Tell Me I'm Dreamin' by Eboni Snoe

it.”
    â€œIt is a shame,” his husky voice chided her. “You dance so well.”
    â€œIt’s all relative. Dancing is a part of the island culture. What better way for me to understand a people than to join in their traditional festivities,” she replied with one generous, well-shaped eyebrow arched high.
    A wry smile crossed Ulysses’ lips as he allowed Nadine to walk in front of him. The rapid sway of her round, slim hips emphasized her no-nonsense mood. He was not accustomed to being brushed off, and initially he was amused. But that shortly changed to aggravation as she walked further ahead, ignoring him as they advanced up the road. Among the islanders Ulysses was known for his short patience, and that reputation doubled when it came to women.
    Under normal circumstances Nadine would have been unnerved by Ulysses’ presence behind her. Watching her. She had never been comfortable under the watchful eye of men. But her outrage at his leaving her for the wanton Cassandra was more than her pride could take. Let him watch her. She was glad he had plenty to watch. Her breath blew out forcefully through her nostrils. Who did he think she was? Somebody he could use as a toy? She could feel the heat rising to her face as she thought about the decision she had made earlier. Let him be the first? Over my dead body!
    Ulysses caught up with Nadine as they reached the kitchen door. She stood and waited for him to open it. Her eyes showed disdain and a challenge before she looked down at the handle.
    â€œDoes business also include small courtesies like opening the door?” Ulysses asked her calmly.
    Nadine refused to answer the needling question. Without a word she swiftly opened the door, almost hitting Ulysses in the face. It took all her concentrated control not to smile at the irritated look she had managed to put on his dark features. And to think, she did not even conjure up Gloria for that. “Now where do we start?” she asked, feigning ignorance about what had just transpired.
    This time it was Ulysses who took the lead. “Right this way, Miss Nadine.”
    She waited quietly while he lit a lamp beside the heavy oak door. His attitude toward her could be described as no less than icy when he was leading her up the stairs, uttering a mere “Up here” as he proceeded in front of her. He had searched through several keys before settling on the newest one in the bunch.
    Nadine could not remember how many times as a teenager she had sat and watched the old movies where the trusting female was being led to a secret chamber by a not so trustworthy male. The thought amused her, but it also unnerved her, and she wondered if she had pushed the man in front of her too far. The little she knew of him would not be considered normal by a long shot. The odd meeting in the cave. His less than conventional actions in the bath, and the strange magnetism he developed as she watched him dance. Eros was a long way from Ashland, Mississippi, and Nadine decided to tone down the antagonistic approach she had taken only minutes before.
    She entered the room behind Ulysses as a single lamp gave eerie life to the myriad of objects within. Statues and busts looked blindly about, carved in marble, bronze, and limestone. Detail and color grew in clarity as Ulysses somberly ignited a series of lamps revealing bookcases filled with books. His chilling silence added to the breathtaking aura of the place. Rodney had said Sovereign was considered “the Protector of Eros’ Treasures,” but Nadine had not been prepared for the abundance of treasures that were kept within the room.
    Her lips parted in awe as she surveyed the treasures around her. The black velvet floor-length drapes that covered the walls and windows supplied an appropriate backdrop; like a velvet-lined jewelry box, they displayed the numerous works of art in the best possible manner. “It’s overwhelming,” she