirts, raising the fabric higher and higher until my thighs are bared to the open air. I know this is a dream, but it feels incredibly real.

With a soft grunt, he bunches my skirt up to my waist and flicks his tongue over my inner thigh. “Oh, my Selah. You are such a treasure.”

My knees tremble as his kisses and licks move closer to the wetness between my legs. “Stop! What are you doing?”

He turns his face up to meet my gaze. “I am touching you in the way a man might touch his wife. The way I’ve wanted to touch you every night since you allowed me to kiss you in the clearing.”

“I am not your wife.”

“You are no one else’s, Selah. You are mine.” His growled response sends need careening through my body.

“I can’t be yours.”

Releasing my skirts from his grasp, he stands and holds my shoulders. “You can. Marry me. I will give you everything I am if you choose to be mine.”

“Do not joke about such things. You know as well as I, that will never happen.” My heart aches for the turn this dream has taken. “Tomorrow, I leave. To do my duty.”

Anger flashes in his eyes. “No. You will be mine, Selah. No matter the cost.”

Cost? “Stop. I shouldn’t be here with you. This cannot happen again. Leave me be, Sariel.”

“As long as I am on this earth, I will not.”

Sighing, I push away from him, even though it’s the last thing I want. In truth, I’d rather never wake and spend eternity in his arms, here under the tree.

“I can’t marry you,” I sigh.

“Why not?”

“I don’t know you.”

He laughs, the sound rich and warm. “And you know the man your father has sold you to?”

My cheeks heat as blood fills them. “No. But he will give me a secure life. I will be cared for. Have everything I could want.”

The pad of his thumb caresses my palm as he takes my hand. “You will not have love. Only I can give you that.”

I shiver despite being so hot I’m panting. “Y-you don’t love me.”

“I am certain you do not understand the depth of my feelings. If you did, you would have no doubt of my love.”

Without giving me a chance to answer, he crushes my mouth with his and pushes his tongue past my lips. A groan escapes me, urging him on as he holds me tight to him. In one smooth move, he lowers us to the ground and pushes up my dress. One hand snakes down my body, and I shudder in pleasure as his fingers slide over my center. And then his fingers press inside, sending tingles radiating outward. Oh, sweet mercy. What is he doing to me?

“Ah, Sariel,” I cry, squirming as he moves his hand back and forth.

“Say you will be mine,” he growls.

“I can’t.” My words come in harsh gasps as something spectacular begins to build in my center.

“Say it.”

“I… I…”

“Now, my love. Tell me you are mine. Tell me I am the only one who will give you this pleasure.”

His thumb strokes tight circles around a sensitive bud I’ve rarely touched. I am so close to something I know I want.

“Please…oh, please?”

“Tell me.”

My breath comes in sharp gasps as my vision blurs. “I am yours, Sariel.”

A wide smile spreads across his lips, and with a flick of his thumb…

My eyes snap open.