Page 14 of Danger

“Yeah, I bet. I say that we toss that sofa out the back door and sit on the floor,” Danger said.

Declan chuckled and yawned, “I think that might be for the best,” he agreed. He yawned again, “We can talk about it tomorrow.” Within seconds he was softly snoring, and Danger found herself rolling toward him, not able to stop herself from watching him. His overly long dark hair framed his face and she had to refrain from pushing it back from his forehead. She had spent most of the day reminding herself to keep her hands off Declan James, and it was getting harder and harder to do.

Danger rolled to her back and sighed. She had a feeling that it was going to be a long night of staring at the ceiling and fighting her female urges, but it was worth it if it meant that she’d finally be able to free her brother.

Danger woke to what felt like someone or something licking her hand that hung over the mattress. Her eyes popped open, and she saw the cutest dog looking back at her. “Where did you come from?” she asked the dog as if expecting him or her to answer.

Declan stepped into the room from the bathroom and smiled over at her. At least, she thought he was smiling at her, but he was probably smiling at the dog. “You’re awake,” he said.

“Are you talking to me or the dog?” Danger asked.

“Well, you, but the dog is awake too,” he teased.

“Yes, we are both awake. How about you tell me where he or she came from?” she asked.

“I have no idea,” he admitted. “I got up this morning and went down to the kitchen to make some coffee. Did you know that Savage had this place stocked with groceries and necessities so that we don’t have to leave the safe house?”

“You’ve changed the topic. Can we get back to why there was a dog in the bedroom, licking my hands while I was sleeping?” she asked.

“I’m getting to that,” Declan assured, “stay with me,” he said. “I made the coffee and was waiting for it to finish brewing, and that’s when I heard something scratching at the back door. I found my gun and opened the door, nearly shooting the poor thing.” Declan walked across the room to pet the dog’s head. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

“So, she’s a she then?” Danger asked, not expecting him to answer. “You just let her in?”

“I did,” he said, “should I have left her sitting on the back porch?”

“Well, no,” she breathed, “but what if she belongs to someone who lives around here?”

“We’re out in the middle of nowhere, Danger. I’m pretty sure that we don’t have any neighbors who are missing her. Plus, she’s pretty skinny and doesn’t have a collar.” She looked the dog over and felt bad for her. She did look malnourished.

“What kind of dog do you think she is?” Danger asked.

“Um, I’m guessing that she’s a golden retriever or something close to that. She’s pretty but stinky. I was thinking of giving her a bath,” he said.

“In the bathroom?” Danger asked. She was already uncomfortable having to share a bathroom with Declan. Using the same bathtub as a stray dog that they had just found wasn’t exactly her cup of tea.

He shrugged, “Or outside,” he said, “if you would prefer.”

“I would prefer her to have a bath outside if that’s possible. Um, did you say that there is coffee?” she asked. She felt as though she’d be able to guzzle a whole pot of coffee at this point.

“I did,” he said, “and I was thinking about making some breakfast after I give her a bath.”

“How about if you give her a bath and I’ll make us some breakfast?” she asked.

“You can cook?” Declan asked.

“Don’t act so surprised,” she said. “I’m more than just a former MI6 agent.”

“As though that wasn’t enough,” he grumbled. “You have a deal. I’ll get started on her bath and I’ll meet you in the kitchen when we’re finished.” She watched Declan leave the bedroom, followed by the dog who was apparently their new pet. Danger wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing, but she was probably going to find out sooner or later.

Declan

After a week of being cooped up in the safe house, with a woman who seemed to hate him more with each passing day, Declan was ready to give up on Savage’s plan. His only saving grace was that he had a dog to keep him company now. He named the dog Joe because giving an animal a human’s name always cracked him up. Joe was quickly becoming Declan’s only friend and he was thankful to have him, even if Danger seemed less than happy about having the dog around.

Cillian had called to check in with him daily, telling him to just hang in there, and that things would all work out. Declan was starting to think his brother was full of horseshit, even though he didn’t tell him so. Things felt as though they might never get back to normal and Declan was regretting even thinking about moving to America. However, every time Danger walked into the same room with him, all his regret seemed to disappear into thin air.

It was really starting to bug him that she hadn’t warmed up to him yet, even though he had turned on the charm, Danger ignored him most of the time. She found excuses to have to leave the room when she found him in it. Every night, when they went to bed, she pretended to be asleep to avoid having to face him. The silent treatment was killing him and Declan worried that it wasn’t going to change any time soon.

“Coffee?” he asked when Danger walked into the kitchen, still in her pajamas with her hair pulled up into a messy bun. God, she was his walking wet dream, not that he was going to tell her that. He had a feeling that the former MI6 agent would have no problem murdering him and hiding the body.