AN: Here's the next installment - wethinks you will enjoy this chapter. :)

Chapter 9

Lindsay glanced at her watch – 7:55. She shook her leg in anticipation as she sat in one of the large armchairs in the cottage lobby. She had absolutely no idea what Danny had planned for her – she had even tried to pester it out of Flack, to no avail. She checked her watch again. 7:56. Getting closer.

Danny came down the hallway, a small bag in his hand. Lindsay smiled as he leaned down to give her a peck on her cheek. He had a different look in his eyes - a warm glow, with no hint of the teasing, mocking twinkle that had been there all week. This was sincerity.

"Hey," she said, exhaling slowly.

"Hey to you too, Montana," he breathed, helping her up.

"What's in the bag?" she inquired curiously, raising her eyebrows.

"Patience, my dear! Good things come to those who wait. Now let's not waste any time – come with me," he said secretively.

She looked at him sceptically, but obeyed. She had only just turned away when a dark sheet came over her eyes – Danny was blindfolding her. He spoke before she could question him.

"I want this to be a surprise, so you can't see where we are until we're there." He secured the fold, then placed a soft kiss on her neck. She giggled, giddy with anticipation.

Taking her hand, he carefully led her down the front steps of the cottage, a tough feat since she was blindfolded. Despite conflicting emotions of exhilaration and confusion, Lindsay smiled continuously. She couldn't even peek out the bottom of the blindfold; Danny had tied it perfectly.

He put his arm around her, guiding her carefully and making her feel secure. She felt the ground beneath her feet change from concrete steps to grass. It suddenly occurred to Lindsay that sight was not the only sense that was handicapped by the blindfold - she also lost all sense of distance. She had no idea how far from the cottage they had walked, though it felt like a mile.

She listened carefully to the instructions Danny gave her as she attempted to maneouver in total darkness. "Okay, there's a log in front of you… one big step over it… alright, we're turning right… turning left… careful… left – no Lindsay, your other left…", then after what seemed like they had walked the whole grounds twice over he said, "Okay, wait here a minute."

She felt Danny leave her side. She listened carefully, hoping to catch a clue of what exactly he had planned, but the blindfold also covered her ears, muffling any sounds. A strange ruffling sound was all she could make out, but she couldn't figure out if it was coming from the trees, or perhaps the waves of the lake.

"Okay, we're going to walk forward," she heard Danny say as he took her hands and led her. "Take a small step up," he instructed. She did, then felt the ground beneath her change from solid to substantially less-than-solid. She couldn't figure out what it was, but it slightly wobbled beneath her feet, almost as if she were walking across an unstable bridge. Then Danny stopped her.

"Alright, this is going to be tricky to do since you're blindfolded, but we'll just have to do our best," he said. He paused to kiss her, an entirely unexpected move. Though Lindsay kissed back, she nearly laughed at the plethora of strange feelings she was encountering this evening.

"Okay, what do I have to do?" she asked.

Slowly, Danny led her forward, helping her lift her feet over something. Again, she noticed the surface beneath her shoes change. Danny pulled her to the right, then told her to sit. That was tough to do blindfolded – she could only imagine how strange she looked reaching behind her, slowly squatting, trying to make contact with the surface she was supposed to be seated on. Danny placed her hand on a bar of some sort, and told her to hang on.

Without warning, she felt the surface she was on move from beneath her – she gripped the bar for balance. Revving of an engine and wind blowing in her hair could only mean one thing – she was on a boat. She could feel the mist from the water landing on her arms and face. The wind blew her hair all around her. Originally, she thought perhaps Danny was leading her to the beach, but they were now going in the opposite direction. Her best guess was that he had taken her to a marina or pier located on a portion of the resort she had yet to see.

Lindsay struggled to keep her balance as the strong motorboat bounced over the waves. Where could Danny possibly be taking her? She continuously tried to get an answer out of him, but again, he responded with a cryptic "You'll know soon enough!" She could have simply taken off her blindfold, but she knew Danny had evidently put a lot of thought into this excursion. Instead, she attempted to make herself comfortable and turned in the direction they were traveling, enjoying the fresh, lake air that whipped past her, sprays of water occasionally finding their way over the sides of the boat.

She braced herself as the engine quieted down, the speed of the boat slowing. She strained to listen for any new sounds, but nothing came. She could vaguely make out the sound of Danny hopping out of the boat and presumably securing it, before taking her hands and helping her awkwardly climb out.

The ground she stepped onto was higher than she had expected. She stumbled slightly; Danny grabbed her and helped steady her on her feet. She couldn't help but laugh, as she imagined how clumsy she must look.

"Still with me Montana?" he asked, his hands still firmly on her waist.

"Yep," she replied, straightening. She kept her arms on his shoulders; his presence was the only thing she was sure of right now.

"Come with me," he said, helping her forward. Again he did his best to guide her, though even his steady touch was not enough to make her any less disoriented.. At least on the cottage grounds she had a vague idea where they were; now, she had no idea whatsoever.

The ground beneath her feet crunched as she heard twigs snapping and leaves rustling. She presumed that they were walking through a forested area with no path. "Danny, where on earth are we?!"

He laughed. "Oh stop asking already, you know I'm not going to tell you!"

He led her forward for a few more minutes, before stopping her. Again the ground changed, this time from rugged and uneven to firm and flat.

"Okay, you have to navigate up a few stairs now," he instructed. "They're all very close together, so make sure you've got your foot down before you step."

"Um, alright," she replied slowly. Carefully she felt for the step in front of her. Being sure her foot was on it, she lifted herself up, then searched for the next one. Danny had placed her hand on the railing for balance. His hands on her back at least provided a bit of stability as she made her way up the narrow, winding staircase. Where the heck is he taking me?! she thought, thoroughly confused. She counted the stairs as she went, hoping for a clue… ten… fifteen… twenty-five… forty… what?! Finally, after stair number fifty-three, she no longer felt stairs in front of her, instead just open space.

"Okay, now you have to wait here again," said Danny, placing one of her hands on the wall beside her for support. "Don't move, since you don't want to fall down the stairs."

Thanks. That's comforting, thought Lindsay, keeping her feet firmly planted. She heard the faint click of a door closing. Then there was only silence. The only safe thing she could think of was to hum the song that was now playing over and over in her head.

She wasn't sure how much time passed – funny how being blindfolded altered that sense too – but finally Danny took her hand and said softly, "it's ready."

She felt him lead her through what she could only assume was the doorway he wad closed before, and was immediately hit by a wave of heat. "Danny, what—" she began, but he lifted off her blindfold, and she was suddenly at a loss for words.

She was standing at the entrance to a small, circular, stone room with wooden floors. Lining the room atop boxes and crates were dozens of candles, explaining the heat she felt when she walked in. Their tiny flames danced in the slight breeze that entered the room through a single window in the wall opposite her. Looking out the window, she realized where they were – in the lighthouse on the island across from the beach. She could make out the top of the cottage, its top windows just barely visible through the trees. The sound of the waves crashing into the shore rose up and filled the silence of the room. And on the floor in front of her, were many large, fluffy blankets, and two pillows. Glowing, she turned around to face Danny.

"You did this?"

"Mhmm," he mumbled, leaning in to kiss her. Their lips met and with their touch came a new explosion of fireworks and electricity, a blaze of heat Lindsay had never felt before with Danny. She was immediately lost in him, this kiss having a different, deeper feel than any kiss they had shared in the past. This one was slow, tender, passionate. Even Danny's demeanor was different. His arms wrapped around her back, pulling her into him, as though every inch of their bodies had to be touching. Lindsay allowed her hands to roam where they pleased, one taking up residence in his hair, the other pressed firmly against his chest. She knew why he had done this, and where it would end up. And she wanted it. Breaking away to look at him, she found his blue eyes smiling at her.

Neither of them needed to say anything. Slowly, she brought her lips back up to his, the hand that was on his chest now migrating to the seam of his polo shirt. Slipping it underneath, she found his skin, hot beneath her fingers. Using her other hand, she lifted both his shirt and tank over his head, placing them on the ground behind him, away from the candles. His hands slid down her chest and to the buttons of her blouse, their lips not parting as he slowly slipped it off her shoulders.

This time, it was Danny who broke the contact, breathing heavily as his hands moved up and down her bare back.

"Lindsay…" he trailed, his voice low, his breath short.

"Danny, you don't need to say anything," she breathed, her hands running along the elastic of his boxers just above his jeans. "I couldn't ask for a more perfect setting, a more perfect you."

He smiled, then ducked to run kisses along her jaw line and down her neck as he fumbled with the button on her shorts. She kicked them off as he slid them down her legs; it was now her turn to unbutton him. She slowly slid his pants down, looking up as he grinned down at her. Leaving them in a heap on the floor, he again pulled her close, the warmth of her skin nearly completely against his.

They moved together towards the blankets, lowering themselves slowly while trying to remove the remainder of the other's clothing. They had been together naked before, but this time, this time it felt like they were seeing each other this way for the first time. Danny smiled, pulling back the top blanket for Lindsay as she slid in. Crawling on top of her, he pulled the blanket back over himself. Lindsay looked up at him, the soft flickering glow of the candles bouncing beautifully off his face. He was firm against her, and she wouldn't have it any other way. Softly running her nails down his back, he kissed her with more passion, hunger, and feeling than she knew was possible.

And that night, the world existed solely for them.