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Whispered Promises

Chapter 31

Less than two hours later, the small crowd stood beside the sleek Learjet 35, as it sat on the tarmac designated for private planes, and exchanged good-byes as luggage was loaded into the plane's belly.

Snow fell in large flakes through the pitch-black sky and glowed magically as it drifted down through the lights on the tall poles that surrounded the small building where the waiting area resided. The wind blew sporadically and made it feel much colder than the thirteen-degree temperature the marquis stated it was.

Aleksei cast an apprehensive look toward the sky and swirling snow and silently wished it would disappear, if only for an hour. Returning his attention to the man beside him, it was easy to see Matt resembled his father in looks, but in stature, the two men were vastly different. Matt was as tall and muscular whereas his father was on the slim side and probably at least four inches shorter than his son. But what he lacked in height, he made up in sheer charisma and there was just something about the man that made you immediately feel welcome and at ease and he cast another grateful look at the man, and sincerely stated, "We can't thank you enough, Mr. Tanner, for going out of your way to get us home so quickly." It wasn't the first time he'd thanked Matt's father; and it probably wouldn't be the last. But the man hadn't hesitated at his son's request and, suddenly, here he was, with his private Learjet, ready to fly them home. With eyes filled with sorrow, he glanced at Emily, who was at the moment was in Matt's arms with her head resting tiredly on his shoulder.

"It's Randy, and you're welcome," he reminded Aleksei and following his gaze, found his own heart squeezing painfully at the sight of the sick little girl snuggled comfortably in his son's arms. "Hopefully the doctors have found some new drug that will give y'all more time with the little angel," he murmured hopefully, his accent softly Southern, reading the pain in the other man's dark eyes.

"Cross your fingers and pray we get lucky!" Aleksei murmured quietly in agreement.

"Not a problem; I'm a firm believer in luck!" Randy Tanner stated, holding up one hand, two fingers crossed.

 Aleksei smiled at the man's gesture, and nodded in agreement, then cast a questioning look toward the sky and the snow that was falling steadily. "Is our luck going to hold with the weather?"

Randy cast a quick glance heavenward and shook his head positively. "We'll be outta here before you know it and flying through it. All the weather reports are indicating the clouds hovering about thirteen thousand feet, or so. We'll be flying somewhere in the vicinity of thirty-five thousand feet and other than climbing through it, should have a smooth trip. You should have Miss Emily at the hospital within a few hours," he stated calmly with a nod of confidence.

Dani brushed a gentle hand over Emily's golden hair and gazed into the little girl's tired eyes. "I wished you could come with me," Emily stated quietly, sky blue and emerald green eyes meeting.

"I know Princess, but there's not enough room on the plane for us all," Dani explained gently, digging deep within herself to find the courage to hold it together when what she really wanted to do was rage to the stormy sky above how unfair life could be. Instead, she smiled brightly and rubbed noses with Emily. "We'll be there by twelve o'clock tomorrow and then we can all have lunch together. How's that sound?" Dani asked, her voice trembling only slightly.

"The hospital has yucky pizza," Emily complained softly, her little lips pouting sweetly.

"Then how about I smuggle in some good pizza? How's that sound?" Matt asked quietly over her head, sending Dani an encouraging smile.

"What's smubbling?" Emily asked tiredly in confusion, her eyes half closed.

Matt and Dani couldn't help but smile and laugh just a little. "Smuggling; not smubbling," Matt clarified, still chuckling.

"It means he's going to sneak good pizza into the hospital for you," Dani explained.

"Oh. Okay," Emily agreed, her voice growing softer.

Dani sent Matt a look filled with fear and apprehension and felt only slightly better when she saw his gaze was calm. "You doing okay, Princess?" Matt asked softly, kissing her head gently, her gold curls tickling his lips.

"Jus' sleepy," Emily sighed.

"I know. But you'll be on the plane soon and you can sleep all the way home," he stated, holding her a little closer and saying a quick prayer for a quick, safe flight.

"We get to dance with the angels tonight," she murmured.

Matt and Dani exchanged quizzical glances, and Dani's heart pounded as a cold fear gripped her. "What do you mean, Em?" she asked fearfully.

Emily's eyes fluttered open, and for a moment her gaze was dazed before she seemed to become fully aware of everything around her. Her sky-blue eyes filled with compassion and understanding and the wisdom of centuries past and saw in Dani's gaze fear so heavy and stark it made her heart hurt. The one thing she had never wanted to do was ever cause Dani pain or sorrow. She loved her more than anything in the world, next to her mother, of course, and wanted to see her smile again. "Matt's daddy says we're going to fly so high we can dance with the angels when we see them," she explained gently, hoping her explanation would ease Dani's fear, sighing with relief inside as she watched the fear dissolve from Dani's face.

"I see," Dani breathed a sigh of relief and nodded in agreement. "Well, if you do get to dance with them, I hope you get to waltz."

"Of course she'll get to waltz; that's what angels do best!" Matt added with a gentle smile.

"It's time to go, Emily," Emily's mother stated, she and Jordan joining the three of them and accepting her tired daughter as Matt handed her over and she wrapped her arms around her. Did she feel lighter or was it only her imagination? In the heavy winter coat she felt so light it was a good thing she was holding her tightly or she might have simply been blown away in the ever-growing wind.

"You have a wonderful time on the plane and we'll see you for lunch tomorrow!" Dani promised Emily, pushing against the feeling of doom that kept nagging at her.

"I will," Emily promised softly, looking at Dani's face as if she was memorizing every line, curve and freckle she saw.

Matt gave her one last kiss to her cheek and brushed her golden curls from her eyes. "Pepperoni, pineapple and black olive, right?" he teased her.

Emily's eyes sparkled and her laughter was bright in the cold wind. "No. Jus' plain cheese!"

"Is everything ready to go?" Dani asked, as she was gathered into Jordan's arms and hugged tightly. Her mother kissing her on both cheeks before bestowing a farewell kiss to her lips.

"As ready as it will ever be. The weather's closing in a little faster than it was originally so we need to get going before it gets any worse," Jordan explained casually, her smile calm and ready.

Sergei and Chloe and Aleksei joined the other five and the group huddled around Emily. Behind them, the engines of the Learjet roared to life.

"We need to get going," Aleksei advised Jordan and Emily's mother. To the others he advised them, "We'll call you as soon as we land," Aleksei yelled above noise of the engines.

Final hugs and kisses were exchanged, and good-byes said.

"Take care of my little girl," Aleksei had entreated Matt in a husky voice, his gaze memorizing every nuance of her beautiful face, astounded yet again how much she looked like her mother.

"Always, sir!" had been Matt's simple answer; filled with sincerity that had Aleksei breathing easier knowing she would be safe.

"Keep our grandbaby warm!" Aleksei stated firmly, pulling Chloe and then Sergei into his arms for hugs good-bye before releasing them into Jordan's reaching hands.

"I love you, Mom," Sergei whispered into his mother's ear, his heart squeezing painfully. The night had been filled with emotion and he'd held everything together. Until now. Suddenly, everything was too much and all he wanted was for everyone to be home safely in their own beds.

"I love you too, sweetie. Try to keep your sister out of trouble," she teased him, running one hand lovingly down his cheek in a gesture he had treasured for as long as he could remember. Her heart swelled as she looked at him. Tall, dark, and handsome, just like his father. It seemed like only yesterday she held his tiny body against her chest and rocked him to sleep. Now, in only a few short months, she'd be doing the same to her son's child. Wasn't life magical?

"I'll try," he managed to murmur, giving her one last hug before releasing her.

"Isn't that like giving an inmate the key ring to the jail cells and telling him not to open the doors?" Chloe asked laughingly, hugging Jordan tightly before releasing her.

"Probably," Jordan agreed, giving Chloe a knowing wink. "I'd tell you two to stay out of trouble, but it's too cold out here to waste the time doing it!" Jordan teased.

"Jordan, we have to go," Aleksei called, holding his hand out to her.

Jordan looked at Dani and pulled her daughter into her arms one last time. Taking her hand, she slipped something into her palm and closed her fingers into a tight fist. Dani looked at her mother, a quizzical look on her face.

Jordan knew how much Dani hated flying; always had. When she had been much younger, it had become a game of sorts for Jordan to give Dani something very small to hold onto so she had something else to worry about besides the plane having a problem. It had been several years since they'd played their little game, but tonight, for some reason, Jordan had felt the need to do it again. "I want that back at lunch tomorrow!" her mother advised her with a laugh.

Dani simply smiled a dazzling smile, nodded in agreement, and tucked her mother's token into her pants pocket.

 "See you tomorrow!" Jordan stated firmly and with a final kiss, rushed to join her husband as they headed to the plane.

The four on the ground watched as Aleksei and Jordan paused at the doorway of the plane and waved a final time before disappearing inside, the door closing silently behind them.

Stepping back, they watched as the sleek jet slowly moved forward, following the barely visible lines that lead them to the runway, the engines roaring loudly as if anxious to get going. The snow was falling heavier, and before they knew it, the plane had disappeared from their sight.

Turning, they headed back for the door that would get them out of the cold wind and blowing snow.

"What was that all about? What's your mama want back at lunch tomorrow?" Matt asked curiously.

Dani couldn't stop the wide smile that curved her cheeks. "As a child, I hated to fly, so she made up this game. She would give me something to hold during the plane ride and I had to return it to her when we landed. It kept me from worrying about all the horrible prospects of plane crashes, mid-air explosions, and lovely things like that!"

Matt rolled his eyes in astonishment. "I'm sure glad I didn't have to fly with you then. You were just full of merry thoughts! Weren't you?"

"I had my moments," Dani agreed.

"... what are you holding this time?" Matt asked again.

Dani shrugged and reached into her pocket, "Usually it was something silly like a ring from a box of Cracker Jax, or a marble. One time it was an M&M: I've got news for you, they do melt in your hand!" she added laughingly, only to stop abruptly when she opened her hand and saw what her mother had left her.

A dazzling ring, of diamonds and pearls, rested warmly in the palm of her hand. The ring her father had given her mother as she lay near death after the accident that had nearly claimed both their lives.

Only one other time, in her life, could she remember her mother had ever removed it from her finger: when she had lent it to Chloe for good luck when she and her brother had skated their first long program together. The night Chloe's ex-partner had tried to kill them both. The night Chloe had found the strength to save not only herself, but Sergei!

"What's holding you guys up?" Sergei asked, walking back to meet his sister and Matt who stood just outside the entrance to the building that offered them shelter from the bitter cold and biting wind.

Spotlights from the roof cast light downward and reflected in the diamonds in the ring, seeming to make the beautiful piece of jewelry glow warmly in Dani's palm.

"Hey, isn't that Mom's ring?" Sergei asked curiously, lowering his head to get a closer look.

"Yeah," Dani murmured softly, a numbness beginning to steal over her.

Sergei's gaze grew confused, then fearful. "But she never takes it off," Sergei stated needlessly.

Dani and Chloe exchanged knowing looks. "Only once before," Chloe whispered, remembering the horrible night and how they'd barely survived it; remembered how she'd looked at the ring and felt Jordan's strength and courage radiate through it. How it had given her hope.

"She'll get it back tomorrow at lunch!" Dani stated firmly, refusing to believe otherwise. She was no longer a child. She wouldn't give in to her irrational fears. Her parents, Matt's father, Emily and Mrs. DuBois were safely on their way home. Surely fate wouldn't be so cruel as to take them all at once. She simply refused such a possibility existed!

Four heads turned and gazed into the dark sky, filled with heavy swirling flakes, and silently prayed for the safe deliverance of their loved ones.

"Dear God..." Dani whispered into biting cold air, her vaporized breath disappearing in the wind.

* * * * *

Three hours later, Dani slammed the phone back into its cradle. "They should have landed by now! Why haven't they called and why can't I get Daddy on his cell phone?" she tossed the question out to the other three who sat trying to watch television, in the living room of the suite they were sharing.

Sergei cast his sister a frustrated glance. "They've probably been trying to, but you've been on the phone for the last hour and they can't get through!"

Dani sent the phone another scowl and pondered her brother's suggestion.

'We interrupt this program with breaking news...'

The phone rang at the same time the announcement began over the television.

"Hello?" Dani answered immediately, scooping up the phone.

"Put Sergei on the phone!" Whittaker demanded harshly.

"Why?" Dani argued, her heart pounding in her chest at his tone, and the pictures of her parents and Matt's father that were suddenly flashed on the television screen.

'We have just received word, a private jet, believed to belong to Randolph Tanner Industries, Inc., was lost from radar approximately thirty minutes ago. Initial reports indicate this is the plane that was carrying Jordan Jamison, and Aleksei Rocmanov, along with USA Hockey Team Captain, Matthew Tanner's father, Randolph Tanner, and two other passengers. Again, a small plane, believed to be carrying the famous figure skating pair team of Jamison and Rocmanov, who only earlier this evening skated at the Olympic Gala, may have been lost in a plane crash. Please stay tuned to this channel for further updates.'

"Tomorrow..." Dani's whispered plea was the last thing Whittaker heard before the phone went dead.

* * * * *

We ask that life be kind, and watch us from above. We hope each soul will find another soul to love. Let this be our prayer, when we lose our way. Lead us to a place - guide us with your grace, to a place where we'll be safe...

"Dear God, don't do this to me again!" Jordan pleaded tearfully into the dark night as her memories assailed her; the identical memories of so many years before, and she found herself barely able to breathe, let alone move.

Inside her head, Celine Dion's words beckoned to her from far away, a somehow familiar voice in a world where everything moved in slow motion, her mind refusing to put the fractured pictures, that flashed strobe-like before her eyes, and made her head pound painfully, back together. Cold wind and snow blowing across her cheek brought her eyes open, her vision blurring as the wind glazed her eyes. Her eyes drifted shut, the effort to hold them open overwhelming. The song played over and over in her mind; and slowly drew Jordan back to reality. Aleksei's choice of music for program that became their signature piece, her mind remembered. And then the last flashing images of what they believed were the final moments of their lives became a clear picture in her head, and she gasped in panic as she realized she was alone, lying in deep snow, the twisted and crushed remains of the plane not a hundred feet away from her.

"Aleksei..." Jordan whispered, peering through the dark night and falling snow, silently praying for his safety. "Oh, God..." she cried, struggling to stand in the hip deep snow, grabbing her ribs as pain fired through her side, taking the breath from her lungs and causing bright lights to flash before her eyes. Breathe - just breathe, she told herself, concentrating on controlling the pain. She couldn't help Aleksei if she fainted. Gradually, after what felt like an eternity, the pain subsided and her vision cleared, her mind holding the panic at bay for the moment. It was nearly impossible to move through the deep snow, and every move sent streaks of pain through her ribs, but she refused to stop. She had to reach Aleksei, had to see for herself that he was safe. A wave of nausea rushed through her body and for a moment she thought she was going to be sick, but through sheer effort, she refused to acknowledge, let alone, give into her weakness. There would be time to get sick later, Aleksei needed her now. Struggling to move steadily forward, she fought through the deep snow, calling his name over and over.

Only the blowing wind and swirling snow answered her.

Time ceased to be measurable. It could have been five minutes, an hour, or an eternity, before Jordan finally reached the wreckage of the plane and managed to squeeze through what was left of the doorway, and found herself inside the demolished aircraft, not even noticing the emergency lighting that cast the wrecked interior with soft light. Picking her way through the twisted remains of the sleek jet, she pushed aside luggage that had somehow found its way through the floor of the plane.

"Aleksei..." she called quietly, cautiously making her way toward the only part of the plane that was even partially still together, hoping she'd find Aleksei and Emily and her mother alive and well.

A soft moan echoed loudly in the crushed cabin and Jordan rushed forward, pushing aside wreckage to make a path, ignoring the burning pain as the sharp metal cut into her hands and she left a trail of blood in the snow and debris.

"Aleksei..." she called again, pushing aside a final panel before she came upon the sight that would remain with her for the rest of her life.

The love of her life sat motionless in his seat, his head against the seat's headrest, his eyes closed, as if in sleep, his arms wrapped snugly around Emily in a gesture that was purely protective. In the seat behind him, Emily's mother sat slumped forward, her head tilted too far to one side, lifeless.

Tears filled her eyes and she didn't dare breathe, certain if she did it would make it real, and she knew she'd never survive losing him again. Hoping if she held her breath long enough, it would be nothing more than a bad dream; like before. Gathering her courage, she cautiously placed her fingers along the side of his neck, searching for any sign of life, praying as she had never prayed before. A slow, barely perceptible pulse throbbed softly beneath her numb fingers but she couldn't be certain if it was real or simply wishful thinking. She called his name again, but received no response. Scared more than she had ever been in her life, she simply gazed down at him and silently called his name over and over hoping somehow he would hear her and know she was with him.

Another soft moan had Jordan's breath leaving her chest in a rush and looking at Emily, whose eyes slowly fluttered open. "Emily? Princess?" Jordan called, carefully getting to her knees beside Aleksei and running her hands tentatively over Emily's face.

"Your fingers are cold," Emily whispered, her breath barely making a cloud of vapor in the cold air.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, blowing on her fingers, trying to warm them. "Do you hurt anywhere?" she asked, gently running her hands along Emily's arms and legs.

"No."

"That's good," Jordan stated in what she hoped was a light tone, trying for some semblance of a smile. A gust of wind made the plane shift and groan. Jordan cast a worried glance around but offered Emily another smile. "Now, I don't want you to be afraid. Help's coming. They'll be here real soon."

Emily's cupid mouth turned up into the most peaceful smile Jordan had ever seen, and she practically glowed with serenity. "I'm not afraid, Miss Jordan. The angels already told me not to be afraid," she whispered softly.

Tears filled Jordan's eyes and she bit her lip to keep from crying out in denial. "Angels?" she finally asked quietly.

Emily nodded slightly and then cast her gaze over Jordan's head at something unseen for a moment before returning her sky-blue gaze to Jordan's sorrow-filled green eyes. "Mommy said to tell everybody to don't be sad; we'll always be close by. Tell Grampa 'Leksei I'll miss him and he's the best grampa in the world!"

She couldn't stop the tears the traced silver paths down her cheeks, and she cast her eyes to him, gazing at the love of her life. "Aleksei..." she whispered, her cold fingertips coming to rest against her lips, finally closing her eyes against the pain that filled her heart and soul as she looked upon his beloved face; wondering if he was lost to her this time.

'I love you, Jordan. Always.' She heard his voice in her head as surely as if he had whispered it in her ear and her eyes sprang open, hoping for even the smallest sign he was coming around.

But nothing had changed; he still sat motionless.

A minute little peep of a moan slipped from Emily's lips and Jordan returned her attention to the little girl. "Emily?"

"It's time to dance with the angels, Miss Jordan," Emily whispered, her beautiful little face filled with glowing joy.

Tears coursed unrestrained down Jordan's face and she summoned up the courage for a dazzling smile for who was surely heaven's newest angel. "Then don't keep them waiting, Princess. Go dance in the clouds!" she murmured and leaned over and placed kisses softly against Emily's pale cheeks. "I love you, Emily."

Emily looked up into Jordan's face and smiled brightly. "I love you too, Miss Jordan. Tell Grampa 'Leksei he'll have to wait to dance with the angels; it's not his time to dance yet," she murmured and then with a final little sigh, slipped away on her new angel wings and drifted gently away.

Jordan gazed at the little girl in her husband's arms, her face filled with peace, a little smile curving her lips, and Emily's last words finally penetrated the numbness that filled her mind. 'It's not his time to dance yet.'

Hope filled her heart and with a jerk she cast her eyes toward her husband, only to find his steady ebony gaze looking back at her. "Aleksei?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

His lips curved into the smallest of smiles. "What is it with us traveling in snow storms?" he murmured sardonically.

Jordan couldn't stop the tears of joy that streamed down her cold cheeks and she shook her head back and forth at his question. "I don't know. But this is the last time we're doing it."

"It's a deal," Aleksei agreed softly and looked down at the top of Emily's golden head. "Em?" he asked quietly.

Jordan shook her head, her green eyes filled with sorrow.

Sighing in sadness, he wished her a safe journey into God's arms and moved to hug the little angel one last time, frowning just a little in puzzlement.

Jordan caught his look. "What's wrong? What hurts?" Jordan asked, carefully running her hands along his shoulders, and down his arms, then his legs.

Aleksei looked down at his body, watched as his wife's hands cautiously ran over him and felt strangely detached from it, as if he was looking at someone else's. That's when it hit him. "I can't feel anything."

Jordan froze in place, her gaze filling with confusion and then fear. "Nothing?"

Aleksei shook his head negatively. "No pain; not your touch. Nothing."

Suddenly, the sound of rescue helicopters overhead had her lifting her eyes upward and sighing in relief. "It's okay; I'm sure it's just temporary. We'll get you to the hospital and find out that you just have a pinched nerve and you'll be back on your feet in a week. I'm sure everything will be fine!" she rambled, trying to convince herself as much as him. But one look told her she hadn't succeeded. If nothing else her husband was a realist. He never ran from adversity but ran toward it at full speed.

"We'll see what the doctors say and then we'll deal with it," Aleksei murmured quietly, wishing he could touch the silken skin of her cheek and brush away the tears that shimmered silvery trails downward and then dropped to the ground.

Jordan nodded in silent agreement and then ran a caressing hand down Aleksei's cheek, along his jaw, her thumb gently grazing his full lower lip. Leaning forward she placed soft kisses to his temple, his cheek, a last kiss against his lips, whispering how much she loved him.

"Now that I could feel," he murmured huskily, and gave her a look that she clearly recognized.

"Good. Then all is not lost," she decreed.

The sounds of the rescue crews grew closer and Jordan took a deep, trembling breath, and with a final hope-filled look at Aleksei, murmured, "They're here, Rocmanov. We're going home."

Chapter 32

Dani stood on the balcony off their suite, oblivious to the cold wind and blowing snow and gazed out over the sleeping city. Thousands of people slept peacefully; without a care in the world in the shadowy buildings, their lights faded in the heavily falling snow, blissfully unaware that her world hung suspended; frozen in fear.

Inside the suite, Dee and Whittaker stood vigil beside the phone; silently waiting for even the smallest bit of information that might give them some idea of what was going on. After pleading with his wife for more than an hour, Sergei had finally convinced Chloe, if for no other reason than the baby's sake, to at least lie down and rest. Under cries of foul and cheat, she agreed to his less than sportsman like tactics and disappeared into their bedroom, scowling as he followed her in and made sure she was tucked tightly into bed.

Matt, having to deal with the fact he was suddenly faced with the very real possibility of heading up R.M. Tanner Industries, Inc., was in the second bedroom, on the phone with corporate lawyers and officers of his father's firm, going over what had to be done immediately to keep things running smoothly. While he was busy with the business ends of things, it was easy to push aside his emotions. He couldn't say the same when he spoke to his mother. The heartbreak he heard in her voice made him feel helpless, but not as helpless as he had felt when he looked into Dani's sorrow-filled green eyes. Call him a coward, but it was a blessing to have to be taking care of things on his end and avoiding the accusations he was sure would follow from the Rocmanovs later on. After all, it had been his father's plane involved in the crash; his father piloting said plane. It didn't get much more cut and dried than that!

Through the closed door, Matt heard the phone ring in the living room, and then Whittaker's gruff, 'Hello,' but nothing more. Putting his head into his hands, he wondered how the evening had gone from such an incredibly amazing night, to one of sheer hell.

It was a question they had all asked themselves more than once.

* * * * *

Dani heard the phone ring and cast an apprehensive glance over her shoulder through the closed sliding glass door. There's something to be said for standing outside in zero-degree weather. It doesn't take long to go blessedly numb! The very fact she'd thought it almost made her smile. Almost.

The door sliding open quietly behind her had her glancing over her shoulder and the very expression on her brother's face was more than enough to tell her things weren't going to get any better.

"They found them," he stated quietly, his deep voice wavering only slightly.

Dani didn't blink; didn't breathe, simply nodded, tugging her lower lip between her teeth. She looked out over the sleeping city and finally sighed in defeat. "How bad is it?" she asked quietly, her voice filled with tears.

Sergei's gaze dropped to the ground, he kicked one foot back and forth and cleared a small patch of snow away from the concrete balcony floor. With eyes filled with sorrow and pain, he answered his sister. "One survivor."

Dani closed her eyes and dropped her head back as overwhelming sorrow washed over her, leaving her weak and dazed. Grabbing the balcony's rail for support, she ignored the cold steel beneath her fingers and rocked slightly forward and back. How could it be? How could such a thing have happened? Or maybe the better question was how were they going to survive this? Terrified to ask the question that hung darkly between them, but needing the answer to it, Dani turned and faced her brother. "Who?"

Sergei's face crumbled and tears filled his dark eyes, then slipped down his sculpted cheeks before he could control his emotions. With a shaky breath, he composed himself and lifting his chin bravely, whispered, "Mom."

Sergei watched the disbelief wash over his sister's face as the realization they had lost their father sank in and he was there before her knees completely dissolved beneath her. Pulling her into his arms and hugging her tightly, he whispered words of comfort neither of them would later remember but served their purpose at the moment as her wracking sobs slowly subsided into tiny sorrow-filled whimpers, and finally a shaky, defeated sigh.

"How's Whittaker taking the news?" Dani asked tearfully.

"Stoically."

Dani frowned worriedly. Whittaker didn't take anything stoically. He was a volcano ready to erupt over the least little thing. This was not a good sign! "Is Dee with him?"

Sergei nodded. "Of course. She's doing her best to get him drunk in the hopes he'll let go of his emotions before he has a heart attack. He's completely devastated."

"They've been a team forever; even before Mama and Daddy," Dani stated needlessly.

"He's never going to get over this," Sergei murmured shakily, wondering how any of them were.

"Yes he will; we're a team. Remember? No one has to face this alone."

Sergei's shoulders lifted in a sad shrug. "You're wrong. There is someone having to face this all alone."

Dani sent her brother a confused look and then her eyes widened in remembrance. Matt! How on earth could she have forgotten he had lost just as much as the rest of them, but unlike her, he was alone in this whole catastrophe? "Are you going to be okay?" she asked her brother.

Sergei nodded affirmatively and gazed out over the city. "I will be after I tell Chloe. Go see to Matt," he suggested, nodding toward the room on the other side of the balcony.

Dani nodded in agreement, and reached for the handle on the door. "We're going to make it through this, Sergei. It's what Daddy would have wanted," she stated firmly.

Her brother's dark eyes filled with tears, and his voice was less than steady when he answered her. "I know."

With a final small smile, she opened the door, and slid it closed behind her.

* * * * *

Matt sat on the edge of the bed, his body and emotions numb as his brain tried to assimilate when he'd been told.

"I'm sorry Mr. Tanner. Your father's dead."

Seven little words that had changed his world.

Not only was his father dead, but three others besides; one of them one of the most beloved skaters of all time. Wasn't this just fucking great! He was partially responsible for killing an icon. He was solely responsible for killing the love of his life's father! Wouldn't that just get the girl to love him for all eternity! After all, he'd been the one to ask his father if the plane had been available to get Emily back to hospital as quickly as possible. He was fucked! Pure and simple! Not only would she probably want to kill him; after all, an eye for an eye wasn't so much to ask for. But on top of everything else, the Rocmanov family would probably sue R.M. Tanner Industries Inc. for every last penny they had! Boy, oh boy, he was just destroying lives right and left!

A tapping at the bedroom door had him casting a confused look at the closed portal, wondering if he'd actually heard the sound at all. A second round of tapping had him gruffly calling out, "Come in."

Dani stepped through the doorway and quietly closed the door behind her, watching him apprehensively, her eyes filled with uncertainty. Chewing on her lower lip, she watched him for a long moment, her heart squeezing painfully as she saw the pain and sadness in his blue-gray eyes. "I'm sorry for the loss of your father, Matt," she finally murmured quietly, tears filling her green eyes.

Matt actually blinked in surprise at her softly spoken words and looked at her in disbelief. In confusion he ran his hands through his hair and tried to stop his spinning brain. "You don't hate me?" he finally asked quietly.

Now it was Dani's turn to blink in surprise. "Why on earth would I hate you?" she asked, her eyes filled with compassion and, amazingly enough, love.

Matt couldn't bear to watch her loving expression disappear, so he cast his gaze toward the plush carpet beneath his feet. "I killed your father," he whispered brokenly.

Dani's gasp of surprise had him closing his eyes and waiting for the door to open and then slam behind her as she left, but instead he found himself being tackled and pushed back on the bed, with Dani straddling him and sitting on his lap as she poked him in the chest. "What on earth would make you think such a thing?" she asked furiously.

"It was my father's plane that crashed," he stated.

Dani rolled her eyes. "It was your father doing my father a favor. No one could have foreseen this happening!" she countered.

"You lost your father!" he fired back, sorrow and pain and helplessness clear in his deep, very loud voice.

"You lost your father too," Dani murmured softly.

Matt sat up, his chest meeting the softness of her breasts, his hands coming around to loop loosely around her waist. He expected her to pull away from his touch, and he told himself he'd understand if she did. But she didn't and he looked up at her in astonishment. "I thought you'd hate me; my family, for the pain we caused you." He spoke quietly, his voice husky and deep, his eyes meeting and holding hers steadily.

Dani looked at him in wonder. His eyes were filled with wariness, every emotion clear in his blue-gray eyes. He wore his heart on his sleeve, hers to do with as she pleased. A brief flicker of warmth ran through her for the first time in hours as she realized he was willing to sacrifice his own happiness by letting her go if it was retribution that she wanted. His unselfishness left her awed. "If I thought assigning blame would change tonight's outcome I'd do it in a minute; but it won't. For whatever reason, destiny chose tonight to show us we don't, and can't, control everything in our lives. Is fate a surety? I don't know. Can we change our destiny? Maybe for a while, but I think eventually it catches up with us and we are destined to do what we were put on this earth to do. Is it fair? Obviously not always! But I won't go pointing fingers at others to rationalize what I can't understand." Dani's fingertips ran a gentle caress down his cheeks before slipping to his chest, her palms coming to rest over his heart; his pulse pounding rapidly beneath her hands. "I don't know about you, Matthew Tanner, but I think losing my father tonight is about all the loss I can stand right now," Dani whispered truthfully.

Matt looked into Dani's green eyes and saw nothing had changed in them. The same emotions he had always seen in them still resided and he wondered how he could have been so lucky as to find such an amazing woman. She really didn't blame him for her father's death. "I am so very sorry about your father," he murmured brokenly, tears filling his eyes before he could stop them. The last thing she needed was to see him falling apart; he was supposed to help her through this horrible time.

Dani wiped the tears that slipped down his cheeks away with her thumbs and kissed his lips gently. "I know, and we'll make it through this; together," she stated determinedly, holding up their joined hands to press her point home.

Matt nodded in agreement.

"I wish I'd gotten to know your father better," she murmured.

Thirty minutes before the flight was set to take off didn't give any of them much time to get to know each other. Matt smiled a little sadly. "You would have loved him."

Dani's gaze caressed his face. "How could it be otherwise considering how much I love his son?" she asked softly, tears filling her eyes as she watched Matt's composure slip completely away and his emotions overwhelm him. "I'm so very sorry," she murmured on a whisper, gathering him into her arms and holding him tightly, gently rocking from side to side as his sorrow overtook him and he cried helplessly in the arms of the woman he loved.

* * * * *

Ten minutes later, the phone rang again and shortly after that, Whittaker's bellowing voice stated loudly, "He's alive! Aleksei's fuckin' alive!"

The doors to both suites slammed open and the occupants poured through the doorways into the living room. Four sets of eyes looked at Whittaker in disbelief.

"But they said&ldots;" Sergei began.

"They were wrong; they were fuckin' wrong! Marcus spoke with Jordan; Aleksei's alive! He's in bad shape, but the bastard's alive!" Whittaker was practically dancing with joy, something none of them had ever seen him do and the questioning looks that passed between the four younger people clearly stated they wondered if he'd slipped over the edge of sanity.

Dani and Sergei exchanged worried looks. "How bad?" Sergei asked quietly.

Whittaker cast Dee a quick look, and at her slight nod, answered his question. "Marcus didn't have all the details yet; he's on his way to meet them. They're transporting Aleksei to Northwestern University Hospital in Chicago. Marcus said he's critical; but at least he's alive!" he added quickly. "We'll worry about the details later. The fact he's still on the planet is good enough for me at the moment!"

Softly murmured sounds of agreement and nodding heads reiterated Whittaker's statement.

With the air suddenly so filled with hope and faith restored that miracles were indeed possible, Dani cast a hopeful look up into Matt's eyes. "Don't give up hope; there's always a chance."

Matt's eyes, filled with soul-wrenching sadness, looked down into Dani's green ones, newly restored with faith and happiness, and his knuckles grazed the satin softness of the skin along her jaw. "You're right, Darlin'. There's always hope."

But he didn't believe it. In his heart he felt his father was gone.

Forty-five minutes later word came in; the body of Randolph Tanner had been recovered.

Matthew Tanner was now the head of R.M. Industries, Inc. and worth over three and a half billion dollars!

Chapter 33

Despite the weathermen's forecasts otherwise, the storm intensified, grounding all planes and canceling all plans for anyone else getting out of Calgary that night. Apparently the weathermen in Canada weren't anymore accurate than those in the United States.

Through the long hours of the night, telephone calls raced between the two countries. Countless updates were called in as the rescue and recovery efforts continued throughout the night and into the early morning. Incoming information was sketchy, but one fact remained steady: Aleksei and Jordan were alive.

Sometime close to three a.m., Sergei coerced Chloe back into bed, staying with her until she fell asleep, and then returned to the living room, sitting down beside his sister on the couch and watching CNN for any new news they hadn't already heard. Whittaker lay sprawled out on another couch, his head resting on Dee's lap, snoring like a buzz saw, while Dee dozed sitting up; pillows stacked behind her head. A particularly large snort had the two younger Rocmanovs looking over at Whittaker in amusement.

"How does she sleep through that?" Sergei pondered aloud.

Dani simply smiled tiredly. "It's amazing what you can put up with from those you love."

Sergei nodded in agreement. "Think they'll ever get married?"

Dani shrugged. "Why bother? Everyone knows they're a pair, even though they've never officially announced it. Besides, at their age, it's probably more fun living in sin!" Dani suggested lightly.

"Speaking of which&ldots;" Sergei began, not so lightly, casting his sister a sidelong glance.

"Were we?" Dani sighed, ignoring his look, even though she could feel his eyes on her.

"We are now."

"No, you are now. I'm trying to watch TV," Dani countered, starting to push the channel button on the remote and running through the channels.

Sergei took the remote from her hand and returned the channel to CNN, then tucked the remote into the pillows by his side. "There, now we can talk about it."

Dani closed her eyes for a moment, heaved and sigh and looked into her brother's tired eyes. "Talk about what Sergei?"

"You and Matt."

"What about us?"

"Have you talked to him since he got word about his father?"

Dani gave him a 'what do you think?' look. The moment he'd received official word of his father's death, he'd disappeared into the second bedroom, closed the door and other than the phone constantly ringing and being answered, she hadn't seen him again. With a heart filled with sorrow, she shook her head no.

"Marcus was telling me about Matt. Apparently there are several things that we don't know about the Tanner family. Such as, are you aware of what your boyfriend's father did?"

Dani again shook her head back and forth. "All Matt had ever said was that his father owned his own business and that he liked to build things," she remembered quietly, running her hands through her hair and twisting it quickly, allowing it to drape over her left shoulder.

Sergei's dark eyes blinked in surprise. "That's all he said about him?"

"He just usually spoke more of his mother than his father. I didn't think much of it. Why, what's the big deal?"

Sergei's head shook back and forth in amazement. He'd come to know several people who were more than happy to tout their families fortunes; content to ride on their coat tails, unwilling to become their own person when it was so much easier to spend their families money. Obviously, Matthew Tanner was one of the exceptions. If it hadn't been for Marcus telling him, he wondered how much longer it would have been before Matt Tanner, hockey slug, fessed up to being Randolph Matthew Tanner III, the grandson of the founder of Atlanta, Georgia's finest, and most prestigious, commercial architectural developer. It wasn't every day you found your sister dating someone worth over three billion dollars! But it wasn't for Sergei to be divulging Matt's secrets; that was up to him, if he chose to do it at all. Now, with everything that had happened, it was hard to know just exactly how everyone was going to be affected by the tragedy.

"Sergei?" Dani interrupted his musings.

"You need to talk to Matt."

Dani nodded in agreement. "And I will, as soon as he gets done doing everything he needs to do. Unlike us, he's alone. He doesn't having anyone here helping him through all this mess."

If you only knew! He thought to himself, certain there was an entire fleet of lawyers, consultants and managers all converging to make certain his father's company didn't suffer because of the tragedy. "He's not alone; he has you, Dani," Sergei countered quietly. "Go to him. Make him forget about this madness, if only for a little while."

Dani looked at her brother in surprise. "Are you telling me to go sleep with the man?" she asked in astonishment.

Sergei didn't know what the hell he was telling her to do, just that she should do something to let Matt know not everything had changed; to give him something to hold on to when he thought there was nothing left. "I'm telling you to do whatever you think is best to let him know that not everything has to change," he finally mumbled.

Dani looked at her brother as if he'd lost his mind. Between his cryptic comments and the fact she was so tired she could barely think, she decided it was entirely too much work trying to figure out what her brother was trying to tell her so she simply nodded in agreement. What she was agreeing to she had no idea, but she figured it was easier than listening to him try to explain things again. "Okay. I'll go talk to him."

"Now?"

"Yes, now," she agreed in confusion, climbing tiredly to her feet and with another questioning look at her brother, walked to the bedroom door and quietly slipped into the room with Matt. Silently she walked to the desk, sat down on one corner of it and looked at Matt worriedly.

"I'm fine, Mama. Don't worry about me," Matt murmured quietly into the telephone, his Southern accent thicker than usual, his free hand rubbing his forehead wearily. "I'll see you tomorrow." For a few seconds he listened to his mother's comments. "Uncle George has everything under control. The plane will be ready to go and have you in Chicago by eleven a.m.. From there, a limo will be waiting and take you straight to the hospital to see the Rocmanovs."

Dani blinked in surprise.

"Yes, Mama. No, Mama. I love you too, Mama. I'll see you tomorrow," Matt murmured, finally setting the phone back into its cradle.

"Your mother's going to Chicago to see my parents?" Dani asked quietly, more than a little surprised. She had so many things to deal with herself. In the blink of an eye, her world had changed irrevocably.

Matt simply nodded tiredly, his hands running through his hair and coming to rest on his neck, where he rubbed at the tense muscles.

"That isn't necessary. She has enough to worry about with&ldots; everything else," Dani stammered hesitantly.

"A Southerner's manners are inbred and something unchangeable. My mother plans to visit with your parents and that's the end of the matter. She will descend upon them sometime around noon tomorrow," he stated flatly.

His tone was one she'd never heard before: brisk, decisive, brooking no resistance, coldly emotionless. She didn't like it! She also didn't like the fact he seemed to be going out of his way to avoid looking at her, something she was totally unused to him doing. How many times had he told her one of his favorite pastimes was simply gazing at her, especially when she was sleeping? Now, he was putting up an emotional wall and acting as if she wasn't even in the room with him. "I'm not arguing the matter with you, simply considering the welfare of your mother; she lost her husband&ldots;"

"And I lost my father," Matt cut in harshly, spearing her with a frosty glance, his blue-gray eyes filled with pain. "I'm perfectly aware of all we've lost, just as I am perfectly capable of seeing to my mother's welfare," he stated coldly.

Dani flinched at his abruptness. "I wasn't suggesting otherwise," she countered flatly, her expression at first filled with confusion and then growing angry as she watched the man she loved become a stranger right before her eyes. Gone was the carefree hockey player who had teased and taunted tormented her until she had surrendered in mindless ecstasy, opening her heart in a way she had never thought she would again. "I was simply saying your mother doesn't need to concern herself, right now, with the welfare of my family. We're fine. There will be plenty of time later, when circumstances are less stressful, that, if she chooses, she can visit with my parents."

"Southern manners dictate otherwise," Matt argued stubbornly, his tone filled with condescension as he rose to his feet, spearing her with a look so filled with arrogance it made her want to scream.

Instead, she let her temper get the better of her. "Fuck Southern manners!" she growled furiously. "This isn't a matter of North versus South. We're talking about making it through tonight and tomorrow and the day after that, and the day after that, and each day after that until the pain we're feeling this moment no longer feels as if it's going to completely crush us. You once told me I wasn't alone when that was exactly how I felt, even surrounded by people. Well I've got new for you mister, you're not alone either. I'm here! And I'll be go to hell if I'll let you push me away after you convinced me to let you into my heart because you loved me and I was stupid enough to believe you! You're stuck with me, Tanner, like it or not; whether you want to be or not! Get used to it!" she finished loudly, poking the middle of his chest with one finger.

Matt's eyes glowed dangerously, and the muscle in his jaw clenched in anger and frustration. "Did you say, 'fuck Southern manners?'" he asked in a deadly calm tone that was so accented it practically dripped with honey.

Dani lifted her chin and glared it him defiantly. "So what if I did? Where are your 'Southern manners' getting you now? What are they doing for the sorrow that's squeezing your heart right this moment? How is pretending to be so very civil and charming butter could melt in your mouth going to help you when what you really want to do is scream at the unfairness of all that's happened?" She challenged him.

Matt's hands clenched as his sides as he fought to control the emotions that raged through his body; fought the desire he felt to lose himself in her willing arms and forget, if only for a short while, the nightmare that surrounded him. The only thing that kept him pulling her into his arms like a ravenous animal were the 'Southern manners' that constituted the rules he lived by. He was a man teetering on a dangerous ledge. He took a step closer to her, encroaching on her personal space. "The only thing keeping me from fucking you on this very desk are the very 'Southern manners' you so lightly scoff," he warned her dangerously, his glowing eyes holding hers captive, his face only inches from hers. "You're on very dangerous ground, Miss Rocmanov. I would suggest you leave now before you find yourself in a situation you can't control."

Dani was mesmerized by the power that radiated from him; excited by the raw sensuality and need she saw in his eyes, and her nostrils flared in awareness; not fear. She'd never seen him like this; teetering on the edge of unrestrained emotion and she felt heat rush through her as she watched his eyes grow darker and fill with sensual wickedness. She wasn't afraid of him; fearing him never even entered her mind. He looked wild enough to ravish her mindless but she knew in her heart he would never physically hurt her. The better question was could she help heal the pain that was so clearly reeling through him?

Dani looked at him calmly, and one eyebrow lifting in challenge. "Control is an illusion, Mr. Tanner, one easily granted or withheld. The only control you will ever have over me is that which I allow you to have," she stated defiantly.

Amazement shone in Matt's dark blue-gray gaze as she so recklessly cast down the gauntlet and blatantly challenged him. She didn't retreat an inch. In fact, she lifted her defiant little chin a notch higher, daring him to make the next move. With a wicked light glowing in his eyes, his strong hands easily moved her knees apart and he stepped forward, between them, his thighs bumping against the edge of the desk. With a casualness he didn't feel, he carefully placed his hands, palm down, on the desk on either side of her hips.

Her soft fragrance filled his senses, both tormenting and comforting, as he knew the joy he could find in her body, but fought against the needs his body cried out for. He didn't want to feel anything. It would be so much better to simply feel nothing; it didn't hurt if you were numb and devoid of any sensation at all. But she refused him even that small measure of escape and dared him to deny what she knew he felt. So he was left with nothing but frustration and anger, barely enough to keep her at arm's length let alone scare her away. But everything had changed, and with the new responsibilities he would have to assume, it was better she knew from the very start that their relationship would be different. The very idea that he would have to go back to Atlanta, and take up the reins of his family's business meant their time together would be limited and he truly didn't believe he could survive on just short snippets of stolen time with her. It would be better to let her go than try to make a long distance relationship work and watch them drift apart until they became strangers that hated each other. Better to end it here; now! Better to make her hate him now than later.

Matt sent her a carnal look that hinted of danger and darkness. "You think you have the power to stop me from taking you anyway I choose?" he murmured in a seductively dangerous voice, his hands settling on her hips and pulling her forward against the steel of his thighs and his blatantly aroused groin. "You think you have the strength to refuse the ecstasy and fulfillment you can find in my body&ldots; my hands&ldots; my mouth?"

Dani's green eyes dilated at his words and her breath hitched in her lungs. Her heart beat maddeningly and the nerves along her spine danced as his voice brought mental images before her eyes that made her want to close her eyes in pleasure and surrender to him. But she refused to. She could feel him throwing up walls against her as easily as she remembered her own walls that had kept him out - for a time. She knew if he succeeded tonight, it might be the end of them, and she'd lost more than enough with this tragedy already! "I fully acknowledge that you have the upper hand with sheer strength, and power, but I will decide when, and if, I find fulfillment in your arms. You can't force me to feel things I don't want to feel!" Had he noticed the way her voice quivered as she'd made her final reckless declaration?

Matt's eyebrows lifted in masculine amusement. Surely he couldn't have heard her right? The very thought she actually believed she could control the raging sensations he brought out in her was laughable, and his eyes darkened as he imagined her struggling against the fire that raced through her as she drew closer and closer to the ecstasy and oblivion he could bring her. He couldn't help the wickedly delicious smile that curved his lips as he envisioned the battle that would rage between them as they each strove to push the other over the sensual edge of ecstasy into fulfillment. "Let me get this clear in my head. Are you suggesting, you could sit here calmly on this desk, with my head between your legs, my tongue buried inside your lovely, hot body, and not feel anything at all?" he asked darkly, his eyes daring her to lie to him.

It wasn't as if he'd never spoken to her so explicitly before, sexually provocative words had been shared in husky whispers between them before, and they both had been affected by the mental images the words had brought. But now, to hear them spoken in challenge and hinting of dark dangers, she already found her body responding heatedly and silently prayed for strength. The best defense is often offense. The thought flitted through her mind and she found her lips curving into a secretive smile and her chin lifting as she countered his statement. "I'm not fool enough to believe that I could block out every feeling you might inspire in me with your suggestion," she began, her voice a low rumble. Her hands slid sinuously down the front of his pants, and brushed lightly against turgid length of him that pulsed between them. "just as you're not fool enough to believe that you could stand there calmly and ignore me while my mouth worshipped your body!"

Matt briefly closed his eyes against the image her words brought to mind, pushed against the memories that swirled through his brain as she needlessly reminded him of the times she had indeed tasted the secrets of his body and fought the growing need she instilled in him now. His body and soul cried out for hers and yet he refused to allow himself the respite of her comforting arms; sure if he surrendered to her and all she offered, he would never be able to leave her, as he surely thought he should. "You're playing with fire, Danielle. Surely your mother's warned you of such foolishness before," he taunted her haughtily, even managing a relatively bored tone despite his body swelling harder against her questing hands.

If she hadn't had her hands against her body, she might have actually believed his words, but his body spoke differently. His manhood twitching against her seeking fingers belied his words and she couldn't stop the knowing light that sparkled in her emerald eyes. "My mother told me to always finish anything I started," Dani stated on a sexy murmur, her nimble fingers deftly unzipping his slacks and then slipping inside to warmly encase his trembling flesh.

He couldn't control the hiss of pleasure that escaped through his clenched teeth as she caressed him beneath his clothing, and for a brief moment, he allowed his body free reign and quit thinking.

Dani looked up into his handsome face, now sharpened in excitement, smiled secretively and ran her nails carefully against his heated flesh. His body surged against her seeking fingers and he couldn't stop the low moan of pleasure that rumbled in his throat. His rapidly beating pulse throbbed a fast beat against his neck and she couldn't resist leaning forward, her mouth gently covering his pulsing vein before her teeth grazed sharply against his skin, eliciting another sharp sigh of pleasure from him.

"You burn with need, Matt. Let me end your torment," Dani murmured quietly against his skin, her breath a heated caress that left him weak.

"I can't," he mumbled, shaking his head in the smallest of movements, fighting to restore what little sanity he had left, and pulling away from her pleasure-giving hands. With shaking hands, he started to put his clothes aright, turning his back on her. He couldn't bear to see the hurt in her eyes.

But if he'd looked, he wouldn't have seen hurt; but determination, change her eyes to the color of a deep forest. Had he looked into her face, he would have seen her chin lift defiantly and known, in that moment, he was going to be in for the fight of his life.

As he struggled to regain control of his emotions and his body, Dani calmly pulled her sweater over her head and let it drop to the floor.

It's path was nothing more than a light whisper of sound, but it could have been a canon going off as Matt whirled around and found himself hypnotized by the sight he saw. A silk chemise, the color of molten bronze, barely covered her full breasts, its ridiculously thin straps slipping from her pale shoulders. In disbelief, and sensual agony, he watched as she casually unfastened her pants, and let them drift down her long, slim legs, stepping out of them as they reached her ankles. Her panties, the same gleaming color as her chemise, were nothing more than a tiny scrap of silken fabric that barely covered her femininity, and for the first time in his life, Matt honestly thought he might go up in flames right where he stood! Despite he sternest directions to himself to ignore the magical creature before him, his body refused to listened and swelled in near-painful arousal. "Danielle, get your ass out of here while you still can!" he growled dangerously, his blue-gray eyes so dark they looked like the sky at midnight.

"You don't frighten me, Matthew Tanner; not even a little bit!" she purred silkily and scooted back onto the desk, her legs parting just enough to have his eyes dilating and his mouth going dry. With a wickedly tempting smile, she placed her palms on the edge of the desk, between her legs and leaned slightly forward, her breasts pressing against their silken confines; her nipples pebbling into aroused peaks as she watched his reaction to her movements.

For years Matt would wonder how he managed to keep himself from simply falling on her delicious body and devouring her that moment. It was certainly what his body was screaming to do, and God knew, he'd gone brain dead the moment her pants had fallen to the floor! But one last flicker of sanity and his damn 'Southern manners' had him offering her one last chance to save her shapely ass. "You should be Darlin', you should be scared to death of me at the moment because all I'm looking for is a quick fuck and I can't promise you I'll be either considerate or caring of your feelings, your body or anything else," he stated harshly. His eyes gleamed with a purely physical carnal need, and his teeth gritted as he fought to keep what little control he had left under tight rein.

Red-hot desire and need raced through Dani as she looked at Matt and saw a side of him she'd never seen. Gone was the gentlemanly lover she had come to know. Before her stood a towering male, in all his aroused glory, promising her ecstasy even as he swore he would take her carelessly and without concern for her needs or desires. Just the briefest flicker of apprehension flitted through her but was just as quickly squelched. He might look like a pirate bent on ravishment at the moment, swearing he would use her body and discard her, but she knew better. If he had truly planned to use her so coldly, he never would have warned her of his intent. And she was certain she could break through the wall he had put between them. Just looking into his eyes told her it was already beginning to crumble. "You may be looking for a fuck, but I can assure you it won't be quick!" she stated challengingly, her eyes daring him to say otherwise.

He came at her like a charging bull, eyes filled with fire, nostrils flaring, as his arousal burned hotter. His hands clamped on her wrists, pushed them behind her back and he pulled her against his pulsing groin, all in one motion. With a dangerous growl, his mouth dipped downward and captured hers, his tongue surging between her teeth as he plundered the sweet softness within.

Dani's fingers flexed as desire washed through her at his less than gentle hold. She wanted; needed, to touch him, but he refused to release her wrists. With a frustrated moan, she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him tighter against the center of her heat, wiggling to get as close to his steely length as she could with two layers of cloth between them. Her efforts rewarded her with a deep growl of need from Matt.

With a scowl, he left the sweetness of her mouth and she lifted her chin, struggling to catch a full breath. Her neck offered temptingly, his lips and teeth grazed a sharp path down her neck, and left red splotches on her pale soft skin. His hands left her wrists and with a violent jerk, her silken chemise was torn down the middle; the glory of her swollen, flushed breasts open to his view and he fell on them with ravenous hunger, his teeth tormenting her sensitive nipples as his hands firmly caressed her breasts. He wasn't gentle, and she reveled in the sheer glory his touch brought her. She felt energized in a way she'd never felt before, felt power and need warring with each other as fire began to race through her and the center of her womanhood pulsed with a heat she felt certain would consume her if it wasn't quenched soon. "Matt, I need you&ldots;" she pleaded softly, her hands sifting through his hair as he fed at her breasts.

Matt pulled away from her hands, his eyes dark and filled with fire. Desire and need pummeled him and yet he refused to allow himself surcease; refused to find peace and fulfillment within the warmth of her body. He wanted to punish himself, as much as he wanted to punish her for making him want her so badly, need her so badly, and anger was the only thing saving his sanity! "I warned you before; this isn't about what you need or want. We're fucking; nothing more!" he warned her coldly, ignoring the look of hurt that flickered briefly through her beautiful eyes at his hateful words.

"Then fuck me now!" she growled back, struggling to sit up, only to find herself pushed back onto her desk, the hard wood cool beneath her back, and Matt's left hand pressing against her ribcage, holding her as securely as if she were nothing more than a piece of paper.

"When I'm ready," he stated softly, his tone flat and cold, though his eyes burned with sensual fury and desire.

"You're more than ready!" Dani challenged him, wiggling her hips and brushing against his turgid length that pulsed and pushed back against her seekingly.

"But you're not!" he taunted her, his right hand slowly tracing a maddening path along her side and hip before reaching behind and unhooking her ankles from his waist, smiling wickedly as he felt her legs brush against his as they draped over the edge of the desk.

Dani looked at him in disbelief. She was more than ready! If she was any more ready she could take care of things herself! "You're out of your mind!"

Again, Matt smiled wickedly and the briefest glimmer of fear, mixed with excitement, flashed through her. "Not quite yet. But you will be shortly," he promised her and with calm detachment, watched has his fingers slipped toward the scrap of material that was all that separated her bare skin from his seeking fingers.

A quick tug had the fragile material coming apart in his hand and slipping from her body as he dropped the discarded remnant to the carpet. Her sharp gasp of surprise had him looking at her curiously, and one corner of his mouth turning upward arrogantly. "They don't make panties like they used to, do they?" he quipped, his shoulders lifting in a minute shrug, as he gazed hungrily at the delicious feast now bared before him. In anticipation, his tongue circled his lips slowly, and a low sexy growl rumbled in his broad chest, as he watched Dani wriggle beneath his heated gaze.

"My mother bought those for me in France!" she complained, trying to wiggle higher onto the desk, and away from his searching hand.

"And I'll be sure to tell her how beautiful they looked on you!" he taunted her, his hand sifting into the auburn curls that hid the secrets of her womanhood; his fingertips sending fire streaking through her that left her motionless and at the mercy of his touch.

I will not feel. I will not feel. I will not feel. Over and over she repeated the phrase to herself, certain if she focused on the thought she could ignore Matt's nimble fingers and the need they instilled in her. And it worked, for awhile.

Matt watched her face, could practically see the wheels turning in her mind as she tried to ignore all he was doing to her and doubled his efforts to make her mindless. His fingers tormented the delicate folds of her womanhood, slipping into the warm, wetness of her, eliciting small murmurs of pleasure, that she probably wasn't even aware she made, from her parted lips. Her hips shifted restlessly against his hand, her body acknowledging acceptance of her need and his fulfilling touch even as her mind struggled to do otherwise.

With a wicked look, Matt lowered himself to his knees, his mouth laving love bites and soothing kisses along the silken skin of her inner thighs, drawing ever closer to what she so willingly offered him. Her soft, incoherent murmurs reached his ears and drove him on. When his mouth closed over her and his tongue delved into the moist heat of her, the murmuring turned into a gasp of shock and pleasure and her back arched, fire streaking through her body; making her heady in its intensity.

Higher and higher his mouth drove her, pushing her toward sensual madness, his tongue a heated spear that brought pleasure so extreme it bordered on pain. Heat raged through her, a firestorm of sensation that left her breathless, and weak, her heart threatening to explode in her chest. Flashes of bright lights began to tease her vision and her toes began to tingle as she felt ecstasy begin to claim her.

Matt recognized the signs of her oncoming climax and pulled away from her quivering body; swearing it was the hardest thing he had ever had to do in his life. His body was painfully full, his need for her as excruciating as her obvious need for him, and yet he held back.

Dani looked up at him in disbelief, watched the turmoil and need that flickered in his eyes and knew he felt the same as she did: lost, angry, alone, and with a voice as cold as she could muster, dared him, "Are you ready to fuck me now?"

Surprise, then pain, filled his eyes before he made them go cold and emotionless. His hands moved efficiently, unzipping his pants and freeing his throbbing sex. Strong hands reached for her waist, pulling her to her feet, and spun her about so quickly her hands slapped against the desk top to keep her from falling forward as the front of her thighs hit the edge of the desk. His body pushed against hers, his heated length sliding between her spread legs, teasing her need-filled body, but not satisfying it. She wiggled her bottom against his manhood, and whimpered in need. Rising onto her toes, she tried to slide down onto his fiery heat.

"Nice try," he murmured into her ear, a low, wicked chuckle rumbling in his chest as he avoided capture by her body. One hand slid around her narrow ribcage and cupped a full breast, his fingers squeezing her flesh firmly, while his other hand slid into the auburn curls at the apex of her legs and he teased the folds of her womanhood. For what felt like eternity, his fingers tantalized her, teasing her sensitive flesh to the point of white-hot pleasure, only to pull back at the last second and leave her poised on the edge of oblivion, screaming for release, and straining for fulfillment.

His teeth closed over silken skin where her shoulder and neck met, and she sighed in wanton pleasure, her bottom pushing against him, tempting him with her warm, seeking body. He hissed in need as her heat tormented him, growled in frustration as he denied his body the pleasure of hers, knowing he would find not only his physical release, but also a safe haven for his soul within her body and her arms.

He wouldn't allow it. He didn't deserve it!

"Hold on to the desk," he demanded coldly, and with a frustrated growl, released her from his arms and stepped away from her quivering body. His chest heaved as if he'd run a marathon, and his hands unsteady as he sought to straighten his clothing, his erection making it anything but easy to do.

Dani heard his words from far away, but grabbed for the desk when she felt his arms leave her. Turning, she leaned her bare bottom against the warm wood, her hands tightly gripping the edge of it as her legs shook unsteadily beneath her. In disbelief she watched him as he tried to right his clothing, his shaking hands giving away his otherwise calm demeanor.

She wished she could portray such an outward sign of calmness but she felt ready to explode; shaking with desire and unfilled need, seriously contemplating doing bodily harm to the man before her if he didn't finish what he'd started. Where were his fucking 'Southern manner's now? "Don't even think of zipping up your pants, pal, because you're far from being done," she warned him ominously, slowly walking toward him on shaking legs, until she came to stand before him, slow close she could feel the heat that radiated from his aroused body.

He looked down into her flushed face, and dilated eyes, and felt his heart jump excitedly as he looked into the radiance of her full fury. She was barely controlled passion; on fire and ready to kill if she wasn't satisfied. It was a look he'd seen before but never to this degree and against his will, his body responded to her as desire and need exploded anew and raced through his veins. "Oh? What makes you think I want you?" he questioned her calmly, finally managing to close his zipper safely, his look filled with arrogance.

Dani's eyes narrowed dangerously, and her hands reached out and pushed his away. Lifting her chin defiantly, her nimble fingers quickly pulled his zipper back down and reached within his snug pants, her heated touch surrounding his still-pulsing erection and caressing him in a manner that nearly made his eyes cross with delight. "Just a guess," she murmured in a deceptively soft tone, her deep green eyes filled with fire, as her hands continued their tormenting caress.

Matt couldn't stop his body from responding to her touch, nor the low growl of pleasure that rumbled deep in his throat, but he did manage to keep from kissing her, even as she began to place teasing, nipping kisses along the beard-roughened edge of his jaw. "Well, you guessed wrong!" He made the brief statement in a husky voice that died to a sigh on the last word and he closed his eyes against her knowing gaze. It was a lie, and she knew it!

"Liar!" The single word left her mouth as a breathless whisper. Filled with longing and need, the word whispered across his lips just before hers bestowed the most gentle of kisses on his lips; light as a butterfly's touch and just as fleeting.

Matt's eyes drifted open at her gentle kiss; his beautiful eyes were filled with pain and need, denial and desire, each emotion warring with the other.

Dani's heart ached as she watched the myriad of emotions race through his eyes, felt his anguish and sorrow and remembered that not long ago she had been in the same place emotionally Matt was in now, and how all she'd wanted to do was disappear into nothingness. He hadn't allowed her to do it then, and she wasn't going to allow him to do it now.

Releasing her hold on his straining body, she took hold of his hands, backing toward the bed, tugging him encouragingly to follow her.

His head shook in a tiny, negative motion, even as his feet moved him forward and he found himself standing beside the bed. His eyes glistening with tears, he looked down into her face and saw understanding shining within their deep green depths. Her thumbs hooked in the waistband of his pants and boxers, and slowly pushed them off his hips, freeing his turgid flesh. With a light push, he sat down on the bed and heaved a sigh of sorrow, his hands covering his face as his steely control deserted him.

"Shhhh," Dani whispered, following him down onto the bed, straddling his legs and settling on his lap, his heated body reaching for her own. "It's okay, baby, I'm here," she murmured over and over, gently pulling his hands from his face and spreading comforting kisses against his tear-covered cheeks, her lips absorbing the salty moisture.

"I hurt so much, Dani," he whispered brokenly, his head dropping forward as he tried to hide his sorrow from her, his tears splashing onto her naked thighs.

"I know, baby, I know," she murmured softly, her hands coming up to cradle his face, lifting his eyes to meet hers. "Let me help you forget, if only for a moment," she suggested gently, her eyes pleading with his. Receiving neither agreement nor denial, her mouth lifted to touch his.

The kiss, begun as a gesture of comfort, quickly shifted in intensity and suddenly they couldn't get enough of the other. Tongues dueled hotly, breathing became harsh and moans echoed within the hot confines of the lover's mouths.

With a ragged moan, he tore his mouth from hers, gasping for breath as he tried to still his swirling mind. His body pulsed painfully and his hands clenched at Dani's hips, his fingers digging into the muscled flesh of her bottom, as he tried to stop her unconscious wriggling. He could feel the heat and wetness of her body as it called out for his. She was killing him!

"Don't stop," she pleaded softly, her thigh muscles lifting her upward and forward, her body seeking his maleness as it throbbed against her and nudged her hotly. Dropping her hips just slightly, he slipped into her welcoming body.

Matt's hands stilled her downward motion with a torturous hiss; his teeth clenched together, and his eyes, nearly black with need, captured hers. "I need you so much, Darlin', it terrifies me. But not as much as the thought of hurting you does!" he growled.

"Pushing me away from you is the only way you can hurt me, Matt. There's no way you could ever love me too much!" She countered quietly; her eyes filled with so much love his heart skipped a beat.

His hands left her lips, and lifted to cup her face; one thumb traced a seductive path across her lower lip. "Then love me until I can't feel anything anymore, Dani," he pleaded quietly.

"Nothing but me, Matt," she whispered in return and slowly lowered herself onto his heated flesh, her eyes closing and her head falling back as delight washed through her and she felt him pulsing deeply inside her body; touching the very core of her.

He held himself very still, buried deeply inside her; astounded at the sensations he felt flowing over him, caressing him, and he savored the sublime feeling for only a moment before the fire inside her and her muscles convulsing around him tore his control away. With a growl of need, he pushed her to the side and onto her back, following her downward motion, his body never leaving hers, and settled between her quivering thighs. His body took over, surging deeply, only to withdraw and then dive into her again; mindless to everything but the heat and fire she shared with him; the pleasure she brought him.

Time ceased to be, and troubles dissolved into dust as passion sent the lovers flying through a sea of dazzling colors and bright lights, pushing them higher than they had ever flown before, promising them ecstasy beyond their wildest imaginations. Breaths grew ragged, hearts pounded, and muscles quivered uncontrollably as their bodies surged together, reaching for fulfillment, daring the each other to deny the power that coursed between them, growing ever stronger until it exploded in a burst of raw fulfillment that left them scattered among the stars.

The return to earth was gentle, but all too brief. For only a short while, was Matt content to lay covering Dani, their bodies still joined, as their hearts beat together and their breathing became somewhat normal, before he slid to her side, one arm coming up to cover his eyes.

Dani felt his withdrawal emotionally before he ever left her physically and her little sigh held sadness. Turning to lay on her side, she faced her lover, one hand tracing gently laying over the center of his chest; his still racing heart pulsing beneath her palm. She wished she knew the words that could bring absolute comfort to him and banish the pain and sorrow that she knew he felt, but there were none. Her own heart ached as she thought about Emily, but she had come to terms with the fact there would be no miracle for the little girl. It was simply a fact that could not be changed or altered; Emily was destined to die young. But with Matt's father, it had been a surprise; a devastating blow that had brought him to his knees and changed his life. There had been no warning, no time for any 'good-byes' or 'I love yous'. Like a strike of lightening, one minute he was there, the next he was gone! How did one console someone under such conditions? She didn't know, so she did the only thing she could think of, she quietly murmured, "I love you, Matthew Tanner."

A sob echoed through Matt's chest and his arm lifted from his eyes to fall tiredly over his head. The look he shared with her was filled with hopelessness. "It's all my fault," he murmured thickly, tears slipping from his blue-gray eyes.

Dani's look was filled with puzzlement, and she shook her head in denial. "You're wrong. It wasn't anyone's fault. It was an accident; a terrible, terrible accident."

Matt shook his head adamantly. "No, you don't understand," he said miserably.

Dani's hand grazed along his jaw line, her fingers tingling at the roughness of his beard. Her eyes, filled with compassion and love, encouraged him to talk to her. " Then explain it to me," she requested softly.

Matt closed his eyes and took a shuddering breath, willing himself to put into words his deepest fears. "When I first heard the plane was missing, I begged God to save your parents. I didn't even think to ask Him to spare my father; my first concern was making sure your heart didn't break."

Dani's heart melted at his words and her eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Matt&ldots;"

"I foolishly thought my father was invincible; he's the best pilot I'd ever seen. After the scare with Aleksei, and the fear you went through with that, I couldn't bear to see you in anymore pain. So I prayed for your father's life, willing to lose mine if it meant you being happy," he explained tearfully, his heart breaking as he looked toward the ceiling and brokenly pleaded, "Daddy, forgive me!" Overwrought, he broke into body wracking sobs that had Dani gathering him into her arms, and murmuring words of comfort, her tears blending with his as he wept in her arms and clung to her as if he would never let her go.

And as the man she loved grieved the loss of his father, she cast her eyes heavenward and silently thanked the man who had created such an amazing son.

Chapter 33

Despite being physically exhausted, and sexually satiated, sleep eluded Dani. Her mind refused to rest, Matt's words repeating themselves over and over in her head. 'I prayed for your father's life, willing to lose mine if it meant you being happy.' Her soul sang at his selflessness, while her heart ached for his loss, and she honestly couldn't say she would have had the courage to make the same sacrifice.

For what felt like long hours, but wasn't, Dani had held Matt tightly in her arms, and watched over him as he slept; calming him when he became restless; comforting him when reality broke into his dreams and he remembered his loss. He had found a safe haven in the warmth and softness of her body; her welcoming arms, and her body ached pleasantly from the numerous times they'd made love; blocking out everything but the two of them, pushing away reality for a short while.

Finally, she dozed dreamlessly, snuggled against Matt's side, and wrapped in his arms, her head on his shoulder. All was right with the world for a brief time.

And then the phone rang and reality returned with a vengeance.

They both awoke with a jerk, dazed and confused for just a few seconds before the world came crashing back into focus. Matt reached for the phone on the night stand, and answered it in a gravely voice, blinking as he tried to get his eyes to focus and loosened the grit from his eyes. In a flat, monotone voice, he grunted acknowledgments of the information he was being passed and with a brusque, "We'll be there." He slipped the phone back into the cradle.

Dani sat silently watching Matt, the draped sheet tucked up under her arms, barely covering her breasts. Her auburn hair was a riot of wanton waves that curled over her shoulders and down her back. Her eyes were the color of the forest and filled with questions. Nervously her teeth tugged on her lower lip.

Matt was astounded by her beauty!

"The plane's here; we leave in an hour," he murmured quietly, his eyes watching hers.

Dani nodded in understanding. "Okay. I'll go tell the others," she offered, turning away and scooting toward the edge of the bed. Matt's arm encircling her waist and hauling her backward and down into the pillows had her looking up at him in surprise.

The gentle kiss he pressed against her lips had heart skipping a beat and her body going weak and tingly. "Thank you for last night," he murmured softly, his blue-gray eyes gazing at her so gently she felt as if he was caressing her.

"You're very welcome," she countered, quietly, her hand coming up to gently run along the line of his rough jaw. "I'm glad I was able to help."

The easy smile he gave her was wolfish, and she couldn't help the flush that turned her cheeks rosy. But then his eyes grew serious again. "You did more than help. You stopped me from ruining my life last night!" he countered.

Dani blinked in surprise but didn't say anything.

"I was fully ready to walk away from you last night, sure you would hate me for everything that had happened. How could you not? I hated myself for causing you such pain, and I didn't think I could survive seeing the same hatred I felt for myself reflecting in your beautiful eyes every time you looked at me. So I figured if I chased you off it would be the best thing for the both of us," he explained huskily.

Dani's gaze caressed every line, every nuance of his face, and put it to memory. There was no way she ever wanted to forget what a face completely open in honesty and emotion looked like. "I'll forgive you for your momentary lapse of common sense, but there are two things you need to know about me, that you obviously haven't gotten through that thick skull of yours yet. One: I can't be chased away. And two, the only way you could ever make me hate you was if you walked away and didn't even try to save the love we share," she stated firmly. Lifting her lips to his, she bestowed a kiss on his mouth that made him want to weep with the sweetness and purity of it.

"I'll remember that," he whispered huskily, drowning in the dark green depths of her eyes.

"You do that!" Dani demanded easily and pulled him into her arms for a hug that once again told him just how very much she loved him. "And while you're at it, remember something else. I will love you forever, no matter how many stupid things you do thinking you're doing them for my benefit. I know my own heart, Matt, and as much as saying this might make your already swelled ego even bigger, you already own it!" she admitted, smiling brightly.

Matt's smile matched hers for wattage. "Darlin', as much as I hate to burst your pretty little bubble, I stole your heart the first time our eyes met!" he stated confidently.

Dani smiled at the memory. It wasn't everyday you fell in love with someone while they watched you throw a tantrum and kick a vending machine into submission! It still amazed her how quickly it had happened, even though she had done her best to convince herself otherwise. But Matt's persistence, kindness, and damn likeability had made him irresistible. Hell, even when he was nothing but a stupid male, as he had been last night, he was still irresistible! "Says who?" she asked in challenge.

"Says me!" Matt argued smugly.