I CAN SEE YOU

**Rebecca’s story**

I didn’t expect it to be so hard. Things that before the attack I used to do with ease now seemed painful and exhausting. I only got tired from a few exercises. With all the training I had done in my life, it was impossible now to believe that this was all I could do. But I would not quit. I was going to fight back and go all the way.
Damn, this was really tough! I was struggling to hold myself together and not slip or fall in the shower. The last thing I wanted was to worry Dominic. He had so much on his mind; I had to show up, too. So I had to be ten times more careful about what I was doing. I carefully washed, rinsed and dried my body and hair a bit, then covered myself in the cotton towel Dominic gave me. It was so tender, like the touch of a man...like his touch...

It’s just that I can’t help wandering off my thoughts into the deepest parts of my brain. And those thoughts were so full of guilt that a bitter-sweet ache rippled from my belly to my femininity. I closed my eyes and let my inner thoughts free. They flew away and with them they took this wave of warmth I was feeling and intensified it.
Caught up in this vortex of desire and without opening my eyes, I imagined him. Massive, hard, perfect. Even though I couldn’t feel my feet, it was another place I had a powerful feeling. Thousands of tingles went out from there and spread throughout my body, waking it to life. And that was just from a simple thought.
I lowered my hand between my thighs and the first touch made me flinch, as if it was his.
With lustful up and down strokes, I gave myself a pleasure I had longed for, perhaps since I first heard his voice. Hidden maybe so deep in my subconscious, this desire surfaced when his approaches became more intense and frequent. Especially just a few minutes ago when I felt the warmth of his hard body and his hand gently caressing the soft, blooming skin beneath my breast. I didn’t climax precisely because I wanted him to do that when the time came. I did, however, suppressed a few moans I was sure could be heard very well through the bathroom walls. Dominic was still in my room.
It was time to face my reality. To finally call him to help me. As soon as I did that, I could hear his footsteps heading for the door. My heart was thumping so fast I was having trouble catching my breath. Knowing that Dominic Stone was only a door apart from me and that I was here, half naked, showering, made me realize I was more jumpy than I thought. I behaved like a young teenager in love with the hottest boy in school.
God, this was insane! All my thoughts were no longer functioning within normal parameters. It was all very clear. He would come in, grab me, lay me on the bed, pass me my clothes and that was it. But what did I really want to happen? To hold me, caress me, cherish every inch of my flesh, kiss me, place me on the bed, never lose eye contact, even if I can’t see him. I could have felt his warm breath on my lips, expecting him to possess me and make me feel his woman. That was what I really craved. And it was just a slender thread between love and passion, longing and lust...between the lacy fabric covering my body and his masculine clothing.

What in God’s name was I thinking now? If he would have given me the slightest sign that he wanted me, I would have certainly begged for it and craved everything that it meant to be a man... his kiss, his touch, his amber scent, his quivering breath as he traced sweet shivers with his lips over every inch of my body, knowing it, exploring it, memorizing it...
And me... arching my back beneath his clothed body, touching him gently from place to place, longing for his tongue to play all over my body against my red lace negligee. I went crazy just thinking about what wonders he could do with his mouth and tongue...
I let myself hang in that wet dream and rested my head on Dominic’s chest. It was comfortable and safe. His heavy right arm rested again on the side of my breast. But he wasn’t moving one inch away. It was like he was looking for a better angle to hold it.
Sometimes I wondered what kind of man Dominic was. Passionate, romantic, kind or demonic, like a beast? I think I would have all night to think about that.
“Thank you, Dominic, for your help!” I mumbled as loud as I could to clear the charged vibe a little.
“Anytime, Rebecca” His thick voice still held a hold over me
And he didn’t stay too long after that. I could feel him wanting to put some distance. Even though I was blind, I couldn’t help but sense his reluctance, even fear of not going further with me. Now that I was alone, I could give free rein to my wild imagination. I pictured his mouth again, standing so close that I inhaled his warm breath. I wanted to taste it, to play with it and consume it in frantic kisses at first, then fuse us together with gentle, lingering, passionate kisses.
That was just a dream I had. Who was I kidding? Compared to him, even though I had a career, I was still a nobody; him being the great actor Dominic Stone. I still sometimes had doubts about his identity, but when he was near me, I feared my guilty thoughts. If he had the power to read minds, he would kick me out of the house for daring to have such thoughts.
Dominic, and without seeing him, made me shiver. I’d never been so vulnerable around a man before. Not to mention I couldn’t even see him. There was no way he would fall in love with me. At least he could see me as his closest friend. I was just a casualty saved by him, staying in his place until I got better. And then what? The answer was so clear and simple. I was who I was, and I had to get back to my life. People were still depending on me. I couldn’t let them down like that. I still had assignments to complete, not to mention the last of which I only remembered fragments.
Perhaps Dominic also had his private and professional life. Private... I wonder what that was like? Of course, there was someone. It was impossible not to. His mysterious charm made him irresistible to any woman. I was never wrong about reading people and I wouldn’t start now, even if my eyesight got damaged.
But I was not, to my surprise, willing to accept that thought. That simple thought pained the hell out of me. Knowing it might be someone Dominic could spend his days and nights with. Someone who cared about him and the other way around. Which he held in his arms when she was frightened. The same arms that embraced me. Which he kissed when he longed for her. The same lips that nearly kissed me.
Damn! In my recklessness and panic, I tried to drag myself out of bed, but I stumbled so hard I hit my head on the nightstand. The sound was so loud that in just about three seconds Dominic was at my door.
“Rebecca, are you alright? What happened?” he asked in panic coming towards me. I had hit myself pretty hard and was quite dizzy. He tried to lift me up, but without support, I almost fell into his arms. “Easy...” I dropped all my weight on his body and suddenly felt safe. I hadn’t had that feeling in a long time.
“If you’re trying to walk, I advise you to take it easy. You’ve barely had a session.”
“No, it’s not that...” What was I supposed to say to him, that he was in my thoughts and I simply forgot that I couldn’t walk?
I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs that I wished I could stand on my own two feet and hug him and never let go again. And it was just those thoughts that scared me. I’d never been in love before. I didn’t know what it was like. Where I was operating, there was no room for love.
“OK, then I guess I’ll have to put you back to bed and maybe keep you from doing anything stupid until tomorrow morning” My eyes were still on the ground but I sketched a small smile at his remark.
“I don’t think it will come to that...” and suddenly I stopped. I looked up and simply stared at him. My pupils dilated, and I feasted my eyes on the attractive man in front of me.
I had never experienced such a feeling, so uplifting. I raised my hand to his cheek, but this time much differently than when I asked his permission to reach out and touch his face. This touch was more determined, more sure, without a hint of hesitation.
Slowly, the haze in my eyes cleared. I could see a bright face with an early beard, beautifully tanned, with hair as black as raven’s feathers. I lowered my eyes to his tempting mouth, which I was dying to touch, but refrained. Somehow, I felt more vulnerable. His dark eyes were like two deep chasms into which I had lost myself without being able to return. I had to break the news. I couldn’t fit into my own skin with so much happiness.
“Dominic… I can see you…”