Dear Lord.
She flung the covers back and bounded out of bed, her heart racing. Teeth brushed, clothes yanked on, and the bare minimum of morning ablutions completed, she took a deep breath, opened her door, and smelled coffee.
When she entered the kitchen, her heart skipped a beat. A sleep-rumpled Daniel sat at the table, along with a wary-looking Robbie Denman.
Robbie spoke up first. “Now, don’t be mad, Hallie, honey. I know this is your domain. But I’ve been an early riser my whole life, and I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if I wasn’t in the kitchen. You were so organized with the recipes on the counter and all that, I just started a few things going. I hope you don’t mind. The muffins went in the oven two minutes ago.”
Hallie shoved her hands in the back pockets of her jeans and smiled. “Of course I don’t mind. I was a little intimidated by the thought of feeding this crew. I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Thank you, Robbie. You’re a sweetheart.”
She reached in the refrigerator, trying to ignore Daniel. He made her breathing go all haywire, and she needed to concentrate on not ruining her debut breakfast. But when he wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged the package of meat from her hand, her knees wobbled.
His smile was lopsided. “Even I can’t ruin bacon,” he said. “You set the table or whatever else you need to do to prepare.”
Despite the three of them working in tandem, it was a challenge to have everything ready by eight. The large kitchen table seated twelve, and there were six barstools. Robbie suggested putting platters of food on the counter and letting everyone serve buffet style.
When the hungry throng descended the stairs, the morning meal was hot, beautifully laid out, and (since Hallie had not been forced to do it all on her own) delicious. Pounds of food, everything from scrambled eggs to homemade granola (thawed from the freezer), were devoured in twenty minutes. Hallie watched in amusement as a six-year-old boy in the throes of hero worship sat on Daniel’s knee and reluctantly finished a bowl of cinnamon apple oatmeal.
The room was noisy, crowded, and warm. Not only in temperature, but in sentiment as well. The Denman’s were a family. They squabbled, they joked, they repeated oft-told stories. The affection and love they all shared were impossible to miss.
Though Hallie’s first inclination was to linger on the edge of the action, she found herself drawn inexorably into the layered conversations. It was hard to keep up. Perhaps it took experience not to get lost in the crisscrossing laughter and the good natured, across-the-table gibes . . . the high, childish voices and the deep masculine chuckles.
Even as she was sucked into the pleasant chaos, she felt a pang of loneliness. For years it had been only Hallie and her mom. No siblings, no cousins. Both of her parents had been only children. Hallie’s grandparents had passed away when she was in junior high.
Holidays in the Prentiss household, even before her father died, had been quiet. Hallie’s mom had always gone out of her way to make them special. Hallie had never doubted she was loved. Not only that, she had many friends, none more dear than Julie.
But this Christmas was different. Christmas was a time for family, and Hallie was keenly aware that this year she was on her own.
She shook off the destructive self-pity and silenced the group with a whistle. Robbie, who had already started gathering dishes, looked up with a raised eyebrow.
Hallie grinned. “Robbie, thanks for everything. But this is your vacation. Go out and have some fun. I’m a whiz at cleaning a kitchen, and I have all morning to do it. As of now, you’re all banished.” She looked over at Daniel. “You, too, Daniel. Go to work. I’ll be fine.”
When everyone cleared out as ordered, except for Daniel, Hallie suddenly found herself feeling shy. He leaned against the doorframe, arms folded across his chest. She had already noticed that his brown eyes changed colors depending on the light and his mood. At the moment, they looked like rich chocolate.
Perhaps because of the tiny smile creasing his full, waiting-to-be-kissed lips.
She wiped her hands on a dishtowel, avoiding his gaze. “Shouldn’t you be going?”
He shrugged. “I’ve got time. Don’t you think we ought to talk about last night?”
She bit her lower lip, struggling against a wave of longing so sharp and insistent that it took her breath. “Last night might have been a tad premature. We were drunk on the northern lights.”
“I’ve seen them a hundred times,” he murmured. “Besides, that was two nights ago. I’m pretty sure their effect doesn’t last that long.” He straightened and came toward her with a look in his eyes that made her stomach clench. “I was drunk on you, Hallie Prentiss.”
She didn’t even put up a token protest when he pulled her close and settled his mouth over hers. He was big and warm, and her breasts, pressed against his chest, ached to be touched. He slid his tongue inside her mouth. “You taste like cinnamon,” he said hoarsely. “I adore cinnamon.”
Her legs weakened. She was pretty sure she would have slid to the floor in an ungainly heap if he hadn’t been supporting her with his muscular arms. Somehow her arms found their way around his neck.
He shifted positions and settled her between his thighs, deepening the kiss as he did so. Hallie heard herself whimper and tried to remember why this was not a good idea. A sound from upstairs brought her back from the edge of insanity. She pushed her hands against his shoulders, gaining a couple of inches, but no more.
“We can’t do this here,” she panted. “Daniel—” She said that last word with some urgency as he lowered his head to nibble the side of her neck with sharp teeth and warm breath.
“Hmm?”
“Daniel!” She was torn, desperate for him to stop and equally desperate for him to drag her down the hall to his bedroom.
His hands fell to his sides and a mighty shudder raked his frame. Their eyes met, hers filled with confusion, his glazed and sheepish. “Lord, Hallie. This is nuts.”
She stepped back and bumped into the stove. He ran a hand across the back of his neck. A noticeable erection lifted the front of his khakis. She swallowed hard. “I need to get started on this.” She waved a hand at the breakfast debris.
Daniel shook his head as if to clear it. “The Denmans have their own keys, right?”
“Of course. Why do you ask?”
“I’d like you to meet me this afternoon,” he said urgently. “Do you think you can have everything here shipshape in three or four hours?”
“If I work my butt off.” She laughed. “Beds made, bathrooms cleaned. It will be a push.”
“Good,” he said. “I’ll show you around the post.”
“The post?”
“Fort Wainwright.”
“I thought it was an army base.”
He grinned. “Rookie. The navy has bases. The army has posts. Learn the lingo.”
She saluted sharply. “Aye, aye, Captain.”
She followed him into the living room. He jotted down directions, along with instructions about where to meet him. Then he grabbed his coat off the sofa and shrugged into it.
Suddenly, awkwardness returned.
He brushed her cheek with a gentle thumb, as if he couldn’t keep from touching her. “I’m damned glad you came to Alaska, Hallie.”
She turned her face and kissed his palm briefly. “Me, too,” she said simply. “And who knows? You may persuade me to get in the Christmas spirit after all.”
Her words hung between them, fraught with unspoken meanings. She had tossed them out jokingly, but the awareness that hovered in the air told her he was thinking what she was thinking.
This time, he was the one to flush. His fists clenched, and the cords in his neck stood out in relief. He glanced at his watch and cursed softly. Frustration etched his handsome, rugged features. “Two o’-clock,” he said, his voice rough. “Don’t let me down.”
* * *
The morning passed with agonizing slowness, despite the piles of work
that needed to get done. When the kitchen was pristine, Hallie set out to make beds, empty the trash, and spot clean the rooms that needed it. She didn’t linger in Daniel’s bedroom this time. She was too on edge as it was. She didn’t need any more reminders of the man who was making her act so out of character.
The Denman clan had gone out to do their Christmas shopping. The snow that had fallen the evening before added only a couple of inches to what was already on the ground. Weak winter sunlight created diamond-like sparkles in the fresh powder.
Hallie paused at the window, marveling at how much she already appreciated the few hours of true sunlight. Perhaps it was human nature to take such things for granted. But being in Alaska in the dead of winter made her realize how little of the world she had experienced outside of Seattle. There had never been much money for extras like travel, and all her work experience had kept her close to home. Here in Alaska her eyes were being opened to an entirely different environment.
At two o’clock on the dot, Hallie parked her car near a familiar chain pizza place. Daniel pulled up beside her moments later, and they both got out.
He kissed her on the nose. “I have a sudden urge to take you somewhere tropical so I can see you in a bikini.”
She laughed as he helped her into his car. “I thought you loved Alaska,” she teased.
He eased out into the traffic. “I’ll be the first to admit it has a few drawbacks. But don’t worry, Hallie. I’ve got a great imagination.”
That deliberately suggestive remark, and the naughty grin that accompanied it, set the tone for the afternoon. Daniel didn’t miss any opportunity to let her know he wanted her.
The attraction between them sizzled at a slow burn.
He stopped at the visitors’ center, a grand name for a small, cramped building. There she had to surrender her driver’s license and wait until her identity was verified. Apparently, being accompanied by the boss didn’t circumvent the red tape. When the formalities were all in order, Daniel drove her through the gate and onto the post proper.
Hallie wasn’t sure what she had expected, but Fort Wainwright took her by surprise. It was a big area, for one thing. Vast, unoccupied, snow-covered fields gleamed whitely in the deepening dusk. The road wound around and through them until Daniel and Hallie reached clusters of buildings.
He pointed out administrative areas, a shopping center, a post office, the chapel, aircraft hangars, and finally several neighborhoods of neat, well-kept post housing for military personnel. “Fort Wainwright is like a small town,” he said, pointing out a playground, vacant for the winter. “Very self-contained.”
In front of one of the office buildings, they parked and got out. Hallie wasted no time scurrying up the steps. It wasn’t windy today, but the air was just as cold. Once inside, Daniel showed her his modest office, and they left their coats there. Then he took her arm and steered her down the hall toward a dimly lit stairwell.
“I’m going to show you something I’ll bet you’ve never seen before,” he said as he unlocked the metal gate at the base of the steps.
She bumped his hip with hers. “Bragging now, are we?”
He looked at her blankly for a split second before he understood. “You should be so lucky,” he shot back, laughter lighting his gorgeous brown eyes and curving his masculine lips.
He relocked the gate behind them and they took a step forward. Hallie scooted to a halt, digging in her heels. “Um, Daniel?”
He stopped and looked back at her. “What is it?”
She wrinkled her nose. “This might be a good time to mention that I’m slightly claustrophobic.”
“No small dark spaces, I swear.” He took her hand and gave her a quick kiss on the lips, enough to make her toes tingle. I’m taking you into the utilidors.”
“Utilidors?” He might as well have been speaking Greek for all the sense that made to Hallie. Her stomach rolled uneasily.
He put his arm around her waist and urged her forward. “They’re a series of tunnels that link most of the main buildings on the post. All of the utilities—water, heat, electricity—flow through underground pipes via the utilidors. It’s not scary at all, I swear.”
Against her better judgment she let him take her into the passageway ahead. And in fact . . . it was pretty amazing. The tunnel was large and well lit, even if the color scheme bordered on “prison beige.”
The air was delightfully warm. So much so that she actually had to shed the lightweight fleece jacket she’d worn over her long-sleeved T-shirt. “So why the tunnels?” she asked as they walked.
“Think about it,” he said. “The ground stays frozen for a big chunk of the year, which would present a big headache in terms of pipes breaking. Even being able to dig to do repairs would be difficult, if not impossible. When the post was built, they constructed this system of tunnels, and then put everything in one place. Pretty ingenious. If you’ll look when we’re back aboveground, you can see exactly where the utilidors run, because they keep the sidewalks directly above them so warm the pavement stays snow free.”
All along the way, there were gates similar to the one through which they had entered. One even led directly into the post commander’s house. Hallie was fascinated.
In a latter section of the tunnel, there were fewer exits and the lights were spaced farther apart. Daniel stopped and leaned back against the wall, his expression difficult to read. He tugged her hand until she stood in front of him, almost touching nose to nose. “Thanks for coming over today, Hallie,” he said quietly. “Last week I gave the Fairbanks chief of police a tour, but you’re a lot more fun—and way cuter.”
She laughed, leaning into him and laying her head on his shoulder. “I’m honored.” As they stood there in the steamy semi gloom, Hallie felt the mood shift once again.
He put a finger beneath her chin and tilted her face toward his. When his lips brushed hers, retreated, and came back with more force, she sighed. They kissed lazily, as if they had hours, days. She ceased wondering if this was wise—ceased caring about how long she’d known him and how soon she would be leaving. For once, she dived right in, content to live in the moment. Throwing caution to the wind had a certain appeal.
His hands moved beneath her shirt, caressing her breasts through her thin, silky bra. Her breath caught.
She moaned and pressed her hips to his. His arousal nestled in the notch of her thighs, making her crazy. In the middle of a busy, crowded army installation, Daniel had managed to find the only warm, deserted oasis of privacy.
But not completely private. At least not enough for what they both wanted so badly.
In the distance, they heard muffled voices.
Four
Daniel swore under his breath and started straightening Hallie’s clothes. His breathing was harsh, and his hands shook.
Hallie didn’t feel so steady herself. “Will you get in trouble for bringing me down here?” she whispered.
He kicked a pillar with his boot and sighed. “No. But I guess we’d better go.”
They retraced their steps in silence, but never actually crossed paths with anyone. Sounds echoed in the cavernous spaces. Whomever they heard must have retreated in another direction.
Back in Daniel’s office, Hallie didn’t know what to say. Daniel was braver than she. He perched on the corner of his desk and watched as she put her coat back on and buttoned it all the way up to her chin. He cocked his head. “Protective armor, Hallie?”
She looked out the window, marveling at the fact that it was dark at four o’clock. Even so, ambient light from the reflective snow cover lent a pretty glow to the scene.
She wasn’t sure how to answer his question, but she had one of her own. Now that Daniel’s arms were no longer around her, she could think straight. The little voice inside her head . . . the annoying voice of reason spoke up. “Why me?” she asked bluntly. “Am I convenient? Is that it?”
He burst out laughing, his face alight with humor. “Lord, Hallie. Y
ou’re not convenient at all. We’re both living in an inn surrounded by people. Not to mention the fact that the climate makes outdoor sex lethal. And you’re only here for two weeks. I’d say this is all pretty damned inconvenient.”
“So why do it?” Was she hoping he could explain this madness to her?
The office door was closed. Daniel sobered. “Come here.” He tugged her close. “I’m no callow twenty-year-old kid who can’t keep his pants zipped. I haven’t been with a woman in several months. Until you showed up the day before yesterday, I was getting along just fine.” He paused and placed her hand over the bulge of his erection. “But now, having you in my bed is pretty much all I think about every minute of the day. How’s that for honesty?”
He might have been feeding her a line. She didn’t really know him at all. But somehow, she believed him. Slowly, she stroked the ridge of his arousal through two frustrating layers of cloth. He was unmoving beneath her tentative touch, his whole body braced. Her fingers brushed his zipper. For half a second, she toyed with the idea of lowering it. But sanity returned. This was a public building. Daniel had an important job to do. “You’d better take me back to my car,” she said, her knees in danger of giving out. “I promised Robbie I’d help them wrap Christmas presents.”
* * *
Daniel hobbled to the car, thankful for the long heavy coat that kept him from embarrassing himself. The arctic air slapped him in the face, but did nothing to dampen his urgent need. Every minute he spent with Hallie made him want her that much more.
They drove in silence the short distance to where her car was parked. He got out and waited for her to unlock the rental. Then he tucked her into the driver’s seat. Despite the cold, he didn’t close the door immediately. He waited while Hallie turned on the engine, his arm stretched across the top of the open doorframe.
When she had adjusted the heat, she turned to face him. “Thanks for the tour.”
He studied her face. She had pulled up the hood of her coat. Flyaway strands of her soft hair danced in the light breeze. He leaned in and caught one, wrapping the blond silk around his finger. “A woman needs to be cautious. I get that. Why don’t you call Hazel? She’ll vouch for my character.”
By Firelight Page 12