She sat up, not bothering to cover herself with a sheet. He loved that she was so comfortable with him. With a curious smile she checked the contents of the bag.
“You bought me trainers?” Her smile became a teasing laugh.
He nodded, unashamed. “Checked your size in those boots. You have sweat pants, right?”
She nodded but a wary expression had dulled the brilliance of her eyes. “Don’t you usually run with Xander and Logan?”
Usually. Not recently. And today he wanted to run with her. “They’re busy.”
“Okay.”
Ten minutes later he watched his breath cloud in front of him, watched her laughing as she determinedly huffed out a bigger cloud.
“Mine’s bigger,” she declared.
“I thought size didn’t matter?”
She turned and jogged backwards to flutter her lashes at him. “Oh it matters.”
“There speaks the expert,” he snorted.
She blew him a kiss on a cloud.
He’d known she’d like it. She was like her brothers, long limbed, strong, a natural athlete. And she’d grown up in a sporting playground. For all her bookworm status, she was equally at home stretching out and pushing her body to its limits.
Yeah, to his delight he’d learned that already.
The snowfall was light, pretty. Freezing.
“You have snow bling,” she teased, ruffling his hair with her hand as they walked the last few paces into the hotel.
It wasn’t the snow making his life sparkle.
He showered with her and reluctantly headed downstairs. He hadn’t had a vacation from his hotel ever. He’d lived and breathed the place since it had been nothing more than a spark of an idea. But he really wanted a break. He wanted to enjoy all of every day he had with Dani before she left him.
He was like a man feasting before the famine he knew was looming. And she threw herself into it with equal abandon, like an escaped prisoner who knew she’d be flung back into solitary the second she was captured.
But on the Friday, when he went to sneak a late lunch hour with her, she wasn’t in her usual place on the sofa. She stood stiffly by the window, looking down on the busy street.
He hesitated, clocking her tense stance and feeling his own apprehension grow. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She turned and smiled, but it was strained.
“You’ve been out?” He noticed her light make-up, her smarter clothing, her neatly-swept back hair.
“Checking out job prospects.”
His heart skidded. “How’d that go?”
“Okay,” she pulled a face. “It’s tough out there for the unfinished arts student.”
He’d give her a job in a second if she wanted him to. But that might change the dynamic between them and he didn’t want her feeling that she owed him anything—staying with him was probably enough as it was. She wanted independence. He just hoped she didn’t want to leave to do it.
But he had to stand back and let her do as she desired. He couldn’t try to influence her when she was only just escaping her parents’ control. He of all people understood the need to take charge of your own life. To make your own success.
“Hunter’s back.” She rubbed her fingers up and down the outside seam of her black jeans. “I saw him in the lobby when I came in just before.” She glanced up at him anxiously. “But don’t worry, he didn’t see me.”
There was no way Hunter, super-freaking security specialist and borderline mercenary, hadn’t seen her.
Dani gnawed on her lower lip. “I won’t tell.”
He watched her swallow, hating that she was so worried about his reaction. Did she think he’d be angry? Did she think he’d break this off immediately?
He didn’t want her to feel like she was his dirty secret or that he was ashamed of her.
Because he wasn’t. He wanted to walk down the street holding her hand. Proclaim to the world that she was with him. He wanted her to know that—because it was clear now that she didn’t.
“Don’t worry about it,” he answered.
But he worried. Hunter would have seen. Hunter, as tight-lipped as he could be, would talk. If not to Logan, then definitely to Rocco. So what was Rocco going to say back when he did?
Logan hadn’t called again since that first night. Rocco knew his friend was going through some issues of his own, but it was no excuse not to have checked on her. He should be more concerned about his sister.
She deserved more care than that.
His muscles tightened. He cared more than that. He cared more about her, and her happiness, than anything. Or anyone else.
Certainty settled into his bones. It was time for a pre-emptive strike.
No matter what the outcome might be, she needed to know the truth of how he felt.
She was worth it.
The next morning he took his time to wake her. Torment her. He roused her to orgasm again, then again, not fulfilling her breathless plea for him to fuck her. This was so much more than a fuck. This was intense pleasure. An act that made his heart fill to bursting.
Only when he was shaking with the strain, only when she was a ball of fire and energy, her hands all over him in frantic demand, only then did he finally thrust hard inside.
Dani.
He grabbed her hands, laced and locked his fingers with hers, and looked into her beautiful eyes.
So close.
He wanted it to last forever.
But it couldn’t. In that vulnerable corner of his soul, he knew it wouldn’t.
“Come downstairs with me,” he said after they’d showered and dressed.
“You don’t have boring paperwork to do?”
“I always have boring paperwork.” But he also had a plan he had to see through.
She accompanied him down to the ground floor. His heart thudding, he led her towards the private meeting suites.
He laced his fingers in hers again, drawing her closer as they went down the corridor towards the door at the end. The one that was open.
“What are you doing?” She glanced at him as he stroked his thumb over the back of her hand.
“Enjoying your company.” He lifted her hand and kissed it.
She actually darted a look to ensure no one was in the corridor to see. “Have you been drinking?”
“You insult me. And yourself.” He tugged on her hand so she stumbled into him.
Laughing, she lifted her face. His to kiss. And he would. It might be his last chance before—
“What the fuck’s going on?”
His lips still pressed to hers, Rocco watched her eyes flash open. Saw the horror slice into them as she registered who’d spoken. She jerked back.
But Rocco held her hand hard. He turned to face his friend.
Logan looked from Rocco to Dani. To their linked hands. And at Rocco again.
Dani tried to tug her hand out of his. He didn’t let her.
He’d always known this time with her couldn’t last forever. But he wanted to let her know he was here for her—proud to be with her—for as long as she wanted.
“Are you...?” Logan paused and audibly inhaled a huge breath. “Are you...?”
“Yes.” Rocco took a slight step ahead of Danielle bracing himself for the punch he deserved.
At least Logan would never know just how bad it was. That Rocco had taken her virginity in a deliberate marathon. Taken her every which way at least four times a day since. But actually, Rocco had long since decided the sex wasn’t relevant to this. What was relevant was everything else about her.
Logan tensed, clearly winding up. “Is this why you called me here? There was me thinking I could—”
“It’s my fault.” Danielle interrupted.
“Oh I bet it is.” Logan lurched to face her.
Rocco read the identical expressions on the siblings faces and knew war was imminent.
“For heaven’s sake, come in here.” Rocco marched forward, taking Dani with
him, into the private room he’d booked.
“My god,” Logan pressed a fist to his forehead. “Of all the fucking things to have to deal with right now.”
“There’s nothing for you to deal with,” Danielle said coolly.
Rocco could feel her trembling. She tried to tug her hand free of his again. He knew she wanted to bolt. But she didn’t. And he didn’t release her.
“It’s none of your business,” she said, glaring at her brother.
“You’re wrong.” Logan glared at her. “It is my business. He’s my best friend. You’re my sister.”