Dream On

By Jaci Burton

Since her husband Jack left her five years ago, Kate has done nothing but dwell on the anger and feelings of betrayal, vowing to forget their twenty year marriage and move on. But she can't. She dreams about him every night. Dreams of his smile, his touch, the way he used to look at her and the way he made love to her. Her body responds as if he's really there, but in the harsh light of morning she knows that she's living in the past and needs to let go.

 

When Jack suddenly returns without explanation of where he's been or why he left, Kate fights the attraction that still smolders between them. Determined to win her back at all costs, Jack reminds her of the passion they shared, when every touch, every look, every word sent her soaring into heights of ecstasy. It's like a dream she can't wake up from, a trip to the past when life with Jack was wonderful. But the past is over and Kate is determined not to live in dreams any longer, even if that means she has to face reality and live without the man she's loved all her life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jaci Burton, Inc
• Release date: Feb 9, 2005
• ISBN: 9798201123406

Book preview

Other Titles by Jaci Burton

PLAY-BY-PLAY NOVELS

The Perfect Play

Changing the Game

Taking a Shot

Playing to Win

Thrown by a Curve

One Sweet Ride

Melting the Ice

Straddling the Line

Quarterback Draw

All Wound Up

Hot Holiday Nights – A Novella

Holiday Games – A Novella

Holiday on Ice – A Novella

Unexpected Rush

Rules of Contact

The Final Score

HOPE NOVELS

Hope Smolders

Hope Flames

Hope Ignites

Hope Burns

Love After All

Make Me Stay

Don’t Let Go

Love Me Again

WILD RIDER NOVELS

Riding Wild

Riding Temptation

Riding on Instinct

Riding the Night

ANTHOLOGIES

Unlaced

Exclusive

Laced with Desire

Nauti and Wild

Nautier and Wilder

Hot Summer Nights

SPECIALS

The Ties That Bind

No Strings Attached

Wild Nights

Rescue Me

Nothing Personal

Unwrapped

Dare to Love

Unraveled

SINGLE TITLES

Wild, Wicked, & Wanton

Bound, Branded, & Brazen

Animal Instincts

Bite Me

Dolphin’s Playground

Dream On

Garden of Eden

Hands On

Lycan’s Surrender

Magnolia Summer

Midnight Velvet

True Lies

Dream On

By

Jaci Burton

Dream On

All Rights Reserved ©2005 by Jaci Burton

ISBN: 978-1-946535-24-5

Cover by Designs By Dana

eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

Published by Jaci Burton

Praise for Jaci Burton

A STALWART IN THE ROMANCE GENRE. —USA Today

A wild ride. —#1 New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh

Jaci Burton delivers. —Cherry Adair, New York Times bestselling author

As always, Jaci Burton delivers a hot read. —Fresh Fiction

Burton is a master at sexual tension! —RT Book Reviews

One to pick up and savor. —Publishers Weekly

Contents

Other Titles by Jaci Burton

Copyright

Title Page

Praise for Jaci Burton

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Epilogue

About Jaci Burton

"We are such stuff

As dreams are made on…"

William Shakespeare’s The Tempest (IV, i, 156-157)

Chapter One

Kate stood outside on the porch and wrapped the quilt around her shoulders to ward off the chill of impending night. Dust filtered through the setting sun, coloring the lake a rusty orange. It was spring and the days were beginning to grow warmer, but at night when the sun went down so did the temperature. She shivered, grabbed her cup of tea and sat on the old wooden swing. As she rocked back and forth and watched the orange glow of the horizon, the memories slapped at her like flies at a summer picnic.

Spring used to be Jack’s favorite time of year. During the rare occasions he had a weekend to spare, they’d travel out here to the country house and sit on the swing, talking about anything and everything. His job, the kids, what they wanted to do when they retired. They’d made so many plans together, counting the years until the kids were grown and off creating their own lives.

The kids were gone now. Problem was, so was Jack. Only his departure had been more abrupt. One day he was there, sharing his life with her, and the next he was gone. Without any warning, he’d disappeared from her life completely.

Her mellow mood vanished in an instant, replaced instead by the cool chill that had permeated every day for the last five years. And all because of Jack.

The sonofabitch. She’d go to her grave hating him for what he’d done.

He’d made promises. Big promises about their future together, sucking her into his dreams so easily, only to shatter her illusions in one day. Now she was forty-five years old and alone, and all those things Jack had promised her for twenty years had meant nothing. They’d never enjoy making love in the middle of the day because the boys were no longer there to interrupt. They’d never sell their house in the city and retire here in their country house. They’d never grow old together.

Empty words. Betrayal.

You lied to me, Jack, she whispered to the breeze swirling around her. You promised me forever and you didn’t keep your part of the bargain. How could you do this to me? How could you make promises and not keep them?

Swiping at the tears rolling down her cheeks, she summoned up the righteous anger that always made her feel better. Screw him! He’d left her after twenty years, destroying her dreams. She’d long ago vowed never to hurt over him again. Better to stay angry. Much more productive that way.

So why did she still dream about him at night? Why did his face, his touch, still haunt her?

Because you can’t let go.

She shook her head, refusing to dwell on him any longer. Jack was part of her past now and the house in the city was up for sale. One part of her memories would soon be gone. At least she still had the country house, even though it was way too quiet these days with the boys gone. Both Ron and J.J. were