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Chapter 2

As they entered the front doors of the cottage, the group said their goodnights and headed off to their respective rooms.

"Try to get at least an hour of shut-eye, Stud Muffin," Flack teased Danny, slapping him on the shoulder and winking at Lindsay before walking down the corridor. Lindsay felt her cheeks redden as she realized that part of being 'out in the open' meant they'd be the brunt of many jokes, most likely to encompass sexual undertones, as Flack's just had. She glanced up as Danny, who was grinning proudly at Flack as he disappeared into his bedroom. Lindsay just shook her head, gesturing Danny forward. Men.

Hand in hand, Lindsay and Danny climbed the steps to their own room. The second the door shut behind them, they were in each other's arms. For the past few hours, they had been with the others, and only able to sneak private glances and the occasional peck. The sunset had practically been torture. They kissed fervently, hungrily, breaking apart only because they needed to catch their breath.

"So," Danny said, grinning and raising his eyebrows in an unspoken proposition, his hands still moving up and down her back.

"So," Lindsay replied. The wine made her feel warm and tingly all over… or perhaps it was not merely the wine. Yet she felt a little awkward, a little nervous. She and Danny had not yet slept together. Though they had never come right out and expressed their feelings, Lindsay was fairly certain Danny felt the same way she did. She wanted the moment to be right, not to rush into it and risk their relationship getting awkward because they simply got caught up in a moment. But here… here it was different. Suddenly, all bets were off.

Lindsay looked around her. She was in the arms of the man who rocked her world. They were in a beautiful location, a cool breeze drifting in through the window, a romantic room with a balcony that overlooked the star-kissed sky. with it, she thought. It couldn't be any more perfect than tonight. She began unbuttoning Danny's shirt at a frantic pace, one button after another until the entire garment hung slack on his body. He shook it off, Lindsay's hands sliding under his tank top. She grasped the hem and began to pull up, exposing his warm, muscular chest.

Danny gently took her hands in his, stopping her momentarily. "You sure?" he asked cautiously.

Lindsay reached over and flipped off the light switch, blanketing them in darkness. "Yes, dammit, I'm sure," she gasped, tugging him backwards until they both collapsed on the bed.

It didn't take Danny long to strip Lindsay of the majority of her clothing. She and Danny had fooled around before, but this time it was different… this time it was leading somewhere. There. Lindsay flipped herself over Danny, pinning him beneath her. She could just make out his facial features in the darkness. She leaned towards him, ready to capture his lips with hers, when a noise stopped her dead.

A cough.

But not any cough. Mac's cough.

Danny and Lindsay looked at each other in horror.

"You have got to be kidding me," groaned Danny. "Mac has the room next to us." Lindsay rolled off of Danny, holding her breath as she waited to hear the sound again.

"Oh God," she moaned softly as Danny wrapped her up in his arms once again. "We can't."

"Yes, we can," Danny murmured, beginning a trail of kisses across Lindsay's collarbone. "We just have to be very quiet."

"No, Danny, no," said firmly. "Use your head, Danny." She paused, noticing the smirk on his face, then realized what she said. "No, this one," she corrected, giving him a light smack.

"Come on," he whined, reluctant to release her from his grasp. "What's the matter?"

Lindsay pushed against his chest, utilizing all of the self control she possessed. "It's a little hard to get turned on when our boss is just through that wall," she hissed.

Danny abruptly got out of bed, and slunk over to the sofa.

"What are you doing?" Lindsay asked.

"There's no way I can sleep in the same bed with you," he groaned, covering himself with a spare blanket, "and not be able to touch you."

Dammit, Lindsay thought, frustrated in more ways than one. Go figure. She wanted nothing more than to fall asleep wrapped in the warmth of Danny's arms, but in reality, she knew just as much as he that being this close together this pent, well… it was just better that they stayed separate. Tomorrow would be better – they'd at least be able to share a bed, even though they'd have to control themselves. Closing her eyes, she was at least able to find humor in the fact that at this point, Mac was both her most and least favorite person.

After much tossing and turning, Danny and Lindsay both fell into a restless, frustrated sleep.

In the morning, they met the rest of the group at the breakfast table. Lindsay was embarrassed to note that they were the last to arrive. Danny was walking with a slight limp; his back was stiff after a cramped night on the sofa. Hawkes, however, picked on a different possibility.

"Hey partner, you're looking a little rough this morning!" he cackled. Flack nearly choked on his orange juice, and he gave Danny the thumbs up.

"Enough," interrupted Mac. "Let's act like grown ups."

"Danny, look at this view," Lindsay said excitedly, gazing out at the clear blue water in front of her. Stopping at a piece of driftwood, she kicked off her shoes, placing the plastic bag she had brought down beside them. She walked down to the shoreline, allowing the waves to hit her feet as they rolled up the sand.

Danny followed suit, removing his shoes. He met up with her, taking her hand in his. She looked at him briefly, giving him the wide smile that she knew he loved. The view really was breathtaking – white sand blanketed the beach, calm waves rhythmically lay against the shoreline, their soft sounds soothing to the ears. Lining the horizon was a small island, and from what Lindsay could tell, a single lighthouse and a small, white cabin were its only occupants. Beyond the island lay the bright blue sky, laced with white, wispy clouds. With the warm sun beaming down on her face, Lindsay drew in the fresh lake air. Feeling Danny's hand tighten slightly around her own, she stepped to face him, taking his other hand in hers.

Danny smiled as he watched her shake her hair out of her face, laughing lightly when the wind immediately messed it right back up. But she still looked gorgeous.

His small giggle caught her attention. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's very funny," she mused, leaning up to capture his lips with hers, the atmosphere around them romantic and irresistibly perfect. Feeling Danny's lips move to deepen the kiss, Lindsay pulled back, flashing him a teasing grin.

Danny growled deeply, pulling her towards him, but she resisted, grinning wider. Freeing her hands from his, she walked back to the driftwood. She gave Danny a quick glance over her shoulder, then wiggled out of her shorts and shirt, revealing a red bikini. "Coming swimming, cowboy?" she said, talking a step towards him.

She grinned devilishly; all Danny could do was stare. "I… don't… no suit…" he stammered, his eyes running up and down her body.

"Brought yours, plastic bag," she said, using her head to motion to the driftwood. She snaked her arms around his neck and pulled his lips to hers. He returned the gesture hungrily; as his hands began to roam over her near-bare back, she pulled away and walked towards the water.

"What are you trying to do, tease me to death?" he asked, breathless and frustrated.

Lindsay just smiled as she walked into the water. "Come get me," she teased, diving into the surf.

Danny rubbed his hand over the back of his head, then turned and walked to the driftwood. He looked back at Lindsay, who was lightly swimming around in the water, smiling at him seductively. Shaking his head, he turned and unclothed down to his boxers. He paused, realizing he'd have to be momentarily naked. He looked around, but the grounds offered no shelter within reasonable distance.

"Hurry up, cowboy!" called Lindsay, bobbing with the waves.

Quickly scanning the area, he had no other choice. He quickly slipped off his boxers and pulled on his swim shorts, feeling slightly embarrassed. After placing his glasses on top of his pile of clothing, he grinned at her in the water. God, she's great, he thought to himself, taking a moment to just watch her at a distance.

"You're going to pay for that one," he called back at her, beginning his walk into the water.

"Come and get me then," she laughed, watching as the cool water splashed against him.

The water didn't go very deep, only reaching Danny's waist by the time he caught up to Lindsay. She swam lightly in the water, only her head above the surface.

He crossed his arms across his chest. "You know, Miss Monroe, that was a very sneaky way to get me into the water, getting me all hot and bothered, then coaxing me into chasing you out here."

Lindsay held up her hands in defense, standing up. "I did no such thing," she lied, "No coaxing involved."

Danny laughed, then lunged forward at her, grabbing her round the waist, slinging her over his shoulder.

"Danny!" she yelled, laughing as she kicked her legs, trying to free herself from his grip, not that she had many places to go.

"Now Montana," Danny said, tightening his grip against her struggling. "It seems the tables have turned; you're in quite the predicament here."

"Put me down, Messer!!" Lindsay laughed, trying to find a grip on Danny.

"Now why would I want to do something like that," he asked, turning in small circles.

But Lindsay had an idea. Smiling evilly, she replied, "Because if you don't, I'll do this—" She grabbed the waistband of his swim shorts, pushing them downwards as far as she could reach. Almost immediately, she was surrounded by water, as Danny dropped her and grabbed for his shorts.

Surfacing for air, she found Danny adjusting himself, bright pink evident on his cheeks. "You're so going to pay for that," he said, throwing himself towards her. Instinctively, Lindsay turned around, trying to jump out of the way, but he caught her around the waist, pulling her under. Danny grinned triumphantly as she broke the surface and wiped her hair away from her face.

"Oh, is that how it is?" she asked, trying not to laugh.

Danny just shrugged, then turned towards the waves. Taking the opportunity, Lindsay jumped onto his back, her weight pushing Danny's head beneath the surface. She clung to him as he came up for air, tightening her legs around his waist and arms around his neck as he tried to get her off. Without warning, he flung himself backwards, submerging them both. Lindsay managed to keep a hold, albeit significantly loosened, as Danny spun around so she was now in front of him.

"You're evil," she breathed, wiping the water away from her eyes. He looked incredible, his hair messy, the water causing the sunlight to bounce perfectly off his chest, accentuating his curves and lines in all the right places. Their wrestling had moved them to slightly deeper waters; Danny held her firmly, his arms around her waist. Being in the water made it easy for them to balance, only their heads and shoulders above the surface. Their faces were only inches apart, their breathing warm against the crisp lake wind.

"You're worse," he answered, closing the distance between them. She breathed deeply, the water sweet against her tongue and making his lips softer than ever. They bobbed up and down with the passing waves, the sun adding to the heat they generated together. His hands roamed her body, his touch mixed with the currents creating a new, electrifying sensation.

Danny inhaled as he pulled back, resting his forehead against hers, his eyes still closed. "You're—" he began, but was cut off as an unexpected wave knocked them both off-balance and under the water again. Lindsay stood up, laughing and trying to catch her breath.

"You okay?" Danny asked from behind her, taking her in his arms again, her back against his chest. He pulled her down into the water, folding her body into his.

"Am now," she said, lacing her hands into his on her stomach. As they moved up and down with the motion of the lake, Lindsay marveled at how at peace they seemed to be here, they bodies fitting together perfectly. It was quiet, no distractions, no aggravations, no complications, just time for the two of them to be together. It was a huge relief that the team knew about their relationship – worrying about getting caught, about having to sneak around. She smiled widely, realizing how things had shaped up for her – she had her dream job, made the move from Bozeman to New York, and now, found someone that she… well, that she cared a whole lot about. For the first time in longer than she could remember, she was happy.