Sheep & Wolves

Chapter Four

Dana got off work at four in the morning. She didn't bother changing into casual clothes and instead just threw her coat on over her uniform.

The chilliness of New York's winter air was almost refreshing. It kept her awake. It also gave her something to think about instead of him. Or, more appropriately, them.

There was a quality the two large men shared- one the Brit seemed far more able to hide than Max. The two were both animalistic, but Max was clearly more animal than human. For some reason, Dana liked that. In her experience, animals were far more trustworthy than humans.

She spun around when she heard the sound of glass skidding across the street. A stray coke bottle rolled ten feet from her, but she didn't see any one. Slowly, a feeling came over her. A feeling that she was being watched.

"Who's there?" she asked, reaching into her coat pocket for her switch blade.

She saw a movement out of the corner of her eye and spun towards it. A man's bulky silhouette hulked just meters away. Slowly, she drew the knife from her pocket.

"What do you want?"

"Walking home alone at four in the morning in this part of town is the most stereotypical, stupid mistake a woman can make." Dana instantly recognized his voice. Max had once again beat his record for the longest sentence he had spoken to her.

Part of her relaxed, but her conscious told her to stay on guard. She really didn't know who this man was. Although he seemed safe, there was no real way to tell.

"Are you following me?" Dana asked cautiously.

He took a deep breath and stepped towards her, his familiar presence causing another sense of comfort to sweep through her. Afraid of herself for being unafraid around this obvious danger, she stepped away from him and raised her knife. He glanced down at it with a look that was almost amused.

"Are you following me?" she repeated.

He took another step towards her, his chest brushing against her knife. Dana could smell him, feel his hot breath against her face as he stared down at her with that bizarre affection that distinguished his eyes from the rest of his face.

"I'm going to walk you home." He said it gently, but it was still a command.

Dana shook her head. "I don't want you knowing where I live."

"I already found out. A new apartment. About two blocks from where you work." She stared at him, shocked. "Your stripper friends don't keep too many secrets when money's involved."

Dana clenched her jaw and, with a new determination, tried to move past him. He blocked her escape easily, placing his hands against her hips to keep her in place without using any real force.

His warmth blanketed her, causing the cold air around her to evaporate. She shivered from the effect of his touch, causing a pleased growl to rumble in his chest. The sound swam through her mind, effecting her mood strangely. The hostility faded and was replaced by curiosity.

Absent-mindedly, she placed her hand on the broad surface of his chest. She could feel his heart thud and his muscles rippling underneath the thin fabric of his shirt.

"Aren't you cold?" she whispered softly. He pulled her softly towards him, her collarbone skimming the hand that still lay on his chest.

"Do I feel cold?" he asked, an intimacy to his voice.

She shook her head and lowered her eyes. Slowly, his hands slid past her hips and wrapped around her small frame, his thumbs gently caressing her back.