Kate Hoffmann - Danny

“I did,” she said. “At least, I think I did. Maybe this was just all a dream.”

Danny turned on the bedside lamp, then carefully surveyed the room. There didn’t seem to be anything amiss. “Come on, hop in.”

The dogs explored the room as Jordan crawled back into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. Danny sat down on the edge of the bed. “The dogs will bark if anyone comes into the house.”

“Stay here a little longer,” Jordan said.

“Sure. Do you have any whiskey? Maybe a drink would calm your nerves.”

“There is a bottle downstairs.”

“I’ll go get it and check all the doors and windows. You stay here with the dogs.”

Jordan turned onto her side and clutched his hand. “I feel so stupid. It was probably just a bad dream. I had that curry for dinner and I always have weird dreams after spicy food.” She looked up at him. “I’m sorry I bothered you.”

“It’s not a problem,” he said. He dropped a kiss on her lips, not really thinking before he did. She was so close, it just seemed like the most natural thing to kiss her. But as soon as he drew back, Danny realized that one kiss would not be enough. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

The house was silent as Danny walked through the lower floor, checking the windows and the doors. He had to believe that Jordan had seen something to send her running to him in the middle of the night. When he checked the library, he noticed one of the windows was open a crack and shut it. But before he turned out the light, he spotted a muddy footprint on the floor near one of the bookshelves.

It was the print of a man’s shoe or boot, a bit larger than his own, with a different pattern on the sole. Bending down, Danny ran his finger over the footprint and found the mud still damp. “What the hell,” he muttered. Someone had been in the house, and not very long ago.

He grabbed the bottle of whiskey from the table in the library, along with two glasses and headed upstairs. For now, he’d keep his discovery a secret. It wouldn’t do to scare Jordan. But he had no intention of leaving her alone in the house now-with or without his dogs.

When he returned to the bedroom, Danny found her sitting up in bed, Finny and Mogue curled up beside her. He chuckled softly as he handed her a glass and poured whiskey into it. “I usually don’t let them sleep on the bed.” He snapped his fingers and the dogs jumped down to the floor. Danny sat down beside her and poured himself a glass.

“Did you find anything?” she asked.

Danny shook his head. “No. Everything was locked up tight. But I’m going to stay here tonight with you anyway. Just to be certain.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her up against his body.

She relaxed, resting her whiskey on his stomach as she nestled into the curve of his body. Danny sipped at his drink as he rubbed her shoulder, his palm smoothing over her silken skin. His thoughts focused on that part of her body then drifted back to their swim in the pool.

How much would it take to get them back to that moment, to that instant when their eyes met and the world seemed to stand still? He nuzzled his face in her hair then pressed a kiss to her forehead. He wasn’t going to go there. Not until she was ready.

“Feel better?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said.

The whiskey warmed his belly and relaxed his body. But it only made the thoughts of her more intense. He ran his hand over her arm and she turned in to him, her warmth seeping through the jeans he’d pulled on. It wasn’t enough just to touch her.

Danny leaned over and pressed his mouth to hers, his tongue slowly tracing the crease between her lips. When he drew back, she was watching him. They stared at each other for a long time, neither one of them moving or speaking. Then Jordan pushed up on her elbow, her hand slipping around his neck to draw him near.

A long, soft kiss was his reward for his patience. And when she finally drew back, he knew that they’d started where they’d left off earlier. In fact, to his surprise, she’d decided to jump ahead a few steps.

She worked the buttons open on his jeans, then ran her hand from his belly to his chest and back again. Her touch sent his senses reeling and he wasn’t sure if he could maintain his control at this kind of pace.

When her hand dipped lower, Danny groaned. It had been a while since the last time he’d had a woman. And he’d never had any trouble taking care of a woman’s needs before his own. But this woman could do things to him that had never been done before.

He waited, holding his breath, as her hand slipped beneath the waistband of his jeans. Danny was almost afraid to touch her, afraid that just the simple feel of her flesh beneath his fingers would send him over the edge. She still wore the T-shirt and panties and he was almost grateful that she was covered.

But that gratitude didn’t last long. Suddenly, she got to her knees and pulled the T-shirt over her head, tossing it aside. Danny’s breath caught in his throat. She was, by all standards, the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen.

He quickly stripped off his jeans and she rid herself of her panties. When they were both naked, she sat next to him, as if she wasn’t sure how to proceed. “I’ve never been much good at this,” she whispered.

“I find that very hard to believe.”

“If I’m doing something wrong, I want you to tell me. Promise?”

He shook his head. “We’ll show each other,” he said. “Take my hand.” She did as she was told. “Show me where you like to be touched.” Slowly, she placed his hand on her breast.

That was all it took to start them down a path of undeniable pleasure. That simple contact, the soft weight of her flesh in his hand, the stiff peak of her nipple, sent waves of desire racing through his body.

A sigh slipped from her throat and Danny pulled her down next to him and captured her mouth in a kiss filled with overwhelming need.

He pulled her beneath him, drawing her legs up alongside his hips. She was soft and warm, every inch of her naked body like a revelation. Had he ever felt this kind of need before? Had he ever been so determined to possess a woman?

Though he wanted to lose himself inside her, Danny realized that he’d left the condoms back at the caretaker’s cottage. He weighed the risks of leaving her, knowing how easily the connection between them could snap. There were other ways to satisfy them both.

He moved against her, his shaft sliding along the moist slit between her legs. Jordan gasped, arching against him in response, her breath quickening. Danny closed his eyes, enjoying the sensations racing through his body. It was as close to sex as they could get without actually having sex and he thought it would be enough.

But for Jordan, it wasn’t. She shifted beneath him and his next thrust was met with a different kind of resistance. He slipped inside her once, then quickly withdrew.

“I have condoms,” he murmured. “But they’re back in the cottage. I can go get them.”

“I have condoms. And they’re in the bedside table. I bought them after we met,” she admitted.

Danny stretched out on top of her and opened the drawer, then grabbed the box. He quickly sheathed himself and a few seconds later, slipped back between her legs. He kissed her softly, his hands braced on either side of her shoulders, his shaft gently probing at her damp entrance.

It took every ounce of his willpower to wait, to move against her without plunging deep. But with every stroke, she seemed to grow more impatient, her moans tinged with frustration. And when he finally gave in, the sensation of entering her warmth nearly sent him over the edge.

Danny sensed she was close and every now and then, he pulled out and rubbed up against her for a time, before slipping back inside.