By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age. If you are under the age of 18, stop here.

Tanner froze at the sight of Nica kneeling next to his brother, her hands flat on Jensen’s chest. And glowing.

Her hands actually glowed, a pale greenish yellow that pulsed as it bathed Jensen’s chest in light.

“Put the water and towels next to me and step back but don’t go anywhere,” she said. “I may need your help.”

“What the hell are you doing?”

"I’m drawing out the spell.”

He did as she said, trying to think through the ache in his head. Did she just say spell?

“Did you call—”

“Tanner.” Her quiet but forceful tone shut him up immediately. “I need to concentrate. Please.”

She needed to concentrate. On drawing out the spell.

Christ, this was not happening.

Jensen was not lying on the floor, looking like he was dying. And Nica was not hunched over him, her hands glowing—freaking glowing—like something out of a sci-fi film.

He had to be dreaming.

That was the only explanation for the fact that he stood there and watched a woman he’d only known for a few hours move her glowing hands over his possibly dying brother.

Nica didn’t make a sound as she concentrated, eyes closed, mouth moving in a silent rhythm. As if she were praying.

Tanner didn’t have much religion. He believed in being a good person, doing the right thing and having fun without hurting anyone.

He didn’t believe in faith healers. He didn’t believe in magic.

But he couldn’t dismiss what he was seeing with his own eyes. So that meant he had to be dreaming.

Nica gasped at that moment, her hands trembling and her body convulsing with a shudder.

“Gods damn it. That bastard.”

He barely heard Nica mutter under breath but he knew she wasn’t pleased.

“Tanner, come sit behind me. I need you.”

Yeah, sure. Why not? This dream couldn’t get any freakier.

He sat.

“Now, I know this is going to sound really strange…” She paused as she drew her hands away from Jensen and turned so she could look at him. “I need you to kiss me. I need energy to counteract the spell and sexual energy is the best way to do that.”

She stared hard into his eyes, hers intense with concentration. She had beautiful eyes, a beautiful mouth. She had such a serene presence that the heat the three of them had generated in bed had been a surprise. A great one.

“I know you’re worried about Jensen but I can help him,” she continued. “I just need you to help me.”

“Sure.”

So he cupped her cheeks in his hands and kissed her. That’s what you did in a dream. You went with it.

And kissing Nica was the best dream ever. Her soft lips felt like silk against his, her warm breath enticing him to fall a little deeper into her. He remembered how her mouth had felt wrapped around his cock, how she’d cried out around him when she’d come.

Now she melted against him, opened her mouth and kissed him back.

And he felt…something. Like a breeze from an open window blew over his skin. But they’d turned on the central air last week and all the windows in the house were closed.

It’s a dream, only a dream.

A dream that felt way too real.