Falling For The Enemy

Chapter One

Emily had expected to find Ben standing outside her front door just as he had late the night before in a drunken state, but when she investigated the mystery late night knocker she opened the door to find the last person she expected to see on the other side.
Daniel looked every bit as drunk as Ben had been, but while the cop had looked awkwardly optimistic and hopeful, her ex-husband looked tortured and troubled.
"What do you want Daniel?" she sighed, not bothering to show her annoyance at his surprise visit.
He seemed at first to have not heard her before finally answering, "I have a dilemma" he announced waving his almost empty bottle of what looked to be vodka up for her to see, "I tried to find the answer at the bottom of a bottle, but It only made me more confused".
Emily recalled the last time he had been intoxicated, it was the night he had shot her in a drunken rage; the memory reminded her not to underestimate what he was capable of when in this altered state.
"Maybe if you go home and sleep it off it will come to you" she suggested while scanning him head to toe for any weapon visible to the naked eye.
Daniel shivered as a passing gust of wind engulfed him, "Will you leave me to die of frost bite outside your door or will you let me in?" he asked with surprising soberness, "Don't tell me you fear me? We both know you could incapacitate me with the same ease you did in that elevator" he reminded her.
Though she knew she should send him on his way something compelled her to make a point of stepping to the side to give him room to enter her home.
He muttered a genuine thank you as he passed her and stopped in the middle of the front foyer to turn and watch her close the door.
"If you stay I must ask that your next drink be water or coffee" she insisted as she waved towards the direction of the house's main living room where his parent's used to entertain their visitor's.
He knew she wished to keep him in her sights and made his way over to a large comfortable couch and casually sat down with a heavy drawn out sigh.
Emily went to the open bar and filled a tall glass with chilled water for him, she placed it before him on the low coffee table before sitting directly across from him on a matching recliner.
"I'm nowhere near being as drunk as I wish I was" he confided palming the glass before taking a dreaded sip, "If anything I'm too sober.
Emily realized now that he actually wasn't as intoxicated as she had first thought, "So am I to guess your problem?".
Daniel frowned as if he had momentarily forgotten what it was himself, "It's Margaux" he muttered.
"When you said I never fought for anything I realized you were right, I was letting her go without trying to fight to keep her" Daniel said roughly sweeping a hand through his hair with frustration, "I went to her and told her I didn't want to lose her, that I was willing to fight to fix my mistake and be the man she deserves".
Emily saw that he really meant what he had said.
"And she turned you down still?" she guessed when he once again fell silent.
Daniel met her gaze with his own and she saw the turmoil there, "She said she's pregnant" he finally uttered roughly.
Emily couldn't hide her shock, so Margaux was carrying his child, he would be a father. The selfish part of her felt jealousy and self-pity recalling she would never be pregnant, never give birth to a child, and he was going to become a father; the very man who had made sure she could never have a child of her own flesh and blood.
"Congratulations" she murmured with sarcasm.
Daniel bristled and gave her a hard glare as he slammed the glass of water with a thump and stood up to pace across the room, "After she told me I couldn't even think of anything to say" he snapped angrily before turning to face her again, "She said she couldn't trust me to remain faithful to her or the child, that she saw what growing up exposed to my parent's twisted farce of a marriage had done to Charlotte and I, and she wasn't going to ever be able to trust me enough to give us another chance".
Emily finally felt like the pieces of the puzzle had fallen in place, and though she agreed that Margaux had every right to be so wary and her reason's were all logical; there was something about Daniel that told her he would be worth the risk and wouldn't fail if really given a chance.
"As someone who knows what it's like to be judged by others solely because of their parent's action's I understand how that can frustrate you" she spoke calmly, "The only advice I can give is to not give up and prove her fear's wrong" she suggested.
Daniel shook his head as if she didn't get the point, "But she's right" he replied coldly, "My first thought after hearing she was pregnant was to run" he laughed harshly without humor, "I felt trapped and scared, And I realized that as much as I hated everything my parent's stood for, I am my parent's son, no child would benefit from having a father that is capable of the thing's I have done" he hissed.
Emily felt something snap inside her as his word's seemed to mirror thought's she had been tormented by herself, she abandoned her seat and took a step toward him before restraining herself, "You don't think I haven't thought the same way" she snarled, "The little girl my father knew no longer exists when he looks at me, I have done thing's in my quest to clear his name and make all of those who were responsible pay that I still can't accept that I am capable of, but I know that I had a reason for each time that justified every single action; and whatever you've done in your past that has you doubting your worth tonight you need to think back and remember the reason's why you chose to do everything in your past and accept that you can't change them now".
Daniel was stunned by her outburst, "I've got to say I'm starting to really like you now that you're not hiding behind the facade I fell for" he admitted with a smirk.
As he had done the last few time's they had conversed, Daniel managed to say something that completely disconcerted her.
"Yes...well, just don't make the mistake of assuming that your like for me is mutual" Emily warned lightly.
"Oh come now" Daniel replied with a teasing glint in his eyes and a devilish smirk, "Admit it, you like our little run-in's now that you can be yourself and not have to hide the real you that no one else get's to see" he demanded softly.
"The enjoyment I have now whenever I do see you is the fact that I no longer have to feign attraction and desire for you and your touch" she announced coldly without emotion.
"Now if you don't mind leaving, I have a lot I must do tomorrow that requires a good night's sleep tonight" she left him to make her way to the front door with the unspoken command he should follow.
Daniel's ego had bristled at her insulting word's, it wasn't enough he tossed and turned thinking on whether or not she had ever wanted or enjoyed his touch or whether it had all just been a act on her part, had her passion in bed with him been fake or real.
As he watched her walk ahead of him while he slowly followed at his own pace he raked his gaze from her honey blonde hair that he remembered felt so soft and always smelled of exotic fruit's, to her slim waist and perfect swell of hips that softly sashayed with each feminine step made by long lean smooth legs that she used to wrap around his waist as they made love.
His mind was made up with that last hot torrid memory of sex, tonight he would know how she really reacted to him.
As he made a move as if to walk past her when she opened the door and once again stepped aside he paused pointedly next to her and smirked with satisfaction.
Emily saw the troublesome glint and was tempted to ask what he found so damned pleasing, instead she sighed and leaned back against the open door as if to show she was bored.
"There's one last thing I need answered" he told her with a soft honeyed murmur.
Emily glared at him annoyed, as she opened her mouth to demand he leave she found herself caught off guard.
Daniel had clasped her upper arm with one hand and tangled his other hand in her hair to grasp the back of her neck, then pressed her against the door with the weight of his body while covering her parted lips with his own and kissing her with all the passion, hate, desire, and desperation that coursed through every inch of him for her.