Her mother gave Danni a look that would have had most women running for cover. Instead, Danni gave her a similar look back, not letting the woman intimidate her. Everyone was uncomfortable, even Carmen, who had been standing in the kitchen doorway looked afraid and ducking back inside before she was noticed.
"Since this is all settled, I have work to do in the barn." Danni stood, to the dismay of her mother and stepfather. "Sheriff, would you mind dropping off Nico?"
"No, it's on my way." Both men glanced at each other, knowing the gist of the conversation they'd have on the way.
"Thanks for coming and clearing up everything." Danni moved slowly, her back straight, her walk only slightly halted. Nico knew why. She didn't turn back, rather kept walking toward the barn until she was out of their view. Robert was refilling his glass from the bottle of scotch on the table.
"You should be ashamed of yourself, Coy Addams. You've been a friend to this family for years, and now you take her side." Felice moved toward the house in a huff. It was then Nico noticed the security men lingering off to the side. Coy had a short conversation with them before meeting Nico at his car.
"What a day," was all he said until they were away from the Cirillo vineyard. "Nico, there's going to be trouble here. Robert's going to drink himself into snit one night, and all hell's going to break loose."
"I know, which was why I was glad to see the security men. They are around the clock?"
"Yeah, and old Sam just hired on three extras. Just in case. This way we'll have extra on each shift."
"Good idea."
"Anything you can do to diffuse the situation?"
"I've tried several times, but Danni doesn't like my solutions." He hesitated before adding, "I've offered her run of Casa Maria for the duration, but she won't hear of it. She won't let them run her off the land, especially these last weeks."
"I always thought you two would have wound up together, but with all this mess…" The two men glanced at each other but didn't speak further. Coy pulled around the front of Casa Maria and put the car in park. "Man to man, Nico, how much does Danni know about what went on here while she was away?"
"Not nearly as much as she should." The statement was short and accurate.
"Well, the fan's going to blow when she finds out the rest." Coy shook his head at the impending disaster.
"What are you talking about?" Nico didn't like being caught short.
"She still doesn't know, and I can't be the one to tell you or her. Matteo was a good friend. I'd advised him years ago to tell her, now…" He seemed to be justifying his actions, which only pissed off Nico further.
"Tell her what?"
"Ask Maria. She was here when Danni was brought home." The word held a strange sorrow. Nico didn't ask for clarification, noting the way the other man spoke of his aunt. Had he been blind to a relationship between Tia and Coy or was he reading too much into the sheriff's tone? Then it struck him.
"Brought home?"
"Talk to Maria." Radio noise distracted the sheriff, and he automatically moved to answer. Nico got out, knowing Coy had business to attend to.
He headed straight to the study and the telephone number where Maria was in Italy. If there was more to find out that would hurt Danni, he had to know, and find a way to combat it, whatever it was. With the time difference, he missed her and left a curt message on her cell phone to call him. Only then did he drop into the leather chair behind the desk and let himself laugh aloud. Danni had Robert's status symbol repossessed. "What a woman!" he said aloud to the empty room.
* * * *
It was a long week, and he hated each day he didn't see her. Danni was polite each time he called, but he knew she was distracted. She agreed to their Friday night together, not asking for details, only agreed to meet him at Casa Maria at seven. Each time they spoke, she avoided any discussions about her arrival home last week.
Danni arrived early, a bottle of Cirillo's best in one hand, her sandals in the other. She wore a tan linen dress with a matching jacket tonight. From the way her nipples pushed against the fabric, he guessed she wasn't wearing a bra. Her legs were bare too. Her hair was down, drifting in the light breeze when he realized she walked over.
"Danni, I would have picked you up," he started, but was instantly silenced by her lifting up on tip toes to kiss him. When he had thoroughly ravished her with his lips, she dropped back and handed him the bottle.
"I figured if anyone was going to swill Cirillo's finest, it might as well be us."
"I don't think I've ever swilled a good bottle of wine, Danielle." He raised his brow, trying to interpret her mood. "Come inside, I'll get glasses and the opener." She followed him distractedly. Nico opened the bottle, putting it aside to breathe. He offered her a plate of cheese and crackers, but she only shook her head. Danni used her hands to hoist herself up on the counter top beside the sink reached for to the bottle, and poured. She sipped but didn't seem to appreciate the fine wine as she normally would.
"What's wrong, Danni? What did they do this week?"
She smiled and shook her head, not giving him any information. Instead, she had a request. "What did you have planned for tonight?"
"I thought we'd go to dinner in town, then just let the night direct us." Nico moved toward her and felt the halt in her breath as he neared. He was erect and not trying to hide it from her. She let out a stunted breath when he reached past her for the bottle.
"Would you mind if we stayed here instead?" She managed not to smile, but just.
"No, but wouldn't you rather…" He expected to wine and dine her. Show her a side of what their life together could be. Apparently she had other ideas, and he decided not to challenge her.
"No, I'd rather be here, with you." He moved to the freezer, pulled out several steaks, and placed them on a plate to defrost.
"Supper will be late," he started, then realized she didn't care. Danni slipped from the counter and dropped her jacket over one of the kitchen chair backs. Her tanned arms were bare, the square cut of the neckline of her dress showing more of her cleavage than he'd first realized. She stood before him, daring him to scrutinize her. He did, and her nipples budded under the pull of the fabric.
"Is the pool still heated?" she asked, showing her hand.
Nico decided they'd both win with her plan. He was flexible. "Of course."
Danni took the wine bottle, both their glasses, and headed outside. He was slightly stunned by her quiet yet decisive mood and decided to ride it out. By the time he grabbed two toweling robes and a few extra towels from the closet near the back door, she'd already made it pool side and was cranking back the cover. Nico took a long, slow sip from his wine and watched her. No use asking her. She'd talk to him when she was ready. In the meantime he'd let her manage their evening. With the cover rolled back, he watched wordlessly as she walked toward him.
"Get the zipper, will you?" she asked, unaffected, as if they'd done this many times before. Nico saw his hand tremble as he reached to the metal closure. As he pulled it down the dress fell away, verifying his original thought that she wore no bra. Danni let the dress fall to the patio and stood only for a moment gloriously naked before him—she hadn't worn panties either. She took another drink, handed him her glass, and then dove under the water, not surfacing until she went halfway across the pool. She used her hands to push back her hair, then swam laps. At first, she was intent on pushing the water from her, and then slowly she mellowed, letting her strong arms pull her across until she finally floated freely, her eyes closed, her hair spread in the wake behind her. Just the tips of her breasts broke the surface water, which made Nico's tongue moisten his lips. He stripped off his own clothes and dove in. The warm water under the night sky was perfect.
"Which statue tonight, Drago?" Calling him Drago set the tone, whether she realized it or not.
"I hadn't decided," he started, but now he had. "Do you have a preference?" He felt obliged to ask, but hoped she hadn't. The woman who swam beside him was unknown to him on a new level. He wanted to experience all of her before she receded.
"It's your call, according to our arrangement."
She swam several more laps before meeting him in the middle, wrapping her arms around his neck, catching his waist with her legs. He was erect, and she used her body to stroke them both while she devoured his mouth. Her kiss was different tonight, assured and intent.
"Inside or out?" he asked, using his hands to stroke her back and sides. "Do we have one where I just slip you inside me?" She didn't look at his face, rather nipped at his earlobe, which sent a chill down his spine directly to her.
"I don't think so," he started to say, but stopped when she pulled herself up and repositioned over him. It was Danni's hand guiding him inside her, using the water to carry her weight.
"I guess this one is free then." She laughed, moving over him, using her muscle control to constrict around him, feeling his cock pulse with each movement. This was a Danni he wasn't used to. She'd had gained confidence, and tonight it seemed she wanted control. Took it, was more like it. Danni taunted his erection with movements internally and externally, her mouth to his neck, his nipples, her hands all over him, trusting him to balance them both. She shook over him and around him when she came, pulling him with her. Exhausted, she dropped over him, her breath warm against his neck. The respite was short-lived. Soon she was pulling back, splashing water at him, asking what a girl had to do to get some food. He knew she watched him leave the pool, pull on a robe, and then hold the second one open for her to slip into.
It was natural for them to head to the far corner, both stripping off the robes to let the warmed outside shower rid their hair and bodies of chlorine. It took them a long time while Danni made sure they were washed clean. She held his erect penis under the warm spray; her hand moving slowly back and forth had him on edge, again. Her touch made him harder than he thought possible, and her soft, smooth movements were starting to push him over the edge. It was Danni who seemed to focus on her movements, realizing the effect, and slowly let her hands release him. She pressed the water from her hair and stepped away. This time it was she who held the robe for him.
"I'll start the grill," he said and dropped a kiss to her lips before leaving her alone at the pool side. In reality, Nico wanted the few minutes to himself. Whatever he'd planned, this wasn't it. He wasn't unhappy, just confused. Apparently, Danielle had decided to enjoy what time they had together and tonight she expressed it. He knew he'd have a purple spot on his neck tomorrow and didn't care. Better still she handled him, fondled his cock in an erotic expression of lust. He still had twelve hours to take her the way he wanted.
Much later, sated from food and wine, they sat at the patio table, still in their robes. Nico pulled her chair closer and grabbed the collar of her robe. "Inside or outside?" he asked, and she laughed.
"You decide. I wanted to swim, and I got my wish. Now it's your turn." Danni wasn't sure just what the strange smile meant, but she was about to find out.
"Upstairs," he said with a cryptic smile. "I'll cover the pool and be right up."
It was immediately apparent Nico wasn't prepared to find Danni propped naked on the center of his bed, her hair trailing along the pillows. This new Danni had stripped off the duvet and folded the top sheet down. Liz Story played lightly in the background, and two large bottles of water were on the bed stand. She'd opened the French doors but left the screens closed, as he had last week. "I wasn't in the mood for any more alcohol," she said, nodding to the water.
"That's fine. I'd rather have a clear head," he said, dropping his robe as he slid along the cool sheets until he came to rest beside her. She turned into him automatically, raising to his chest and massaging him as if they'd done this a thousand times before. His arm went round her shoulders, and he tucked her tightly against him.
"Have you decided?"
"Yes." It was his unwavering tone that caught her by surprise.
"Which one? In the back of Danni's mind, she knew each figurine and started to get anxious, absently stroking his nipple. His hand moved over hers, stopping her movements. In slow motion, he took her hand, drew it over her own body, lower, circled her stomach and hips before coming to rest on the soft bed of sable curls dipping between her thighs.
She tensed, but he didn't move his hand, nor did he let her pull back. He didn't say anything, simply shifted on his side and used his left hand to rest his head. His right still held hers over her lower lips. Her tension turned to panic, her body rigid beside him. Nico would let her decide, but he wouldn't acquiesce quickly, she decided.
Danni knew instinctively what he wanted as soon as his hand moved hers. The statue was a true work of art. A woman lay on her back, the solid polished ivory shimmering in sensual repast. The woman's hair was a bed her shoulders rested on. Her left hand cupped her breast, the nipple caught between thumb and index finger. Her right arm lay across her flat belly, disappearing between her thighs, relaxed and open. One leg was straight out, the other bent at the knee. Minimal paint had been used, only to darken her hair and eyelashes. Curls between her legs were subtly shaded a bit lighter. A wisp of pink hinted at her cheeks, nipples, and lower lips. The minimalism approach left the viewer looking at what had to be considered a perfect specimen of womanhood. It was because of her shape, but more because of the relaxed pose she wore, no embarrassment lingered on her sated smile. Danni panicked. She could never live up to the ideal the ivory put forth.