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She shook her head. Could he really believe that? Could he…? Danny, her Danny, the guy who freed the bugs they found in the trailer rather than squishing them, he valued life. But there was more than just existing. The thrilling, carefree side of life had passed her by. Still, she had to believe it existed and couldn’t believe that Danny might doubt it.
“My mom loved me,” she said. “She cared for me. She talked to me.”
“Mothers and daughters are different, I guess. It’s picnics and rainbows for them.”
“We fought too,” she said. “Argued. I was a hellion of a teen. As soon as I hit sixteen, I ran away. Again and again, I didn’t give her a break. I wanted a life she couldn’t provide. I wanted freedom… It was stupid. She wanted that as much as I did. I know she did. I know it now anyway. She couldn’t let me see her frustration with our existence, not when I was being a nightmare. She couldn’t cut me a break because it would mean one, or both of us, being hurt.”
“Same for me and my dad,” he said.
Sliding a leg over his torso, Tess sat up, stroking her hands up and down his body. “You rebelled?”
He snorted. “Yeah, right,” he said. “Rebel? Maybe if I was suicidal.”
“Danny,” she said, curling her fingers around his jaw. “My God, baby, you were raised in horror.”
To her surprise, his lips curled, and he shook his head that was still deep in the pillow. “No. I had everything I ever needed.”
“Material possessions don’t—”
“His time. He was there for me. Taught me lessons I didn’t even know I needed to learn,” Danny said. “He’d drop everything for me. Go to war with me… when I was a kid… Doubt that’s true these days.”
Running her fingertips around the edge of his face, she brought his attention back to her. “What happened? What changed?”
“It’s complicated.”
Experiencing a Danny with barriers was new.
“But you said you miss him,” she said. “You shouldn’t miss him.” As her mom’s death proved, life could be stolen in a snap. “How about when I’m done with my crazy crusade, I help you fix things with your dad?”
He surged up to wrap his arms around her. “I have a better plan,” he said, flipping her onto her back, merging his mouth with hers.
Sex was a distraction. Even though talking about his father hadn’t been easy, Tess was glad she knew more about the man sharing her bed. His relationship with his father was obviously complex, but it meant something to him. Just as it meant something that he’d trusted her with the truth. Some of it anyway.
Judging by how much distance they’d covered over the last three days, they were about halfway to their destination. Eager to find out if her guess was right, Tess wanted to get there while simultaneously fearing it could be a dead-end. If there were no clues on where to go next, her predicament would be the same as before: trying to figure out the damn numbers.
“Danny,” she murmured, clutching his head to take his mouth away from its trek down her neck.
He looked into her, desire hot in his drowsy eyes. Searching beyond his need, she wanted to see something in him, some sign that he understood. Everything was a mess. The only thing she’d ever been able to rely on was gone. In a few days, she could come face to face with whatever had been trying to track them down her whole life. If that happened,whenthat happened, the outcome would be… who even knew? Another mystery.
“It’s okay, Tess,” he said without her uttering more than his name. “Stop concentrating… You’re allowed to stop thinking. To turn everything off…” He smiled and brushed his lips over hers. “Everything except me.”
Her mind did work too hard, which was probably why sleep had eluded her. So much was riding on her being right. Just like so much was riding on her deciphering the numbers that, so far, meant exactly nothing.
She wanted to do more than hear his voice. “When I’m with you, I…”
Silencing herself, Tess swallowed. For the first time, she felt nervous in his arms.
“I know, baby,” he murmured, his breath warm as it passed her lips. “Nothing’s too broken to fix.”
She didn’t know exactly what that meant, but it didn’t matter. He’d said exactly what she needed to hear. Once again, he proved his worth. His value grew all the time. On the trip, he’d been her constant, keeping her fed and rested. Been by her side. Relying on him too much would be dangerous.
Crashing in the trailer was a temporary solution. All she’d wanted was another warm body, and somewhere that hadn’t been violated by a thief. Danny had become so much more. Her only friend in a vast world filled with strangers.
Danny wouldn’t hurt her, couldn’t hurt her. Danny was everything she needed. The epitome of safe. Explaining she’d have to leave him behind would be difficult. If she was smart, she’d do it soon, wake up before him and split.
If she was smart.
Closing her eyes when his kiss deepened again, Tess was already making excuses to herself about keeping him longer. Safety, comfort, who’d have thought such simple qualities would be so seductive?
