Chapter 4

Awareness came back to me slowly. I was burrowed under a thick duvet, spread over the most comfortable mattress I'd ever slept on. With a pleasurable moan I turned onto my side and buried my face into the pillow, while wriggling deeper into the quilt. The scent of the pillow seemed familiar, but the comfort threatened to send me back into a deep slumber.

"As lovely as you look writhing around in my covers, we need to get a move on." I'd jumped up as soon as he spoke, my mind instantly clearing, a quick re-cap of the events over the past day flashed across my memory.

"Oh god, Harmony," I swallowed the lump in my throat and blinked back tears. "What time is it?"

"It's a little after six a.m. I was going to let you sleep in, you need it, but I knew you'd through a hissy fit about it later, besides. It's a long drive to Washington, you can nap on the way if need be."

I wanted to slap him for the hissy fit comment but I couldn't bring myself to, he was right. "Thank you." I mumbled instead. "Can I use your bathroom before we leave?" I shuffled through the covers to the edge of the bed and climbed off, the soft carpet beneath my bare feet was a shock since I'd been wearing socks and sneakers, my confusion grew even more when I realised my legs were also bare albeit my panties, and my top, wait, I wasn't wearing my top.

"You stripped me?" I shrieked the question my head swivelling around hoping to hear where he was while franticly covering my lower half up with the quilt.

"What did you expect, you were covered in dirt and grime, you're lucky I didn't send you out to sleep with the pigs, they would have welcomed you with the stench coming from you. I'm not usually so hospitable but with you being handicapped an all–" I'd stood up with my fists on my hips before I realised it.

"I'm not handicapped! I don't need you, or your pity."

"You don't need me?" He scoffed. "Please, by all means. Go find your friend yourself."

My arms dropped from my hips as a defeated sigh escaped my lips. Large hands touched the top of my arms,

"I don't pity you, so don't pity yourself." One of his hands left my arm and two fingers tapped under my chin to raise my head. "I admire your braveness and sheer determination to find your friend. But the fact is you are handicapped. In this situation you are blind in more ways than one. You do need me, and I told you last night I would help you." While he'd been speaking his fingers ever so lightly brushed over my closed eyelids. Now his hands left me and I could feel he'd taken a step back. The light caress accompanied with the almost intoxicating fragrance of him had me tingling all over, and the lace between my legs growing damp–Thank heavens my usual lingerie attire that consisted of what Harmony dubbed 'Granny knickers' were all in the washing machine, leaving me to wear the almost uncomfortable tiny scratchy lace panties she'd given me for Christmas the year before.

"Where are my clothes now?"

"They belonged in the fireplace but I put for the wash for you, they are dry for when you're ready."

"How domesticated of you," I chided. "A man who knows how to work a washing machine and dryer, when does Mr Alex get home?" My embarrassment of the effects he had on me after a simple touch made me snappy.

"I don't actually know how to use a washer and dryer, your clothes were cleaned in the sink and have been hanging near the fireplace all night. Now hurry up and do your business, we are running late, the rental place opens in an hour and it's quite a walk."

"We're walking?" After all the running last night there was a distinctive ache to the muscles in my thighs and calf's. The prospect of walking any more had them screaming in protest.

"If I don't have a washer dryer, what makes you think I would own a car, besides if I had a car why would we be about to rent one?"

I blamed my obvious stupidity on it being too early in the morning for my brain to function correctly.

"Did you cook over the fire or over a stove? If you tell me I have to pee in a hole in the ground I might cry, I understand you don't agree with 'us' and our civilised ways but indoor plumbing is a must."

"Then you are in luck. I agree with you, I have crossed over into the ways of indoor plumbing, though electric lighting and gas heating I'm yet to install. I much prefer the warmth and glow from fire light."

"I'll take your word for it." My bladder squeezed all this talk about toilets was making me need to go, and fast. His hand took my arm again and pulled me in a direction I hoped led to a bathroom.

"The toilet is right in front of you and the sink is to your side. Your clothes are here." Material touched my hands so I grabbed them from him.

"You're not going to stay and watch are you?" I cringed at the thought.

A rich laugh bubbled from his throat. "Danni, of all the things I'd love to see, you dropping your panties is probably top of the list. Seeing you pee on the other hand doesn't make my list, you're on your own, I'll be in the kitchen, shout me when you are finished, we need to get a move on." His voice grew distant when he spoke letting me know he was backing away, and then the door closing sounded. Finally! I dropped the clothes and my panties to squat down.

"Danni," the familiar female voice whispered to me. "You have to go back. It's not safe, please…." The voice grew quieter.

"Harmony?" Yes the voice belonged to Harmony.

"It's not safe for you, please, I can't explain."

"Explain what?"

"What you are,"

"I don't understand. Where are you?"

"Go back, stay safe." Her voice was so hushed anything else said I couldn't hear.

"Harmony, no, come back. Where are you?"

"Danni!" I was jolted awake by a shake of my arm and the harsh voice of Alex. "You were having a nightmare, you started crying and calling out in your sleep."

"It was strange, I could hear her voice, telling me to go home, it wasn't safe for me."

"All things she would have told you anyway right? Why was it strange?"

My brows furrowed when I remembered what she spoke, "She said she couldn't explain, explain what I was," Alex was silent beside me for so long I figured he was just concentrating on driving. Wed arrived at the rental place twenty minutes late thanks to my protesting muscles, no matter how many times Alex pointed out something for me to step over I still managed to fall despite his warning. In the end he'd ran me through the remaining spans of forest until we reached a flat surface. The rental procedure had taken a while and by the time we were in the car my lack of sleep and early morning jog on an empty stomach soon had me snoozing in the front seat.

"I stopped at a drive through. Before you started whimpering your stomach was making those painful noises it was last night. It's just burger and fries." A warm paper bag was set in my lap, as I opened the top the smell of sweet deep fried goodness reached my nose. I reached my hand in to find the carton of fries, grabbing a couple between my fingers and I brought them to my mouth and chewed. After the first mouthful I turned towards the driver's seat.

"I love anything deep fried, but I have to say, your rabbit stew last night was one of the best things I've ever tasted." I stuffed my mouth full of more fries.

"Well I'm glad you feel that way, at least my cooking won't clog your arteries full of fat."

"So I guess you're into fitness and healthy eating then? You must work out pretty hard to have a chest like yours."

"You could say that, though I prefer to get my exercise through more intimate means."

My face flamed at the innuendo as I sat back into my chair.

"Are you always this frustrating?" I'd demolished the fries in under a minute, now I was un-wrapping my burger, at the first bite I knew it was headed for the same fate as the fries. I'd be racked with indigestion afterwards but the greasy cheesy burger would be worth it. The car slowing to a halt had me turning my head to him in question not ceasing my ministrations.

"There's an accident up ahead, we'll clear it soon enough, the car hasn't left Washington according to Jerry, all we have to do is find it. God, why do you idiots have to be so nosey?" A horn blared and I covered a smile, knowing it came from our vehicle.

"If you hate all this new-fangled technology and don't own a car how did you learn to drive, did you do drivers Ed class in school?"

"No, there was no driver Ed class back when I was at school. COME ON!" The horn blared again. "Finally, we're moving."

We sat in silence for a few moments before Alex cursed and the car rolled to a halt.

"What?"

"I found the car."

"Really?" I dumped the remains of the burger into the paper bag and sat forwards. "Where is it?"

"Wrapped around a tree."

Thank you for all the lovely reviews!