Danny's inner turmoil calmed once she heard the rhythmic pounding of waves on the beach. The salty tang the breeze carried to her lulled her, caressed her cheeks and tousled her golden hair. Danny settled down into the soft white sands and looked up at the pitch dark sky, studying the pinpoints of lights and thought about the wonderful stories her mother told her when she was still alive.
'Every star in the sky has a purpose and everyone of them belongs to us. There are lots and lots of stars up there, some so small we cannot see them, but that doesn't mean they're not there, Danny. They are and they will always be there forever. Do you know what they are there for, sweetheart?' her gentle and beautiful mother had asked, tucking the blankets about her little angel and smoothing a strand of wayward hair from her forehead.
"I remember, mama, every word you ever said to me," Danny whispered hoarsely into the darkness. Her silver eyes filling with tears. "They are there to protect us from harm, to guide us when we thought we are lost forever, to give us hope when we need it. Why, mama? Why didn't your own guardian protect you when you fell down the stairs? Why?" Danny demanded fiercely of the stars, unaware of the tears flowing down her face.
"Sometimes, we only have ourselves to count on, no one can save us, except ourselves." A voice came out of the blue, startling the hell out of Danny and distracting her from her aching loss.
Danny jerked her head towards the general direction where the voice came from and saw a man, a very tall one at that strolling towards her. His face was in shadows and he wore a white shirt and blue jeans. He looked bald from quite a distance, but when he came nearer, Danny could see the blond hair sticking out of his baseball cap.
Nick was feeling especially restless that night when he went to bed. A sense of urgency kept him tossing and turning in bed until he gave up the idea of sleeping and ventured out here to sort out his feelings. He had been here no longer than ten minutes when a shadowy figure coming towards the beach caught his eye.
He followed the nightgown clad figure as she descended upon the beach. The fact that she wore nothing but a white nightgown intrigued him. Who in their right mind would come out here all alone in the middle of a freezing night with nothing more substantial than a sheer nightgown. He watched in fascination as she sat down at the sand dunes and tilted her head back to stare at the pitch black sky, seemingly lost in thoughts. Feeling an inexplicable draw towards her, Nick had gone to her like a moth to a naked flame.
She looked like a fairy-figure, so fair with eyes so luminous and huge and vulnerable, a person could willing drown in them. The clarity of them could see right through a person to the core of him. The silver color bringing across a hint of mystery and lingering sadness. Her killer cheekbones, sculpted nose, luscious lips and a cleft chin looked as though they were craved out of ivory. The mane of hair floating around her porcelain face was nothing sort of spectacular. In the moonlight, it shone golden, not blond, golden. The fairy princess's hair was made up of shimmering golds, honey browns and warm reds. The effect of those warm, vibrant colors with the light and shadows which made up the rest of her was astounding.
The nearer he got to her, the faster his heart beat, until his heart was like a beast, battering at his chest to get out of its confines. He got near enough to hear her berating her mother's guardian for letting her down. The intense pain etched into her expressive eyes made him want to reach out and wipe the heartache out of her life and fill it with laughter instead. Nick was surprised at the intensity of protectiveness he felt welling up inside him. He felt this strength of wanting to protect what's his only once, and that was when BJ had come running home after her date had nearly raped her.
Nick's first instinct was to run out and ferret the bastard out and tear him limb from limb.
Now, Nick's protective instinct kicked in and he replied before he could help himself. He caught his breath when she turned her face towards her. Damn! None of the faces which graced fashion magazines could compare to this one. It shouts innocence and vulnerability and fragility. Her entire demeanor screamed for a person, anyone, to protect her from life's harsh reality. All a person has to do is to gaze into those silver eyes and catch a glimpse of the disenchantment buried in their depths and he's ready to slay dragons and move mountains for her.
One other expression lit in her eyes as she located him. Not fear as he first thought, but curiosity. Nick didn't know whether this girl was incredibly stupid or incredibly brave. Most girls would have run cowering back into their house, especially if they were wearing nothing but a nightgown. But no, this girl turned tear-streaked face towards him and waited as he approached her slowly.
Danny's patience held only long enough for the man to sit beside her, "What do you mean by that? Who are you?"
If Nick expected her voice to be soft and lilting, like an angel she resembled, he was sadly disappointed. It was a strong, clear voice, a musical voice, but there was nothing delicate about her voice. It was the voice of a person who had been through life and was disillusioned by what she saw. Nick found himself wondering what had happened to make this angel so cynical.
Underlying the vulnerability was a core of steel. He was beginning to like this girl more and more, she intrigued him immensely. A contrasting puzzle, none of the pieces about her fit.
"I mean that we can't depend on anyone, only ourselves if we want to survive. You know what they say, reality had teeth and claws. You never know when a claw will reach out for you or who the claw will belong to." He smiled at her, "I'm Nick."
She didn't return his smile. Instead she studied him pensively. Her eyes taking in his every feature that was previously hidden by the night. Nick's guts tightened as he anticipated her jumping up and transforming into a crazed fan. "I see," was all she said instead. Oddly, he was disappointed when she didn't recognize him. "Danny," she offered when he looked at her expectantly.
"That's a... pretty uncommon name for a girl." He commented.
She shot him a wryly smile that caught him off-guard with its brilliance. It was like seeing a shooting star in an especially dark night. "But then, I'm not a common girl."
Solemnly, Nick said, "I can see that."
Danny shifted uncomfortably at that and Nick tried to bring back the easy comradeship they shared a moment ago. "It's in the middle of a freezing night and you're clad in nothing but a nightgown. What are you doing here? Aren't you cold in this ensemble?"
As if his words brought the chill, Danny promptly sneezed when he finished talking. Nick moved to encased her in his arms to share his body warmth with her since he couldn't shed his shirt for her, but Danny shrank back, distrust and suspicion stamped all over her beautiful features.
Nick held up both hands. "Relax. I'm not going to hurt you. You didn't run away when I approached you, trust me now. You're going to catch your death if you don't get warmer soon and the way I see it, you have two choices. One, go back inside your house where you'll be warm, which I'm certain is the last thing you want to do, or two, I share my warmth with you. I would have given you my jacket if I have one, but I don't, this is the best I can do." Nick tilted his brow at her, betting that a little cold won't discourage this girl from seeking a little quiet away from home.
Betting that his presence was incentive enough to make her stay here and chat. < What are you thinking, Carter? > His conscious screamed at him, < You have a girlfriend! What are you doing with this girl on the beach at night? >
< She looks like she needs someone to talk to, and I'm just trying to help. There's nothing wrong with being a good Samaritan is there? > He countered. He really liked to know more about this contradictory mix of girl.
"All right," she agreed grudgingly and let Nick pulled her close to his chest, his arms around her shoulders, his entire right side pressing against her left side. She stiffened a moment before yielding. Nick felt a certain satisfaction at her reassuring weight against his.
They didn't speak for several minutes, each relishing each other's presence, the crashing of waves floated about them, weaving a web of enchantment. "Why are you out here?" he asked finally, breaking the comfortable silence between them.
"The same reason you're out here." She replied. Nick was a little amused and a little frustrated by her secrecy.
"Are you always so mysterious?"
"Not always, but then I always know who I'm talking to, unlike now. I don't know you, yet here I am, in your arms. There's only so much I'm willing to entrust to you."
"You would put yourself in my hands, but you wouldn't tell me about yourself?" His tone carried his disbelief and Nick's felt Danny smiled.
"Yes."
"What will you tell me then?"
"I've never been held like this before," she whispered.
How can anyone not hold her like he did before? They must be blind. "Never?"
"Never," she confirmed.
"Why?" He couldn't help the question from slipping out.
"I'm always very self-sufficient, I don't need anyone."
"Then you must be very lonely." Don't need anyone? That doesn't sound good, not at all.
"I'm used to it, besides, I like being alone. When you're alone, you're least likely to get hurt."
"Oh," What on earth had happened to this girl to make her shun company? The harder Nick tried to solve this puzzle, the more complicated it becomes. "You missing out on a lot of things life has to offer by enclosing yourself in a small circle."
"Yeah? Like what?" A hint of challenge and skepticism was in her voice.
Nick's first instinctive answer was 'Me,' and as usual, his tongue acted faster than his brain. "Me."
That one word startled the girl into tilting up her head and looking at him in surprise. Nick didn't know what had gotten into him. The starlight shining on this girl made her seemed immaterial, like a dream that would disappear if Nick didn't do something to keep her with him. He shouldn't want to keep her with him, but the fact was he want to- desperately. Something in her spangled eyes made Nick do something he had been wanting to do ever since he set eyes on her.
His blue gaze drifted to her slightly part pink lips and before he lost his nerve and before she could discern his intention, Nick leaned down the few inches to close the gap between them with his lips.
A gasp escaped from Danny's lips when the electric feeling of Nick's lips on hers ran through her body. Every nerve-ending in her body was screaming, coming alive. Danny stared into Nick's blue depths and found that she couldn't find the strength to pull away from the kiss, all she wanted to do was drown in his eyes and fused herself to him and to hell with the rest of the world. She never knew that a simple kiss could be so... exciting. Or is it the man himself?
A heartbeat later, Nick pulled away and Danny had to bite her lips to keep a groan of disappointment from escaping. "I'm sorry if I offend you just now, but... I just couldn't help it..."
Danny shook her head, a hopeful look in her eyes that weren't there before. "Don't apologize and spoil this for me, for both of us. I wanted it as much as you did." Nick could detect a faint blush on her cheeks that was very becoming of her. She looked more alive and human than she did a moment ago before he kissed her.
"Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?" Nick asked huskily. He couldn't believe that there was such a rare beauty in his own backyard and he didn't know it. Where had he been? Where had she been hiding herself when they were growing up?
The rosy flush on her cheeks deepened. "No."
With a start, Nick realized that the girl wasn't trying to be coy or trying to fish a compliment or two from him. She genuinely didn't know how attractive she was to the opposite sex.
"Then let me tell you. You are more beautiful than the fairy folk, your eyes alone have more stars than the universe can contain, you are so delicate yet so strong. You are a very contradicting but delightful package which makes me want to unwrap each layer of you until I find out what's inside of you, until I find the real, unpretentious you. I want to protect you even though I know you don't need any protecting, that you, unlike any females out there, would not scream for help when in a difficult situation. Instead you would fight your way out of it, using your own strength and wits. You are the most special girl I have ever had the chance to meet and I'm damn glad that I got to meet you here, now. Your inner strength alone makes you so beautiful, it's blinding." Nick's fingers stole up her face to caress her cheek like the way the wind was caressing it.
"I want to protect you, hide you in a safe place so that the world with all its cruelties can't reach you, can't hurt you. At the same time, I want to show you off to the world, show to the cynical world, what a special person you are, how... unspoiled and refreshing you are. I want to wipe the pain and hurt from your eyes and fill the rest of your days with smiles and laughter and happiness."
Danny laughed mirthlessly and moved out of Nick's circle of arms. She stood up and walked to the edge of the water and stared out the horizon. She was no longer cold. Nick's body warmth warmed her physically, and his words, those sweet, earnest words warmed the empty void inside her. But, she had just known him, barely a few hours. How could he know her?
How could he ever understand what she had to endure all her life?
Nick looked at the slight figure encased in billowing white fabric with a little confusion and guilt. How could he say all those things to her when he wasn't a free man? He was attached to a very nice girl for God's sake. How could he betray Jade like that? How could he say all those things to this girl whom he didn't even know exist until a few minutes before? What was he doing?
He shouldn't lead the girl on, his mind screamed at him, sirens sounding, but his heart kept whispering, 'Just one more minute, just one more.'
"Why do you want to do that for a complete stranger?" She had turned around and was staring steadily at him, Nick felt that those silver eyes had seen right through him to his black soul.
Danny waited a long time for the answer. She didn't know what she wanted Nick to say, but she knew she wanted him to say something, anything, so as long as he spoke. But he disappointed her, he just returned her gaze unflinchingly in that his clear honest way of his.
Finally, Danny tore her gaze from his almost haunted one and headed back for her house. She was more awake now than ever, but she knew she could not stay a second longer. < Why is that? > Her mind taunted. < Why can't you stay with him there a moment longer? What are you afraid of? >
Danny was afraid of herself, afraid that the heart she had never used would start beating because of this man of the night. Danny couldn't, had vowed never to let anyone have that kind of hold over her ever again. To fall in love, even to care for someone was allowing them power to hurt her- badly. Once bitten, twice shy. One experience was enough, thank you very much.
Nevertheless, Danny knew that, as she was walking back, if Nick had called out for her to come back, she would, without hesitation. She walked slowly, with all her dignity, but the call she longed for never came.
Chapter Three
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