Christina squeezed her eyes tight as dread washed over her. What was it that Dan was so upset about? And what about Johnny? What was the deal with him, and where had he been all this time?
She grabbed hold of the railing and drew some deep breaths, trying to clear her mind. As a few more minutes went by, and Dan didn't come outside, she strode back inside.
He was in the kitchen, putting the groceries in the refrigerator and the cabinets. "Are you hungry?" he asked as soon as she walked inside, without looking at her.
"Why don't you tell me what's wrong?" Christina inquired, ignoring his question.
"Nothing is wrong," he responded, flatly.
"Then why have you been in such a bad mood ever since you spoke to Miles on the phone?" she insisted.
He walked over to the back window and glanced outside. "Your friend has gotten himself into some serious trouble," he replied.
"Johnny?" Christina asked, anxiously, staring at his back. "What happened? Is he all right?" She steeled herself, knowing she wouldn't like his answer.
"Oh, don't worry. He's fine!" Dan replied, with a touch of sarcasm in his voice, and turned to face her.
Christina stared at him, trying to figure him out. "Why are you so mad at him?" she asked. "What did he do?"
"I'm not mad," he insisted. "I just don't think that he treated you right."
"What do you mean?" Christina asked, confused.
"He should have never gotten you involved in all this," he replied.
"It wasn't his fault," Christina protested, even though, deep down inside she knew he was right.
Dan didn't seem convinced. "He knew the kind of people he was dealing with. He should have kept you out of all this," he insisted.
"He tried. He told them I had nothing to do with all this, but they didn't believe him," Christina pointed out. "However, I never understood why they took me with them?" she added.
"They were looking for a tape," Dan said.
"Oh, yes!" Christina remembered. "They were asking about a tape."
"We found out that your friend had managed to get his hands on an incriminating tape. They wanted that tape pretty bad."
"So that's why they searched me and my purse," Christina mumbled, feeling a chill caressing her spine as she remembered the frightening moments in Johnny's apartment.
"Yes," Dan agreed. "We also found out that Beavers was involved with them. But he was spooked because his voice was on that tape, too. They probably feared that he might try to make a deal with the police and got him out of the way."
"But what about me?" Christina inquired.
"It seems that after they had found out you were still alive, they decided to abduct you from the hospital and use you to put pressure on your friend to give them the tape," Dan said. "Then again..."
"Then again, what?" she inquired, feeling a warning bell going off.
"I told you before. Something doesn't feel right," he replied, staring at her. "The attack with the helicopter was to kill you, not capture you... Is there something you're not telling me, Christina?" he inquired.
Christina knew she would have to confide in him sooner or later...but she was unprepared for this conversation right now. "I don't understand what's going on," she lied.
Dan didn't seem convinced. Turning on his heel, he walked to the kitchen and came back with two steaming cups of coffee. He put one down on the table in front of Christina. Then he took his cup and went outside.
Christina sat lost in her thoughts. She could tell Dan hadn't told her everything, but she didn't press the matter anymore. She knew that everything he did was for her protection. She trusted him with her life and felt bad that she hadn't been quite honest with him.
She decided that she would find the right moment and tell him about her past. She knew he would understand. After having made up her mind, she felt a lot better. It was a heavy weight she'd been carrying inside her for so long, having no one to confide in. I can trust Dan, she thought and smiled thinking of him.
It was getting dark in the room as they hadn't switched any lights on. Christina picked up her coffee—cold by now—and walked outside to the front porch. Dan was sitting on the porch swing, staring out into the woods, and didn't move as Christina sat next to him. She glanced at him and then reached over and covered his hand with hers. He turned his hand upwards and intertwined his fingers with hers while staring deep into her eyes.
"I just wish for this nightmare to end," she whispered and let out a deep breath.
Dan raised his arm and placed it around her shoulders, drawing her closer to him. They sat there in silence for a long time, staring out in the dark. It was very peaceful and quiet, and the only things they could see were the lights of a couple cabins up the road.
After a while, it got chilly. Dan stood up and pulled Christina to her feet. They walked inside and sat by the fireplace.
"Would you like me to start a fire?" he asked.
"Yes, please," Christina replied.
Dan walked to the wood storage outside. Coming back inside carrying some logs, he kneeled in front of the fireplace.
Drawn by his powerful presence, Christina sunk on a pillow next to him. She curled up her knees, wrapped her arms around them, and watched the flames, feeling a blissful numbness spreading throughout her body.
Dan rose to his feet and checked the locks on the doors and windows. Then he drew the curtains and turned all the lights out. The only light in the room was coming from the flickering flames in the fireplace.
"Are you hungry?" he asked.
"No, not really," Christina replied. "I would love some wine, though," she added, having seen him buying two bottles of cabernet sauvignon while at the grocery store.
Dan strode to the kitchen and came back with a plate filled with grapes. Then he brought a bottle of wine and two glasses. Kneeling down next to her, he filled up their glasses and lay down on his side, supporting his body on one elbow. They sat in silence, watching the flames, eating their grapes, and sipping their wine.
I could get used to this, Christina thought, amazed by the emotions of warmth and intimacy she was experiencing with Dan. Feeling the sweet lethargy of the wine spreading throughout her body, she leaned back and laid her head on his lap. Her eyes fluttered, heavy with sleep, and the last thing she remembered was his amazing blue eyes staring right into hers.
***
It was late at night when Christina woke up. The fire had died down, and the room was bathed in mysterious shadows. Her eyes rested on Dan, who had leaned back against the sofa and dozed off.
Her light stirring woke him up.
"I didn't mean to wake you up," she whispered, apologetically.
"It's okay," he reassured her. "I'd better have a look around." He added and rose to his feet.
Alarmed, Christina saw him reaching for his gun. "Danny," she whispered, and he turned to glance at her.
A reassuring smile appeared on his sensual lips, and he leaned down and gave her a kiss on the forehead.
Christina waited anxiously until he came back in, a few minutes later.
"All clear," he said. "Let's go to bed."
They went upstairs and lay on the large bed dominating the room. Christina curled up next to him but found it impossible to go to sleep, tormented by blazing images of their passionate lovemaking. Warmth simmered between her thighs, and when she felt his hands softly caressing her body, she responded, more than willingly. They were soon wrapped up in their lovemaking, shutting the whole world outside. Dan took her to places she'd never been before. She'd never imagined making love could be so intense. They seemed perfect for each other.
***
The first light of dawn was sneaking into the bedroom when Christina finally drifted off to sleep. Dan climbed out of bed and strode to the bathroom to throw some cold water on his face, blaming himself for not getting any sleep. I have to be careful and alert, he contemplated, realizing that he couldn't do his job right and protect her if he made love to her every chance he had. Then again, staring at the flawless face with the sensual lips begging to be kissed, and the hard-to-resist body with the full breasts and the silky skin scattered any attempt for sensible thinking in every direction.
Putting his clothes on in a hurry, he grabbed his gun and went downstairs to the kitchen. He made some coffee and took the cup with him out on the front porch. Sitting on the swing, he inhaled deeply the fresh mountain air and watched the brilliant sunrise. This place is so beautiful. I would love to come back here with Christina when everything is over.
Gloomy thoughts stormed inside his mind, wondering whether they would ever have a chance to come back here. What if Christina had to testify? Then she would have to be put on the witness protection program, and he would never see her again.
***
A sudden noise coming from the side of the house made him jump. He rushed around the corner to find a beautiful golden retriever sniffing around the trashcans. The dog stood still for a moment, sniffing the air, and then moved close to him wagging his tail.
"What have we got here?" Dan said. He patted it on the head, and the dog licked his hand. He was around two years old and wasn't wearing any collar.
"Where did you come from?" he said, wondering how the dog ended up there. "Come on," he added. "You look pretty hungry. Let's get you something to eat."
He went inside and came back with some food and a bowl of water. He put them down and sat on the front steps, watching the dog eating. He ate his meal happily and then lay at Dan's feet.
***
Christina found them like that a little bit later.
"Oh! What a beautiful pup!" she cried out, and the dog jumped up and ran to her, wagging his tail. She patted him on the head and then sat on the steps next to Dan. The dog assumed his position at their feet, looking pretty content.
"Where did he come from?" she asked him.
"I have no idea," he replied. "I found him sniffing around the garbage early this morning."
"Do you think he belongs to somebody?" she asked.
"I'm not sure. He didn't have a collar on and seemed pretty hungry."
"Speaking of hungry, I'm starving," Christina said and stood up. She strode inside and made a big breakfast with bacon, eggs, and slices of toast with butter and marmalade. She laid the table nicely and called Dan to come inside. He came in, followed by the dog.
"What are we going to do with him?" Christina asked.
"I don't know," Dan replied truthfully. "But for now, I would rather keep him around. He can let us know if anyone is approaching."
They sat down and enjoyed their breakfast with the dog laying at their feet
***
"We need to find a name for him," Christina said after a while, and Dan laughed.
"You go ahead," he said. "You pick a name."
"Oh! I don't know," Christina said thoughtfully. "He is such a pretty puppy. Maybe we should call him Champion," she suggested.
"Then Champion it is," Dan agreed, and the matter was settled. "Do you like your name?" he asked the dog, and they both laughed when the dog barked at them.
After they had eaten, Dan stood up and told her that he was going to call Miles.
"Come on, Champ! Let's go," he called the dog, but the dog seemed unwilling to leave Christina's side. Dan gave up with a smile and walked outside.
Christina cleaned up the dishes and then went to sit on the porch with the dog lying at her feet. She could see Dan sitting in the car, talking on the phone. A few minutes later, he came to the porch. Christina could tell that he seemed rather satisfied.
"Things are moving fast," he said. "Thanks to your friend's help and the information that you gave us so far, my guys have been able to make some arrests."
"What about the older guy...their boss?" Christina asked, worryingly.
"No! Not yet!" Dan admitted. "Lawrence was also arrested, though," he continued.
"Emily?" Christina asked, surprised.
"Yes. She seems to be involved in some pretty nasty things," Dan said. "I wondered right from the start how you could be involved with a person like this."
"Emily is not a friend," Christina protested. "She is just my boss. That's all."
"Well!" Dan said. "I never liked her, either. It turned out that she and Collins were running errands for some pretty nasty people. Miles and the boys are questioning Lawrence now, and she seems pretty eager to talk and save her ass."
"What I don't understand is why Emily told you about Collins," Christina said, confused.
"Lawrence had an affair with Collins, who was always in need of money. She was probably fed up supporting him and tried to get rid of him. Miles believes that at that point Collins decided to blackmail her."
"So that's why she told you about Collins," Christina assumed.
"Well, it seems that he was becoming a nuisance to Lawrence and the people behind her, and they probably sent her to tell me about Collins, so that he would be arrested."
"But how come they weren't worried about him talking to the police?" Christina wondered.
"That puzzled me, also," Dan admitted. "But Collins was a small-time crook, and they would use him only to run some errands for them. They probably didn't think that he knew that much about their dealings. But it seems that Lawrence got scared after all and told them that she had told Collins about the shipment. So they sent someone to the police station to get him out of the way."
Christina could not believe all that was going on. "Do you think that I'll have to testify after all?" she asked and kept her eyes fixed on the scenery.
"We'll see," Dan replied abruptly and stood up. He walked over to the edge of the cliff and looked down.
Christina kept quiet for a while. She could tell that he didn't want to talk about it. It was obvious that he wasn't sure how things would turn out.
She rose to her feet and went for a walk, hoping that the fresh air and the peace and quiet of this place would help her relax and clear her mind. The dog stood up, as well, and followed her. Walking down a trail, she came to a creek. She sat on a rock at the edge of the water while the dog splashed happily all over the place.
A noise startled her. The dog jumped out of the creek and ran up the hill. Seeing Dan coming out from behind some trees, she breathed out in relief.
He walked down toward her and sat on the rock beside her.
"How long do you think we are going to stay here?" Christina asked.
"Hopefully, not long," he replied, chewing on a small stick.
"What if I have to testify?" she insisted. "Would I be able to see you again afterwards?"
"No!" he replied flatly and stood up. "We better head back," he added and walked away, putting an end to the conversation.
Christina could tell that he didn't want to talk about it. Oh! God! What am I going to do? How can I live without him? She had forgotten all about the danger and the trouble she was in. All she cared about right now was Dan and the life that they could have together.
She followed him silently back to the cabin and went inside to make some lunch. We might as well make the best of it while it lasts, she thought. Let's just enjoy these few stolen moments that we have together.
Dan came and ate lunch with her and then rose to his feet to walk back outside. On an impulse, Christina blocked his way and wrapped her arms around him. Her fiery kiss took Dan by surprise. Bewildered by his instant arousal, he crushed her in his arms. It was the first time she initiated a kiss, and that set him on fire. He picked her up in his arms and carried her to the bed upstairs. Christina's sizzling desire unleashed a bold and sexy self she hardly recognized which drove Dan crazy. The blazing passion of their lovemaking left them both breathless.
Lying in each other's arms, they heard the dog barking outside. Dan jumped up, put on his pants, and grabbing his gun, he rushed downstairs. A truck had pulled up to the front, and Dan watched it cautiously from behind the curtains. Christina was next to him in an instant and saw an older man coming out of the truck, looking around. Dan walked out on the porch, carefully hiding his gun.
"Hello!" the guy yelled.
"Hello to you, too!" Dan replied. "Can I help you?"
"I'm Jack Cameron." The guy introduced himself, "the caretaker of these cabins. I just came around to see if everything is all right."
"Yes, everything is fine," Dan reassured him cautiously.
"Is there anything I can get for you?" the guy insisted and kept on staring at the cabin.
"No!" Dan replied abruptly.
Finally, the old guy climbed into the truck and left. Dan came back inside to find Christina at the window, hiding behind the curtains.
"He said that he was the caretaker," Dan told her.
"You say it as if you don't believe him," Christina pointed out.
"I can't be sure," Dan admitted, thoughtfully. "I just don't want anybody snooping around."
"He's probably telling the truth," Christina said.
"Yes," Dan agreed. "But it doesn't hurt to be careful. However, I think he was just snooping around since a lot of married guys sneak up here to have some intimate moments with their girlfriends."
Christina laughed at the thought. The old guy probably came around to see if he could get a juicy story to tell his friends.
"We better stay inside as much as possible," Dan said. "We don't want to be running into any tenants of the other cabins. You never know..."
Christina sat on the sofa, staring at him.
"I'm sorry I got you into this mess," she whispered.
Dan looked at her, surprised. "It's my job," he said.
Christina stared back, hurt. He was just doing his job? He would go into all this trouble for just anybody?
Dan probably understood what was going through her mind, because he came over and drew her into his arms.
"It's my job to protect you," he said. "The rest...well... I just can't help myself. Every time I look at you, I want to take you in my arms and make love to you," he admitted.
Christina knew exactly how he felt. After all, she felt the same way about him. However, she wouldn't admit it. She hadn't even told him she loved him.
She sat there quietly, thinking about all this. As gloomy thoughts rushed down on her, she sprang to her feet and walked to the kitchen. She poured some water into the kettle to make some tea, just to keep busy doing something.
When she heard him approaching, she didn't turn around to face him. He grabbed her from behind and kissed the back of her neck. Christina felt weak in the knees and leaned against his rock-hard body. Squeezing her in his arms with her back against his chest, he kept on kissing and sucking on her neck. With swift moves, he unbuttoned her shirt. Pulling it back, he bared her shoulders and breast. Then he lifted her bra. Without unhooking it, he freed her full breasts and aroused nipples to his burning touch. He stroke and caressed until Christina could take no more. The kettle was whistling, but nobody was paying attention to it. She was swept off her feet by his passion. He could do anything to her, and she would let him. Let him? She laughed. She was begging him to do it.
Placing one hand against her back, he gently but steadily pushed her forward. As her thighs pressed against the kitchen counter, she bent over it. Unzipping her shorts, he pulled them to the floor along with her panties. His hands cupped her exposed, perfectly shaped buttocks and squeezed gently. Waves of passion rippled through. Panting and trembling for him, she tried to turn around. He wouldn't let her. Holding her with her back to him, his tormenting hands kept caressing her from her buttocks to her breasts and back. Christina was on fire, her body going limp. As he unzipped his pants, she parted her legs wider. A surprise cry escaped her lips, and she instinctively stiffened as he started entering her from behind. Dan didn't force her. Instead, his hand flew from her breasts to the core of her desire. He started stroking her back and forth. Hot waves of lava vibrated her body, and when Dan thrust inside her from behind, all she could do was moan from pleasure...
***
After catching his breath, Dan pulled up his pants and walked to the bathroom to take a shower. With trembling hands, Christina gathered her clothes from the floor, and right after he came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, she went inside to take a shower, as well. Throwing her clothes into the laundry basket and leaning against the basin, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Astonished, she realized she couldn't imagine life without him. She simply adored him!
After finishing her shower, she wrapped a towel around her body to go upstairs for some clean clothes. On a second thought, she took off the towel and leaving it hanging behind the door, she walked upstairs naked. Dan was now dressed and sitting in the living room. Christina could feel his gaze burning into her back and thought that this had to be the most erotic thing that had ever happened to her. At the top of the stairs, she stopped and turned to look at him. The passion burning in his eyes left her breathless.
Next thing she knew, he stormed upstairs with the agility of a panther, threw her on the bed, and was making passionate love to her, again.
Lying in his arms, Christina felt happy. For the first time in her life, she was exactly where she wanted to be. The sorrow, the loss, the agony, and the fear of the past had moved to the background of her mind while thoughts of Dan occupied every living moment.
With her head resting on his chest, she listened to his heartbeat, feeling his loving hand softly caressing her hair. Darkness had unfolded its mystifying veil outside, and the dim moonlight created shadows on the walls of the cabin from the trees swaying in the wind.
"Are you hungry?" he asked, and Christina realized she was starving.
"Yes," she moaned and raised her head to glance at him.
"Me, too," he admitted. "I'll bring you something to eat," he offered.
"I'll come with you," she said and sat up in bed. "We've been in bed most of the day," she added and stretched lazily.
"I know," he replied. "I can't believe you're doing this to me."
"Doing what?"
"Make me lose my mind and think of nothing but making love to you," he replied honestly, and his thick, sensual lips curled into a smile.
Christina gave him a light kiss and climbed out of bed, grabbing one of his T-shirts to put on. Dan smiled as his T-shirt went almost down to her knees.
He put on a pair of jeans and a shirt and followed her downstairs. The dog was lying by the fireplace.
"Poor thing," Christina said. "You must be starving," she continued, talking to Champion.
"He probably needs to go potty," Dan cut in and opened the door for the dog to go outside.
Leaving the door open, they walked to the kitchen to prepare something to eat. A few minutes later, Champion came back inside and joined them in the kitchen. They had something to eat, and then Christina went back to bed while Dan sat downstairs on the sofa with the dog lying at his feet.
***
Dan finally came to bed, hours later. Christina stirred in her sleep and curled up next to him. He gave her a kiss on the forehead, and she drifted back to sleep.
When she woke up the next morning, he was already gone. She walked downstairs to make some breakfast. Dan was nowhere to be found. He is probably outside, calling Miles.
She prepared breakfast and walked outside to call him. The car was there, but Dan was not. Neither was the dog. She called him, but there was no answer, so she walked to the edge of the porch to take a look around. Seeing no sign of Dan or the dog anywhere, Christina grew alarmed. Calm down! Don't overreact. He's probably checking around. She walked back inside and waited by the window. A few minutes later, she heard the dog barking and saw them coming out from the woods. Breathing out relieved, she rushed outside and into his arms.
"Slow down!" he said. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Christina replied, fighting back the tears welling up in her eyes.
Dan cupped her chin and lifted her face to meet his gaze. "What's wrong, babe?" he insisted.
"I woke up, and you were gone... I was so scared," she admitted, unwillingly.
"I'm sorry," he said, caressing her hair. "I just had to have a look around."
"I know," Christina said. "I'm sorry I'm making such a big deal out of it," she continued and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"It's okay," Dan reassured her. "You've been under a lot of stress, lately."
"I've been under a lot of stress for a long time," Christina said, and as soon as she said it, she glanced away, biting her lips.
"Don't you think it's time to level with me?" he asked, and she turned to see him staring at her, puzzled.
Dread washed over her. She knew Dan suspected she was hiding something.
"I can tell that something is bothering you..." he continued, "something more than this case. Besides, it's kind of strange that nobody—neither your colleagues nor your neighbors—seems to know much about you or your life. Not to mention that you don't seem to have any other friends than Powell, and he's stubbornly refusing to say anything about you."
"You've talked to Johnny?" Christina asked.
"Not in person," Dan replied. "But Miles has been talking to him."
"Is he all right?" she inquired.
"Would you stop worrying about him?" Dan burst out, and Christina could tell that he was upset.
He would always get upset whenever she talked about Johnny. Could it be that he is jealous? Or is it something more than that?
She stared at him straight in the eyes and then turned on her heel and walked up the steps to the front porch. Dan stood there watching her, as she sat on the swing with the dog lying at her feet. Then he followed her and sat next to her.
"Look, Christina," he said. "I need you to trust me."
"But I trust you!" she protested.
"Then why do I have this feeling that you're hiding something from me?"
Christina remained silent, staring away toward the woods.
"If you're keeping something from me, don't! I'm trying to protect you, and keeping secrets won't help."
"You're keeping secrets, as well," she retorted and stared at him, hurt.
"I'm not keeping secrets. It's just that there is so much going on, and I don't want you to get hurt. It's better that you don't know some things. You see, your friend is not exactly who you think he is."