~ Tales of Romance ~

Whispered Promises

Chapter 14

For forty minutes, Matt simply drove, heading ever further away from their home town, putting more and more distance between them and anyone who might recognize Dani or him, and unwittingly aid Andrew Manning in finding them.

The roar of the motorcycle engine became a monotonous sound that simply indicated the miles that dissolved beneath the powerful bike's wheels. The steady vibration of the wheels against the pavement eventually caused Dani's bottom and legs to go partially numb; mimicking her emotions. Matt seemed not to notice the endless road, and other than the firm strength of his muscles as he controlled his monstrous machine, he seemed unaffected over the fact his life might be in danger. A fact she still couldn't believe he was willing to take, not only for himself, but for her also.

  Finally, after what felt like hours, Matt left the four-lane road and began tooling around the quiet streets of the unknown town they found themselves in. Looking as if they were out for nothing more than a leisurely drive to enjoy the changing season, they slowly cruised through the picturesque streets, viewing what remained of the changing leaves on the trees that had only a couple of weeks ago been filled with vibrant color. Behind him, Dani still rode silently, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, her face, pale and drawn, pressed against his back.

Twenty minutes later, he was fairly certain no one had recognized them. He was definitely certain no one had displayed any aggressive behavior toward them. Everything around them appeared to be calm and quiet, what anyone would expect on a cool autumn Sunday morning.

Pulling into the parking lot of a small restaurant, he found a parking space near the front door and parked his motorcycle. Slipping nonchalantly off his motorcycle, he casually glanced around, looking for anything that might look out of place. Then, shaking his head back and forth, and laughing quietly at himself, he called himself seven times a fool.

"What's so funny?" Dani asked quietly, her gaze curious having witnessed his goofy behavior.

Matt offered her his hand and helped her dismount the bike. "I've obviously seen too many movies; I'm beginning to act like James Bond," he offered with an easy laugh and a chagrined smile.

Her legs shaking, she was grateful for Matt's supporting hands when her legs began to dissolve beneath her. "Thanks," she murmured, looking up into his eyes, unable to hold her smile back; his was simply too contagious. "Better James Bond than Rambo," she offered, walking unsteadily as he continued to lend her support, up the short walkway that lead to the restaurant.

"How so?" he asked easily, holding the door for her and ushering her into the building; scanning the parking lot one last time over his shoulder, before following her inside.

"Well, James Bond always gets to wear dashing designer clothes, drive spiffy cars, play with nifty gadgets, visit beautiful countries and is always being tempted by gorgeous women."

"The things some men have to tolerate," Matt sighed, with a sorry shake of his head.

"Ha, ha," Dani countered sarcastically, rolling her eyes at his feigned misery. "On the other hand, Rambo has to run around in miserable locales, wearing the same clothes day after day, eating bugs, and berries, and God knows what else, and if he even does find a girl, she usually winds up dead."

Matt helped Dani slide onto the bench seat of the booth in one corner of the restaurant, and slid into the seat across from her. "You're right; call me James," he suggested with a sexy smile.

A waitress appeared, bearing glasses of water, menus and a bubbly personality. "'Morning all. Can I get you something to drink while you look over our menu?" she asked expectantly, glancing from one to the other.

"A large hot cocoa, please," Dani requested, turning her gaze to Matt.

"Sounds good; I'll have the same, please," Matt agreed, sending the waitress a dazzling smile that had her smiling in return, before she went to fulfill their order.

Dani watched the brief interlude, caught the interested gleam in the waitresses eyes, and shook her head back and forth, her movement barely perceptible, her green eyes glowing with humor. "You're doing it again."

"What?"

"Flirting."

Matt frowned. "I am not!"

"Yes you are," Dani sing-songed, calmly perusing the menu before her.

"All I did was order hot chocolate, say thank you and smile at the waitress," he stated.

"And she's ready to fall into your lap!"

Matt opened his mouth to argue his point again, but instead, sent Dani a look of consideration. "You sound jealous, Darlin'," he suggested, with a look that was entirely too smug.

Dani's mouth dropped open in shock and her eyes grew wide. "You're out of your mind!"

"So you've said before," he offered nonchalantly, scanning through the items on his own menu.

Dani frowned. "There is absolutely no reason on earth that I would have to be jealous about either you looking at someone lustfully or someone else looking at you that way!"

"I was looking at her 'lustfully'? If you say so," he murmured with a disbelieving shake of his head.

"There is nothing between us!" Dani stonily intoned, trying to keep her voice calm, when she wanted to scream in frustration. "We have no relationship that dictates proprietary ownership between us," Dani continued, her hand waving back and forth between them, emphasizing her point.

Matt couldn't help himself; his smile bloomed all on its own. Dani, in a full rage, was sheer magnificence, and he found himself responding physically to her passionate protestations. "Darlin', I know how your lips feel beneath mine; I've had my tongue in your mouth and know how you taste. I've had your ass in my hands and your lovely breasts pressed against my chest so tightly I thought you might dissolve into me. I'd say there's definitely something between us!" Matt's statement was made in a husky, deep voice, his eyes darkening to the color of a stormy sky as he looked into her startled, slightly dazed eyes.

"You shouldn't say such things," Dani murmured, her cheeks growing rosy in embarrassment. It was one thing to know they had shared such intimacies, it was another to voice them aloud.

"Why not? Are you ashamed? Do you regret having allowed a lowly 'hockey slug' such liberties?" Matt growled heatedly, his eyes daring hers to retreat.

Dani's heart thudded erratically in her chest, her breath came in little pants, and her blood roared in her ears. The mental image Matt's husky words had evoked had Dani's body responding heatedly, despite her mind telling her she was an idiot. They were in the middle of a crisis; the situation was anything but normal. Relationships based on intense emotions weren't an accurate gauge of reality. She'd heard that in a movie, she thought, although at the moment, she didn't believe a word of it. All she could think about, this particular moment, was losing herself, for just a little while, in the man across the table from her, in whatever form it took.

The waitress chose that moment to deliver their cups of hot chocolate. "This cocoa is very hot, so please be careful," she warned, setting down the steaming cups. "Have you decided on anything from the menu yet, or would you like a little more time to decide?"

"If you would, please give us a couple of more minutes; we haven't quite decided yet," Matt stated, his eyes never leaving Dani's.

"Will do," the waitress replied cheerily.

"Thank you," Dani offered softly, sending the waitress a quick smile before she scurried off to check on another table.

 Matt stirred the dissolving whipped cream into the hot chocolate and took a tentative sip of his hot drink. "You didn't answer my question."

Dani wrapped her hands carefully around her cup, the warmth seeping through her fingers and sending tingles through her blood. "No," she replied quietly.

Matt blinked as if startled. "No, you're not going to answer my question?"

"No, is the answer to your question," Dani clarified, her gaze steady and calm. "I am neither ashamed, nor do I regret, a single thing that has passed between us," she stated clearly. "And if we were alone, I would show you just how much I don't regret it!" she whispered suggestively, her eyes glowing with a mysterious light.

Matt felt a weight lift from his shoulders at her admission and at the same time felt his body expand painfully at her suggestive statement. He was relatively certain he was going to survive anything involving Andrew Manning; he couldn't say for sure how he was going to fare with Dani. She was like a volcano, building in power and heat, dangerously exciting and offering exhilaration with every beat of her heart. But like any volcano, after erupting, the question was would it destroy itself and everything in its path, or simply make some noise and live to rage another day? Matt hoped Dani would fall somewhere in the middle.

"You need to call your parents and let them know we're okay," Matt suggested quietly, taking another sip of his hot chocolate, but not tasting it.

Dani silently nodded in agreement, made the call on her cellular phone and wound up leaving a voice message. "Mama? Daddy? We're okay. I'll call again soon. I love you." She ended the call in less than a minute.

"We need to decide where we're going to stay for a few days. Preferably somewhere that there aren't a lot of people. The less people we're around, the less likely someone is going to recognize you," Matt stated.

"What about you?"

Matt chuckled. "With all the gear we wear, half the time our own mother's don't recognize us. You, on the other hand&ldots;" Matt left the sentence unfinished.

Being recognized was the price of fame and success. It was a lesson she had learned to live with and hadn't really caused her any problems, until now.

For several moments, the two tossed suggestions back and forth between them, discarding each suggestion for one reason or another. One thing they had agreed upon, they would not jeopardize anyone else by staying with a friend or relative.

"I can't believe I didn't think of this before!" Dani growled in self-disgust, banging her palm against her forehead.

"What?"

"Dee's cabin," Dani answered quietly.

"Won't she and Whittaker head for it?" Matt asked.

Dani shook her head back and forth. "Probably not. Whittaker believes it's filled with bad karma. I don't think he's gone near the place in years."

"'Bad karma's' a state of mind," Matt scoffed. "Does Andrew know about this place?"

"I doubt it. As I said, as far as I know, it hasn't been used in years."

"Then it sounds like a perfect place to spend a few days," Matt stated, pulling ten dollars from his wallet and tossing it on the table to pay for their drinks. "Can you find this cabin?" he asked, helping Dani to her feet.

"As long as they didn't tear down the candy store, chop down the 'wishing tree', or sell the raccoon house, I will hopefully be able to find it." Dani chirped.

Holding the door open for Dani to exit the restaurant, Matt shook his head dismally and rolled his eyes. "This is shaping up to be one long damn day," he growled. "Dare I ask what the hell a 'raccoon house' is?"

"Not what you think," Dani stated, watching the play of muscles across his back and his shapely bottom as he mounted the motorcycle, kicked away the stand and waited for her to climb on behind him. "It was simply another cabin where the owners loved raccoons so much they had statues of all sizes and shapes of them all over their property," she explained, joining him on the bike, and wrapping her arms around his waist as he backed the motorcycle out of the parking spot.

Matt shook his head back and forth in disbelief. If this wasn't going to be a wild goose hunt to find a cabin Dani hadn't seen in years, he didn't know what was. "Great. We find the raccoon house and we know we're almost there. I feel so much better!" he replied sardonically.

"Well, look at it this way, Matt; at least we know which mountain it's on," she offered optimistically.

"Right, the one with the raccoon house on it," Matt agreed. With a twist of the key, the motorcycle roared back to life.

Dani's arms tightened around Matt's waist, and she raised up slightly off the seat, her breasts brushing against his back, as she spoke, over the roar of the engine, directly into his ear. "Matt, you don't have to do this. I can find another way to get to the cabin."

Matt twisted in the seat, his expression filled with shock and then anger caused Dani to plop down on the seat, the friction from his jeans as he twisted against her spread legs shot electrical currents straight to her core. His right hand gripped her chin, his hold gentle yet filled with steel, and his eyes, filled with fire, bored into hers. "I don't ever want to hear you say something so foolish again. Do you understand me?" he murmured dangerously.

"Matt, you shouldn't be involved in this; my father had no right asking this of you."

"If I hadn't wanted to be 'involved', I would have told your father so. Granted, his reputation may be daunting, but I'm certainly not afraid of him."

"You don't know how dangerous Andrew Manning is; what he's capable of," Dani persisted.

"So tell me."

"He's crazy, I mean really crazy; in every sense of the word. He's hurt several people, I don't want you added to his list!"

Matt's eyes narrowed in subdued rage. "He hurt you?" he asked in a deadly calm voice.

"In comparison to Sergei and Chloe, not at all. But that's not the point. The point is I don't want to give him the chance to hurt you. If you're with me, and he somehow manages to find me, I could never live with myself knowing you were hurt because of me."

"You don't seem to have much faith in me being able to take care of either you or myself," Matt growled darkly.

"That's not true. I have complete faith in what you want to do. But when you're dealing with someone like Andrew Manning, the rules of the game change, it really becomes 'every man for himself'. Are you ready to risk your life for someone you barely know?" Dani asked quietly.

Matt's hand released her chin and came to rest against her cheek, his palm a comforting warmth against her chilled skin, his fingers tingling the hair at her temple and by her ear. "I've known you forever. You're a part of me in a way I can't explain but accept, and I wouldn't hesitate to trade my life for yours because I know there's something that will keep bringing us together through all eternity." His voice was a soft, husky murmur that left her dazed.

"Matt&ldots;"

He shook his head back and forth, his movement barely visible. "I'm not doing this for your father, Dani. I'm doing it for purely selfish reasons. I want to get to know you, away from your family, the pressures of training and everything that's breaking your heart. I want to see your eyes smile, Dani!"

Dani watched Matt, unblinkingly, her eyes wide; her expression filled with astonishment. I can't let you do this, Matt."

In answer, he kissed her lips in the gentlest of kisses, more like the flutter of silk against warm skin, and with an arrogant light sparkling in his gray eyes, stated succinctly, "You can't stop me."

 Turning around in his seat, he restarted the motorcycle, toed it into gear, and asked over his shoulder, "Which way Sherlock?"

"You're crazy!" Dani complained, wrapping her arms tightly around Matt's middle and nodding toward the North.

"About you!" he countered, nodding in understanding, and with a light twist of his wrist, the motorcycle slowly moved forward and then into traffic, in search of a mountain with a 'raccoon house'.

* * * * *

Six and a half hours later, cold, tired, and frustrated, in the semi-darkness of dusk, they stumbled upon the 'raccoon house'.

"See? I told you there was such a place!" Dani stated firmly, smiling as memories of the first time she'd seen the house assailed. Since then, the owners had added hundreds more.

Matt shook his head in amused disbelief, his gaze taking in the front yard filled with statues of raccoons in every form imaginable. "I stand corrected," he offered over his shoulder, smiling in spire of himself at the expression of dazed wonder on her face.

"Thanks," Dani murmured softly, sending him a gentle smile before her eyes returned to the yard to travel across the ocean of raccoon statuettes.

"You're welcome," he murmured in return, his gaze mesmerized by her beauty as twilight cast shadows over the land. "I would assume, since we found this infamous landmark, you have a pretty good idea of where we are," he offered hopefully.

"I can do better than pretty good; I can tell you exactly where we are and how much further we have to go!"

"Well, lead on Darlin'," Matt demanded teasingly. "It's getting too damn cold to be out here in the dark on a bike!"

"I know what you mean; I haven't been able to feel my feet for the last hour!"

"Your feet are probably just numb from sitting so long. How's your bottom?"

"My bottom's fine."

"I know your bottom's fine; one of the finest I've seen. I'm asking, is it numb too?"

Dani wiggled her bottom back and forth against the seat; her small motion making him groan as the front of her rubbed warmly against his back side, sending sharp sparks of response through his body. "Nope, my bottom's wide awake," she answered cheerfully, settling back into her seat and slipping her hands into his coat pockets.

"Good," he growled lowly, my bottom's wide awake too - among other things! He thought to himself, enduring further torture as Dani's full breasts pressed against his back, the warmth of her seeping through their jackets to torment him. "Ready?" he asked, and at her nod, sent the motorcycle into motion, following her directions.

  The five minutes it took them to reach Dee's cabin felt like eons. The unpaved road they traversed in the dark had Dani fidgeting on the seat behind him, her breasts had pressed and rubbed against his back until he was tempted to stop the bike, get off and take her right against a tree. Her hands were restless, inside his coat pockets, as they flexed against his waistline with each bump of the road, entirely too close to the source of his masculinity to allow him to breath normally. Visions of their last motorcycle ride taunted him, and his body swelled at the memory; further tormenting him. Each second ticked off with leaden feet, and he wondered how much longer he could keep his mind on reaching their destination and ignoring the sensual torture Dani's body brought him.

"There it is!" Dani suddenly called out, pointing at the small cabin, tucked back in the pines, barely able to be seen from the road.

Matt squinted in the fading light toward where Dani pointed. "There's a cabin in there?"

"Trust me, it's there!"

"Where's the driveway?" Matt asked, looking at all the dense brush that grew along the main road.

"I told you I didn't think the cabin had been used in year; I'd say I was right. This brush wasn't here the last time I was," Dani stated.

"Well, it obviously hasn't been cleared away for quite a while, but that's okay, it will help us. It's almost impossible to see the cabin from here and the less easy it is to find the place, the less likely we have to worry about Andrew find us," Matt stated optimistically.

"If that's supposed to make me feel better, I'm sorry to say, it doesn't," Dani grumbled.

Matt's original plan had been to give her left knee a comforting squeeze, but as soon as he touched her, his palm slid a slow, heated path up the outside of her thigh. "Darlin', it's my job to make you feel better, and I warn you, I take that job very seriously," he drawled, his voice low and sexy, his eyes glowing wolfishly.

Exhaustion and tension from the situation they had been cast into took its toll, leaving them both ragged and balancing on the fine edge between reason and recklessness. Surrounded by the dark night, they were lost in a world of their own; a world made for lovers willing to risk their hearts. A night when souls would either blend or vanish like the morning mist.

A light shiver coursed through Dani's body at Matt's sensual look and heated touch; he simply made her body sing! Even in the encroaching darkness his eyes glowed with a brilliance that was practically palpable and she found herself breathless with anticipation, and, yes, trepidation. "You look very dangerous at this moment, Mr. Tanner," she whispered breathlessly.

"I feel very dangerous," he countered darkly.

Common sense deserted her and throwing caution to the wind, she ran her own hands down along the outside of his thighs, her breasts pressing firmly against his back; his tensing muscles against her covered skin teased her nipples to erect points of sensation. As her hands shifted across the top of his legs and began a tortuous journey up the inside of his thighs, she murmured, "You're right; you feel very dangerous!"

With a deep moan, that sent thrills rushing through her as she realized the power she held over him, his hands gripped her wrists, staying her heated touch as her hands inched ever closer to his burgeoning manhood. "Darlin', unless you're prepared to finish what you start right here in front of God, and anyone else who happens to be out and about, I would recommend you keep your hands to yourself," he grated, his body pulsing with need.

Dani's body hummed with a heated energy, and even as the cold, darkness surrounded them, a light breeze stirred the pine boughs, and filled the air with the pungent scent of night, evergreens, mystery and danger. It was too much for Dani to resist. "Sounds like a lot of lip service to me, Mr. Tanner. Threats are easily made; it's seeing them through that can get you into trouble," she offered wickedly, over his shoulder, her breath a warm caress against his neck.

Dani's brief scream of surprise was lost on the cool breeze as Matt released her hands, twisted in his seat, his hands encircling her waist and bright her around to face him; her breasts crushed against his chest, the center of her womanhood pressed hotly against his swollen erection. "Oh, Darlin', I'll show you lip service!" he growled, just before his mouth descended upon hers to devour. This was no gentle kiss of persuasion, but a carnal assault against every defense she could muster. His tongue rushed hotly between her lips, dueling roughly with her own, demanding a response that she gave with abandon.

His hands left her waist to cup her rounded bottom, pulling her even more firmly against his pulsing sex, grinding against the core of her heat. Her hands clutched at his shoulders, her nails rasping against the fabric of his jacket, effectively saving his skin from her long nails, but relaying the message of her need as clearly as if she had screamed it out loud from the top of a mountain. Their passions raged in the cold, windy night, climbing ever higher, burning ever hotter as they rocked against each other, seeking fulfillment and rushing toward oblivion.

The lonely hoot of an owl and the sound of wings flapping just over their heads startled the pair apart, each dazed and humming with unfulfilled need as they looked about the dark night, searching for the sound that had disrupted them.

"What was that," Dani finally gasped, her heart having stilled to the point she could breathe, trying to see through still dazed and unfocused eyes.

"Something a whole hell of a lot smarter than us!" Matt growled, scooting back on the seat, and then swinging his leg over the top of the bike as he dismounted the monstrous machine. He had no choice but to move away from her. He didn't think he could resist the temptation of feeling her against him again and losing himself in her if he stayed on the bike.

"Does this place have a garage?" Matt asked gruffly, nodding in the direction of the cabin, plucking at his jeans as inconspicuously as possible in an attempt to alleviate the uncomfortable fit. Much to his dismay, his body refused to obey his mind's order to forget how, and what, she made him feel.

Dani cautiously slid off the motorcycle herself, her legs weak beneath her, her mind still swirling dizzily. "No. But there's a small shed in back of the house," she answered quietly, refusing to meet his eyes.

Acknowledging her comment with only a silent nod, he scanned the darkly shadowed shrubbery, looking for anything that even remotely resembled a path. With any luck, a small trail might show itself, anything that might allow them to move the motorcycle up to the shed and yet not disturb the bushes and announce someone had passed through the area.

His low curse indicated he hadn't found what he'd been hoping to. "So much for hoping for an easy place to hide this thing," he mumbled.

"So now what do we do?" Dani asked tiredly.

Matt looked around; his expression shadowed and filled with frustration. "It looks like we walk and see if we can't find a spot we can push through the bushes that won't be blatantly obvious from the road. The less it looks like anyone came through here, the less likely it is anyone will come snooping around the cabin," Matt offered gruffly, and began to push the bike slowly forward.

"You have to push it?" Dani asked in disbelief, watching him easily maneuver the huge machine over the graveled ground.

"I don't want to risk anyone noticing the sound of a motorcycle after dark," he answered over his shoulder.

"Like anyone would," she grumbled out loud.

"You'd be amazed how an ordinary sound at an unordinary time sticks in someone's memory."

" What are you talking about? The sound of a motorcycle is hardly unordinary. You hear motorcycles all the time," she countered.

"Yeah, in the summer. Not in late fall, when anybody with half a brain would have stored it away for the season. Believe me, Dani. We've left enough of a trail already riding all over these damn mountains. I'm not planning on leaving a trail of bread crumbs right up to the front door!"

The cold and the stress, and unfilled frustration suddenly washed over Dani, leaving her trying to decide whether she wanted to scream in rage, cry in defeat or simply curl up in a ball on the ground and go to sleep. They were so close to safety; within eyes view, and yet here they stood, watching the night get blacker, getting colder every minute, and trying to figure out how to park a stupid motorcycle without snapping a branch off a friggin' shrub.

"Fine! Whatever!" Dani snapped grumpily. "At this point, I don't care. In fact, I'm willing to carry your damn bike myself. Let's just get through the stupid bushes, park the bike in the shed and get the hell out of this cold."

"That's what I'm trying to do, Darlin'," he growled, exasperation clear in his deep tone.

Dani followed Matt through the darkness, stumbling over loose rocks and shale, silently cursing the world in general, and Andrew Manning in particular. It was incredible to believe that the acts of one person could change the courses of lives of so many, but this was the perfect example of just how that could happen. With a derisive shake of her head, Dani questioned the fickleness of fate and destiny.

"We'll go through here." Matt eventually stated, his voice pulling her from her silent ranting.

Following his lead, she stumbled behind him through the shrubs, thankful for the jeans that covered her legs as small branches snapped and grabbed at her ankles as they meandered through the dark night toward the cabin.

Clouds shifting across the moon caused shadows to dance eerily around them, and then disappear into the darkness, as they walked the last few yards that lead them to the cabin. In the inky darkness, Matt caught only glimpses of the structure that would be their sanctuary until they heard it was safe to return home. Until then, he would do whatever it took to keep them safe and fulfill his promise to Aleksei Rocmanov. Or die trying, he vowed silently.

Beneath the meager light of the moon, the two finally reached the cabin. In silence, Dani climbed the three stairs up to the porch, and began running her hands carefully along the baseboard until her fingers found the knothole she sought. With a little yip of happiness, she pulled a key from the hiding spot in the baseboard and held it up in success, the metal glinting briefly in the night.

"Please tell me that key opens the storage shed," Matt demanded hopefully.

"With any luck," Dani murmured, with a hopeful little smile, and skipped back down the stairs, leading the way around the side of the cabin to where the shed stood.

In the darkness, it took Dani several tries before she finally got the key into the lock, and even when she did, the key refused to turn. "Dammit all, work!" she growled, and gave the door a kick for good measure, her frustration boiling over.

"You snap that key off in the lock, Darlin', we're really going to be in trouble," Matt stated calmly, slipping up behind her and reaching around her to give the stubborn key a try of his own.

"What makes you think the key will work any better for you than it did for me?" Dani asked grumpily over her shoulder, offering a heated curse when the lock released with a gentle pop and Matt opened the wide door.

Dani's growl of exasperation hung in the cold night as Matt chuckled.

"Some things require a gentler touch than others," Matt offered deeply, his breath, a warm caress, against her cheek, as he spoke over her shoulder.

"Yeah, and some things you just want to bash!" Dani fired back, struggling against the heat his nearness caused and her rampaging emotions that urged her to lean against him.

Flipping a switch, the headlights flared to life, lighting the dark interior of the small shed. Empty, but for a few garden tools and a snow shovel, Matt pushed the motorcycle inside, nudged the kick stand into place, and parked the machine. With another flip of the switch, darkness engulfed them as the headlights went off.

"Got the key, Darlin'?" Matt asked softly as he exited the shed, holding the door until he received what he hoped was an affirmative grumble from Dani and then pulled it firmly closed behind him.

In the shadowed light, Matt followed Dani back to the cabin, appreciating the graceful sway of her hips as she walked a few feet ahead of him. With great effort, he forced himself to think about anything but how much he wanted to run his hands over her rounded bottom, and feel her pressed tightly against him. He didn't need to be reminded of how her full, warm breasts felt as they caressed his chest, or how glorious her mouth was, her rapturous whimpers and pleas for more as she slipped into sensations spell and swept him along with her. She was torture of the sweetest kind. And he was more than willing to be tortured!

For the simple sake of self-preservation, he didn't follow her up the short flight of stairs to the cabin, but leaned against the railing, surveying his surroundings, listening to the sounds around him. The night was filled with shadows as the moon played hide-and-seek with the clouds. The occasional sound of a night creature searching for food or its mate echoed through the pines, the sounds both wistful and comforting. The very fact the animals in the woods were acting normal was enough to make him breathe easier. If the woods had been deathly silent, that would have been a different story entirely.

"Are you coming in or do you plan on sitting guard outside?" Dani called quietly from the open doorway.

"In," he answered simply, and made his way up the stairs, coming to stand behind her. Looking beyond her into the dark interior of the cabin, he grumbled, "Let me guess. No electricity?"

"Nope. My guess is it's just shut off. There's no point in having it turned on if no one was using the place," Dani speculated, running her hands through her hair and sighing tiredly.

"Candles?" Matt sighed in return.

"I'm sure they're around here somewhere. I remember as a kid having a thunderstorm and losing power. Dee had so many candles lit it looked like a cathedral in here," Dani remembered with a smile.

"You wouldn't happen to remember where she had all these candles stored would you?" Matt asked, looking into the nearly black interior of the cabin. It would be like looking in a cave for a toothpick.

Dani stood silent for a moment, deep in thought. "Let's see how good my memory is. If I'm not back in two minutes with a candle come looking for me," she quipped and slipped into the cabin, disappearing from his view into the blackness almost immediately.

"Find you where? I don't know the layout of this place. How in the hell am I supposed to find you in the dark?" he hissed into the darkness, scowling when he heard her light chuckle.

"For heaven's sake, Matt. It's not as if this cabin is huge and you have forty rooms to check!" Dani teased.

The glow of the candle preceded Dani as she made her way back to Matt, and cast her in golden candlelight. Matt's breath caught in his chest as he gazed at her; he was certain he had never seen a woman look so mystical and angelic in his life. She simply took his breath away. "I see you found the candles," he finally murmured deeply.

"If nothing else, Dee is a creature of habit. Once she decides where something belongs, it's there for life," Dani chuckled softly. Noticing his unusual expression, she sent Matt a curious look. "What's wrong?"

For several seconds the question hung silently in the air, as if he hadn't heard her speak. Jerking, as if suddenly startled, he mumbled, shaking his head back and forth, " Nothing; nothing at all. Everything's fine."

"You're sure? You don't look like 'everything's fine'."

Matt glanced around the small room, and wondered how he was ever going to manage to keep his hands to himself when they would be sharing space that was obviously meant as a lover's getaway. Despite the fact Dani held a single candle, it's golden glow left only the far corners of the room in shadow. They would be bumping into each other every time they turned around, simply another form of sublime torture. "Yeah, yeah, I'm sure," he finally mumbled, nodding his head up and down this time.

"Matt?" Dani called softly, her expression filled with both concern and bewilderment.

"Yeah, Darlin'?" His response was a deep, sexy purr that made her heart bump, her breath catch and her hands itch to touch him. The look in his eyes had her wondering if she should run for her life or allow herself to be willingly devoured by him. As surely as if he had physically touched her, she felt the pull of his passion-filled steel gray gaze and found herself shivering with an unexpected need as she stood only a few feet from his touch.

The corners of Matt's lips lifted in a sexy smile as he watched her eyes dilate, becoming so deep a green they looked nearly black in the soft light that emanated from the candle she still held, which now wobbled precariously as light shivers coursed through her body.

Matt closed the distance between them, coming to stand only inches from her. "You'd better put that candle down before you drop it," he suggested, his fingers brushing heatedly against her own as he took it from her shaking hand and set it on the small coffee table beside them. "We're trying to keep a low profile, remember? Setting Dee's cabin on fire wouldn't be a good way to do that," he teased Dani lightly, looking down into her upturned face, his breath hitching as he was entranced by her eyes. "I don't think Dee would be too happy if we burned her cabin to the ground," he murmured softly. Unable to resist, his hands reached for her and slid slowly from her shoulders down her arms, his palms grazed sensually against her own before their fingers wove together and held tightly.

Dani's eyes closed against the passionate onslaught of sensation and she swayed forward, her breasts pressing enticingly against the steely muscles of Matt's chest, the top of her head grazing his chin. His low growl of appreciation teased the top of her head, sending silken strands of auburn hair dancing in the subdued light, reaching out to tangle in the stubble on his chin, as he lowered his head and nuzzled her hair.

"Oh, God, you smell good," Dani murmured softly as her cheek brushed lightly against the soft T-shirt revealed beneath Matt's leather jacket. If he wore any cologne she didn't recognize it; he simply smelled warm and clean and purely masculine.

"Not as good as you do," Matt countered, pulling Dani closer and shifting their arms so her hands were behind her back, still tightly held in his, their bodies now so close not even air could shift between them.

Dani's soft moan at his movement made his blood race faster through his veins and he couldn't stifle his own answering moan as she shifted restlessly against his hardening body.

"Darlin', quit wiggling," he commanded with a deep growl, his body swelling painfully at each little movement she made.

"I'm not," she countered with a low purr, pressing up onto her toes, her body pushing against his, leaving a trail of fire and need, as she placed nipping bites against his neck, then salved them with her tongue, sighing in pleasure at the taste and texture of his skin.

With a deep growl, Matt released her hands and lifted his own to push them into her hair, lifting her face upward, his lips claiming her lips in a devouring kiss that scattered common sense and rational thought to the wind. His tongue caressed seductively in and out of her mouth, swallowing her whimpers of pleasure as he drank from her sweetness. Dani's hands pulled at his hips, pushing against the ridge of steel that her body sought, conscious thought gone as she raced toward sensations she only found with Matt and somehow knew only he could fulfill.

Dani's questing hands left his hips to slide up the front of his thighs, her fingers moving slowly and tortuously upward, toward the source of his heat and felt himself flame hotter than he'd ever been before. He felt both powerful and weak in a way he'd never been, and as much as his body screamed for Dani's hands to enfold him, his heart screamed for him to slow down and relish her torment. For a brief moment, he wondered if this is what insanity felt like and then decided if it was, perhaps that it wasn't such a terrible thing. It took a Herculean effort, but he managed to capture her hands just before they reached his burgeoning manhood, and brought them up to rest between them, pressed against his heart, her soft breasts teasing the back of his hands. Her sigh of dismay had him once again pondering his own sanity.

"Matt, please don't stop," Dani pleaded in a dazed murmur; her deep green eyes were glassy, her fingers pressed restlessly against his chest as she sought to free her hands from his grasp. Her lower body continued to press against his heated length. "Make the world disappear, Matt," Dani asked, lifting her mouth to his and coaxing another heated kiss from him. "Make the world disappear&ldots;"

It was so tempting to grant her request; so tempting to lose himself in the softness she so willingly offered him, but there were rules, even in the game of seduction, and despite his desire to have her, he refused take advantage of her this minute. They were both on an emotional roller coaster, one moment happy and safe, the next wondering if danger was stalking them and nearly in range. When, and if, they finally came together, he wanted it to be when they were both fully ready and it wasn't raging emotions guiding their actions. He'd seen too many relationships fall apart when the physical aspect of it came too soon. He refused to watch his growing relationship with Dani fall into the 'the sex was great, but it was a mistake' category. He could barely tolerate being away from her, he wondered how he'd live with himself if he had to watch her turn away from him because she'd done something she wasn't really ready to do simply to please him. She'd spent her whole life trying to please everyone else, and losing herself in the effort. He refused to add to the problem.

"Dani, please&ldots;" he pleaded, losing himself in another searing kiss, swamped by the urge to toss her on the couch, only a few feet away, and finally end the torment. Like water slipping through his fingers, her hands slipped from his grip against his chest, and streaks of electricity seared him everywhere her fingers touched. His senses soared, his body shook as he fought for control, and Dani's body tempted him so mercilessly he almost gave up fighting to stop what his body wanted so badly to do.

"'Dani, please' what?" she asked him huskily as her hands pressed against his straining erection, the heat from her deft fingers searing through the thick fabric of his jeans.

Matt's neck arched back and his eyes closed at her touch; his deep breath was released with a hiss. "Dani, we can't do this," he managed to growl, looking down into her shining eyes, his hands reaching for her wrists, but not pulling them away from his body.

"Tell me you don't like this," she dared him, her eyes shining with a dangerously wicked light, a sense of power she'd never felt before urging her to taunt him as she brushed her hands over him through his jeans.

"I'd be lying if I said that, and I told you I'd never lie to you," he answered shakily, his body pressing against her questing fingers.

His low moan of pleasure had her eyes widening in wonder. She could actually feel him swelling fuller and harder beneath her fingers, a fact she would never have believed if she hadn't felt it for herself. A quick look downward confirmed her suspicions, he was more than impressive, he looked huge through his snug jeans. For a brief moment she faltered, wondering if maybe he knew something she didn't and they simply wouldn't fit. But that was simply too ridiculous to even contemplate! She knew in her heart and soul they would fit perfectly. You thought Hunter was a perfect fit too! her memory taunted her, knocking her confidence down another notch.

"Dani, we have to stop!" Matt growled, finding the strength to step away from her touch, holding her hands away from him.

"Why?" she asked with a shaky breath, her body vibrating with need and desire.

"Because we just have to."

Her confidence dropped another notch; maybe he just didn't want her as much as she wanted him. "Okay. Whatever," she mumbled in embarrassment, pulling her hands from his and turning her back on him, walking away to peek between the closed blinds at the darkness outside.

Matt watched her pull into herself, felt the chill wall of protection surround her and hated himself for being the cause, but it was all he could think to do to stop them from barreling headlong into trouble. She was quickly turning into an addiction for him, one he longed for every hour of the day and night and he wasn't afraid to admit it scared him more than a little.

Adjusting himself so he wasn't at least in severe pain, he walked up to stand a few feet from her. He didn't dare get close enough to touch her or they would both be lost. "Darlin', I don't think you understand exactly what just happened," he explained in a husky voice.

Dani's little snort of disagreement was elegant. "I don't know about that, Matt. You made it pretty clear. You don't want me." Her final statement was flat and emotionless.

Matt's deep chuckle of disbelief had her glancing over her shoulder in confusion, then turning to face him, her eyes widening in apprehension as she watched him slowly walk toward her, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous light. "Dani, you're under a grave misconception if you believe for one minute that I don't want you," he murmured huskily. Stopping directly in front of her, he reached for her hand and pressed it again his still pulsing erection. "This, Darlin', is simply one outward sign of how much I want you, and if circumstances were different, rest assured, you'd be flat on your back with your legs in the air, begging for mercy!" Matt stated suggestively.

Color infused her cheeks at the mental image that flared in her brain, but she found herself giddily happy at his words. "Really?" Dani's voice with filled with breathless hope and her eyes glowed with happiness.

"Really." Matt's reply was a slow, sexy drawl that sent joy rushing through Dani's veins. "Be warned, when things are back to normal&ldots;"

"Whatever normal is," Dani interrupted with a small shrug of her shoulders.

Matt agreed with a deep grunt. "Be prepared to explore just how much I want you," he vowed, bringing her hand up and placing a heated kiss in her palm.

Their eyes locked, silently agreeing to their bargain, a seed of anticipation unfurling between them. Dani stepped forward, her arms encircling Matt's back, her cheek coming to rest against the center of his chest, his heartbeat a calm, steady sound in her reeling world. Matt's arm's wrapped around Dani's slim back, and he hugged her tightly to him for a long moment before one arm drifted downward, and his hand came to rest on her hip, his fingers splaying around to lay on the outside curve of her softly rounded bottom. In the golden glow of candlelight, the two stood silently, simply absorbing each other's warmth and accepting comfort from each other, pondering the future, ready to face whatever they needed to together.

The door suddenly crashing open beside them caused a scream to escape Dani's mouth as Matt pulled her tighter against him, lifting and turning her so she wasn't directly in the line of the door, and they both looked toward the opening and watched as Aleksei rushed into the room. Fully intent upon confronting whoever was robbing the place, he found himself speechless as the only 'thieves' he encountered were his daughter and the man he had requested keep her safe. Judging from the placement of Matt's hands, he wondered if he was feeding his daughter to a wolf and that she might be better off with a thief instead. With a disgusted shake of his head, he complained. "Tanner, I asked you to keep her safe. I didn't think that would entail putting your hands all over her ass!" *

Copyright © 2001-2002 C.E. Moynihan

*All Rights Reserved

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