Prologue

This is where Natalie first has her dream about they mysterious guy

            His blues eyes bore into mine, a slight smile played on his lips before he turned and looked out over the front porch and towards the lake. His left arm came up and he wrapped it around my shoulders, bringing me in closer to him which I didn’t mind at all. My eyes closed in bliss for a mere second as I inhaled his musky scent. He didn’t wear a single drop of cologne; that scent was purely masculine and all him.

            “It took a while, but finally we’re together as it should be,” he said sighing before placing a kiss to the top of my head.

            The moment seemed surreal as we watched the sun set behind the lake, the sky a golden orange as it reflected into the water. I couldn’t help but steal a glance at him, the sun making his tanned skin look like bronze as his brown hair shone coppery as bits of his bangs hung dangerously close to his eyes.

            Butterflies flitted around in my stomach as I heaved a sigh before turning so that I too was looking out over the lake as I rested my head on his shoulder.

            “Who would have ever thought that we would be here,” I stated in wonderment.

            “Oh shush,” he stated, dropping his arm from around me and turning so that he was facing me once again. Bringing his right hand up, he caressed my face softly, resting his hand on the bottom of my chin. “You know as well as I do that this was meant to be.”

            “That I do,” I said softly looking at the ground. “It’s just that I never thought that anything like this could ever happen, especially to a person like me. I mean, just take a look at me! It’s not like I’m anything special.”

            “Natty, shush,” he said while placing a finger over my lips to silence me. “You are a wonderful and amazing person and deserve every speck of happiness that you receive.”

            “If you say so,” I said as I stared into his eyes.

            “I do,” he smiled before placing a soft kiss on my lips. When he pulled away, his eyes were glittering with mischief. “Natty come dance with me,” he grinned while taking my hands and pulling me to my feet.

            I could only laugh with glee as he held me close against him, the top of my head only coming up to right underneath his chin. My head was laying on his chest, his left hand splayed across the small of my back as he held my left hand in his as we swayed slowly back and forth just listening to the wind softly blowing through the trees.

            He rested his head atop mine as he softly began to hum a tune. I closed my eyes and relaxed into his arms as the familiar tune comforted me. Before long, he began to softly sing along to the song I knew oh so well.

            “I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream,” he sang perfectly in his tenor which made me want to melt right on the spot. I love nothing more than when a guy sings a song just for me.

            “Natty, you need to wake up love,” he whispered in my ears.

            “But I’m not asleep. I’m just resting my eyes is all,” I said as I snuggled into him. “Don’t stop singing, please?”

            He chuckled and I felt the vibrations throughout his chest before he placed a kiss on the top of my head. “You need to open your eyes Natty.”

            “But I don’t want to,” I whined, “I’m already comfortable.”

            “Just open your eyes love.”

            Resigned, I opened my eyes but frowned at the sight before me. Instead of being in his arms, I was lying face down on my bed with my arms outstretched in front of me. The latest book that I was reading was a few inches in front of my head while a pair of headphones were in my ears while my CD player was right beside me. The song “Once Upon a Dream” from the Disney version of Sleeping Beauty was playing on repeat.

            “I’m never going to listen to that song and read right before falling asleep ever again,” I murmured to myself while shaking my head.

            Glancing at my alarm clock on the nightstand next to my bed, I saw that it was 7:00, which meant that my alarm would go off in half an hour to wake me up so I could do my morning routine to get ready for work. Sighing, I sat up and turned the alarm off since I was up already and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep.

            Before actually getting out of my bed and getting the day started, I couldn’t help but just think about my dream. It seemed so real, like it had already happened and I was just reliving it, but I know that wasn’t it as I had never seen that guy before in my life, let alone I don’t even know what his name is. Just picturing that smile that I knew was for me sent the butterflies in my stomach off again. It was sad how just a dream could do that to me.

            Sighing, I placed my feet on the floor and pushed up off the bed, making my way through the piles of books and CDs scattered across my floor as I made my way out of my room. I could already tell that today was going to be a long day.