by Joleen James
An ominous feeling gripped Danielle. Why would Kaiden call? Certain that something was wrong, she dialed Peter's number.
"Hello," Kaiden said on the second ring.
"Hi, sweetie, what's up?" she asked, one hand pressed to her fluttering stomach.
"Dad took me to the Science Center today."
That was it? Relief flooded Danielle. "Wow. Was it fun?"
"It was great," Kaiden said with enthusiasm. "They had this giant bug exhibit. I got to hold a huge African beetle. I think it was poisonous."
Danielle laughed. "I hope not. How are things going there?"
"Great. Dad's apartment has a swimming pool. We're going swimming now."
"It sounds like you're having fun," Danielle said, a part of her incredibly jealous that Peter could show Kaiden such a good time, when she hadn't made her son happy in a long, long while.
"Dad's the best."
Dad's the best. If that statement wasn't such a joke Danielle would laugh.
"Where's your dad now?" she asked.
"He's talking to his neighbor, Mandy."
"Mandy?" Danielle repeated.
"Yeah, she spent the night last night."
"What do you mean she spent the night?" Danielle asked with a calm she didn't feel.
"She stayed over, in Dad's room," Kaiden said as if he was used to his father's new bed partner.
"Let me -- " before Danielle could finish her sentence, Peter came on the line.
"What do you want, Danielle?" he growled into the phone.
"What do I want?" she asked, her voice rising. "What I want is for you to set a good example for our son."
"Kaiden, head on down to the pool," Peter said in a light, overly friendly tone. "I'll be right down."
Danielle heard Kaiden say, "Okay," followed by the slamming of a door.
"I don't appreciate you spying on me," Peter said his voice hard now. "This is my visitation time. Remember, the divorce was your idea."
"You SOB," Danielle said, her temper rising. "First of all, I was returning Kaiden's call to me. Funny, he wanted to share his incredible day with me. I didn't pry. I listened. Believe me, I never dreamed you'd be stupid enough to sleep with your girlfriend right in front of him."
"Oh, come on," Peter said. "Don't tell me you're not sleeping with Nico. It's a little like the pot calling the kettle black. Grow up, Danielle."
The line went dead.
Furious, Danielle banged the phone against the wall before hanging it up.
She took a deep breath, reminding herself to be strong. Peter was right, they were divorced. She didn't care who he slept with, but she didn't think he should be doing the deed with Kaiden in the next room.
How did divorced people handle sex with children in the house? Discretion. That's what bothered her. Peter hadn't even tried to hide his sex life from Kaiden. At least she and Nico tried to be discreet. She was pretty sure the kids knew they liked each other. Maria had seen them kiss, but they hadn't slept together. When and if they did, she knew they wouldn't be blatant about it.
Peter was trying to control her, get to her by bringing his girlfriend into the house. He'd made her mad, and he knew it. When would she ever learn to play it cool, to beat Peter at his own game?
Bottom line -- she wanted her son back.
She needed to be smart, smarter than Peter.
An overwhelming feeling of sadness filled her. She sat at the kitchen table, her head in her hands. She could fight Peter, but she was scared. So scared she'd lose her son forever.
***
Nico checked his cell phone. He listened to the message from Lola. She'd left his lunch in the refrigerator at Whitney House. She wasn't expecting to return home with Maria until around six o'clock. It was almost two now. He wondered if Danielle was at the house.
He pocketed his phone and started up the back stairs to Whitney House, letting himself into the kitchen.
Danielle sat slumped at the kitchen table, her head buried in her arms. His entrance caused her to jerk upright.
"Nico."
She looked so sad, the usual sparkle gone from her eyes. "What's wrong?" He frowned, certain Peter had something to do with Danielle's obvious sadness.
For a second, her teeth grazed her bottom lip, and he had the impression she was deciding how much she wanted to reveal.
"I just had a disturbing phone call from Kaiden."
"How so?" Nico squatted down beside her. With gentle fingers, he smoothed the hair back from her face. "What did he say?" He prayed the kid was all right.
"He told me a woman spent the night with Peter." Danielle leaned into his touch. "I know Peter has a right to a sex life, but to be so obvious about it? It makes me sick."
"I'm sorry," Nico said. "What can I do to take your mind off of things for a while? Have you eaten?"
"No, and I'm not sure I can." She pressed a hand to her flat stomach.
Nico straightened. "Come on. Lola left some lunch in the fridge. Let's take it down by the river."
"I don't know," Danielle hedged. "What if Kaiden calls back?
"Do you think he will?" Nico asked.
Danielle made a noise of disgust. "No. Peter will see to it he doesn't call me anymore."
He wanted to make things better for her. She didn't deserve what she'd been through. Peter Rankin was an ass with a capital A.
"Come on." Nico tugged her from the chair. "Let me take your mind off your problems." He smiled at her, wanting to charm her, wanting to make her smile again.
"Okay, what the heck." She smiled back, and Nico swore she sat up a little straighter. "Lead the way."
Nico grabbed his sack lunch from the fridge. After checking to make sure there was enough for two, he escorted Danielle out of the house. They got in the golf cart. He knew just where to take her.
"Where are we going?" she asked as they drove off. The wind blew her hair, making her look like a teenager again, making Nico feel unusually pleased to be with her.
"You'll see." They drove on in silence, the heat of the afternoon surrounding them, the only relief the breeze generated by the moving golf cart. He stopped the cart at the edge of the property where the river met the hills. Here, the river bank was lined with old growth cherry, apple, and pear trees, the trees serving as a natural buffer against insects, especially the dreaded sharpshooter. The theory was the bugs would go to the fruit trees first and into the traps hanging high in the branches, never making it to the grapes. The primitive strategy worked most of the time.
Nico exited the cart, coming around the vehicle to help Danielle out. "This is one of my favorite spots on the property." The river stood still and deep here, giving the area a peace, a silence Nico loved. Once upon a time, this place had been his sanctuary, a place he could shut out the rest of the world.
"It's very pretty." Danielle took his hand, and he helped her out. "Remember how the vineyard looked full of fruit trees? Being here reminds me of being a kid." She tilted her head back to look up into the branches, heavy with leaves and fruit. "Royal Ann cherries. My favorite."
"Mine, too," Nico agreed, pleased she liked the place, eager to show her more. "Come on."
Danielle followed him into the trees. When he stopped at the base of a Royal Ann, this tree larger than the rest, he pointed up.
"A tree house," Danielle said with a smile. "For goodness sake, how did that get here?"
"I built it after my parents died," Nico said. "It was my refuge, the one place I could go and be totally alone. I've never told anyone about it, and if your father knew, which I'm certain he did, he never said so."
"Wow." Danielle locked on the tree house, on the leafy canopy overhead. "Is it still safe? Can we go up?"
"It's safe," Nico assured her. "I come here when I need a break from life. Go ahead. Climb up. I'll be right behind you."
The ladder was nailed right to the trunk of the tree. Danielle began climbing, Nico behind her. When she reached the hole in the bottom of the tree house floor, she pushed through
it, disappearing inside.
"It's big," she said, when he joined her.
"Big enough," he agreed. "I built it so I could stand up in the center." He demonstrated, putting his hand on the top of his head. "See, just a hand's width between me and the center of the rooftop.
Years ago, he'd built a small sitting area, really just a sheet of plywood elevated slightly by two-two by fours, along one wall. A waterproof chair cushion, meant for a lounge chair, covered the plywood, giving him a makeshift bed. A bed he'd slept in many times in his late teens and early twenties when he just needed space and quiet.
The tree house had four sturdy walls, a roof, and a small glass window on the river side.
Danielle went to the window. "Great view." The Snake River sparkled below them. To the east, the Blue Mountains held court. The merlot grapes blanketed the mountains at the foothills, softening the look of the land. It was a view he never grew tired of.
"I used my own money to buy the window when I was eighteen." He smiled at the memory of putting the window in himself.
"Were you terribly lonely after your parents were gone?" She turned to look at him.
"Yes," he admitted, surprised to find he didn't feel lonely any longer. He had a full, rich life here, one he wouldn't trade for any amount of money.
"Do you remember after their funeral when I kissed you?" she asked, her eyes soft with compassion.
"Of course." It had been the best and worst kiss of his life.
"I'm sorry for that," she said. "I'd wanted to kiss you for so long. I totally took advantage of your grief."
"Are you kidding?" he asked with wonder. "I thought I took advantage of you. I wanted to kiss you. Hell, I wanted to have sex with you that day."
"Really?" she asked the word heavy with surprise.
"Really."
"You did a good job of hiding your feelings for me."
"I was warned by my father to stay away from you. You were off limits." He'd had so many fantasies about her when he'd been a teenager. When she'd kissed him that day, he'd wanted to make love to her, but in the back of his mind he remembered his father's words -- Danielle was forbidden. His father's words had stopped him. Even after his father's death, he'd been unable to cross the line. He'd loved his father that much.
Nico moved from the window to the bed. He picked up the cushion, shaking it, making sure there were no hidden insects or spiders.
He placed the cushion back on the bed, and covered it with the picnic blanket he'd brought along. "Please, sit. Hungry?"
"Not really." Danielle sat. She leaned her back against the wall of the tree house. Nico followed her lead, sitting beside her. Her perfume wound its way through his senses. Nothing prevented him from making love to her now. The playing field had changed. They were equal. He recognized the desire in her eyes.
"I'm not off limits now." Danielle's tongue came out to wet her lips. "Make love to me, Nico."
Her words sent a bolt of lust through him. He wasn't walking away this time, no matter the consequences.
He captured her mouth in a kiss that scorched him from the inside out. He couldn't get enough of her, her taste, her hot mouth, the softness of her body against his.
Without breaking the kiss, he lowered her down onto the cushion. "Are you comfortable?"
"Yes." She reached up, her hands cradling his head. She pulled his mouth back to hers, kissing him, using her tongue to drive him wild.
Nico kissed her, he devoured her. He wanted her clothes off, wanted to feel the softness of her skin against his. He grasped the hem of her T-shirt. Danielle shifted, allowing him to pull the shirt up and off. He tossed the T-shirt aside, then paused. A lacy pink bra cupped her breasts, giving him a peek-a-boo view of her nipples, breasts he'd already seen and tasted. His entire body cried out for release.
"You're beautiful." He ran a finger along the swell of her breast, the soft part of her that was visible just above the lace. "Do you have any idea what you do to me?"
She laughed, the sound low and sexy. "I have a pretty good idea because I feel the same way about you."
She reached for the hem of his shirt, helping him shuck the garment. "You make me crazy," she said. "You always have."
Nico trailed a finger from her collarbone, lower, to the V between her breasts. He unhooked her bra, and the lacy material slid down her arms and off.
"Danielle," he whispered her name a caress. His hands ached to cup her full breasts. As though she'd read his mind, she reached for his hands, guided them to her, the heavy weight of her breasts filling his palms.
Together, they fell back onto the cushion. He kissed her as his hands explored every delicious inch of her. He wanted her naked. He wanted to be naked. Nico worked the button on her jeans, and she worked his. They helped each other get rid of their pants. On their knees, they came together completely naked. The feel of her bare skin against his almost sent him over the edge.
Her hands fanned his back, her fingers sure and soft against his fevered skin. She caressed him, up his back, and lower, cupping his butt.
Nico groaned, the feel of her woman's place pressed against his erection was more erotic than anything he'd ever experienced before.
He took her back down to the cushion, to her back. Leaning over her, he kissed her lips, her neck, the tops of her breasts. Her skin tasted sweet and clean and he ran his tongue around her nipple, once, twice, three times.
Danielle moaned.
He smiled against her skin before taking her nipple into his mouth, loving it, worshiping the sweet bud with his tongue. Danielle's moans grew louder, more erotic. He kissed his way to her other breast. With a mind of its own, his body moved against hers. His fingers trailed down her flat stomach, through her triangle of sleek hair, and into her warmth.
"Please, Nico," Danielle said. "I don't want to wait any longer."
With a groan, he moved between her legs and Danielle opened to accommodate him. He pushed at her opening. His entire upper body strained with his need to find release, to push himself inside of her and reach climax, but he went slowly, wanted her to feel everything as intensely as he did.
Danielle's eyes closed, her back arched. "Oh, yes."
Her moans of pleasure increased with each thrust, her excitement echoing his. He knew the exact moment she found her release, her cries of passion pushing him over the edge into his own climax.
A powerful, fabulous ending to the most mind-blowing sex he'd ever had.
***
Danielle took her time floating back down to earth.
Nico's body still covered hers, his weight welcome. She marveled at how well they fit together, as if they were made for each other. Her hands fanned against his back, his skin warm, smooth, and sexy.
His ragged breathing filled the tree house. The scent of earth and man, fueled her already heightened senses.
She'd had no idea sex could be so...consuming.
Her entire body, heart and soul, had caught fire. Time had stopped, and only she and Nico had existed. She was afraid to move, afraid to break the spell that had been so carefully woven between them. Somewhere along the way she'd begun to form the first fragile links of trust with him. Very fragile. So fragile, she could hardly bear to think about what would happen between them five minutes from now, much less a year from now.
Nico shifted most of his weight from her and rolled partially to his right side. He took her with him so her head rested against his left shoulder, most of her body supported by his.
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. She titled her head back to see him.
"You okay?" he asked the words so tender they made her heart ache.
"Yes," she said, touched that he'd asked.
"No regrets?" His eyes searched hers.
Did she have regrets? Did she even want to think about what would happen when they left the tree house?
"I'm not sure," she admitted. "Don't ask me to think yet. I can't analyze this."
He chuckled. "Fair enough."
Danielle relaxed in Nico's arms, drifting off to sleep until the ring of Nico's phone intruded. When he made no move to pick up the call, Danielle asked, "Aren't you going to get that?"
"No." His arms tightened around her. "I don't want to move."
"What if it's Maria calling?" Danielle asked, the mother in her coming back to life.
Nico groaned. "All right."
He climbed over Danielle, searching the floor with his hand, locating his pants. The phone had stopped ringing, but he accessed his messages.
Danielle could hear a woman's voice over the line even though she couldn't make out the words. She searched Nico's face for a clue about the caller. With a frown, he placed a call.
"We'll be right there," Nico said into the phone, then, "Yes, Danielle is with me. See you in a few minutes." He ended the call, his brow creased with worry.
Danielle's gut jerked. "What's wrong?" she asked, a million unsettling thoughts running through her mind.
Nico frowned. "Lola and Maria returned home to find a note pinned to the front door of Whitney House. Lola's called the sheriff."
"Not again," Danielle said with dismay. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to stop the sudden chill raising the gooseflesh on her arms. "What did it say?"
Nico left the bed, dressing. "The same thing, Go Home."
Danielle yanked her clothes on. The magical afternoon she'd spent with Nico evaporated in a poof, ruined by an unknown prankster, or worse.
Nico climbed out through the hole first. He helped guide Danielle down the old ladder, his touch at her back or on her leg, comforting.
When they were safely on the ground, Nico said, "I'm sorry we didn't have more time together this afternoon. I'll make it up to you, I promise."
"No promises necessary." Danielle climbed in the passenger side of the cart. "Don't worry about me, Nico. I'm a big girl."
"I am worried about you," he said, his brown eyes rich with sincerity. "The pranks are unsettling. I promise you I'll get to the bottom of it. I should have taken more action before now, but I'd been so certain -- " He started the cart.
"That it was Kaiden doing the pranks," she finished for him. "Kaiden's gone. He can't be the one."
"I know; that's what really has me worried." He shook his head. "That leaves Maria."