by Toni Jackson
Turning back towards the living room, Dani eased the front door closed and opened the hall closet. Reaching in, she grabbed the bat she kept there for emergencies. The bat shook so much in her hands, she had to wrap one on top of the other. As she walked around, she noticed a strange smell. Dani had cleaned the house before she left, but she could swear she smelled the acrid scent of male sweat. Not Sean’s scent. It reminded her of some of the men that hung out near the corner store a few blocks away. Her knees shook as she checked room by room. The main part of the house was clear. Still, she could not shake the feeling that something was wrong.
It was not until Dani moved towards her garage/studio that her feeling of unease increased. She hit the light and looked inside the garage. All along the wall, her tools were lined up in order by size, as she preferred them. Everything looked fine at first glance, but after stepping inside, she noticed little things. Like one of her chisels was missing from its’ spot on the rack. Looking down at her worktable, she saw it lying there.
Dani’s thoughts raced back to her last day in the house before the trip. She remembered placing everything in its place on the rack. That only left one conclusion.
Someone had been in her house.
The faint signs of footprints tracked through the light coating of dust on her floor. The tread of the print looked like a large work boot.
Dani’s heart was pounding as she moved back through to the kitchen to the living room. She placed the chain on the door, something she did not usually do during the daytime. Pacing back and forth, her mind raced as she tried to figure out what to do next. Her first instinct was to call 911, but what real proof did she have that someone had been in her house? The last thing she wanted was to sound paranoid. What was she going to tell them? Someone came into her house and moved her tools? She thought there might be footprints on her floor. She hadn’t noticed any broken windows and the front door had still been locked up tight when she got home. They would think she was crazy.
Dani was exhausted from the trip, but she did not believe she was imagining things. More than anything, she wanted to go to sleep for a few hours, but she was afraid to close her eyes. Knowing that someone had been inside of her house, going through her things while she wasn’t home, left her feeling violated.
Not knowing what else to do, she picked up the phone and dialed Sean’s number.
“Davenport.” Just the sound of Sean’s voice over the line had the power to help soothe her. Dani took a deep breath and began to speak.
“If I didn’t know better, I would think you didn’t have a first name,” she joked. Now that she had him on the line, she started to feel like she overreacted. The last thing she wanted was to make him think she was crazy.
Dani felt better as she heard Sean’s laughter come through the line. “Sorry, it’s a force of habit,” Sean said. “Most people in business aren’t referred to by their first names anymore. Don’t ask me why.”
“How interesting. Well,” she paused, feeling awkward, “I was…just…um, calling you to let you know that I’m…back.”
Sean frowned at the phone. Dani’s voice sounded strange. “Baby? Is everything okay? They still want you to do the work don’t they?”
“Oh, yes. They do. It’s – it’s nothing.”
“Dani, something’s the matter. What is it? Are you okay?”
Dani sighed before answering. “I’m fine, Sean, maybe I’m going crazy, but I think someone was in my house while I was gone.”
“Are you sure?” he asked in a low voice.
Letting out the breath she had been holding, Dani exhaled. “Yes. My tools have been moved in my workshop. I always leave them the same way. And I think there are foot prints from someone’s work boots on my floor.”
“And there was no sign that anyone broke in?” The abrupt change in Sean’s tone scared her. Dani had never heard him sound this cold and hard.
“Not that I can see, but right now, I’m a little paranoid about going through the rooms again. I checked all of them when I got home, but I didn’t see anything,” Dani started.
“You walked through the house by yourself?” Sean yelled into the receiver. Dani flinched.
“Yes. I had my bat with me.” Dani heard him cursing in the background.
“And what would a bat have done against someone with a gun!”
Dani looked in amazement at the phone. “Sean, I didn’t call you for a lecture. I was just letting you know I was home.”
Sean puffed several times as if he was trying to calm down. “Baby, I’m sorry I yelled. I don’t want you staying there by yourself. Why don’t you pack up some things and I’ll come get you?”
“That’s okay, really. I was going to call Tina to come pick me up. I don’t want to inconvenience you.”
“You are not inconveniencing me, Dani.” Sean ground out. “Sweetheart, I won’t be able to sleep if I’m not sure you’re okay. And… if I don’t sleep, everyone in my office is going to catch hell tomorrow because I’ll be an evil, cranky bastard. Then people will start to quit and the next thing I know, I’ll be out of business, because no one will work for me. Then instead of having the reputation of a rich playboy, I’ll be known as a deadbeat jerk…and it will all be your fault.”
Laughing, Dani sputtered, “All of that, because I won’t come home with you?”
Sean’s tone changed and the smooth tenor of his voice rolled over Dani. “No baby, because you won’t let me take care of you.” He paused, his voice becoming softer. “I care about you Dani.”
The smile on Dani’s face faded as the seriousness of the situation finally sank in. Even though Tina and Clayton were her friends, she had always still felt alone. It had been so long since she had someone who truly cared about her. Someone that wanted to take care of her. Someone that she loved. Pushing her hands through her hair, Dani was quiet for a moment before answering. “I care about you, too.”
“Then let me take care of you.”
Dani took a deep breath, unsure of how to explain her feelings. “I can’t let it make me afraid, Sean. This is my home, my workshop is here…” he stopped her.
“Dani, it will only be for a few days, until everything can be checked out.”
“Really, it’s not necessary - ,” Dani said.
Sean swore under his breath. “I’ll be there in ten minutes, Dani.”
“What? How are you going to get here that fast?”
“I was already in the car. I started towards your house the minute you said you were home. Ten minutes, Dani.”
“But –,” she started, but the phone was already dead in her ear.
Dani curled up on the couch closest to the front door. She had to admit that the thought of Sean coming over made her feel safer. The past few weeks had flown past so quickly. The art show, meeting Sean, the west coast commission…this was the busiest she had ever been.
Exactly ten minutes later, Dani heard a car pull up in the driveway. A peak through window revealed Sean exiting his black BMW and walking towards the front door. Dani ran over and opened it before he could knock.
He immediately enfolded Dani in his arms. She smelled the soft fragrance of his cologne as she buried her face in his chest. The strength of his hands rubbing up and down her back soothed her.
She could stay in his arms forever.
“Are you okay, baby?” he whispered.
Dani nodded. “Yeah.”
Sean pulled them both into the house and locked the door. He angled his strong hands on Dani’s shoulders and looked into her face. “Go pack some clothes. I’m not leaving you here.” Dani opened her mouth to protest, only to be cut off.
“I’m serious, Dani.” His eyes were cold as he leaned down and stared her more directly in the eyes. “You can either pack something or I’ll pack it for you. You’re coming back with me.”
Dani watched as Sean’s jaw clenched. He was serious.
Nodding, Dani stepped back from him and headed towards her room to pack
.
Chapter 24
Sean took several deep breaths to calm down. He amazed himself with the depth of his reaction to Dani’s words. The thought that someone had been in here, could have been in here when she got home…
His first instinct was to smash his fist into something. At some point, he was going to have to examine the depth of his feelings for Dani.
When she walked back into the room with her repacked rolling suitcase and purse, he managed to summon a smile.
“Ready?” Sean reached out and took the bag from her when she nodded. Walking to the car, his mind raced with possibilities. There had not been any indication in the reports of anything like this happening to her before in all the years she had been living there.
So why now?
Once in the car, Sean could tell Dani was still disturbed about what happened. Reaching over, he grasped her hand. “It’s going to be okay.”
“Yeah…” Dani turned to look out the window. “It’s just strange that someone went through all that effort to come into the house and not take anything. All they did was move things around, and leave my chisel sitting on the desk.” She shook her head. “If it had been someone who had taken something, not that I really have anything someone would want to steal, I could understand that. I would definitely be pissed off, but I’d understand. But this,” Dani frowned, “makes no sense. It’s like someone wanted me to know that they had been there and could get in any time that they wanted.”
Through their joined hands, Dani knew Sean could feel the shiver that ran through her body.
“That’s what makes it so scary to me,” said Dani.
They spent the rest of the ride in silence. Once they arrived at Sean’s, he had Dani take her suitcase into the bedroom. He walked over to the door of his home office, his mind already working ahead. “I’ll be there in a few minutes, I just need to make a quick call.” Stepping inside, he closed the door behind him and pulled out his cell. He hit the one number he had set as a speed dial in his cellphone and waited.
“McKennon.”
“It’s Sean. I need you to check out something for me.”
“What’s up?”
Sean paced back and forth in the office as he spoke. “Someone broke into Dani’s house.”
“Dani? Danielle Knox?”
“Yes. She didn’t call the police because there were no obvious signs of a break-in and nothing was missing.”
“So how does she know someone was in there?”
Sean ran his hands through his hair before answering. “She said someone purposely moved her tools around in her workshop.”
There was silence on the line for a moment before McKennon responded. “You think it might be someone she knows?”
“I’m more afraid that it’s someone that I know who’s not happy about us being together.”
It’s possible. Let me check into a few things. I’m going to give you a call back.”
“Sure.” Sean was about to hang up when he heard McKennon calling to him. “Is she going to be staying with you? I don’t want to take a chance that she walks in on anyone while they’re checking the place out.”
Yes. She’s going to be with me.”
“Won’t that cramp your style?” Sean rolled his eyes as he heard the laughter in McKennon’s voice.
“No, not at all,” he said, realizing that style cramping is exactly what would be happening. The time he spent in Italy had just increased his longing to be with her. It was a novel experience for him.
Even before taking over the company after his parent’s death, women had been after him. His looks were a factor in it, but mostly, they were attracted to the size of his bank account. With Dani, he realized that none of that made a difference. Their attraction was primal, the real woman in Dani calling to the real man in Sean.
CHAPTER 25
Dani felt strange unpacking her things and placing them into Sean’s empty dresser drawers. She was nearly finished when he walked back into the room. For the first time since they had started dating, Dani was unsure about things between them. It was one thing to spend time together occasionally, but it was another to move in for an extended time. She had always prided herself on her independence and being able to make decisions on her own.
Not knowing what else to say, Dani turned to him. “I’ll try to stay out of your way as much as possible. I still say you could have just let me stay over at Tina’s place, she has an extra room –”
“No.” That one word, although spoken quietly, told her a lot about him. This Sean ran a major corporation. He gave orders and expected them to be followed.
Dani frowned. “Sean, we both know I can’t stay here indefinitely and at some point I have to go back home and finish my sculptures. Not to mention the project on the West Coast.”
Sean walked towards her not saying a word. As they faced each other, he stopped and picked up her hands and brought them to his lips, kissing each one. “You can stay here as long as you need. We’ll find a place for you to work. Someplace close by.”
“But Sean-,” Sean stopped her from arguing by covering her lips with his own. He missed her. Missed her taste, her softness. With Dani, he could see a future, a family.
“Open up for me baby,” he whispered, wanting to reaffirm his feelings. Dani parted her lips and Sean dived in taste her. Her eyes drifted closed as her soft moans increased his excitement. His arms wrapped around her and pulled her closer. Pressing one leg between hers, he rubbed against her core, feeling the shudders spread throughout her body. She pulled away from him panting, attempting to catch her breath. When she opened her eyes, he could see her lips parting.
“No arguing,” he whispered. Dipping his head, he sucked gently at the side of her neck savoring the sweet taste of her skin.
Sean’s hands played across her skin. He loved the sweetness and essence that was purely hers. Sean grabbed her hips, pulling her close.
Dani’s hands slipped around his neck as she ground against him. Wherever his hands caressed her, she burned. This man had the power to make her lose control and throw all caution to the wind.
Sean broke the kiss long enough to ease back and unbutton his shirt. Grabbing her hands, he placed them on his chest. “Touch me,” he whispered.
Dani ran her hands over the muscles of his chest, delighting in the feel of the soft hairs that covered his chest. Each caress of her fingers across his skin was agony. Slowly, he pulled the clothes from her body, starving for the feel Dani’s skin against his. He stepped back long enough to remove his clothes. Light streaming from the windows bathed Dani in a golden glow. Sean stepped forward and enfolded her body, lifting her gently and moving towards the bed. He stepped back and drank in the sight of her in his bed.
Dani loved the fact that Sean stayed in shape. The definition of the muscles in his body made her long to have his arms around her. He made her feel safe and secure.
Leaning over here, Sean claimed her lips again. Sean trailed kisses down her neck until he reached her breasts, taking one nipple deep into his mouth. No other woman affected him this way. All he could think of was giving her pleasure, binding her closer to him with each touch.
He stopped for a moment and looked down into Dani’s eyes. This was more. More than what he imagined he would discover when he began hunting for someone to have his child. Dani was his other half. The one person who made him complete. With that acceptance, Sean hungrily took possession of Dani’s lips again.
“I can’t wait anymore, baby,” Sean muttered, spreading Dani’s legs and joining with her. His eyes closed as Dani’s body softened to accept him, linking them together.
“Did I hurt you?” he rasped, trying his best to hold on to his slim thread of control. Shaking her head, Dani pulled his head back down for a kiss, just as voracious as Sean. Both of them were out of control. The two weeks apart seemed like forever.
Sean accepted that he never wanted to be separated from Dani again. He showed Dani his feelings the only
way he knew how. Her soft cries were music to his ears, pushing him to make her lose complete control. He wanted it all from her.
Her heart, her soul, her…love.
Sean tried to remove every thought Dani ever had of another man. He wanted to consume her every thought. Brand her. Somehow, in just a few days, Dani had come to mean more to him than any woman he had ever dated.
“Oh god, Sean,” she gasped. Sean gritted his teeth and tried to hold on while Dani convulsed around him.
“Dani!” He pressed deep inside her and held himself there, filling her with the very essence of himself.
“Stay with me.” Sean whispered.
He gently stroked his hand along the side of her face. “No more arguing on it okay?”
Dani nodded, feeling that they some deeper level of understanding. Gazing into the deep green of his eyes, she began to understand how much she was starting to care for this man. If she was not falling in love with him before, she was now. Dani snuggled deeper into his embrace and fell into a deep, contented sleep.
CHAPTER 26
Dani’s eyes snapped open as she awoke the next morning, her body shuddering on the verge of a release. Her eyes flew open as she tipped over the edge, screaming. A quick glance revealed Sean kneeling between her legs with a devilish smile.
“Morning,” he murmured, kissing his way up her body. He spread her legs and slid inside her.
“I like waking up this way,” he groaned as he slid inside her. “I could get used to this.”
Dani placed her hands on his back, delighting in the ripple of muscles flexing beneath her hands, loving the feel of him. He was sexy and attentive. Such a devastating combination. Every stroke pushed her higher, brought her closer to release.
“So could I,” she whispered.
Sean reached down, lifted her hips, and began thrusting in long, hard strokes. She tightened her around him, throwing off his rhythm.
He groaned. “Two can play that game.” Her body began shaking as she felt another orgasm begin to roll over her.
