|
~ Tales of Romance ~
Whispered Promises
Chapter 7
Jordan sat silently watching her husband's face as he made the phone call to Hunter's office, and talked with his assistant. Casually, she fingered the two-headed coin they had flipped to decide who would make the call. It was an inside family joke that whenever Aleksei had no choice in a matter, the infamous coin was flipped (with Jordan always calling heads), thus settling the issue once and for all. Jordan already had an identical coin on order for Chloe. Jordan figured, If she was going to have to deal with a Rocmanov man, she needed every ounce of help she could get! It was amazing how this simple, silly coin had headed off larger battles. It was true; sometimes it was easier to laugh your way out of a fight, than cry; it was certainly easier on your makeup!
Regardless, Aleksei had made the call, listened calmly to Hunter's assistant, graciously thanked her and hung up.
"Well?" Jordan asked quietly.
Aleksei shrugged tense shoulders. "He's out of the office for the day. His appointment book shows court dates for this morning, but nothing for this afternoon. She hasn't heard from him and he's not answering his cell phone."
"In other words, she doesn't have the foggiest idea where he is." Jordan stated simply.
"So it would seem," Aleksei agreed, shaking his head in frustration.
"He's running scared, you know?" Jordan asked softly. "He's been slowly backing away from Dani for months now."
Aleksei frowned. As much as he hated to admit it, he'd seen it too, but had hoped things would correct themselves between the two. "I don't know why. She adores him, and does everything she can to make him happy," he stated.
"At the risk of her own happiness." Jordan countered.
"What are you talking about? You've seen how they are together."
"Yes, I have. They're gorgeous together, physically perfect, like two sculpted statues. But have you ever watched your daughter's eyes when she's with Hunter? They're lifeless, constantly watching other's around her, filled with longing, especially when she watches Sergei and Chloe together."
"Sergei and Chloe&ldots;" Aleksei sighed, unable to contain his knowing smile. "They can't keep their hands off each other. She's probably more concerned about them embarrassing her in public with their groping than anything else," he chuckled.
"Rocmanov, you're sounding like a man, knock it off!" Jordan growled deeply, her tone filled with exasperation. "When has Dani ever had to worry about Hunter touching her inappropriately, in public or otherwise? For that matter, how often have you ever seen Hunter touch her period?"
"He danced with her just the other night," Aleksei allowed.
"He had to touch her then, you nimrod, it was that, or abandon her on the dance floor!" Jordan countered.
"Okay&ldots;" he agreed, his hands spread as he tried to grasp the direction of his wife's point.
Jordan ran her hands through her hair, heaved a huge sigh, and cast her husband a glaring look. After all these years, after all they had been through, he could still be as obtuse as a brick. "The night of the Gala, did Hunter seem to be in a good mood? Was he calm, smiling, friendly?"
"Of course not. It was probably one of the few times I've ever seen him upset; at least, to that degree." Aleksei said.
"And if it had been you, in that mood, and you walked in to find me dancing, the way our daughter was, would you have simply tipped your hat to me, smiled, and walked away?"
"Hell no! I probably would have tossed you over my shoulder, hauled your beautiful ass out of there and found a quiet corner to paddle it for your behavior. After which, I would, in all likelihood, have ravished you until you were incoherent." Aleksei stated firmly, a little light suddenly dawning in his brain.
"But did Hunter do anything like that? No! Instead, he threw a tantrum, got drunk and fell off a damn toilet! Once again, leaving Dani wondering what she did wrong and how to make it right again." Jordan said furiously.
"You have to give him some credit, he did come to the show," Aleksei offered, trying to send a point to Hunter's corner.
"Whittaker's the only one who saw him. He couldn't even bother to come back stage and wish everyone luck," Jordan stated flatly.
"Maybe he was afraid to upset Dani. Maybe he's uncomfortable around ill children. I don't know&ldots;" Aleksei offered with a defeated shrug.
Jordan closed her eyes in an effort to still the rage of emotion she felt as she thought of the pain Hunter was putting their daughter through. He's lucky he's not here or he'd be pate she thought to herself, a dangerous smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Maybe he needs to figure out what he wants and leave Dani alone until he does," she stated firmly.
"He's got a lot of baggage from his childhood that he obviously needs to resolve," Aleksei murmured.
"That isn't Dani's problem! She's done everything in her power to help him realize he isn't alone in the world, that he doesn't have to be alone, unless he chooses to be. And what does he do? He pushes her away." Jordan's voice broke, and tears filled her green eyes. "Aleksei, I've watched our daughter disappear, bit by bit, over the last few months, losing herself as she tried to be someone she isn't in an effort to be somebody someone else wants her to be. I won't stand by and let her do it anymore. I want my spirited baby girl back again. And if I have to make her hate me, by denying her access to Hunter, I'll take the risk."
Aleksei nodded his head in agreement, and pulled his wife into his arms, hugging her tightly. "We'll do it together, Jordan. Just like always, we'll do it together." He swore deeply, closing his eyes and resting his cheek against the top of his wife's head, his tears sliding silently into her silken hair.
* * * * *
Dani shook her head in disbelief as they pulled into the small parking lot, kicking up loose gravel, of the restaurant Matt had chosen, after flipping a coin to decide where they would eat. Looking at the sign before her, she wished with all her heart for her mother's double headed coin. "I refuse to eat here!" she stated firmly, shaking her head in disgust as the sign that read Smitty's Best Burgers.
"It's my favorite place to eat!" Matt argued, turning off the engine and flicking his seat belt loose.
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Dani mumbled under her breath, wondering how much groveling it would take to get Matt to change his mind and find another place to eat.
Matt cast her a sideways look. "Don't tell me you're a vegetarian?"
"For heaven's sake, no!" Dani stated with a scowl and sent another look of disgust toward the building.
Matt followed the line of her vision, and had to agree, the building didn't exactly scream chic, but they made burgers anyway you liked them, didn't worry about calories or cholesterol, had great service and an owner that told tales that could make a sailor blush. In short, it was his favorite place off the ice. "I promise to let you pick the next three places we eat, if you'll give Smitty's a try," Matt suggested with a hopeful smile.
"What makes you think I'll eat another three meals with you?" Dani asked in amusement.
"Wishful thinkin'?" Matt murmured softly, his smile causing her heart to skip a beat.
"You've got forty-five minutes to eat and get back to the ice, or you'll be holding your boys up for their practice. I don't suppose we have much of a choice other than to eat here and hope we don't die of food poisoning," Dani pouted, her full lower lip begging to be tasted.
"That's my girl!" Matt stated, flicking the brim of her baseball cap, before he pushed himself out of his seat and exited the car, circling around to open Dani's door for her.
"I'm not your girl," Dani corrected him, slipping the baseball cap off her head and finger combing her auburn waves into what she hoped was some semblance of order. She looked at his outstretched hand cautiously, before she tentatively slid her palm against his own and allowed him to pull her to her feet.
"No, you're my lover! It said so in the morning paper," he teased her in a deep voice tinged with humor, pulling her along the gravel path and up the short flight of stairs.
Stopping on the top step, she faced him, almost able to look him in the eye, despite the fact he stood on the step below her. "You're not my lover," she corrected him again, and walked the few steps to the door.
Gallantly he opened the door for her, stepping aside to let her enter first. "Not yet," he murmured, as she passed him, his breath a warm whisper against her cheek.
"Matthew&ldots;" she began, only be swept into the gangly embrace of a grizzled old man who had to be more than eighty years old with sparkling blue eyes and gray tufts of hair that stood in every direction.
"Dani, my love. Where the hell have you been? And how's life with that barracuda you have the hots for?"
Matt's ears prickled at Smitty's casual comment, and he frowned at the flash of jealously he felt over the prospect of Dani's involvement with another man.
"Smitty, please," Dani implored, silently wishing him silent as he continued to jabber on about 'Dani's barracuda'.
Matt's expression went from one of utter confusion to amusement, when Smitty looked up at him, a gleeful look in his bright blue eyes, and stated loudly, "You ain't the barracuda!"
Dani looked toward the ceiling, prayed for a bolt of lightening to put her out of her misery and felt certain she was going to dissolve in complete embarrassment. She wanted nothing more than to slip through one of the cracks in the old wooden floor and disappear into the darkness below. Unfortunately, that didn't look like it was going to happen, so she did the only other thing she could; she introduced the two. "Smitty, this is Matthew Tanner. Matthew, Smitty," she stated with an airy wave of her slender hands.
Smitty's blue eyes gleamed with devilment and in a voice far too big for such a small old man, loudly boomed, with a clap of his hands, "Oh, you're the lover!"
Dani gasped, unable to believe Smitty's comment. Matt sent Dani a wicked look and calmly agreed, "That's what I keep telling her!" And Smitty fell into a giggling fit that lasted a full minute.
With a look of disgust, that should have staked both men to the floor, Dani sashayed her way to a table in the corner, sat down, crossed her arms under her generous breasts, and sulked.
In pleasure, the two men watched the womanly sway of her round bottom as she stalked away from them in anger, before taking a seat and stealing away their lovely view.
"If I was sixty years younge..." Smitty sighed wistfully.
"You'd have to fight me for her," Matt interjected with an easy laugh.
Smitty cast an appraising look up Matt's tall frame and then down again, shrugged his skinny shoulders and quipped, "You're welcome to her, son. Hanging on to a young lady is too much trouble; give me a seventy-year-old gal any day!" And with one last cackle, headed off for his kitchen.
Matt was still shaking his head in amusement when he joined Dani at the table in the corner and took his seat. With slow deliberation, he perused his menu, and cast occasional glances over the top of it toward Dani.
With a calmness she didn't feel, and a stubbornness that was her saving grace, Dani read every word on her menu, despite the fact she knew it by heart, and ignored Matt's attempts to capture her attention. The more she thought about it, the more it irked her to realize that the man was just too damn nice! Everyone liked him, even Smitty, who rarely liked anyone upon first meeting them. But there was just something about Matt, an easy-going attitude that immediately placed you at ease, and made you think of long, tall lemonades and lazy winding rivers. For heaven's sake, she was starting to sound like a damn Southerner!
"You gonna be made at me for the rest of the day, Darlin'?" Matt's deep voice rumbled, his gorgeous gray eyes sparkling with mischief, a boyishly charming smile curving his beautiful mouth.
"It's nothing more than you deserve!" Dani stated petulantly.
"Oh, I don't know. From my corner of the table, I'd say I have the right to be more than a mite put out since you neglected to tell me you were on a first name basis with the proprietor of this fine establishment," he stated calmly.
"You never told me we were coming here for lunch!" Dani countered.
"You didn't mention your intimate involvement with Smitty when we arrived, either." Matt tossed back.
"You're jealous of an eighty-year-old man?" Dani asked in bafflement.
"No, I'm jealous of a barracuda. Whatever in the hell that means!" Matt growled, ignoring the suddenly curious looks from patrons at nearby tables.
"There's no need to be; it was over before it began!" Dani stated flatly.
"That's not the way Smitty made it sound!" Matt growled dangerously, his eyes flashed with emotion.
Dani's mouth dropped open and her eyes widened in surprise at Matt's unexpected outburst. Amazement at this public show of emotion had a wide smile curving her lips. "Well," was all she could manage to mutter.
Matt scowled at her from storm tossed gray eyes, a muscle ticked in his jaw, and his heel tapped a rapid tattoo against the scarred wooden floor. "That's all you've got to say for yourself? 'Well?'" he asked dangerously.
Dani looked at Matt in wonder and awe, never had she seen such a splendid example of a man filled with raging emotion, flaming fury, and barely held control (other than her brother or father, of course). Had she been a member of an opposing hockey team, and seen Matt, in his present mood, barreling toward her, she would have simply tossed her hockey stick in the air, screamed in fear and raced off in the opposite direction. Yet, she felt no fear, at Matt's show of emotion. Instead, a warmth unfurled deep within her and she found herself feeling flattered&ldots;wanted&ldots; protected. It was a heady sensation that made her a little dizzy and a lot wicked. "I don't owe you explanations of any kind, Mr. Tanner, but because I'm in a generous mood, I will simply say, I'm here with you now and that's that. What's come before you is none of your concern, as is everything that will come after you," Dani stated haughtily, hoping she sounded worldly and nonchalant, vastly different from the screaming insecurity that was raging inside of her.
Matt's intense gaze absorbed every move she made: from her wildly darting eyes as she sought to evade his gaze, to her breasts quivering as she breathed shallow little breaths, to her slender fingers as she shredded her paper napkin nervously, seemingly unaware of her action. She was putting up a brave front; he'd give her that, and he was torn between the desire to paddle her butt for being a brat, applauding her courageous act, or kissing her until she was senseless. If he had his choice, it would have been the last one. Instead, he simply leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms across his chest, and calmly stated, "Danielle Rocmanov, you're a fake."
"What?" she squeaked, her eyes finally lifting to meet his.
"You heard me. You're a fake!" he repeated. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth when he saw a flicker of anger flash in her green eyes. "You put on a courageous face, lift your stubborn chin defiantly and affect a haughty attitude to keep people not smart enough to see the real you outside that wall you've erected around yourself," he offered quietly. With a small movement, he shifted forward in his seat until his elbows came to rest on the table, his hands loosely linked together. "But I've got news for you, Princess, I'm on to you. I'm twice as stubborn as you are, twice as patient as you, and despite your hoity-toity attitude, I find you irresistibly attractive," he finished with a sexy smile and husky whisper.
"Hoity-toity?" Dani enunciated each word slowly, her gaze filled with enough heat to set a fire.
Matt sent a warning glance toward Dani and a smile toward the waitress as tall glasses of iced tea were delivered to the table.
"Are you ready to place your order now, or do you need a little more time?" the young waitress asked, picking up on the tension that encompassed the two at the table, and hoping it didn't escalate into a screaming match. She'd seen her fair share of cozy lunches turn into ugly scenes, and as cute as these two looked together, she hoped it wouldn't happen to them.
Matt looked expectantly at Dani, and waited for her to give the waitress her order.
"Please tell Smitty I'd like my usual," Dani stated darkly, sending Matt a scathing glance, before she looked up into the young waitresses face and pleasantly offered her a, "Thank you."
With a bright smile, the waitress turned to Matt, pen in hand, and started scribbling down his order: Chicken Caesar salad, extra dressing and rolls. His own "Thank you," had her smiling broadly, and assuring them, their food would be ready within a few minutes and then she was headed off toward the kitchen.
"Sweet kid," Matt commented lightly.
"I am not hoity-toity!" Dani hissed quietly.
"Tell Smitty I'll have my usual," Matt mimicked in an arrogant tone, as his eyebrows lifted in question. "You can't order off a menu like a normal person?"
Dani's green eyes shot daggers at him, and she wished she had the courage to throw the glass of iced tea in his smug face; unfortunately, she didn't. "In this particular instance, no," she stated coldly.
"And why would that be, Princess?" Matt asked calmly, a quizzical expression crossing his face as the waitress brought their order and placed their food in front of them.
"Smitty said to tell you, and I quote, 'not so much as an anchovie fart' touched your salad," the waitress chuckled, placing Dani's Chicken Caesar Salad, before her before moving on to Matt. "And one Chicken Caesar Salad with extra dressing and extra rolls for the gentleman. Can I get you anything else?" the waitress asked brightly, looking at the two expectantly.
"No thank you, and tell Smitty, I said thank you for the extra effort," Dani stated earnestly.
"Everything's fine, thanks," Matt mumbled in embarrassment, suddenly fascinated with cutting the chicken strips in his salad into smaller pieces.
For several minutes, the two sat in silence, involved with their meals, each struggled to find a way to break the tension that surrounded them. Matt's hand, holding half of a roll, already spread with honey-butter, entered Dani's line of vision and had her lifting her head to meet his gaze.
"I was a shit-head, I apologize," he murmured softly, nudging the roll closer to her, as if in a peace offering.
Dani glanced from the roll to the contrite expression in Matt's gray eyes and felt her anger dissipate like mist in the morning. "A hoity-toity shit-head," Dani corrected him, taking the roll from his long fingers and breaking off a small bite that she immediately popped into her mouth.
Matt rolled his eyes in reluctant agreement.
"I have an extreme allergy to anchovies, but I love Caesar salads. Smitty's is the only restaurant where I can be sure if I order one, I won't be visiting the emergency room later," she explained quietly.
"I'll remember that," Matt stated softly.
Dani's shoulders lifted in a small shrug. "It doesn't matter, one way or another. It's one of those 'unimportant' details that people seem to forget. It's really no big deal."
"There is no such thing as an 'unimportant' detail about someone; especially someone you care about," Matt said firmly.
"You don't even know me, Matthew Tanner," Dani countered softly. " How can you care about me?"
"You'd be surprised at how much I know about you, Darlin'. And how much I care!" Matt's statement was a heartfelt whisper that had Dani wanting to believe his words, and yet afraid to let another man close enough to break what was left of her heart.
"You only know what you've heard," Dani answered tiredly.
"I pay little heed to things I hear and put more value on what I see," Matt replied, hating the loneliness he saw in her eyes.
"And what do you see?"
Matt looked at her, in silence, for several seconds, before he reached for her hand, and surprised at the coldness of it, laced his fingers with hers, their palms pressed tightly together. The two of them looked at their hands locked together, on the red and white checkered tablecloth, a perfect compliment to each other; a perfect fit.
"What do I see when I look at you?" Matt repeated her question, his gaze absorbing every inch of her he could see. "I see a lovely woman, unsure of who she is because she's spent so long trying to please everyone else she's lost herself. I see a woman so unaware of her beauty that it dazzles me. I see a woman who is not only willing to work with fatally ill children, but isn't afraid to become close to them and has fallen so in love with one such child, that it's killing her to watch her die, but she refuses to walk away."
"Stop," Dani pleaded, tears filling her eyes.
"I see a woman that is the fulfillment of everything I believe a person should be, and despite the fact she seems to take delight in driving me crazy, everything I've learned about her simply makes me want to know more. I want to know what your favorite color is, your favorite flower, your favorite music. What makes you sad or happy, if you like making love with the lights on or off, if you really hate hockey players as much as you profess or it's simply a ploy to keep me at arms length. I want to know everything, Dani. Absolutely everything!" Matt's voice was a husky drawl; his dark eyes were filled with hunger, both physical and emotional.
Tears traced wet trails down Dani's cheeks as she gazed at Matt, her eyes filled with longing; tinged with hope, wanting to believe his words, but fearful they were simply nothing more than lip service. Something, Hunter had obviously practiced freely, she thought sadly. "Why should I believe anything you say?" she asked tearfully.
Matt reached across the table and gently brushed the tears from her cheeks, his touch filled with care and warmth. "Because, Darlin', we're lovers," he murmured in a voice so low and filled with sensuality, she felt it seep slowly into her heart.
"We're not lovers," Dani responded with a shy, watery smile, and an exasperated sigh.
Matt's chest heaved, as if he was gearing up for a rebuttal, but Dani beat him to the punch-line.
"I know, not yet," she answered for him.
Matt's wolfish grin said he couldn't have said it better himself!
* * * * *
Matt pulled back into the parking lot of the ice house ten minutes late, to find his teammates waiting for him on the sidewalk, all lined up in a neat little row, holding their arms up and pointing at their watches. His booming laugh filled the cool air as he slowed his car down and whipped into a spot between two huge SUV's. Shutting down the motor, he glanced up at the two behemoths beside him and shook his head back and forth, a dour expression on his face. "Driving these days is like being a spider monkey living with dinosaurs!," he grumbled.
"At least mine isn't as big as one of these," Dani agreed, eyeing the monstrosities that took up nearly spanned the parking space, line to line. "I don't think I can even open the door," Dani commented, eyeing the narrow space between Matt's car and the SUV on her side.
"Don't even try!" Matt stated, releasing his seat belt and pushing himself up and out of his seat, with a neat little twist that left him sitting on the on the top of the door frame. "Come on, I'm already late, and the boys will remind me of that fact for the next two hours," he complained, swinging his legs out of the car and standing on the ground.
Dani cast him a skeptical look. "You want me to climb out of your car?"
"Unless you plan on sitting there until I finish my practice, which will be in," he cast a quick glance at his watch, "three hours."
"Forget it," Dani stated, twisting in her seat, until she could kneel, careful to keep her shoes off the smooth leather, her stomach, and breasts, pressed against the front of the seat, unsure of exactly how to proceed from there. She refused to stand on the soft leather seat, and, wit her bottom still well below the top of the door, she couldn't just twist around as neatly as Matt had.
Matt watched her, an amused expression on his face. "Well?"
Dani looked about her, and shrugged. "I don't know, you tell me," she growled in frustration.
"Oh, for heaven's sake. I don't have time for this," Matt mumbled, scooting carefully between the two cars. Effortlessly, he lifted Dani up and draped her over his shoulder, amazed that she weighed so little, one arm securely holding her behind her knees, her hands pressed against the steely muscles of his upper back. The baseball cap fell off he head, into the car seat, and set loose a wave of auburn curls. "Don't you eat but once a week?" he pondered out loud. Out of the corner of his eye, he was able to appreciate the silhouetted view of her shapely bottom. She might be light, but she had one delicious little body!
Ten seconds later, she was sliding down the front of his body, as he lowered her to the ground, heat rushing through her body at their brief contact. "Thanks," she murmured, putting some much-needed space between them. "And, yes, I eat more than once a week," she added breathlessly, brushing her hair out of her face, where it settled in tussled cloud of curls.
"No problem," he answered, sending her a curious look. "You okay?"
"Of course," she answered too quickly, and too brightly, his knowing look made her cheeks flush a rosy pink. "You just surprised me when you picked me up so quickly; I wasn't expecting to go airborne," she mumbled, running her palms down the side of her legs, drawing Matt's attention to her gently rounded hips.
He swallowed a groan, and a wish that it was his hands caressing the same path against her hips. "Ah," he managed with a slight nod, his mouth suddenly dry as a bone.
Dani sent a look toward her Jeep, parked a few spots down from Matt's sweet little car. "Well, I've made you late enough for your practice already. I suppose I shouldn't keep you away any longer and give your boys something more to razz you about," she suggested, extending her hand to him. "Thanks for lunch," she murmured softly, sending him a shy look and timid smile.
Matt's large hand swallowed hers, like an eagle covering a dove, deep tan encompassing pale ivory, and squeezed it gently. "You're welcome," he whispered back, feeling himself melt beneath her soft gaze.
For several long seconds, they simply stood together, mesmerized by the look in each other's eyes, connected by the simple touch of a handshake that became a connection to one another's souls. The world around them slipped away; they were aware of only each other and the thundering of pulses as their hearts beat in unison where their palms blended as one.
"Tanner, are you coming, or is practice called for the day?" A voice, filled with humor, called through the parking lot, breaking the reverie that had surrounded Dani and Matt.
Matt smiled down into Dani's eyes, "Nice try, Winston, but no, practice is not called. I'm coming," he called back, his voice a deep rumble, his eyes never leaving Dani's.
"Yeah, I just bet you are," Winston chuckled to himself with a lecherous smile and cast a final glance at the two standing so closely together in the parking lot. "If I was holding on to a honey like that, I'd be coming too!" he mumbled crudely, and ambled his way back into the ice house.
"You'd better get going or you're never going to hear the end of this," Dani suggested, but didn't make a move to pull her hand from Matt's.
"I've got news for you, Darlin', even if I'd been here early, they would still to be on my case," he laughed.
"Sounds like a lose-lose situation then. Sorry," she murmured quietly, and sent him a commiserating smile.
"Believe me, Princess, where you're concerned, it's a win-win situation," he stated huskily, his deep voice sending tremors through her body.
Dani felt her blood race through her veins and her temperature soar. She was sure her cheeks were flaming, and it was all she could do not to fan herself with her free hand. "You should go now, before I make a total fool of myself, and do something stupid!" Dani murmured, wanting nothing more than to take a step forward and feel that muscled wall of his body press against her own, to pull his mouth down to hers and lose herself in it.
"Like what?" Matt asked, caught up in the same sensual spell she was, but, surprisingly, willing to let it run its course.
A jittery laugh escaped from Dani, and she shook her head in denial, and tried to dispel the magic web that had been spun so rapidly around them. "I don't want to think about, let alone talk about it!"
"Fine, then we won't talk," Matt stated, his tone filled with so much sensual longing Dani found herself frozen in place, and could only watch as he took the small step forward that she had been longing to do, but hadn't found the courage to.
They stood, barely touching, sexual tension sparking between them. Drawn to each other like lightening and thunder, energy and power overwhelming and uncontrollable. He released her hand and it fell limply to her side. She sighed as his hands slid softly to her waist, his light touch but filled with strength and fire. The heat from his hands seeped through her jeans and made her knees weak. Slowly, his face moved toward hers, his dark eyes filled with sensual promises and wicked pleasures. His lips touched one corner of her mouth, a gentle kiss that spoke of barely held control and power, if unleashed, unable to be called back. A gentle whimper escaped Dani's mouth as her lips parted and her breathing became shallow little pants. Matt's lips grazed a whispered touch across her lower lip before he sipped another light kiss from the other corner of her mouth.
Dani felt herself melting, and her eyes closed as a delicious languidness filled her. "I'm dying," she whispered blissfully, uncaring of everything but the magic Matt wove around her.
"Not today," he whispered against her mouth, his breath a warm breeze against her skin, just before his tongue traced a wet path across her full lower; his touch filled with electricity.
"Matthew." His name slipped from her lips filled with reverence. He'd never heard anyone call to him in such a way and it filled him with wonder and humility and a sense of rightness he had never felt before.
"Dani," his voice called softly, the tenderness in his tone giving her the strength to open her eyes, forest green and stormy gray meeting, and holding. "Say my name again," he asked quietly.
He'd never seen a smile so filled with serenity before, in his life, and he was sure his smile reflected the same feeling as she whispered his name a second time. His lips reached for hers, a gentle kiss that bespoke of kisses yet to be shared and stolen, and the time to do it. Not a time to rush or ravage, but a time to sip and savor and know that there was still more to come; more secrets and delights to be discovered.
With a wistful sigh, he lifted his mouth from hers, but couldn't resist taking one final nibbling taste and dipped his head for one last kiss.
"Don't stop," Dani pleaded, her green eyes dazed and glassy.
"My Gramma always told me, 'If you get everything you want, when you want it, you won't fully appreciate the really good things when they're yours'! I have a feeling you fall into this category," he stated, and reluctantly slid his hands from her waist.
"You remember things at the strangest times!" Dani complained, struggling to regain some semblance of composure beneath Matt's heated gaze.
"Yeah, I know. It's a lousy habit. Ladies just hate men with morals," he stated sardonically, his smile filled with mischief.
"Don't be smug," Dani demanded, pulling her car keys from her pocket.
"Yes, ma'am," Matt agreed, attempting to assume a contrite expression and failing miserably.
"And don't call me ma'am, I'm not old enough to be a ma'am!"
"Okay, Princess," his voice was a sexy, deep growl.
Did he have to have a smile that made you want to jump his bones? Dani was torn between wanting to smack him or kiss him again. Instead, she threatened, "I'm going now," and with what she hoped was a haughty expression, turned on her heel and walked slowly away from him, her hips swaying seductively and making his lips curve in wolfish appreciation.
"I'll see you tomorrow," he called after her.
"What makes you think that?" she called over her shoulder.
"Because you know we're practicing here again."
"So?"
"So, I'll see you tomorrow," Matt repeated. "And bring your skates."
"I'm off the ice, Tanner. Remember?"
"You're taking a short sabbatical from figure skating. I'm talking about hockey. You know? Real skating!"
His comment had Dani spinning around, and retracing her steps back to him, coming to a stop to stand before him, a look of mischief on her face. "You expect me, a world class figure skater, to play hockey?" she asked haughtily.
"I realize there are differences between the two sports, but they both involve ice, and it'll give you something to do to pass the time." Matt suggested. "Besides, even royalty has to mingle with their peons every now and again," he concluded with a casual shrug.
"Hockey?" Dani stated flatly, a baffled expression in her green eyes.
"It'll be fun! And don't worry if you don't know anything about it; I'll help you as we go along," Matt offered encouragingly.
Dani's left eyebrow lifted just a notch, and her eyes filled with a devilish light. "Tell you what, Mr. Hockey Player, I'll give your game a try, if you'll skate with me," Dani offered, one slim finger poking him center chest.
"We're gonna be skating together, Darlin'," he stated slowly, as if trying to make his proposition a littler clearer.
"I mean without the stick!" she clarified.
Matt's eyes widened in horror, as her meaning suddenly dawned on him. "Sorry Princess. Not even for you will I put on a pair of skates with brakes!" He growled firmly.
Dani's lilting laugher filled the chill afternoon air. "Afraid of a little toe-pick?" she taunted. "I didn't say you had to change your skates, I said you had to skate with me."
Matt gazed at her in consideration, trying to read what was going on in her obviously devious mind. "Why do I have the feeling I'm about to be hammered?"
Dani's arms lifted in supplication, her gaze imploring. "I'm simply asking you to skate with me, as, I might point out, you asked me to do with you. What, is so stealthy about that?"
Matt scratched his head and pondered her question. "You're too agreeable," he finally answered.
"I'm a very agreeable person," she countered with a pleasant smile.
Matt's snort of disagreement said he didn't believe her.
"Well? Are we skating tomorrow or not?" Dani asked, her hands propped on her hips, a look of challenge in her eyes.
"Against my better judgment, I'll take you up on your ridiculous offer," Matt stated, only to suddenly shake one finger warningly beneath her nose. "But if you mention one word of it to anybody&ldots;" he left the threat hanging.
"Your secret's safe with me." Dani pledged. "I promise, I have no ulterior motives."
"Right, just like Delilah didn't have any ulterior motives when she told Samson, 'I'm just gonna trim your hair, Darlin'!" Matt quipped, and with a look toward heaven for deliverance, and a disgusted shake of his head at his own stupidity, turned and headed for the ice house.
Dani's lilting laughter followed him all the way into the building.
* * * * *
Twenty minutes later, Dani pulled onto the long brick driveway that led up to her house, a wide smile still on her lips, as she envisioned her upcoming hockey game with Matt.
When she entered the house, it was to the sounds of Sergei's deep voice, stating with firm resolve, "That's it, Chloe. We're eloping!"
It was all Dani could do to side step her rampaging brother as he stormed passed her, and out the side door. In curiosity, she made her way to the family room, to find Chloe, fighting back tears, surrounded by swatches of fabric in some of the ugliest colors she'd ever seen. Jordan was on the phone, calmly raging to the unfortunate soul on the other end of the line, about time frames, poor taste, and common sense, and her father was no where to be seen.
Dani cautiously walked to Chloe, and sank down to the couch beside her, tentatively picking up a swatch of satin that was a shade of persimmon she had never seen before. Her questioning glance to Chloe, and soft shudder of disgust had a watery smile curving Chloe's lips.
"I asked for samples of soft peach, and this is what they sent me," Chloe murmured softly, picking up another piece of material that was a glaring shade of flamingo pink, and cringing.
"I think whoever picked the samples is color blind," Dani answered simply, dropping the piece of fabric as if it suddenly scorched her fingers.
"I think they're a bunch of idiots!" Jordan stated hotly, having ended her conversation with the designer on a less than optimistic note. Her deep sigh of exasperation spoke volumes.
"Well?" Chloe asked hopefully.
"You don't want to know," Jordan stated darkly, with a small shake of her head. "To make a long story short; the fabric you picked out six months ago is no longer available. They simply forgot to advise you of that minute detail. Hence, the samples," Jordan's elegant hand waved at the array of material spread out around them.
"And they expect me to pick out a color from these samples?" Chloe asked in horrified disbelief.
Jordan's affirmative nod had Chloe collapsing against the back of the couch with a groan.
"Mom, I wouldn't dress an ugly dog in one of these colors!" Dani countered, eliciting a small laugh from the other two women, the depressing air lightening at Dani's humorous statement.
"You know, you're right. I don't want to think about this anymore tonight," Chloe chuckled, wiping tears of laughter from her blue eyes, and sending Dani a grateful smile.
"You're right, tomorrow will be soon enough to restart the war," Jordan agreed, pushing the offending materials back into the manila envelope they had come from, and clipping it closed.
Heaving a sigh of relief, Chloe turned to face her friend, and smiled at the glow that seemed to surround her. "So, tell me. How did your day go?"
"Yes. Were you able to speak with Mr. Tanner about the article? Is he going to help you?" Jordan asked her daughter.
Dani blushed beneath their quiet appraisals, uncertain exactly how to explain what had transpired between she and Matt. It took her a couple different attempts before she finally managed to mumble, "Yes, I spoke with Mr. Tanner and we've come up with a plan of action, if that's what you want to call it, to try to straighten things out," she stated, a bit obliquely.
"That's great!" Chloe offered, sending her an encouraging smile.
Jordan nodded in agreement. "So, what's this 'plan' that the two of you have come up with?" her mother asked.
Dani looked from one woman to the other and with a coy smile, stated brightly, "We're playing hockey tomorrow."
Chloe and Jordan exchanged looks filled with utter confusion, both thinking they couldn't possibly have heard Dani correctly.
"Hockey?" Jordan asked softly, looking at her daughter as if she'd lost her mind.
A chagrined expression crossed Dani's face and she found herself nodding affirmatively in answer to her mother's question.
With a small lift of her shoulders, Jordan looked her daughter square in the face and offered softly, "Well, I wouldn't have come up with a 'plan of action' like this one, but I suppose it's as good a plan as any." With a soft kiss to her daughter's cheek, Jordan headed out of the room, offering her one final bit of advice. "Don't beat him too badly, dear. You know how men hate to lose!"
"I'll think about it," Dani called back, a look of devilish delight sparking in her green eyes.
Chloe sent her friend a sidelong glance, clearly reading her mind, and asked knowingly, "He doesn't know you can play hockey, does he?"
Dani's shoulders lifting in a little shrug, and the smug smile that lit up her face answered Chloe's question. "He never asked," she stated simply.
"You could have told him," Chloe countered softly, tilting her head and gazing at her friend in contemplation.
"You're right; I could have. But I think it will be much more entertaining to see how he reacts when I hammer him into the ice," Dani said with a lilting laugh.
"And if he hammers you into the ice?" Chloe asked lightly.
"I'll get a second shot at him, because he promised to skate with me afterwards," Dani replied smugly.
Chloe's smile lit her face as she contemplated Dani's victory to come. "Danielle Janae Rocmanov, you are dangerous," she stated with pride.
Dani heard Matt's voice speaking the same exact words whisper through her memory and shivered at the flurry of emotions simply remembering him brought her. With a look filled with arrogance, she agreed with quiet determination. "You're right. And he's about to find out just how dangerous!"*
Copyright © 2001-2002 C.E. Moynihan
*All Rights Reserved