She glanced at her companion, who hollered, "How far do we have to go?"
"Just around the next corner."
Danni plunged ahead and skidded around the next block, but didn't stop until a huge brick house hid them from Grewen's view. She leaned over, placing her palms on her knees, and gasped for air in between laughter. Beside her, Nick panted and Gus pranced around them as if wondering why they'd ended the fun so soon.
"Would he really call the police?" Nick asked after regaining his breath.
"He's done it before." She read the disbelief in his features. "I was eight years old. He wanted me hauled in for trespassing because I cut through his yard. Dad convinced him not to press charges." She remembered her father's exasperation with Grewen and his defense of her. It was a memory she'd forgotten until now.
"A hardened criminal by eight, huh?" Nick teased.
"Didn't know you were spending time with an ex-con, did you?" she bantered back.
"Prettiest ex-con I've ever seen." Nick swept a wayward curl behind Danni's ear, his hand lingering and following the curve of her neck.
Desire jolted through her veins, and she knew she should step back, but his half-lidded, smoldering eyes trapped her. They drew her nearer until she could smell his body's muskiness, made more potent by their unscheduled sprint. His minty breath feathered across her lips, and she knew with absolute certainty he was going to kiss her.
Chapter Thirteen
As Nick drew Danni closer, he decided to hell with the fact that they were standing on a sidewalk in the middle of a family neighborhood. His palms followed the curve of her waist and glided down to her hips, then he leaned in to capture her lips.
Suddenly, Danni jerked out of his embrace and stared up at him, her cheeks flushed and her eyes snapping. "You bastard," she said through clenched teeth.
Reeling from her abrupt withdrawal, he growled, "What the hell?"
She whirled around and stomped away into the growing dusk. Shaking his head in frustration, Nick trailed after her with Gus straining at the leash. He breathed deeply, and as the cool air circulated through his hot blood, his mind cleared.
Why had she run off like some high school virgin?
The answer wasn't long in coming. Earlier, he hadn't denied her claim that he was sleeping with Karen Crandle, so in Danni's eyes he was merely living up—or down—-to her opinion of his moral standards.
Shit.
"Danni!"
She didn't slow her pace and was already nearly a block away.
"Dammit." He started jogging, and Gus, on her leash, loped alongside him.
He glanced up as a dark sedan neared, and his muscles tensed. It passed him slowly, and he let out a gust of air he hadn't realized he'd been holding. After last night's shooting at the center, it was difficult to stop looking at every person, every vehicle as potential danger.
An explosive shot suddenly ripped through the quiet evening, and Nick instinctively dived into a thick hedgerow next to the sidewalk. Thorns raked his face and clothing, and he heard Gus's surprised yelp at being hauled into the brambly bushes with him. Once in the middle of the thick brush, he wrapped his arms around the squirming dog and bent over her, hoping to calm and protect her.
But there was no more shooting. Eerie silence blanketed them for an interminable minute.
"Nick! Nick, where are you?"
Danni's frantic voice and the sound of her searching among the thick bushes made him uncurl from his hunched position. He released Gus, who whined and nosed her way out of the shrubbery.
Following his dog, Nick struggled through the heavy growth, biting back his aggravation with the sharp thorns. He lowered his head and was able to protect his exposed skin but couldn't see a damned thing.
Fingers closed around his arm. "Come on," Danni said, her voice close.
He allowed her to assist him out of the underbrush and stood shakily.
"Are you all right?" Danni asked anxiously, peering up into his face.
"Yeah. The shooter missed." He wiped at a tickly feeling along his cheek, and his hand came away smeared with blood. "But the thorns didn't. Did you get the license plate?"
Danni shifted her weight from one foot to the other, clearly uncomfortable. "Nobody was shooting at you."
Nick stared at her. Only a deaf person wouldn't have heard the attack. "You didn't hear it?"
"It was a car backfiring."
He replayed the sound of the "shot" again in his mind. He'd heard enough weapons' fire to realize Danni was right. His face heated with embarrassment. "Christ, I can't believe I thought that was a gunshot." He must be more on edge than he realized.
A light came on. and the owner of the hedgerow stepped onto his porch. "What's going on out there?"
"Just walking our dog," Danni hollered back. She grabbed Nick's arm. "Let's get back to Dad's place."
As soon as they were back in Paddy's house, Danni went upstairs and returned with the first aid kit. The way things were going, they'd need a new one soon.
"You've got quite a collection of scratches," Danni said. "Sit."
Mute, Nick eased onto the kitchen chair she'd pulled away from the table. With firm, steady fingers, she raised his chin to examine his face. She washed the shallow cuts first with water, then peroxide.
Nick caught a glimpse of guilt in her eyes and frowned. He captured her hand and asked gently, "What's going on, Danni? You said yourself it was only a car backfiring."
Her gaze flickered to him, then slid away. "What if it wasn't? What if it had been a gunshot?"
"It wasn't."
Her expression flared with impatience. "Dammit, Nick. If that had been a shooter, you'd be dead!"
Nick had no idea why she was dwelling on what-ifs. "A car backfired, and I overreacted. End of story."
She jerked her wrist out of his hold and tossed the gauze she'd used to clean his abrasions in the wastebasket under the sink. Leaning against the counter, she crossed her arms and studied the floor like it hid the mysteries of the universe. Nick, however, noticed her hands trembling.
Concerned, he rose and moved to stand in front of her. She continued to stare downward. He brushed a dark curl behind her ear and allowed his fingers to linger in her silky hair. "What's really bothering you, Danni?" he asked tenderly.
The wall clock ticked off countless seconds as Nick waited for her reply. He sensed she was fighting inner demons, but there was nothing he could do unless she let him in.
Finally, she raised her head, and moisture glimmered in her eyes. However, her voice was filled with self-directed anger. "If that had been a real hit, you'd be dead because I was acting like a jealous teenager instead of doing my job." A tear spilled down one cheek, and she blinked, preventing any more. "I'm sorry." Her voice broke.
Her apology settled someplace in Nick's chest, making it hard to breathe. "I'm sorry, too." He licked his dry lips and fanned his fingers across her damp cheek. "There's no reason for you to be jealous, Danni. I have never slept with, nor do I plan to sleep with Karen Crandle. In fact, you're the first woman I've been with for close to a year."
Danni's eyes widened. "You're kidding."
He smiled self-consciously but didn't regret his confession. He raised his right hand. "Scout's honor. Working at home, I don't get a lot of opportunity to meet women."
"But you volunteer at the center."
He chuckled. "If you haven't noticed, the only women there are either young enough to be my daughter or old enough to be my mother. And neither appeals to me."
"But Karen—"
"Isn't you," Nick finished softly.
A pink flush flooded Danni's cheeks, but she raised her hand and traced the curve of his jaw. "So, there's no significant other in your life right now?"
He shivered at the feather-light caress of her fingertips. "I wouldn't say that."
The dark blue irises were almost eclipsed by her pupils. "I'm not looking for anything serious."
Her breathy tone shot strai
ght to Nick's gut. He shifted closer, so only a hairsbreadth separated them. "Neither am I."
Danni wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. "So what do two unattached people who are attracted to one another do if neither wants a relationship?"
Her warm breath spiked his nerve endings, and her sinfully seductive voice sent pleasurable signals scampering to his groin. He brushed her nose with his. "Play canasta?"
"I prefer gin."
"Strip poker?"
Her smile was anything but angelic. "Why don't we forget the poker part and just strip?"
Nick definitely liked that suggestion as his erection surged against denim. He nudged his hips against her, letting her feel him. "My kind of woman."
She leaned back and kept her hungry gaze locked on his as she unbuttoned his first button, then the second and third. Holding his shirt open, she kissed the center of his chest.
Nick groaned and cupped her soft backside in his palms and tugged her body against him. She raised her head and licked her lips, like a cat that had discovered a whole pint of spilled cream. Slipping her arms around his waist beneath the now fully opened shirt, she continued her exploration of his pectorals using her lips and tongue.
Bolts of pleasure seared him. There was nothing tentative about Danni's actions. Her kisses were like her: brash, bold, and passionate.
As hot as her caresses were, Nick wanted more. He wanted to touch her—skin against skin. He leaned close to her ear, yielded to the temptation to give it a tender nip before whispering, "Upstairs."
Danni shivered, and he felt her nod.
They tiptoed past Gus, who was sound asleep on the living room floor, and ascended the stairs. At the top of the staircase Nick paused, uncertain which bedroom to use.
Danni tugged him down the hall to her room, where they'd made love the first time. She released him and stepped back, removing her shoulder holster and placing it on the nightstand. She pulled her shirttails out of her jeans and reached for the hem.
Nick's hands settled on hers. "Let me."
She gave him a short nod and raised her arms. Prolonging the sensual torment, Nick eased the shirt over Danni's head slowly, revealing a black lace bra with alluring glimpses of skin beneath it. He tossed the shirt aside.
Danni and Nick's gazes locked as he palmed her lace-covered breasts and rolled her nipples between his thumb and forefinger. She reached back and unsnapped her bra. As she slipped the straps down her arms, Nick released her and removed the undergarment, baring her breasts.
His breath caught in his throat, and he leaned forward to capture an already taut nipple in his mouth. Danni moaned, and her head fell back, giving him full access to her breasts. As he worshiped her with his lips, she stroked his bare torso, alternating between a barely there touch and an erotic play of fingernails.
Nick unsnapped and unzipped her jeans, then shoved them down her long legs. Danni kicked them off impatiently. His lusty gaze drank in the sight of her wearing only a pair of lacy underwear; they looked infinitely better on Danni than on her apartment floor.
"Someone still has too many clothes on." Danni's eyes sparkled with a mixture of desire and mischief.
"Someone should probably take care of that."
Almost before Nick had gotten the words out, Danni was upon him, and a minute later, he stood naked in the middle of her bedroom.
She eyed him and licked her lips. "Much better."
"Not quite." He hooked his fingers in the waistband of her panties and spent a moment caressing her smooth belly beneath the black lace. Sliding lower, he felt her damp heat, her readiness for him.
Danni's eyes widened, and her breath quickened. "You damned well better get down to business soon, Sirocco." Her voice was husky with need, and her legs trembled.
He laughed, but he, too, was reaching the end of his patience. He skimmed down her underwear and knelt before her as she lifted one foot, then the other. The underwear joined her other clothing already scattered across the floor.
Her muskiness filled his senses, and he grasped her hips, bringing her forward to taste her.
"Nick!" Danni cried out at the first touch of his tongue.
Smiling, he continued to pleasure her. Her hands kneaded his shoulders, and her little mewls of passion brought Nick dangerously close to the edge. Danni's legs trembled, and he barely managed to rise and guide her to the bed.
He grabbed the foil pack from his wallet. Yesterday he'd felt like a kid hoping to get lucky when he'd bought the condom from a rest room vending machine. Now he wished he'd bought more than one.
He knelt between her long legs and braced his hands on either side of her head. Her dark, curly hair fanned across the pillow, framing her flushed face. Leaning down, he buried his nose between her neck and shoulder. She smelled of shower soap with a faint tinge of sweat—all woman and all Danni.
She ran her hands down his chest and belly, then grasped his hardness. Nick jerked his head up and thrust into her soft yet firm grip. He was close. Too damned close.
He seized her skillful hand, his body poised on the edge and his breathing harsh. "Easy, Hawkins."
She laughed, but the sound was thready. "Too much woman for you, Sirocco?"
He couldn't help but chuckle. Danni was pushy both in bed and out. "Damned straight."
Their heated gazes met, and the air crackled between them.
"I want you now, Nick," she whispered.
She wrapped her shapely legs around his waist and urged him downward with a strength that didn't surprise him. He forced himself to stay motionless and grinned down at her. "Impatient?"
The impact of her glare was diminished by her kiss-swollen lips. "Horny."
He laughed, but understood too well. Lowering his body, he kissed her and eased into her tightness. Sensations washed over him and threatened to overcome his control before he was completely sheathed.
He tried to remain still, but Danni didn't cooperate. She thrust her hips upward, taking his full length into her. Thought spiraled away, and Nick matched Danni's driving rhythm as she lunged up to meet him. Their bodies glided together, and the wave of pleasure crested higher and higher.
Suddenly Danni screamed, and her body tightened around him, drawing his orgasm from him with powerful pulses.
As the aftershocks faded, Nick eased out of her and disposed of the condom. He lay down beside her, their heads touching on the pillow.
The first time they'd made love, it had been an act of desperation prompted by a nightmare, and immediately afterward they'd fallen asleep. This time, Nick took pleasure in the afterglow of their lovemaking and the intimacy of merely lying close, their bodies cooling.
Danni could be exasperating as hell at times, but in bed she became a fiery lover who gave as well as received with equal amounts of passion. Just thinking about the teasing, sexy twinkle in her eyes sent renewed desire arrowing through him.
He turned his head toward her. "Still horny?"
She snorted. "Fishing for compliments, Sirocco?"
He stifled a grin. "No need to strain yourself, Hawkins."
Danni laughed, which made her breasts jiggle enticingly. "All right. You were good. Very good. Satisfied?"
Nick rolled onto his side and propped his head on his hand to look down at Danni. Her cheeks remained flushed, and she didn't appear embarrassed by her nudity. Even as he slid his gaze across her pale skin, she didn't try to cover herself. "Oh, yeah. Definitely satisfied."
"I'll take that as a compliment." She smiled smugly.
Nick wasn't accustomed to his lovers being so assertive. Or to bantering during lovemaking. Yet it fit Danni, and he was finding it fit him, too.
His stomach growled, eliciting more laughter from Danni.
"Men." She shook her head in mock exasperation. "Sex, then food."
Nick feigned offense. "Hey, us growing boys need to eat."
Devilish mischief danced in Danni's expression, and she reached down to fondle him. "Growing?"
He groaned, but felt lust creep into his blood once more. If only he'd bought another condom...
Releasing him with a gentle squeeze, Danni raised her head and gave him a quick kiss. "We should eat something before we go to the center."
Although Nick would've preferred to stay right where he was with Danni right where she was, his sense of responsibility wouldn't allow him the luxury. He nodded but remained lying on the bed to watch Danni's reverse striptease. And found himself growing hard as her delicious curves disappeared under denim and knit.
"Time for a cold shower, Rocky." Danni smirked and tossed his shirt over his face.
By the time Nick lifted it off, Danni was gone. Shaking his head and grinning, he pushed himself upright and tugged on his clothes. With a grimace, he carefully zipped up his pants and joined Danni.
When he entered the kitchen, she was leaning into the refrigerator, giving him an eyeful of her sexy ass. His arousal, which had waned, returned with a vengeance.
"What're you hungry for?" Danni asked, gazing at him over her shoulder.
Unable to resist, Nick stepped close and cupped her tempting anatomy. "What did you have in mind?"
Danni straightened and turned around. She backhanded his chest lightly. "Obviously not what you do."
"Hey, have pity on the celibate man."
"I don't think so, buddy, since your period of celibacy is a thing of the past." She grinned. "Dinner. Food. Get your mind back on track, Sirocco."
Although Nick would've liked to leave his mind—and body—on a more enjoyable track, he couldn't help but chuckle. "All right. How about pasta?"
"You volunteering to cook?"
"You want to risk food poisoning?"
Danni groaned. "Pasta it is, as long as we have a bottle of sauce to heat up."
Working together with surprising ease, Nick and Danni put together a salad, spaghetti, and garlic bread. Nothing boiled over, burned, or spilled, so they deemed it a success.
Nick pushed his empty plate back. "I should've gotten some wine to go with it."
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