Whiteout (Aurora Sky (35 page)

Fane's grin only widened when he saw my hungry eyes roving him like a starved black bear
coming
out of hibernation after a long, cold, lonely winter. His thumb b
rushed over his belt buckle, stroking it several times before unfastening the metal clip, every movement deliberate and unhurried.

If it had been anyone else, I might have joked about having my very own private strip show or hummed a few bars from “You Sex
y Thing” by Hot Chocolate. But this was Fane Donado. Words were overrated. We were way past taunting and teasing. All I wanted to do now was drink him in with my eyes before exploring every inch of his body with my own.

The buckle fastening made a metalli
c clicking sound as Fane loosened the belt and unzipped his fly. Using both hands to slide his jeans down, he dropped them to his ankles then stepped out and kicked his pants aside. The bulge in his very dark, very tight boxers left no doubt
over
his
desir
e
.

Fane met my gaze and flashed me the Cheshire grin. I smiled back just before lifting my arms and pulling off my tank top. I unclasped my bra next, the first one to take it all off, and chucked both articles of clothing over the side of the bed.

After ev
erything we'd been through, my modesty
had
slipped away. Fane was both familiar and alluring. I felt safe and excited around him. It was freeing.

No more running.

No more hiding.

Without losing any more time, Fane slipped off his boxers on his way to the bed. My eyes widened at the missile headed my way.

The lunchbox had landed.

Humor aside, my hormones were out of control, my body delirious with desire. I needed him in me. Now.

I
backed myself across the mattress, but not before Fane reached my legs and spread them apart.

Our eyes met. In that look I saw everything that would happen, like a train wreck that couldn't be stopped. I didn't want it to stop or even slow down. My heart
sped up, bracing for collision.

Fan
e
watched my face intently as he entered with a hooded look that smoldered and scorched from within.

My eyes fluttered. When I lowered my lashes
and
closed my eyes,
I was fully aware of him inside me.

As he moved against
me, I joined hi
m, and we rocked together in unison
. When I reopened my eyes, his were still on me, watchful as ever. Excitement and calm washed over me all at once. This was nirvana. Nothing in the world could compare. Two bodies connected.

For the first
time in months
, I felt safe. For the first time, all my anxiety melted away faster than snowflakes in spring.

Scott Stevens had ripped me open in pain. Fane filled me with bliss.

Once we'd finished and caught our breath, Fane kissed my shoulder. He tucked
an unruly strand of hair behind my ear.

“Was that okay?” he asked, forehead wrinkled, his eyes searching mine.

I couldn't help smiling. Couldn't he tell?

“You really know how to take the edge off,” I answered cheekily.

His whole face relaxed as he broke ou
t into a grin. He kissed me on the forehead and leaned back on the bed, pulling me against him. His warm skin felt divine against mine. In his embrace, a drowsy spell came over me. I wanted to curl up against Fane and go to sleep with his arms wrapped arou
nd me.

We slipped beneath the covers, wrapped in each other's arms.

“Now I really feel like I'm dreaming,” I mumbled, eyes half
closed.

Fane turned me so my back faced him. He held me against him tight, just
as
I'd wanted. Laying together this way felt as
blissful as the
lovemaking
.

As my eyelids closed and breaths came out in shallow puffs, Fane buried his face in my hair.

I drifted off quickly—the sleep of the undead.
I wasn't
sure how long I was out. Perhaps not long at all. Sometime later I woke up to F
ane hugging me tight, murmuring against my skin. He released a content sigh and whispered, “
Ti amo. Con te voglio passare la mia vita.
”

My lashes fluttered. “If you just asked me to marry you, you're going to have to repeat it in English.”

“Close,” Fane sa
id with a soft chuckle.

My pulse quickened, chasing sleep away. I pressed my chin over my shoulder, trying to look at Fane. “What did you say?”

“Nothing. Go back to sleep.”

If only I'd taken Italian in high school instead of French. Not that it had been an
option.

“I want to know,” I insisted.

Fane's breath was warm on my neck. He could bite me if he wanted. My blood was no longer an issue, but I knew that was the furthest thing from his mind.

“It means I want to spend my life with you,” he said.

“You do?”

“I've told you before.”

“Never like this,” I replied.

“I didn't want to scare you off.”

“Scare me off?”

Fane rubbed his chin against my shoulder. “I don't think you realize how crazy I am about you,” he said. “I want to be with you forever.”

I turned and f
aced him, our noses practically touching, a
n amused
smile on my lips. “Are you saying you want to grow
not
old with me?” I gave a soft chuckle.

Fane returned my smile. “It's n
ice to know that making love
puts you in a good mood.”

I touched his cheek. “It's
you who puts me in a good mood.”

Fane leaned in with a soft, slow kiss that deepened gradually. Like his striptease earlier, he took his time. Hunger built inside me.
There was no more sleeping after that. Okay, a quick
catnap
here and there, but
one nigh
t wasn't nearly enough time with Fane
.
At some point the flames in the hearth dwindled, but we didn't need them. We made our own heat, our own fire.

We made up for lost time.

As the faint traces of daylight leaked along the edge of the curtains, we finally
collapsed. I fell asleep with my cheek against
Fane's
chest. The blankets were scattered halfway down our bodies, covering us just above our waists.

It seemed I'd only been asleep for a minute when Fane shook me awake.
Even the cabin seemed to shake.

“Aur
ora,” Fane
said softly. “I'm afraid we need to go.”

My lashes fluttered open. The cabin creaked against what sounded like raging winds that filled my ears as I came back to consciousness. I hadn't been imagining the cabin walls shaking. From the sounds of
it, a
windstorm
had kicked up sometime after I
fell
asleep, as though nature had taken her
cue
from Fane and me.

Speaking of the dark prince,
Fane sat on the edge of the bed, already dressed.

I sat up, jolted from sleep. There was no time to waste. Even a
shower would have to wait. At least I would have regular access once we returned to Anchorage, but first we needed to go to the lodge and get Dante. I'd fill him in while Fane reasoned with Giselle. Better him than me. Ashley would probably be relieved to
go home or wherever Melcher planned to reassign her.

“I need to get dressed,” I said frantically.

Fane reached to his side and presented me with my clothes. Each article was nicely folded and stacked in size order. Fane grinned. “In that case
,
you might wa
nt these.”

“Thank you,” I said, warmed by the thoughtful gesture. He'd even folded my underwear. I grabbed them from the top of the pile, pulled them under the covers, and slipped them on first, followed by my bra, tank top, jeans, and socks.

Under differe
nt circumstances, I would have wanted nothing more than to laze around all morning in bed with Fane, but now was not the time.

Fane sat on the bed beside me the entire time, but unlike Dante, he watched me dress with an air of protectiveness rather than le
wd interest.

Overcome by a swirl of grateful and loving emotions, I threw my arms around Fane and hugged him tight. He
gathered
me in his arms and
kissed
me roughly over the lips.

The embrace ended as quickly as it started. I pulled away to get to my feet.

Fane looked up at me. “What was that for?” he asked.

“
Ti amo
,” I said, recalling what he'd said that night. I had a good feeling what it meant. “I love
you too.
”

Fane stood up. His eyes and cheeks glowed.

“
Let's get Dante and get out of here.”

I ducked in
side the restroom; some things couldn't wait until Anchorage. When I emerged, hair freshly hand combed, I headed for my boots.

“I'm ready,” I said. “In case Dante doesn't respond by radio again, I don't suppose the Range Rover could make it through snow?”

“Already made arrangements,” Fane said. “The owner of the lodge is lending us one of his snowmobiles.”

That was a relief. I could pass on wading through snow.

Fane crossed the cabin and grabbed our coats. Once my boots were tightly laced, I straightened a
nd took my coat from Fane's outstretched hand.

“Sure you don't want to grab a quick shower while I see about transportation?”

“I'd rather get to Dante as soon as possible,” I said.

Fane frowned.

“What is it?” I asked.

He gazed into my eyes. “The two of you
were on the run for a while. Did anything ever happen?”

“Oh,” I said, mouth forming into the shape of the word.
“Shouldn't you have asked me this before we had sex?”

“I didn't want to know.”

“But now you do?”

“I've tortured myself speculating. I didn't wa
nt to think about it when we were together, and it won't change my feelings for you. We were separated
,
and you couldn't know that we'd ever see each other again. You couldn't even know if you'd survive. I don't like it, but I understand if the two of you
sought… physical comfort,” Fane finished.

Sure, he understood, and yet the mere mention made his lips retract as though he'd sucked on a sour lemon.

“We kissed, but that's all,” I said.

Fane studied my expression. “You didn't sleep together?”

How technical
did Fane want to get?