He rested his cheek against the top of her head and focussed his thoughts on the sound of her soft breathing in his ear, relishing the feel of her small body wrapped safely in his arms. If he had his way, this would be forever. She would be his. In his arms every night. Flirty banter, heated debates and friendly banter every day. Forever didn't really seem that long now. Yesterday, while he watched her across the foyer. Watched her smile at TK, respond to Conner, roll her eyes and the Santino squint at Troy, while he stood alone. Yesterday forever seemed an awfully long time.

Chapter 3

Nico woke as the sun peeked its way through the curtains. He blinked and his eyes darted around the room assessing his surroundings. In a few seconds he remembered where he was. The abandoned cabin. The flat tire. The storm. Dani. It all came rushing back to him. He turned his head to the side, where he could still feel her body against his. That explains why I slept so well he thought. He rolled up on to his elbow and looked down at her sleeping form. Her hair was fanned out on the pillow. Her face peaceful, serene, beautiful. Her breathing slow and even. He could watch her for hours he decided. But he wouldn't. Not today. He rolled from her gently and climbed from the bed. He dressed into his now nearly dry clothes and left the cabin to change the tire now that the rain had stopped. He wanted the car to be ready when Dani awoke, after all he had promised to take her to his apartment today. He smiled at the thought. He wondered how she would react to being let into his home. He thought about how her eyes would grow wide as she assessed his things. He knew the rumour was that he lived in some impenetrable fortress. Part of that was true. His building was the most secure in the whole city. He had designed its system personally. But he did not have winged monkeys, a bat pole or any of the other ludicrous things that had been suggested through the years. He did however have a state of the art stereo system, giant flat screen TV, a cat that refused to share anything and a spa bath with a commanding view over the city skyline. He briefly wondered how Onyx would take to having another person to compete with for his attention. He knew who would win that competition. She was lying in the bed in the cabin waiting for him to return. He couldn't wait to have her lying in his bed.

When he had finished changing the tire he drove the SUV over to the cabin. He put it in park, shut off the engine and went back inside to wake Dani. He wanted to take her home.

He entered the bedroom and found her exactly as he had left her. She was the most beautiful thing in the world he decided as he let his eyes roam over her. He crossed the room and took a seat next to her on the bed. He gently traced a finger down her cheek. She jumped under his touch, her eyes flying open, her breath catching in her throat. Her expression softened when her eyes landed on his.

'Nico.' Her voice was husky and soft. It sent shivers down his spine. He wanted to hear her like that more often. Every day for the rest of his life he thought.

'I'm sorry I startled you,' he said quietly, leaning down to kiss her temple. 'I sorted the tire and we can go anytime you're ready.' He straightened, looking down at her expectantly.

She blushed as her mind replayed the conversation for last night. She remained silent. He saw the emotions pass across her face. 'Dani?' his voice snapped her from her thoughts. She blushed again as she took in his concerned expression.

'Nico, about last night?' she paused. She saw the pain in his eyes at her words. She sat up, holding the blanket to cover her chest, remembering suddenly she was only in her underwear.

'It's ok Dani. We can forget it ever happened if it makes you more comfortable.' He straightened further, increasing the distance between them before standing and stepping away from the bed altogether.

'Nico, wait.' Her voice trembled and her eyes bore into his.

He blinked, breaking the connection. His face returned neutral. He turned on his heel and walked from the room. 'Take your time getting ready Doctor. I'll be in the car when you're decent.'

She was on her feet in an instant. She dropped the blanket, her concern for her lack of clothing gone. She ran after him, catching him as he neared the outer doorway. She grabbed his arm and tugged, attempting to turn him to face her. He stopped moving, but refused to look at her. 'Nico, why do you always assume the worst?' He could hear the hurt in her voice, yet he remained unmoving.

'Experience' he stated his voice cold and tight.

'You don't even know what I was going to say.' She pushed herself in between his body and the door. Only inches separated her from him now. Her hand still on his forearm. She brought her other hand up to rest on his chest. Her eyes searched his face. He levelled his eyes on the door above her head, refusing to meet her gaze. 'I was going to say, about last night, thank you for making me feel safe.'

'It's my job.' He remained impassive.

She was determined to continue despite his indifference. If he was going to shut her out now that the spell of the storm was broken he was going to do so knowing everything she felt about him. 'Thank you for listening to me, for holding me, for not pushing me away when I really needed you.' She felt the tears well in her eyes. She exhaled slowly. 'And thank you for not laughing at me.' She whispered, her voice failing her when she needed it most.

His eyes shot to hers, his expression changed to shock. 'Why would I laugh?' his voice was strained now.

'I said all the things I should really have kept to myself. It was unfair to dump all of that on you. Especially under the circumstances.'

'Circumstances?' he was confused now.

'You were nothing but a gentleman and I projected my fantasy onto you.' She smiled sadly. 'And even after all that, you remained the gentlemen. You could have just shut me down. But you didn't. You said all the things you knew I needed to hear, to keep me calm.'

He stopped her then, his hands on her shoulders. Her eyes flew up to meet his. 'I told you everything I should have told you a long time ago.' He shook his head. 'I'm not very good at this Dani. There is a reason I am alone.' He traced the back of a finger down the side of her face gently, his eyes softening. 'I thought you were having regrets. And I always pull away first.'

She touched a hand to his cheek. He rested into it. 'So big bad Nico Careles is afraid of something too?' She smiled up at him. 'So, despite all the rumours indicating otherwise, you are human?'

He nodded. 'I don't do hurt.' He directed his eyes away from her.

'I'll never hurt you Nico.' Her voice softened as she tuned his face back to her, his eyes back to hers.

'I know.' He paused, looking down at her. 'I just…' he paused again. 'I don't have an explanation Dani. I panicked. I misread the situation. I overreacted. I'm sorry.'

'Try not to make a habit of it.' She closed the distance between them then, wrapping her arms about him, she pulled his head down to meet hers as she raised herself up on her tiptoes. 'You're usually so good at reading situations' she teased him as she withdrew. 'Apparently it has something to do with your Spidey senses or something.'

'It's only you I misread. You make me second guess everything. I'm caught between wanting to love you and wanting to keep you at arm's length. To protect you from me. To protect myself from ever being used again. But I do love you. And I don't know how to not protect you.' He searched her eyes again, searching for disappointment, hurt. What he saw shining in their depths was love. Love for him. His breath caught.

'You know the most obvious way to protect me would be to keep me by your side, 24 hours a day.' She smiled at him, teasing him again.

'Then I would never get any work done.' He joined her playful tone. He leant forward and kissed her softly again. He withdrew and his brow furrowed.

'Nico?' the teasing quality had slipped from her voice.

'What exactly did you mean by spidey senses?' he raised an eyebrow at her in question. She dropped her hands from his chest and began to laugh. She doubled over, grabbing at her stomach as tears ran down her cheeks. Her head came to rest on his chest. He was fairly certain he was the only thing keeping her upright. It was the most precious sound in the world he thought, if it was not directed at him. He waited for her to compose herself and straighten to look him in the eye once more. 'I'm still waiting for an answer.' He used his most calm, patient voice, the one that had grown men scrambling to tell him exactly what he wanted to know. She giggled again. He swept her up into his arms and headed for the bed, dropping her down unceremoniously onto the center of it. He leant forward, trapping her body between his arms, his chest hovering over her, his face inches from hers. 'You will tell me what I want to know.' She shook her head, her eyes taking on a mischievous glint. 'I have ways of making you talk.' She raised an eyebrow at him, her expression one of challenge. He was going to wipe that expression off her face. He leant forward until his lips were brushing against hers. 'One last chance.' He felt her shake her head against him. So he brought his hands up to her sides and began to tickle her. He smiled at her surprised gasp but kept his hands moving over her sides. He felt her hands alternating between slapping at his and pushing on his chest. He had her trapped and he was going to be merciless.

'Ok, ok, ok. I'll tell you.' She panted, trying to catch her breath. He released her. 'The players have all sorts of theories on how you operate and what makes you so good at your job.' She had hold of his hands now. He knew she was hoping that would stop him from another tickle attack. He knew otherwise.

'You think that's an explanation?' he moved their hands closer to her skin again. She nodded. 'Think again Doctor.' He watched her eyes widen as he began his assault again.

'Stop, stop, stop. Nico.' Her words came amongst her laughs. He withdrew again.

'Full disclosure this time Doctor. Or I'm not going to stop again.' He smiled down at her, keeping his hands resting on her sides.

She drew herself up to lean on her elbows, her hands coming back to rest on his. She entwined her fingers into his. 'They think you're a superhero ninja with super powers like those of batman and spider man combined.

'Ah, the spidey senses. Makes perfect sense.' She saw the amusement in his eyes.

'Or a robot. Oh or a vampire.' she continued. She liked this game.

'A robot?'

'TK's convinced you never sleep. So, therefore you must be an android.' She reached up with her right hand and grabbed at the skin of his face gently. She turned his head ever so slightly from side to side, as if to examine him. 'Very lifelike.' She smiled widely when his eyes rested on hers. 'Of course, if you were really a robot I would have made Xeno program you to love me sooner.' The smile slipped from her face.

He leant forward, to hover closer to her face, his lips inches from hers, his eyes focussed solely on hers. 'I don't think you could get Xeno to do that.' He tried to return the conversation to the levity it had held previously.

'I would have threatened to hurt him.' Her eyes took on amusement again, the emotions replacing the sadness he had seen a moment before. He raised an eyebrow, his expression one of disbelief. 'I can be very persuasive when I need to be.' She smiled up at him.

'Yes, you can.' He closed the distance between them, placing a soft kiss on her lips. He withdrew once more.

'The players, you know they're afraid you and your robotic, spidey, ninja vampire powers right?' she said ever so softly.

'Good to know.' He smirked. 'And you? Are you afraid of me now? Now that you've seen what a monumental jerk I can be.'

'I'd seen that before today.' His eyes narrowed, before he pounced on her again, flattening his body against hers, he started tickling her again, using his weight to prevent her escaping even a second of his onslaught. She used her only free hand to slap at his shoulder. 'Nico. Nico.' She gasped. 'Nico. Stop.'

His hands stopped moving over her skin. He shifted back up to rest on his elbow again, half covering her with his body. His thumbs stroked softly at her stomach. He regarded her, his eyes gentle and warm. 'So, are you afraid?' his voice was a whisper.

'I'm afraid that if you don't take me home soon I'm going to rip those clothes off you.' She smirked. 'You're too way overdressed, if you're going to keep manhandling me.'

He backed up. 'Your wish is my command.' He pulled her to her feet. 'Get dressed.' She baulked at his change of tone. 'I'm taking you home. Now.' She relaxed. He wasn't retreating from her again.

'To your place?' she questioned, hoping his answer was going to yes.

'I promised after all.' he replied, handing her her clothes.

'You also promised to take me to a romantic comedy.' She raised an eyebrow at him as she fastened the button of her jeans.

'You're joking?' he could see from her expression that she was stirring him, he allowed himself to rise to the bait.

'I never joke when it comes to RomComs' she stated, matter-of-factly.

He regarded her for a moment, his eyes darting between her still exposed bra and her eyes. 'If you want to watch a movie, we could always order in and have ourselves a Star Wars marathon.' He deadpanned.

She rolled her eyes. 'Or you could just kill me now.' She pulled her tank top over her head.

He chuckled, watching her pick her jacket up from the chair in the corner of the room, the chair her had put in on last night after he had dragged it dripping from her skin. 'You were supposed to say you're joking…' his voice was teasing, as he held his hand out to her.

She shook her head. 'Silly man. I never joke when there is even the slightest chance I'll be stuck in a Star Wars, Hobbit or Lord of the rings marathon.'

He broke into laughter. It erupted from deep within him and unable to contain it, Nico let it fill the room. She never ceased to amaze him, surprise him. She had played him and she had won. She had refused to let him shut her off from him, to push her away and she had him hook, line and sinker. There was nothing he knew that he wouldn't do for her. He was currently thinking of a few things he'd like to do to her. 'What about Fast and the Furious?' he was going to give as good as he got.

'At least there is eye candy in that.' She smiled.

'You don't like Legolas?' he quizzed.

'I've never been one to like platinum blondes. I prefer tall, dark, mysterious…' she blatantly let her gaze wander over him. He had no doubt who she was referring to.

'What about Pirates of…'

She cut him off. ' Nico.'

'Yes'

'Just take me home.' She took his hand in hers and dragged him towards the SUV. He couldn't wait to get her back to his place. TBC….