Page 10 of Dark Time

“What am I going to do for clothes?” she asked, and I looked over at her.

“Well, it’s a last-minute thing, so there will be toiletries, some sleeping clothes, and going out clothes that I’ve ordered to be delivered to that address. They should be there already.”

“Oh?” she asked, her voice quiet. “I hope it’s somewhere cold.”

I went still; surely, she hadn’t guessed? Then, she’d said it often enough the last week or so. It was cool at the beach, but not cold. She’d missed the snow. I’d rented a cabin in the mountains of Virginia. Snow was guaranteed. All the snow she could want.

“I’m not telling until we get there.” I took her hand in mine, kissed it, and headed for the airport for the second time that day.

I’d chartered a private flight for this trip, and it was ready when we got there. I looked down at Emily and smiled.

“Ready?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t know if my clothes are appropriate.” I remembered what my dad had said earlier, and I knew he’d been right about that part anyway.

“You’ll be fine.” She had on a pair of black leather Prada boots, a pair of leather pants, and a handmade, very expensive-looking, heather gray sweater that came down to her knees. The cowl neck made it look soft and warm.

Her eyes narrowed at me, but then she grinned as we climbed aboard the plane. “You’re lucky I trust you so much.”

“I don’t doubt that a bit.”

The plane took off after a few checks were made, and we headed off into the dark. Emily fell asleep before long, her head in my lap, and I just watched her sleep. She’d given all of herself over to me. She didn’t have a fear in the world when I was with her. That was obvious from the way she slept so peacefully now.

The plane soon began to descend, and I woke her up gently.

“You know, I sleep so well when I’m with you,” she said it quietly, and I knew her throat was dry. I handed her a bottle of water and decided to tease her a bit.

“Hmm, does that mean I’m so uninteresting that I put you to sleep?” I joked with an easy smile.

“No, I mean you make me feel safe, calm even. When I’m around my family, I’m always tense, on edge, waiting for the next scream or shout, the next demand that I fly off to take care of one of their kids or to clean up a new mess. I always felt hounded, really. With you, I don’t have to worry about any of that. I know what you want from me, and I give it gladly. With you, I can relax.” Her arms came up around my neck, and she gave me a kiss just as the plane bounced down.

A car waited for us at the airport terminal, and before long we were on our way up a slushy mountain road.

“A cabin in the woods, Dylan?” She looked at me with pleased eyes, and I knew I’d made her happy.

“Indeed, madam. Not one of those fancy ones with hot tubs, miles of windows, and views that can be seen from space. Nope, this is a tiny old place a friend of mine owns. It’s a real cabin, but a nice one.”

It was a nice cabin. A very small cabin, with one window, a room for a small bathroom, and another room for the bedroom where a king-sized bed was covered with a handmade quilt. A fire had been lit in the box stove, and it filled the tiny cabin with warmth.

“We’re roughing it?” she asked, but with pure delight.

“Indeed, we are. Our kitchen is our living room, and there are no telephones. Cell phone will work, but not always. There’s wood on the back porch, which has the view by the way, and we’ll have to eat whatever my friend Tom brought and left in the fridge.”

“Sounds just fine to me.” She was staring at the bed, an old cast iron frame that was probably older than both of us combined. “This place looks like heaven to me.”

Something had told me it would. Emily was a rich girl, that was true, but she wasn’t spoiled. She wasn’t the kind to worry too much about breaking a nail or being dirty, and I liked that about her.

“Hm, am I going to have to get out of the hotel business and buy us a cabin in the woods?” I purred down her neck as I wrapped my arms around her waist.

“You might, Dylan.” She turned in my arms and looked at me with a look that confused me. She looked so sad.

“You’ve barely known me a few months now, but you know me so much better than anyone else ever has.”

Ah, that explained the sadness.

“I listen to you, babe, that’s why.” I ran a finger down her cheek, to her collarbone.

She shivered, and her face went dark as desire flared to life, and that hit me hard. My own instant response was a grunt of need. I’d wanted to settle us into the place before I got her naked, but the way her breasts felt pressed into me made something ache deep inside of me. Only Emily could take that ache away, even if it was only a momentary relief.