Authors: Aliyah Burke
“
Leave for Northern
Cape.”
Slim. The thought of him cooled most of
Dane’s desire for Aida. “How soon can you be ready?”
“
We can head out tonight
if you want. But first thing in the morning would be
better.”
“
Morning then.”
“
I’ll start packing.” She
put her hands on her hips and stared at him, her head cocked to the
side. “Umm, I think you’ll be needing some more clothes.” Dane
could see the thoughts racing through her mind. “Okay, let’s
go.”
“
Where?” he
asked.
“
Grab your shirt. We’re
going to get you some more clothing.”
Dane grabbed the shirt and followed her and
the dogs out to her 4x4. He jumped in, and within moments, they
were driving away. “Where are we going?”
“
Kees’ house.”
Dane frowned in the
approaching darkness.
I hate the thought
of her going to him for anything.
But he
didn’t believe now was the appropriate time to tell her he could
conjure clothing from thin air. Truthfully, it’d been so long since
he had, perhaps he couldn’t any longer. He held on as she sped over
the nonexistent road. When she slowed, he saw a large sprawling
single story ranch house ahead. She skidded to a stop and jumped
out, heading to the door.
He had just gotten out when the door opened
and Kees stood there. The man wore some khaki pants and a light
gray shirt, open showing his chest. Dane scowled slightly when they
began talking in a language he couldn’t understand. He walked
closer, and when he stopped beside Aida, she turned to him and
said, “Let’s go inside.”
Everyone entered, dogs included. Kees looked
at him and skimmed over his body. “I should have some clothes that
fit him. This way.”
They stopped at a room, and Aida sat on a
bed while Kees opened the large closet and pulled a few things out.
Taking them, Dane stared at Aida while Kees said, “I’ll leave you
alone to try them on.”
Aida got up and left with Kees. Alone in the
room, Dane looked at the clothing. A few pairs of jeans and some
cargo pants, in army green, camouflage and more. Then Kees had also
pulled some shirts. It didn’t take Dane long, and he knew it would
work. The shirts would be a bit snug but the pants fit well.
Redressing in his clothes, he folded the rest and left the room,
his ears immediately picking up on Aida’s voice.
She and Kees stood in the kitchen, leaning
against the counter, laughing and talking together. Again, in a
language he didn’t know.
“
How’d they fit?” she
asked him in English.
“
Great. Thank you,
Kees.”
The man looked at him and nodded. “Figured
the pants would work for you, they were mine when I was heavier.
You’re bigger than I am.”
“
I appreciate it.” Dane
did, despite not being a fan of the camaraderie between Kees and
Aida.
“
Anything for Aida,” Kees
said, handing over a paper bag.
Dane shoved the clothes in and smiled
despite his anger at the words Kees voiced. Even without heightened
senses, Dane knew he could have picked up on the powerful emotions
flowing through the man. While Adia may believe they were just
friends, Kees was a man who held out hope for something more.
“
We got to get going,
Kees. I’ve got the dogs with me, but thanks for keeping an eye on
everything for me.”
“
No problem.”
Aida waved and jumped into her vehicle, the
dogs following suit. Dane stepped toward it only to stop when Kees
touched his arm. Facing the man, Dane waited for him to say
something. He worked hard to contain his instinctive bristling he
had at Kees’ touch on Aida.
“
Keep her
safe.”
“
I will,” Dane said,
staring him directly in the eyes.
“
Okay.” Kees waved to Aida
and walked inside.
On the road back to her place, Dane asked,
“What language were the two of you speaking?”
“
Tswana.” She shifted and
asked the Scout for more speed.
“
Oh. Is that your second
language?”
“
No…well…I mean I grew up
speaking both it and English. So I think of them both as my first
languages. I’d say Afrikaans and Dutch are my second.” In the low
light, he could see her shrug.
“
U spreekt
Nederlands
?” he asked,
impressed.
“
Ja.
I didn’t know you spoke Dutch,” she said.
“
I speak a few languages
myself.”
“
Figures. Handsome,
strong, caring, and multilingual.”
He chuckled. “Is that a bad thing?”
“
Not at all. That’s like a
total package for me. Are you ever going to tell me what you’ve
been calling me? I know it’s not Dutch.”
“
Perhaps one day I will.
And, Aida, it is all for you,” he murmured, watching her in the
darkness, grateful for the chance to observe her privately. She
licked her lips, and he shifted on the seat.
“
I have to pack when we
get back.”
He smirked at her deliberate attempt to keep
the topic off anything personal. “What can I do?”
“
In the shed, there is a
tall gray cabinet. In that, there is a container I need put in the
back here.” She slid to a stop before the house.
Dane got out slowly, watching her grab his
new clothing and disappear inside. An arrogant smile filled his
face. His woman was losing the control she had. One final stare
back to the house, and he headed to the shed to grab what she’d
said and take it to the back of her International. Standing in the
back, he secured it into the side, making sure it wouldn’t slide
around.
“
Can you put these in
there, too?” Her voice reached out of the dark and stroked
him.
Dane looked at her, bathed in the light from
the house, and nodded. The faint sound of a vehicle coming filled
the air. “Expecting company?” he asked.
“
Nope.” She grabbed his
arm. “Get inside.”
“
I’m not leaving you alone
to face whoever is coming.”
“
Get. Inside.” Aida tugged
on him. “Look, Dane, this may be people looking for you. I’ll be
fine, just get out of sight.”
He didn’t like it, but he did as she asked.
Dane shut the door just as the headlights highlighted the yard.
Positioning himself so he could see out the window and still remain
hidden, Dane watched more than ready to do whatever was necessary
to protect her. Aida worked on the container, and when the vehicle
stopped, she looked up and brushed her hands off on her skirt.
“
Can I help you?” Her
voice flowed to him.
A low rumble rose up within him as he saw
two uniformed men cross the headlight beams and stand before her.
He felt better when Ruger and Kamau positioned themselves on either
side of her. He could hear their low growls. Dane realized he must
have made some good progress with her dogs for they no longer did
so at him.
“
We’re looking for
someone.” She didn’t say a word. The men looked between one
another. “Have you seen him?”
“
I’m sorry. Umm, you’re
going to have to be a bit more specific than that. ‘Someone’ is a
very vague description.” Dane watched her face them
confidently.
“
He’d have been in
handcuffs. Black hair and—”
“
Nope.”
“
Nope?”
She shook her head. “Nope. A handcuffed man
I would remember. Sorry. Can’t help you. Now, if you don’t mind, I
have a busy day of work ahead of me to prepare for.”
The men looked at her attire, and Dane
wanted to smash their faces in for the leers that filled their
gazes. “I see. Sorry to bother you, ma’am.”
“
Good night.” She walked
back to the door, turned, and waited for them to leave before she
entered.
Dane gathered her close immediately. “Are
you okay?”
“
Why wouldn’t I be? They
didn’t do anything, except stare at this damn skirt you picked out
for me to wear.”
“
I wanted to kill them for
that,” he uttered.
“
Okay, look, I’m
exhausted. This has been a long day for me. And we should get an
early start.” She patted his arm and stepped away from his touch.
“Good night, Dane.”
He stayed out there for a few moments then
walked to her bedroom door and knocked. “Aida,” he said softly.
She turned to look at him,
now dressed in a cami and pale purple cotton shorts. Her mass of
hair hung free around her, and he swallowed hard.
So beautiful.
“
Yes?”
Dane walked to her, stepping around the dogs
lying on her floor. He touched her face gently, unable to say a
word.
“
Come on,” she said with a
smile and a soft sigh. “But you have to behave and keep your briefs
on at least.”
He stripped immediately to just the bare
minimum and climbed onto her bed, slipping beneath the top two
blankets. Dane gathered her close once the light was off and she’d
slid into the bed as well. His cock stiffened even more when her
softness brushed against him. But he ignored it, kissed her on the
forehead, and whispered in the dark, “Good night, Aida.”
“
Night, Dane.”
Dane burrowed his nose into her soft hair
and fell into a peaceful sleep with the smell of soft apple,
vanilla, and cinnamon surrounding him.
He woke alone. Refreshed, but alone.
The streams of early morning light touched
him, and he sat slowly. The bedroom door remained closed and he
looked around. Not even the dogs were with him. Listening, he could
hear her talking softly to her beloved animals. Dane lay back down
and buried his face into her pillow, loving the fragrance that
seemed to float around him. Never had he wanted to linger in bed,
but damn, if that wasn’t the thing on his mind. Go grab Aida and
bring her back to bed, to his arms, where she belonged.
Her soft laughter drifted back to him,
causing him to groan, and his erection grew harder. Throwing back
the blankets, Dane got out of bed and headed for the bathroom, then
to his room for some clothing. He wasn’t any less aroused when he
padded into the main part of the house. Aida stood over a bag,
dressed in dark gray cargo pants and a white t-shirt.
“
How is it, Aida Roberts,
you can slip out of bed without waking me?” he asked, moving across
the floor to her position.
She glanced over her shoulder at him and
winked. Once. Slowly. Enticingly. “You were snoring when I
left.”
“
I don’t snore,” he
protested in a low voice.
“
Whatever.” She winked
again. “There’s food on the table. Eat up.” Aida tossed her head
and turned her attention back to her packing.
He didn’t listen. Instead, he moved to stand
behind her. Reaching out, he placed his hands on her hips and drew
her into his body. Dane lowered his head and inhaled the
intoxicating fragrance of her skin. Slight tremors shook her but
she didn’t pull away.
That’s right, Aida. Get used to being in my
arms, for it is where you belong.
Skimming along her silhouette, Dane closed
his eyes and allowed his touch to see for him. Her firm ass pressed
against his stiff erection, the backs of her thighs rested upon his
quads. The smoothness of her skin flamed his blood, and he could
almost taste her on his tongue.
“
Soon, Aida,” he groaned
in her ear.
“
We should get going,” she
murmured, relaxing into him even more.
“
Absolutely,” he replied.
He bit the inside of his lip when she placed her hands on the
outside of his legs, her head tilting to the side to allow him more
unrestricted access to her neck. “The vehicle.”
“
Right,” she whispered.
“The vehicle.” Aida sighed heavily and stepped away from him so
there was a minute distance there. “Go eat something,
Dane.”
Raking his gaze up and down her body, he
moved to the table, laden with breakfast. He stayed there and
watched her leave and come back with the remaining clothes he’d
gotten from Kees only to pack them away as well. The sound of the
zipper broke the silence.
“
Ready?” she asked as he
polished off the last bite of fruit.
Dane felt the animal begin to pace at the
knowledge there was a battle coming. “Ready,” he answered with an
affirmative nod.
“
Let’s do it then.” She
lifted the bag, headed towards him, and tossed it at him. The
weight of it surprised him. Brushing by him, she sashayed her ass
right out the door, her dogs following right behind, leaving him to
bring up the rear.
Dane secured the bag along the left bed wall
and stared over to the front where Aida stood with her arms around
Ruger who was in back. Kamau had already lain down. Her eyes were
closed, and he could see the contentment on her face. Her love for
those animals poured from her to him. Ruger’s tail moved slowly
back and forth. The affection definitely returned from both
canines.
Walking to the passenger seat, Dane hopped
in easily. He met Ruger’s stare. The tail stopped wagging, and the
dog turned his head. Not in a submissive way, more of a dismissal.
Aida swung up and adjusted her pink fuzzy dice before turning over
the powerful motor and shifting into gear.
“
Do you have any idea
where in Northern Cape you need to be?” she asked as they drove
along.