by Rhavensfyre
“Hold on, she talks to you? Like in actual conversations?” Erick’s voice had risen several octaves, loud enough to make her wince and pull the phone away from her ear. Evidently, this bit of news was more surprising than telling him she had kissed Dani.
“Yes. Why? Is that not normal for her?” His reaction had piqued her interest. Why was this such a surprise to him?
“No, it’s not. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying she doesn’t talk at all. It’s just, well, she’s not the chatty type. Maybe with her horses, but not other people, that’s for sure. The other day on the phone was the most she’s talked to me at one time since Jay’s funeral. You definitely have my approval if you managed to knock her out of that shell she’s been living in. God knows no one else has been able to.” Erick’s voice sounded gruff over the phone. Allyse wasn’t sure if it was because he was happy that someone had gotten through to his beloved niece or if he was upset that he hadn’t been good enough to do it.
Allyse lost a part of the conversation. Erick’s voice had become a tight hum that couldn’t get past the echo in her head…no one else has been able to…not since the funeral.
“Allyse? Did I lose you?”
“I’m sorry, you’ve given me a lot to think about Erick. I was just trying to process it.”
“That’s okay. Just one more thing and I’ll let you go. Dani is smart as a whip, she just walks a different path to get to the same place we do. That’s the best I can do to explain it. Jay understood her better than anyone. He tried to help me understand her the way he did, but I don’t think I did a very good job.” Erick’s voice cracked. “Well, good luck and have a good night.”
“Wait…Erick, I want to thank you.”
“For what?”
“Sending me here.” The gratitude in her voice was truly heartfelt and a little sad. All those years alone, and no one to share her grief or her life.
“Give my love to Dani?” Erick asked.
“Of course.”
***
Well, that was interesting, Allyse thought. Why didn’t Dani interact with people more? She was charming, attractive, and obviously intelligent.
The sound of the screen door squeaking open and slamming shut was her cue to head back downstairs. She found Dani in the kitchen, head deep in the refrigerator, searching for something to eat.
“Dani, sweetheart, what do you want for dinner?” The term of endearment tripped off her tongue before her brain caught up. Allyse glanced over at Dani nervously, but she either hadn’t heard it or was too caught up in being hungry to acknowledge it. Either way, Allyse chose not to make a big production of her Freudian slip up. It was how she felt and it felt good saying it.
“I was just going to fix something easy. Maybe some salmon.”
Allyse had had enough of watching Dani dig around the freezer one handedly. She leaned down and picked up a package that had plummeted from the frozen interior with all the force of a toe seeking ice bullet. It had barely missed Dani’s feet and made Callie’s ears perk up. Bright eyes watched the waxed paper wrapped escapee with barely constrained excitement. Foodstuffs that hit the floor were potential doggy treats. Allyse read the bold black writing on the package and laughed. It was the salmon Dani was looking for. “Sorry, pup. Not your day to win the lottery.” She waved the packet in front of Dani’s face. “Why don’t you sit at the table while I do this?”
“Allyse, you don’t have to keep cooking for me. You’re supposed to be on vacation, not spending your time waiting on me.”
“I like to cook and I seldom have the time back home,” she pointed out before flashing her best smile. “I have the time now. Can’t you indulge me?”
Dani hesitated for a second before giving in. “Sure, have at it.”
“Thank you.” Allyse needed the time to mentally prepare for what she had to say. Unfortunately, her nerves refused to cooperate with her plans and she barely got everything on the stove before she wheeled around to face Dani.
“We need to talk.”
Dani stopped what she was doing and looked up guiltily. “Okay?”
“Geez, are you trying to open that damn bottle again?”
“Yes?” Dani answered, making it sound like a question more than an admission. “I haven’t taken my evening dose yet. I didn’t want to forget.”
Allyse stepped forward and relieved her of the pill bottle. They practically deserved each other, one stubborn pill meant for another.
She managed to shake out one pill and hand it to Dani without spilling the rest of them. “I, um…I heard you earlier.”
“Thanks. What did you hear?” Dani tipped her head back to toss the antibiotic down. Her eyes never left Allyse’s face while she drank.
“When you were talking to your horse. I heard you.”
“Oh,” Dani said in a suspiciously flat voice. “I wondered if that was you.”
“How?” Allyse held Dani’s gaze, trying to determine if she was actually this nonchalant about it or if she was truly okay that Allyse had spied on her. Dani smirked.
“Polo told me,” Dani said, her eyes shining in amusement when Allyse frowned at her. “I didn’t need to see you, or hear you, for that matter. Every horse in that barn went on point right after I got there. It was pretty obvious something, or someone was there. I didn’t bother looking because they were curious but not distressed. For all I knew, you could have been a raccoon looking for a handout.”
“You’re not upset? I just wanted to talk to you, but then I heard you talking to your horse. I shouldn’t have listened in.” Blushing in front of Dani was becoming a habit of hers, only this time it was out of embarrassment.
“What did you want to talk to me about?” Dani asked.
“Originally, the kiss we shared.” Allyse reached out and took Dani's uninjured hand in hers, finding encouragement to continue when Dani clasped her fingers and let her draw her down onto the wide bench seat that graced the near side of the kitchen table. “But first I want to talk about what you were saying to your horse.”
“Her name is Bella.” Dani’s affection for the little mare was evident in the tone of her voice.
“That’s a beautiful name.” Allyse scooted a little closer and tightened her grip on Dani’s hand. She would talk horses any day of the week with her, but not at this moment. She had other things that needed to be said. “Dani? I want you to know a couple of things. First, you need to know that you could never be just a vacation fling for me.” She emphasized her promise by lightly kissing Dani's knuckles, her steady gaze never leaving the other woman’s face.
Dani swallowed and tried to avert her gaze, but she couldn’t seem to break Allyse’s hold on her.
“Okay, and secondly? You said a couple of things?” Her emotions were a mixed jumble of desire, fear and hope that she couldn’t follow or untangle. It confused her too much, especially when she wasn't really sure what to feel. She also couldn’t retreat to her go-to response of withdrawing emotionally. Somehow, Allyse had gotten under her skin and she just couldn’t shut her out—nor did she want to. She was sweating bullets, and she had to fight off a surge of panic, sure that Allyse would notice how damp her palm felt and discover how close she was to bolting.
“Oh, yes, secondly brings me back to that kiss. I just want you to know that I intend to keep kissing you until you know I am serious about this not being a fling. I intend to take you out on dates and show you how important you are.”
Dani’s eyes widened with each successive proclamation. Honestly, the promise to keep kissing her had left her breathless and not really able to focus as much on the rest of her speech. She was fascinated with the idea of how many kisses Allyse thought it was going to take to convince her.
Dani didn’t really know what to say about going out on dates, so she just nodded dumbly. It had been so long since she had been out on anything even resembling a date that she wasn’t even sure how to go about it. Her silence must have been interpreted as speechlessness becau
se the next thing she knew, Allyse leaned over and pressed an undemanding kiss on her lips before getting up to finish dinner. She was smiling like the cat that had caught a canary, her lips pursed around her teeth as if holding in a dear secret.
***
Over dinner Allyse kept their conversation light, restricting her questions to mundane things.
“So, what is a normal day for you?” It was a reasonable question considering everything that had happened since her arrival. Allyse took a sip of the sweet Pinot she had found and secretly patted herself on the back. The grilled salmon was absolutely perfect and she couldn’t remember another meal that tasted as good as the one she was sharing now. It had a lot to do with the company, and everything to do with barely concealed anticipation. Dani was oblivious to her observations. She was too busy enjoying her meal with an appetite as lively and voracious as her approach to kissing. That errant thought earned Allyse a coughing fit when she forgot to swallow.
“Are you okay?”
Allyse coughed again then sipped her wine to finish clearing her throat before waving Dani to continue. “I’m fine.”
“Well, as you can see I get up pretty leisurely.” She smirked a bit and Allyse could practically hear her thoughts. It’s good to be the boss. “Then I’ll normally train two or three horses. There’s also farm maintenance if needed, among other things I do to keep busy.”
“Are you going to be able to train while your hand is healing?” Allyse asked. She was getting used to the little stab of guilt that accompanied mentioning what Dani had to go through because of her, especially the hospital visit part. And just in case she thought she couldn’t feel worse, there was that little side benefit she hadn’t earned—because of her injury Dani had more free time to spend with her. Allyse considered the ravished remains of her meal and came to another conclusion. Too much of their time together seemed to revolve around meals. She didn’t have anything against good food, but she needed to find other things to do while she was here that didn’t include a calorie count.
“I won’t be able to do any lunging, but I can still ride. I’ll just send the workers out to fix anything on the farm if need be.”
“So what are you going to do tomorrow?” Allyse asked, idly plucking at her napkin.
“Since I can’t do much else, I’ll probably just go out for a sedate ride. Do you want to go?”
“Um…sure.” Ironically, it was Allyse’s pulse that started galloping out of control at that suggestion. Worse yet, she had readily agreed to it despite her misgivings. Horses were beautiful, powerful creatures that she could admire from afar, but to actually get on one and ride it? Be careful what you ask for…the old cliché was tired and worn but completely appropriate for the moment.
“You don’t have to be frightened. I have a gelding that will be perfect for you. I promise you, he’s a gentleman in every way. Nice, calm and too lazy to do anything silly with a newbie in the saddle.” Dani’s encouraging smile was gentle, she had seen that face on a lot of people over the years. Being on a horse for the first time could be terrifying, exhilarating and liberating all in one brave swing of a leg over the saddle. “If you want to, we can do some arena work first.”
That should cover everything. She wasn’t sure if Allyse was afraid of riding, or afraid of riding out on the trails. She knew plenty of people who were completely comfortable in an arena, but would freak out if they had to leave the safety of the wooden rails. Dani knew Dylan would be perfect for Allyse. He was calm and bomb proof and had a way of reassuring his rider with those big brown soppy eyes of his. He was a ham about getting attention, and he had never failed to accommodate his rider’s level of comfort. More importantly, he made sure they stayed safe. Unlike some horses, he never took advantage of a novice or fearful rider by testing them.
“Okay, I guess it sounds like it could be fun,” Allyse said. This time she sounded more assured of herself.
“Good, that settles it.” Dani rapped on the table to seal the deal then stood up. She dropped her empty plate in the sink then stretched, feeling every tired muscle in her body all the way down to her bones. “Thank you for dinner, Allyse. I hate to eat and run, but I’m exhausted. If you don’t mind I am going to head up to bed.”
“Of course not. Have a good night. I will see you in the morning,” Allyse replied graciously, intercepting Dani before she left in order to give her one of those promised kisses. “I really enjoy doing that,” she sighed.
“Me too. Have a good night Allyse.”
***
Allyse waited until she stopped hearing Dani moving around then headed upstairs. Dani was already in bed and watching TV, which meant that the bathroom was all hers.
The soak in the oversized tub was blissful, and she offered a silent thank you to whoever had installed a large enough water heater to fill the bathtub completely with hot water. She should have been relaxed and tired after the long bath, but she only felt restless. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she had forgotten something important, and that drove her from the warm bed and back out into the hallway. Her silk nightgown swished around her ankles as she walked, barefoot and as silent as a ghost on the ancient runner lining the wooden floor.
Dani turned away from the television when Allyse appeared in her doorway. “Hey, is everything okay?” Her voice was low and throaty and it lapped across Allyse’s skin like a wave of warm joy. That was a voice she could get used to hearing, the voice of someone who shared your bed at night and talked with you in intimate murmurs and shared memories until you fell asleep.
“Yes, everything’s fine. I couldn’t sleep so I thought some tea would help.” Allyse leaned against the doorframe, trying to sound casual. “What are you watching?”
“The Electric Horseman. Do you want to watch it with me?” Dani asked, surprising Allyse yet again with the unexpected offer.
“Sure, that sounds like fun.”
Dani pulled back the covers next to her so she could crawl into bed. When Allyse climbed onto the mattress, carefully keeping a good foot of space between the two of them, Dani looked at her funny. It was an amused look, the kind you give someone when you want to say something witty or sarcastic but knew you shouldn’t. “You can come closer, you know.”
“I didn’t want to crowd you.” She leaned against the heavy headboard and tried not to think about the warmth emanating from the body laying so close to hers. Dani did laugh then.
“What is so amusing?”
“Allyse, since you have been here, you’ve stolen my dog, my mug, and my kindle. You have walked in on me naked in the bathroom and today you’ve kissed me multiple times and told me you want to take me on a date. I think it’s safe to say I am getting used to you crowding me. So why stop now?”
“Good point,” Allyse conceded, letting out a contented sigh when Dani lifted her arm, giving her space to cuddle in closer.
“Comfortable?” Dani asked.
“Very.”
“Are you sure? I thought you wanted tea?”
“Mm. This is way better than tea.”
“If you say so.” This time Allyse recognized what Dani was doing.
In an equally dry voice, she drawled, “I do say so.”
Dani chuckled and hit play on the remote without another word.
Allyse started nodding off about halfway through the movie despite her best attempts to stay awake. Her sleeping self didn’t seem as constrained by rules of space and properness. It had no qualms about snuggling deeper into the crook of Dani’s shoulder or resting her jaw along the soft mound of a breast she had never touched while awake, but managed to turn into a pillow while asleep.
Dani smiled into the dark when she felt Allyse's body completely relax against her, her breathing turning shallow and measured. It was a struggle to reach the remote control and turn off the TV without dislodging the sleeping woman. The feel of Allyse's soft body burrowing against her felt like a forbidden thrill. She ran her fingers along the soft tresses until not a
single one lay out of place, then planted a single chaste kiss on her forehead before closing her eyes. More relaxed than she had felt in a long while, she didn’t have to fight for sleep to visit her tonight. It was ready to transport her to whatever dream world it had already sent the woman in her arms. As she fell into the velvety darkness, her last conscious thought tumbled ahead of her, ensuring she would remember it tomorrow. She needed to amend her list of things that Allyse had stolen since she had arrived.
Chapter Ten
Allyse woke slowly. She felt more rested than she could remember in a long time, a perk of being on vacation with no alarms or deadlines pushing her day. She was more than happy to just lie there, tucked against the comfortable pillow beneath her cheek. The warm, comfortable and very shapely pillow that moved and breathed beneath her. Umm, yeah. Her eyelids popped open so hard she could practically hear them snap, then slowly rolled her eyes up until she felt muscles strain. It was uncomfortable, but her brain demanded visual proof of what her body already knew, an explanation for the tingling thrum etching across her skin like static electricity. Now, that sensation wasn’t uncomfortable at all. It was actually quite pleasant…too pleasant for her thoughts to remain at a PG rating.
She didn’t remember falling asleep last night, only that she was safely tucked under Dani’s arm. Evidently she hadn’t moved since then, except that she was now using the other woman as a full body pillow.
Please, please, tell me I didn’t drool, she prayed, mortified at the prospect. She shifted slowly in order to extricate herself from the woman beneath her, sighing in relief when she freed her cheek from the hot, but thankfully still dry, fabric hiding the enticing swell of Dani’s breast.
The only leverage available was Dani herself, and she wasn’t about to push off of her body to move. Slinking away might have worked, but involved a rather awkward attempt to dismount from the bed that was blessedly unobserved. She was tethered in by the same blankets wrapped around Dani like two fish in the same net.