"Anywhere, everywhere."
His eyes didn"t waver from hers. "Are you sure? Kissing is one thing, but..."
She picked up his hand and linked her fingers with his. "I"m very sure. I want to forget everything that"s happening outside this house and I don"t want to think. I just want to feel-feel you touching me." She noticed his gun. "Preferably without your gun on."
He quickly slipped out of the shoulder holster. She watched the muscles rippling in his arms and her lower abdomen stirred in a familiar way. She saw all the looks she"d witnessed in Daniel"s eyes for the past five years-those looks of caring. She went to him and he wrapped his arms around her, tight and strong, yet gentle and comforting. She breathed in his masculine scent and let herself go with the moment.
He ran his hands up her back, feeling her softness, taking it slow, not wanting to hurt or to frighten her in any way, even though he was about to detonate from the emotions coursing through him. He"d dreamed of this moment, holding her, loving her, but it was never like this, so potent, so real and so very dangerous. She was under his protection and he shouldn"t be touching or kissing her at all. He"d just told her that adults make choices and he"d just made a conscious choice that he knew was right. He would defend it with everything in him. She needed him and for once in his life he wasn"t going by the book.
They held on to each other with tender caresses. Slowly he slid a hand beneath her T-shirt, touching the smoothness of her bare skin. She moaned and kissed his neck, his chin. He turned his head and their lips met urgently, hungrily, and Daniel tried to slow the pace, but her hands were in his hair, on his skin. Thought was impossible.
They were on the area rug on their knees, face-to-face, and striving to get closer. Sarah melted into his arms with an eagerness that surprised her. There was no revulsion, just desire between a woman and a man. She was high from Daniel"s touch and the feeling was euphoric, enticing her to take the next step.
"Oh, Daniel," she moaned. "I have to see myself in your eyes, see your reaction to my body-that"s the only way to erase the bad memories."
He rested his forehead against hers. "You know what you"re going to see."
"What?"
"Sarah, you know how I feel about you."
"How?" she asked, wanting to hear him say the words.
He got to his feet and reached out a hand to her. "Let"s continue this upstairs." She placed her hand in his and stood. He scooped his gun up with the other hand and they made their way to the stairs and to the bedroom.
Inside the room, Daniel clicked on the lamp and laid his gun on the nightstand. He still held her hand and pulled her to him. "Now, what were we talking about?"
"How you feel about me."
He cradled his hands at the back of her waist. "I think everyone knows that but you."
She ran her hands up his chest. "Yes. I was so confused and struggling with emotions about myself, my family, that I couldn"t see much of anything. And I didn"t want to admit what I was beginning to feel for you."
"What do you feel for me?" he asked with a catch in his voice.
She looked into his eyes. "I love you."
He stepped back, his eyes wide with shock. "Sarah, please don"t say that if you don"t mean it."
"You"ve known me for a long time. Have you ever known me to lie?"
"No." He ran both hands through his hair. "But you"ve been through a lot and a few days ago you hated me."
She shook her head. "I"ve never hated you. I hated the way you were making me feel and I didn"t want to have those feelings for a man again, especially after what happened with Greg."
He paled.
"What I feel for you doesn"t even compare to that. It comes from here." She placed her hand over her heart. "It comes from knowing you and the kind of man you are-the kind that loves unconditionally even after the way I"ve treated you. You haven"t said it, but I know you love me. I"ve seen it in your eyes."
"Sarah." His voice was uncertain. Still, it didn"t stop her.
She pressed her body against his. "It"s so good to feel again and I want to make love-with you," she whispered. "I want to. I need to."
"Sarah, be very sure about this. You said you didn"t like to be touched and I don"t want to frighten you."
"Take off my T-shirt," she breathed against his lips.
"Sarah."
"Daniel, make love to me." Any resistance he"d had vanished with the huskiness of her voice. He pulled the T-shirt over her head and threw it on the bed. Unsnapping her white bra, he gazed at her porcelain skin, her round, firm b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Almost in slow motion, she removed her sneakers, jeans and panties. Her movements were graceful, evocative, and he thought she was the most beautiful woman he"d ever seen. Freckles, like fairy dust, were lightly sprinkled across her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and other areas of her body. He saw all her beauty, but he saw a lot more-he saw her heart and courage. All he wanted was to take her in his arms and obliterate the bad memories.
"You know what I see in your eyes?" she asked, her voice a thread of softness.
He shook his head, his pulse jolting like a faulty engine.
"I see love, not l.u.s.t, and that"s the way I will see myself-feminine, attractive and very human."
In slow motion, he reached out and pulled her against him, holding her, breathing in the scent of her hair, her skin. "Sarah, Sarah, Sarah," he groaned into her neck.
She kissed his cheek, his chin. "Love me, Daniel. Love me tonight."
"Sarah."
She placed a finger over his lips. "Shh. Don"t think about duty, the killer or Boyd. This night is ours and let"s make the most of it, then we can face tomorrow-together."
He stroked the smoothness of her back and her body responded, ached for more. She turned her face to his and his mouth took hers gently, stoking the fire, and she opened up for Daniel as she had for no other man. All he had to do was to take what she was offering.
Their lips and tongues touched, tasted and discovered each other. Sarah was beyond thinking and she knew that finally she was ready to love again.
Daniel pulled back only to slip out of his T-shirt, but he couldn"t stay away long, taking another kiss as he kicked off his shoes while undoing his belt and jeans. Soon all his clothes were on the floor and he gathered her body against his and she reveled in his masculine body against her. They fell backward onto the bed and neither seemed to notice the impact.
Daniel gazed down at her with heavy-lidded eyes and caressed her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, her stomach and lower, touching sensitive, moist and intimate places. His hand was like a salve on a wound, cleansing, healing, until the old fears completely vanished and her fingers became bold, kneading, stroking along his chest, flat stomach and male hardness until breathing became an effort.
"Sarah, Sarah, Sarah," he moaned raggedly.
"Yes, yes, yes," she answered in the same tone. She didn"t even know what the question was. All she knew was that she wanted Daniel with everything in her.
Daniel rolled on top of her, his mouth on hers in fevered elation. She opened her legs, welcoming him.
"Protection?" he gasped against her.
"No."
He pulled away for a second and reached into the nightstand for a plastic packet. "I don"t like these d.a.m.n things," he mumbled as he ripped it open and sheathed himself.
Sarah watched, her breathing labored. Soon he was back with her, kissing, caressing, stroking until she could take no more. "Now, Daniel." A long sweet breath left her as he entered her, filled her. With each thrust her breath became sweeter and sweeter until her body moved in perfect harmony with his. So long denied, so long ignored, her body convulsed with such intense pleasure that she cried out his name and clutched his back.
She kept holding on to Daniel, not wanting the sensation to ever go away, not wanting to ever leave his arms.
Daniel"s release shook his whole body and he knew the world had stopped turning. It had to because nothing would ever match this moment, this time out of time, except loving her over and over and....
CHAPTER TWELVE.
DANIEL DRIFTED IN AND out of sleep with his arms around Sarah and he felt truly blessed. He"d never witnessed such strength and courage in one person. He knew she could face whatever lay ahead. And he"d be right beside her.
The blaring of the alarm brought him fully awake. He jumped out of bed and quickly slipped into his jeans then grabbed his gun.
Sarah sat up, brushing hair out of her eyes. "Daniel, what is it?"
He glanced at the alarm panel on the wall. "Someone"s coming through the back door. Get your gun."
"It"s downstairs in my handbag," she cried, scrambling to her knees.
Daniel raced to a dresser, opened a drawer and pulled out another gun. He handed it to her, trying not to stare at her loveliness. He had to stay focused. "The safety"s off, so be careful."
His cell phone beeped and he clicked it on. "It"s Russ," he said to her. "The alarm has gone off at the police station." He turned his attention back to Russ. "It"s the back door. Send a car. I"m going down to check it out. Keep talking to Sarah so you"ll know what"s going on."
Daniel gave her the phone and her hand trembled slightly. He kissed her briefly. "It will be okay." Then he was gone.
She bit her lip and got out of bed, searching for her clothes. She was in her jeans in a matter of seconds and she could hear Russ"s yelling for a response. "Yes," she said into the receiver, shimmying her way into her T-shirt.
"Do you hear anything?"
"No. Just the alarm." As she said the word, the alarm cut off. Then she heard Daniel"s voice.
"Sarah, it"s okay. It"s my brother Drew. Tell Russ."
"It"s his brother," she said to Russ, her heart rate slowing.
"What the h.e.l.l is it with his family?" Russ bellowed.
"I don"t know."
"Tell Daniel I"m posting a guard outside and the first Garrett that shows up is gonna get shot. This is like some Mickey Mouse show. Do these people know we"re after a rapist and a killer?"
She suppressed a retort because it would be wasted on Russ. He was a cop to the core and if anything got in the way of him doing his job, he became unbearable. For once, she was glad he was on her side.
"Tell Daniel to call me."
"I will," she said, clicking off. She put the gun back in the drawer and made her way downstairs.
Daniel was in the den with a younger man in jeans, sneakers and a big coat. His hair was dark like Daniel"s, but otherwise they didn"t resemble each other much. Drew was shorter and very thin.
"How"d you get here, buddy?" Daniel was asking in a soothing voice.
"I-I-I walked."
"It"s over three miles."
"I-I-I have to see you."
"I know, buddy." Daniel put his arm around his trembling little brother. "But it"s five o"clock in the morning and I don"t like you walking the streets at this hour. Are you cold?"
"N-n-no. I"m hot."
Daniel helped him off with his coat. "How did you get into my garage?"
"I-I-I remember the code. I-I-I"m not stupid."
"No, you"re not." Daniel nodded. "You remembered it from that time you stayed with me when Claude took a vacation."
"Yeah, and when...when Claude say I c-couldn"t go fishing, I waited until he fell asleep and I-I came here." Drew twisted his hands.
"Come on, Drew, sit down," Daniel said as he led him to the sofa. Drew was very agitated and nervous, and Daniel wondered if he"d missed taking his medication.
Drew made a face. "Claude made me mad."
"Why?"
Drew plopped down. "A-a-always telling me what to do."
"I know that"s hard, buddy, but we"ll go fishing when I"m through with this case. Do you understand?"
"You after a bad guy?" Drew asked, his voice excited.
"Yeah. A real bad guy."
Drew fidgeted. "I-I-I wanna go fishing."
Daniel didn"t want to disappoint his brother. "Me, too, but think what fun we"ll have when we do go. Half the fun is in the planning."
"I-I-I can"t go. Have to stay here." Daniel didn"t understand what he was talking about and he feared Drew was close to having another seizure. He had to find out if he"d taken his medication.
"I"ll call Claude and ask him to pick you up. Okay?"
"Okay." He seemed to calm down a little.
Daniel called Claude, who was driving around searching for Drew. "He"s at my place," he told him.
"I"m so sorry, Daniel."